notre dame creative writing program

Kylemore Abbey Global Centre

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Creative Writing Program

This 4-week intensive Creative Writing Program is taught by distinguished Notre Dame faculty, Dionne Bremyer and Irish faculty who will encourage students to find their writing voice & connect to larger issues in contemporary writing.

The course will feature creative writing instruction including lectures, discussions, workshopping, and critiques of students' work. In the setting of Kylemore and Galway, students will reflect upon their peers' fiction, poetry, scripts and/or hybrid writing. Students will explore the west of Ireland through the cultural immersion program and a wide variety of excursions through Yeats’ homeland and along the wild Atlantic way. This summer program offers students a unique opportunity, with ample time and space, to deep dive into the Irish literary landscape and hone their craft.

2024 Creative Writing Program  

June 29 - July 27, 2024. Please note that these dates are subject to change.

The program is worth 3 Notre Dame credits and is open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students from all backgrounds.

Learn more & apply

Student Testimonials

“The summer program at Kylemore was one of my most enriching experiences. Not only did I have the opportunity to connect with the landscape of Ireland, but also with a wonderful group of teachers, artists, staff, and friends that made my summer truly unforgettable.” — Kate Ross ('24), American Studies major; Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy minor

“The Kylemore Creative Writing Program was the perfect blend of academic growth and international exploration. This program allowed me to develop as a writer through various short-form exercises and immerse myself in the Irish culture and countryside. Coupling these elements with the intimate, supportive atmosphere of the small cohort sets students up for an incredible experience.” — Andy De La Garza ('25), Business Analytics and English double major

"I wouldn't trade my time with the Kylemore Program for the world! I learned so much about writing (from the other students as well as Professor Dionne Bremyer and Marina Carr!) and experienced Ireland in a way I never could have without going there. The incredible excursions and amazing food were absolutely unforgettable as are the many friendships I made and that I'll cherish for years to come." — Amanda Muhr ('25), English and Theology double major

Related Stories

• Novelist, English professor Dionne Irving Bremyer on empathy, creative writing and climate change’s impact on culture

Study Abroad

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Kylemore Creative Writing Program

2024 program dates: june 29 - july 25.

This 4-week intensive Creative Writing Seminar is taught by distinguished Notre Dame faculty, Dionne Bremyer and Irish faculty who will encourage students to find their writing voice & connect to larger issues in contemporary writing.

The course will feature creative writing instruction including lectures, discussions, workshopping, and critiques of students' work. In the setting of Kylemore and Galway, students will reflect upon their peers' fiction, poetry, scripts and/or hybrid writing. Students will explore the west of Ireland through the cultural immersion program and a wide variety of excursions through Yeats’ homeland and along the wild Atlantic way. This summer program offers students a unique opportunity, with ample time and space, to deep dive into the Irish literary landscape and hone their craft.

Learn More & Apply ← Back to Programs

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University of Notre Dame

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Department of Art, Art History, and Design

The Department of Art, Art History, and Design is multidisciplinary in nature and offers courses in the studio arts, art history, and design at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Department of Film, Television, and Theatre

FTT offers both a scholarly and creative context for the general liberal arts student as well as those students seeking intensive preparation for advanced study in film, television, or theater.

Department of Music

The Department of Music provides an intensive course of study for music majors within Notre Dame’s rich liberal arts tradition. Our students engage performance, music theory, music history, and ethnomusicology in collaboration with a professionally accomplished faculty of performers and scholars.

Creative Writing Program

The Creative Writing Program is a course of study with the flexibility for students to initiate a variety of literary lives through exposure to a range of aesthetics, a global literary orientation, coursework in historical and contemporary literary forms, and interaction with visiting authors and scholars.

Sacred Music at Notre Dame

The Sacred Music at Notre Dame Program is an ecumenical graduate music program with a Roman Catholic core, offering three areas of concentration: organ, choral conducting, and voice.

School of Architecture

The school emphasizes classical and vernacular architecture within traditional urbanism; principles that encourage community, harmony with nature, and economy of resources and energy. The school is part of a continuum from the past to the future, learning and inventing from it—carrying it forward with timeless ideals and cutting-edge technology.

Shakespeare at Notre Dame

Shakespeare at Notre Dame is a regional center for Shakespearean scholarship, production, educational outreach, and academic research. It combines programs as far-reaching and diverse as Actors From The London Stage, the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, visiting guest artists and lecturers, touring productions, and new media library collections. Collectively these endeavors ensure Notre Dame’s status as a nationally visible—and the Midwest’s preeminent—venue for Shakespeare studies.

Center for Creative Computing

The Center for Creative Computing was created in 2003 by the College of Arts and Letters to provide leadership and resources to support and encourage specialized and advanced computing technologies in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The center fosters initiatives in research and teaching that seek new paradigms of literacy through a critical and creative exploration of emerging forms of visual communication.

The Graduate School

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The University of Notre Dame offers master's and doctoral degrees in the College of Arts and Letters, College of Engineering, College of Science, and the Keough School of Global Affairs, and doctoral degrees in the Mendoza College of Business. Most doctoral programs admit students primarily to the PhD program, although a master’s degree may be earned on the way to the PhD in some fields.

Advanced degrees in architecture, and law, and master's degrees in business are administered separately by the  School of Architecture ,  Law School  and  Mendoza College of Business , respectively.

ACE: Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program: MAEL

Deadline: Feb. 1

Graduate Program in Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE)

Program Handbook

The Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program is a 25-month graduate program) delivered over three summers and two academics years) for educators seeking to become transformational Catholic school leaders.  Our innovative approach blends on-campus summer classes with applied online coursework during the academic year, optimizing the time and energy of practicing teachers and leaders.  

Remick Leaders are enrolled in coursework designed to provide the skills and knowledge necessary to become exceptional Catholic school leaders while addressing the standards for building-level leadership.  Upon completion of the program, participants earn a master of arts in educational leadership (MAEL) from the University of Notre Dame and can be eligible for K-12 administrative licensure. 

To request more information or begin your application to become a Remick leader , visit the Alliance for Catholic Education website.

Last update: 08/31/2023

• GRE General Test optional
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo for non-native speakers of English
• Curriculum vitae
• Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution; one must show conferral of a bachelor's degree. (Due upon enrollment)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution required at the time of application. (Official transcript showing conferral of a bachelor's degree due upon enrollment.)
• Supplemental application required; refer to the program website for details

Rachel Frey Associate Director Phone: (574) 631-1131 Email: [email protected]

https://ace.nd.edu/academics/degrees-and-certificates

ACE: Teaching Fellows: MEd

Deadline: Early decision: Nov. 1; Regular decision: Jan 23

Entry into the master of education (M.Ed.) program is contingent upon admission to the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program. 

To request more information or begin your application to become an ACE Teaching Fellow , visit the Alliance for Catholic Education website.

Last updated: 08/31/2023

• Curriculum vitae or resume
• Four letters of recommendation (two professors and two personal)
• Additional materials required; refer to program site for details.

Michael Comuniello Senior Associate Director for Recruiting, M.Ed. Program Phone: (574) 631-6561 Email: [email protected]

Advanced Quantitative Social Science: Minor

Deadline: Current graduate students only

Graduate Program in Psychology

The minor in Advanced Quantitative Social Science (AQSS) provides doctoral students at Notre Dame advanced training in the application of psychometrics, social science data modeling, and state-of-the-art statistical and (big) data analysis techniques.  The minor capitalizes on the expertise of Notre Dame’s outstanding faculty who specialize in computing, data analytics, methodology, psychometrics, and statistics to provide graduate students with a thorough basis of advanced data analytical techniques and social science data modeling that will improve the quality of research in their substantive areas. AQSS also equips students with the statistical credentials that facilitate favorable placements in academic or industrial positions upon graduation.  

AQSS is housed in the Department of Psychology to capitalize on its strong faculty in quantitative psychology, statistics, and social science data analytics. This graduate minor is open to all doctoral students at Notre Dame.

• Refer to program site for pre-requisites

G. A. Radvansky Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-6650 Email: [email protected]

https://psychology.nd.edu/graduate/

Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering: PhD

Deadline: Fall: Dec. 31; Spring: Oct. 15

Graduate Program in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

Through a combination of coursework and research, graduate students in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering program explore such areas as flow physics and controls; biomedical science and engineering; mechanics, computation, and design; and energy and thermosciences. Students and faculty have access to state-of-the-art facilities and leading, innovative research techniques. Students, faculty, and alumni publish regularly in leading engineering publications.

Updated: 08/31/2023

• Statement of intent

Ryan McClarren Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-5975 Email: [email protected]

https://ame.nd.edu/graduate/

Aerospace Engineering: MSAE

Deadline: Fall: Feb. 15; Spring: Oct. 15

Updated: 2/2023

Analytics: PhD

Deadline: Jan. 7

Graduate Program in IT, Analytics, and Operations (ITAO)

The Department of IT, Analytics, and Operations (ITAO) in the Mendoza College of Business seeks to produce “T-shaped” scholars that receive a foundation comprising select theories and ethics coursework, and depth via analytics methods courses and seminars. We see an opportunity to develop multi-dimensional scholars well-versed in contemporary analytics methods while also being adept at framing problems, thinking critically about the logic and flow between a problem and proposed solution, and capable of extrapolating their work to the bigger picture.

• GRE General Test or GMAT

Ahmed Abbasi Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-5212 Email: [email protected]

https://mendoza.nd.edu/research-faculty/academic-departments/phd-analytics/

Anthropology: PhD

Deadline: Dec. 1

Graduate Program in Anthropology

The Ph.D. in anthropology focuses on Integrative Anthropology; by this, we mean integration of anthropological perspectives (beyond what is usually considered the "four-field" approach), integration of theory and application, integration of teaching, research, and ethics, and integration of anthropology with other resources and scholars on campus and elsewhere. Students will learn to use multiple approaches to understanding humanity and its diversity and to address big questions in an inquiry-based fashion. We inculcate respect for divergent intellectual approaches, civil exchange, and an ethical orientation. Through a professionalization and apprenticeship approach, graduates will be prepared to take their place as scholar-teacher-practitioners in or out of the academy in the twenty-first century.

