MFA Creative Writing

Free Ride Package in Fiction and Poetry.

In Poetry and Fiction we can pay the cost of two full years of in-state tuition to every single admitted student. If you're not yet a New York resident this will be applied to your out-of-state tuition which results in a substantial discount.

Creative Nonfiction is not funded. Regardless, Hunter's tuition is still one of the lowest around, certainly in New York City.

Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry MFAs all get the chance to be Sainsbury Research Fellows. That means we will pair you with a celebrated writer to work ten hours a week for one semester as a research assistant.

In recent semesters Fiction and Creative Nonfiction students have worked with Jennifer Egan, Colson Whitehead, Claire Messud, Jia Tolentino, Alexander Chee, Kaitlyn Greenidge, Nathan Englander, Rikva Galchen, Phillip Lopate, Cheryl Strayed, Valeria Luiselli, Zadie Smith, Bill Finnegan, and many others. Poets have organized papers, researched and edited for Mary Karr, Phillip Levine, Jill Bialosky and Edward Hirsch, and more. Here's a list of writers that Hunter MFA students have worked with.

With each of these fellowships, you'll become deeply involved in the project of a stellar mentor. You'll gain a deeper understanding of how research is used by writers and finally, you'll see the fruit of their own labors transformed in the published work.

Note that all research fellowships are assigned after students have begun the course. There is no application form or other application procedure. If you're a prospective student, there's no need for you to apply separately.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans have supported Hunter students. They're worth exploring.

All MFAs must file a FAFSA. Generally speaking it's a simple, process provided you are a US citizen or permanent resident. Although Hunter cannot counsel you on your eligibility, FAFSA can.

Teaching Opportunities
MFA students may apply to teach undergraduate classes in their second year, either, Introduction to Creative Writing, ENGL 285, or the Distinguished Living Writers Course, HUM 150. The number of openings changes each year, depending on English Department availability. Nevertheless, MFA students have been appointed to these positions every year up to the present. Successful applicants are hired as adjunct lecturers and paid in line with the Hunter faculty pay scale. Some of these MFAs have stayed on with the English Department after graduation. In these cases they have normally taught Expository Writing, ENGL 100, and Introduction to Literature, ENGL 220.