Creative Writing, Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
About the MFA Program
Manhattanville’s 36-credit Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing brings students into a dynamic literary community of writers from all walks of life. Courses are scheduled in the evenings and on weekends in order to meet the needs of working adults. The program can be completed in two years, though students may attend part-time and work at their own pace, beginning in either the fall or spring semester, or with Summer Writers’ Week, held annually at the end of June.
Our MFA Program aims to develop writers who can participate effectively in professional, academic and community settings. while raising their own literary capacities to their highest potential. Our students learn and hone their craft in a challenging, nurturing environment that fosters community and personal growth.
We believe that taking a minimally structured approach to a post-graduate writing curriculum ensures a more well-rounded, prepared,and versatile writer. Our students are welcome to explore and study all genres, to enter workshops and independent studies of their choosing, and ultimately to select the genre that fits best for their thesis project. This approach ensures surprising and rewarding results.
Degree Requirements
Manhattanville’s unique non-tracking MFA curriculum assures flexibility. Students participate in workshops each semester, working in a single genre or across genres with gifted teachers and mentors who are also award-winning authors. The program curriculum is comprised of three required courses and regular workshops:
- Foundations in Graduate Creative Writing (3 credits)
- Advanced Seminar in Graduate Creative Writing (3 credits)
- Thesis Project (3 credits)
- Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting workshops (12 credits)
Beyond these required courses, MFA students select electives that fit their immediate interests and long-term goals. Course offerings include Research Across Genres; Writers Week and Writers’ Weekend, and a variety of Literature and Topics courses that change each semester. Each of these courses earn three credits toward the MFA degree. All graduate writing courses are given a 5000-level ENW designation. Course descriptions can be found in the courses section of the catalog and on the MFA program’s website.
The MFA Thesis
To complete their degree, MFA students must submit a passing thesis in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Screenwriting. Mixed-genre theses are allowed. Additionally, students who complete a specific elective course sequence may complete a thesis in graphic narrative format. Prose students are required to submit a thesis of approximately 100 pages; poetry theses are approximately 50 pages.
Summer Writers’ Week & Fall Writers’ Weekend
Summer Writers’ Week and Fall Writers’ Weekend are writing-intensive experiences open to the public and offered to MFA students for academic credit. These writing conferences provide students with the opportunity to participative in workshops with some of the country’s most celebrated writers. In recent years, visiting professors have included legendary author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, essayist and memoirist Meghan Daum, memoirist and novelist Dani Shapiro, novelists Sigrid Nunez and Jeffrey Rotter, and the poet Melissa Tuckey, co-founder of the arts activism organization, “Split This Rock.”
Screenwriting and Graphic Narrative special programs
Recognizing the growing opportunities in writing across media, Manhattanville’s MFA program offers special events intended to broaden our students’ horizons and connect them to professionals in the arts. In August, our “Manhattanville to the Mill” screenwriting bootcamp meets in Vermont, creating an immersive workshop experience that connects our students to producers and directors at the Manchester, Vt., “Independent Television Festival.” And each spring, we host a daylong Graphic Novel Workshop led by industry professionals, helping students explore this exciting and growing medium
Inkwell and The Manhattanville Review
The literary journal Inkwell has earned a national reputation for publishing work of the highest quality in all genres. The journal has been a staple of the program for nearly 20 years, and currently publishes annually. Its executive editor is the MFA Program Director, and its editorial board is comprised of program alumni experienced in publishing.
The Manhattanville Review is an online journal of literature, art & ideas, run by students of the MFA Program. The Review publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, cross-genre writing, and art. Editors of The Manhattanville Review receive tuition remission for their work on the journal, and are encouraged to take ownership of the journal and envision new ideas and projects to pursue during their tenure.
Financial Assistance and Housing
When applying to the program, students may also apply for financial assistance and housing. Financial assistance includes $500 merit scholarships each semester for eligible students. Graduate assistantships are also offered, allowing up to six students each semester to work in the writing center, the program office, or on the Manhattanville Review for a three-credit tuition remission. Graduate housing is also available, and students interested in housing should inquire with the program administration.
The Writers Hub: Special Events at Barat House
The MFA Program and the Dowd-O’Gorman Center for Creative Writing are located in Barat House, a building that serves as the center of our literary community. There, the MFA program hosts events each week open to students, alumni, and the general public. Recent literary events have included agent/editor panels, a “pitch” fest, novel-writing intensives, craft panels, storytelling workshops, creativity and dream writing workshops, generative workshops, book discussion and reading groups, and more. Additionally, whenever an MFA alumnus or faculty member publishes a book, we celebrate with a launch party and reading at Barat House.
Meet the Writers Series
Each semester renowned authors are invited to read and discuss their work in our Meet the Writers series. Past guests have included Edwidge Danticat, Roz Chaz, Daniel Borzutzky, Dani Shapiro, Gregory Pardlo, Layli Long Soldier, Meghan Daum, Tracy K. Smith, Amy Goodman, Terrance Hayes and Ben Lerner. These evening events and other readings, panels and conversations are free and open to the public and are an important focus of our writing community.
Academic Advising
Upon admission to the program, students speak with the program administration about the appropriate first-term course load and selection. Each semester, students are invited to set up advising sessions in advance of registration to discuss their plans and pacing through the program, and to stay on track to graduate. For spring semester course registration, you will receive an email to set up an appointment in October or November. For fall courses, advising takes place in March or April.
Course Registration
In the first semester at Manhattanville, students must complete a paper registration form and return it to the MFA Office for approval and processing. The registration form can be found online. In subsequent semesters, registration is completed online via WebAdvisor.
Web Resources
After confirming enrollment in the MFA Program, students are sent instructions for setting up an online account that may be used to sign into WebAdvisor and other web services.
Students can access the following information by using WebAdvisor:
- Current course schedule, with classroom locations
- Each semester’s full course schedule
- Final grades at the end of the semester
- Academic record from past semesters
To learn more about WebAdvisor and how to start logging on, students may view a PowerPoint "How-To-Access/Use WebAdvisor" tutorial by going to: http://www.mville.edu/students/default.aspx.
Grade Reports
To access your grades, log into Web Advisor and select Students. Under Academic Profile, choose Grades. Choose a term/semester and choose Submit. Class titles, grades and credit hours for the chosen semester should appear.
Transfer Credits
Under certain conditions and with the approval of the Program Director, students may transfer up to 12 graduate credits toward electives in the Master of Fine Arts degree program. Coursework eligible for transfer must come from regionally accredited institutions or from non-regionally accredited institutions with comparable curricular and standards to those at Manhattanville College.
Satisfactory Progress
Students are considered to be making satisfactory progress as long as they are enrolled in at least six credits during each Fall and Spring semester. Completion of the program entails 36 credits. To complete the program, the GPA must be 3.0 or better. Students who fall below a 3.0 cumulative GPA will not be in good standing. Students who are not in good standing must meet regularly with the MFA director and will have one semester to return to good standing. No student working towards a degree may be enrolled in the program for more than five years.
Leave of Absence
In general, a leave of absence is intended to provide a student time away from his/her studies due to a temporary circumstance or situation (financial, personal or medical). Students must request a leave in writing to the Director. If granted, a leave is normally one semester.