The New School

MFA Program

See writers who attended this program
Program Established: 
1996
Location: 
New York, NY
Genre: 
Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Translation, Cross-Genre
Residency: 
Full
Duration: 
2-3 Years
Incoming Class Size: 
60 (all tracks)
Application Deadline: 
January 15, 2025
Application Fee: 
$50
Contact Name: 
Lori Lynn Turner
Core Faculty Includes: 

Full-time Faculty Includes:
Poetry: J. Mae Barizo, Laura Cronk, Camonghne Felix, Robert Polito, John Reed, Margaret Rhee
Fiction: Mira Jacob, Luis Jaramillo, John Reed, Helen Schulman
Nonfiction: Laura Cronk, Camonghne Felix, Mira Jacob, Robert Polito, John Reed
Dual Track: All
Arts writing: J. Mae Barizo, Robert Polito, John Reed, Margaret Rhee, Joe Salvatore

Part-time Faculty Includes:
Poetry: Mark Bibbins, Uche Nduka, Laurie Sheck
Fiction: Marie-Helene Bertino, Sidik Fofana, Ann-Marie Hood, Shelley Jackson, James Lasdun, Sharon M Mesmer, Dale Peck, Catherine Texier 
Nonfiction: Susan Cheever, Zia Jaffrey, James Lasdun, Susan Lessard, Honor Moore, Brenda Wineapple
Dual Track: All 
Arts writing: Miranda Javid, Dale Peck
Writing for Children and Young Adults: Coe Booth, Caron Levis, Emily X.R. Pan, Andrea Pinkney, Ann-Marie Hood

Funding/Employment Opportunities: 

The program offers partial funding through scholarships, as well as teaching, research, and program assistantships.

Affiliated Publications/Publishers: 
Other Features: 

The Creative Writing program hosts one of New York City’s preeminent reading series, featuring forums with a diverse lineup of emerging and established writers. Program partners include the National Book Foundation, PEN America, the National Book Critics Circle, the Best American Poetry, the Story Prize, Cave Canem, Kundiman, the Center for Fiction, and the Poetry Society of America. Students also have access to peer and alumni get-togethers, reading series and publications, and events with publishing professionals and literary organizations. 

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing is awarded for the successful completion of 36 credits in one of the following concentrations: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Arts Writing, and Writing for Children and Young Adults. Popular graduate minors include Impact Entrepreneurship and Transmedia and Digital Storytelling. WriteOn NYC!, a New School-funded fellowship program, provides MFA students with high-quality teaching experience in area middle schools and high schools. Students may also enroll in campus-wide course electives on subjects such as teaching preparation, languages, and media practice.

Graduates: 

Each year, alumni of the MFA program write, edit, and publish essays, poems, and short stories in literary journals and magazines—from indie houses to the most prominent venues of the moment. Graduates are celebrated writers, authors, editors, publishers, educators, and media and arts professionals.

Please see the program website’s “Outcomes” section for a sense of the breadth of alumni and faculty accomplishments.