The MFA in Creative Writing at NAU is an interdisciplinary, full-time, two-year program in fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. Students participate in writing workshops, undertake coursework in literature, and study critical theory. MFA candidates present a creative thesis of between 45 to 120 pages, depending on genre. Our program’s vibrant literary culture includes the literary journal Thin Air and the bi-weekly Cinder Skies Reading Series. Graduate teaching assistantships are available to a select number of students.
Located at an elevation of 7,000 feet on the Colorado Plateau, and among the traditional homelands of several indigenous nations, Flagstaff is a multicultural city of mountains, ponderosa forests, trails, observatories, coffee shops, excellent public libraries, craft breweries, historic Route 66, a temperate four-season climate, astonishing geological diversity, and a strong and supportive arts community.
Non-academic graduate assistantships are available through many university-wide offices. They are awarded with stipends that vary by office, job duties, and degree-level. The NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies provides more information about "at-large" graduate assistantships.
Funding and tuition
MFA in Creative Writing students are eligible to teach composition during their first year and creative writing during their second year in the English Department. Furthermore, a limited number of tuition waivers are available to out-of-state or in-state students who can demonstrate financial need. More information on graduate teaching assistantships and tuition waivers is available on our "Graduate Assistantships" page under "Resources."Non-academic graduate assistantships are available through many university-wide offices. They are awarded with stipends that vary by office, job duties, and degree-level. The NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies provides more information about "at-large" graduate assistantships.