GENERAL ADMISSIONS INFORMATION  

We prefer that applicants to the M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing hold a bachelor's degree in English or have taken 24 credits in English and American literature. Exceptions are made if applicants can demonstrate the ability to take graduate-level literature courses. We consider the entire application package in our admission decisions.

The minimum admission standard for all graduate students is an undergraduate grade point average of "B" or 3.0 (see bottom of page for exceptions), or the functional equivalent for students who have attended universities outside of the United States. In general, a minimum GPA of 3.25 is required for teaching assistantships, and a minimum GPA of 3.5 as an undergraduate is required for university fellowships.

Submit the following documents to the English department to be considered for admission. Please note that all materials (including GRE scores) must be postmarked by December 15 or they will not be considered.

• Graduate School Application: Complete online or send paper application to: Creative Writing Program, Dept. of English, Temple University, 1114 W. Berks St., Philadelphia, PA 19122-6090.

• Transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended (including Temple).

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for the general test, taken within the past 5 years. This is a Graduate School requirement, and there are no waivers. The Creative Writing Program requires the general test only, not the literature subject exam. Receiving score reports by December 15 is extremely important if you wish to be considered for a fellowship.

• International applicants: TOEFL minimum score of 79/550, or IELTS minimum score of 6.5, or PTE Academic minimum score of 53. Please refer to the Graduate School's international application page.

• Financial Aid Application: Required with a C.V. or résumé if you are interested in being considered for a fellowship or assistantship. (This PDF form has fillable fields that may be completed on your computer.)

• Personal Statement (750–1,000 words): Give us a sense of who you are—a more detailed, personal picture than what can be gleaned from transcripts or résumés, especially if you have a non-traditional background or atypical undergraduate record. Discuss literary influences and models that feed your creative work; we're interested in which writers and texts have been important to you, as well as what critical approaches you have found useful. Describe your teaching experience if you have any. Mention what attracts you to Temple's program and/or Philadelphia.

• Sample of Written Work: Your writing sample is probably the most crucial single element of your application. Send a packet of writing in one genre only (poetry or fiction). For poetry submissions, there is a minimum of six poems. For fiction, send a total of 20–25 double-spaced pages. If you'd like to include a critical essay in addition, please feel free to do so; it, too, should be double-spaced.

• Three Letters of Recommendation: Your recommendations should address the specific projects you have undertaken in your previous academic and creative career. They should therefore be written by people who have worked closely with you on literary or related projects. In most cases, these will be faculty members. We review the letters of recommendation for specific information about how you write, how you approach problems, how you work in the classroom (both in workshops and in literature courses).

APPLICATION DEADLINE: The postmark deadline for completed applications is December 15; applications are accepted only for fall admission.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    www.temple.edu/grad/admissions/index.htm (application download site)

    www.temple.edu (for general Temple information)

    www.temple.edu/english (Temple English Department)

    www.temple.edu/gradbulletin (for general Graduate School information)

To request a paper application or ask questions, please contact Sharon Logan, the Program Coordinator, at logansd@temple.edu or 215.204.1796.

Exceptions for GPAs less than 3.0: The Dean of the Graduate School considers exceptions to the admissions requirement if the student meets one of these criteria:

• Achieved a 3.25 cumulative grade point average in a least 9 credits of graduate work at an accredited university in the United States or equivalent academic performance in a university outside the United States.
• Scored above the 65th percentile on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Exam (or other standardized test, such as the Graduate Management Admission Test).
• Earned a 3.5 grade point average during her/his final two years of undergraduate work.

In special circumstances, particularly with an exceptional writing sample, other exceptions may be granted.