MFA in Writing
Read. Write. Be Read.
One of the top low-residency programs in the country, the Bennington Writing Seminars is a two-year, rigorous exploration of craft. You commit as much to reading as to writing. You perform critical literary analysis. You craft bold new works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and may work in a dual-genre. You finish with a polished thesis and an academic lecture. All this with the expert 1:1 guidance of acclaimed authors who develop a stake in your work.
Models & Mentors
Our faculty-student ratio of 1:1 provides true mentorship. You work closely with a faculty member who is an accomplished writer as distinguished as a teacher as on the page.
Develop Your Skills
You may focus on one or more genres at Bennington. While most choose to specialize in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, others work across two genres through our Dual-Genre Degree.
Apply
You may apply to begin during either of the 10-day residency sessions in January (3-13, 2019) and June (13-23, 2019.) Application deadlines are Sept. 1 to begin in January, and March 1 to begin in June.
Inclusive Community
We are committed to increasing access to our program for students from diverse backgrounds and to building community through sustained dialogue and practice. We offer scholarships, and fund the emerging voices we want to support and read, including a partnership with the PEN Emerging Voices Fellowship program.
Outcomes
Bennington offer a self-directed pace that allows you to develop a sustainable, lifelong writing practice. We know how important it is for MFA students to gain teaching experience so we've developed the Residential Teaching Fellows program—a first-of-its-kind teaching opportunity among low residency MFA programs, among others.
Scholarships, Fellowships, Loans
We offer a range of scholarships and federal financial aid loans, including The Donald Hall Scholarship for poets (a full scholarship) and the PEN/Emerging Voices Fellowship ($10,000), among others. Please contact us with any questions.
Why Bennington? Just ask our alums.
Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney MFA ’13
Author of the New York Times bestseller, The Nest
Gail Vida Hamburg MFA ’04
Author of The Edge of the World
Katy Simpson Smith MFA ’13
Bestselling author of Free Men and The Story of Land and Sea
Charles Bock MFA '97
Author of the New York Times bestsellers, Alice & Oliver and Beautiful Children
Amy Gerstler MFA '00
Winner of a 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship and the 1991 National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry
Morgan Jerkins MFA ‘16
New York Times bestselling author of This Will be My Undoing.
Tiffany Briere MFA '11
Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award, Best American Essays, Pushcart Prize winner
Top 5 in the country
Consistently ranked by The Atlantic and Poets & Writers as one of the top five low-residency MFA programs in the country.
Be read.
Our alumni publish works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Check out recent alumni work.
What Our Students Say
When writers are ready to take their work to the next level, they come to Bennington.
"[This book] knocks you over and changes how you view the world…" The Washington Post
National Book Award Finalist National Book Award Organization
"The entire book is rich" The New York Times
"...a twisty, unsettling thriller" The New York Times
"...cuts to the heart of life" Vanity Fair
"...haunting the reader with those human questions" The Chicago Tribune
"...compelling...because it is moderate" The New Republic
"...sideways views that are intriguing" Associated Press
“...that lost world [of] youthful longings.” The Boston Globe
“These stories feel both specific and flexible.” New York Times Sunday Book Review shortlist
“...among the most assured debut novels in recent memory...” Vogue
@BennMFA_Writing
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Jan 16.@DianeOCameron (Creative Nonfiction ‘99) writes about Staying Close Through Cancer |Sexual Intimacy for Cancer Tod… https://t.co/m270S3u9cg
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Jan 16“When I was thirteen, the girl next door read my palm, taught me to cast spells; she saw faces in things, futures i… https://t.co/DMfKUTajGm
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Jan 15RT @Mhy_Jalina: A huge thanks to @catparnell for recommending Echo Borealis as Monday's poetry book! https://t.co/UdnVjIm2KR