Creative Writing - MFA

Hunter’s Creative Writing MFA is a highly selective program in which students work closely with distinguished writers to perfect their writing skills. The course comprises workshops, craft seminars, one-on-one supervisions with faculty, and literature classes. There are three concentrations, fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry, with 12 students in each. Each year, several students are named Hertog Fellows (fiction and nonfiction) and Friedman Scholars (poetry). These students receive a generous stipend and are paired with well-established writers, for whom they conduct research for one semester.

Departmental Requirements for Admission

Candidates must have completed a BA or equivalent at an accredited institution. In addition to the Hunter College application, the candidate must submit a creative writing manuscript (10-20 pages of poetry or 20-30 pages of fiction or creative nonfiction) and a 500-word personal statement describing the candidate’s relationship to his/her creative work, literary influences, and why the MFA would be beneficial to the candidate’s writing career. In addition, creative nonfiction candidates must submit a 500-word memoir proposal. The GRE is not required.

Departmental Requirements for the Degree

Each candidate must complete an approved program of study of at least 36 credits, which must include:

1) Four writing workshops in chosen genre

2) Six courses in MA literature and/or MFA craft seminars in chosen genre

3) One course in Writing in Conference

ENGL 79800 - Writing in Conference for fiction and creative nonfiction students
-or-
ENGL 79701 - Poetry Thesis One for poetry students

4) One course in MFA thesis

ENGL 79900 - MFA Thesis for fiction and creative nonfiction students
-or-
ENGL 79702 - Poetry Thesis Two for poetry students

Master of Fine Arts Thesis

The candidate must submit a satisfactory master of fine arts thesis consisting of either 40-60 pages of poetry or 75-125 pages of short stories, novella or novel-in-progress (for fiction candidates) or 75-125 pages of personal essays or memoir (for creative nonfiction candidates), which will be approved by two members of the writing faculty. Two copies prepared for binding are required.