Program Overview
MFA in Writing Overview
The MFA in Writing is a home for writers working across genres to learn, create, and be in community with one another. Our talented students arrive at the School of the Arts from around the globe, eager to dedicate time to the crafts of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Literary Translation. Challenged, nurtured, and championed by peers and faculty mentors, our students do more than just develop singular artistic voices–they forge creative relationships that last a lifetime—relationships that often shape their professional journeys as much as their artistic ones.
Curriculum and Requirements
Our program was created by writers, for writers. Students develop their craft in a chosen area of expertise and deepen their literary knowledge through a combination of workshops, seminars, lectures, and master classes led by established authors who become lifelong mentors. The workshop is the cornerstone of our program–a place where students and faculty become colleagues in the joint work of creating. These classes are essential, safe spaces where everyone’s work is given time, consideration, and meaningful engagement. Because it’s our firm belief that great writers must also be attentive readers, students also dedicate themselves to studying the work of writers of the past and present, and our unique, rigorous 60-credit program offers students an incredible number of classes to choose from.
- Three 6-point workshops and one 9-point thesis workshop.
- At least 21 points total of Graduate Writing Program lectures, seminars, and/or master classes, including at least one lecture.
- Enough points in additional classes inside or outside the Writing Program (which can include internships or independent study credits), to complete the minimum of 60 points.
- Nonfiction students are required to take one seminar with a substantive research component in order to satisfy the research requirement for the concentration.
Workshops
The workshop is the cornerstone of our program–a place where students and faculty become colleagues in the joint work of creating.
Seminars & Lectures
Students also dedicate themselves to studying the work of writers of the past and present, and our unique, rigorous 60-credit program offers students an incredible number of classes to choose from.
Thesis
The required 60 points for the MFA degree must include one 9-point thesis workshop.
Electives
We also encourage students to take electives outside of their main disciplines to explore a broad range of artistic ideas, making their work all the more rich.
Why pursue your MFA in Writing at Columbia University?
Writers can, and will, write from anywhere, but our writers work in the heart of one of the greatest art cities in the world–New York City. Pursuing an MFA in Writing at Columbia doesn’t just mean joining a community of esteemed faculty and alums, it means living and working in a place where you are in conversation with remarkable artists who have called NYC their home.
Career Opportunities
During your time in the program, you’ll have the opportunity to gain crucial pedagogical training that prepares you for teaching at many levels. Our first- and second-year students can enroll in our “Writer as Teacher” Seminar, and explore more teaching opportunities through our Columbia Artist Teachers program (CA/T) and the Incarcerated Writers Initiative.
Application Requirements
- All applicants are required to submit an essay and personal statement.
- Additionally, applicants must also submit a writing sample specific to their chosen concentration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long is the MFA in Writing at Columbia?
Students typically complete their degree requirements in two years. After the second year, students have the option to apply for a Research Arts year at a significantly decreased cost, which allows for extra time to complete thesis work with the guidance of an advisor.
Can I take courses in other genres?
Absolutely! Any student in the Writing Program, regardless of concentration, may take seminar or lecture classes in any genre. However, each semester, writers are required to take one workshop within their chosen concentration.
What kind of writing sample should I submit?
Visit our Application Requirements page for more information.
What careers do graduates pursue?
There are truly no limits to what our talented alums accomplish after graduation. We have alums writing for Emmy-winning television shows, publishing award-winning books, founding their own independent literary presses, working as editors for major publishers, and taking the helm at major arts organizations like the American Literary Translators Association.
Is there financial aid available?
Columbia University School of the Arts provides over $18 million for student support each year in the form of tuition scholarships, paid student positions, and teaching assistantships, as well as institutional awards and grants to support research, travel, and productions. We believe that the education and resources provided by the School of the Arts support an investment that will yield personal, intellectual, and professional gains for the rest of your life. We also realize that meeting the cost of this investment requires careful planning.