Fairleigh Dickinson University

MFA Program

See writers who attended this program
Program Established: 
2002
Location: 
Madison, NJ
Genre: 
Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Translation
Residency: 
Low
Duration: 
2-3 Years
Incoming Class Size: 
15
Application Deadline: 
Rolling Admissions
Application Fee: 
$50
Contact E-mail: 
Contact Name: 
Rene Steinke (Director), Gracelyn Weaver (Coordinator)
Core Faculty Includes: 

Poetry: David Daniel, H. L. Hix
Fiction: Rebecca Chace, David Grand, Rene Steinke, Padma Viswanathan
Nonfiction: Rebecca Chace, Minna Proctor, Rosie Schaap
Writing for Young Adults and Children: Donna Freitas, Nicole Melleby Welch, Eliot Schrefer
Literary Translation: Harvey Hix, Idra Novey, Minna Proctor, Padma Viswanathan

Funding/Employment Opportunities: 

The program offers several scholarships.

Affiliated Publications/Publishers: 
Other Features: 

The program offers an additional genre option—writing for young adults/children’s literature. Students have the option to complete a single-genre degree in two years or more, and a dual-genre concentration in three years or more. New students begin the program with a residency and then take two modules in their first semester. After that, the program is flexible; students can take up to five years to complete the degree.

Three in-person residencies are required. Two are run each year: A winter residency, held in early January, takes place at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Wroxton Campus in Oxfordshire, England; the summer residency, held in early August, takes place at the Florham Campus in Madison, New Jersey. Students can choose when to take their residencies. The flexibility of the program makes it the perfect option for working students.

During the residency, the program hosts visiting writers and publishing professionals from London and New York City to meet with students.

Applications are accepted year-round. To be considered for scholarships or assistantships, submit application materials by May 15 for the summer residency or by October 15 for the winter residency.