The NYU Creative Writing Program: National Center for the Study of Writing and Literature

New York State University's Creative Writing Program has been a cornerstone of literary exploration and innovation for over four decades. Central to its success is a distinguished faculty featuring acclaimed writers such as Catherine Barnett, Jeffrey Eugenides, Nathan Englander, Jonathan Safran Foer, Tess Gunty, Garth Greenwell, Terrance Hayes, Uzodinma Iweala, Katie Kitamura, Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Hari Kunzru, Deborah Landau, Valeria Luiselli, Joyce Carol Oates, Sharon Olds, Claudia Rankine, Matthew Rohrer, Parul Sehgal, Darin Strauss, Brandon Taylor, and Ocean Vuong. For the 2024-2025 academic year, visiting faculty will include celebrated authors such as Nuar Alsadir, Hala Alyan, Cris Beam, David Lipsky, Julie Orringer, Geoffrey Nutter, Hannah Tinti, and Philip B. Williams.

The program is renowned for cultivating talented students, many of whom have published award-winning, critically acclaimed works that have significantly shaped the literary world.

Located in a historic townhouse on West 10th Street in Greenwich Village—a neighborhood famously associated with literary icons like James Baldwin, Willa Cather, Hart Crane, E.E. Cummings, Frank O’Hara, Mark Twain, Richard Wright, and Marianne Moore—the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House provides an inspiring environment for writers at every stage of their careers. The house hosts events, workshops, and serves as a quiet retreat for writing. Its skylit reception floor, adorned with stained glass, creates the perfect ambiance for intimate readings, literary salons, panel discussions, book launches, lectures, and seminars held throughout the year.

NYU’s Creative Writing Program offers a highly regarded MFA Program in Creative Writing in New York City, as well as a highly-competitive low-residency MFA Writers Workshop in Paris. Undergraduate students can pursue a popular Minor in Creative Writing. The program also includes literary outreach initiatives, teaching opportunities, two celebrated literary journals, and a reading series featuring over 100 writers annually. Students can participate in seminars with editors and publishers, compete in undergraduate writing contests, and take advantage of summer writing programs in New York, Florence, and Paris. A vibrant student reading series is also held at the iconic KGB Bar.

As a dynamic literary hub located in the heart of Greenwich Village, the NYU Creative Writing Program continues to be a leading force in fostering creative talent and literary achievement. For more information, contact creative.writing@nyu.edu.

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Undergraduate Program

The undergraduate Creative Writing Program at NYU is situated in the heart of literary Greenwich Village, offering students an immersive writing experience through workshops, readings, internships, writing prizes, and events designed to inspire and develop their creative talents.

The program's distinguished faculty includes award-winning poets, novelists, short story writers, and memoirists representing a wide range of contemporary literary aesthetics. Faculty members have received prestigious honors such as the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, NEA Fellowships, Guggenheim Fellowships, Pushcart Prizes, Whitbread First Novel Award, and the Whiting Writers Award.

The popular Minor in Creative Writing provides students with a progressive sequence of courses, starting from foundational craft studies to advanced explorations of specific forms, techniques, and genres. Courses are available both in New York and at several NYU Study Away locations. Advanced students may apply for Intensive Seminars after completing the foundational Creative Writing: Intro to Fiction & Poetry course (or its equivalent). Recent Intensive Seminar faculty have included esteemed writers such as Chris Adrian, Emily Barton, Jo Ann Beard, Anne Carson & Robert Currie, Junot Díaz, Michael Dickman, Aleksandar Hemon, Marie Howe, David Lipsky, Sarah Manguso, Rick Moody, Eileen Myles, Meghan O'Rourke, Susan Orlean, Jess Row, Zadie Smith, Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, Darin Strauss, Colson Whitehead, and Rachel Zucker.

For students interested in concentrated summer study, the program offers three renowned undergraduate summer writing programs: Writers in Florence, Writers in New York, and Writers in Paris. These four-week intensives allow students to refine their craft while living and writing in iconic literary settings, earning eight credits upon completion. Additional writing workshops are available during the January Term and both of NYU's six-week summer sessions.

Beyond the classroom, the program maintains a dynamic literary presence. Students are encouraged to attend readings, participate in departmental writing contests and special undergraduate events, explore internship opportunities, and stay updated on literary happenings through the Undergraduate Listserv. They can also contribute to or serve as editors for the undergraduate literary journal, West 10th.

For more information about the undergraduate Creative Writing Program, consult the Undergraduate FAQ or contact the department by phone at 212-998-8816 or via email at creative.writing@nyu.edu.

• Degrees Offered: Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, available through NYU’s College of Arts and Science.
  

• Curriculum: Combines immersive writing workshops in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with literature seminars that examine works from a writer’s perspective. For the most current curriculum details, please visit NYU’s Undergraduate Creative Writing Curriculum page.
  

• Course Requirements: To review course requirements for the undergraduate program, including yearly course offerings, graduation requirements, independent study options, and internship details, consult NYU’s Course Requirements Resource Guide.
  

• Faculty: Features acclaimed writers, poets, and editors dedicated to mentoring emerging authors. For a complete and updated faculty list, please visit the NYU Creative Writing Program Faculty page.
  

• Enrollment Data: In the most recent academic year, the program conferred 75 Bachelor of Arts degrees in Creative Writing, reflecting a steady increase in enrollment and program interest.
  

• Admissions: For upcoming enrollment details, visit NYU’s Undergraduate Admissions page. To apply, review the NYU Creative Writing Program Application Requirements and General Admission Guidelines.

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Graduate Program

• Degrees Offered: Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing, available through NYU’s Graduate School of Arts and Science.
  

• Curriculum: The MFA program blends intensive writing workshops in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with seminars focused on literary study and craft exploration. For the most up-to-date curriculum details, visit NYU’s MFA Creative Writing Curriculum page.
  

• Course Requirements: Course requirements include advanced workshops, literature seminars, thesis development, and professional development opportunities. For specific degree requirements, including thesis guidelines and elective offerings, consult NYU’s Graduate Creative Writing Course Requirements Guide.
  

• Faculty: The program features distinguished authors, poets, and literary professionals dedicated to mentoring emerging voices in the writing community. For a comprehensive list of current faculty, visit the NYU Creative Writing Program Faculty page.
  

• Enrollment Data: In the most recent academic year, the program awarded 45 MFA degrees in Creative Writing, reflecting its competitive admissions process and commitment to fostering literary talent.
  

• Admissions: For detailed admissions information, including application requirements, deadlines, and financial aid opportunities, visit NYU’s Graduate Admissions page and the Creative Writing MFA Application Requirements page.