Message from the Director

As Director of our new Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Hofstra University I am extremely proud of our program, our talented graduate students and our committed, gifted faculty. This is the initial year of our MFA, and a new class of skilled and motivated young writers has just joined our campus. I would like to tell you about what we plan to achieve here at Hofstra and, if you wish to grow your talents as a writer, I’d like to invite you to consider applying.

First, our MFA program in Creative Writing springs from a desire on our part to offer a two-year terminal degree to talented students who wish to advance their education as writers and gain in the experience that is so sought after in a variety of writing related professions. The specifics of the application process may be found here on our website, but I would like to stress that we are looking for students who already show a strong aptitude in any one of four specific forms: playwriting, literary non-fiction, fiction and poetry.

Second, we believe that writers are stimulated and nurtured by a creative writing community, both inside and outside the classroom, and we are committed to fostering that world here at Hofstra, which is why we are happy to continue our Great Writers, Great Readings series, where we offer students, as well as the general public, the chance to come and hear nationally known artists read their work and provide insights into their own approaches to the demands of their craft.

Third, we are proud of our accomplished English faculty and Creative Writing faculty – made up of scholars and artists who practice what they teach and who love their work, and who are eager to help students to address their individual needs as writers - students who are ready to challenge themselves - to grow and to learn more about who they are as emerging artists.

Courses meet once per week, in the late afternoon and early evening, and are made up of classes in literature as well as in writing seminars. At the conclusion of our 36-credit program, students will have been exposed to coursework in literature, small and closely monitored writing workshops, courses in craft, as well as a two-semester long writing project to complete their MFA.

Finally, I would like to invite you to tour our website, to learn more about us and to email me should you have any questions about our new program and the application process.
I look forward to meeting you and working with you in the exciting new community of writers comprising the MFA program here at Hofstra University.

-Erik Brogger