Details

To Apply

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. They may submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination, but the GRE is not required. They must give evidence, by undergraduate record, submission of manuscripts, and letters of recommendation, of their capacity to undertake the program. The application form, transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, other materials, and $40 nonrefundable processing fee should be sent to:

Graduate Program in Creative Writing
Hollins University Graduate Center
P. O. Box 9603
Roanoke, VA 24020-1603
Phone: (540) 362-6575
Fax: (540) 362-6288
hugrad@hollins.edu

For program questions, contact the director, Jeanne Larsen, at (540) 362-6317 or creative.writing@hollins.edu.

The deadline for receipt of all materials is January 6.


Degree Requirements

Forty-eight credits in residence are required for the M.F.A. degree. Each student will undertake ten four-credit courses, plus a thesis (eight credits).
   Courses may be in the immediate area of the degree, or, if the student's background and preparation warrant, in related areas. At least one course each term must be a literature course which includes a substantial critical paper.
   The thesis offered for the degree must consist of a book-length, creative manuscript and must be completed by the end of year two. Each student will be assigned a faculty advisor who will provide advice and direction in the preparation of the thesis.

Checklist of Items to be Submitted:

• Application for Admission
• Nonrefundable processing fee
• Application for Stipend or Scholarship
• Brief statement of purpose
• Writing sample
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcripts of all undergraduate work

Fees, Stipends and Scholarships

Tuition for M.F.A. graduate students is $26,720 for the 2008-09 academic year. Stipends and scholarships are available to qualified students. Interested applicants should fill out the Application for Stipend or Scholarship. This application is available as a pdf. Selected second-year students will serve as creative writing teaching assistants. Any Hollins grant will be offset, in part, by applicable grants such as the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant. New students must pay a nonrefundable deposit of $500 by April 1.



FAQs

Q: Do I need to send my GRE scores?
A: GRE scores are not required, but may be submitted.

Q: I didn't see a letter of recommendation form. Did I miss it?
A: We do not have a form for letters of recommendation. Just have your referees write a letter.

Q: Do you have graduate student housing?
A: Hollins University has a limited amount of apartment-style housing on campus for graduate students. In addition, the English department maintains a list from former graduate students of housing in and around Roanoke, and we share these leads with admitted students.

Q: I need financial aid. How do I apply for it?
A: Fill out the Application for Stipend or Scholarship. We make a number of merit-based awards. The application is available as a pdf.

If you are interested in a student loan, complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), found online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Wait a few weeks for the paperwork to clear, and then contact our Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance at (540) 362-6332 or sfa@hollins.edu to follow-up on the paperwork.

Q: What kind of writing sample do I need to send?
A: Send a portfolio of original work:

• Poetry (approximately 10 pages)
• Fiction (approximately 25 pages)
• Creative non-fiction (approximately 25 pages)
• Or an amalgam thereof (not to exceed 30 pages total)
  

More FAQs and some advice, too.

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