Areas and Fields of Study

• Linguistic anthropology
• Ethnography/cultural anthropology
• Archaeology
• Biological anthropology
• Health and culture
• Business anthropology
• Childhood, families, and learning
• Development, violence, peace, and environment
• Human-environment systems
• Movement of people
• Evolutionary anthropology
• Social complexity, identity, and power
• Ritual, belief, practice, language, and meaning

Last updated: 8/31/2023

• Writing sample(s) - refer to program site for details

Christopher Ball Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-6993 Email: [email protected]

https://anthropology.nd.edu/graduate-program/

Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics: MS

Deadline: Jan. 15

Graduate Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics

A student in the professional ACMS master's program will complete 30 credits of coursework in statistics, applied mathematics or computational science. Our courses are specially designed for solving problems faced by companies today. A student may specialize in Applied Statistics, Applied and Computational Mathematics, or Predictive Analytics. The degree requirements are flexible enough to accommodate broad student interests while ensuring that students graduate with deep knowledge of the subject matter. If for any reason you need to apply after the application deadline, please contact the program director.

Verified: 8/31/2023

• GRE General Test required

Bei Hu Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-5352 Email: [email protected]

https://acms.nd.edu/graduate-programs/

Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics: PhD

The Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS) supports a collaborative approach to research by preparing and empowering students with deep domain knowledge in mathematics and statistics to apply their expertise in a variety of fields — opening up opportunities for them to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries and impact critical problems in the natural and social sciences, technology, and beyond.

• GRE General Test recommended but not required
• GRE Subject Test optional

Robert Rosenbaum Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-4407 Email: [email protected]

Biochemistry: PhD

Deadline: Dec. 15

Graduate Program in Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is characterized by an unsurpassed commitment to the development of our graduate students into well-rounded scientists who can take on leadership roles in industry, academia, or government. The commitment is made possible through world-class faculty, outstanding facilities, extensive research and teaching opportunities, and relationships with other domestic and international programs. An interdisciplinary approach allows our department to foster nearly limitless student interests.

Updated: 9/28/2023

• GRE General Test not required
• GRE Subject Test not required

Gregory Hartland Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-9320 Email: [email protected]

Vlad Iluc Director of Graduate Admissions Phone: (574) 631-4042 Email: [email protected]

https://chemistry.nd.edu/graduate/

Bioengineering: PhD

Graduate Program in Bioengineering

The Bioengineering program is an interdisciplinary program that involves faculty from all five engineering departments, biology, and biochemistry. The program provides an environment for students to receive training in engineering at the interface of the physical and biological sciences. Graduates pursue careers in biomedical research in industry, government, and academia.

Updated: 8/23/2021

Glen L. Niebur Program Director Phone: (574) 631-3327 Email: [email protected]

https://engineering.nd.edu/departments-programs/graduate-programs/phd-in-bioengineering/

Biological Sciences: PhD

Deadline: Fall: Dec. 1

Graduate Program in Biological Sciences

The Department of Biological Sciences is the focal point for research in the life sciences at the University of Notre Dame. The doctoral program in biological sciences encompasses the broad scope of biological inquiry with several areas of study in the biomedical sciences, global health, and ecology, evolution & the environment (EEE). This uncommon level of wide-ranging yet integrative biological inquiry provides an extraordinary environment for learning, innovation and collaboration.

The program provides a wide choice of faculty advisers, many of who lead their disciplines by serving as officers of professional societies, on journal editorial boards, study sections, scientific advisory boards and as consultants for various organizations. This vibrant research community continues to expand its faculty, both within the department and with associated faculty at the Indiana University School of Medicine at South Bend adjacent to the Notre Dame campus, and other departments at Notre Dame.

Rebecca Wingert Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-0907 Email: [email protected]

https://biology.nd.edu/graduate/graduate-studies-overview/

Biology REU: Prep

Graduate Program in Biological Sciences (REU)

The REU program gives undergraduate students valuable research experience. The focal point of the proposed projects is Integrative Cell and Molecular Biology. The program consists of 10 weeks of full-time research, weekly seminars, regular group meetings in their research labs, and special workshops on topics like career choices in the sciences, ethics, and scientific communication. Participants also have the opportunity to join a large undergraduate summer research community with hundreds of summer students across the Notre Dame campus and participate in various social and professional events. Lastly, participants will give a formal presentation at the end of the summer at the REU Summer Symposium and write a research paper/proposal at the end of the summer. For detailed application instructions, refer to the  Biology REU site .

Application Materials:

• Personal statement stating your career goals, research interests and strengths
• CV or Resume
• Two recommendation letters, with at least one from a college science professor

Xuemin (Sheryl) Lu, Ph.D. REU Program Director, Dept. of Biological Sciences Phone: 574-631-0883 Email: [email protected]

https://www3.nd.edu/~biosreu/apply.html

Biophysics: PhD

Graduate Program in Biophysics

The Biophysics PhD program offers the opportunity for inter- and multi-disciplinary research in physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and biological, and computational sciences in an exploration of our experimental and theoretical understanding of how biology works at the molecular level. Students will have the opportunity to perform 3 rotations in their first year, before choosing their research advisor(s) and matriculating into a department in their second academic year.

Verified: 8/9/2022

Alan Lindsay Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-3511 Email: [email protected]

https://biophysics.nd.edu

Byzantine Studies: Minor

Graduate Program in Medieval Institute

The graduate minors in Byzantine Studies and Byzantine Studies - Advanced provide master’s and doctoral students in the College of Arts and Letters graduate programs the opportunity to develop and certify the skills that enable them to engage critically with the texts, cultures, and artifacts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, and the Eastern Mediterranean ca 500–1500 (i.e. the Byzantine Empire and its zone of cultural influence). Master’s students who complete the minor in Byzantine Studies will be eminently prepared for further doctoral research in the area. 

Jeff Wickes Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-6603 Email: [email protected]

https://medieval.nd.edu/study/graduate-program/

Chemical Engineering: PhD

Deadline: Fall: Jan. 1; Spring: Oct. 1

Graduate Program in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Graduate students in Notre Dame's highly ranked Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department learn from more than 17 faculty members, all of whom are nationally and internationally recognized scholars. Faculty research interests are diverse and include the broad areas of bioengineering, energy and sustainability, theory and simulation, micro- and nanofluidics, and materials and nanotechnology.

Updated: 8/26/20

Matthew Webber Director of Graduate Admissions Phone: (574) 631-4246 Email: [email protected]

William Phillip Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-2708 Email: [email protected]

https://cbe.nd.edu/graduate/

Chemistry: PhD

Updated: 9/28

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences: PhD

Deadline: Fall: Feb. 1; Spring: Nov. 1

Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences has a vibrant research program encompassing four broad areas: environmental engineering, environmental fluid dynamics, environmental geosciences, and structural engineering. We have state-of-the-art laboratories and computing facilities, which we use to address many of the grand challenges facing society in the 21st century. Our multidisciplinary character in research and education provides an unparalleled learning environment.

Amy Hixon Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-5381 Email: [email protected]

https://ceees.nd.edu/graduate

Civil and Environmental Engineering: MEng

Deadline: Fall: Mar. 18; Spring: Nov. 19

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences offers a professional-focus graduate program: The professional master of engineering (M.Eng.). This master of engineering offers two optional concentration areas: structural engineering and environmental engineering, both with excellent career advancement outcomes. Taught by world-class faculty with global project experience, the M.Eng. degree is uniquely tailored for advanced career entry to professional engineering practice after completing your nine-month study program.

Entry to the M.Eng. program requires an undergraduate degree in any field of engineering or physical sciences. 

• Essay (approx. 1,000 words) on your personal motivation to pursue a professional engineering career

Kevin Walsh Program Director, Master of Engineering Phone: (574) 631-5381 Email: [email protected]

Civil Engineering: MSCE

Classics: ma.

Graduate Program in Classics

The M.A. in Classics program is a rich program offering specialties in Greek and Roman literature, culture, history, linguistics, and archeology, ranging from Archaic Greek through Late Antiquity. In conversation with programs in Early Christian Studies, the Medieval Institute, Literature, and Philosophy, the program aims to prepare students for further doctoral work in this range of studies.

• A list of all texts read in the original Latin or Greek

David Hernandez Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-7195 Email: [email protected]

https://classics.nd.edu/graduate-students/

Computational Science and Engineering: Minor

High Performance Computations have been identified as a major competitive advantage for institutions and corporations and individuals possessing the necessary skills can expect exciting and rewarding career opportunities. The Graduate Minor in Computational Science and Engineering is designed to allow doctoral students finishing graduate work that involves high performance computing to add a credential to their degree, acknowledging their expertise in the area.

Carly Reynolds Academic Program Administrator: Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-5431 Email: [email protected]

Computer Science and Engineering: MSCSE

Deadline: Fall: Dec. 15; Spring: Oct. 15

Graduate Program in Computer Science and Engineering

The master of science program in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering offers courses of the highest technical quality. These courses include AI, machine learning, algorithms and theory, assistive technology, computer architecture and nanotechnology; computer vision, medical imaging and biometrics; digital humanities, human computer interaction, natural language processing, network and data science; scientific, cloud and high performance computing; security, privacy and cryptography; software engineering, visualization and visual analytics; wireless, mobile and embedded systems. The M.S. degree is focused on adding depth and breadth of knowledge enabling a career in the tech-startup sector, industry, or government. Students in the M.S. program pay tuition, take courses full-time on campus, and complete a  project or thesis. For a well-prepared student, the MS degree can be completed in 11 months (two semesters plus the summer session) and is open to students with a B.S. degree. The professional and traditional M.S. degrees are equivalent. Students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. degree should apply directly into the Ph.D. program.

Updated: 10/5/2022

Joyce Yeats Administrative Assistant for Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-8802 Email: [email protected]

https://cse.nd.edu/graduate/

Computer Science and Engineering: PhD

The doctoral program in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering emphasizes research of the highest technical quality that also serves to improve the quality of life. Our research areas include AI and machine learning, algorithms and theory, assistive technology, computer architecture and nanotechnology; computer vision, medical imaging and biometrics, digital humanities, human computer interaction, natural language processing; network and data science, scientific and high performance computing; security, privacy and cryptography; software engineering, visualization and visual analytics, wireless, mobile, and embedded systems. The Ph.D. program is focused on research and leads to a research career in the academy, industry, or government. Students in the Ph.D. program are generally supported as research or teaching assistants, take classes part-time, and focus on research under the supervision of a faculty adviser. The Ph.D. degree can be completed in three to five years, and is open to students with either a B.S. or M.S. degree.

