Admissions••Curriculum••Financial••FAQ's••Contact

For nearly 40 years, the Brown University Graduate Program in Literary Arts has been a creative and intellectual center for the U.S. literary avant-garde. Along with only a handful of other writing programs nationwide, Brown's Graduate Program in Literary Arts provides a home for experimental writers of fiction, poetry, playwriting, electronic writing (hypertext) and mixed media.

Established in the mid-1960s by poet and critic Edwin Honig under the auspices of then-president Barnaby Keeney, the Graduate Program in Literary Arts today offers 60 - 70 classes annually, and awards the M.F.A. degree to approximately 15 graduate student writers each year. Many of these writers go on to make significant contributions to their respective literary fields.

The Program is designed to ensure that students have maximum time to devote to their writing. Students take eight courses; half in writing and half in elective studies over their two years on campus.

In December 2003, the University approved the name change from the Graduate Program in Creative Writing to the Graduate Program in Literary Arts. While the name of the program has changed, curricular requirements, course offerings and literary/theatrical programming all remain unchanged.

Admissions ( top )

Admission to the Program depends primarily on the quality of the prospective student's writing, which is evaluated by at least two members of the faculty. In preparing samples of work for submission, the prospective student should emphasize quality rather than length, though the sample should represent the range of his or her work. The Program suggests the following page lengths: 30-40 pages of fiction; one full-length play or two to three one-act plays for playwriting; 15-20 pages of poetry; one or two electronic projects for electronic writing.

Due to the large number of applicants, the faculty members regret that a critique of the writing sample cannot be provided. Additionally, the Program is unable to grant interviews to prospective students.

Materials required for review of application by the Program include:

In order for your application to be complete, the Graduate School will require: original, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended; three letters of recommendation, sent directly to the Brown Graduate School by either the referee or by a dossier service; official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) results for all international students. While the Program recommends that applicants submit these materials by the 15 December deadline, the Program will give full consideration to applications that are missing transcripts, reference letters or TOEFL scores. For Graduate School introduction, click here.

Special Note: Anyone who has completed part or all of an advanced degree program in creative writing at another institution must attach a separate letter to the application, in which the applicant explains the special circumstances related to the decision to apply to Brown. Without such explanation, the Program faculty will not review the application. (The primary accepted basis for completing a second MFA program is the stated desire to pursue work in a different genre.)

G.R.E. general and subject test scores are not required by the Program.

Applications are available from the Graduate School, Box 1867, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912. From their website, you may request that a paper application be mailed to you or you may apply electronically.

Applicants should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, requesting that Brown receive a copy of the report. This financial report is reviewed by the Graduate School, not by the Literary Arts Program.

Curriculum Requirements ( top )

The Literary Arts Program at Brown is structured to allow graduate student writers maximum possible time for creative and intellectual exploration. Students attend two courses per semester: a writing workshop and an elective. Elective courses may be selected from among the full offerings of the Brown University curriculum. In years past, students have taken courses in literature, history, philosophy, theater arts, modern culture and media, religious studies, and foreign languages. Studio fine arts courses and translation workshops are often appropriate choices - as are workshops offered on special topics or in other genres.

In their final semester, instead of taking a workshop, graduate students work independently with a faculty advisor on thesis preparation. The thesis is a substantial work of electronic arts, drama, fiction, or poetry - or may cross genre boundaries. It is intended to represent the student's achievement during the two years in residency at Brown.

Financial Information ( top )

Brown University recognizes merit and financial need as appropriate criteria for the awarding of financial aid to graduate students. Accordingly, all applicants (except foreign) seeking fellowships, teaching assistantships, tuition scholarships, proctorships, and loan assistance from Brown are required to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You should refer to the Graduate School application materials for more information. Foreign nationals should not request this form.

All applicants should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, even if they do not expect to request financial support.

The financial support administered by the university and available to Literary Arts Program students takes one of the following forms: fellowships, scholarships, teaching assistantships, or proctorships.

It is the goal of the Graduate Program in Literary Arts to provide financial aid to all accepted students each year. While aid is not guaranteed, we are proud of our track record in this area: during the last decade, all incoming students who applied for financial support received it. Aid packages for Literary Arts students generally take the following forms:

In the first year, graduate students typically receive a fellowship or proctorship that pays a small monthly stipend and covers tuition, the health fee, and health insurance. Proctorships involve non-academic employment for a limited number of hours per week. Fellowships are awarded in recognition of merit and personal need, and do not require employment.

In the second year, all graduate students in good standing who are considered appropriately qualified will be awarded teaching assistantships. Teaching assistants teach one undergraduate writing workshop per semester, and receive in payment a full stipend, tuition, health fee, and health insurance.

