Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing
The Perfect Blend of Creative, Digital Format Plus Short Residency
Hybrid Format
Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction Workshops
Optional Third Year, Second Genre Thesis
Learn More Today
Complete the form to learn more about this program.
- Duration 2 years
- Cost per Credit $599
- Credit Hours 60
Program Benefits
- Collaborate with your MFA cohort to improve your writing and work toward publishing
- Convenient, low-residency creative writing program
- Optional Landscape, Ecology, and Community emphasis
- Transfer 15 qualifying graduate credits
Low-Residency Creative Writing Program
Discover an inspiring writing community where your characters and stories come to life. With Eastern Oregon University’s online MFA in Creative Writing, you can hone your craft with the support of our talented faculty and other aspiring writers.
Our MFA program offers the immersive study needed to expand your writing talents. The summer residency and distance courses let you focus on your preferred genre, including fiction, poetry or literary nonfiction. Gain exposure to groundbreaking work — and receive feedback for yours — with readings and workshops by both faculty and visiting authors.
By completing EOU’s creative writing program, you’ll have propelled your creative writing and also gained talents for roles in numerous fields, including publishing, marketing and education.
Success Comes Naturally: The Landscape, Ecology and Community Concentration
You’ll complete roughly 30 credit hours during each year of EOU’s MFA in Creative Writing program. Our faculty helps you cultivate talents in your preferred genre, with the option to participate in our Landscape, Ecology, and Community Concentration.
The first-year curriculum fosters an immediate bond with your cohort and in-depth engagement through writing workshops and craft classes during the two-week residency experience. Your participation in the Fishtrap Gathering of Writers at Wallowa Lake and a second week on our campus in La Grande helps connect you to the Pacific Northwest’s rich tradition of creative writing and its current scene. You’ll also take online courses focused on special writing topics and sharing your writing.
During the second year, in addition to continued coursework you begin and complete a thesis with the help of a devoted faculty mentor. The program also includes at least one practicum, letting you tailor your skill set by working on our campus literary journal, program events and communication, or get involved in writing or teaching initiatives in your local community. EOU also invites students to stay on for an optional third year to write another thesis in a second genre.
Our Summer Residency Brings Aspiring Writers Together
EOU’s two-week summer residency is unique because it provides a diverse experience across two gorgeous locations, and of course it provides ample hands-on opportunities to MFA cohorts. The residency is required for two summers.
During the first week of your residency, you will join your MFA cohort for the Summer Fishtrap Gathering at Wallowa Lake near Joseph, Oregon. The Fishtrap Gathering allows you to take a five-day generative workshop from an impressive slate of acclaimed writers that rotates annually; you can select from a wide range of workshop topics in poetry, fiction, nonfiction or cross-genre writing, all loosely connected to Fishtrap’s annual theme such as, in recent years, Home, Love, or Water. These days by the lake are filled with open mics, evening faculty readings, optional walks and panels, and ample opportunities for conversation on the shady deck of the Wallowa Lake Lodge.
The following week consists of classes with EOU’s award-winning faculty on our main campus in La Grande, about an hour-and-half drive from Wallowa Lake. During this week, students share drafts they’ve been hard at work on in morning workshops and scrutinize cutting-edge literature in afternoon craft classes. There are several evening events during the week, and the residency culminates with the annual New Nature Writing Con, a unique 24-hour gathering of innovative Northwest place-based writers for readings and one-hour workshops. You’ll leave northeast Oregon inspired and eager to continue your personal projects with the help of this extended writing community.
Career Outlook
By earning your MFA in Creative Writing online through Eastern Oregon University, you will deepen your writing practice and expertise, take bold steps toward publication, and join a wonderful network of writers in the region. At the same time the program teaches skills for a wide variety of careers that involve creative expression not least working as an editor or content creator. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported the median annual salary for authors and writers was $72,270 in 2024.1 That same year, the median salary for editors was $75,260.2
The online MFA also prepares you for teaching positions, where you can pass on your love of literature and creative expression. These positions are always in demand but may require additional certifications. From 2023 to 2033, projections show there will be 64,000 job openings for high school teachers each year.3
Discover the professional opportunities that await you as a graduate of the online MFA program and embark on the pathway to career success with EOU Online.
Explore CareersProgram Outcomes
- Collaborate with peers and faculty during creative writing workshops
- Complete a literary practicum mirroring the writing career you want to pursue
- Engage in workshop critiques to attune your writing to current and potential audiences
- Prepare to submit work for consideration to literary journals
- Work one-on-one with a faculty mentor to produce your thesis and craft lectures
- Read on a stage your writing during the Summer Fishtrap Gathering and EOU’s on-campus residency
- Learn about classic and contemporary ecological writing from the Northwest and beyond
Admission Requirements
- Online Application and fee
- Writing Sample
- Official transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
What It’s Like to Study Online
Earning your MFA degree online at Eastern Oregon University is a great opportunity because there is only a two-week summer residential requirement. You will have access to the same professors, content and opportunities as on-campus students, only in a creative and flexible online format. Some of our faculty writers work on campus, others live across the country, widening our extended network or writer. All are professionals and expert authors who are trained to deliver innovative, engaging online education and teach aspiring writers the fine points of craft and publication pathways.
Online ExperienceTuition Details
We feature affordable tuition, especially when compared to similar universities. The cost per credit hour for EOU online graduate courses is $558.50, making the estimated total cost of your program (assuming no transfer credits) just under $33,510.
About 92 percent of online students benefit from financial aid and scholarships to cover part of these costs.
View Tuition DetailsLearn More About Your Financial Aid Options
Your education is an investment in your future. We take your commitment seriously and are here to support you in finding ways to pay for your degree.
Options to consider are:
- Loans
- Scholarships
- Employer Benefits
Top Recognition for EOU Online
Earn a quality education online from a highly-respected and awarded institution. Eastern Oregon University’s degree programs have received considerable recognition such as Colleges of Distinction, Value Colleges, College Choice and Military Friendly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to a few frequently asked questions about this program.
Students will develop a diverse, creative skill set in writing, which will allow graduates to work in a variety of different fields. Job titles like writer and editor are possibilities, and the program also prepares students to teach literature and writing.
We crafted our MFA in Creative Writing for writers seeking talents in myriad writing forms, including poetry, fiction and both short and long-form nonfiction. What’s more, our talented faculty take each genre seriously. Get one-on-one guidance to develop talents for the creative writing market that attracts you.
You can complete the program in just 2-3 years. To see the curriculum, view our courses page.
The cost per credit is $558.50, and you’ll need 60 credits to graduate. You can review all tuition costs here.
Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (April 18, 2025). Writers and Authors. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (April 18, 2025). Editors. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/editors.htm.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (April 18, 2025). High School Teachers. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm.