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Creative WritingPrograms
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CUNY Hunter College · MFA Creative Writing, Department of English

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative WritingTuition only

Overview

A two-year, 36-credit MFA in fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry comprising four genre workshops, four craft seminars, two MA literature courses and Writing in Conference. Classes start at 5:30pm or later, and students may be placed as research fellows with established writers.

Official program name
MFA in Creative Writing
Awarded degree
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing
Source: hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
School
Source: hunter-graduate.catalog.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Location
New York, NY
Delivery / residency
Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Study intensity
Not verified
Duration
Two years (four semesters)
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Required credits
36 credits
Source: hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Teaching language
English (not separately stated)
Start
Fall
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Why this degree is listed

The awarded degree is the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (CRWRTG-MFA).

Source: hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

We list dedicated creative writing degrees only. Eligibility rules

Curriculum, genres and faculty

Genres

FictionCreative NonfictionPoetry

Source: hunter-graduate.catalog.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Workshops

Craft courses

Literature courses

Other

  • Evening classes starting at 5:30pm or later; some students work full-time.
    Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
  • Research fellowships: students are paired with an established writer for one semester (Hertog Fellows in fiction and creative nonfiction, Thomas Hunter Fellows in poetry).
    Source: hunter-graduate.catalog.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Teaching opportunities

  • Second-year students may apply to teach ENGL 285 Introduction to Creative Writing or HUM 150 Distinguished Living Writers as paid adjunct lecturers.
    Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Faculty listed by the program

  • Adam Haslett — Director of the MFA Creative Writing Program, fiction
  • Ayana Mathis — fiction
  • Megha Majumdar — fiction
  • Donna Masini — poetry
  • John Murillo — poetry
  • Nicole Sealey — Starting Fall 2026, poetry
  • Saïd Sayrafiezadeh — creative_nonfiction

As listed on the program's official page on October 9, 2026. Listing does not mean a faculty member is teaching or supervising new students in a given year.

Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
Prior degree
RequiredBachelor's degree in any discipline.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Statement of purpose
RequiredStatement of purpose of about 500 words.
Source: hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required2 letters — Two letters of recommendation submitted online by February 1.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Interview
OptionalApplicants under consideration are interviewed by Zoom from early to mid March.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Transcripts
RequiredUnofficial transcript.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Other requirement
RequiredCreative nonfiction applicants submit a 500-word creative nonfiction proposal.
Source: hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Writing portfolio

GenreLengthRequirement as published
Poetryup to 10 pagesUp to 10 pages of poetry; single- or double-spaced.Formatting: single- or double-spaced; Times New Roman or ArialSource: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Fiction20–25 pages20-25 pages: a short story, the start of a novel, or several stories.Formatting: double-spaced, twelve-point fontSource: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Creative Nonfictionup to 20 pagesNo more than 20 pages of prose (essay or extract).Formatting: double-spaced, twelve-point fontSource: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test
Not required
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness: programs rarely publish comparable figures.

Deadlines

Dates are shown with the admissions cycle the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

  • Application deadline

    February 1, 11:59pm (every year) · for Fall 2027

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
    Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its applicant category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-year and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
In-state — Fiction and poetry (after tuition waiver)$0per semesterSource: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
In-state — Creative nonfiction$4,320per semesterSource: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Out-of-state — Fiction and poetry (after tuition waiver)$3,465per semesterSource: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Out-of-state — Creative nonfiction$7,785per semesterSource: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Funding

Tuition is waived or remitted, but no stipend is published. Tuition remission alone is not a living-support package. “Fully funded” never means every personal expense is covered. How we classify funding

Tuition only

Funding guarantee
Creative nonfiction is not funded.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Tuition coverage
Fiction and poetry: two full years of in-state tuition paid for every admitted student; applied as a discount for out-of-state students.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
International students
Some non-U.S. citizens are eligible for the tuition waiver; they pay out-of-state tuition minus the in-state value.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Separate application
All MFA students must file a FAFSA; the waiver for out-of-state students follows an accepted FAFSA.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Other
Sainsbury Research Fellows work ten hours a week for one semester as research assistant to a writer.
Source: www2.hunter.cuny.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Named scholarships, fellowships and assistantships

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 9, 2026.
  1. hunter-graduate.catalog.cuny.edu/programs/CRWRTG-MFA — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 9, 2026
  2. hunter.cuny.edu/students/admissions/graduate-admissions/school-of-arts-and-sciences/fine-and-perform — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  3. www2.hunter.cuny.edu/creativewriting/ — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  4. www2.hunter.cuny.edu/creativewriting/aid.shtml — Official funding / aid page, verified October 9, 2026
  5. www2.hunter.cuny.edu/creativewriting/creativenonfiction.shtml — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  6. www2.hunter.cuny.edu/creativewriting/deadline.shtml — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  7. www2.hunter.cuny.edu/creativewriting/faq.shtml — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  8. www2.hunter.cuny.edu/creativewriting/fiction.shtml — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  9. www2.hunter.cuny.edu/creativewriting/how.shtml — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  10. www2.hunter.cuny.edu/creativewriting/poetry.shtml — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026

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Creative Writing Programs is independent and not affiliated with CUNY Hunter College. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.