Immerse Yourself in European Culture
The Cedar Crest College Pan-European Creative Writing MFA program offers gifted students from around the world a unique opportunity to immerse themselves and draw inspiration from European culture.
- Three 15-day intensive workshops in European locations rich in culture and literary significance
- Residencies occur the first two weeks of July rotating between Dublin, Ireland; Barcelona, Spain; and Vienna, Austria
The remainder of your studies will take place online on your time, led by faculty members and supported by an international community of students.
Join a Vibrant Literary Community
Wherever you live, wherever you write, you become part of a vibrant literary community when you join the Pan-European MFA program. We look forward to meeting you, working with you, and guiding you toward publication.
Tips for choosing work that best displays your writing talent
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- Select your strongest work. Choose the best 25 pages of your novel, memoir, or screenplay, or the best 10 pages from your long poem. Works in progress are welcome.
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- Select work that demonstrates ambition and risk-taking.
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- Select work that: you are truly invested in, has cost you in some way to write it, and you care and feel passionate about.
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- Work must be error-free. While content may be subjective, typographical errors and misspellings are not.
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- Demonstrate your critical skills. If you also are submitting an essay about your writing goals, share how you feel you might improve.
When a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is extended to the next business day for the College.
December 1: Spring Semester Distance Mentorship
(Coursework begins February 1)
April 1: Summer Residency (over first two weeks of July)
(Online Coursework begins June 1)
August 1: Fall Semester Distance Mentorship
(Coursework begins September 1)
Dive A Little Deeper
Courses Required
MFA in Creative Writing: Fiction (50 credits)
CWR 500 Foundations of Craft (1 credit)
CWR 501 Residency Workshop I: Fiction (2 credits)
CWR 507 Craft Seminar I: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 508 Locale Seminar I (1 credit)
CWR 511 Writing Mentorship I: Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 521 Writing Mentorship II: Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 531 Residency Workshop II: Fiction (2 credits)
CWR 537 Craft Seminar II: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 538 Locale Seminar II (1 credit)
CWR 541 Writing Mentorship III: Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 551 Writing Mentorship IV: Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 580 Publishing and Professional Development (1 credit)
CWR 590 Creative Thesis I (3 credits)
CWR 591 Creative Thesis II (3 credits)
CWR 592 Critical Essay (3 credits)
CWR 598 Graduating Residency (3 credits)
MFA in Creative Writing: Poetry (50 credits)
CWR 500 Foundations of Craft (1 credit)
CWR 502 Residency Workshop I: Poetry (2 credits)
CWR 507 Craft Seminar I: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 508 Locale Seminar I (1 credit)
CWR 512 Writing Mentorship I: Poetry (6 credits)
CWR 522 Writing Mentorship II: Poetry (6 credits)
CWR 532 Residency Workshop II: Poetry (2 credits)
CWR 537 Craft Seminar II: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 538 Locale Seminar II (1 credit)
CWR 542 Writing Mentorship III: Poetry (6 credits)
CWR 552 Writing Mentorship IV: Poetry (6 credits)
CWR 580 Publishing and Professional Development (1 credit)
CWR 590 Creative Thesis I (3 credits)
CWR 591 Creative Thesis II (3 credits)
CWR 592 Critical Essay (3 credits)
CWR 598 Graduating Residency (3 credits)
MFA in Creative Writing: Non-Fiction (50 credits)
CWR 500 Foundations of Craft (1 credit)
CWR 503 Residency Workshop I: Non-Fiction (2 credits)
CWR 507 Craft Seminar I: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 508 Locale Seminar I (1 credit)
CWR 513 Writing Mentorship I: Non-Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 523 Writing Mentorship II: Non-Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 533 Residency Workshop II: Non-Fiction (2 credits)
CWR 537 Craft Seminar II: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 538 Locale Seminar II (1 credit)
CWR 543 Writing Mentorship III: Non-Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 553 Writing Mentorship IV: Non-Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 580 Publishing and Professional Development (1 credit)
CWR 590 Creative Thesis I (3 credits)
CWR 591 Creative Thesis II (3 credits)
CWR 592 Critical Essay (3 credits)
CWR 598 Graduating Residency (3 credits)
MFA in Creative Writing: Screenwriting (50 credits)
CWR 500 Foundations of Craft (1 credit)
CWR 504 Residency Workshop I: Screenwriting (2 credits)
CWR 507 Craft Seminar I: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 508 Locale Seminar I (1 credit)
CWR 514 Writing Mentorship I: Screenwriting (6 credits)
CWR 524 Writing Mentorship II: Screenwriting (6 credits)
CWR 534 Residency Workshop II: Screenwriting (2 credits)
CWR 537 Craft Seminar II: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 538 Locale Seminar II (1 credit)
CWR 544 Writing Mentorship III: Screenwriting (6 credits)
CWR 554 Writing Mentorship IV: Screenwriting (6 credits)
CWR 580 Publishing and Professional Development (1 credit)
CWR 590 Creative Thesis I (3 credits)
CWR 591 Creative Thesis II (3 credits)
CWR 592 Critical Essay (3 credits)
CWR 598 Graduating Residency (3 credits)
MFA in Creative Writing: Dual Genre (50 credits)
CWR 500 Foundations of Craft (1 credit)
CWR 501, CWR 502, or CWR 503 Residency Workshop I: Fiction, Poetry, or Non-Fiction (2 credits)
CWR 507 Craft Seminar I: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 508 Locale Seminar I (1 credit)
