I wish to welcome you to the New School Writing Program. The New School has offered courses in creative writing since 1931, when Gorham Munson, a Manhattan editor, offered his legendary writing workshop. Over the decades, the creative writing faculty at The New School has included such outstanding practitioners as Robert Lowell, Marguerite Young, Kay Boyle, Frank O'Hara, Anatole Broyard, Richard Yates, May Sarton, and William Goyen, to name a few.

In 1996, The New School began offering the Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing. This is a full-time, two-year graduate program with concentrations in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and writing for children.

On this website you will find complete information about the MFA course of study, our distinguished faculty, requirements for admission, and application materials.

You will also find information about the numerous literary readings, lectures, and other public programs presented by the Writing Program. We offer some 50 public events every semester, featuring some of today's most exciting poets, biographers, novelists, essayists, critics, and publishers.

Besides the MFA program, The New School still offers an outstanding program of writing workshops for the general public, most of which may be taken on a non-credit basis or for undergraduate credit The program includes foundational courses and introductory, intermediate, and advanced workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, writing for children, dramatic writing, criticism, and feature writing. Many of these courses are offered on line through The New School Online, our distance learning program.

I am proud to have been associated with the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing from its inception. The New School has been an important institution to the writer's life in New York City for many decades--and now, more than ever.

All best wishes,

Robert Polito