Students who need additional funds can also apply for a Guaranteed Student Loan. To be eligible, students should first apply to a bank or lending agency in his or her home state. If loan funds are denied, the student may borrow from Brown. The Graduate School needs to receive your Free Application for Federal Aid before any loan applications can be processed.

A fact sheet on the Guaranteed Loan Program is available from the Graduate School. Foreign students are not eligible for these loans.

Frequently-Asked Questions ( top )

How many pages of creative work should I submit with my application? The Program does not specify a minimum or a maximum. Here are some suggested lengths: 30-40 pages of fiction; one full-length play or two to three one-act plays for playwriting; 15-20 pages of poetry; one or two electronic projects for electronic writing.

If I submit my application online, how do I get the writing sample to you? Applicants may submit a writing sample in plain-text format (for example, as an MS Word document) that is less than 1 megabyte in size as part of their online application. For those applicants whose work cannot easily be sent in this format, send it by regular mail to: Graduate School, Brown University, Box 1867, Providence RI 02912. If you decide to send your writing sample as hard copy by regular mail, please put the following information into the space within the electronic application provided for the writing sample: Your name,  your genre (electronic, fiction, playwriting, poetry), and the following statement "I am sending my writing sample by regular mail".

What are the faculty looking for in an applicant? The writing sample is the primary basis for acceptance into the program. No particular style will guarantee acceptance-or denial.

What should I say in my Personal Statement -- and how long should it be? The Program has no particular guidelines regarding the Personal Statement. We suggest that you think of it as an introduction to your writing sample. You can talk about yourself, your aesthetics, your past experiences, your hopes, dreams and fears. In most cases, the Personal Statement will range from 1-4 pages in length.

What are my chances of getting in? In the past few years, the Program has received between 650 and 700 applications. In a typical year, 12 to 14 students will be accepted. We anticipate accepting 5 fiction writers, 5 poets, 3 playwrights and 1 electronic writer.

Can I get advice from a faculty member regarding my application? We're sorry to say that the Program is not in a position to critique an applicant's manuscript-before or after the process takes place.

Is there a foreign language requirement/exam? No.

If I took the GRE's, should I send the scores? GRE scores are not required, nor are they considered; so you may as well save yourself the time and expense of sending them.

What if I miss the 15 December application deadline? We don't have rolling admissions, nor do we have spring admissions. We're sorry to say that you'll have to wait for the next 15 December deadline.

If I am accepted, can I defer? No; if you do not wish to start in September, you'll have to reapply.

Can I transfer credits from another graduate school? Up to one course may transferred from another graduate program. Final determination as to whether or not the transfer will be accepted will be made by the Director of the Program and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Do my letters of recommendation have to be from my college professors? While the Graduate School suggests that at least two letters come from instructors who teach at the school you most recently attended, we encourage you to arrange for letters from any three people who can speak cogently about you as a writer, whether or not they have ever been your teacher.

What if a recommendation or transcript is sent after the 15 December deadline? If your application form, application fee, personal statement and writing sample arrive on time, then your application will be reviewed. Of course, if they arrive on time, letters and transcripts may help your candidacy. If accepted, you will need to have all materials on file with the Graduate School before you matriculate.

If I am applying on-line, where do I get the recommendation forms to give to my referees? Instructions related to the registration of your recommenders may be found when you log on at:
http://www.brown.edu/Divisions/Graduate_School/admission.html
While other departments at Brown may feel that it is important that your referees use Brown's form, Literary Arts is more concerned about simply getting the letters. As such, you may also ask your referees to send their letters on their own letterhead (and skip Brown's form altogether). If you decide not to use the Brown form, each referee should seal and sign the seal of the envelope before sending. We also accept letters sent by dossier services. All letters of reference should be sent to the Graduate School, Box 1867, Brown University, Providence RI 02912.

I just have to send my package by courier. Where do I send it? We do not encourage your doing this, as it may in fact, slow down the processing of your materials, however, if absolutely necessary, use the following address: Brown University, Graduate School, 47 George Street, Providence, RI 02912.

I want to study in more than one genre. What do I do? You may choose to apply in the genre that best approximates your primary focus; or you may wish to submit more than one application. Regardless, if accepted into the Program, you will be able to undertake work in more than one genre---or combine genres within a genre workshop and/or within the special topics workshop slated for each spring semester.

To Contact the Program or the Graduate School ( top )

Please feel free to contact the Program with your questions by clicking here for an electronic mail link. (Note: the Program brochure mirrors our online information.)

The Graduate School may be reached by telephone at
401-863-2600. Application information is available from the Graduate School's "Admissions" link -- see General Information.