University of North Carolina Wilmington MFA

The MFA at UNCW is a 48-hour apprenticeship, requiring a total of 21 hours of writing workshops, 21 hours of literature or other elective courses, and 6 thesis hours, leading to completion and defense of a substantial book-length manuscript of literary merit and publishable quality. While students apply in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction and focus primarily on that genre, some cross-genre study is required. Coursework in editing and publishing, as well as a Certificate in Publishing program, is offered through our Publishing Laboratory. Experience in magazine and book production is offered in conjunction with our imprint Lookout Books and with Ecotone and Chautauqua, our department's national literary magazines. A new concentration in environmental writing allows students to explore the role of place in their writing.