ohio state university creative writing mfa

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English Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Creative writing classes are conducted as workshops or tutorials, and there are numerous opportunities for related study both within and beyond the Department of English.

All students are fully funded for three years in a program that is well known for its sense of community and a faculty that is as committed to teaching as to their own writing.  Approximately 36 graduate students are taught by tenure track, visiting, and affiliated (Film Studies) faculty, who also teach in the undergraduate program. Graduate student TAs teach introductory and intermediate special topics undergraduate creative writing courses, undergraduate literary publishing, as well as first-year and second-year writing (required courses for all OSU undergraduates). TAs teach two classes a year, one in autumn and one in spring. In addition, they have the opportunity to work as editors of OSU's prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine, The Journal, and to serve on the editorial staff of our two annual book prizes, one in poetry and one in prose.

Course offerings are varied and numerous. Special topics graduate workshops (in the long poem, in characterization, in literary translation, in humor writing, and so on) ensure that, in addition to "regular" workshops, opportunities abound for experimentation. Our graduate program includes coursework designed for "crossing over," such as, poetry workshops for MFA fiction writers or essayists with little experience writing poems; and "forms" classes in prosody, the novel, the memoir, novellas, for example. 

Screenwriting for MFAs is offered regularly, and many students also elect to study playwriting or writing for performance as an elective. Some MFAs choose to pursue the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in the Fine Arts (GISFA), which allows them to take graduate courses in other arts disciplines. Indeed, Ohio State's size and breadth offer our students the chance to explore many disciplines that enrich their study and practice of creative writing.

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Ohio State University

Ohio, united states.

OSU's MFA program is unparalleled in its commitment to the success of its students, and the enthusiastic mutual support of both current students and alumni is legion. Everyone in the OSU creative writing family celebrates each new success as if it were his or her own.

We are a flourishing community of writers committed to the art and craft of writing. The six in-residence faculty teach at all levels of the curriculum; MFA students teach introductory and intermediate undergraduate creative writing courses as well as other English courses.

We offer workshops in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction for undergraduate and graduate students. The MFA program, launched in 1992, is a three-year, fully funded program of study. Our graduate students teach two classes a year--one in autumn and one in spring--and also have the opportunity to work as editors of OSU's prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine, The Journal. The undergraduate creative writing concentration in the major, which is by selective admission to students already enrolled at Ohio State, offers advanced workshops and special topics seminars taught by the MFA faculty.

Course offerings, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, are varied and numerous. Special topics graduate workshops have been offered in such areas as the long poem, free verse, characterization, translation, and humor writing, to name just a few. Undergraduate special topics and honors seminars have focused on literary journalism, place in fiction, the art of revision, the writing of fairy tales, screenwriting and story engineering, queer narratives, and song lyrics and writing for musical theater. Opportunities abound for experimentation. Our graduate program includes coursework specifically designed for "crossing over"--poetry workshops, for example, for MFA fiction writers or essayists with little experience writing poems--and "forms" classes in prosody, the novel, memoir, novellas (etc.). Many students also elect to study playwriting as an elective, with an auxiliary faculty member from Theatre, and screenwriting workshops are regularly offered from our full-time faculty screenwriter, who holds a joint appointment in English and Film Studies. Many MFA students choose to pursue the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in the Fine Arts (GISFA), which allows them to take graduate courses in other arts disciplines. Indeed, Ohio State's size and breadth offers our students the chance to explore many disciplines that enrich their study and practice of creative writing.

Contact Information

164 Annie and John Glenn Avenue 421 Denney Hall, Creative Writing Program Columbus Ohio, United States 43210-1370 Phone: 614-247-9670 Email: [email protected] Fax: 614-292-7816 https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa

Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Creative Writing +

Undergraduate program director.

The minor in Creative Writing requires the completion of four courses, at least half of them upper-division workshops. Coursework must be completed in two genres. A maximum of 10 transfer credit hours is allowed.

Bachelor of Arts in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing +

This degree is under construction. Currently, students with a serious interest in creative writing may pursue a minor (see above) and may of course take additional classes at the advanced level, including a course in literary publishing (which is open to MFA students as well as upper-division undergraduates, by permission of the instructor). All advanced workshops are by permission only, and are taught by the MFA faculty. (We expect the BA in English, Creative Writing track, to be in place by 2014-2015 or 2015-2016.)

Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Business and Professional Writing +

Bachelor of arts in any field, with a minor in creative writing +, master of fine arts in creative writing (degrees in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction) +, graduate program director.

The aim of Ohio State's MFA program is to help its students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, with the expectation of eventual publication. (Coursework is available in other genres as well.) The program is both rigorous (demanding, challenging) and highly supportive, with a small and tightly knit student body that maintains its own organization, the Writers' Guild, and sponsors readings as well as an annual gala, Epilog, to celebrate the newly minted MFAs. Recent visiting faculty have included Eula Biss, Rebecca Makkai, Brenda Hillman, and Terrance Hayes. MFA students teach in summer program for teenage writers, the Young Writers Workshop, and work as Editors on The Journal, OSU's prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine. All students are fully funded for three years fully funded for three years in a program that is well known for its sense of community and a faculty that is as committed to teaching as to their own writing.

The current stipend for MFAs with teaching appointments (one course each semester) is roughly $15,500 for the nine-month academic year (along with the stipend comes a fee authorization, which means you do not have to pay tuition, the current value of which is $11,704 for Ohio residents and $29,016 for non-residents). Fellows (who do not teach during their first year in the program) are granted a $20,000 stipend for the twelve-month academic year (fellows teach during their second and third years). All MFA students also receive access to student health insurance. (For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions page for current students in our program: http://english.osu.edu/creative-writing/mfa-program/frequently-asked-questions.)

Kathy Fagan

Kathy Fagan is the author of five books of poems: Sycamore (Milkweed Editions, 2017); The Raft, a National Poetry Series Award Winner; MOVING & ST RAGE, winner of the 1998 Vassar Miller Prize for Poetry; The Charm (2002), and LIP (2009). Her poems have been widely anthologized and her work has appeared in such publications as Poetry, The Paris Review, FIELD, The Kenyon Review, Slate, Ploughshares, The New Republic, and Blackbird. She is the recipient of fellowships from the NEA, the Ingram Merrill Foundation, The Frost Place, and the Ohio Arts Council. Director of Creative Writing, she continues to serve as Advisor to The Journal, for which she and Michelle Herman were awarded the 2004 Ohioana Award for Editorial Excellence. Fagan is also Series Editor for The OSU Press/The Journal Wheeler Poetry Prize.

http://www.kathyfagan.net/

Marcus Jackson

Marcus Jackson has published poems in the American Poetry Review, The New Yorker, the Harvard Review, and the Writers’ Almanac with Garrison Keillor, among many other venues. He is the author of Neighborhood Register, from CavanKerry Press, and his second book, Pardon My Heart, is due out soon. He has been a poetry fellow at Cave Canem and a Ruth Lilly Fellowship finalist. As an African-American poet from Toledo, Ohio, he is committed to giving voice, he has said, to places and people who have not previously been given voice in American poetry. His poems are the American Rust Belt, poverty, the beauties and difficulties within multi-racial families, the value of vernacular, and the unexpected resonances of common objects. The poet Cornelius Eady describes Jackson’s work as “lyrically knit[ting] together time, memory, human desires and obligations and invit[ing] the kind reader to dance along to his bright measures, which sometimes resemble the life of a young poet, deeply enmeshed in the world, and sometimes reflect like a mirror.” Carl Phillips says of Jackson: “Like Langston Hughes, Jackson uses the clearest language to celebrate the complexity and durability of the human will.” Jackson received his MFA in poetry from NYU and has has taught there, as well as at Rutgers, John Jay College, the University of Iowa, Middle Tennessee State, Capital University, and The Frost Place in New Hampshire.

