Creative Writing and Translation Program Ranked Among Top in Nation

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas programs in creative writing and translation in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences department of English has earned a spot among the top-ranked programs in the United States. In its “2013 MFA Index,” published this week, Poets & Writers magazine ranked the University of Arkansas 39^th among full-residency master of fine arts programs in the nation and eighth in job placement for its graduates.

“We take particular pride in what these rankings emphasize about our program – that our students’ futures represent our highest priority,” said Michael Heffernan, professor of English and interim director of the program. “Students who come here for their MFAs can be confident that they will not only receive top-notch instruction during their time here, but they will leave our program fully prepared for their professional lives as writers, teachers, and innovators of their craft.”

Of 150 programs surveyed, the University of Arkansas ranked eighth in the nation for placing its graduates in full-time creative writing faculty positions at the college level. Other institutions in the top 10 for job placement included the University of Iowa, Brown University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Texas in Austin.

The program placed 16^th in funding for current students and 18^th in fellowship placement, which measured the percentage of graduates who earned prestigious national fellowships over the past decade. In addition, it ranked 39th out of 160 in popularity, as measured by the number of students who applied to the program in 2011-2012.

“Creative writing at the University of Arkansas has a long and distinguished history,” said Dorothy Stephens, professor of English and chair of the department. “Our faculty are consistently among the best poets, fiction writers, translators, and teachers nationwide.”

Poets & Writers magazine is published by Poets & Writers Inc., the nation’s largest non-profit literary organization serving poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Established in 1970, the organization first began ranking MFA programs in 2009.