CWR 511, CWR 512, or CWR 513 Writing Mentorship I: Fiction, Poetry, or Non-Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 521, CWR 522, or CWR 523 Writing Mentorship II: Fiction, Poetry, or Non-Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 531, CWR 532, or CWR 533 Residency Workshop II: Fiction, Poetry, or Non-Fiction (2 credits)
CWR 537 Craft Seminar II: Cross-Genre (3 credits)
CWR 538 Locale Seminar II (1 credit)
CWR 541, CWR 542, or CWR 543 Writing Mentorship III: Fiction, Poetry, or Non-Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 551, CWR 552, or CWR 553 Writing Mentorship IV: Fiction, Poetry, or Non-Fiction (6 credits)
CWR 580 Publishing and Professional Development (1 credit)
CWR 590 Creative Thesis I (3 credits)
CWR 591 Creative Thesis II (3 credits)
CWR 592 Critical Essay (3 credits)
CWR 598 Graduating Residency (3 credits)
Graduate 2026-2027 Tuition and Fees
M.F.A. in Creative Writing Application fee (non-refundable) $50.00
MFA Graduate Tuition, per credit $828.00
Deposit (non-refundable) due upon acceptance to the program $250.00
Residency Fee (per each 15-day summer residency) $3,350.00
Master’s Thesis Binding Fee (non-refundable) (CWR 591) $300.00
Part-Time Technology Fee, per fall and spring semesters $87.50
Note: The College reserves the right to change fees and charges as necessary. Books, supplies, lab materials and other program costs are not included in the tuition. The deposit is credited toward the tuition cost for the first residency.
General Admissions Information
Students are admitted to graduate programs at Cedar Crest College on the basis of individual qualifications.
Applications for the Pan-European MFA in Creative Writing are accepted and reviewed throughout the year. Students may begin the program at a summer residency or during a distance-learning semester in either the fall or spring. Application deadlines appear on the program website for each year’s summer, fall, and spring starting periods. Accepted students are admitted to the MFA in Creative Writing program in a specified genre or genres.
Application materials and all correspondence relating to admission should be sent to:
Cedar Crest College
School of Adult and Graduate Education
100 College Drive
Blaney Hall, Room 212
Allentown, PA 18104-6196
Phone: 610-740-3770
Email:
Office hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 am-6:30 pm; Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
International applicants should send materials and correspondence to:
Cedar Crest College
International Admissions
100 College Drive
Allen House, Room 202
Allentown, PA 18104-6196
Phone: 610-606-4666, ext. 4587
Email:
Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Applicants and prospective students may contact the admissions office to schedule a campus tour or in-person, online, or phone appointment with an admissions counselor. Upon request, arrangements can be made to discuss curriculum requirements, residency locales, and distance learning methods with the Program Director of the Pan-European MFA in Creative Writing, Alison Wellford. For more information, please contact Alison Wellford at .
Please see the Admission of Students section at the beginning of the catalog for more information related to admissions processes and policies.
MFA Application Requirements
To be considered for admission to the program, applicants must submit the following items:
- A completed admission application, found at www.cedarcrest.edu/apply
- Official academic transcripts from institutions where the applicant has completed coursework. (A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in creative writing is required.)
- Transcripts from institutions located outside the United States will need to be accompanied by an official course-by-course evaluation, with degree equivalency, completed by a NACES-recognized foreign transcript evaluation agency, such as World Education Services (www.wes.org).
- A portfolio of creative writing that consists of approximately 10 pages for poetry or 25 pages for either fiction or creative nonfiction. (If applying to multiple genres, applicants must submit a separate portfolio for each.) The portfolio can be uploaded to the application portal or emailed to .
- An essay on the applicant’s reasons for seeking admission to the MFA program, expectations for the program, and the applicant’s goals as a writer. The essay should be one page, typewritten, and single spaced. The essay can be uploaded to the application portal or emailed to .
- Two letters of recommendation, either academic or professional, that address the applicant’s ability to succeed in graduate writing study.
- Current resume that includes creative writing awards, as well as all publications, prizes, honors and grants related to the applicant’s writing. The resume should also include any writing workshops, conferences, and other non-credit courses attended. The resume can be uploaded to the application portal or emailed to .
A $250 non-refundable deposit will be required for all admitted students to save one’s place in the program.
Alumni Publications
Our graduates publish widely across genres, with work recognized by literary awards.

Discover all of the opportunities that await you on your MFA journey. Check out our MFA handbook for all the details that you want to know about residencies and what the Cedar Crest MFA experience has in store for you.
Accreditation
Cedar Crest College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801
Faculty & Staff
Who’s teaching you is as important as the curriculum you choose.
Let’s put a face to some of the names you’ll be seeing on the course listings!
Annia Ciezadlo
InstructorAnnia Ciezadlo
- English
- French
Gwyneth Lewis
InstructorGwyneth Lewis
- English
- French
- Spanish
Alison Wellford
Associate Professor/Director of MFA ProgramAlison Wellford
- English
- Spanish
- School of Adult and Graduate Education
- sage@cedarcrest.edu
- P: 610-740-3770
- Traditional Admissions
- admissions@cedarcrest.edu
- P: 800-360-1222
- F: 610-740-3780