http://www.poetmarcusjackson.com

Lee Martin is the author of the novels The Bright Forever, a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction; River of Heaven; Quakertown; Break the Skin; and Late One Night. He has also published three memoirs: From Our House, Turning Bones, and Such a Life. His first book was the short story collection The Least You Need To Know, and a new collection, The Mutual UFO Network, is forthcoming in spring 2018. His craft book, Telling Stories: The Craft of Narrative and the Writing Life, will be released in October 2017. He is the co-editor of Passing the Word: Writers on Their Mentors. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in such places as Harper's, Ms., Creative Nonfiction, The Georgia Review, The Kenyon Review, Fourth Genre, River Teeth, The Southern Review, Prairie Schooner, Glimmer Train, The Best American Mystery Stories and The Best American Essays. He is the winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. He was the winner of the 2006 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching from Ohio State.

http://leemartinauthor.com/

Elissa Washuta

Elissa Washuta is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and a writer of personal essays and memoir. She is the author of two books, Starvation Mode and My Body Is a Book of Rules, named a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. With Theresa Warburton, she is co-editor of the anthology Exquisite Vessel: Shapes of Native Nonfiction, forthcoming from University of Washington Press. Her work has appeared in Salon, The Chronicle of Higher Education, BuzzFeed, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships and awards from Artist Trust, 4Culture, Potlatch Fund, and Hugo House.

http://washuta.net/

A native of Mississippi, Nick White is the author of the novel How to Survive a Summer (Blue Rider, 2017). His short fiction has appeared in The Kenyon Review, Guernica, The Hopkins Review, Indiana Review, The Literary Review, and elsewhere.

http://www.thenickwhite.com/

Angus Fletcher (affiliated faculty)

Angus Fletcher is the Black List and Nicholl award-winning screenwriter of MIDDLE EARTH (produced by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, directed by Michel Apted), WEE FREE MEN (produced by Allison Thomas and Gary Ross, based on the novel by Terry Pratchett), and VARIABLE MAN (produced by Isa Dick and Electric Shepherd, based on the novella by Philip K. Dick). He earned his PhD from Yale and has published articles on dramatic ethics and practice in Critical Inquiry, New Literary History, The Journal of the History of Philosophy, and a dozen other academic journals. His book Evolving Hamlet appeared on Palgrave in 2011, and his research and writing has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanties, the National Science Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation. Prior to coming to Ohio State, he taught at USC, Stanford, and Teach for America.

Publications & Presses +

The Journal

The Ohio State University Press

Visiting Writers Program +

Recent visitors include Jamel Brinkley, Natalie Diaz, Tarfia Faizullah, Lina Maria Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas, Garth Greenwell, Yona Harvey, Daisy Hernández, Ilya Kaminsky, Alice McDermott, LaTanya McQueen, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Carl Phillips, Lia Purpura, Nicole Sealey, Danez Smith, Laura van den Berg, and Liza Wieland. We also regularly host our own alumni when their books are published. Recent alumni include Donald Pollock, Claire Vaye Watkins, Natalie Shapero, Doug Watson, Michael Kardos, Christopher Coake, Gabriel Urza, Kyle Minor, and Will Allison (for more information, see https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa).

Reading Series +

Visiting Writers Series ( https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa )

Native Craft ( https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa )

Student-Faculty Readings ( https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa )

Mother Tongue ( https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa )

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Program Details

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Course of Study

OSU-Cascades’ Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing is a two-year 54-74 credit program comprised of synchronous virtual classes, asynchronous coursework, and four ten-day residencies.

To complete the course of study for the Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing, the student’s record must indicate the following:

• Full participation in four residency sessions
• An accumulation of 54-74 graduate credits*
• Completion of ethics training seminar
• Broad reading in literature and contemporary letters, as evidenced by the critical introduction to the thesis and the annotated bibliography of 15-18 texts
• A thesis manuscript of literary merit and publishable quality
• Completion of oral examination, per graduate school guidelines

*Subject to change.

Mentor meetings are part of the MFA experience and allow students to interact 1:1 with faculty and are crucial to students’ development as writers. Faculty will coach students through the creation of new material and the revision of existing material, help students connect what they are reading to what they are writing, and provide substantial and consistent feedback on students’ material.

Residencies

Residencies consist of three major components: scheduled academics, writing time and creative exploration events.

During these biannual residency periods, students meet with their cohort of students, core faculty mentors, and distinguished visiting writers. Students should expect to sharpen writing skills, diversify portfolios, establish a community of colleagues and peers, deepen understanding of the writing life and explore the craft of creative writing from a variety of perspectives.

These writing retreats seed conversations between students and their faculty mentors and also, significantly, between students across all genres of study.

Example residency day:

• Morning: optional special topic workshop (topics vary and are unique to faculty interests) or 1:1 faculty mentor meeting.
• Lunch or dinner with the program or your cohort
• Evening literary event
• Plenty of free time for writing, exploring and meeting with faculty or peers.

Curriculum Overview

This is an example and subject to change.

Total Credits: 49 

Required Core: 28 credits  WR 526 Reading for Writers WR 529 Compassionate Critique WR 536 Revision WR 570 Critical Studies: Reading Difference, Power and Privilege WR 571 Critical Studies: Writing Difference, Power and Privilege WR 572 Critical Studies: Community Engagement WR 574 Critical Studies: Critical Introduction WR 503 Thesis WR 538 Creative Writing Pedagogy or WR 542 Publishing WR 502 Independent Study

Foundations     Select four courses from the following: 12 credits WR 550 Poetry Foundations 1: Prosody WR 551 Poetry Foundations 2: Transnational Translations WR 552 Poetry Foundations 3: Poetics WR 553 Poetry Foundations 3: Experimental Forms WR 554 Fiction Foundations 1: Narrative Conventions WR 555 Fiction Foundations 2: Short Fiction WR 556 Fiction Foundations 3: Narrative Design WR 557 Fiction Foundations 4: Experimental Forms  WR 558 Creative Nonfiction Foundations: Narrative WR 559 Creative Nonfiction Foundations: Documentary WR 560 Creative Nonfiction Foundations: Lyric WR 561 Creative Nonfiction Foundations: Experimental Forms Group A     Select one course from the following: 3 credits WR 530 Introduction to Writing Poetry WR 531 Introduction to Writing Fiction WR 532 Introduction to Writing Creative Nonfiction  WR 539 Creative Writing Workshop in Spanish: Taller de Creación Literaria en Español Group B     Select two courses from the following: 6 credits WR 533 Advanced Poetry Writing Workshop WR 534 Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop WR 535 Advanced Creative Nonfiction WR 539 Creative Writing Workshop in Spanish: Taller de Creación Literaria en Español

Graduate Learning Outcomes

• Produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material
• Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner

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The MFA program fosters interdisciplinary practices in the visual arts through the framework of its rigorous but flexible curriculum. At Ohio State, students learn to expand and strengthen their individual artistic vision by exploring the full array of creative, intellectual, and material resources available to them at the largest public research university in the United States.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, fully funded creative writing mfa programs.

I'm super into writing, and I wanna pursue an MFA in creative writing after I finish my undergrad. Are there any fully funded MFA programs out there that I should be considering? Thanks in advance!

