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The AWP Director's Handbook
A Compendium of Guidelines and Information
for Directors of Creative Writing Programs
A Publication of The Association
of Writers & Writing Programs 2008
 The Director's Handbook (713KB)
AWP Hallmarks of a Successful Graduate Program in Creative Writing
Graduate programs in creative writing have evolved since the 1930s to offer a range of artistic experiences, approaches, and courses of study. Because there are many paths by which one may become a writer, the curricula varies from program to program. AWP encourages this variety and innovation while it sets general guidelines to help ensure a high quality of artistic literary training within these programs. Although the courses of study vary, AWP has noted the following shared characteristics among successful programs that nurture a culture of creativity, vitality, intellectual rigor, artistic discipline, and collegiality. These definitive hallmarks also form the basis for “The AWP Guidelines for Creative Writing Programs and Teachers of Creative Writing.”
A successful creative writing program has accomplished writers as faculty members, a rigorous curriculum, talented students, and strong administrative support, all of which are complemented by the assets that distinguish a generally excellent academic institution. The AWP Board of Directors recommends that a creative writing program undergo an annual self-evaluation and periodic independent assessment in its effort to offer the best education for writers and to make the best possible contributions to contemporary letters. Independent assessments are especially valuable to programs that have been operating for fewer than ten years.
To facilitate, structure, and focus a program’s self-evaluation or independent assessment, the AWP Board of Directors has established these “Hallmarks of a Successful Graduate Program in Creative Writing.” The hallmarks are grouped within five general categories as follows:
Accomplished Faculty
- A strong, stable core faculty of distinguished publishing writers in full-time, tenured, or tenure-track positions, so that students may study with a different writer each semester during a two-year or three-year program of study. Core faculty have distinguished themselves as artists who have published significant work in one or more of the following genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, drama, or screenwriting. Core faculty members share equally in the duties of teaching, mentoring, advising, and thesis direction.
- Faculty who are both working writers and committed teachers, who routinely make themselves available to students outside of class. Such faculty are professionally active, not only publishing creative work, but also providing leadership in the profession through national, regional, and local service. They are promoted and tenured based on publication of creative work, demonstrated ability as teachers, and contribution to the university and greater literary community. The program should have clear criteria based on these qualities to designate, hire, and promote creative writing faculty.
- Distinguished visiting or adjunct faculty to supplement the work of the regular faculty.
- A diverse combination of faculty members who provide expertise in various genres of writing as well as a variety of approaches to their craft, based on aesthetic differences related to their literary, ethnic, cultural, and other backgrounds.
Rigorous and Extensive Curriculum
- An integrated, rigorous curriculum consistent with the mission of the program as “studio,” “studio/research,” or “research/theory/studio,” three types of programs established by The AWP Guidelines for Creative Writing Programs and Teachers of Creative Writing. This curriculum provides graduate-level creative writing workshops and seminars taught by core creative writing faculty on craft, theory, and contemporary literature. The program should provide an enabling progression of both practice and study in the literary arts in order to prepare the student for a life of letters and to equip the student with the skills needed for writing a publishable book-length creative work for the thesis.
- A good faculty-to-student ratio as established by AWP’s guidelines, allowing for a class size of 11–20 students.
- Courses in the catalog curriculum offered regularly and with consistent quality in the actual course schedule every semester or quarter.
- A good series of lectures, readings, and workshops by visiting writers to extend the regular faculty’s ability to provide a variety of approaches to the art and craft of writing.
- Student access to other classes in literature, journalism, publishing, composition, theater, or communications taught by distinguished faculty.
- An affiliation with a journal, press, or other literary publishing venues that can provide editorial experience.
Excellent Students and Support for Students
- A high ratio of applicants to admissions; generally high and selective admissions standards.
- Financial support available to a large percentage of MFA students in the form of fellowships, scholarships, teaching or research assistantships, travel grants, etc.
- If teaching assistantships are available, a regular program of TA training and mentoring to ensure that TAs develop good pedagogical methods and benefit from the experience of a skilled teacher.
- Graduate student representation in decisions of policy and practice. The program is responsive to graduate needs, and it has a mechanism for evaluating its effectiveness annually while it periodically conducts larger, more comprehensive reviews of how to best serve the needs of students.
- A high percentage of matriculated students who graduate from the program (and a low number of students who drop out or transfer from the program).
- A high number of students who go on to publish significant work.
Strong Administrative Support
- Strong leadership by the MFA Program Director in planning, staffing, devising curriculum, and advocating program needs to the university administration.
- Sufficient autonomy in regard to curriculum, admissions, budget, graduate support, physical facilities, and personnel to ensure quality, stability, flexibility, and the capability to take advantage of opportunities and initiatives in a timely fashion.
- High morale and a sense of cooperation and collegiality among students and faculty; an atmosphere of open discussion and mutual support, as well as respect for cultural and ethnic differences.
- A strong commitment of support from the dean and higher administration, including but not limited to: financial resources, salary support, paid release time for faculty to pursue creative work, and clerical/administrative support for the Program Director.
- A healthy relationship with the department in which the program is housed.
- A strong, positive presence in the local community established through deliberate outreach.
- Membership in AWP and other appropriate local, regional, and national associations to assure its faculty and students access to timely information about contemporary letters and the teaching of creative writing.
Other Complementary Institutional Assets and Infrastructure
- A special focus, initiative, resource, or other opportunity for students that distinguishes the program from other comparable programs.
- Faculty and student access to a good library with extensive holdings in contemporary literature; the library has an adequate budget for adding new titles to those holdings, including new periodicals.
- Classrooms, offices, and other spaces adequate to conduct workshops, conferences, readings, etc., which promote an atmosphere conducive to concentration, listening, and focused work.
- Internet access and computer labs for research and training in computer skills, including those required for graphic design for print and Web publications.
- A campus bookstore that supports the curriculum, special events with visiting writers, and faculty and student authors.
—The AWP Board of Directors
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