The MFA Program is a nationally ranked studio/research program, which means that our writers study literature as they endeavor to write it. The program focuses strongly on 12 credit hours of Writing Workshop in a declared genre, and requires 6 thesis hours in which students work one-on-one with their mentor professors. We also require 18 credit hours of graduate courses in literature. In addition, students will choose 1 of 3 unique Electives Concentrations. Students may also make use of resources provided by the Institute for Jazz Studies, the Institute for Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, the Paul Robeson Gallery, Dana Library and its Book Arts program, and the Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies. The RU-N MFA Program also enjoys affiliations with The Newark Museum, the New Jersey Historical Society, the Newark Public Library, and Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art, all a short walk from campus.