Hey there! It's awesome that you're passionate about writing and want to pursue an MFA in creative writing. There are quite a few fully-funded MFA programs you can consider. When a program is fully-funded, it typically means that accepted students receive a stipend or tuition waiver, allowing them to complete the program without incurring any additional debt. Keep in mind, however, that the level of funding and resources may vary among different programs and institutions. Here are some prominent fully-funded MFA programs in creative writing:

1. University of Iowa – Iowa Writers' Workshop: This is one of the most prestigious creative writing programs in the United States and offers full funding for all students.

2. Cornell University: Cornell's MFA program is highly regarded and offers full funding, including a stipend, to all its students.

3. Vanderbilt University: Vanderbilt offers full funding, which includes tuition waivers and stipends, to all MFA students in creative writing.

4. University of Texas at Austin – Michener Center for Writers: This program offers generous fellowships to all its students, making it highly sought after.

5. University of Michigan: The MFA program at the University of Michigan offers full funding through a combination of teaching assistantships and fellowships.

6. The Ohio State University: The creative writing program at Ohio State provides full funding and support for its MFA students.

These are just a few examples, but there are many other fully-funded MFA programs out there. When looking at different programs, be sure to research the faculty, the program's reputation, the alumni network, and professional development opportunities in addition to funding. This will help you find the program that's the best fit for your writing goals and aspirations. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

This is an attempt at creating an objective ranking of graduate creative writing programs.

For further and more detailed information on how the scores are generated see the methodology page.

Lists of authors without graduate creative writing degrees or whose degree status is unknown are available. Send questions, comments and corrections to [email protected] .

Disclaimer: No endorsement of these ratings should be implied by the writers and writing programs listed on this site, or by the editors and publishers of Best American Short Stories , Best American Essays , Best American Poetry , The O. Henry Prize Stories and The Pushcart Prize Anthology .

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Program overview, master of fine arts in creative writing.

NEOMFA,  Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing,  click here to view detailed information from all universities .

For more information on the  NEOMFA  Program at Cleveland State University,  click here .

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is offered as part of the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a four-university consortium incorporating the faculty and resources of Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Youngstown State University, and the University of Akron. The degree program offers four concentrations: fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and poetry. The curriculum focuses on the techniques of creative writing and the analysis of literary works from the point of view of the practitioner, while electives enable the study of whatever subject area will further the student’s writing interests. A required internship offers practical workplace experience from a wide range of fields, including teaching, editing, grant writing, arts marketing, and arts administration.

The program is designed to meet the needs of both part-time and full-time students. Workshops and craft and theory courses are routinely offered in the evenings. Students can register freely across institutional boundaries for graduate courses offered at any of the participating universities and taught either by regular faculty or by visiting resident writers.

Please note that applicants must submit materials both to CSU and to the NEOMFA Program. For more information on submitting materials to CSU, click here . For information on submitting materials to the NEOMFA, click here .

Department of English; Rhodes Tower, Room 1815; Phone (216) 687-3951

• Adam Sonstegard, Chair
• Julie Townsend, Director of Graduate Studies
• Mike Geither, CSU Campus Coordinator for the NEOMFA
• Imad Rahman, (CSU) NEOMFA Director

Admission Requirements

To apply to the NorthEast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program:

• Complete the Application for Graduate Admission at Cleveland State, checking "English - Creative Writing NEOMFA" as the intended program of study and checking Master's Degree. To facilitate the process, we strongly recommend that applicants use the online application system at engagecsu.com/apply The submission process requires that an applicant have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of 2.75 or higher and a 3.0 average in courses in English. Applicants must provide transcripts of all previous college work and, for NEOMFA applicants, three letters of recommendation. Students interested in teaching assistantships should submit a sample of academic writing, normally a research paper from an undergraduate course.
• Submit required application materials to the NEOMFA Program: a creative writing portfolio, a one-page statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation. Your portfolio and statement may be submitted here: neomfa.org/apply . Letters of recommendation should be sent to  [email protected] . For more information on applying to the NEOMFA, see neomfa.org/prospective-students .

Please note that applicants must submit materials both to CSU and to the NEOMFA Program.

NEOMFA Courses

The menu of Consortium courses is comprised of the collective graduate offerings of participating departments at all four NEOMFA universities. For an overview, consult the course-offering page on the NEOMFA Web site at  neomfa.org , where specific MFA courses are designated and available literature courses, as well as many electives, are listed for upcoming semesters.

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15 Best colleges for Creative Writing in Ohio

Updated: February 29, 2024

• Art & Design
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
• Mathematics

Below is a list of best universities in Ohio ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 48.8K citations received by 5.13K academic papers made by 15 universities in Ohio was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. Ohio State University

For Creative Writing

2. Case Western Reserve University

3. Bowling Green State University

4. Miami University - Oxford

5. Kent State University at Kent

6. University of Cincinnati

7. Cleveland State University

8. University of Toledo

9. University of Dayton

10. Wright State University

11. Oberlin College

12. University of Akron

13. Denison University

14. John Carroll University

15. Kenyon College

Closest to Ohio states to learn Creative Writing

Art & Design subfields in Ohio

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Master of Fine Arts

"BG's creative writing program sets itself apart because the faculty is committed to supporting the unique voice and talents of each individual writer. It's not a factory churning out copies. The program fosters personal and artistic growth, and each member of the faculty and staff works diligently to provide the tools needed for that maturation. In addition, the teaching experience gained goes a long way, both in the classroom, and for the graduated student in the 'real world.'"

-Megan Ayers, MFA 2009

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at BGSU is widely recognized as one of the country’s most prestigious. For more than fifty years, graduates of BGSU’s Program in Creative Writing have contributed to contemporary literary culture and published hundreds of books.

The MFA in Creative Writing program gives a comprehensive and rigorous education in the professional writing, editing, and marketing of poetry and fiction. Artistic development, craft knowledge, and professional presentation are guiding principles. The program is a composite of a total of 36 hours, consisting primarily of writing workshops, including a minimum of one course in techniques, one in literary editing, one in pedagogy, and the remainder in recommended courses or electives. Writers complete a thesis and comprehensive examination. BGSU does NOT require an electronic thesis; ours is paper-based. Why? See the article in The Chronicle of Higher Education , here .  

MFA APPLICANTS: MFA students will be expected to concentrate in either poetry or fiction and all application materials must be sent to the Graduate College.

The deadline for application submissions for fall 2024 admission is january 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. est ., current students: see the link below for your roadmap to the mfa degree.

Roadmap to the MFA Degree

CURRENT STUDENTS: Going for more graduate work? Want a job? Time to write? Want to publish something? See the link below for the Careers Page!

A typical student's program consists of:.

Required Courses:

• Eng 6320 Writers' Workshop -  12 semester hours
• Eng 6300 /6310 Techniques Course -  3 semester hours
• Eng 7820 Advanced Writer's Workshop -  3 semester hours
• Eng 6330 Editing the Mid-American Review -  3 semester hours
• Eng 6370 Pedagogy of Creative Writing -  3 semester hours
• Eng 6990 Thesis Research Hours -  6 semester hours

      TOTAL: 30 semester hours

Required Electives : 6 semester hours

GRAND TOTAL: 36 semester hours

Total hour requirements may be reduced for outstanding students who are able to apply credit from previous graduate work. However, approval for the transference of hours must happen prior to matriculation. In all cases, a student is required to take a minimum of thirty hours in residence with a minimum of one workshop in their major area per semester after being accepted into the Program.

In recognition of the value that interdisciplinary studies has for artistic development and intellectual enrichment, graduates may choose electives from a wide range of fields, such as philosophy, cultural studies, science, history, and art. Students must choose electives early in the program, and show a clear relationship between their electives and their specific goals as writers.

