NEOMFA

Program Overview

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

NEOMFA, Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, click here to view detailed information from all universities.

For more information on the NEOMFA Program at Cleveland State University, click here.

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is offered as part of the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a three-university consortium incorporating the faculty and resources of Cleveland State University, Kent State University, and the University of Akron. The degree program offers four concentrations: fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and poetry. The curriculum focuses on the techniques of creative writing and the analysis of literary works from the point of view of the practitioner, while electives enable the study of whatever subject area will further the student's writing interests. A required internship offers practical workplace experience from a wide range of fields, including teaching, editing, grant writing, arts marketing, and arts administration.

The program is designed to meet the needs of both part-time and full-time students. Workshops and craft and theory courses are routinely offered in the evenings. Students can register freely across institutional boundaries for graduate courses offered at any of the participating universities and taught either by regular faculty or by visiting resident writers.

Please note that applicants must submit materials both to CSU and to the NEOMFA Program. For more information on submitting materials to CSU, click here. For information on submitting materials to the NEOMFA, click here.

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Contact

Department of English; Rhodes Tower, Room 1815; Phone (216) 687-3951

• Adam Sonstegard, Chair
• Julie Townsend, Director of Graduate Studies
• Mike Geither, CSU Campus Coordinator for the NEOMFA
• Imad Rahman, (CSU) NEOMFA Director

Admission Requirements

To apply to the NorthEast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program:

1. Complete the Application for Graduate Admission at Cleveland State, checking "English - Creative Writing NEOMFA" as the intended program of study and checking Master's Degree. To facilitate the process, we strongly recommend that applicants use the online application system at engagecsu.com/apply
   The submission process requires that an applicant have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of 2.75 or higher and a 3.0 average in courses in English. Applicants must provide transcripts of all previous college work and, for NEOMFA applicants, three letters of recommendation. Students interested in teaching assistantships should submit a sample of academic writing, normally a research paper from an undergraduate course.
2. Submit required application materials to the NEOMFA Program: a creative writing portfolio, a one-page statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation. Your portfolio and statement may be submitted here: neomfa.org/apply. Letters of recommendation should be sent to neomfa.applicants@gmail.com. For more information on applying to the NEOMFA, see neomfa.org/prospective-students.

Please note that applicants must submit materials both to CSU and to the NEOMFA Program.

NEOMFA Courses

The menu of Consortium courses is comprised of the collective graduate offerings of participating departments at all four NEOMFA universities. For an overview, consult the course-offering page on the NEOMFA Web site at neomfa.org, where specific MFA courses are designated and available literature courses, as well as many electives, are listed for upcoming semesters.