University of Iowa MFA in Spanish Creative Writing program celebrates ten years

Since its creation in 2012, the program prioritizes creating literature that highlights the Spanish language and is part of the legendary writing ecosystem offered at the University of Iowa.
Tuesday, April 25, 2023

By Emily Delgado  

The University of Iowa and its College of Liberal Arts and Science is home to acclaimed creative writing programs—including its Master of Fine Arts degree in Spanish Creative Writing, which recently marked its tenth year.  

Luis Muñoz, the program’s director, says this MFA and the work students are producing is an important piece of diversity, equity and inclusion at Iowa.  

“The program significantly contributes to the internationalization of the university. In these ten years, the program has recruited students from all over the world,” Muñoz explains.  

Although still relatively young, Muñoz says the program has garnered worldwide prestige and recognition, experiencing an increase in applicants worldwide.  

“In addition to the diversity found in its students, the program also emphasizes a variety of ways to utilize the Spanish language,” Muñoz added. 

A group shot of faculty and students in the MFA in Spanish Creative Writing program at Iowa.

Since the creation of the program, the university and college have supported the creation of new workshops and opportunities for graduate students enrolled in the program. Muñoz says long-term, he hopes the MFA in Spanish Creative Writing continues to lead the way in innovation and diversification in writing and literature.  

To mark the milestone, the program showcased work produced by its students and faculty during a March exhibit at the University of Iowa Main Library, organized by Lisa Gardinier, the curator of International Literature for UI Libraries. Gardinier says the MFA in Spanish Creative Writing has contributed new work to the library’s vast collection.  A shelf displaying the Spanish MFA books

“The MFA in Spanish Creative Writing has shifted the UI Libraries' Spanish-language collections to focus on early-career writers and independent presses, which are also the peers of the MFA students,” Gardinier says.  

Many of the program’s graduates have found success publishing books written while they were in the program, and students benefit from being a part of Iowa City’s unique literary community—home to the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the city’s designation as the first UNESCO City of Literature in North America.  

To learn more about the program, visit the MFA in Spanish Creative Writing website.  

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.