In 1927, the first academic creative writing workshops were launched at The New School, establishing a new philosophy of education. The idea: Students’ lives, unique experiences, and storytelling traditions would be an essential part of their education. Today the MFA in Creative Writing Program is a force of literary expression, promoting inquiry and new voices.
Our prestigious master’s program offers workshops and seminars led by a faculty of internationally renowned authors. We encourage students to consider the intersections of writing, culture, and social justice as we continue fostering and sustaining a diverse and dynamic community of writers.
We celebrate 30 years of the MFA program in 2026. We celebrate one hundred years of creative writing at The New School in 2027.
Our Curriculum
In our classrooms, we navigate intersectionality and futurity as we continue to reimagine the writers’ workshop. We examine strategies for advocacy and activism in workshops, introducing students to models for literary engagement. Hybrid work is encouraged. We have no presumed or dominant house style: We ask students to “write your book.” Courses in publishing and media provide avenues for innovative forms of narrative. We share community and resources and engage in cross-disciplinary collaborations with other programs of The New School, including Parsons School of Design and the College of Performing Arts.
Creative Writing students can choose one of five concentrations: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Arts Writing, and Writing for Children and Young Adults. They can also choose or add on a dual concentration, which is a three-year program.
The Writer’s Life Colloquium, required for all students, hosts events, readings, and award ceremonies and offers students opportunities to find their own future in the literary community.
“We celebrate and cultivate daring and diverse new voices. We don’t push a single style or work process; we want you to write your book.”
—
John Reed, Creative Writing Program director and professor
Degree Requirements
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is awarded for successful completion of a 36-credit course of study. This full-time evening program is designed to be completed in two years (four semesters). An optional dual concentration adds another year of study. Because of the integral nature of the curriculum, transfer credits are not accepted.
Our curriculum consists of:
Writing Workshops: 3 four-credit courses
Reading as a Writer Seminars: 3 four-credit courses
The Writer’s Life Colloquium: 4 one-credit courses
Thesis (final semester): 1 eight-credit course
In each of the first three semesters, students take one Writing Workshop and one Reading as a Writer Seminar. Every semester, students take part in the Writer’s Life Colloquium (one credit per semester). In their final semester, students work one-on-one with a faculty member on their thesis, which consists of a creative project (a substantial original work of creative writing or a collection of stories and poems) and a critical project (a substantial project involving literary critique or social engagement).
Live the Writer’s Life in New York City
The New School’s Creative Writing Program hosts an extraordinary array of events, including readings and panels, new book releases, and national literary award ceremonies, with opportunities for student volunteering. Learn more at newschool.edu/writing/community and follow @newschoolwriting.
Events hosted by the MFA Creative Writing Program include concentrationspecific forums as well as:
• The National Book Critics Circle Readings and Awards Ceremony
• PEN World Voices Festival
• The Publishing Triangle Awards
• Cave Canem events and readings
• Kundiman events and readings
• Regular student reading and events
Students serve as editorial leaders and staff and work with alumni on The New School’s literary journals: LIT, The Inquisitive Eater, and 12th Street.
Beyond the MFA
Graduates and faculty annually publish more than 40 books, which are celebrated each spring at an alumni and faculty book party. Students, alumni, and faculty regularly publish in prestigious literary magazines and online publications. Special evenings on campus with industry professionals—including pitch sessions with literary agents and editors—provide exclusive opportunities, many of which lead to employment and publication after graduation. Through a tight-knit community of writers, authors, editors, publishers, educators, and media and art professionals, the MFA provides a network for graduates that extends far beyond degree completion.
To see works published by Creative Writing alumni and faculty, visit writing.newschool.org/books .
Our Alumni
Graduates of the MFA Creative Writing Program write, publish, produce, and develop new entrepreneurial ventures and work for organizations that make the written word a lever for social and creative change. Meet just a few of our many accomplished graduates:
Zakiya Delila Harris ’16, essayist, author of The Other Black Girl (Atria Books), and writer of its Hulu series adaptation.
Sufjan Stevens ’00, American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
Tatiana Serafin ’15 , award-winning writer, journalism professor at Marymount Manhattan College, and senior fellow and co-host of The Doorstep at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.
Olivier Sciadone ’20, community editor at Grove/Atlantic, Inc.; digital media consultant; and content creator.
Jenny Han ’05 , author of The Summer I Turned Pretty and All The Boys I Loved Before (Simon & Schuster) and writer of their adaptations on Amazon Prime and Netflix.
