Graduate School Bulletin

Spring 2024

Admission requirements of Creative Writing and Literature Program

Application for admission to the Graduate School is made to a specific program for a specific degree. For the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature, applicants must fulfill both the Graduate School admission requirements and the specific requirements for the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature. See sections I and II for details on these requirements. Application forms may be found on line at http://www.grad.sunysb.edu./prospective/applying/ index.shtml. Please note that applications for Admission to the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature are made to MFA in Creative Writing and Literature Program and not to the Graduate School.

Electronic official transcripts from any undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended should be sent to the Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions, at gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu. 

Or snail-mailed directly to the graduate school:

Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions
Stony Brook University
Health Sciences Tower, Level 2 - Rm. 271
Stony Brook, NY 11794-8276

For questions, please call Margaret Grigonis at (631) 632-5028

Admission to the MFA in Writing and Literature

Applicants for the MFA program in Writing and Literature must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The program accepts applications from candidates whose undergraduate degrees were taken in areas other than the humanities.

Admission to the program is based on the evaluation of a portfolio of the applicant’s writing, made in conjunction with a review of the candidate’s entire academic career, and letters of recommendation. The portfolio may include works in any written form including fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, scripting, or other genre. Results from the Graduate Record Examination are encouraged, but not required.

In addition to the Graduate School Admission requirements, the MFA in Writing and Literature requires the following:

• Letters of recommendation from three instructors or writing professionals familiar with your written work.

• A statement discussing your reasons for graduate study (1-2 pp, submitted with the online application)

• A writing sample consisting of up to 10 pages of poetry, single-spaced, or 30 pages of prose, double-spaced (submitted with the online application). Your name should appear on the writing sample.

• A single sheet listing your address, phone number, email address, and title(s) of submission(s).

• A copy of your résumé or c.v. (submitted with the online application)

Any deficiencies in these or the Graduate School admission requirements shall not automatically bar admission, but it is understood that inadequacies in undergraduate preparation normally will require the student to take additional work, the amount to be determined by the appropriate graduate advisory committee. Additional work may not be used to fulfill MFA degree requirements.

 

Admission to the Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing

Admission to the Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing is competitive. Students who are eligible to apply include those enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at Stony Brook University and to students who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university who meet the admissions criteria.

For applicants already admitted to the University, admission involves completing a “Permission to Enroll in a Secondary Certificate” form. Students also need to submit a statement of purpose and a writing sample (details below). Students are required to have an earned bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 on a 4-point scale. The following must be submitted to the Creative Writing and Literature Program:

• A statement discussing the student’s reasons for graduate study (1-2 pp, submitted with the online application)

• A writing sample consisting of up to 10 pages of poetry (single-spaced) or 30 pages of prose (double-spaced), with the student’s name on the writing sample.

 

Admission to the Advanced Certificate in Children's Literature

Admission to the Advanced Certificate in Children’s Literature is highly competitive. Students who are eligible to apply include those enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at Stony Brook University and to students who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university who meet the admissions criteria.

For applicants already admitted to the University, admission involves completing a “Permission to Enroll in a Secondary Certificate” form. Students also need to submit a statement of purpose and a writing sample (details below). Students are required to have an earned bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 on a 4-point scale. The Children’s Literature program considers only applicants for admission in Spring term. The following must be submitted to the Creative Writing and Literature Program by December 1:

• A statement discussing the student’s reasons for graduate study (1-2 pp, submitted with the online application)
• A writing sample consisting of up to 10 pages of creative writing for picture book or 25 pages for chapter, middle grade or young adult.

• Letters of recommendation from three instructors or writing professionals familiar with your creative work.