Updated: 8/31/2023

Data Science: MS

Deadline: Fall: Feb. 28; Summer: June 9

Graduate Program in Applied and Computational Statistics and Mathematics / Data Science

Notre Dame's master of science program in data science is offered by the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS), with the participation of faculty from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the Mendoza College of Business, and industry experts. The program delivers academic excellence in a convenient online format optimized for learning complex quantitative material. It features small, live classes taught by Notre Dame faculty, in-person exclusive immersion weekends, and the personal attention to student success for which Notre Dame is known.

Application Deadlines:

• January 28, 2024
• June 9, 2024

Updated 08/31/2023

• Two letters of recommendation
• Additional materials strongly recommended; refer to the program site for details

Cortney Mayfield Admissions Specialist Phone: (574) 631-7992 Email: [email protected]

https://datascience.nd.edu

Design: MFA

Graduate Program in Art, Art History, and Design

The graduate program in Art, Art History, and Design is a multidimensional program in which students engage in studio art, design, or art history — with concentrations available within each discipline. Students in the program develop visual literacy and the skills to conceptualize, fabricate, and evaluate works of art through coursework and a system of independent studies tailored to individual interests. The program aims to prepare students for professional practice as artists, designers, art history scholars, and arts educators.

Updated: 8/31

• Portfolio - refer to program site for details

Jason Lahr Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-7602 Email: [email protected]

https://artdept.nd.edu/graduate/

Early Christian Studies: MA

The Early Christian Studies M.A. is an interdisciplinary program offering training in philology, theology, history, liturgy, art history, and philosophy. Through coursework and close independent work with faculty, the program prepares students for eventual doctoral studies by developing student abilities in at least two ancient Christian languages and literatures, as well as imparting a broad knowledge of the intellectual, historical, and social contexts of early Christianity.

Hildegund Müller Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-7195 Email: [email protected]

Earth Sciences: MSErSc

Echo/theology: ma.

Deadline: Fall: Dec. 1; Spring: Jan. 20

Graduate Program in Theology (McGrath Institute for Church Life)

Echo is a two-year graduate service program that offers participants the opportunity to earn an M.A. in theology from the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Theology, to serve the Church as a parish catechetical leader or as a theology teacher in a Catholic school, and to live in an intentional faith community while engaging in integrative formation.

Last updated: 09/15/2023

Scott Boyle Director, Recruitment and Outreach Phone: 574-631-0459 Email: [email protected]

https://mcgrath.nd.edu/echo

Economics: PhD

Graduate Program in Economics

The Department of Economics is a neoclassical economics department committed to rigorous theoretical and quantitative analysis in teaching and research. Members of the department have specialties in the areas of micro and macro theory, econometrics, labor, monetary, international, and environmental economics. Guided by the University's long-standing commitment to Catholic social tradition, the graduate program in economics emphasizes policy-relevant research that contributes to important debates on economic, social, and political problems facing humanity.

Last verified: 08/31/2023

Ethan Lieber Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-4971 Email: [email protected]

https://economics.nd.edu/graduate-program/

Electrical Engineering: MSEE

Deadline: Fall: Dec. 15; Spring: Nov. 1

Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering

The goal of the master's program in the Department of Electrical Engineering is to educate the next generation of innovative engineers, through coursework, research, and a culminating student thesis. Graduates go on to careers in academia and industry, and faculty, students, and alumni regularly publish in leading engineering publications. Research in the department is broadly divided into two areas: electronic circuits and systems and electronic materials and devices, with further concentrations available in each.

Michael Lemmon Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-8309 Email: [email protected]

https://ee.nd.edu/graduate/

Electrical Engineering: PhD

The goal of the doctoral program in the Department of Electrical Engineering is to educate the next generation of innovative engineers, through coursework, research, and a culminating student dissertation. Graduates go on to careers in academia and industry, and faculty, students, and alumni regularly publish in leading engineering publications. Research in the department is broadly divided into two areas: electronic circuits and systems and electronic materials and devices, with further concentrations available in each.

Engineering, Science and Technology Entrepreneurship (ESTEEM): MS

Deadline: Refer to program website

Graduate Program in Engineering, Science and Technology Entrepreneurship (ESTEEM)

The University of Notre Dame ESTEEM graduate program offers an opportunity for students who have a technical background (i.e., STEM) or are tech savvy to obtain a master of science in the field of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship in just one year. The objective of the program is to provide students with the business skills necessary to translate inventions into commercial ventures, all while strengthening students' science and/or engineering skills.

• GRE (or GMAT) optional

Iseli Hernandez Admissions Recruiter Phone: (574) 631-0169 Email: [email protected]

https://esteem.nd.edu/

English (Creative Writing): MFA

Graduate Program in English

The English MFA (Creative Writing) program offers a practice-based, two-year arts curriculum. Students specialize in poetry or prose, and take courses in their selected genre as well as literature courses, practicums, and electives. The program fosters student literary development and production, while also preparing students professionally for careers in writing, education, and publishing through a range of editorial and teaching opportunities.

Roy Scranton Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-6165 Email: [email protected]

https://english.nd.edu/graduate/programs/

English: MA

Deadline: Dec. 14

Note: This department primarily admits to the PhD program.

The graduate program in English is a highly selective program in which students specialize in historical areas but also pursue interdisciplinary perspectives, with particular interest in critical theory, literature and science, literature and politics, postcolonial and ethnic studies, and gender studies. A nearly 1:1 faculty to graduate student ratio ensures that students receive considerable individual attention as they progress in their course of studies.

Last updated: 09/19/2023

• GRE General Test not accepted
• GRE Subject Test not accepted

Susan Harris Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-2569 Email: [email protected]

English: PhD

Updated: 09/19/2023

Environmental Engineering: MSEnvE

Graduate Program in Romance Languages and Literatures

The primary aim of the master's degree program in French is to provide students with a comprehensive background in the literary and cultural achievements of French-speaking countries from an interdisciplinary approach. The course of study is especially well-suited to those desiring contact with scholars in the field, whether for guidance or focused study. The department encourages further study for their graduates in doctoral programs at Notre Dame and elsewhere.

• A recent paper in the language of the proposed field of study, as well as one in English if that is not your native language
• A compact disc or MP3 file demonstrating competency in the propose language of study if you are a native English speaker, or in English if you are a native speaker of French, Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian

Ted Cachey Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-6887 Email: [email protected]

https://romancelanguages.nd.edu

Gender Studies: Minor

Graduate Program in Gender Studies Program

Graduate students pursuing a terminal master's or doctoral degree at the University of Notre Dame, have the opportunity to complete a minor concentration in the Gender Studies Program. A graduate minor student in gender will have opportunities to interact with other students and faculty from numerous disciplines, contributing to the ability to expand and deepen their degree. Combining Gender Studies with a primary discipline can enhance candidacy for a wider range of academic and non-academic positions.

Barbara Green Director of Graduate Minor Phone: (574) 631-0495 Email: [email protected]

https://genderstudies.nd.edu

Global Affairs: MGA

Graduate Program in Global Affairs

The Keough School of Global Affairs offers a two-year professional master of global affairs (MGA) degree to prepare students to become highly skilled, effective, and ethical leaders in governments nongovernmental organizations and the private sector. Students choose a program of study in which they acquire deep knowledge and strengthen analytical and practical skills in governance and policy, international peace studies, or sustainable development. All students engage in a practicum, in which they develop sustained partnerships with leading global organizations, practitioners, and policymakers, and spend several months working in the field to develop integrated solutions for global challenges.

William Goldberg Program Director, Master of Global Affairs program Phone: 574-631-9073 Email: [email protected]

http://keough.nd.edu/master-of-global-affairs/

Global Health: MS

Deadline: Early action: Dec. 1; Regular action: Mar. 30

Graduate Program in Eck Institute Global Health

The two-year master of science in global health (MSGH) program is designed to bridge the classroom and real-world experiences. Our program provides rigorous and engaging multidisciplinary training focused on global health research, problem-solving, and solution development.

Jointly offered by the  Eck Institute for Global Health ,  College of Science , and the  Keough School of Global Affairs , the MSGH program leverages diverse resources and strengthens students’ capacities to effectively address the complex nexus of global health, development, and poverty.

Elizabeth Wood Director, Master of Science in Global Health Program Phone: (574) 631-9299 Email: [email protected]

https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/masters/

History and Philosophy of Science: PhD

Deadline: Jan. 4

Graduate Program in Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values

The doctoral program in history and philosophy of science is a unique program offering students instruction leading to a discipline-based Ph.D. that prepares them for positions in history, philosophy, and theology or religion departments, and in specialized programs in the history and philosophy of science. Faculty members are drawn from several University departments, including English, History, Philosophy, and Theology.

Evan Ragland Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-5015 Email: [email protected]

Nic Teh Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-5015 Email: [email protected]

https://reilly.nd.edu/history-and-philosophy-of-science/

History and Philosophy of Science, Technology, and Medicine: Minor

The History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) Graduate Minor program offers students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the philosophical, conceptual, social, ethical, and political dimensions of science, technology and medicine. The program allows students to explore science in other historical and cultural contexts, examining how the character of scientific knowledge and the organization of scientific investigation have changed over time. Students also explore the origins, structure, and possible limitations of the concepts, theories, and practices fundamental to their scientific research fields.

History: PhD

Deadline: Jan. 5

Graduate Program in History

The doctoral program in history is a multidimensional program with exceptional strengths in European, Latin American, medieval, and United States history. One of the nation's leading recipients of major research fellowships, the department's faculty numbers over 40 and supports graduate work within and between these fields. Affiliated programs are in peace studies and the history and philosophy of science. The program emphasizes training in research, writing, and teaching and, given its emphasis on training academic historians, addresses the ethics, values, obligations, traditions, philosophies, and skills critical to the academic profession.

Alexander M. Martin Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-0364 Email: [email protected]

https://history.nd.edu/graduate-program/

Integrated Biomedical Sciences: PhD

Graduate Program in Integrated Biomedical Sciences

The Integrated Biomedical Sciences program offers cross-departmental research and training in biomedical sciences. Students may elect to study in one of eight different clusters, including Biophysics & Structural Biology, Genomics & Proteomics, Cancer Biology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Chemical Biology & Molecular Pharmacology, Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Cellular & Molecular Biology, and Neuroscience. Each cluster involves faculty from multiple departments. First year students perform three research rotations over the course of the academic year, and matriculate into a department upon choosing their research advisor.

