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: 
45
Application Deadline: 
December 15, 2025
Application Fee: 
$60
Contact Name: 
Workshop Staff
Core Faculty Includes: 

Poetry: Mark Levine, Tracie Morris, Elizabeth Willis, Margaret Ross
Fiction: Jamel Brinkley, Ethan Canin, Samantha Chang

2025-2026 visiting faculty includes Jack Jung, Cristina Henríquez, Farnoosh Fathi, Tom Drury, Carmen Maria Machado, Tony Tulathimutte, Jenny Zhang, 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 Henríquez, 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, ZZ Packer, Ann Patchett, D. A. Powell, Robyn Schiff, Jane Smiley, Wallace Stegner, Mark Strand, James Tate, Justin Torres, Abraham Verghese, Joy Williams

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