For detailed Graduate College requirements for preparing the thesis, click  here .  

Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with the MFA in Creative Writing will have:

• Developed individual, original approaches to writing fiction and poetry.
• Produced a book-length thesis comparable in quality to the published work of contemporary poets and fiction writers.
• Developed an understanding of their work’s place within the context of contemporary literature.
• Evaluated literary work for publication.
• Produced and distributed a literary journal through relevant technologies.
• Developed pedagogical skills sufficient to design and teach courses at the college level.  

Mid-American Review  is the literary publication of the Department of English and the Creative Writing Program at Bowling Green State University. Started by Robert Early in 1980,  MAR  has served the literary community by publishing the best contemporary fiction, non-fiction and poetry being written today.  MAR  is proud of its tradition of publishing both new and established writers. Poets and writers including Madison Smartt Bell, Fred Chappell, Bernard Cooper, Stephen Dunn, Stuart Dybek, Albert Goldbarth, William Goyen, T.R. Hummer, Susan Ludvigson, Naomi Shihab Nye, A. Poulin, Jr., Alberto Rios, Richard Russo, William Stafford, Jean Thompson, Chase Twichell, Lee Upton, David Foster Wallace, C.K. Williams, and Eleanor Wilner have published in  MAR .

Work from  MAR  has been reprinted in Best American Short Stories, Best American Poetry, Pushcart: Best of the Small Presses, Prize Stories: The O'Henry Awards, New Stories from the South , and  Harper's . MFA students serve as assistant editors for  MAR , providing them with valuable editorial and production experience.

MFA Reading Series

Poets and writers from all over the world have visited, read from their work, and interacted with writers in our programs. Follow the link to find the schedule.

Click  here  for further information and to submit an on-line application.

Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Creative Writing Program  Department of English Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 Phone: 419-372-6864 Fax: 419-372-0333 Email

STUDY ABROAD!

English Department

Stephannie Gearhart, Chair English Department Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 419-372-7540 [email protected]

Updated: 12/18/2023 01:22PM

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Creative Writing Graduate Programs

About the Program and Placement Record

• Faculty Research Areas
• Teaching Assistantships

Creative Writing M.A.

• Admission Requirements
• Degree and Graduation Requirements
• Master's Essay
• Master's Thesis

Creative Writing Ph.D.

• Doctoral Dissertation
• Foreign Language Requirement
• Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination

One of the first universities in the country to offer a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, Ohio University continues as home to a thriving, widely respected graduate program with concentrations in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Small by design, our graduate program offers a comprehensive curriculum, an award-winning faculty and the intimacy of small classes.

Placement Record

Over the past three years, seven of our nine graduating creative writing Ph.D. students have landed tenure-track jobs, post-doctorates, or prestigious visiting writer posts. Our MA graduates go on to study in the top MFA and Ph.D. programs.

• English M.A. Placements
• English Ph.D. Placements

Students in the Creative Writing M.A. and Ph.D. programs enjoy:

• Graduate stipends, up to $15,000 per year, with opportunities to teach a wide range of courses, including creative writing workshops
• Generous graduate student travel funding
• Editorial fellowships on New Ohio Review , Quarter after Eight , and Brevity
• Opportunities to interact with distinguished visiting writers

M.A. candidates complete two years of study and write a thesis of creative work in their genre. Doctoral candidates complete five years of study, comprehensive exams, a major critical essay, and a creative dissertation.

Literary Journals

The department and its students publish three literary journals:

• New Ohio Review , a national literary journal
• Quarter After Eight , a prose journal edited by graduate students
• Sphere , an undergraduate journal

Annual Events

The department hosts several annual events including an ambitious Spring Literary Festival that brings five nationally distinguished writers to campus for three-days of readings, craft talks, and student discussion. Recent visitors have included Tony Hoagland, Kathryn Harrison, Barry Lopez, Francine Prose, Peter Ho Davies, Kim Addonizio, David Shields, Robert Hass, Charles Simic, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Marilynne Robinson.

Visiting writers engage with our program year-round as well, appearing in both undergraduate and graduate classes, meeting one-on-one with select students, and offering evening readings in the intimate Galbreath Chapel.

In addition to a regular Dogwood Bloom reading series for our graduate students, the creative writing program hosts an annual Writers' Harvest benefit reading for the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank?s Second Harvest, a food distribution program serving Athens, Hocking, Perry, Vinton, Jackson, Gallia, Meigs, Morgan and Washington counties.

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Adobe creative cloud purchase open for units.

Under the university's new contract with Adobe, units will need to purchase Adobe Creative Cloud licenses required by their faculty and staff. Adobe Acrobat Pro, the most used Adobe software at Ohio State, remains available to all faculty and staff without the need for additional licenses. Adobe Express, a streamlined web app for completing many common creative tasks, is free to everyone at the university.

If Creative Cloud licenses are required by your unit, they can be purchased at $35 per license each fiscal year (July-June) for any number of faculty, staff or students. For this heavily discounted rate, purchases must be made through OTDI Self Service and an approved Workday requisition is required. The Administrative Resource Center has  instructions for purchase  to guide units through this process. 

Please note that Creative Cloud licenses prior to FY25 expire on Aug. 1. New licenses must be purchased by Aug. 1 for uninterrupted access to Creative Cloud. 

OTDI encourages users to test out Adobe Express to see if it may be able to meet their needs for photo and video editing, social media graphics and more.  Adobe Creative Cloud also remains available in Digital Unions and public campus computer labs for free use. Information about Express and locations for Creative Cloud can be found on our Adobe software page .

Bowling Green State University Fully Funded MFA in Creative Writing

Bowling green state university.

The Bowling Green State University, based in Bowling Green, Ohio offers a 2-year fully funded MFA in creative writing program. This Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program fosters personal and artistic growth and gives a comprehensive and rigorous education in professional writing, editing, and marketing of poetry and fiction. Artistic development, craft knowledge, and professional presentation are guiding principles. Graduate assistantships (including stipends and scholarships) are available for all eligible face-to-face students and they receive 100% tuition scholarship. Graduate stipend (the 2020-21 stipend is $11,500).

• Deadline: Jan 15, 2025 (Confirmed)*
• Work Experience: Any
• Location: North America
• Citizenship: Any
• Residency: United States

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English + Modern Languages Creative Writing Program

Write, publish, mentor, explore, creative writing program.

The Creative Writing Program at Emporia State University offers friendly, student-focused instruction in small, workshop-based courses across a range of genres and literary activities. Classes are open to undergraduate and graduate students regardless of major, with courses ranging in skill level from introductory to advanced in a range of genres, including poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction prose. For more information about classes, check out the course descriptions.

The program also offers significant opportunities for involvement outside of class. The Short Play Festival is produced entirely by students, and features works written by students in the program. The Quivira literary club sponsors readings, dramatic productions, and other events. Each semester the Creative Writing Program presents a diverse program of visiting writers. Their performances and master classes mentor students and strengthen the literary community both on and off the ESU campus.

The Creative Writing Program offers significant mentoring for academic, professional, and personal success. Students who minor in Creative Writing have opportunities to pursue internships and field studies in writing, editing, publishing, and literary arts.

Through the Donald Reichardt Center for Publishing and Literary Arts, the program sponsors two journals; the Quivira student literary journal, and the national literary journal, Flint Hills Review . Quivira features student writing and allows students to work on the staff to gain editorial experience. Serving on the editorial staff of the Flint Hills Review, students learn about literary publishing. The Donald Reichardt Center for Publishing and Literary Arts also offers opportunities in literary citizenship on campus and in the community.

