Naropa’s MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics is unlike any other. As the only open-genre program in the U.S., it invites writers to move across disciplines and media—to explore not just how to write, but how to live as an artist. Grounded in experimental poetics and contemplative inquiry, this program helps writers sharpen their voice while expanding their creative and social reach.
Housed within the historic Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics—founded by Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, and Diane di Prima—the creative writing MFA program nurtures interdisciplinary artists, blending page and performance, text and image, letterpress and digital form.
Whether you’re drawn to contemplative practices, divinatory poetics, or archive studies, this creative writing program supports you in crafting a body of work that reflects both your artistic lineage and your voice. The two-year degree culminates in a critical and creative thesis that prepares writers for meaningful work in publishing, teaching, performance, or community leadership.
At the heart of Naropa’s MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics is a faculty of celebrated poets, writers, and interdisciplinary artists. Led by founding program director Anne Waldman—a globally recognized poet, performer, and activist—our instructors bring a dynamic mix of vision and rigor to the classroom.
Recent visiting faculty and guest artists have included Joy Harjo, Roberto Tejada, Layli Long Soldier, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Thurston Moore, and Tongo Eisen-Martin, teachers at the forefront of contemporary poetics and performance. Alongside our core faculty and writers in residence, students enjoy opportunities to work in the Naropa recording studio and Harry Smith Printshop, taking their work beyond the page.
Naropa’s graduate courses break the mold of traditional creative writing programs. Our intimate classes move fluidly across poetry, prose, performance, translation, and visual text—pushing genre boundaries to discover your most authentic voice.
Our emphasis on poetics—rare among creative writing MFA programs—establishes a framework for rigorous artistic inquiry and critical reflection that culminates in a critical thesis project. Whether you’re drawn to hybrid forms, collaborative writing, or experimental approaches, the curriculum supports bold risk-taking and deep engagement with the questions that matter most to you as a writer.
At Naropa, we believe great writing doesn’t grow in isolation—it thrives in community. Our MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics is rooted in collaboration, not competition. Here, your peers are co-creators, not rivals.
The program fosters a supportive, inclusive environment where your creative risks are met with thoughtful engagement and shared celebration from our student-led Poem Machine reading series to Naropa Open Mic Nights. Our community comes alive through a vibrant calendar of readings, workshops, and the renowned Summer Writing Program—an annual festival of poets, writers, performers, publishers, and printmakers from across the globe.
Whether you’re writing on the green or performing a new piece in the recording studio, you’ll be surrounded by artists who understand that writing is both a solitary craft and a collective art.
The MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics is a two-year, on-campus, 48-credit graduate degree. Students typically enroll in 9 credit hours per semester and 12 credit hours of the Summer Writing Program (each year). Graduate students take classes across genres, enabling them to investigate a personal, intensely original writing process and style.
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Poetics requires a total of 48 credit hours distributed among the following courses:
9 credits of writing workshops
Semester-long workshops require regular submission of original work for critique, revision, and editing. Generative workshops engage students in creative work and critical inquiry across fields.
9 credits of poetics seminars
These examine a single writer’s work or specific topics in literary history, or encompass a survey of historical or theoretical orientations, and require critical papers in a standard academic format. Students must take WRI-617 in their first semester.
12 credits of the Summer Writing Program (workshops, lectures, readings)
3 credits of contemplative practice
A variety of courses are available that satisfy this requirement, including, but not limited to, aikido, ikebana, contemplative art, tai chi, and yoga. Each of these disciplines provides training in an art form that cultivates mindful awareness, somatic attention, and ancient Eastern art.
The Creative Writing and Poetics program offers the following 3-credit contemplative courses:
3 credits of professional development (teaching or publishing)
We are the only creative writing MFA program in the country that provides professional development in writing pedagogy, letterpress printing, and book arts, among other courses geared towards small press publishing.
6 credits of electives (workshops, interdisciplinary courses, etc.)
