DURHAM, N.H. - For the second year running, the Master of Fine Arts in Writing program at the University of New Hampshire has been ranked one of the top 50 programs in the nation by Poets and Writers, with the university's creative nonfiction program highlighted as the seventh best in the nation.

"Our MFA Program continues to demonstrate excellence by these most recent rankings. For such a new program to have achieved this level of success so soon is testimony to the talent and hard work of our faculty and staff," said Ken Fuld, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

UNH's overall program was ranked 47 in the nation. Within the MFA program, the creative nonfiction program was ranked seventh in the nation, the poetry program was ranked 37th, and the fiction program earned an honorable mention. There are 148 full-residency MFA programs in the United States, according to Poets and Writers.

Launched four years ago, UNH's program offers concentrations in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. The program emphasizes craft, learned in small workshops, and seeks students who plan to become professional writers after taking their degrees.

"The MFA faculty and staff work very hard to foster a strong sense of community, both in and out of class. We keep our classes small and individual conferences plentiful. Beyond that, I think that the magic lies in the very real fact that the faculty enjoys the students, and we'd like to think the reverse is true, too. Anyone who has witnessed an MFA reading or a gathering at Breaking New Grounds can see the bond," said Sue Hertz, director of UNH's MFA in Writing program.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

Top 50 MFA in Writing Programs
http://www.pw.org/files/2011rankings_0.pdf

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