brown university mfa creative writing application

Literary Arts

Admission is highly selective, and is based primarily on the quality of the applicant’s literary writing.

Your writing sample, therefore, is the most important part of your application . In putting your sample together, you should emphasize quality rather than length. Your writing sample should be in a single genre.

Writing Sample

Suggested length.

Writing samples may comprise a single work; an excerpt (or multiple excerpts) from a longer work; or multiple short works; or some other combination.

30 – 40 pages (double-spaced is typical; you may use an alternative format if integral to the work.)

15 – 20 pages (any format)

One or two electronic projects (provide links); or a 30-50 page portfolio (any format).

Applying for Multiple Tracks

If you want to be considered in more than one track, you may indicate on the application each of the tracks to which you wish to apply. You will need to provide two or (if choosing to apply to all three tracks) three separate writing samples. If applying to multiple tracks, clearly label each writing sample within the cover page with the track name (fiction, poetry, digital/cross-disciplinary).

Applicants submit a writing sample in plain-text format (preferably as a PDF document) less than 5 megabytes in size as part of the online application. If your work cannot easily be sent in this format (i.e., it has sculptural elements that you do not feel you can document in any but three-dimensional models), send it by regular mail to: Graduate School, Brown University, Box 1867, Providence, RI 02912. You may also include web address links for works that are best read online.

Applicants’ writing samples are reviewed for admission by at least two members of the faculty. Because the Literary Arts Department receives a large number of applications, faculty members cannot provide critiques of individual samples. The Department does not grant interviews to prospective students.

Additional information

Application requirements, campus visits, international applicants.

Graduate School

Apply for mfa or doctoral study at brown.

Start your application and begin your graduate journey at Brown University.

Criteria for Admission

Admission to the Graduate School is determined at the program level with oversight by the Graduate School. Each program, in consultation with the dean of the Graduate School, sets its own admission criteria. The individual academic programs evaluate applications for admission. Admission decisions are made after a full review of the materials in the application. Programs consider previous records, test scores and recommendations and look for clear evidence of the ability to do advanced work of the highest quality. The admission decisions are final. There is no appeals process.

Application Requirements by Program

View application requirements for each program on the Graduate Programs site. Brown offers nearly 100 options for master’s, doctoral, executive leadership, certification and dual-degree medical programs.

Notification

Applicants should expect to be notified within four to eight weeks of the application deadline for their programs (February or March for a January 1 deadline). Whether or not applications that are submitted after a program's stated deadline will be reviewed is at the discretion of each program. While individual academic programs evaluate applicants for admission, offers of admission are only binding when made in writing by the dean of the Graduate School. Admission may, in some cases, be deferred; aid offers cannot be deferred.

The Graduate School follows Brown's policy on equal opportunity, nondiscrimination and affirmative action .

Program Inquiries

Doctoral or mfa program inquiries.

For questions regarding the application process or admission to a doctoral or MFA program, email [email protected] , call the Graduate School at 401-863-2600 or complete the graduate admission inquiry form .

Master's (Non-MFA) Program Inquiries

For questions regarding the application process or admission to a Master's program (non-MFA), visit masters.brown.edu

Doctoral and MFA Applications

The Graduate School manages applications for all MFA and doctoral programs. Brown’s online application provides tools for collecting and submitting all documents and information required for the application. Individual academic departments may require additional information, so please check individual programs for guidance.

Online Application
Graduate Programs

Master’s (Non-MFA) Applicants

If you are interested in applying for a Master’s (non-MFA) or professional program at Brown, visit masters.brown.edu for more information.

Application Materials

In general, the application for graduate study at Brown includes a personal statement, college transcripts, letters of recommendation and results for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

While most applicants must submit a personal statement regarding their interests and/or intended areas of study, some programs ask applicants to respond to short-answer questions instead of a personal statement. Some programs ask applicants to address specific questions in their personal statements (they are provided in the prompt).

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a scanned image of their college transcript at the time of application, which can speed processing; however, a final, official transcript will be required of all admitted students who matriculate. Applicants who have attended international institutions must submit transcripts or certified attestations of study, with certified English translations. Once translated, the original transcript and the certified translations are to be sent to the Graduate School admission office. College seniors should submit current transcripts, followed by a final official transcript showing the award of the baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation, as is required and mentioned above.

The Graduate School requires three letters of recommendation by persons well qualified to speak from first-hand knowledge about the applicant's potential for graduate study. All letters should comment on an applicant’s ability to do research and perform in the program’s required coursework. At least two of these letters should be from faculty at the institution of current study or, if the applicant is not in school at the time of application, at the institution most recently attended.

Letters of recommendation for applicants to MFA programs may be from academic or nonacademic sources; please consult individual program listings for details. Letters of recommendation must be submitted online. If you are using Interfolio, please refer to their website for instructions on submitting your recommendations electronically.

Applicants to programs requiring the GRE must have their results to the Graduate School or, if applying to one of the programs in the School of Public Health, to a separate Brown University code. Please refer to our GRE page and individual listings for the doctoral or master’s program for details.

GRE Information

All international applicants whose native language is not English must ensure that the Graduate School receives their official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), TOEFL ITP Plus for China or International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

TOEFL/IELTS Information

A nonrefundable fee of $75 is charged for processing each application received by the Graduate School. This fee must be paid when the application is submitted. An application will not be processed unless the fee is paid.

Applicants who want to be evaluated by more than one graduate program must submit separate applications to each program for which they would like to be considered.

The Graduate School is not responsible for errors made by applicants during the application process. There are no application fee refunds.

Application fee waivers are available under certain circumstances. Applicants to Brown's graduate programs who can demonstrate financial need may apply for an application fee waiver.

Application Fee Waivers

All materials related to an application that are not submitted electronically as part of the online application should be mailed to the Graduate School admission office:

47 George St., Box 1867 Brown University Providence, R.I. 02912.

Do not send any application materials directly to the program you are applying to as this will only slow the progress of your application. Material submitted in support of the application, including transcripts and writing samples, will not be returned to the applicant.