Creative Writing at UBalt
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WRITE fiction, nonfiction and poetry in an MFA program named one of the most distinctive in the country by
Poets & Writers magazine.
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GRADUATE with the professional-level skills to write, edit, publish and promote your best work.
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BECOME part of a dynamic, creative community at the heart of Baltimore's artistic district.
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FIND your voice and learn to make it heard!
2021 Annual MFA Graduate Reading and Book Fair
At the end of each academic year, the graduates of the MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program host a reading and book festival where they present their final thesis projects—books that they wrote, designed and produced themselves. The graduates also perform selections from their books and offer them for sale during the event. The 2021 Graduate Reading and Book Fair was held virtually on Saturday, May 8. Watch a recording of the event below, and check out the author catalog to learn more about the 2021 MFA graduates.
2021 Plork Award Winners
Aaron Tucker, MFA '21, and Rasha Alkhateeb, MFA '21, are the recipients of the 2021 Plork Award. The Plork Award honors a graduate student whose work best exemplifies the spirit of the MFA program, exhibiting extraordinary creativity, originality and imagination in the integration of creative writing and book design. The award carries with it a $500 prize from the Klein Family School of Communications Design's Randolph Avery Fund, which the winners will share.
2020 Graduates
2019 Graduates
2018 Graduates
2017 Graduates
2016 Graduates
Entrepreneur says he wishes he had taken a creative writing course in college
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, entrepreneurs share some of the key skills they wish they had learned in school instead of on the job. For Dennis Vu, co-founder and CEO of Ringblaze, an Irvine, California provider of business-phone solutions, that skill was creative writing. Vu estimates that about half of his time is spent writing, whether emails to users or prospective investors or blog posts. Being able to write more eloquently, concisely and persuasively would make his job easier.
“It would have helped me quite a lot with marketing, creating some of my own content and working on building my brand,” Mr. Vu says. He currently uses ghostwriters to write blog posts under his byline that he helps create, but he would like to be able to write them himself. “While it’s easier than ever to find a ghostwriter, it would be great to sit down and write my own content, share my own thoughts and have my own personal blog.”
Read the full article: "The College Courses Entrepreneurs Wish They Had Taken"
From Our Graduates...
"Writing, to me, is home. It is a messy, loud, way too bright, often chaotic—crayon scribbles on the wall and hot-pink bubblegum under the couches, never quiet, welcoming place. The talented professors in the MFA program gave me the tools I needed to organize my 'home.' They let my writing remain big and loud, but helped me rein in some of my more wild ideas. The crayon scribbles remain, but now I know when to scrape the bubblegum off. I am graduating with a completed book that I am incredibly proud of, a supportive writing community, and gratitude to myself for choosing UBalt's Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program."
-Emily Hansen, MFA '20
Hush Girls
emilyandherwords.com
"I chose UBalt because it really felt like a family and fostered an environment that gave me the opportunity to express myself and expand my horizons as a writer and a person."
-Abby Shaffer, MFA '16
Xantan County
etsy.com/shop/shopfives
"I chose UBalt’s MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts because it was the only program that let me explore my love for book arts and fiction simultaneously."
-Bryonna Sieck, MFA '20
Those Who Fly
1134press.com
"I chose the M.F.A. program at UBalt because it's one of a kind. The program doesn't just focus on the writing, it focuses on the writer. It increased my confidence exponentially. I can't recommend this program enough!"
-Erin Drew, MFA '16
This Is How I Thought Things Were Done
“ More than anything else, UBalt's program allowed me to work with amazing writers and editors. It's really the friends and colleagues I made there who pushed my own work to a better place. ”
-Justin Sanders, MFA '16
For All the Other Ghosts
Top 10 Reasons Our Students Love This Program:
1. "Real-world advice about publishing."
2. "The faculty and students are amazing."
3. "Recommended by
Poets & Writers magazine."
4. "The flexible course schedule works great for me."
5. "Impressive alumni."
6. "I love the great variety of courses."
7. "Ideal city for artists and writers: affordable and vibrant."
8. "Super cool Reading Series."
9. "I love the diverse community of students and its commitment to social justice."
10. "You'll walk away with your own published book!"
MFA Q&A
Got questions? We've got answers. Watch our 10-minute Q&A with program director Betsy Boyd to learn more about the MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program.
Contact Us
Betsy Boyd
program director, MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts
assistant professor, Klein Family School of Communications Design
email: bboyd@ubalt.edu | phone: 410.837.5599
view Prof. Boyd's faculty profile
Follow Us
- Follow us on Instagram at @ubcreativemfa
- Join our Facebook group, University of Baltimore MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts .
For more information about graduate admission, please contact the Office of Admission at gradadmission@ubalt.edu, 410.837.6565.