MFA in Creative Writing

Why Earn Your MFA in Creative Writing?

Our unique (actually unique!) curriculum will prepare you for today’s dynamic literary world by requiring in-depth practice across genres. Our faculty members include award-winning poets, novelists, and writers of short fiction and creative nonfiction. Our small class sizes ensure that faculty members work closely with each student. And our events program and online presence engage students in the extraordinarily open-ended possibilities of contemporary online writing.

Our program is designed so students experience multiple genres and experiment with hybrid literary forms. Our aim is to offer a full immersion in what we call “literature in motion”—in the boundary-fluid nature of literary production. The workshop experience helps students gain confidence and acquire mastery in more than one genre, and our literature courses expose students to works from a variety of literary traditions.

Why Earn Your MFA at Adelphi University in New York?

Because we are committed to maintaining our identity as an intimate, practical, and cutting-edge program, we admit a small number of students each year so that each student can work closely and directly with our award-winning faculty. Our curriculum emphasizes genre fluidity, and our faculty members publish in multiple genres.

Our Professional Development Practicum introduces students to literary agents, publishers, and other professionals in the literary and arts community. And active engagement with leading literary organizations such as PEN America, Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., and Kundiman —as well as free membership for all students in AWP, the Association of Writers and Writing Programs—ensures that our students have a rich experience of literary citizenship.

MFA in Creative Writing to Become Low-Residency Program in Fall 2023

Adelphi University will offer the MFA in Creative Writing as a low-residency program effective Fall 2023. This means you will find our program more convenient and more flexible than ever—a combination of online, in-person and one-to-one instruction at our Manhattan Center.

What Are the Benefits of Our Low-Residency MFA?

Adelphi’s low-residency Creative Writing MFA is a two-year, 39-credit program ideal for students seeking multi-genre graduate coursework to study and write fiction, nonfiction, poetry and other emerging genres.

You’ll hone your literary craft in workshops and one-to-one mentorships, study the literatures of the world and begin to actively prepare for various careers in creative writing, literature, publishing and beyond. Each step of the way, our program prepares you for the life of a working writer—able to navigate today’s vibrant and shifting literary landscape.
The benefits of our low-residency program:

• We provide the rigors of a graduate education as you take the majority of courses online but also work one-to-onewith our esteemed faculty to create your own book-length manuscripts. Our MFA program features our award-winning core Creative Writing faculty: Jan-Henry Gray, Katherine Hill, Maya Marshall and Igor Webb.
• In August, you’ll meet in person for Manhattan Week at Adelphi’s Manhattan Center—for intensive coursework and workshopping, including classes with a distinguished writer-in-residence. You’ll also network with New York-based literary and publishing professionals.

Be a part of our literary community and forge bonds at Adelphi.