Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The low-residency MFA at SPU is a creative writing program for apprentice writers — both Christians and those of other faith traditions — who not only want to pursue excellence in the craft of writing but also place their work within the larger context of world literature by writers of faith.

The spiritual dimension of this program is not intended to produce didactic, sectarian, or sentimental literature. On the contrary, this program seeks to extend what our faculty understand to be a longstanding conversation that comprises much of world literature, a conversation in which the highest levels of art, an open-eyed exploration of human experience, and a respect for mystery are all held in a proper balance.

Our models are Augustine and Dante, Saint Ephraim the Syrian and Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, the Pearl poet and Sor Juana de la Cruz, George Herbert and John Milton, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Emily Dickinson, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Alexandros Papadiamandis, T.S. Eliot and Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy and James Baldwin, Annie Dillard and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We believe that our program will appeal to writers for whom matters of faith are central. We also intend to cultivate reading and writing as spiritual disciplines. We are convinced that writers flourish best when they engage in a sustained dialogue with the great literature that has come before them. Therefore, our program maintains a strong emphasis on reading classic works from the writers of faith, and responding to them in a series of critical papers.

Unlike many MFA programs, ours focuses not only on matters of craft but also on the importance of vision. We believe that great writing is not merely an act of self-expression, but a single-minded effort to do justice in the world, to do justice to the world.

The College of Science and Engineering is the most rapidly growing college or school at Seattle University. More than 100 full-time and part-time faculty members offer a relevant, hands-on approach to STEM education to more than 1,250 undergraduate majors and graduate students. Through research and professional development, our professors keep abreast of the latest advances and continually improve degree programs that harmoniously blend theory and practice. Problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration characterize a holistic approach to the education provided to undergraduate and graduate students.

Distinctive elements of our educational process include: a large number of laboratory experiences for science and engineering majors; a thriving undergraduate research program; field trips to a wide variety of natural and man-made wonders; and year-long, industry-sponsored senior projects for all of our engineering and computer science students through the Project Center.

The College provides many opportunities for service learning. Here are just two examples. Through the Seattle University Math Corps and the STEM Club, our students engage with high-need youth at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School. Over the past decade, dozens of Seattle University students, faculty, and staff have participated in humanitarian engineering projects in Thailand, Nicaragua, Haiti, Zambia, and Kenya.

Our location in the dynamic city of Seattle provides many opportunities for students to secure meaningful internships or volunteer opportunities related to their career goals.