MA Program in Creative Writing and Literature for Educators to Be Offered

A new “low-residency” MA in creative writing and literature for educators has been approved by the state and will be offered by the Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences in June 2010. “The program will be unique in combining the two disciplines directly in response to the growing need for high school English faculty who can teach creative writing,” said Geoffrey Weinman, English and dean, Becton College (Flor).

“The low-residency aspect of the program will allow students to enroll who would not be able to attend a traditional, full-time graduate program because of work or other obligations,” said Martin Donoff, director of the new program as well as of FDU’s existing master of fine arts (MFA) in creative writing program.

The MA in creative writing and literature for educators combines a three-day weekend residency with online course work. During the residency in late June, students will live on campus at the College at Florham, where they will meet with instructors and participate in activities such as lectures, workshops, panel discussions, analysis seminars and readings. Subsequent course work is completed through online correspondence with instructors and instructor-led online workshops and discussions.

To earn the degree, students must complete seven 15-week courses: four in creative writing and analysis of different genres, a foundation course called Reading Like a Writer and two literature courses from an approved list. They must also submit a portfolio of all writing done in the program. The MA may be finished in as little as one-and-a-half years, but must be completed within five years, Donoff said.

“Traditional MFA programs in creative writing have limited openings, are often impractical for educators and do not offer the kind of curricular connections between teaching writing and literature that will be valuable for high school teachers,” he said. “This MA will also help teachers carve out areas of specialization in a widely popular discipline — making them more valuable to their schools.”

Low-residency graduate programs are increasingly popular at universities nationwide, and FDU has an eight-year record of success with its existing low-residency MFA in creative writing program based at the College at Florham. Faculty for the MA in creative writing and literature for educators will be drawn from Becton College’s master of fine arts, language and literature programs. The creative writing and critiquing courses will be taught by core MFA faculty, whose ranks include award-winning poets, novelists, essayists, nonfiction writers, scholars and editors.

For more information and an application, go to http://gradwriting.fdu.edu.