NEOMFA
Established in 2005, The NEOMFA is unlike any other program in the country. A consortium of four universities -- Kent State University, Cleveland State University, The University of Akron, and Youngstown State University-- the NEOMFA's unique collaborative design allows students to have access to an award-winning faculty while concentrating on the writing of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction or playwriting at one among just a few programs in the country offering this concentration in writing for the theater.
The number and variety of our faculty guarantees consistent individual attention to student work during the period of this 48 credit hour terminal degree. The range of concentrations gives students the opportunity to take classes with other student writers from different backgrounds and in different genres. An annual series of readings and visiting writers in all genres -- including Junot Diaz, George Saunders, Miranda July, Dave Eggers, Roxane Gay, Dan Chaon, Mary Ruefle, Shara McCallum, Heather Cristle, and Kate Greenstreet -- supports our regular curricular offerings which include workshops in the four genres, craft & theory classes, cross-genre classes, relevant literature classes, an internship seminar, and electives. Selected students attend special summer programs, such as the Juniper Seminars in Massachusetts and the Imagination Conference in Cleveland; many students attend the annual AWP conference representing the NEOMFA, or journals and presses associated with the program.
Full and partial funding opportunities are available to teach composition and creative writing, to work with our several literary journals or with the Wick Poetry Center, the CSU Poetry Center, The University of Akron Press, or the Youngstown Poetry Center. Required career-preparing internships offer students excellent work experiences. Students in the NEOMFA can take advantage of large, urban centers, as well as small town and rural environments. Exciting events and cross-campus gatherings for students and faculty promote a sense of community across distances. All writing workshops, craft and theory classes, and internship seminars are limited to students enrolled in the NEOMFA program.
IMPORTANT: All applications must be made BOTH to the NEOMFA consortium as well as to Kent State University (as the "gateway" university).
- January 15 is the deadline for receipt of all application materials to Kent State University
- January 15 is the deadline for application to the NEOMFA
- GRE is not required for application
For more information on application information and deadlines, portfolio guidelines, program requirements, student handbook, and NEO MFA faculty go the the NEOMFA website.
Apply to the Graduate Masters Program
All programs applications are considered to be concurrent applications for an assistantship.
Contact Catherine Wing (cwing1@kent.edu), NEOMFA Kent Campus Coordinator, if you have any questions.