Mississippi University for Women to Offer New Graduate Program in Creative Writing

The Mississippi University for Women has announced the establishment of a new master of fine arts degree program in creative writing. The new program is scheduled to begin during the Fall 2015 semester.

The new master of fine arts degree in creative writing is classified as a “low-residency” program. Students will attend a two-week on-campus program in late May or early June. Also students will be required to be on campus for short one-week residency programs held at different times of the year.

The degree program will include courses in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and drama. The degree will require 48 course hours that can be completed in a two- or three-year schedule. The university plans to enroll about 10 students each year in the new degree program.

Bridget Pieschel, chair of the department of languages, literature and philosophy at the university, stated that “the W’s rich and influential history in creative writing and its pioneering practice of providing a hybrid education for those who will work in nontraditional ways make this new low-residence MFA in creative writing a natural and exciting addition to our graduate programs.”

Dr. Pieschel holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Mississippi University for Women and a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama.

The Mississippi University for Women is a co-educational institution. But, according to the latest Department of Education data, women make up 82 percent of the undergraduate student body.