Comparing Christian MFA Programs: A Complete Guide for Faithful Writers
Finding a Christian MFA Program That Takes Both Faith and Craft Seriously
If you're searching for an MFA program in creative writing, you've probably noticed something: most programs either ignore faith entirely or treat it as something to overcome. You want rigorous literary training—the kind that challenges you to read deeply, write honestly, and develop genuine craft. But you also want a community that understands your faith isn't separate from your art. It's the ground from which your best work grows.
The good news? Faith-based MFA programs exist. The challenge? They vary widely in quality, approach, and what "faith integration" actually means in practice.
Some programs welcome Christian students but keep faith at arm's length from the curriculum. Others integrate faith but compromise on academic rigor or faculty credentials. A few—very few—refuse to choose between excellence and spiritual depth, insisting that pursuing craft at the highest level is itself an expression of Christian vocation.
This guide compares the leading Christian and faith-friendly MFA programs in creative writing. You'll find honest assessments of tuition, residency formats, faculty qualifications, and how each program actually integrates faith with literary study. Whether you're a pastor writing your first novel, a surgeon making poems between shifts, or a stay-at-home parent finally pursuing your calling, you'll discover which programs are designed for working adults like you—and which ones truly deliver on their promises of community, mentorship, and transformation.
Faith-Based MFA Programs
-
University of St. Thomas-Houston
loc: Houston, TX
format: Low-Residence
faith: Catholic
More info -
Whitworth Writers Workshop
loc: Spokane, WA
format: Low-Residence
faith: Mainline/Evangelical Protestant
More Info -
Camperdown Writers Kiln
loc: Moscow, ID
format: Low-Residence
faith: Conservative
More info -
Houston Christian University
loc: Houston, TX
format: Low-Residence
faith: Reformed
More info -
Liberty University
loc: Lynchburg, VA
format: Fully Online
faith: Conservative Evangelical
More info -
St. Mary's College
loc: Moraga, CA
format: Residential
faith: Multi-faith/ None
More info
Detailed Comparison of Top Christian Creative Writing Programs
University of St. Thomas-Houston
Director: James Matthew Wilson, PhD, Poet and Literary Critic
About the Director: Dr. Wilson holds the Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and is the founding director of the MFA program. He's an award-winning poet with multiple collections published and a prominent voice in Catholic literary circles.
Program Details:
Tuition: $600 per credit hour
Total Credits: Approximately 48 credits (typical MFA structure)
Estimated Total Cost: ~$28,800
Format: Online low-residency program founded specifically to renew literary craft rooted in robust Catholic tradition and imagination
Co-founder: Joshua Hren (novelist and literary scholar) works alongside Wilson
Faculty: Recently added three writers including Ryan Wilson as Associate Professor
Distinctive Approach: Explicitly centered on the Catholic literary tradition; aims to form writers who can engage the great tradition of Catholic letters
Founded: 2021 (relatively new program)
Strengths: Strong theological grounding in Catholic intellectual tradition; highly credentialed founding director; competitive tuition rate; online format offers maximum flexibility
Whitworth Writers Workshop
Director: Mischa Willett, PhD, Poet and Essayist
Program Overview: Under the direction of poet and essayist Mischa Willett (PhD, University of Washington), this program launched in January 2026 after transitioning from Seattle Pacific University, where it operated successfully for 20 years. The program alternates between tutorial and residency semesters, with winter residencies at the historic Bozarth Mansion and summer residencies on Whitworth's scenic campus. Small cohorts of 12 students per intake (January and July admissions) ensure intimate mentorship.
Tuition: $750 per credit hour (approximately $33,000 total for 44 credits), plus $1,500 per residency
Distinctive Features: One-on-one mentorship with permanent faculty (6 students per mentor); personalized reading lists of 50 annotated books over two years; visiting authors like Scott Cairns and Karen An-hwei Lee; full federal financial aid available. The program integrates Christian faith with intellectual rigor, viewing academic excellence as an expression of vocation rather than compromise.
Best For: Working professionals (surgeons, pastors, parents) seeking faith-integrated MFA education without putting life on hold; writers who want small cohorts and intensive mentorship.