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Grad Program FAQs

Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the graduate program in the English department at Ohio State. If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact Kathleen Griffin (.328) for questions about the MA/PhD program, or [email protected]  for questions about the MFA program.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do i get paid or, where can i find the gta and fellow appointment dates and pay schedule.

Generally speaking, pay day is the last business day of each month. Graduate associates and fellows appointed for autumn semester will receive their first paycheck at the end of August. GAs on a nine-month appointment will receive one-half a month’s paycheck in August and one-half in May.

The Graduate School has outlined the  appointment dates  for Graduate Associates.

For information on fellowship appointment dates, visit the Graduate Fellows website and select your individual fellowship.

Where can I find more information about my fellowship award?

The Graduate School provides details regarding the various fellowship awards available to graduate students

I'm a brand-new first year student (or a student in my second year, when my fellowship reverts to a GTA), and Buckeyelink says that I owe some random amount of money. Am I going to have to pay that money, or will it be automatically deducted at some point?

In order for the fees to be deducted, sign and turn in your GTA appointment document by the deadline provided. Your account will reflect the graduate fee authorization (taking your balance down) the moment that your appointment is entered into the HR system. Within 24 hours after that, your account will reflect a small balance for other charges/fees; at the same time, it will reflect the words “pending payroll deduction” with the total amount that offsets the small balance for other charges/fees. (If you have not seen an update in the balance on your account by the second week of August, please contact Wayne Lovely   (.9) )

Where can I find more information about stipends by term?

Please contact the Department of English Fiscal Manager, Wayne Lovely (.9).

Where can I find out about other funding opportunities?

The graduate school provides a  list of funding opportunities internal and external to the university.

How do I set up direct deposit?

You can set up direct deposit by logging into Employee Self Service and selecting the Direct Deposit option. The Office of Business and Finance provides step-by-step directions on how to set up direct deposit  [pdf].

What is being deducted out of my paycheck?

Aside from federal, state, and city taxes, your retirement contributions, health insurance contributions, and student fees are deducted from your paycheck each month. If you have enrolled in on-campus parking, this will also be deducted from your paycheck. For more information on the student fee schedule, see the  registrar's office .

Is there anything I have to pay that won’t be deducted from my paycheck?

Incidental fees, such as physician copays and library fees, are not deducted from your paycheck. Additionally, if you take classes during May or summer terms, the student fees will not be deducted from your paycheck unless you are on fellowship or teaching, so you should be sure to pay these fees upfront.

Where can I find information about graduate student benefits—for example, health insurance, including coverage for massage therapy and acupuncture?

The Graduate School Handbook provides information about health benefits coverage for graduate students  enrolled in Student Health Insurance. Graduate associates also have the option to enroll in The Ohio State University Faculty and Staff Health Plan, but  must  do so within 30 days of their start date. Ohio State Human Resources offers more information on health insurance options available to graduate associates .

Where can I find information specifically about OSU student health insurance?

Visit the OSU Student Health Insurance website .

Where can I find information about benefits for dependents?

If you're enrolled in Student Health Insurance (SHI), visit the SHI page on eligibility/dependents to find information on dependent coverage and plan levels. If you choose to enroll in the faculty and staff health plan, visit the Human Resources page on dependent eligibility .

What exactly do they treat at the Wilce Student Health Center?

The Wilce Student Health Center provides a wide range of services, including general care, OB/GYN care, STI testing, allergy testing, vision care and dental care. For a full list of their services, please visit the Student Health Services website .

How do I make a medical/dental/vision appointment?

The easiest way to make an on-campus appointment is to schedule online via  My BuckMD  or by phone at 614-292-4321. (Due to COVID-19, the Wilce Student Health Center has implemented some changes to scheduling and appointment procedure .)

Whom do I contact if I want counseling?

For counseling, contact Counseling and Consultation Service at (614) 292-5766. For more information, visit the Counseling and Consultation Services website .

I want to be treated off of campus—are there any tips for helping me navigate that using Student Health Insurance?

Student Health Insurance offers four tiers of providers. Generally, your costs will be lower if you visit an OSU Health Plan Network doctor inside  Franklin County, or a doctor within the UHC Options PPO Network outside of  Franklin County. For specific information and to find a provider off-campus, visit SHI's Find a Provider page .

Where can I find information about my retirement benefits?

For basic information about retirement benefits, check out the first page of the Office of Human Resources Graduate Associate Benefits Guide  [pdf].

I don’t want to enroll in retirement benefits. How do I get out of it?

For information about opting out of OSU retirement benefits, see the Request for Optional Exemption as Student Instructions  [pdf]. You MUST do this within the first 30 days of employment.

What is the minimum number of hours for which a funded graduate student needs to be registered?

It varies depending on semester and placement in the program:

• Pre-candidacy GTAs must be registered for eight credit hours.
• Pre-candidacy graduate students on fellowship must be registered for twelve credit hours.
• All post-candidacy students must be registered for three credit hours.
• Pre-candidacy GTAs must be registered for four hours.
• Pre-candidacy students on fellowship must be registered for six hours.
• Post-candidacy students must be registered for three hours.

I understand that there is a minimum number of hours I must take--but is there a maximum I can take?

Course loads for full-time graduate students can vary depending upon a student's appointment or degree program landmarks. However, graduate students may not enroll for more than eighteen credit hours per semester, including audited courses, without advisor and Graduate School approval. See the graduate school's course registration guide  for more information.

Where can I find more information about tuition and fees by credit hour?

The Registrar's student tuition and fee table website includes information on fees for graduate students by credit hour. 

Can I enroll in undergraduate classes?

Yes.  These courses count toward your total credit hours for any given semester, but they do not fulfill requirements of the program, the department, or any GIS or graduate minor you may be pursuing.  Note that the specifics of what "counts" will vary (for example, in the English department, only courses at the 5000-level or above are considered graduate-level coursework; if you take coursework outside English, courses at the 4000-level or above "count"). But there may be good reasons for you to register for courses at lower levels. Talk to your advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and/or faculty teaching the courses you're interested in.

What is the difference between auditing a course and taking a course S/U?

When you audit a course, it you receive no credit for it--it doesn't count toward your GPA or credit hours. An S/U carries credit and can meet some requirements, such as allowed S/U classes, hours toward full time and hours toward degree. 

What is the difference between an independent study and reading hours?

An independent study is directed by a faculty member and has a set goal (specific readings, a paper). It is expected that you meet with the faculty member regarding that material. Reading hours are not specifically directed, and account for the independent work you do preparing your program of study, reading for exams, dissertation, etc.

How do I take an independent study?

For information on how to arrange an independent study, visit the MA/PhD resources page and click on the "Registration" accordion.

Where can I request reading hours with my advisor?

Visit the MA/PhD resources page and click on the "Registration" accordion for more information on independently arranged courses.

What’s the deal with workshops? How do I know what is available, and when should I take one?

In addition to their regular coursework, MA/PhD and PhD students must complete two Graduate Workshops by the end of their fourth year in the program (preferably before candidacy).

The graduate workshops provide opportunities to enrich the department's formal graduate curriculum by regularly bringing in scholars from other institutions to discuss their recently-published and current work with students and faculty. Typically, the department is able to offer three to five workshops per academic year, which rotate among fields. Each workshop is organized by a faculty coordinator, and students enroll by signing up with the Graduate Studies office.  