Updated: 8/9/2022

• Summary of research experience

Jeff Schorey Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-3734 Email: [email protected]

https://ibms.nd.edu/

Interdisciplinary Mathematics: MSIM

Graduate Program in Mathematics

Master's degrees are available for Mathematics PhD candidates who have taken 30 credit hours and passed their candidacy examinations. We offer a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Mathematics (MISM) to students enrolled in other PhD programs at Notre Dame. For further details, contact the director of graduate studies in Mathematics.

Samuel Evens Director of Graduate Admissions Phone: (574) 631-7083 Email: [email protected]

https://math.nd.edu/graduate-program/

Irish Studies: Minor

Graduate Program in Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies

The Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies is a teaching-and-research institute within Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs dedicated to the study and understanding of Irish culture in Ireland and around the world in all of its manifestations. Since its inception in the 1993-1994 academic year with the Donald and Marilyn Keough Program in Irish Studies, the Institute has assembled superior faculty and library collections. Even before, with the arrival on campus of Seamus Deane as the Donald and Marilyn Keough Chair of Irish Studies in 1992, the effort began to bring outstanding educators, political leaders, writers, musicians, and other visitors to campus so to "bring Ireland to Notre Dame." We foster exchanges between Notre Dame and Ireland to make direct experiences available to our students and to "bring Notre Dame to Ireland." With such initiatives as the landmark, award-winning documentary 1916 The Irish Rebellion and the annual IRISH seminar, the Institute is also focused on "bringing Ireland to the world."

Christopher Fox Director of Graduate Minor Phone: (574) 631-3555 Email: [email protected]

https://irishstudies.nd.edu/academics/graduate-program/ph-d-minor-in-graduate-studies/

Italian: PhD

The PhD in Italian is a highly selective program that teaches and trains students working in the field of Italian Studies. The program offers a flexible curriculum tailored to each student's interests and background that leads to a new dissertation-oriented program of study designed to achieve both a high degree of specialization and a broad understanding of Italian literature and culture. The program offers the opportunity to participate in research exchanges with major universities, including Cambridge, Verona, and Roma III, and to spend time doing research based at the University of Notre Dame Rome Global Gateway.

Updated 9/2022

Italian Studies: MA

The primary aim of the master's degree program in Italian Studies is to provide students with a comprehensive background in the literary and cultural achievements of Italy from an interdisciplinary approach. The course of study is especially well-suited to those who are considering further study in doctoral programs in Italian at Notre Dame and elsewhere. The course is taught by world-leading faculty in a friendly and supportive environment hosting a large cohort of Italian graduate students.

Updated: 9/2022

Management: PhD

Deadline: Jan. 3

Graduate Program in Management and Organization

Earning a Ph.D. in management would allow you to become a professor in the management department of a top business school. There you could pursue a research agenda that you’re passionate about and that can improve employee thriving and organizational effectiveness. You could then pass your knowledge on to the next generation of business leaders in the classroom. As a career direction, the life of a professor in a top business school is very purposeful and surprisingly lucrative — with unparalleled job security. Earning this degree through Mendoza’s Management & Organization Department is ideal because our faculty is extremely productive with significant editorial and placement experience, our culture encourages students to study what they’re passionate about, and Notre Dame offers a nationwide reputation that facilitates placements at elite private and flagship public universities.

Jason Colquitt Director of Graduate Studies Email: [email protected]

https://mendoza.nd.edu/research-faculty/academic-departments/phd-management-organization/

Materials Science and Engineering: PhD

Deadline: Refer to host program deadlines

Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering

The Materials Science and Engineering doctoral program enhances student understanding through an interdisciplinary approach and leverages materials expertise to open new doors for graduates to industry, government, and academic careers. Students are required to complete the host department/program requirements as well as the Materials Science and Engineering requirements.

For more information about the interdisciplinary program, or to begin an application, please consult one of the following host departments or programs:

• Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
• Biochemistry
• Bioengineering
• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Chemistry  
• Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
• Electrical Engineering
• Refer to host program requirements

Host programs (refer to links above)

https://mse.nd.edu/

Mathematics: PhD

Deadline: Jan. 8

The Department of Mathematics is ranked in the top quartile among all Ph.D. granting mathematics departments in the U.S. The goal of our doctoral program is to guide our students in producing dissertations that contain original research worthy of publication in respected peer-reviewed mathematical journals. We also help our students to effectively present their research both in oral presentations and in written articles. Among our faculty, we have internationally recognized experts in the areas of algebra/algebraic geometry, complex analysis, differential geometry, discrete mathematics, logic, mathematical physics, partial differential equations, and topology.

MD/PhD Dual Degree: MD/PhD

Deadline: Refer to PhD program deadline

Graduate Program in Indiana University School of Medicine

Admission to the program requires separate applications to the Notre Dame Graduate School and the IUSM-SB. The Graduate School will accept MCAT scores in place of the GRE scores required of all applicants. The parallel applications are coordinated and tracked by the South Bend Center for Medical Education, which serves as the central office for the combined degree program. Representatives from Notre Dame and the I.U. School of Medicine monitor and oversee the program. To earn the joint degree, students will complete the first two years of medical school at IUSM-SB, and continue at Notre Dame for three more years to pursue the University's doctoral degree through the Graduate School. The last two years of medical school then will be completed at the Indiana University School of Medicine's main campus in Indianapolis.

• GRE General Test or MCAT

Stacey Patrick Director, Medical Education Phone: (574) 631-1870 Email: [email protected]

https://medicine.iu.edu/campuses/south-bend/md-program/dual-degrees/

Mechanical Engineering (MS): MSME

Through a combination of coursework and research, graduate students in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering program explore such areas as flow physics and controls; plasma and high temperature physics, laser and optical engineering, manufacturing engineering, nuclear engineering, systems engineering. Students and faculty have access to state-of-the-art facilities and leading, innovative research techniques. Students, faculty, and alumni publish regularly in leading engineering publications.

Medieval Studies: Minor

The graduate minors in Medieval Studies and Medieval Studies - Advanced provide master’s and doctoral students in the College of Arts and Letters graduate programs the opportunity to develop and certify the skills that enable them to engage critically with the texts, cultures, and artifacts of Western Europe and the Mediterranean ca 500–1500. Master’s students who complete the minor in Medieval Studies will be eminently prepared for further doctoral research in medieval fields.

Medieval Studies: PhD

The Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame is one of the leading centers in the United States for the advanced study of medieval culture. The graduate program provides students with superb technical training, but it also equips them with a holistic vision of the Middle Ages, grounded in a mastery of sources and languages and extending to the whole of its life and culture. The Medieval Institute welcomes applications from students of high academic ability who wish to pursue a career teaching and researching the Middle Ages. Generous fellowship support and light service demands allow students to devote themselves fully to their course of study.

Students in the Medieval Institute pursue the Ph.D. in Medieval Studies, a rigorous, interdisciplinary degree with a focus on one of the classic disciplines: history, Latin or vernacular literature (English, Italian, German, Spanish, French), theology, philosophy, music, or art history. They receive training from leading experts in their field while researching and writing in one of the best libraries in the world for medieval studies. Graduates of the Medieval Institute are extremely competitive on the job market, and currently hold positions in the United States as well as internationally.

ND-PREP: Prep

Deadline: Rolling deadline

Graduate Program in Graduate School

ND-PREP  is a federally-funded program to prepare recent college graduates from disadvantaged or historically underrepresented groups who desire to pursue a Ph.D. degree in biomedical science and need more research experience to be accepted into competitive PhD programs. 

Fellows will participate in a three-part formal training program that emphasizes direct research experience, including: 

• An intensive hands-on position working as a  research associate  in a biomedical lab;
• Skills-development workshops and enrichment activities that will also serve to build a strong cohort;
• Participation in a unique community engagement activity focused on lead abatement in the local communities.

For details regarding eligibility criteria and the terms of this paid appointment, refer to the ND-PREP page of the Graduate School website.

• One letter of recommendation - refer to application instructions

Nyrée McDonald, Ph.D. Associate Dean, Graduate Enrollment Management Phone: (574) 631-7706 Email: [email protected]

Peace Studies and Anthropology: PhD

Graduate Program in Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies

The Ph.D. program in peace studies prepares students in research methodologies associated with the disciplines of anthropology, history, political science, psychology, sociology and theology. Graduates are credentialed in one of the six disciplines and fully acquainted with the research questions and findings of interdisciplinary peace research. The program has a strong placement record, and graduates hold important academic, governmental, and non-profit positions around the world.

Kathryn Vidrine Assistant Director for Doctoral Studies Email: [email protected]

https://kroc.nd.edu/ph-d/

Peace Studies and History: PhD

Peace studies and political science: phd, peace studies and psychology: phd, peace studies and sociology: phd, peace studies and theology: phd.

Graduate Program in Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and Theology

• A master's degree (or the equivalent) in this field

https://kroc.nd.edu/ph-d/ https://theology.nd.edu/graduate-programs/

Peace Studies: Minor

Graduate students pursuing a terminal master’s or doctoral degree at the University of Notre Dame have the opportunity to complete a graduate minor in Peace Studies. The minor empowers students to relate their existing study and research to a growing body of knowledge and practice within the multidisciplinary field of peace studies, with the goal of addressing violence and alleviating human suffering.

The graduate minor will give students access to classes taught by core faculty members at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, who are among the premier scholars in the field.

For doctoral students, combining concentrated coursework in peace studies with their primary discipline can enhance their scholarship and expand their professional options.

Philosophy: PhD

Graduate Program in Philosophy

The University of Notre Dame's highly ranked department offers a uniquely broad and pluralistic environment in which to pursue graduate work in philosophy. We emphasize solid training in all periods of the history of philosophy, combined with cutting-edge research in both the continental and analytic traditions. Areas of particular strength include the history of philosophy (ancient, medieval, and modern), metaphysics, epistemology, the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of science, contemporary European philosophy, logic and philosophy of mathematics, and ethics.

Brian Cutter Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-9048 Email: [email protected]

https://philosophy.nd.edu/graduate-program/

Physics: PhD

Deadline: Fall: Dec. 15

Graduate Program in Physics and Astronomy

Physics graduate students are actively involved in both experimental and theoretical studies in areas including astro-, bio-, condensed-matter, high-energy, and nuclear physics. They search for answers to questions such as: What is dark matter? Can we understand the birth or death of stars at the nuclear level? Can we create new materials with new properties? What can network science say about our world? What is the origin of mass?

