Poetry is a powerful medium used to speak effectively to the present moment while acknowledging the past. Whether you want to hone your craft for personal or professional reasons, a mastery of poetry opens doors to a variety of creative opportunities.
Program Overview
Master modern and traditional poetic art forms.
Western’s MFA and M.A. in Poetry program cultivates poets who feel compelled to craft work that is relevant to the present times and speaks to current events. In the program, you’ll study contemporary poetry and learn to write in the freer forms that are widespread today, while also learning the history of traditional poetic forms. Through intensive coursework and expert guidance from faculty, you’ll hone your skills for writing cutting-edge poems, while gaining a comprehensive understanding of notable poets of the past.
Cultivating poets
Kevin O’Shea reads from his poetry thesis for a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Western.
Careers
Career preparation starts your first year at Western and is the primary focus of every degree.
Visit Career Services in Library 120 or online to discover your interests, define your goals, and land the career of your dreams.
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News & Research
The Program
Achieve your personal and professional goals.
Western’s MFA and M.A. in Poetry is a low-residency program, meaning faculty and students interact online during the academic year and gather for two weeks in July on campus for classes, lectures and writing.
- MFA students attend three summer residencies: one prior to the first semester, one between years one and two and one in the third summer.
- During the academic year, full-time MFA students take two courses each semester. These six-credit courses make use of videoconferencing and Canvas for online work.
- To complete the MFA, students work on a thesis throughout their final year.
- M.A. students pursue an identical curriculum to MFA students, but only come for two summers and one academic year and they do not write a thesis.
Lessons from the past
Poetry students not only study contemporary poetry and learn to write in the freer forms that are widespread today but also study the history of their art and master traditional poetic forms.
Opportunities and Partnerships
- Students have the opportunity to get experience in the world of publishing by working with “THINK: A Journal of Poetry, Fiction, Essays, and Reviews.”
- Students and alumni are invited to give readings at the Gunnison Valley Poetry Festival, held in late summer, and at other public events during the year.
- Students are able to take a course from the program’s other concentrations: Genre Fiction, Screenwriting for Film and Television, Nature Writing and Publishing.
- Many students add a second concentration to their degrees, allowing for unique combination degrees, such as Poetry and Nature Writing or Poetry and Publishing.
Rhythmical creations
A student performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. Open Mic, hosted by WordHorde and the Black Student Alliance.
Department Information
Graduate Program in Creative Writing
Director
Tyson Hausdoerffer, Ph.D.Director, Graduate Program in Creative Writing
Office Support Coordinator
Michelle WilkProgram Support Coordinator
Campus Location
Western Colorado University
Quigley Hall 117
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231