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. 

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.  

“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.