Kevin Lannon Director of Graduate Admissions Phone: (574) 631-7322 Email: [email protected]

https://physics.nd.edu/graduate-program/

Physics REU: Prep

Deadline: Feb. 20

Graduate Program in Physics and Astronomy (REU)

The REU program gives rising juniors and seniors valuable research experience. Students will work closely with faculty and graduate students on a variety of current research projects and benefit from a number of activities organized to enrich the REU experience. These include: weekly seminars, a course on computer programming, a GRE preparation course, ethics workshops, a workshop on applying to graduate schools, field trips to nearby national laboratories, and the REU Symposium.  For detailed application instructions, refer to the Physics REU website .

Kristen Amsler REU Administrative Assistant Phone: (574) 631-2813 Email: [email protected]

https://physics.nd.edu/research/reu/

Political Science: PhD

Graduate Program in Political Science

In an exceptionally collaborative department, political science graduate students at Notre Dame learn from more than 45 faculty members, many of whom are nationally and internationally recognized scholars. Faculty interests are diverse, making it possible for graduate students to explore almost any area of political science and most regions of the world. The program boasts excellence in American politics; comparative politics; constitutional studies; international relations; and political theory. Political science also features a minor subfield in methodology that students can study in addition to their major subfield requirements.

Sebastian Rosato Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-0378 Email: [email protected]

https://politicalscience.nd.edu/graduate-program/

Psychology, Research and Experimental: PhD

The mission of the graduate program is to advance and inspire the next generation of scholars in psychology. Our areas of study (clinical, cognitive, developmental, and quantitative) prepare students for research careers in basic and applied behavioral science. Emphases are placed on empirical research and development of theory, supported by extensive training in quantitative and research methodologies. Graduate students are also encouraged to pursue excellence in teaching. This mission of preparing scholars and teachers is supported by a nationally and internationally renowned faculty, many of whom are editors of highly respected journals, recipients of major grants, and leaders of scientific societies.

Tammy Kaczor Graduate Studies Coordinator Phone: 574-631-6659 Email: [email protected]

Sacred Music (Conducting): DMA

Graduate Program in Sacred Music

The doctor of musical arts (DMA) is administered by the interdisciplinary program Sacred Music at Notre Dame (SMND) and is distinguished by its artistic goals, interdisciplinary methodology and engagement with Christian musical traditions. Students undergo professional music training in either conducting or organ, together with academic formation through DMA research seminars that examine questions of music history and theory, with a particular emphasis on sacred music in its historical and liturgical context. The DMA is intended to train individuals who wish to work at the highest levels in colleges, universities and seminaries, as well as in cathedrals, churches and other artistic communities throughout the world.

• Audition materials - refer to program site for details

Gabriel Radle Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-1300 Email: [email protected]

https://sacredmusic.nd.edu/

Sacred Music: MSM

The master of sacred music (MSM) interdisciplinary program combines academics and performance training with the primary purpose of forming professional musicians for work in Christian churches while also providing them with the foundations to pursue a doctorate of musical arts in performance or Ph.D. in music history, ethnomusicology, or liturgics. Through a program of study that builds on Notre Dame's strengths in theology (liturgical studies, lay ministry formation) and music (performance, history, theory), graduates of the program develop high levels of musical skill, as they also gain working knowledge of the worship lives of Christian congregations, integrating the artistic, scholarly and pastoral dimensions requisite for the profession. Students are admitted into one of three studios: organ, choral conducting, or voice. Each graduate is expected to be a well-rounded musician, possessing the necessary skills in playing, conducting, and singing to shape music programs in churches, schools, and the community-at-large. All students have assistantships, many in local churches or in the Notre Dame Children's Choir. The program has an excellent placement rate of nearly one hundred percent.

• Applicant must hold a bachelor's degree in music (BM, BS, BA, or BME)

Sacred Music (Organ): DMA

Screen cultures: minor.

Graduate Program in Film, Television, and Theatre

The graduate minor in Screen Cultures aims to enrich and extend the work of students enrolled in MA, MFA, and PhD programs at the University of Notre Dame by adding expertise in research in the study of film, television, and other screen-based media. The graduate minor will give students more experience and depth in working with Screen Cultures, expand teaching opportunities, and broaden students' profiles for job placement.

Matthew Thomas Payne Director of Graduate Minor Phone: (574) 631-0817 Email: [email protected]

https://ftt.nd.edu

Sociology: PhD

Graduate Program in Sociology

Notre Dame's graduate program in sociology provides all students with a strong foundation in social theory and research methods. The program's primary goal is to produce outstanding researchers and inspired teachers. Students work closely with faculty members who are engaged in cutting-edge research and are leaders and innovators in their fields. The department is especially strong in the sociology of education, religion, culture, and social movements/political sociology.

Kraig Beyerlein Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-6585 Email: [email protected]

https://sociology.nd.edu/graduate-program/

Spanish: MA

The primary aim of the master's degree program in Spanish is to provide students with a comprehensive background in the literary and cultural achievements of Spanish-speaking countries from an interdisciplinary approach. The course of study is especially well-suited to those desiring contact with scholars in the field, whether for guidance or focused study. The department encourages further study for their graduates in doctoral programs at Notre Dame and elsewhere.

Vanesa Miseres Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-6887 Email: [email protected]

Spanish: PhD

The Ph.D. in Spanish is a highly selective program that teaches and trains students working in the field of Spanish and Latin American literatures and cultures. The program offers a flexible curriculum tailored to each student's interests and background and has a dissertation-oriented design that leads to the successful writing and defense of a relevant dissertation that contributes to the candidate's area of study and that successfully places the candidate in the field and in the academic job market. Students take a set of focused seminars during the first two years of residence at ND and start working on a dissertation by the fifth semester if not before.

Studio Art: MFA

The graduate program in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design is a multidimensional program in which students engage in studio art, design, or art history, with concentrations available within each discipline. Students in the program develop visual literacy and the skills to conceptualize, fabricate, and evaluate works of art through coursework and a system of independent studies tailored to individual interests. The program aims to prepare students for professional practice as artists, designers, art history scholars, and arts educators.

Verified: 08/23/2023

Summer Research Opportunities Program: Prep

Deadline: March 1

The Graduate School's Summer Research Opportunities Program prepares students for graduate school success. We encourage current undergraduate juniors and rising seniors, in any discipline offered by the Notre Dame Graduate School, to join our campus community for 10 weeks of guided research with world class faculty, culminating in a symposium attended by over 100 peer researchers. 

• Competitive stipends
• Transportation
• GRE preparation
• Graduate school application support
• Fee waiver when applying to ND
• Assistance with fellowship applications to NSF, NIH, and more

Refer to the Application Instructions for SROP page for detailed application instructions.

Theology: MA

Deadline: Feb. 15

Graduate Program in Theology

The course of studies in the Theology master's program takes place during the summer, creating a dynamic community that is passionate about theological exploration. Graduates are prepared for such roles as service to the Church or diocese, teaching high school theology, or ministry in healthcare or social work, as well as for further study.

Theology offers two primary tracks for the master of arts degree: 

• Hybrid residential track (courses begin in June)
• Hybrid online track (courses begin in May)

To learn more about the degree tracks, please refer to the MA in Theology website.

Updated: 3/12/21

Catherine Cavadini Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-6292 Email: [email protected]

https://theology.nd.edu/graduate-programs/

Theology: MDiv

Deadline: Jan. 2

The Master of Divinity Program at the University of Notre Dame serves the Catholic Church and its mission by preparing men and women for ministerial and apostolic service in, with, and for the Church. Focusing on the human, intellectual, pastoral, and spiritual dimensions of personal development in preparation for lay and ordained ecclesial ministry, candidates have the opportunity both to reflect on the Church's theological tradition and to experience and to share first-hand in its ministerial life. It is in this way that they personally engage and express in their own life and circumstances the Mystery of Faith, seeking to configure their life and ministry to Christ, their Lord and the Model for all ministry.

• A pre-application form (submitted to the program)
• An autobiographical statement - refer to program site for details

Todd Walatka Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-4256 Email: [email protected]

Theology: MTS

The Theology M.T.S. program prepares students for doctoral work in Theology, and trains students to be effective theology instructors at the high school level, in an environment of faith and intellectual reflection. Students complete coursework in one of five concentrations: Biblical Studies, History of Christianity, Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, and Liturgical Studies. The program has an excellent placement record for graduates in leading Theology programs domestically and internationally.

Robin Jensen Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-4254 Email: [email protected]

Theology: PhD

The Notre Dame doctoral program in theology is a premier program for Roman Catholic and ecumenical theological study. We offer a collegial and challenging program, in which students work closely with world-class scholars, innovative younger faculty, and one another to develop into mature scholars and teachers. Areas of focus include Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity, The History of Christianity, Liturgical studies, Moral Theology/Christian Ethics, Systematic Theology, and World Religions and World Church. The doctoral program places a very high percentage of its graduates in tenure-track, academic positions.

Matthew Ashley Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (574) 631-4254 Email: [email protected]

Goshen native, Sofia Samatar, returns for reading at St. Joseph County Public Library

SOUTH BEND — The University of Notre Dame’s creative writing program and the St. Joseph County Public Library present “Kelly Community Reading Series: An Evening with Sofia Samatar” at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at 304 S. Main St. She also appears at 2 p.m. Nov. 14 in conversation with Johannes Göransson on the second floor of Notre Dame’s Hammes Bookstore.

A native of Goshen, Samatar is an award-winning, multi-genre author whose groundbreaking fantasy novel, “A Stranger in Olondria,” was called one of the 100 best fantasy books of all-time by Time magazine. The book also won the 2014 William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award and the World Fantasy Award for best novel.

Her recent memoir, “The White Mosque,” was a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and won the Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography & Memoir.

Other books include “The Winged Histories,” a sequel to “A Stranger in Olondria”; the short story collection “Tender: Stories”; and “Monster Portraits,” a collaboration with her brother, Del Samatar, who illustrated it.

This month, she and Kate Zambreno will release “Tone,” a collaborative study of literary tone.

Samatar lives in Virginia and teaches African literature, Arabic literature and speculative fiction at James Madison University.

Admission to both events is free.

For more information, call 574-631-2569, visit https://english.nd.edu/news-events/events/2023/11/15/kelly-community-reading-series-ft-sofia-samatar/ or https://sjcpl.libnet.info/event/8900636 , or email [email protected].

