General Information

The University of Montana MFA program application process is managed through the Graduate School and closes on January 6th. Admission is for Fall the following year. GRE scores are not required.

Step One

The first step is to apply to the Graduate School and submit a $70 fee.

Step Two

After you have completed the general application you will be prompted to submit the additional materials required by the Department of English to the application portal. Please remember to check your email frequently and respond to the prompts. 

Required Materials

You will be asked to prepare the following documents:

• Copies of unofficial transcripts from all colleges or universities you have attended. (Official transcripts will be required if you are selected.)
• CV or resume with a list of any relevant awards, honors or publications.
• Goal Statement: 100 – 300 word essay describing your personal goals for graduate studies; may include current interests, writing projects and literary influences.
• Writing sample (you may apply for up to two genres, but do not submit a second Graduate School application):

Fiction: 15-30 pages (two or more short stories or excerpts from a  novel in progress)

Nonfiction: 15-30 pages (one or more nonfiction essays or excerpts from a longer work)

Poetry: 15 pages (page count includes multiple page poems or one poem per page)

• Three confidential recommendations: recommenders are contacted by email and must respond within two weeks.
• Expository Essay (if applying for Teaching Assistantship): 7 - 15 pages, literary criticism, research paper, academic or formal essay.

All prose must be double-spaced, standard margins and fonts.

Contact

If you have specific questions about the MFA Program, contact:

Chris Dombrowski, Director of Creative Writing
Department of English
christopher.dombrowski@mso.umt.edu

If you are not selected for the MFA program, we encourage you to apply again with new material in future years. Because selection of MFA candidates takes place in closed committee meetings of the creative writing faculty, we cannot address specific questions regarding why an applicant is not chosen. Nor do we offer critiques of applicant's work.