Helen Zell Writers' Program (Michigan)

ABOUT

The Helen Zell Writers' Program is the MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Michigan, housed within the English Department in Ann Arbor. It was known simply as the U-M MFA Program in Creative Writing for decades before a major gift from alumna and philanthropist Helen Zell allowed the program to become fully funded for every admitted student and to add a funded post-graduate fellowship year; the program was renamed in her honor. It sits alongside the university's long-running Hopwood Awards and hosts several reading series — the Zell Visiting Writers Series, the second-year Webster Series, and the first-year Edwards Series — giving students regular contact with visiting authors and faculty such as those cited in the program's own promotional materials (e.g., Jia Tolentino has appeared in its series). It is one of the more heavily funded and selective creative-writing MFAs in the U.S., admitting small cohorts in fiction and poetry.

Applicants apply directly to one genre (fiction or poetry) with a writing portfolio and evidence of sufficient literary background for graduate-level coursework; specifics on deadlines, recommendation letters, and required materials are laid out on the program's 'How to Apply' page rather than the main site. The degree is a two-year, fully funded MFA — tuition waiver plus stipend — and graduates are eligible for an additional, funded fellowship year after the two years of coursework, a rare structural feature among MFA programs. The page itself does not list an application fee or exact founding date, and prospective students should consult the linked How to Apply and Funding pages for current cycle details, since those specifics (deadlines, fee waivers, portfolio length) change year to year and aren't published on this landing page.