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. Our alumni, faculty, students, and staff publish work at the highest levels.
Models & Mentors
Our faculty-student ratio of 1:1 provides true mentorship. You work closely with a faculty member who is an accomplished writer and a distinguished teacher.
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 (9-19, 2020) or June (4-14, 2020) Application deadlines are September 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.
“These words feel like experiences.” Kendrick Lamar
“…a searing exploration of the butterfly effect of trauma and the uncanny persistence of love in improbable circumstances.” Publisher's Weekly
“The miracle of Amy Hempel’s stories is their extreme compassion despite their extreme brevity.” The Believer
“Jerkins deftly examines the intersectionality of what it means to be black and a woman in a society that doesn't always support the combination of these two identities.” Chicago Public Library
“These essays are a welcome battering ram to the chest.” Chicago Review of Books
"…Quatro delivers a startlingly unique portrait of an obsession and the complexities of a marriage." Grove Atlantic
“…a high-energy analysis of popular culture…” Entropy Magazine
"An entrancing memoir…" The New York Times
“A poetic and powerful memoir about what it means to be Black woman in America…” Goodreads
“In Chee’s hands, varied subjects, however disparate they may seem, coalesce…” Publisher's Weekly
“…explores the family dynamic of a feminist trailblazer who defied tradition to fulfill her destiny.” Reader's Digest
“…[a] stunning novel based in part on her family history…” Real Simple
“…a story around political activism, privacy, sexual betrayal, racial tension and homelessness.” The Washington Post
“…ripe with romance and sensual pleasures…” Goodreads
“…Sousa uses retold fairy tales to shed light on modern life…” The Berkshire Edge
@BennMFA_Writing
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Dec 12RT @jjgallaher1: Hearing of the passing of Lyn Lifshin, who I never met, I'm reminded of her famous submissions to literary journals back i…
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Dec 12A review of ORDERS OF PROTECTION, the new story collection by @JennHollmeyer (Fiction ‘12), in @FreeStateReview.… https://t.co/KkKA04pSy7
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Dec 12"I’ve long known that deadlines and money are useful for novelists." "Money, Deadlines, and Water," an essay by… https://t.co/AQZ2hBUM14