MFA Degree in Writing

MFA Writing Program Overview

The Writing MFA Program 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 for life.

Faculty are acclaimed published, working authors, and, most importantly, they are dedicated, devoted teachers and mentors to our students. Life for our writers extends well beyond the classroom, through our event series that bring distinguished writers to campus, our student groups that engage our surrounding community and enrich our program, and our longstanding Alum Reading Series held locally in NYC, one of the greatest art cities in the world.

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.

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. The tools and lessons we impart to our students are ones they will call upon years after graduation, as they make their artistic stamp on the world.

The required 60 points for the MFA degree must include:

• 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.

Detailed coursework and degree requirements are listed here.

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. It means being in dialogue with the important cultural conversations happening right now. It means not only having access to all the resources of the University, but the libraries, museums, galleries, theatres, and concert halls across the city.

Our faculty are matchless. They have been awarded the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, MacArthur Genius Grants, Guggenheim Fellowships, National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, and more. They are extraordinary writers, and, more importantly, caring teachers who are truly committed to empowering their students’ growth as emerging writers. Our classrooms are symbiotic spaces, where our faculty are challenged and energized by their students in a way that is essential to their own work and lives as artists.

We’re very proud of how international our program is as well. Everyone arriving to study and teach in Dodge Hall–the home for the Writing MFA Program at the School of the Arts–brings with them different perspectives, experiences, and traditions of storytelling. This exchange of ideas is incredibly important to our community.

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. In their second year, our students are also eligible to serve as Teaching Assistants in the Undergraduate Creative Writing Program. Find more information about teaching opportunities here.

Founded in 1977 by School of the Arts Writing students, the Columbia Journal is another key arena where students cut their editorial teeth. The Journal has featured work from Nobel laureates and unknowns, National Book Award winners, and newcomers alike. It’s a unique opportunity that prepares our students to take on the work of managing a professional literary magazine with a storied history.

Our alums go on to write for Emmy-winning television shows, publish award-winning books, found independent literary presses, work as editors for major publishers, and more. Check out some of our recent news below to hear more about our alums’ incredible success stories!

How do I apply?

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. For more information about tuition and cost of attendance, click here.

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. Many alums report that their favorite classes from their time here were taken outside of their main discipline! We believe this kind of cross-pollination between genres can meaningfully deepen and expand any writer’s artistic practice.

What kind of writing sample should I submit?

All applicants are required to submit an essay and personal statement. Additionally, applicants must also submit a writing sample specific to their chosen concentration. 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. Many have returned to the School of the Arts to teach here, sharing their knowledge with emerging writers with the same passion for storytelling.

Have more questions? Visit our MFA in Writing FAQ page.