University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop

MFA Program

See writers who attended this program
Program Established: 
1936
Location: 
Iowa City, IA
Genre: 
Poetry, Fiction
Residency: 
Full
Duration: 
2 Years
Incoming Class Size: 
50
Application Deadline: 
December 15, 2023
Application Fee: 
$60
Contact E-mail: 
Contact Name: 
Deb West
Core Faculty Includes: 

Poetry: James Galvin, Mark Levine, Tracie Morris, Elizabeth Willis

Fiction: Jamel Brinkley, Ethan Canin, Samantha Chang, 

The Fall of 2023 visiting faculty includes poet Cody-Rose Clevidence, and fiction writers Kate Christensen, Tom Drury, and Carmen Maria Machado.

The Spring 2024 visiting faculty includes poet Wendy Xu, and fiction writers Sarah Mathews and Kevin Brockmeier.

Funding/Employment Opportunities: 

The program offers full funding through fellowships and teaching assistantships.

Affiliated Publications/Publishers: 
Other Features: 

During the academic year, the program offers readings, master classes, question and answer sessions, and short courses with visiting writers, as well as opportunities to meet agents and editors. Other draws include a community outreach & youth writing program, the opportunity to earn a certificate in literary translation, and collaborations with other departments, such as the theater department and the Center for the Book.

The application fee for international students is $100.

Graduates: 

Raymond Carver, Sandra Cisneros, Justin Cronin, Rita Dove, Nathan Englander, Angela Flournoy, Jorie Graham, Garth Greenwell, Yaa Gyasi, Paul Harding, Joy Harjo, Adam Haslett, Cristina Henríques, Juan Felipe Herrera, John Irving, Leslie Jamison, T. Geronimo Johnson, Philip Levine, Yiyun Li, Ayana Mathis, Shane McCrae, Jane Mead, Alice Notley, Flannery O'Connor, Z.Z. Packer, Ann Patchett, D.A. Powell, Robyn Schiff, Jane Smiley, Wallace Stegner, Mark Strand, James Tate, Justin Torres, Abraham Verghese, Joy Williams