The visiting speaker participates in two events: a public lecture or other kind of formal presentation, open to all members of the department and university community; and a closed session with graduate students who have enrolled in the workshop. For the smaller workshop, the visiting speaker assigns a text or group of texts for discussion (their own work or some other work relevant to the speaker's current interests). Students read the assigned texts on their own and submit short position papers to the faculty coordinator. The completion of these short essays, in combination with student participation, determine whether a student receives a grade of "S" (satisfactory) or "U" (unsatisfactory) for the workshop.

How many hours should I be registered for in the summer if I intend to take out a student loan?

This varies from student to student. For specific information, contact the  Student Financial Aid Office .

Will I get a summer teaching appointment?

With the exception of creative writing workshops, which are assigned by the creative writing faculty, summer teaching appointments are awarded based on seniority and are usually filled by A.B.D. doctoral students.

How many hours should I be registered for in order to teach in the summer?

Students holding a TA position in the summer should be registered full time. For pre-candidacy TAs, this is 4 hours. For post-candidacy, this is 3.

What kinds of courses are available for me to take in the summer?

Summer course offerings in the Department of English are based on faculty availability, and not many graduate courses are offered; however, many courses are offered outside of the department, and summer is a particularly good time for taking language courses.

If I am not teaching during the summer, do I have to pay to take classes?

Summer semester tuition is waived for all students who have held associateships during the preceding two semesters.  Students taking advantage of this summer session fee authorization are responsible for the COTA bus fee, RPAC fee, and student activity fee.  Students using the summer fee authorization must be registered for at least four hours of credit.

How do I obtain health insurance during the summer?

Your summer health insurance premiums are already covered by your GTA, GAA or fellowship appointment.

Should I register for reading hours in the summer?

If you are out of coursework and holding a TA position or are on fellowship, you will need to register for reading hours. Students not in summer funding are not required to register for reading hours, but there may be particular cases in which you want to. Contact your advisor and/or the graduate office for advice particular to your situation.

If I am not registering for classes in the summer, do I have still have access to OSU benefits? 

You do have access to some benefits, such as health coverage and library access. Those benefits covered by your student activity fee, such as access to the fitness facilities, COTA access and D-tix, however, are unavailable to you.

Do I have an office? How do I know where it is?

All GTAs, GAAs, and fellowship students have space in a shared office. For questions about where your office is located, or to get a key to your office, contact [email protected]  (for MFA students) or Kathleen Griffin (.328) (for MA/PhD students). 

How do I log on to the computer in my office?

To log on to an office computer, you will need an ASC username and password. To set these up, call (614) 688-4447.

How do I make copies and/or print from my office?

The university uses Follow Me Printing. For instructions on how to use Follow Me Printing, visit the EngSource Department Policy and Procedure page and select the accordion labeled "Copying and printing allowance and procedure (Follow Me Printing)." You will need your BuckID to print and copy.

How many copies do I get per term?

Each graduate student in funding (via. dept. funding or fellowship) will have an annual allocation of 2,500 copied or printed pages on departmental machines. Anyone exceeding the annual allowance will need to request more by emailing the Administrative Manager,  Wayne Lovely  (.9) a brief rationale (150 words or less) detailing the necessity and specific research, teaching, or business purpose for the additional request.  If copy usage greatly exceeds the maximum allocation, the cost may be discounted from the individual’s travel/research allowance either in the current year or the following year.

How do I mail something?

To mail business items (including fellowship or award applications, journal or book submissions, or other items that promote your work) contact the English department front desk at [email protected] , or 614-292-6065.

What is the DMP?

The Digital Media Project (DMP) provides equipment such as audio/video recorders and consults on its use, along with the use of digital media and software, in teaching and research. These consultations take all forms, from planned workshops during class meetings to walk-in conversations during lunch. Additionally, the DMP manages all computer classrooms on the 3rd floor of Denney Hall and its office offers a congenial space for work and collaboration. 

How is my teaching evaluated?

Your teaching is evaluated in a number of ways. Students evaluate you through discursive evaluations, which you are responsible for administering at the end of your course, and through an online evaluation system (SEI) that they must complete on BuckeyeLink by the beginning of exam week. If you are teaching a new course, you will also be observed and evaluated by the WPA or professor in charge of administering your course. For more information about English department policies regarding SEIs, visit the Classroom Resources page on EngSource and click on the "SEIs and discursive evaluations" accordion. For more information about SEIs overall, including how to access them, see the  Office of the Registrar .

How do I access my teaching evaluations?

Your discursive teaching evaluations will be placed in your mailbox after final grades have been submitted. Online SEIs are available through the faculty center on  BuckeyeLink .

How do I order textbooks for my class?

The main book order for Writing Analytically for sections of 1110.01 will be made by the Director of First Year Writing in one large order for sections taught by first year GTAs in their first term teaching only.  All other GTAs teaching their own classes should consult the Classroom Resources page of EngSource and click on the accordion labeled "Textbook ordering policies and procedures" for information on how to order textbooks.

How do I reserve library books for the class I’m teaching?

To place items on course reserve see the University Libraries guide for course reserves .  NOTE :  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical course reserves have been suspended for autumn 2020. University Libraries is happy to assist instructors with locating electronic alternatives or digital materials.

How do I check my enrollment and/or my roster?

To check your course enrollment, go to your  BuckeyeLink  Faculty Center, find your correct course and click on the roster icon.

How do I publish my Carmen course site?

To activate your Carmen site, see the Teaching & Learning Resource Center guide to publishing your course .

How do I have a library Carmen site made for my specific class?

If you are teaching English 1110, you will automatically have the First-Year Writing Guide embedded in your course page under "Library Link." If you're teaching any version of English 2367, you'll automatically have the English 2367 Guide embedded in your course page under "Library Link." Most other classes will have the English Literature & Culture Guide linked under "Library Link." If you have any problems or questions, you can contact our subject librarian, Jennifer Schnabel   (.23).

Where can I get additional help with my teaching?

The Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning  provides teaching instruction, evaluation and workshops. The  Digital Union  provides support for the digital components of your classes.

Can I swap a teaching time slot if I find someone who is willing to swap?

This depends both on the course and the time line. Either way, you will need to contact Deb Lowry (.40). 

Where can I find more enrollment information about Program 60 students in my course?

The Office of Extended Education oversees  Program 60 .

Where can I find out about my classroom?

To browse OSU classrooms, visit ODEE's Classroom Services page .

Whom do I contact if there is something wrong in with my classroom?

For classroom assistance, contact 8-HELP from a campus phone or (614) 247-4357 from an off-campus phone.

How do I get tech equipment (Mac adaptors, etc.) for my classroom?

You can check out equipment from the  DMP . 

Who is our subject librarian? How can she help me?

Jennifer Schnabel , PhD, is the OSU Libraries Subject Librarian for English.  She's here to provide you with research guidance and support from the beginning of your program to your dissertation defense.  Whether it's a broad strategic question or small picky question don't be afraid to ask her. Research instruction for undergraduate and graduate courses also falls within her responsibilities.  The ENGL 1110 and 2367 library research curricula have been developed in collaboration with the department so that instructors will provide their own instruction. She will provide instructions to other courses if you request it. Finally, she manages OSUL's English and American literature collections--books, DVDs, journals and other materials. Contact Jennifer at  [email protected]  if you need anything for your research or teaching.

How do I request a book from the library?

After locating the library book through the  library catalog , simply click the “Request OSU Item” button. You will be asked for your name and ID number, and you'll need to select where to have an item sent.

Can I have library items delivered to my office?

