MFA Admissions

Apply to the MFA Program

The application deadline for best consideration for all funding opportunities is December 1, 2024.

Application to all graduate programs offered by the English Department is made through the University of Alabama Graduate School online application. Please note that the policies, procedures, and requirements listed below in some cases supersede or are more specific than the Graduate School’s policies.

Procedure

  1. Complete an online application form. All applicants must enter one of the following for the “Specialty Area” field: “Prose,” “Poetry,” or “Prose & Poetry”.
  2. Pay the application fee ($65 for U.S. residents, $85 for international students). Once steps 1 and 2 are completed, you will be assigned a Campus Wide Identification Number (CWID), which will enable you to log in to the Supporting Documents System to complete step 3.  Applicants should complete steps 1 and 2 well before they are ready to upload supporting documents as it can take several days for the system to generate a CWID.
  3. Upload the following supporting documents/information:
    • Statement of Purpose: Your statement should give us a sense of who you are, what you seek from a writing program, and how your interests connect to what the University of Alabama’s program offers.
    • Writing Sample: For applicants in Prose, the writing sample should consist of 20-30 pages (fiction, nonfiction, or a combination of the two). For applicants in Poetry, the writing sample should consist of 10-20 pages of poetry. Applicants applying in Poetry & Prose should upload two separate writing samples, one in each genre.
    • Names and institutional email addresses of three (3) referees who will submit letters of recommendation online via a link that will be sent to recommenders directly by the Graduate School. Please note that neither the Graduate School nor the Department of English can accept letters via Interfolio or Parchment.
    • Unofficial transcripts from each institution of higher education at which you have completed 15 or more credit hours. Accepted applicants will be required to furnish official transcripts prior to enrolling.

Minimum Requirements for Admission

  • For nonnative language score requirements, see the UA Graduate School’s Supporting Documents page.
  • The minimum GPA to be considered for regular admission is 3.0. Students who do not meet these requirements, but who excel in other areas, may be considered for Admission with Permission to Continue.
  • No standardized admission test scores are required.
  • For all other programs, consult the Graduate School’s minimum requirements.

Financial Support

See this page for detailed information about financial support. Additional questions can be addressed to the MFA Director, John Estes.

students posing after a reading

Additional Questions About MFA Admissions?

All graduate applications in the English Department are processed by Jennifer Fuqua, our graduate programs administrative specialist. She can be reached at jfuqua@ua.edu.