Genre Fiction

Turn your passion into your profession.

For over a decade, Western’s Genre Fiction concentration has offered one of the few genre-specific MFA/M.A. degrees in the country, and one of the only such programs west of the Mississippi. In our low-residency MFA program, you’ll gain a mastery of your craft, a familiarity with different genres—from romance and science fiction to comics and graphic novels. You’ll learn how to engage different kinds of reading audiences. And you’ll create a creative thesis that takes your writing to the next level.

Our faculty—award-winning, internationally published professionals in their fields— create vibrant educational opportunities to teach you how to write for your audience and engage professionally with the publishing industry.

Advance your writing career in our flexible, low-residency program.

Western’s Graduate Creative Writing program follows a low-residency format. Faculty and students interact online during the academic year and gather in person on Western’s campus for two weeks each July for intensive classes and to work closely with nationally recognized authors on their writing.

• Residency: MFA students attend three summer residencies. The first prepares students for the first academic year; the second residency focuses on coursework; and the third residency prepares graduates to present their work.
• Academic Year: During the academic year, full-time MFA students take two courses each semester. These six-credit courses make use of video conferencing and web platforms for online work.
• Additional Opportunities: Guests throughout the year compliment course instruction. MFA students also take an out of concentration class in another Creative Writing concentration (Nature Writing, Poetry, Publishing, or Screenwriting).
• Matriculation: To complete the MFA, students work on a culminating thesis project throughout their final year.
• Alternate Courses of Study: M.A. students pursue a similar curriculum to MFA students. They attend for one academic year, do not write a final portfolio, and attend two summer residencies.