Questions about RU-N MFA and the application process? Check out our FAQ.
For further guidance, e-mail at RNMFA@newark.rutgers.edu.
Apply through the Graduate School-Newark application and select “Creative Writing (MFA).”
We accept 14-16 full-time students per year—half in Fiction and half in Poetry.
Every applicant is expected to apply to a primary genre and indicate a secondary genre. The primary genre shapes the program of study towards an MFA degree.
Your statement of purpose should be 1-2 pages, giving us a sense of who you are and why you are interested in exploring your craft at RU-N MFA. We are interested in reading about your personal and professional journeys, and why you believe Rutgers-Newark is the ideal home for you.
Letters of Recommendation should be provided by people who have known you at an academic, creative, or professional capacity. This might include mentors, former professors, coworkers, employers, etc.
We welcome students of all academic backgrounds to apply to our MFA program. As long as you have completed a Bachelor’s degree, you can apply.
For full-time students, the Graduate School-Newark offers stipends for summer travel. You can find more information here.
GRE scores are not required but are suggested. Applicants interested in a Teaching Assistantship (TA) or Part-Time Lectureship (PTL) position are strongly encouraged to submit GRE scores.
TA-ships are paid an annual salary and include tuition remission and health insurance. PTLs are adjunct positions, paid the standard salary for teaching one class and do not include health insurance. However, PTLs also receive a $15,000 yearly stipend.
This is a possibility though there are no guarantees. It all depends on the availability of additional teaching positions.
Yes. However, it is more of an opportunity for us to get to know each other and answer prospective students’ questions.
Applicants will be notified of their status on or before April 20th.
No. You are welcome to reapply the following year.
Yes. We welcome part-time students as well. Please note that only full-time students are eligible for the stipends and teaching aid.
In order to receive in-state tuition costs, you must become a resident of the State of New Jersey. Many of our students live in Newark, Jersey City, and surrounding cities.
Yes, you can find more information here.
Once admitted, you can take any graduate level course for full credit. This includes any courses provided by any department at Rutgers-Newark. However, we encourage you to register for courses within the Graduate English Department.
MFA students are allowed to take craft courses or seminars that focus on any genre. However, your workshops will be exclusive to your genre.
Over the course of two years, full-time students will be expected to complete 9 credits per semester for a total of 36 credits. This means a total of 12 classes including workshops and thesis advisement. In your second year, you will be paired with a thesis advisor (a professor who you have worked with in your genre) to complete a creative thesis.
Only TAs receive health insurance with their annual salary. However, each student must either enroll or waive for Student Health Insurance each semester. Coverage for dental and vision is optional.