PLEASE NOTE: Applications materials for the MA, MFA and PhD should be submitted in accordance with the VCU Graduate School application guidelines:

http://www.graduate.vcu.edu/admission/prospective/domestic/index.html

In short, the following items should be mailed directly to the Graduate School (P.O. Box: 843051, Richmond, Virginia 23284):

• Signature page from Web application
• Transcripts
• Test scores

For those applying to the MA or MFA programs, supplemental application materials, including references, resumes, copies of personal statements/essays, writing samples and portfolios should be mailed directly to the program at:

Graduate Programs Advisor
VCU Department of English
P.O. Box 842005
Richmond, VA 23284-2005

Application Information
Candidates apply to the MA program in English through the Graduate School, with applications accepted for spring (deadline October 1) and fall (deadline March 1). On the application form, applicants should specify the concentration, "literature" or "writing and rhetoric," to which they are applying. They must include a writing sample, optimally ranging from 10-15 double-spaced pages. Candidates may also indicate whether or not they intend to write a thesis, and with which faculty members they hope to study.

MA Program Application Checklist

Application to the MFA in Creative Writing is made through the Graduate School, with applications accepted for fall entry only (deadlines February 1, or January 15 for those seeking fellowship support). On the application form, students should specify the concentration, "fiction" or "poetry," to which they are applying.

Creative Writing MFA Application Checklist

Application to the PhD Program in Media, Art and Text is made through the Graduate School, with applications accepted for fall entry only (deadline January 15). The program will admit students already holding an MA, MAE, or an MFA in an appropriate field of study (English, Art History, Studio Arts, Creative Writing, Mass Communications, etc.).

Note: GREs are required for all graduate programs. The school code is 5570, and the department code is 2503. Scores may not be more than 5 years old.

For application forms for these programs, see http://www.graduate.vcu.edu/admission/prospective/domestic/index.html

Additional Application Materials, MFA in Creative Writing
In addition to the School of Graduate Studies application, applicants to the MFA in Creative Writing must submit a portfolio of recent work, consisting of either eight to ten poems or twenty to fifty pages of fiction. The portfolio may consist of a combination of these, and it may also include drama or nonfiction. Applicants should be certain, however, that it includes only their best work, and that it contains a sufficient amount of work in the genre to which they are applying. Portfolio material may be sent directly to the Creative Writing program at

Graduate Programs Advisor
MFA Program
VCU Department of English
P.O. Box 842005
Richmond, VA 23284-2005

MATX Admissions
Applications are accepted for Fall admission only. The deadline is January 15.

Application materials must be submitted exactly as follows and in accordance with the VCU Graduate School application guidelines (http://www.graduate.vcu.edu/admission/prospective/domestic/index.html)

On line:
Complete the on-line application at: https://ssb.vcu.edu/

In the mail:
Send these items (or have them sent) directly to the VCU Graduate School (P.O. Box: 843051, Richmond, Virginia 23284). Send as a single package if possible.

1) Signature page from Web application
2) Transcripts
3) Test scores

By email or web link:
Send the following, in the formats indicated,by email to the Graduate Programs Advisor, Thom Didato (tndidato@vcu.edu). Note: materials submitted in any other way (on paper, disk, etc.) will be discarded without review.

1) Writing sample demonstrating the ability to write clearly, analyze effectively, and conduct original research in advanced doctoral-level seminars. This may be a master's thesis, a graduate-level seminar paper, or a published essay. Submit as a pdf by email.

2) Statement of purpose describing the applicant’s interest, motivation, and goals in pursuing this degree. The statement should specifically address the importance of interdisciplinarity to the applicant’s academic goals, and it should also offer evidence of preparation for the study of media, art, and text. The applicant should indicate the specific area of study and research to be pursued at VCU and identify faculty who might potentially direct dissertation research. Submit as a pdf by email. Note: this is a required separate submission of the essay included in the online application.

3) Academic curriculum vitae or professional resume listing all colleges and universities attended and degrees earned, all professional and academic positions held, all publications and/or exhibitions, technical skills, and any other relevant information. Include URL's for personal and/or professional web sites. Submit as pdf by email.

4) Letters of recommendation from three present or former instructors or other individuals qualified to evaluate the applicant’s ability to engage in interdisciplinary study at the doctoral level. Have recommenders submit letters as pdfs directly to Mr. Didato using only academic or professional email accounts.

