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Fall 2025 Graduate Catalog
Creative Writing and Literature, MFA
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 Return to: Master’s Programs
Degree Awarded: Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literature
Director: TBD, Southampton, Chancellors Hall 238 (631) 632-5016
Associate Director: Christian McLean, Southampton, Chancellors Hall 244 (631) 632-5007
Program Coordinator: Margaret Grigonis, Southampton, Chancellors Hall 238 (631) 632-5028
Director of the Manhattan Center for Creative Writing & Film: Scott Sullivan (646) 472-2025
The Creative Writing and Literature program at Stony Brook Southampton emphasizes creative work in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. However, the program also extends its emphasis beyond the familiar categories of creative expression to treat all forms of writing as equally relevant to understanding and mastering a world constructed out of words. Students are free to take workshops in all genres, in the belief that writing outside the lines informs their primary areas of interest.
Courses are taught by a full-time core faculty of three, joined by a part-time faculty of distinguished visiting writers whose teaching and lecturing assignments rotate among the fall, spring, and summer sessions. These distinguished visitors provide creative breadth to the writing program, offering coverage in areas of writing that are essential in contemporary society, in particular fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, and writing for children.
The MFA in Creative Writing and Literature
The 46 academic credits for the MFA program is divided among required courses that introduce students to the profession and discipline of writing and the skills necessary to teach writing to others; advanced writing workshops in a variety of writing genres; seminars designed to focus closely on an issue or type of contemporary writing; graduate-level literature courses; and an MFA thesis intended to be a publishable, book-length work. The program is offered in two academic semesters, two six-week summer sessions, and a credit-bearing writers conference.
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Admission Requirements
Application Website Application for admission to the Graduate School is made to a specific program for a specific degree. For the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature, applicants must fulfill both the Graduate School admission requirements and the specific requirements for the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature. See sections I and II for details on these requirements. Please note that applications for Admission to the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature are made to MFA in Creative Writing and Literature Program and not to the Graduate School. Electronic official transcripts from any undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended should be sent to the Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions, at gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu. Or snail-mailed directly to the graduate school: Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions
Stony Brook University
Health Sciences Tower, Level 2 - Rm. 271
Stony Brook, NY 11794-8276 For questions, please call Margaret Grigonis at (631) 632-5028 Admission to the MFA in Writing and Literature Applicants for the MFA program in Writing and Literature must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The program accepts applications from candidates whose undergraduate degrees were taken in areas other than the humanities. Admission to the program is based on the evaluation of a portfolio of the applicant’s writing, made in conjunction with a review of the candidate’s entire academic career, and letters of recommendation. The portfolio may include works in any written form including fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, scripting, or other genre. Results from the Graduate Record Examination are encouraged, but not required. In addition to the Graduate School Admission requirements, the MFA in Writing and Literature requires the following: - Letters of recommendation from three instructors or writing professionals familiar with your written work.
- A statement discussing your reasons for graduate study (1-2 pp, submitted with the online application)
- A writing sample consisting of up to 10 pages of poetry, single-spaced, or 30 pages of prose, double-spaced (submitted with the online application). Your name should appear on the writing sample.
- A single sheet listing your address, phone number, email address, and title(s) of submission(s).
- A copy of your résumé or c.v. (submitted with the online application)
Any deficiencies in these or the Graduate School admission requirements shall not automatically bar admission, but it is understood that inadequacies in undergraduate preparation normally will require the student to take additional work, the amount to be determined by the appropriate graduate advisory committee. Additional work may not be used to fulfill MFA degree requirements. Degree Requirements
The MFA in Writing and Literature degree requires 40 credits of course work and a six credit thesis for a total of 46 credits. Following are the specific requirements. Required Introduction to the M.F.A. Program (4 credits)
Six of the following writing workshops (24 credits)
Students select six writing workshops from the following. Individual courses under each category will be labeled according to the content of the course. Although courses may be repeated for credit, students are strongly encouraged to experiment among the disciplines. - CWL 510 - Forms of Fiction 3-4 credits
Individual courses within the fiction category will be labeled according to the form covered. For example, Short Story Collections, Beginning the Novel, Advancing the Novel, etc. - CWL 520 - Forms of Poetry 3-4 credits
Individual courses within the poetry category will be labeled according to the form covered. For example, Prose Poems. - CWL 530 - Forms of Scriptwriting 3-4 credits
Individual courses within the scriptwriting category will be labeled according to the form covered. For example, Screenplay, Playwriting, etc. - CWL 535 - Writing in Multiple Genres 3-4 credits
Individual courses within the scriptwriting category will be labeled according to the genres covered. - CWL 540 - Forms of Creative Nonfiction 3-4 credits
Individual courses within the nonfiction category will be labeled according to the form covered. For example, Creative Nonfiction, Memoir, etc. - CWL 550 - Forms of Professional and Scientific Writing 3-4 credits
Individual courses within the professional and scientific writing category will be labeled according to the form covered. For example, Speech Writing, Writing in the Digital World, Writing about Science, etc. - CWL 570 - Advanced Writing Workshop 3-4 credits
This course is for manuscripts in progress across writing disciplines and is strongly recommended for students preparing to take the thesis. - CWL 575 - Writers Conference 1-6 credits
Two or more of the following special topic writing and literature seminars (8 Credits)*
*With the approval of the Writing Program director
this requirement may be filled through taking the following graduate English Literature courses offered at Stony Brook University: One or more of the following practicums (4 credits)*
*With the permission of the director, a course in writing or literature may be substituted in place of the practicum requirement. |
Return to: Master’s Programs
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