Pan-European MFA in Creative Writing

We see you on a creative journey as you work toward the completion of your master’s degree in Creative Writing and the creation of a publishable work of literature. Study fiction, poetry, nonfiction, travel writing, screenwriting, or a dual genre with award-winning faculty members in inspiring locations across Europe.

The Cedar Crest College Pan-European Creative Writing MFA program offers gifted students from around the world a unique opportunity to unite for three fifteen-day intensive workshops, held in European locations rich in culture and literary significance. The remainder of your studies will take place on your time and in your home, led by faculty members and supported by an international community of students.

Residencies take place during the first two weeks of July and rotate between Dublin, Ireland; Barcelona, Spain; and Vienna, Austria, with new locations to be offered in the future.

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.

Assemble a Quality Portfolio

5 tips for choosing work that best displays your talent for writing.

Select your strongest work. Don’t worry if it is not self-contained and complete. Choose the best 25 pages of your novel or memoir, or the best 10 pages from your long poem. Fellow writers understand the concept of a work in progress.
Select work that demonstrates ambition and risk-taking. You don’t necessarily have to be doing the literary equivalent of jumping off a cliff, but in general it is true that the more risk you take in the work, the more rewarding it is for the reader and the more invested in it you are as a writer. Speaking of which…
Select work that you are truly invested in. Choose work that has cost you in some way to write it. Choose writings that you care about and feel passionate about.
Make sure that it is error-free. While content may be subjective, typographical errors and misspellings are not. As one agent I know likes to say, “If you don’t care enough about your work to make it perfect, then why should I care enough about it to read it?” The work you put into polishing it and making it error-free will say a lot about your investment in your work.
Demonstrate your critical skills. If you also are submitting an essay about your writing goals, share how you feel you might improve. What are your weaknesses? How do you hope to strengthen your skills? What do you hope to gain by pursuing a writing degree or joining a group of writers? One of the best ways to meet your goals is to clarify what they are.

Application Deadlines

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 1st 2-weeks of July)
(Online Coursework begins June 1st)

August 1: Fall Semester Distance Mentorship
(Coursework begins September 1st)

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Dive A Little Deeper

Courses Required

MFA in Creative Writing: Fiction (48 credits)

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 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 (48 credits)

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 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 (48 credits)

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 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 (48 credits)

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 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)

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.

MFA Program Handbook

How To Apply

Ready to apply as an graduate student?

Apply Now

MFA Student Spotlight

Rachel Adine Phelps is a poet from the wilderness of central Pennsylvania currently living in sunny central Florida. She received a bachelor’s degree in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College and a Master of Fine Arts from the Pan-European Program at Cedar Crest College. Her work can be found in Bitterzoet Magazine and the Bitter Oleander.

MFA Student Spotlight

Katie Karamtbelas works full time as a proposal writer for a clinical trial company but is often found writing fiction and memoir pieces in her (scarce) spare time. She holds a BA in Media Wriing from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a MFA in Fiction from Cedar Crest College’s Pan-European program. Her fiction and memoir pieces have been published in Imagination Magazine, Down in the Dirt Magazine, Speculation Journal, Matador Network, Parent.Co, Huffington Post, Elite Daily, and Thought Catalog, among others.

MFA Student Spotlight

Amy Lee Lillard writes corporate communications by day, and by night explores the dark edges of the daily world through novels and stories. Her fiction was recently named to the 2017 Berlin Writing Prize Short List. She holds an MA in literature from Northwestern University, and will complete her MFA in fiction writing from the Pan-European Program at Cedar Crest College in 2018.

MFA Student Spotlight

Margaret Montet writes travel narratives woven with memoir, culture, research, and conversations.

She is a college librarian who teaches wickedly sophisticated Music History courses to older adults. Her work has been published in Library Journal, Solo Travel Network, Mature Years, America in WWII, Edible Jersey, and Danse Macabre Magazine.

MFA Student Spotlight

Stephanie Papa is a poet and translator living Paris, France. She has an MFA degree in Poetry from the Pan-European Program at Cedar Crest College. She is poetry co-editor of Paris Lit Up magazine. Her work has been published in World Literature Today, Niche, Yasakmeyve, NOON, great weather for media, Four Chambers Press, Paris/Atlantic, Literary Bohemian, 5×5, Rumpus, Cleaver Magazine, Cerise Press, The Prose Poetry Project and One More Glass. She organizes anglophone writing workshops and readings in Paris.

MFA Student Spotlight

Under the pen-name M. Allen Cunningham, Mark is the author of six books of fiction and nonfiction, including a biographical novel about Rilke called Lost Son, and The Green Age of Asher Witherow, which was his debut at age twenty-six and was named a #1 Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association. His shorter work has appeared in many outlets, including Tin House, Glimmer Train, The Kenyon Review, and Poets & Writers.

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