Camperdown Writers' Kiln
Director: Christine Cohen, MFA, Novelist
Program Overview: Christine Cohen, author of The Winter King and The Sinking City, directs this academically rigorous program designed to "recover a faithful, theologically rich approach to creative writing." As the first graduate of the Camperdown MFA program herself, Cohen brings both insider knowledge and publishing success to her leadership. The program is affiliated with New Saint Andrews College, known for its classical Christian education model, and emphasizes what they call "kiln-testing"—placing writers and their work in the fires of rigorous criticism and refinement.
Tuition: $750 per credit hour (approximately $22,500-$27,000 depending on total credits)
Notable Faculty: Douglas Wilson (pastor, author of award-winning fiction, host of Man Rampant) serves on faculty. The program does not accept federal financial aid, operating independently as a private Christian institution.
Best For: Writers committed to classical Christian education; those seeking a conservative Reformed theological framework; students interested in intensive critique and traditional literary values.
Houston Christian University
Director: [Information not publicly available]
Program Overview: This terminal degree program emphasizes a workshop-driven approach within a Christian environment. The low-residency format includes biannual writing residencies, allowing students to study from anywhere in the world while maintaining their current commitments. The program offers specialization in poetry and fiction, and is part of HCU's newly unified Department of Narrative Arts, which also includes screenwriting, film, animation, and video game programs.
Tuition: $775 per credit hour (approximately $34,875 total for 45 credits)
Distinctive Features: Part of a larger narrative arts ecosystem at HCU, providing cross-pollination with other storytelling disciplines. The program maintains explicit Christian foundations while training writers for professional careers in publishing and teaching.
Best For: Writers interested in multiple narrative forms; those seeking Reformed theological perspective; students who want connections to broader storytelling industries.
Why Whitworth Writers' Workshop Stands Out
When you compare faith-based MFA programs, you'll notice that most make trade-offs. Some offer strong faith integration but compromise on academic rigor. Others maintain high standards but treat faith as peripheral—something students bring with them but don't explore in their craft. A few operate entirely online, sacrificing the transformative power of place and in-person community.
Whitworth Writers' Workshop refuses these false choices.
Permanent Mentor Faculty, Not Rotating Adjuncts
Most low-residency programs rely on adjunct instructors who rotate in and out. At Whitworth, you work with permanent faculty—published, nationally recognized writers who are committed to your development over the full two years. Each mentor works with only six students, creating sustainable relationships where they learn your voice, identify your specific challenges, and design personalized reading curricula to address them. This isn't a one-size-fits-all program. Your mentor assigns you 50 annotated books over two years based on what you need to grow as a writer.
Faith as Intellectual Calling, Not Apology
The program positions academic excellence as an expression of Christian vocation. You won't apologize for your faith here, but you also won't settle for mediocrity. The curriculum addresses the gaps many incoming writers have in their literary education, particularly 20th-century literature and the major movements that shaped contemporary writing. Visiting authors like Scott Cairns, Karen An-hwei Lee, and Shemiah Gonzalez model what it means to integrate faith and craft at the highest levels.
Place Matters: Two Distinctive Residency Locations
Winter residencies take place at the historic Bozarth Mansion—a peaceful, elegant setting designed for contemplation and deep work. Summer residencies unfold on Whitworth's scenic campus in the Pacific Northwest, where natural beauty creates space for the kind of attention great writing requires. These aren't just logistical details. The physical environments are chosen intentionally to foster both creative and spiritual formation.
Small Cohorts, Lifelong Community
With only 12 students per cohort (3 writers per genre across 4 genres), you'll know everyone's work intimately. Alumni consistently cite "lifelong friendships" and "renewed sense of calling" as program outcomes alongside their publications in Image, Mockingbird, Plough, and Christian Century. This isn't a factory. It's a community.
Designed for the Lives You Already Have
The low-residency format respects your existing commitments—careers, families, church responsibilities. Current students include surgeons, pastors, and parents who don't put their lives on hold to pursue an MFA. Five residencies over two years, alternating with tutorial semesters, allow you to integrate graduate study into the calling you already have. And unlike some Christian institutions, Whitworth offers full federal financial aid, making this investment accessible.
You don't have to choose between excellence and faith, between intellectual rigor and spiritual depth. At Whitworth Writers' Workshop, these aren't competing values—they're inseparable parts of the same calling.