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The University of Arkansas creative writing and translation programs earned a high-ranked spot in the United States, according to a survey from Poets & Writers magazine.

The magazine, in its “2013 MFA Index,” ranked the UA eighth of 150 colleges surveyed for placing its graduates in full-time creative writing faculty positions at the college level, and 39th out of 160 in popularity among full-residency master of fine arts programs.

Also, the programs placed 16th in funding for current students and 18th in fellowship placement, which measured the percentage of graduates who earned prestigious national fellowships over the past decade.

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

The creative writing and translation programs are part of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences department of English.

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