M.F.A. in Creative Writing

Adelphi University - Shorelight

At Adelphi University, we offer residencies in New York City and semester-long creative mentorships with accomplished and devoted faculty. Our MFA in Creative Writing program allows you to tailor a flexible and practical curriculum to your artistic goals. And all accepted students receive partial scholarships, making Adelphi’s MFA one of the most affordable low-residency programs at a private university. Each step of the way, our NYC Creative Writing program aims to prepare you for the life of a working writer, especially as you navigate today’s shifting and vital literary landscape. January and August residencies are held at Adelphi’s Manhattan Center in midtown Manhattan. We offer concentrations in fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction, with workshops that culminate in the final thesis course, in which students complete a book-length manuscript. You may choose to focus on any one genre you may design a path that explores two or more genres or you may decide to work in a hybrid form. Our MFA in Creative Writing program focuses intently on craft, with an emphasis on revision and close reading. We also offer practical guidance in publishing, teaching and building a sustainable life as a writer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse writing community, and our goal is to help you find your own best approach to craft. The low-residency MFA in Creative Writing program takes into account the complexity of each writer’s life and welcomes students who may have demanding work schedules or family obligations. This academic framework includes in person learning at the intensive five-day residencies in New York City, and-during the semester-with small online classes and individualized mentorship. By the end of the two-year, 39-credit program, you’ll complete a thesis-your own book-length manuscript. MFA in Creative Writing curriculum offers you the chance to chart your own path. You can choose to focus on writing a novel, for instance, or you may choose to write poetry one semester and nonfiction the next, as you work toward a thesis that combines both. Our MFA program also offers practical courses in helping you create a working writer’s life, with guidance in publishing, teaching, literary advocacy and creating your own literary community.

College of Arts and Sciences