5) Applicants who wish to pursue creative work at VCU must also submit a portfolio. Those with an MFA who do not wish to continue creative work should consult with the MATX director about this requirement. Materials submitted should demonstrate excellence in studio or professional practice and the potential to do graduate-level work in media, art, and text. Portfolios will be reviewed by the MATX Admissions Committee as well as relevant faculty in VCUarts and the School of Mass Communications. Please observe the following guidelines:

Those working in 2-D or 3-D mediums should provide 20 images of representative work arranged chronologically, beginning with the most recent.

Those working in sound and time-based media, as well as those in the performing arts, should provide clips totaling no more than 10 minutes.

Those working across media may submit a combination of the above.

The portfolio should be accompanied by a list giving title, date, media, dimensions, and a brief statement or other information that will help the admissions committee in evaluating the work.

Small files illustrating 2-D or 3-D work may be submitted as jpegs or pdfs via email. Sound or video files should be posted to Vimeo or Sound Cloud with a functioning link submitted by email. Portfolio materials may also be posted to a personal or professional web site and the link submitted by email. (tndidato@vcu.edu).

Financial Aid
Many students in the graduate programs are funded through Graduate Teaching Assistantships (see below). However, due to the competitive nature of the process, VCU can not offer such assistantships to all applicants. For additional forms of financial aid, see http://www.vcu.edu/enroll/finaid/.

For current student tuition and fees, see http://www.vcu.edu/enroll/sa/.

Graduate Assistantships for MA and MFA Programs
Many students in the graduate programs in English and Creative Writing are funded by Graduate Teaching Assistantships available through the Department of English. These are awarded on a competitive basis and are generally renewable for up to two years for students in the MA in English and for up to three years for students in the MFA in Creative Writing.

The funds cover the cost of tuition and provide a stipend (currently about $11,500 per year) in return for the equivalent of twenty hours of work per week in the writing center, computer center, or classroom. MA and MFA applicants must make separate application for graduate assistantships. The application must be submitted by January 15th and may be sent directly to the Department of English at

Graduate Programs Advisor
VCU Department of English
P.O. Box 842005
Richmond, VA 23284-2005

NOTE: Those MA and MFA applicants wishing to be considered for graduate assistantships/fellowships must submit both the graduate application and the separate graduate assistantship application.

Additional Graduate School Assistantships for MFA Students
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing awards a number of 12-month each year to outstanding new students in fiction and poetry. The fellowships cover the cost of tuition and fees and provide a stipend (currently $18,000 for the full calendar year) in return for the equivalent of ten hours of work per week in the writing center, computer center, or classroom. To be considered for fellowship support, applications must be received by January 15.

David Baldacci, VCU alumnus and Richmond writer (Total Control, Absolute Power), graciously funded a graduate student fellowship from 2004 to 2007 to help establish the First Novelist Award. The Baldacci Fellowship was awarded to a second-year MFA fiction student to assist in administering the First Novelist Award. Starting in the fall of 2008, the Cabell Associates of VCU's University Libraries began to underwrite the annual fellowship. Named after the famed Richmond author James Branch Cabell, the Cabell Fellowship provides year-long assistance in the administration of the competition and in making the arrangements for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award ceremony each November.

Additionally, the MFA program designates one continuing 9-month GTA to be the Levis Fellow. The Levis Fellow provides year-long assistance in the administration of the competition and in making the arrangements for the Levis Reading Prize ceremony each September.

Graduate Assistantships for Phd MATX Program
All PhD applicants are considered for merit-based graduate assistantships (no separate graduate assistantship application required). Awards can cover one or two years, come with full tuition waivers, and provide a range of stipends ($8,000-$18,000).

Thesis/Dissertation Assistanships for Continuing Graduate Students
Finally, the Graduate School offers one-year dissertation/theisis assistanships on a competitive basis for students in their last year of the MA, MFA and PhD (MATX) programs who have completed all program requirements but have yet to complete the thesis/dissertation. These 12-month assistantships also cover the cost of tuition and fees and provide a stipend (currently $18,000 for the academic year). They require no work in return. Each respective program may nominate eligible students.

Other scholarship support may be available to qualified students from the School of Graduate Studies. See http://www.vcu.edu/graduate/pops/p_ext_funded.html