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The Notre Dame MFA in Creative Writing program combines generous, attentive focus on student work with active, engaged pedagogy. We believe that an MFA is more than a credential or two years paid writing time, but rather an active, cooperative process of growth and exploration that relies as much on peer-to-peer relationships and mentoring as it does on individual initiative. Our vision of the MFA is a holistic one, in which community, craft, experimentation, dialogue, study, reflection, and teaching all contribute to self-directed learning.

Since the Program was founded in 1992, we have emphasized recruiting a diverse, international body of students. We welcome and encourage diversity in terms of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, economic background, nationality, immigration status, ability and disability, as well as in aesthetic approaches, genre, and vision. Our faculty have distinguished themselves in a variety of genres and media, and teach from their expertise in both traditional and innovative practices.

Our graduates include innovative, award-winning novelists such as Thirii Myint and Lily Hoàng, groundbreaking poets like Jenny Boully and Ae Hee, and New York Times bestselling authors such as Betsy Cornwell and Tom Coyne. These are just a few of the diverse and dynamic multitudes that make up our phenomenal alumni.

Every admitted MFA student receives a full tuition waiver, a fellowship providing a full stipend, and a health insurance subsidy, as well as teaching, editorial, and publication experience.

The Creative Writing Program encourages applications from undocumented, international, and non-traditional students.

We are also home to the Notre Dame Review, and Action Books, which our students help edit.

The Notre Dame Review, our national journal, provides editorial training in print and online publishing to all interested MFA students. For a look at our online version, go to www.nd.edu/ ~ndr/review.htm. Contributors range from Nobel Prize winners

such as Seamus Heaney, Czeslaw Milosz to top emerging writers. Selections from the Review have appeared in Best American Short Stories and Best American Poetry and have been awarded the Pushcart Prize.

Action Books is an independent press, edited by Johannes Göransson and Joyelle McSweeney, dedicated to international writing and hybrid forms.

Contact Information

Bachelor of Arts in English (Creative Writing Concentration) +

Undergraduate program director.

In creative writing, we make stories. We study stories. We craft language into poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction. We do a lot more, of course – like exploring the intersection of psychology and history and culture, thinking about the politics of style, and paying close attention to the astonishing world around us – but whether you’re crafting sonnets or science fiction, the real heart of what we do is magic: building worlds out of words. Through literary study and craft-based workshops, our writers work to master skills like narrative construction, rhythm, worldbuilding, imagery, metaphor, and characterization, while also closely reading literatures from around the world.

Biology, economics, business, advertising, politics, particle physics, theology, engineering – nearly every aspect of human life happens in language. But there’s only one discipline on this campus that studies the art and craft of shaping language into reality: creative writing.

Students who wish to graduate with a Concentration in Creative Writing must: Complete all the requirements for the English Major and four additional creative writing courses.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing +

Graduate program director.

The Notre Dame Review, our national journal, provides editorial training in print and online publishing to all interested MFA students. For a look at our online version, go to www.nd.edu/ ~ndr/review.htm. Contributors range from Nobel Prize winners such as Seamus Heaney, Czeslaw Milosz to top emerging writers. Selections from the Review have appeared in Best American Short Stories and Best American Poetry and have been awarded the Pushcart Prize.

Johannes Goransson

Johannes Göransson is the author of eight books of poetry and criticism, most recently Poetry Against All (2020), and the translator of several books of poetry, including works by Aase Berg, Ann Jäderlund, Helena Boberg and Kim Yideum. His poems, translations and critical writings have appeared in a wide array of journals in the US and broad, including Fence, Lana Turner, Spoon River Review, Modern Poetry in Translation (UK), Kritiker (Denmark) and Lyrikvännen (Sweden).

https://english.nd.edu/people/faculty/goransson/

Joyelle McSweeney

An award-winning poet, playwright, novelist, translator and critic, Joyelle McSweeney is fiercely interested in what happens when art presses across national, linguistic, generic and bodily boundaries—creating fecund, non-binary zones, releasing new energies, and configuring wondrous forms of thinking and living.

https://english.nd.edu/people/faculty/mcsweeney/

Orlando Menes

Orlando Ricardo Menes is a Cuban-American poet, short story writer, translator, editor, and professor.

https://english.nd.edu/people/faculty/menes/

Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi

Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi is the author of the novels SAVAGE TONGUES (Mariner, 2021) and CALL ME ZEBRA (Mariner, 2018).

https://english.nd.edu/people/faculty/vandervliet/

Roy Scranton

Roy Scranton is the author of five books, including LEARNING TO DIE IN THE ANTHROPOCENE and the novel WAR PORN.

https://english.nd.edu/people/faculty/scranton/

Xavier Navarro Aquino

Xavier Navarro Aquino was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Named a "Writer to Watch" by Publishers Weekly, he is the author of the novel, VELORIO.

https://english.nd.edu/people/faculty/xavier-navarro-aquino/

Dionne Irving

Dionne Irving is the author of the novel QUINT and the short story collection THE ISLANDS.

https://english.nd.edu/people/faculty/dionne-irving-bremyer/

Publications & Presses +

Notre Dame Review

Action Books

Visiting Writers Program +

Juan Felipe Herrera

Solmaz Sharif

Claudia Rankine

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Creative Writing Program director Joyelle McSweeney wins Guggenheim Fellowship

Published: April 14, 2022

Author: Beth Staples

Notre Dame Creative Writing Program director and poet Joyelle McSweeney has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in recognition of her creative ability in the arts and potential in future endeavors.

McSweeney, who is also a playwright, novelist, translator, critic, and English professor, was selected as a fellow with 179 other scientists, scholars, and artists from nearly 2,500 applicants. John and Olga Simon Guggenheim created the fellowships in 1925 to “add to the educational, literary, artistic, and scientific power of this country." 

“I’m still taking it in, to be honest,” said McSweeney shortly after she learned about the fellowship. “It’s a spectacular show of confidence from the universe.”

Edward Hirsch, president of the Guggenheim Foundation and a 1985 poetry fellow, said the foundation supports the collective effort “to better understand the new world we’re in, where we’ve come from, and where we’re going.”

McSweeney is in extremely good company: Margaret Atwood, James Baldwin, Ken Burns, Rachel Carson, and Zora Neale Hurston are previous fellows. So, too, is Pamela Wojcik , a professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre , who was tapped in 2020. 

McSweeney is the 19th faculty member in the College of Arts and Letters selected for a Guggenheim fellowship in the last 22 years.

“I’m thrilled that Joyelle has received one of the world’s most prestigious and competitive fellowships, continuing our tradition of excellence with these awards," said Sarah Mustillo, the I.A. O'Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts and Letters.

"It is a strong endorsement of the quality of her work and another signal of the growing stature of our creative writing program.”

“I’m thrilled that Joyelle has received one of the world’s most prestigious and competitive fellowships, continuing our tradition of excellence with these awards. It is a strong endorsement of the quality of her work and another signal of the growing stature of our creative writing program.” — Sarah Mustillo, the I.A. O'Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts and Letters

The Guggenheim is the latest significant honor this year for McSweeney, who has also recently won a Modern Language Association translation prize and an American Academy of Arts and Letters award, and had a poem published in The New York Times Magazine .

In January, the MLA — which promotes the study and teaching of languages and literatures — presented the English professor and three of her collaborators with an award for their translation of Yi Sang: Selected Works from Korean and Japanese into English.

The MLA’s 17th Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for a Translation of a Literary Work was its first for a work of Korean literature. Avant-garde poet Kim Hye-kyŏng, who used the pen name Yi Sang, was fluent in Korean and Japanese. He wrote in the 1930s in Korea during the Japanese occupation and died in 1937 at age 27 after being imprisoned in Tokyo for thought crimes. 

McSweeney worked with Jack Jung, visiting assistant professor of English at Davidson College; Sawako Nakayasu, assistant professor of literary arts at Brown University; and Don Mee Choi of Seattle, Washington, to translate poems, essays, and short novels first published in Korean and Japanese, then “subjected to the hazards of war and neglect.”

McSweeney said it’s gratifying that through the translated book, Yi Sang’s “force is alive and moving around the planet and reaching people when they need it.”

“It feels right to be part of a collaborative multinational team that worked on this; it points to the flexibility and invention of his works,” she said. “It took four of us, a supergroup of poets and translators. We needed all these minds and brains and artists to get at his playful and subversive work.”

The selection committee said Yi Sang’s writing, which combines fable, fantasy, satire, parody, Dadaism, concrete poetry, and quasi-translation, “presents a steep challenge to translation.” But each member of the translation team has “re-created in English Yi Sang’s terse, polyglot, self-undermining, dreamlike parables and essays. The elegant format and plural translating voices make this book a suitable monument to this intriguing figure.”

McSweeney said the endeavor reminded her that literature is not exclusively about "the finished text as an unchanging object that sits in its place in the official timeline."

“It’s a whole process,” she said. “The world of art moves outward and moves through time periods. It’s thrilling to be part of the chain of reception.” 

In March, the American Academy of Arts and Letters — an honors society that administers prizes, donates art to museums, funds musical theater performances, and hosts talks — named McSweeney as the recipient of its Arts and Letters Award in Literature for exceptional accomplishment in any genre. She said she appreciates the Academy's “encouragement to keep going” with her writing and its recognition of her distinctive work.

Depending on how you count, McSweeney said, her body of work includes eight or nine books of poetry, short stories, novels, essays, translations, verse plays, and a book of criticism.

Her previous honors include being named a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Award for her double poetry collection,  Toxicon and Arachne . McSweeney wrote the first part during the years leading up to the birth of her third daughter, Arachne, and wrote the second part in the spring following Arachne’s brief life and death. In February, the NYT Magazine featured McSweeney’s poem Kingdom from the collection. 

Also in 2021, her poem, “Post-NICU Villanelle,” winner of a 2021 Pushcart Prize, was published in the Iowa Review.  She currently co-runs the translation press Action Books and is writing poems and a book of essays about poetry.

In 2021 and in 2014, McSweeney earned Notre Dame’s Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching “for her profound influence on undergraduate students through sustained exemplary teaching.” Peer and student nominations are part of the selection process.

She said it’s rewarding to help bring students into empowerment and see them unlock what they love about language.

McSweeney structures class like a party. 

“I’ll bring something, the students bring something, and we make something substantive together,” she said.

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October 25, 2023

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Awards and prizes

Creative writing awards and prizes, the sparks prize.

Awarded to a distinguished graduate of the Creative Writing Program as a post-graduation year of residency and writing time, funded by Nicholas Sparks and judged by an external writer. Based on the quality of writing and the likelihood that the submission will be published or will be developed into a publishable book.