Students have ample choices to fulfill the 6-credit elective requirement and may choose courses from a wide range of offerings (including taking extra poetics and workshop courses). The Creative Writing and Poetics program also offers the following electives:
6 credits of thesis (faculty mentorship on book-length creative manuscript and critical research poetics essay)
In their last semester, students submit an MFA creative writing thesis manuscript and a critical thesis project. Additional information about the MFA thesis and extended thesis is available in the JKS office.
Explore a short, self-paced course with sample classes, teachings from faculty, and real stories from students and alumnx about their experience. Get a feel for how learning happens here through reflection, practice, and real-world application.
The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics has encouraged experimental forms across genres since its founding in 1974 by Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, and Diane di Prima. An artistic hub for historic writers and activists like Amiri Baraka, Joanne Kyger, Akilah Oliver, Berndette Mayer, and Lyn Hejinian, we challenge the notion of safe or generic works and create a space for radical exploration and experimentation with language, form, medium, and performance.
Naropa students deepen their writing craft not only through traditional modes of inquiry as well as exploring their minds, hearts, and souls. Contemplative pedagogy prepares writers for whatever comes next in their personal and professional lives
At Naropa, you will have the opportunity to publish your work and others in the student-run literary journal of the Kerouac School, Bombay Gin. The DIY ethos of our letterpress and book arts courses leads students and alumni to start presses, self-publish, and launch their own literary magazines.
Through workshops, seminars, and sustained mentorship, you’ll build a substantial portfolio of creative and critical writing. Many students use this body of work as the foundation for publications, teaching careers, or continued graduate study. Recent alumni books include, Magical Poetics: The Magic of Language and Real-World Effect Poetry, Robert Eric Shoemaker (Bloomsbury), Violence Besides, Jade Lascelles (Essay Press), Hemorrhaging Want and Water, Emily Pessos Duffy (Perennial Press).
With the only critical thesis in the country, our MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics emphasizes more than just craft—it fosters deep thinking. Students learn to read and write through lenses of theory, social justice, and intersectionality, becoming the writers our future world needs.
Strengthen your craft and technique across literary genres.
Communicate original ideas on a variety of literary texts and topics.
Recognize and appreciate intersecting social identities across media.
Discover your full potential as a writer by learning to take creative risks rooted in contemplative study.
Become a published author, writing teacher, publisher, translator, podcaster, or editor.
I knew Naropa was the right choice because of my dual values of deepening my roots in practice while growing out the limbs of my creative writing capacity and study. I also knew that this university and community would provide the perfect container for me to fulfill the purpose I feel is mine in the world.
The MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics is a two-year, 48-credit graduate degree program in Boulder, Colorado
Looking for a more flexible path? Our Low-Residency MFA in creative writing combines online courses with brief, immersive residencies, and can also be completed in two years.
Funding includes the Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, and Anselm Hollo Graduate Fellowships.
Fellowships are awarded annually to three incoming MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics students (residency program). Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, and Anselm Hollo fellowship recipients will receive full funding (tuition and fees), plus an additional $5,000 scholarship as well as a $4,500 stipend. Fellowship recipients may not simultaneously hold a Graduate Assistantship.
Additionally, partial funding is provided for students who have applied for and been offered graduate assistantships in JKS undergraduate courses or the Naropa Writing Center.
Visit our Graduate Scholarship page to read more about funding, fellowships, and scholarships for the Creative Writing & Poetics MFA and other degrees.
Admissions Counselor
Admissions Counselor
Naropa’s application process evaluates both academic performance and candidates’ openness and willingness to engage in contemplative practices.
Learn more about admission requirements and the application process for our MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics.
At Naropa, we believe quality education should be accessible. More than 75% of our graduate students receive some form of financial aid to help cover their costs. Our graduate costs & aid page covers costs and financial aid opportunities for graduate students, like scholarships, student employment, and loan options.
Scholarships are a great way to help with the costs of going to school. Naropa University offers an array of scholarship opportunities to graduate students. Students may be eligible to receive scholarships by applying for scholarships or by being nominated for a scholarship. For more detailed information about the different scholarships available and how to receive them, please review our graduate scholarship page.
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About Naropa
Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion.
Academics
Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.
Admissions & Aid
If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.
Life at Naropa
Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community, “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom
The Naropa Difference
How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person.
Support Naropa
At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.
