Admission

Applicants must have:

• a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
• a minimum 3.0 GPA
• 24 hours of upper-level English courses with at least a "B" average
• GRE scores
• a 30-page (maximum) writing sample for fiction and nonfiction applicants, or a 15-20 page (maximum) writing sample for poetry applicants
  
• a one-page statement of purpose
• official transcripts
• 2 letters of recommendation

Applications are due on February 15 for students requesting financial aid. All other applications are due on March 1.

How to Apply

You may obtain an application for admission to graduate study in the MFA program by any of the following methods:

• Download the application form through the Internet from the Old Dominion University Graduate Admissions.
• Telephone or write the Old Dominion University Office of Graduate Admissions at 757.683.3638 or Old Dominion University, Office of Graduate Admissions, Norfolk, VA 23529-0050.

Please note the specific Creative Writing Program Requirements and deadlines on page 6 of the Graduate Admissions application.  In addition to these, please:

• Send both your essay and your writing sample in duplicate--one set to the Admissions Office with your application, the other set to Sheri Reynolds, MFA Program Director, Department of English, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529-0050.
• Note that the GRE is the preferred test for the MFA Program.

Pay attention to cutoff dates for financial aid decisions. If you are making application for the fall semester and wish to be considered for financial assistance as either a teaching or research assistant, please submit your completed application package and a completed Application for Institutional Graduate Financial Assistance (AIGFA) Form to the Admissions Office by February 15.

Assistantships are generally assigned before the fall semester only. If you are making application for the fall but do not wish to be considered for an assistantship, the application deadline is March 1. If you have any questions about the application process, contact Dr. Luisa A. Igloria (Graduate Program Director) at 757-683-3929 or cwgpd@odu.edu.

Due to the number of applications that our program receives, we cannot meet with potential students, offer campus visits, or critique the writing samples from applications. ODU’s MFA in Creative Writing is a small program with no more than ten to twelve students per genre at a time – and for that reason, we sometimes have to reject solid applicants. We urge all applicants to apply to other programs, in addition to ODU’s MFA program.