2023 Winner: Lance Carroll, for KAIROS

Lance Carroll  is a writer who, while born in southern Missouri, has migrated throughout the entirety of the Midwest. He graduated from Shimer College—"the worst school in the country"—where he earned a degree in liberal arts after a year of study in Oxford. At Notre Dame, he has served as the co-editor of fiction for  Notre Dame Review  and taught classes on nonfiction and speculative fiction. He is working on a hybrid memoir about sexuality and religious experience.

2023 Judge Tess Gunty's comments:

"With breathtaking prose, refined pacing, and an undeniable raison d’être,  KAIROS  sings. Here is a voice determined to excavate interpersonal and institutional hypocrisies with precision and tenderness, generosity and courage. There is no doubt that the author of this work has embarked on an auspicious literary career." 

Tess  Gunty 's debut novel,  The Rabbit Hutch , is the recipient of the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction, the Barnes and Noble Discover Prize, and the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. It was named one of twelve Essential Reads by  The New Yorker , and a best book of the year by  The New York Times ,  NPR ,  People ,  TIME ,  Oprah Daily ,  LitHub ,  The Chicago Tribune , and  Kirkus . The novel has been optioned for film rights by Fremantle and producer Richard Brown. Tess holds an MFA in Creative Writing from NYU, where she was a Lillian Vernon Fellow. She studied English with a concentration in Creative Writing at the University of Notre Dame. Her work has appeared in  The Iowa Review ,  Granta ,  LitHub ,  Joyland ,  Freeman’s , the  Los Angeles Review of Books ,  No Tokens ,  Flash , and elsewhere. Tess grew up in South Bend, Indiana, and now lives in Los Angeles.

The Mitchell Award 

The Mitchell award is designed to honor one MFA second-year student for their special contributions to the Creative Writing Program, namely for distinguished achievement and contributions during residency. It recognizes the student who has been the most involved citizen in the program and one of its best writers.

2023 Winner: Kalie Pead

Kalie Pead  is a queer writer from Salt Lake City, Utah. She is currently an MFA Candidate in Poetry at the University of Notre Dame, living in South Bend Indiana with her partner. While she grew up in Salt Lake she will always consider home somewhere between the red rocks of Utah and the wilds of Wyoming. Her work is published or forthcoming in  The Whiskey Blot ,  From Whispers To Roars ,  Metaphor , and  Peculiar .

The Samuel and Mary Anne Hazo Poetry Award 

Recipient's work reflects Hazo's humanistic aesthetic/ideals and commitment to poetic craft. Selected by unanimous decision from current poetry faculty and based upon thesis, student's class performance, and contribution to the creative writing community and the MFA program.

2023 Winner: Zoe Darsee  

Zoe Darsee  was born about noon on a Tuesday. Later they founded  TABLOID Press , a publishing practice rooted in the poetics & sounds of the local, with poet, friend and artist Nat Marcus in Berlin, Germany. This work continues. Some of the poet's texts have appeared in  Annulet ,  KEITH LLC ,  Spectra Poetry ,  The Quarterless Review , in translation for  EDIT Magazine , and in vocal collaboration with musicians Exael and DJ Paradise. Their chapbook,  BELL LOGIC , is forthcoming from  Spiral Editions . They are interested in structure(s), ideologies, and are working on a novel, for free.

Undergraduate awards and prizes

Outstanding creative writing student.

This award goes to the graduating senior who has excelled in creative writing.

2023 Winner: Andrew Lee

Billy maich academy of american poets prize.

The Billy Maich Prize is awarded to the Notre Dame student, graduate or undergraduate, for excellence in poetry, recognizing for the best group of poems from among those submitted. Students may enter no more than five poems and are encouraged to limit their entries to 250 lines.

2023 Winner: Kristyn Garza

Richard t. sullivan award for fiction writing.

The Richard T. Sullivan Award for Fiction is awarded to recognize the undergraduate student who submits the best fiction manuscript. Entries may be a short story or a chapter from a novel. Only one submission per student.

2023 Winner: Christine Hilario, for "Little Angel”

Ernest sandeen poetry award .

The Ernest Sandeen Poetry Award is awarded to recognize the undergraduate who submits the best group of poems. Students may enter no more than five poems and are encouraged to limit their entries to 250 lines.

2023 Winner: Taylor Erickson

Program awards and prizes, sandeen prize in poetry.

The Ernest Sandeen Prize in Poetry was sponsored by the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English at the University of Notre Dame in conjunction with the University of Notre Dame Press. The prize was awarded to an author who has published at least one volume of poetry (authors who are graduates of the University of Notre Dame are not eligible.)

2022 Winner: Sheryl Luna

Magnificent Errors is a collection of poems that shows how mental health challenges can elicit beauty, resiliency, and hope.

In 2005, Sheryl Luna burst onto the poetry scene with Pity the Drowned Horses , which quickly became a classic of border and Southwest literature with its major point of reference in and around El Paso, Texas. Now with the poems in Magnificent Errors , Luna’s third collection and winner of the Ernest Sandeen Prize in Poetry, Luna turns her gaze toward people living on the margins—whether it be cultural, socioeconomic, psychological, or personal—and celebrates their ability to recover and thrive. Luna reveals that individuals who suffer and experience injustice are often lovely and awe inspiring. Her poems reflect on immigrants in a detention camp, a meth addict, a homeless individual, and someone on food stamps. She explores the voices of people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or PTSD, poets, visual artists, and people living in a mental health community setting. The author’s own journey to recovery from childhood abuse and mental illness also illuminates how healing is possible.

The poems in Magnificent Errors are lyrical, narrative, and often highly personal, exploring what it means to be the “other” and how to cope with difference and illness. They venerate characters who overcome difficulties including ostracism and degradation. People who live outside of the mainstream in poverty are survivors, and showing their experience teaches us compassion and kindness. Ideas of art, culture, and recovery flow throughout the poems, exploring artistic creativity as a means of redemption. With language that is fresh and surprising, Sheryl Luna shares these remarkable poems that bring a reader into the experiences of marginalization and offer hope that grace and restoration do indeed follow.

Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction

The Richard Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction was sponsored by the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English at the University of Notre Dame in conjunction with the University of Notre Dame Press. The Prize was awarded to an author who has published at least one volume of short fiction (authors who are graduates of the University of Notre Dame are not eligible.)

2022 Winner: Maya Sonenberg

In these dense and startling stories, Maya Sonenberg telescopes seasons, decades, and generations in candid depictions of women’s family lives.

What happens when the urge to ditch your family outpaces the desire to love them? The stories in Bad Mothers, Bad Daughters , winner of the Richard Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction, attempt to answer this question, heading straight for the messiness of domestic relationships and the constraints society places on women as they navigate their obligations. Daughters desert their rheumy-eyed elders in dusty museums, steal a mother’s favorite teacup, or consider throwing their dead parents’ nostalgia-riddled belongings out the window. Mothers conclude that they love one child more than their others. Fathers puzzle over a wife’s inability to balance family and career or accuse a partner of blaming their child for her own misdeeds. Women mourn the children they decided not to have and fret over the legacy they’ll leave the children they do have. But sometimes the generations reconcile or siblings manage to rescue each other. Love tears these people apart, but it mends them too.

The emotions expressed in these stories are combustible, both fraught and nuanced, uncontrollable and common, but above all often ignored or hushed because we’re not supposed to be bored by our children or annoyed with our aged parents, even as we love them. The careful shapes of these stories adapted from fairy tales, verse, letters, or newspaper announcements, the surprise of their wordplay, and the blaze of their lyrical sentences allow them to dig into and contain all those messy emotions at the same time. In these works, constraint creates both understanding and fire.

Guidelines for the Sandeen and Sullivan Prizes

The Ernest Sandeen Prize in Poetry and Richard Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction were sponsored by the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English at the University of Notre Dame in conjunction with The University of Notre Dame Press. Both series are now complete and are not accepting new submissions. Beginning in 1995, the prizes were awarded to authors who had previously published at least one volume of short fiction or one volume of poetry and helped bridge a gap in publication support between an author’s debut and becoming an established author. To learn more about or purchase a copy of these award-winning books, please visit the Notre Dame Press website for the Ernest Sandeen Prize in Poetry and the Richard Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction .

Ernest Sandeen was a professor of English at the University of Notre Dame from 1946 until his retirement in 1978. He was an award-winning teacher. His poems appeared in such journals as the Hudson Review , Poetry and the New Yorker . He published six volumes of poetry in his lifetime and served as emeritus professor of English at the University of Notre Dame until his death in 1997. His Collected Poems 1953 – 1994 was published in 2001.

Richard T. Sullivan graduated from Notre Dame in 1930 and joined the University’s faculty as a writing instructor in 1936. In addition to writing numerous book reviews for the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune , he published several short story collections and novels, including The World of Idella May , The Three Kings , Summer After Summer , The Dark Continent , and First Citizen . A popular undergraduate teacher, he is remembered for his description of writing as “hard work requiring patience and idiotic perseverance.” He died in 1981.

Notre Dame Book Review Prize

The NDRBP was begun as a first volume prize, awarded to an author who has published short fiction or poetry in the Notre Dame Review . Established in 2013 by the NDR, in conjunction with the Notre Dame Press, the prize is to honor the work of both accomplished and emerging authors, who have yet to publish a volume of stories, or a collection of poetry. Consideration is now given to novels, not necessarily, in their case, first novels. Besides publication, the author is awarded a $1,000 prize. The judge is the editor of the Review, in conjunction with the Press; the prize will be awarded when warranted. There are no entry requirements, other than previous publication in the Notre Dame Review . 

The first winner of The Notre Dame Review Book Prize was James D. Redwood. His collection of short stories, Love Beneath the Napalm , was published in the fall of 2013.

The second winner of The Notre Dame Review Book Prize was John Shoptaw; his volume of poetry, Times Beach , was published by the University of Notre Dame Press in the spring of 2015.

Thomas McGonigle of New York, N.Y., was awarded the third Notre Dame Review Book Prize for his novel, St. Patrick’s Day . His book was published by University of Notre Dame Press in Fall 2016. McGonigle is the author of The Corpse Dream of N. Petkov and Going to Patchogue .

Direct inquiries about the NDR Book Prize to [email protected] .

