400 Heath Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-2332
mfa@pmc.edu

ADMISSIONS POLICY

The Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College welcomes applicants of all races, religions, ages, and genders. We do not discriminate on the basis of background or disability. In evaluating applications, panels composed of MFA staff and faculty members look for a demonstrated commitment to the art, and a level of skills that suggest the potential student is ready for graduate work in creative writing. A personal essay and three letters of recommendation are also required. Transcripts from previous educational institutions are required, but emphasis is placed on manuscripts and letters of recommendation.

In addition to the requirements detailed in our Application Guidelines, each applicant’s previous work and life experience will be considered in the admissions process. Students must be able to work independently and be open to positive criticism of creative work both during the residency periods—when faculty and students gather for workshops, classes, panels, and readings—and during the semesters of one-on-one study with a faculty mentor.

Once accepted, students begin the program during either the summer or the winter 10-day residency sessions. Although we encourage writers to work in more than one genre, we believe students will gain the most from the program by concentrating in either fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or writing for children & young adults. Matriculated students wishing to explore another genre more deeply may apply to do so during their second semester. [Students who concentrate in Writing for Children and Young Adults will be encouraged to work in more than one genre and age level during the first two semesters; by semester three they must focus on one genre and age level.]

A nonrefundable deposit of $50 is required with all applications. This fee cannot be waived. Information about financial aid can be found in our Financial Aid Guidelines and by calling our Financial Aid Office at (617) 731-7053.

All faculty/staff comments relating to applications are for internal use only and not available to applicants. We cannot return any portion of the application, including letters of recommendation, transcripts, or manuscripts.

Tuition for the Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College is $5,000 per semester (starting January 2009, tuition will be $5,250 per semester). Upon acceptance, students pay a nonrefundable enrollment deposit of $500, which ensures a place into a specific residency (January or July of a given year) and is applied toward the first semester’s tuition. Applicants are able to indicate on the application form which initial residency they prefer, and preferences are usually granted; occasionally, however, applicants may be accepted into the subsequent semester. Admitted students may delay their first residency/semester if they give written notice before the specified deadline (six weeks before the residency is scheduled to begin) and if they have submitted their enrollment deposit.

A semester’s leave of absence can, under certain circumstances, be approved.

Faculty member Kathleen Aguero (pictured left) leads a poetry workshop. “As a teacher,” says professor Aguero, “I like to help students unearth and perfect the poems that are theirs to write, as opposed to, say, imposing an aesthetic sensibility upon them.”

ADMISSION POLICY REGARDING TRANSFER STUDENTS

In some cases, students enrolled in an MFA program other than Pine Manor College’s might want to transfer to our MFA in Creative Writing program. Our policy regarding transfer students is as follows:

  1. Students currently enrolled in another MFA program (residency or low-residency) who wish to transfer to Pine Manor’s low-residency MFA program must submit a complete application as described in our Application Guidelines.

  2. Students attending a full-residency MFA program will begin our low-residency program as first or second-semester students; any credits earned from residency MFA programs will be accepted by PMC on a case-by-case basis.

  3. Students who have successfully completed and passed one or more semesters at another accredited low-residency MFA in Creative Writing program may enter the low-residency MFA program at Pine Manor with one semester’s worth of credits (13). Our program strives to build community within its student and faculty body, and features a singular philosophy and unique curriculum; transfer students who have earned two or more semesters’ worth of credits at another low-residency program must complete semesters two through four (in addition to the graduation residency) at Pine Manor in order to earn an MFA degree.

 

Click here for Application Guidelines and Forms

 


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