The program doesn't just focus on the writing, it focuses on the writer. Publishing Arts is an integral and unique part of the way we think about writing. Students work as writers, editors, designers, book makers and publishers.
Lady Brion, MFA '19, Named Maryland Poet Laureate
Lady Brion, MFA '19, a Baltimore-based writer, activist and spoken-word artist, has been named Maryland's 11th Poet Laureate. Brion, who performs and teaches both in the United States and abroad, received the honor from Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore and the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) in a ceremony on Sept. 16 at The Clifton House in Baltimore. READ THE FULL STORY
2024 Plork Prize Winners
Hannah Collins (pictured, left) and Kayla Renee, both 2024 graduates of the MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program, were chosen by the MFA faculty as the 2024 Plork Prize co-winners. This annual award honors a graduate student(s) whose work best exemplifies the spirit of the MFA in program, exhibiting extraordinary creativity, originality and imagination in the integration of creative writing and book design. Read more about the 2024 Plork Prize winners.
2024 Graduates
2023 Graduates
2022 Graduates
2021 Graduates
2020 Graduates' Book Cover Images
2019 Graduates
2018 Graduates
2017 Graduates
2016 Graduates
Hear what our alums have to say...
"Writing, to me, is home. It is a messy, loud, way too bright, often chaotic—crayon scribbles on the wall and hot-pink bubblegum under the couches, never quiet, welcoming place. The talented professors in the MFA program gave me the tools I needed to organize my 'home.' They let my writing remain big and loud, but helped me rein in some of my more wild ideas. The crayon scribbles remain, but now I know when to scrape the bubblegum off. I am graduating with a completed book that I am incredibly proud of, a supportive writing community, and gratitude to myself for choosing UBalt's Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program."
-Emily Hansen, MFA '20
Hush Girls
emilyandherwords.com
"I chose UBalt because it really felt like a family and fostered an environment that gave me the opportunity to express myself and expand my horizons as a writer and a person."
-Abby Shaffer, MFA '16
Xantan County
etsy.com/shop/shopfives
"I chose UBalt’s MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts because it was the only program that let me explore my love for book arts and fiction simultaneously."
-Bryonna Sieck, MFA '20
Those Who Fly
1134press.com
"I chose the MFA program at UBalt because it's one of a kind. The program doesn't just focus on the writing, it focuses on the writer. It increased my confidence exponentially. I can't recommend this program enough!"
-Erin Drew, MFA '16
This Is How I Thought Things Were Done
“More than anything else, UBalt's program allowed me to work with amazing writers and editors. It's really the friends and colleagues I made there who pushed my own work to a better place.”
-Justin Sanders, MFA '16
For All the Other Ghosts
1. "Real-world advice about publishing." 
2. "The faculty and students are amazing."
3. "Recommended by Poets & Writers magazine."
4. "The flexible course schedule works great for me."
5. "Impressive alumni."
6. "I love the great variety of courses."
7. "Ideal city for artists and writers: affordable and vibrant."
8. "Super cool Reading Series."
9. "I love the diverse community of students and its commitment to social justice."
10. "You'll walk away with your own published book!"
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, entrepreneurs share some of the key skills they wish they had learned in school instead of on the job. For Dennis Vu, co-founder and CEO of Ringblaze, an Irvine, California provider of business-phone solutions, that skill was creative writing. Vu estimates that about half of his time is spent writing, whether emails to users or prospective investors or blog posts. Being able to write more eloquently, concisely and persuasively would make his job easier.
“It would have helped me quite a lot with marketing, creating some of my own content and working on building my brand,” Mr. Vu says. He currently uses ghostwriters to write blog posts under his byline that he helps create, but he would like to be able to write them himself. “While it’s easier than ever to find a ghostwriter, it would be great to sit down and write my own content, share my own thoughts and have my own personal blog.”
Read the full article: "The College Courses Entrepreneurs Wish They Had Taken"
Got questions? We've got answers. Watch our 10-minute Q&A with program director Betsy Boyd to learn more about the MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program.
Betsy Boyd
program director, MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts
assistant professor, Klein Family School of Communications Design
email: bboyd@ubalt.edu | phone: 410.837.6272
view Prof. Boyd's faculty profile
When you graduate, you’ll be prepared to work for businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies that deal in, represent or interact with artists and the arts—perhaps in addition to managing your own freelance artistic career. You’ll also be well prepared for graduate-level study in business and the arts.
You’ll take courses in:
With UBalt’s location between the Station North Arts and Entertainment District and the Mount Vernon Cultural District, the neighborhood is your laboratory, and this program will allow you opportunities to work with the city’s theaters, museums, galleries, musical venues and arts advocacy groups, shadowing and assisting artists, attending exhibits and performances, and interning with an artist or arts-related organization.