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Sparks fly for Creative Writing Program

Published: April 03, 2006

Author: Julie Hail Flory

Among notable Notre Dame alumni, best-selling author Nicholas Sparks often tops the list in the literary category. With novels such asMessage in a Bottle,A Walk to RememberandThe Notebookmade into major motion pictures, he is something of a household name.

Sparksis the benefactor for what is fast becoming a legacy of significant authors to emerge from the Creative Writing Program.

It has been nearly five years sinceSparks, who graduated in 1988 with a finance degree, established a $1.5-million initiative to support aspiring writers. TheSparksinitiative underwrites a three-tiered program that includes a fellowship, internship opportunities and the annual Sparks Prize. The prize awards $20,000 to a new graduate of the two-year masters program, who then can stay at Notre Dame for a year to focus on completing a book.

Since its inception in 2001, theSparksinitiative has become a key component of the Creative Writing Program, whose young authors are experiencingmore success in early publishing than ever expected,according to William ORourke, director of the program.

Three students from the past five years are going to be published by major houses,O’Rourke says.That level of success matches us with any program in the country.

The 2005 Sparks Prize winner, Angela Hur, achieved what ORourke describes as theSparkstrifecta.The fellowship placed her as an editorial intern on Notre Dame Review, the Universitys award-winning national literary journal. As aSparksintern, Hur completed a stint at aNew Yorkpublishing house. Using the Sparks Prize Hur completed her novel,The Queens of K-Town.ORourke predicts it will soon have a publisher.

Past Sparks Prize winners who have published works include 2004 winner Kelly Kerney, the first to ink a deal with a major house. Her novel,Born Again,is forthcoming by Harcourt. It is described as a comedy of a girl who secretly readsDarwinand becomes caught between her faith and her intellect in a family of evangelicals, charismatics, and speakers-in-tongues.

Sara Swanson, who won the prize in 2003 and has since had short stories published in Tampa Review and Connecticut Review.

The poetry of Jenny Bryant, the 2002 winner, has appeared in numerous publications.

ORourke gives credit where credit is due, acknowledging that the Sparks Prize is indeed a major attraction for high-quality students and a huge asset to the program. However, he also is quick to point out that the initiative is just one of several high-profile keys to the program’s success, joining the Notre Dame Review and the prestigious Sandeen Prize in Poetry and Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction. The University annually awards the latter prizes in conjunction with Notre Dame Press; they allow the recipient to complete a book.

The number of applicants to the Creative Writing Program has doubled in the past six years, from 100 to 200 hopefuls (the program only admits 10 per year), and ORourke says the quality of candidates also has been especially strong during that time.

TheSparksinitiative came at a good time. Its served as a ‘booster rocketfor the program,he says.

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Presenter Center

Did you know that specially trained Writing Center consultants are now available to help you with your oral presentations?

The Writing Center’s Presenter Center offers free, one-on-one consultations with individuals or groups giving presentations in any setting, from classes to conferences, and for any purpose, from business pitches to wedding toasts. From beginning an outline of your speech to putting the final touches on your presentation, the Presenter Center is available to assist you in the creative process of presenting your work.

Tutoring sessions are held in  Hesburgh Library, rooms 132 and 133.

To use this service, simply follow these steps:

• Visit our  online appointment scheduler .
• Once you have reached the main menu, select “Presenter Center” from the location dropdown.
• Schedule your appointment for your preferred time.
• Bring any visual aids (including PowerPoints or Prezis) you may be using to your appointment. If you want a recording of your presentation, we recommend that you bring a flash drive. 
• Come visit the Presenter Center and chat with your consultant about your presentation.

Presentations exist at the intersection of intellectual and physical communication. Our attentive consultants can provide a welcoming and constructive practice audience as you work through both the writing and presenting processes.

Book an appointment today!

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Vickie vertiz: creative writing reading series.

Thursday. November 9, 2023 | 5:00 pm

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Creative Writing Writing Series ft. Jamel Brinkley

Time: Thu Apr 4, 2024, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: 232 Decio English Commons (View on map )

Jamel Brinkley is the author of Witness: Stories (2023, Farrar, Straus and Giroux/4th Estate), a finalist for the Kirkus Prize in Fiction, and A Lucky Man: Stories (2018, Graywolf Press), which was a finalist for the National Book Award, the Story Prize, the John Leonard Prize, the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; and winner of a PEN Oakland Award and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. His writing has appeared in A Public Space , Ploughshares , Zoetrope: All-Story , The Paris Review , American Short Fiction , The Yale Review , Guernica , The Threepenny Review , Gulf Coast , Glimmer Train , The Believer , and Tin House , and has been anthologized twice in The Best American Short Stories . His work has also received support from the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop, the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, the Tin House Summer Workshop, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the Lannan Foundation. He was a Carol Houck Smith Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and has received an O. Henry Award and the Rome Prize. Raised in Brooklyn and the Bronx, he teaches at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Originally published at english.nd.edu .

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Notre Dame Press Book Festival and Dirty Book Sale

Time: Wed Nov 15, 2023, 10:00AM - 6:00PM

Location: Hesburgh Library Main Concourse

UND Press hosts their annual Book Festival and Dirty Book Sale as part of University Press Week! This year, the festival will include incredible deals both in person and on our website, several book events, and many giveaways.

Join us in the Hesburgh Library Main Concourse for the on-campus events and sale on November 14th and 15th, where we’ll be celebrating from 10 am to 6 pm.

Event Schedule:

Poesía en diálogo

Latinx Poetry with Victoria María Castells, Darrel Alejandro Holnes, Sheryl Luna, and Vickie Vértiz

November 14th, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Hesburgh Library Scholars Lounge and Zoom

This virtual event features four Latinx poets—all Notre Dame Press authors—reading and discussing their work. Laura Villareal, Letras Latinas Associate, will moderate the discussion. Registration for the virtual event is free. Register here .

Sponsored by Letras Latinas and the Creative Writing Program

How to Judge a Book by Its Cover

Covers, Layout, and Design with Notre Dame Press Staff

November 15th, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hesburgh Library Scholars Lounge

This in-person event showcases best practices in book cover design, co-presented by Notre Dame Press staffers Wendy McMillen, production and design manager, and Michelle Sybert, Assistant Director and Director of Marketing, Sales, and Development. Suitable for future authors, designers, and marketing professionals, as well as anyone who wants to learn more about book publishing, this event is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

Love Thee Notre Dame

The History of Our University with Rev. Thomas Blantz, C.S.C. and Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C.

November 15th, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Hesburgh Library Scholars Lounge

This in-person event features Notre Dame Press authors Fr. Thomas Blantz and Fr. Monk Malloy speaking about their combined 130+ years at Notre Dame. Kathleen Sprows Cummings, Rev. John A. O'Brien Collegiate Professor of American Studies and History, will moderate the discussion. This event is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism and the Department of History

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James Matthew Wilson and Joshua Hren present at De Nicola’s fall conference at Notre Dame

The conference featured more than 140 presentations exploring the ethical, legal, and social concept of personhood: persons with disabilities, artificial intelligence, divine persons and the Trinity, the role of personalism in the thought of John Paul II, philosophy, theology, political theory, law, history, economics, and the social sciences, as well as the natural sciences, literature, and the arts.

Wilson and Hren co-present on ‘ Literature and the Irreducibility of the Human Person’ 

Wilson is a full professor in the M.F.A. Program, a poet, critic, and scholar of philosophical theology. He will chair the session and offer remarks along with Hren, Scharl, and Pastor. Wilson’s remarks will consider the curious case of Thomas Hobbes, an early advocate of philosophical materialism, who nonetheless carved out a place in the arts for a use of the mind he otherwise thought inane. Wilson will show that the very use of the mind Hobbes reserved for the arts are in fact essential to our knowledge of the world and the human person. What Hobbes called somewhat dismissively "fancy” and “wit” are in factchief virtue or means by which we know the world and discover that its riches transcend the merely material forces of nature. Wilson's comments indirectly relate to his book, "The Vision of the Soul: Truth, Goodness and Beauty in the Western Tradition."

Hren's talk derives from an  essay he recently published in Notre Dame's Church Life Journal . He focuses on one of the main characters in J.M. Coetzee's "The Pole,"   a novel published in September   of 2023.   The character Beatriz begins by   offering what she calls "her mature, adult belief."

"She does not believe in life after death, except in the most metaphorical senses,” Hren wrote. “When she is dead, her children will remember her and reminisce about her, fondly or not so fondly. They might also pick her to pieces with their psychoanalysts . . . as long as they go on doing so, she will enjoy a flickering kind of life. But with the passing of their generation, she will be tossed into a dusty archive, there to be shut out from the light of day forever and ever.

Her metaphor for a this-worldly afterlife is as demystified as they get: a faded, bureaucratized manila folder in an anathematized archive. But when her lover dies, she has a hard time reducing his personhood to this world, and from beyond the grave, he explodes her tidy notions of what it means to live forever."

Invited Session: M.F.A. in Creative Writing 

The M.F.A. in Creative Writing will be front-and-center at the conference. For the third year running, the De Nicola Center has awarded the program an invited session, where Wilson and Hren can reflect on, and spread the good news about, the work UST's program is doing to revive the arts in the Catholic tradition in our day. 

"Central to that endeavor is recovering a sense of the arts as a way of knowing reality, and to that end, our session at this year's conference, ‘A Haunting of Dust,’ will reflect on the ways that art stands athwart contemporary tendencies to reduce human nature, and nature more generally, to a merely material or mechanical process," Wilson said. "Works of art resist this reduction, but they do more; they suggest to us why the reduction distorts reality more generally; it is not possible to think adequately about the nature of things without the concepts of soul, character, and purpose that the arts contemplate and represent and with which — despite some rather loud claims to the contrary — the world is saturated."

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"Yellowface" Book Discussion

Time: Fri Nov 17, 2023, 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm

Location: 242 O'Shaughnessy Hall (View on map )

Notre Dame students, faculty, and staff are invited to join the Notre Dame Gender Studies Program Book Club for a discussion of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang . The New York Times describes the novel as "a breezy and propulsive read, a satirical literary thriller that's enjoyable and uncomfortable in equal measure; occasionally, it skirts the edges of a ghost story."

Perin Gürel , an associate professor of American Studies, concurrent associate professor of Gender Studies, and Liu Institute faculty fellow will moderate.

The first 20 registrants will receive a free copy of the book. Pizza will be provided.

To RSVP, please email [email protected].

Cosponsored by the Department of American Studies and the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies .