LAS Graduate Programs

The graduate programs available in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences are directed by faculty members who have achieved some of the highest honors in their respective fields, preparing candidates for careers as teachers, writers, thinkers, and leaders.

Here are the graduate programs available in the School of LAS:

Art Education (K-12) and Elementary Education (K-9)
Education Department

The MAT program, with its two areas of specialization, prepares teachers to act as agents of creative change striving to employ democratic practices in teaching. The Art Education program prepares candidates to teach the visual arts at the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels. The Elementary Education program prepares candidates to teach in self-contained elementary classrooms and includes the option of one or more middle-school endorsement areas. In both programs, emphasis is placed on using a variety of art forms to deepen student learning.

Creative Writing - Nonfiction
Department of English

This MFA graduate program in Nonfiction features an intensive study of nonfiction writing and the theory of nonfiction, and it does this within a stimulating urban campus setting providing easy access to Chicago's lively cultural and literary scene. Thesis seminars and one-on-one advising will help students complete the program with a book-length manuscript of publishable quality. Students will also have the opportunity to work as readers or editors for the Nonfiction program's nationally distributed literary magazines.

Creative Writing - Poetry
Department of English

Columbia's MFA program in Poetry is one of a handful of single-genre programs in the country. It prepares students to write and publish poetry at a highly professional level, providing students with a sophisticated understanding of poetry as a contemporary and historical practice. Students study poetry through classes in literature, craft seminars, and workshops. This approach prepares students as artists, scholars, and creative professionals. Students who complete the program have a book-length poetry manuscript in hand and will be ready to participate in the worlds of poetry, publishing, and the arts.

To learn more about Columbia and how to apply, please visit our Admissions page.