Pennsylvania State University - MFA Creative Writing Posted on April 26th
Penn State has long been an important site for reading and writing. In 1894 Fred Pattee became the nation’s first Professor of American Literature and made our English department a pioneering center for the study of writing produced in the United States. In the middle of the twentieth century, Theodore Roethke, Joseph Heller, and John Barth wrote some of their most significant books while on the faculty at Penn State, and Joseph Grucci founded the innovative literary journal Pivot while teaching creative writing here. Writers who have studied at Penn State include Aga-Shahid Ali, Diane Ackerman, Anjana Apachna, John Balaban, Nomi Eve, Cary Holladay, Jane Miller, Elisabeth Rose, and Eric Shade.
In 1984 Penn State began offering a three-year studio/research program in poetry writing, fiction writing, or creative nonfiction writing leading to the Master of Fine Arts Degree. It provides an opportunity for students of superior ability in imaginative writing to develop their skills and critical judgment through the practice of writing and the study of literature with an accomplished permanent faculty of authors who are also devoted teachers. Our program is small, comprising a student-to-faculty ratio of approximately 3:1, and the admissions process is competitive. Our course of study is highly adaptable to individual interests, and our students have access to the resources and courses of a large and prestigious English Department and strong graduate community. Each student in our program receives financial support in the form of a teaching assistantship, and the department provides excellent pedagogical training in creative writing and composition. In addition to course work and teaching, our students benefit from a vibrant array of reading series and conversations with visiting writers.
Current MFA faculty include William J. Cobb , Robin Becker, Charlotte Holmes, Julia Kasdorf, Brian Lennon, Josip Novakovich, and Toby Thompson. This year we’re happy to bring to campus Alicia Ostriker as a poet-in-residence, and the Allegheny Mountains Reading Series includes Charles Simic, George Saunders, Elizabeth Nunez, Lydia Davis, and Stephen Graham Jones.
The three-year program allows ample time to fulfill the degree requirements and complete a book-length work of publishable quality. The program also provides talented writers with a serious context and strong support for their work during their time at State College, while helping them to prepare for literary careers. Authors who have graduated from our program include Peter Chilson, Rita Ciresi, David Keplinger, Dierdre O’Connor, Lisa Roney, and Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon. Our alumni have published an impressive array of books and earned numerous national awards and achievements as writers and editors.
Department of English
117 Burrowes Building,
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 863-0258
Fax: (814) 863-7285
