FAQs

Visit our How to Apply page for complete application instructions. 

The fee waiver process is laid out by the Graduate School as a whole rather than the MFA program individually. Please visit the Graduate School’s application FAQ page here (scroll down to the FAQ section, and then click “How do I request an application fee waiver”) to learn more.

You can learn more about the Graduate School’s English language proficiency requirements here.

Please see updated Tuition and Fees on the University Finance and Administration site. 

Yes, we offer teaching assistantships, which are determined by the program’s admissions committee and do not require an additional application. Teaching assistantships usually include the teaching of two sections of undergraduate composition per year (one section per semester) in return for a living stipend, tuition remission, and health benefits.

No.

The writing sample should reflect your best writing. You may submit fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or a combination thereof. Length requirements are as follows: 20-30 pages of prose (double-spaced), 10 pages of poetry (poetry can be single-spaced), or a combination of 10-15 pages of prose and 5 pages of poetry. Upload your sample to the online application. 

No. In fact, many of our students have had training or work experience in quite different fields before deciding to pursue their writing.

All applicants will be notified of their admission status by April 1. You may check the status of your application anytime at Rutgers Graduate and Professional Admissions. 

We only accept applications for matriculation in the fall semester, due at our January deadline. 

We do offer courses in both playwriting and screenwriting every few semesters, but we do not accept theses in these genres.

Yes. Upon approval, you can transfer in a maximum of 12 credits from another graduate degree and apply them toward the MFA degree.

Full-time students typically complete the degree in two years. We normally do not fund students beyond two years. 

We do not accept auditor or nonmatriculated students in our MFA classes. Our classes are open only to students who have been accepted into the degree program.

MFA students may choose to live on- or off-campus. Visit Housing and Residence Life for information about our on-campus graduate dormitory. Off-campus, affordable housing is readily available in Philadelphia, Camden, and other South Jersey communities, including Collingswood and Haddonfield. Rutgers-Camden is located near the Camden City Hall stop of the PATCO high speed train line. The train to Center City Philadelphia takes 10 minutes and 10-15 minutes to nearby South Jersey communities.

Once an applicant is admitted, we will help connect them with a current student. In the meantime, look out for information sessions, which are open to all applicants.

For more information, please email mfa@camden.rutgers.edu.