While you can have library items delivered to your office, you are generally recommended not to. Should the items be lost in transit, you may be held responsible for them. Instead, have them sent to a library. The closest library to Denney Hall is the 18th Avenue Library.  Please note: various library services have been amended due to COVID-19. Please consult the University Libraries website on checking out materials  for the most up-to-date information.

What is OhioLink and should I use it?

OhioLink is a consortium of and borrowing agreement between Ohio Libraries, and can provide you with access to more than 48 million items. It is also your fastest way to access books or items not held by OSU libraries. Items requested through OhioLink will generally arrive within 3-5 business days.

Should I recall a book held by someone else?

It can take quite some time to get a book even if you recall it—up to two weeks. Generally speaking, OhioLink is your best and fastest option if the book you want from OSU libraries is checked out.

How do I request an article or book chapter from the library?

To request a PDF of an article or book chapter not available digitally, use  ILLiad .

How do I pay my library fines?

To pay your library fines, see the  library website .

PLEASE NOTE: University travel is currently restricted until December 31, 2020, due to COVID-19. 

Where do I find the graduate student travel policies and procedures?

Visit the EngSource Travel page .

Does the department provide any financial support for travel?

The Department of English provides $500 a year in conference and research travel support for graduate students.

What can be covered by the Department of English graduate student travel funding?

• Travel to conduct research in the United States or abroad
• Travel for invited research presentation at significant professional meeting or event in the United States or abroad
• Traveling to a writing retreat for which there is a competitive selection process
• Traveling to the AWP Conference to assist The Journal or participate on a panel
• Expenses related to the translation or transcription of primary research or research materials
• The purchase of research-related materials/equipment that are fairly unique to a student’s research.
• Any request to use travel funding for non-travel related expenses needs to be reviewed by the Chair and Administrative Manager

Does the university provide any financial support for research travel?

For additional research funding, see the accordion below labeled "Fellowship, Grants and Graduate Associate Opportunities."

How do I start looking for additional travel funds to support my research?

After you have exhausted your university resources, try academic organizations specific to your field, as well as individual research libraries.

Where can I find the travel reimbursement form?

The most recent travel reimbursement form can be found on the Forms page of the College of Arts and Sciences Administrative Gateway .

What counts as a travel business expense?

Travel costs consisting of lodging, airfare, baggage fees, conference registration, taxi, subway, train, mileage or actual gas receipts, hotel internet, parking and rental cars.

How do I decide whether to drive or fly?

The decision to drive or fly is ultimately a personal preference; however, the university travel policy only allows for reimbursement of the cheaper option's cost. For instance, if you decided you would prefer to drive from Columbus to Chicago for a conference in January, you would only be eligible to be reimbursed up to the cost of what airfare would have been in the same time period. *PLEASE NOTE: Your actual reimbursement is dependent upon the amount of funding you have available.

The mileage cost estimate would be 712 round trip miles x .545 per mile = $402.28.

The airfare cost estimate that is obtained when you make the request for a T# would be $199.80.

As you can see, airfare is less expensive than driving. So, even if you choose to drive, you can only be reimbursed up to the cost of airfare.

An airfare vs. mileage comparison  [pdf] must be included as an attachment when submitting your travel request to  [email protected] .

What receipts should I save?

All original, itemized receipts for expenses you wish to be reimbursed should be saved. This includes, but is not limited to, lodging, ground transportation, registration, baggage, parking, rental car, and airfare itinerary and payment receipt. All receipts must show the form of payment (credit card, or last four digits of credit card number), date and the amount paid. If you do not have a receipt showing proof of payment, please provide a bank or credit card transaction summary or statement showing that the amount on the receipt you have provided was posted to your account.

For rental car receipts, if using a non-contracted agency, the required insurance coverage, Damage Waiver (DW), Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) and Liability Insurance (SPPL, SLP, and/or SLI), must be included on the receipt in order to be reimbursed. If using a contracted agency (National Car Rental or Enterprise Rent-A-Car), please be sure to book it with OSU's discount number (contact [email protected] for the number). Using contracted agencies with the discount number automatically includes the required coverage and will help avoid delays in processing your reimbursement.

What if I paid an individual to stay in their home or paid my friend for half a hotel room? How can I get reimbursed?

To be reimbursed for costs incurred for lodging in an individual's home, you must provide a copy of the canceled check written to them and a signed contract (including your signature and your friend's signature) that includes the dates you stayed, the amount you were charged, the location of the residence and confirmation that you paid for the expenses in full.

When a friend pays for a hotel room in full and you pay your friend for your half, you will need to provide a copy of your canceled check and a copy of the lodging receipt in order to be reimbursed. Your roommate must write a letter indicating that it is acceptable for you to be reimbursed for your half. When a friend pays for a hotel room in full and you pay your friend for your half, you will need to provide a copy of the canceled check you wrote to them and a copy of the lodging receipt in order to be reimbursed. Your roommate must write a letter indicating it is acceptable for you to be reimbursed for your half and that he/she will not be reimbursed from another institution or party for the portion you paid them. If your roommate is also being reimbursed from OSU, please also provide his/her T#.

How do I split a hotel room and still get refunded by the university?

This is the preferred way to split a hotel cost: When checking out of the hotel, request that the concierge desk separate the bill for the room to only show your portion of the room, your payment, and include your name at the top of the bill. If the number of occupants says more than 1, you will need to list who stayed in the room with you and indicate that the receipt is only for your portion.

The other option would be to use each of the occupants’ credit cards to split the payment, so the bill will show 2 or more credit cards for the form of payment. You will need to indicate which credit card is for your share of the payment.

Can I go on vacation as part of this conference trip?

If you add vacation days or additional vacation destinations in conjunction with business travel, you will be required to provide a detailed explanation for and a comparison showing any cost variance in expenses in advance of your trip departure. You will only be reimbursed for the business travel portion of your trip. 

How do I know how much travel money I have remaining?

To inquire about your current balance in your travel allowance, simply send an email to  [email protected]  or stop by Denney 421 to see Sarah Beaumont-White   (.1), Fiscal Associate, or Wayne Lovely   (.9), Administrative Manager.

There aren’t enough lines on the reimbursement worksheets! What do I do?

Please feel free to attach a separate spreadsheet or word document to your travel reimbursement form that includes all of your expenses that will not fit on the worksheet.

Is there any additional conference travel funding I can apply for?

For additional conference funding, see the accordion below labeled "Fellowship, Grants and Graduate Associate Opportunities."

Fellowships

• When available, an email will be sent to graduate students with requirements and deadlines
• Presidential Fellowship
• J. Parker and Kathryn Webb Dinius Fellowship
• Graduate School Fellowships for Incoming Students
• Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship
• AAUW International Fellowship
• American Indian Graduate Center Fellowships
• CIC/Smithsonian Institute Fellowship

Travel and Research Grants and Awards

Department of english, new students.

• Enrichment Travel Grants  for admitted prospective graduate students: The Department of English awards deed-based grants (up to $400 each) to defray prospective students' travel costs to attend the Graduate Program Open House each spring.
• First-Year Graduate Enrichment Grants : The Department of English awards grants of up to $1000 to incoming students who contribute to diversity (underrepresented groups, first-generation students, students with disabilities). Grants may be offered at any point of the recruitment and enrollment process, but applications submitted by April 15 are given priority. Applications are evaluated based on the student's rationale for financial need. Information about enrichment grants is available on the Resources for Current MA/PhD Students page .

Current Students

• Conference Travel Funds : $500 in conference travel support for all graduate students in funding
• Additional Travel Funds up to $400
• Job Market Funding

Information about graduate student conference travel and job market funding available on the Resources for Current MA/PhD Students and EngSource Travel pages.

