Drew > Caspersen School of Graduate Studies

M.F.A. in Poetry

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About the Program

The Drew University Master of Fine Arts in Poetry Program is a two-year, low-residency program for poets and poet translators. Students hone and develop their talent, as well as gain knowledge of the craft and poetics of contemporary American writers, and writers from other eras and cultures. The program offers some of America’s most talented poets as faculty mentors who work one-on-one with our students.

The program is divided into short, intense residencies and mentorship semesters. During residencies, students and faculty come together on Drew’s beautiful campus in Madison, New Jersey. Residencies consist of ten days of public readings, lectures, workshops, as well as close work and planning between students and mentors for the mentorship semester. During the mentorship semesters students return home to complete the work agreed upon during their previous residency while under the watch and care of experienced mentor-poets. The program culminates in a fifth residency, at which graduating students participate in a panel discussion and offer a public reading of the work they have completed over the course of their time in the MFA Program in Poetry.

Message from the Director

Read Linda's full message.

anne

"We are interested in students who are hungry to write their best poems, to write their poems, and to build a life informed by poetry." - Read more.

- ANNE MARIE MACARI, Director, Master of Fine Arts in Poetry Program

We offer three tracks, a track in Poetry, a track in Poetry in Translation, and a combined MFA in Poetry & Poetry in Translation (which requires an additional semester and an additional residency). The Drew MFA Program in Poetry is committed to making sure that all students, no matter which track they are on, are exposed to a broad range of poets and translators.

The MFA in Poetry

The MFA in Poetry requires the completion of four semesters and five residencies for a total of 64 credits. Students study the craft of poetry by writing poems, studying craft, reading extensively, and writing critically. During the fourth and final semester students complete a manuscript of original poems

The MFA in Translation

The MFA in Translation program is designed to teach students about the different models and schools of translation. Students receiving the MFA in Translation will translate into English. They will be expected to attend all lectures at the residency in order to understand the craft elements involved in writing poetry in English. The degree requires the completion of four semesters and five residencies for a total of 64 credits. During the fourth semester students complete a manuscript of translations.

The Combined MFA in Poetry and Poetry in Translation

The Combined MFA in Poetry and Poetry in Translation is designed for poets who also want to study the art of translation. Given that many poets are, at sometime, drawn to translation, both for the desire to understand and get at the heart of poetry from another language, as well as to inspire and deepen their own work, the study of translation is an important endeavor for any poet. The mission of the Drew Program in Poetry in Translation is to bring to Drew students an awareness and knowledge of poetry from all over the globe. All students will be exposed at residencies to the lectures in translation as well as to guest translators. To attain the combined MFA students pursue their own writing at the same time that they study and practice translation. The combined degree requires that students complete five semesters and six residencies for a total of 80 credits. During the fourth semester students complete a manuscript of their own poems. During the fifth semester students complete a manuscript of translations.