Dr. Jessica Clements, the chair of the English department, is optimistic about the new Master in Fine Arts (MFA) program coming to fruition that is anticipated to start in less than a year. For Whitworth, an MFA would mean tracks such as Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Poetry and Spiritual Writing will become available for graduate students. 

An MFA is a graduate degree that focuses on developing specifics skills such as creative writing, visual arts and performing arts. The university has never had an MFA program before. However, there appears to be a large interest in adding one to the school catalog. “For many years, we noticed a hunger from students — not only English department students, but students across the University who have found their way into our creative writing classes,” Clements said. 

Clements says that the base of the program comes from Seattle Pacific University and is specifically designed for low-residency — where students will study outside of campus grounds. This, coupled with the fact that it too has a “faith learning integration,” meant that the English department was eager to take the program from SPU. “It makes sense for Whitworth [because] it’s very much invested in considering those inter-relationships between literacy, history, craft, creative writing skills and what [it] means for our faith,” Clements added. 

Students who are enrolled in the program will primarily work online and will meet roughly five times with their mentors on campus over the two years of the program. Because of which, there is huge potential in finding students, while not having to worry about housing and meal costs. “They could be physically located almost anywhere […] there could be national potential,” Clements said. She believes that the program will “pay for itself” after three to five years and adds that SPU has seen financial success with the program while they owned it. 

“This program has proven to be a money maker for Seattle Pacific, and we have no reason to believe that it would not be a money maker here at Whitworth,” Clements said. 

Two questions that students may raise are whether this program will be any different from the one previously offered at SPU, and if it would even be smart to invest in such a degree. Clements said that one primary change to Whitworth’s version of the program will be the addition of a course called “Writer’s Life.” As the name suggests, it goes over the implications of pursuing a career in writing, and helps students determine whether this is something they are willing to commit to. 

“The reality is that so few are going to actually break into the market in any sort of way that’s going to be financially sustaining […] So, part of that work in the Writer’s Life course is to help students make that decision,” Clements said. 

The class also helps writers learn and think through job market implications, and where the skills they learned can be applied to other vocations. This ties in with the second question: is it worth investing in an MFA degree? Clements says that while the writing industry is admittedly tough, the tools and skills you pick up can help you no matter where you end up. “Strong storytelling abilities are applicable in a variety of careers,” she said. Clements adds that with poetry or creative writing, students will be improving their abilities to “connect” with others through storytelling and persuasion. “Those skills will buttress the students in a variety of potential locations,” she said. 

To get the new program up and running, the whole administration had to approve it. Clements said that Whitworth’s strategic enrollment planning — the plan that allocates money to new programs — agreed to the English department’s proposed budget. “Our creative writing faculty here in the English firm are very excited about this,” she said.  

Still, the department is looking to hire new mentors and a director for the program, but Tom Caraway and Nicole Sheets, the poetry and creative non-fiction “gurus” respectively, are planned to be part of the program. In addition, Clements mentioned that Author Pam Houston, who previously worked with SPU’s program, is interested in continuing the MFA program through Whitworth. 

Clements says Whitworth’s version of the Master in Fine Arts program is expected to begin for students to enroll on January 26, 2026. More information on the program can be found here: https://www.whitworth.edu/mfa-in-creative-writing/