Nicholas Adamski ’07 and Stephanie Berger ’08, co-founders of the Poetry Society of New York (The Poetry Brothel, the Typewriter Project, Milk Press, and The New York City Poetry Festival).
Raven Jackson ’14 , screenwriter and director of the award-winning film All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, named a Top Ten Movie of the Year by the New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and RogerEbert.com.
Virginia Valenzuela ’19, head of communication at NFT and the cryptoart firm Mint Gold Dust and freelance arts and technology writer.
Joyce Chen ’15 and Bretty Rawson ’15 , co-founders of The Seventh Wave, a BIPOC- and queer-led arts and literary nonprofit where Chen is executive director and Rawson is director of programs. The Seventh Wave produces a magazine, offers residencies, and presents partnered events.
Stephanie Danler ’14 , author of Sweetbitter (Vintage Books/Knopf Doubleday) and writer of its television adaptation on Starz.
Natalee Cruz ’23 , editor in chief of Milk Press, poet and fiction writer, and teaching artist.
Erin Harris ’10, senior vice president and literary agent at Folio Literary Management.
Dhonielle Clayton ’12 , New York Times–bestselling co-author of Tiny Pretty Things (HarperTeen) and chief operating officer of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books.
Yahdon Israel ’16, writer, creator of the podcast Lit and the Literaryswag Book Club, and senior editor at Simon & Schuster.
Keisha Bush ’15 , author of No Heaven for Good Boys and My Family Tree, marketing content manager, and communications copywriter.
Mickie Meinhardt ’17, founder of The Buzzed Word, a bookstore and natural wine store and bar in Ocean City, Maryland.
Sean Manning ’03 , vice president and executive editor at Simon & Schuster.
“Our
students make things happen. As entrepreneurs, activists, and writers, they work together to reimagine the world of publishing.”
Luis Jaramillo, professor
“Community is essential to improving your craft, even after you’ve published. In the program, I developed a group of close writer friends whom I still turn to for feedback, just as I did in class years ago.”
—Julia Lynn Rubin, alum
Admission
Admission to our MFA program is highly selective. We welcome applicants from various backgrounds, regardless of age or professional status. Please email all admission inquiries— including questions about applying to a dual concentration— to Anne Lanza at lanzaa@newschool.edu. For additional program information, including admission tips, visit newschool.edu/writing or email questions to writingprogram@newschool.edu. To explore our community through social media, follow us on Instagram (@newschoolwriting) and X (@newschoolwrites).
Admission deadline: January 15, then rolling
Application requirements
• Unofficial transcripts
• A writing portfolio
• A résumé
• Two letters of recommendation
• An application fee
• English language proficiency (if applicable)
Financial Aid
Our comprehensive financial aid program provides competitive merit-based scholarships and need-based aid for those who qualify. All applicants, including online and international students, are considered for merit aid. We also participate in government grant, loan, and work-study programs as well as programs for veterans of the U.S. armed services. To learn more about tuition and fees, visit newschool.edu/writing/tuition-fees .
Additional funding opportunities include the Public Engagement Fellows Program and fellowships with WriteOn NYC and the Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative. The New School also proudly recognizes returning Peace Corps volunteers and partners with organizations such as Fulbright and the Organization of American States to offer scholarship opportunities for graduate study in the MFA program.
You don’t need an admission decision to begin applying for financial aid. The Office of Financial Aid can answer questions about applying for financial aid, calculating the overall cost of attendance, and billing and payment options. For more information, visit newschool.edu/writing-funding and email questions to sfs@newschool.edu. 84% of admitted MFA students are awarded merit-based New School scholarships.¹
WE ARE THE NEW SCHOOL
Since its founding in 1919, The New School has been a center of independent thought, dialogue, and action. We are a community that applies integrative approaches to global problems and leads the systemic change needed to make the world more equitable, more sustainable, and better designed for all. Today our university is made up of colleges offering courses in art and design, music and performance, the liberal arts and social sciences, management, media, and more.
Get in touch and take the next step
Contact our team, learn about admission requirements, attend an admission event, or make an appointment.
Contact the program
212.229.5150
admission@newschool.edu
For important information including accreditation, student rights, campus safety statistics, and tuition and fees, visit newschool.edu/your-right-to-know. Published 2024 by The New School. The New School is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Photo credits: Jessica Miller, Siobhan Mullan, and Michael Kirby Smith.
This brochure is printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper with UV inks that conserve energy and material and do not release VOCs into the atmosphere—reflecting the university’s embrace of environmental responsibility.
