M.F.A. in Writing Program

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For more information online, please see our Graduate Student Handbook.

Visit EGO online. The English Graduate Organization (EGO) is run by and for English Department graduate students.

The UNH MFA Program is named one of "Top Fifty MFA Programs" by Poets and Writers. Read story.

	Associate Professor David Rivard has been awarded The Jerome J. Shestack Prize from the American Poetry Review for "most noteworthy work published in the previous year." Read more about this prize.
	MFA Poet Maria Barron won the 2009 LUMINA Poetry contest. LUMINA is a literary journal published by Sarah Lawrence College. The contest was judged by poet, Ilya Kaminsky. Maria's poems placed both first and second, earning Maria the invitation to read at Sarah Lawrence in April. More about current students.
	Barnstorm is the online journal produced annually by MFA students. More about Barnstorm.
	The Writers Series brings guest writers to campus for readings and workshops. More about Writers Series.
	See books by program graduates.

Dear applicants,

The first thing you should know is not to be deceived by the youth of our MFA program. While its official beginning was September of 2007, its origins date back over three decades when UNH launched its Master’s degree in English/Writing. Since then, the UNH graduate writing program has launched the successful careers of hundreds of poets, nonfiction writers, novelists and short story writers (see our Alumni page).

The second thing you should know is that we are a small program. Each fall we welcome an average of five students in each genre, which creates a community of 45 MFA writers. Combine the intimate size with the conference system for which UNH is renowned (students are required to meet regularly in individual meetings with their instructors) and the result is a close bond between faculty and students. Please know, too, that all of the members of the UNH writing faculty are working writers, which means that we are just as familiar as you with the daunting task of filling an empty page day after day, week after week. 

While we encourage students to stay the full three-years, it is possible for students without teaching assistantships to finish their coursework and their thesis credits in two years. Either way, you would take an array of workshops and seminars and, unlike other programs that keep graduate writers within their genre boundaries, we would urge you to take courses outside of your specialty. We believe that your writing can only improve by appreciating a wide variety of craft.

If you came to UNH, you would enjoy an active Writers Series, which brings to campus well-known authors for a reading and often a more intimate gathering with the graduate writing students. Recent guests include Ha Jin, Susan Orlean, Billy Collins, ZZ Packer, Edward P. Jones, Mark Doty, Ted Conover, and Tom Perrotta. In addition, students are notified about and encouraged to attend readings in Portsmouth and Boston.

If you came to UNH, you would find yourself in one of the most beautiful spots on the East Coast. Durham, UNH’s home, is a classic New England college town in the southeast corner of New Hampshire, 15 minutes from the restaurants, music and art films in historic Portsmouth. If you crave a deeper infusion of urban life, you are a short train ride away from Boston to the south and Portland, Maine to the north. For outdoor enthusiasts, you are 15 minutes from surfing the New Hampshire seacoast, less than two hours from hiking and skiing the White Mountains, and within walking distance (almost) from a myriad of rivers that provide some of the best kayaking in the East.

If you came to UNH, you would be groomed for the life of a professional writer, whether that means writing full-time, writing and teaching, or penning that novel after hours. We take your literary dreams seriously, and will do what we can to make them happen.

All the best,

Sue Hertz
UNH MFA Director

Opportunities

Students in the MFA program are invited to become involved in the production of the UNH on-line literary journal, Barnstorm. This annual publication is produced in conjunction with the class, ENGL 802: Editing and Publishing.

Visit Barnstorm site.

MFA students are invited to read from their works at regularly-scheduled student readings.

The English Department hosts the Writers Series, campus visits and readings by prominent writers in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Master classes or Q&A sessions are part of each visit. 

Visit the Series and Conferences webpage for more information.

If you would like more information about tuition, fees, housing, and graduate life at UNH, visit the UNH Graduate School.

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