WHIDBEY WRITERS WORKSHOP
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
CATALOGUE, 2007-2009

ADMISSIONS AND APPLYING

Admission Information and Forms

Our web site at www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa provides detailed information, including our Catalogue of courses and requirements, e-mail contact information, and downloadable application forms. Our Services Coordinator also provides information and application forms to prospective students.

Eligibility for Admission

Students will normally hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Most importantly, the student's portfolio of writing samples will demonstrate both achievement and potential for growth as a writer.

Applying

Applications will be accepted at any time of the year but may not be considered for the upcoming term if they arrive after the deadline for applying for the upcoming term. An application must accompanied by a nonrefundable $50.00 application fee.

Admission Package

Submit the following (applications will be considered complete only when all elements have arrived):

• $50 application fee (nonrefundable)
• Typewritten or computer-printed manuscript of your original work (3 copies). Send work only in the genre in which you plan to focus (Fiction, Poetry, Children's Literature, or Non-fiction, 20 pages maximum). Fiction candidates may send short stories or chapters; non-fiction candidates may send short pieces or chapters of longer works. Double-space prose; single-space poetry (one poem per page). To facilitate distribution of this material to faculty, please also send one copy as an attachment to an e-mail to wiwa@whidbey.com.
• Short essay (up to 1500 words) which discusses your background in writing and literature courses, workshops, conferences, and other experiences relevant to study for the MFA Program. Also explore your own writing: themes, strengths and weaknesses, future goals, and so on. Mention any problems which might prevent you from spending at least 25 hours a week on your writing, reading, and participation in online courses. Are you a self-starter who will participate effectively in a low-residency program? Are your computer and online skills adequate for participation in the program?
• Official college transcripts from all schools attended should be sent directly to the MFA Program, Whidbey Writers Workshop, PO Box 1289, Langley, WA 98260
• Three letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the MFA Program, Whidbey Writers Workshop, PO Box 1289, Langley, WA 98260.

Send completed application to:

Whidbey Writers Workshop
Whidbey Island Writers Association
PO Box 1289
Langley, WA 98260

Orientation and Advising

The Services Coordinator and MFA Program Director are available through e-mail for preliminary orientation and advising. Formal advising will take place each term during the 10-day Residency period.

Re-enrollment of Former Students

Former students in good standing who have not attended the Whidbey Writers Workshop during the previous semester may re-enroll by registering for Residency and courses in the coming term. Students not in good standing (i.e., those who have stopped attending in the middle of a term without withdrawing from courses, those who have failed to maintain the required 3.00 or higher grade point average, or those who have been dismissed from the Program for other reasons) must formally re-apply, using the same Application Form as would new students.

Transfer Credit Policies

Because this program's focus is on the student's performance as a writer, it is not possible to transfer credit for Creative Writing Workshops from other MA,. MFA, or Ph.D. Programs in Creative Writing. Credits in graduate-level literature courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis for transfer as Directed Reading Courses, and credits in graduate-level Craft Courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis for transfer as Craft Courses. Official graduate transcripts and syllabi must be provided for all courses for which a student requests consideration for transfer credits. A request for transfer credits will be considered at any time prior to or during a student's enrollment in the MFA Program; for a decision to be made before the student enrolls, the request must be made three months prior to the first semester in attendance. A request for transfer credit does not automatically guarantee that transfer credit will be granted.

Transferring Credits to Other Programs

The transfer of credits from the Whidbey Writers Workshop to other MFA or MA programs is entirely at the discretion of the receiving institution. At the request of any student seeking to transfer credits to another program, the Whidbey Writers Workshop will provide a copy of that student's transcript as well as course descriptions for any courses for which that student seeks transfer credit. However, this does not mean that the receiving institution will allow transfer credit.

Contact MFA