The Ohio State University

Arts and sciences graduate student funding.

• Graduate Research Small Grants Program
• Chu Memorial Scholarship
• G. Michael Riley International Academic Fund

Graduate School

• Alumni Grants for Graduate Research and Scholarship
• Big Ten Academic Alliance Traveling Scholar Program
• CIC Traveling Scholars Program

Council of Graduate Students

• Ray Travel Award for Scholarship and Service
• Career Development Grant
• Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program
• Fulbright U.S. Travel Awards (External award processed through Ohio State Graduate School)
• Huntington Library Fellowships
• Association for Institutional Research Dissertation Grant
• The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
• ASECS/Folger Institute Fellowship
• Harry Ransom Center Research Fellowships in the Humanities
• Newberry Library Short-Term Fellowships
• New York Public Library Short-Term Research Fellowships
• Princeton Library Research Grants
• Everett Helm Visiting Fellowships, Lilly Library

Graduate Associate Opportunities

The opportunities listed below have been available in the past. Please check the respective program or department's website to see if any of these opportunities are currently available.

Department of English Opportunities

• First-Year Writing Program Writing Program Administrator
• Second-Year Writing Program Writing Program Administrator
• Professional Writing Minor Program Writing Program Administrator
• Writing, Rhetoric and Literacy Studies Program Associate
• Poetics Today  Editorial Associate
• Inks  Journal Editorial Associate
• MOOC Associate
• Project Narrative Program Associate
• Narrative  Editorial Associate
• Digital Media Project Administrative Associates
• Environmental Humanities Discovery Theme Program Associate
• LASER Program Associate
• Lord Denney's Players Production ASsociate
• Graduate Studies Program Associate
• Study Abroad Teaching Associate
• Affordable Learning Administrative Associates
• Conference Organizing Associates
• Faculty Research Associates

Extra-Departmental Opportunities

• Center for Folklore Studies
• Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Kirwan Institute
• Center for Language, Literature and Culture
• Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
• English as a Second Language Program
• Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
• OSU Library (Collection and Technical Services)
• Wexner Center for the Arts
• ADA Coordinator's Office
• Office of Engineering Education
• Humanities Centers

Who is this year’s Job Placement Officer?

The Placement Officers for the 2020-2021 academic year are  Jacob Risinger   (.13) and Angus Fletcher   (.300).

Are there university resources that will help me prepare for the job market?

The Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning provides year-round support with creating many job search documents, including the teaching and research statement. 

Is there a dossier service for students on the job market?

Yes.  The dossier service is available through the Department of English Graduate Studies Office. (A dossier is a file that includes your letters of recommendation, so that when you asked to submit them, they can be sent on your behalf without your having to contact your recommenders individually.)  Please contact Kathleen Griffin   (.328) for more information.  MFA students: contact  [email protected] .

Where can I find career guidance for non-teaching jobs?

The Graduate School provides several  career development resources , including a calendar of job fairs. Of special note is the graduate school's subscription to  The Versatile Ph.D.  This website, created by an OSU English Alumnus, includes information about the different markets available to humanities PhD, as well as sample cover letters, resumes and narratives from PhDs who successfully transferred their skills to a non-academic market. For additional resources, visit the Professional Development Resources page of EngSource .

How do I park on campus?

For information on parking on campus, visit the CampusParc website . 

How do I use CABS?

For information on CABS, visit the Campus Area Bus Service  website.

How do I use COTA?

Your student activity fee covers your COTA use every semester you are enrolled. Just swipe your BuckID when you get on the bus. For more information, visit the COTA website .

What if I want to use a bike to get around?

For bike accessories, try Paradise Garage in the Short North. If you are looking to buy or replace a bike for a reasonable price, try  Once Ridden Bikes  in Clintonville for refurbished used bikes.

As far as bicycle rules and regulations: helmets, while good, are not legally required for riders over 18 in Columbus. Lights for riding at night are legally required and carry a pretty hefty fine if you get caught without them (about $500). COTA buses have space for up to two bikes. For more resources for Columbus-area cyclists, check out the City of Columbus biking website .

There are city-funded, free bike maintenance stations peppered about. For a list of locations, visit the City of Columbus Bike Parking website and download the map of bike shelter locations. On campus, there is an electric air pump specifically for bicycles on the campus-side entrance to the parking garage immediately north of the Union. It's great for a quick fill up (quick is the key word here; you only need to put it in for a second or two; otherwise you could damage your wheels from too much pressure). For those who really want to go all out, there is the Third Hand Bike Co-op on 5th Ave where you can learn to work on your own bike, volunteer, and possibly buy refurbished bikes.

What is CGS? And what can it do for me?

CGS  (the Council of Graduate Students) is the official branch of student government that represents every graduate student at the main and branch campuses. It is their main purpose is to work towards continual improvement of the graduate student experience at The Ohio State University.

CGS Officers and Delegates serve as staunch advocates during university policy-making decisions. Their competitive funding programs and "graduate-only" social events support the personal and professional development of any graduate students.

What is the OUAB, and what can it do for me?

The Ohio Union Activities Board , and specifically the  Graduate and Professional Committee , provides free academic and non-academic programming for OSU students. Activities range from professionalization seminars to concerts.

Are there student discounts I should know about?

The  D-Tix  counter in the Ohio Union provides discounts to a number of concerts and Columbus area attractions. 

Additionally, you are eligible for a number of employee discounts through Buckeye Nation Rewards .

Please visit the IRS’  Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) page  to determine whether or not you need to file taxes.

Are fellowship stipends taxable?

Ohio State does not withhold taxes from fellowship stipends of domestic and some international students because fellowships are considered awards, not pay for service. The government, though, does consider stipends taxable income. Students should keep track of their annual stipend amount and may be required to pay federal, state and Columbus city taxes. The Graduate School encourages fellows to consult a tax professional. The Ohio State Office of Business and Finance offers information to help understand your taxes , but does not offer tax advice. Information about fellowships and taxes can be found on the following  IRS website .

Do I need to file a tax return in order to be eligible for student financial aid?

The U.S. Department of Education does not require individuals to attach tax returns to FAFSA if the individual is not required by the IRS to file a tax return. For more information, please visit the  FAFSA webpage  or visit  BuckeyeLink .

• Fisher  Tax Clinic
• This section is updated as we learn of additional resources. If you know of any, please share!

State Residency

To update your residency to the State of Ohio:

• For tax purposes, please complete the  Ohio IT 4 document  and email it to [email protected]
• For tuition purposes, please visit the university Registrar's webpage on  Ohio Residency for Tuition purposes

W2 Access for Former Employees

W2s for former employees will be mailed and are not available electronically.

The W2 file has already been created for an automated printing and mailing process.  We cannot stop that process and it will be mailed to the address on file at the time the W2 file was created.   The mailing process will begin on January 27 th . 

If your home address is not up to date:

• You can call Payroll Services at 614-292-2311, after answering questions regarding your personal information to confirm your identity, you may provide a new address to us.
• You can complete the Change of Address form [pdf] which must be signed and sent to Payroll Services via e-mail attachment to  [email protected]  or fax it to 614-688-3640.

Then Payroll Services has to wait for one of two things to happen:

• If the W2 is returned to OSU by the U.S. Postal Service Payroll Services can re-mail the original to the new address.
• If the W2 is not returned to OSU by  February 15 th  Payroll Services will begin the “Re-print” process on that day for all the employees that have notified the office of an address change after the W2 file was created.

For all W-2-related questions, please email  [email protected] . 

[pdf] - Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring the use of Adobe Reader. If you need these files in a more accessible format, please contact  [email protected] .