MFA in Writing
Michener Fellows enroll in three courses (9 hours) each fall and spring semester. (There are no summer classes.) The 54-hour degree plan includes workshops and “studies” courses in both fields, flexible electives, and a 3rd-year thesis in the primary field of concentration.
Fields of Concentration
Fiction
Our goal in every fiction workshop is for the prose to be taken seriously and on its own terms. Regardless of formal distinctions—novel or short story, psychological realism or avant-garde experimentation—we want our writers to feel empowered and encouraged to produce the kinds of fiction they want to read.
Poetry
Our goal in the poetry workshop is simple: that students feel increasingly excited by and invested in poetry. That calls for an intelligently engaged and ambitious criticism that starts with a generous reading of each poem and respect for what may be an approach and intention very different from their own.
Playwriting
The playwriting concentration at MCW is a demanding, three-year course of study designed for artists committed to professional dramatic writing and its teaching. The curriculum emphasizes the generation and revision of new work, both by the individual playwright and in progressive collaborations with other writers and artists.
Screenwriting
Our emphasis is, first and foremost, on writing and immersion in a community of creative writers. We also want to provide you with access to film studies and production offerings that will both focus and expand your ideas. Whether you want to write for television, film, or both, our program aims to give you the tools, time, and community to write the script that will bring your vision to the screen.
Degree Plan
Michener Fellows complete three workshops in a primary field and two in a secondary field. Studies courses are also required in each field (two in the primary and one in the secondary). The remaining hours are flexible to allow for pursuit of electives.
By the end of the second year, Fellows will have typically produced a manuscript in the secondary field. In the third year, Fellows enroll in a year-long thesis course focused on developing a manuscript in the primary field. A PDF of the Michener Center Student Handbook can be made available upon request.
Fellowship Support
All admitted students receive a fellowship of $29,500 per academic year, plus total coverage of tuition. The fellowship is paid monthly through the fall and spring semesters. In addition to the annual fellowships, the Michener Center also provides each Fellow with a stipend for health insurance and a summer stipend of $3000. Support is renewed each year with satisfactory progress towards the degree.