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crfarke

Oct 29, 2004, 9:58 AM

Post #1 of 10 (5218 views)
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MFA - Canadian Universities	Can't Post

Hi. I'm new to the forum and am wondering if any of you have opinions on the Creative Writing program @ University of British Columbia, Vancouver. The program was not listed in AWP....is it credible? I'm a poet and fiction writer, interested in creative nonfiction--memoir and performance aspects of literary works. Thanks in advance for your help!

Corrine

(This post was edited by motet on Feb 18, 2006, 2:56 PM)

chercheryl

Oct 29, 2004, 11:13 AM

Post #2 of 10 (5200 views)
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Re: [crfarke] MFA @UBC Vancouver [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello there crfarke!

I did actually intend to apply to UBC program because I heard it was fantastic--it's considered very "hot" right now in Canada. I have read snippets on the Web that some students are getting book contracts before they graduate (just do a search for "UBC" and "fiction" and you should find some of the info I found).
But all of this applies to the full-time program. The low-residency program I know less about. The full-time program, even for an American student, is quite cheap (about $6,000 a year). The costs of the low-residency program I know is equivalent to the costs here in the States.

Anyway, I didn't end up applying (initial app of manuscripts is due on November 1) for a couple of reasons: one, my boyfriend is studying to be a massage therapist and finding a job in Canada might prove tricky and 2) because all of my contacts, it seems, would be on the other coast and in another country. However, I WAS really tempted. A great program at a low price.

Good luck to you in your search!

Cheryl

wiswriter
Bob S.

Oct 29, 2004, 11:25 AM

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Re: [crfarke] MFA @UBC Vancouver [In reply to]	Can't Post

The low-res MFA program at UBC isn't listed in AWP because it's brand new. But UBC has had a residential MFA program for a long time and the school has an excellent reputation for creative writing. It's sort of the Iowa of Canada. In Scribner's "Best of the Fiction Workshops" collections there are several stories from UBC students. When I was considering residential MFA programs a few years back I was concentrating on the Pacific Northwest and I looked at UBC pretty closely. If memory serves there would've been problems getting aid as a foreign student. With low-res, though, aid isn't as much of an issue.

Seems like everyone is ramping up a low-res MFA program right now. I'm half expecting the grade school down the block to start one. But of the new ones I would imagine UBC's will be among the more legit.

edwriter

Oct 30, 2004, 7:31 PM

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Re: [crfarke] MFA @UBC Vancouver [In reply to]	Can't Post

Wiswriter is right--the low-res program is brand-new. I think the first residency is scheduled for summer 2005.

Also, when I last checked, the application deadline was posted for December. Just in case anyone was still curious about it!

Quiet Americans: Stories
http://www.erikadreifus.com

mushaboom

Dec 12, 2005, 11:58 PM

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Concordia in Montreal [In reply to]	Can't Post

Anybody know anything about the MA in creative writing there? Good? Bad? Ugly?

kekaczor
Kim

Feb 17, 2006, 12:26 PM

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Re: [perrykfp] Concordia in Montreal [In reply to]	Can't Post

I know that Kate Sterns teaches there. I've studied with her, and can not boast enough about her brillance and ability to pull some of the best writing out of each student. She's truly an amazing teacher...

I don't know anything about the rest of the program though...

calumnia

Jan 7, 2010, 3:32 PM

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Creative Writing Programs in Canada [In reply to]	Can't Post

As a Canadian looking at both American and Canadian programs, I would love to revive this thread. Canada has so few MFA programs, I think the MA is sometimes considered terminal for university instructor positions. I attended an undergrad BFA in creative writing. One instructor had a PhD in English, one had an MFA from an American school and the rest had MA's in English with a book or two under their belt.

MFA:
University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC)
University of Guelph-Humber (Toronto, ON)
University of Victoria (Victoria, BC)

MA:
University of Toronto
University of Concordia
University of Calgary

Ramblin'

Jan 7, 2010, 11:30 PM

Post #8 of 10 (4613 views)
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Re: [calumnia] Creative Writing Programs in Canada [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hey, thanks for reviving this! I am applying to MFA programs this fall (2010) and my first choices are UBC, Victoria, and Gueph. I am an American student, so I am a little concerned about my chances of being accepted (don't know how many internationals are accepted). I would love to hear from anyone else who also is interested in these programs, or anyone who has applied.

rae

Jul 10, 2011, 8:17 AM

Post #9 of 10 (2604 views)
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Re: [Ramblin'] Creative Writing Programs in Canada [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello all,

Would anyone know anything about UBC's optional residency MFA - acceptance rates, cohort size, programme quality? I hear good things about their full-time MFA, but not much about the distance-learning option. The last mention of it on this thread is from 5 or 6 years ago - when the optional residency was just starting up. Any updates would be appreciated.

Thanks much,
Rae

AMB
A B

Dec 11, 2011, 2:17 PM

Post #10 of 10 (1982 views)
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Re: [rae] Creative Writing Programs in Canada [In reply to]	Can't Post

Quick question for the internet:
What are the best full-residency Canadian programs for poetry that offer a decent shot at full-funding plus a stipend? Or is the full-funding with a stipend model more an American invention? And how hard is it to get a teaching job in the States with a Canadian MFA or MA? I'm an American.
Thanks in advance,
Adam

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