Rural Alaska Honors Institute students study for their Introduction to College Writing course in Cornerstone Plaza on Friday, June 8.

First in the State of Alaska

The English Department at UAF is the largest department in the UAF College of Liberal Arts and the first to have been established in the State of Alaska. We offer an undergraduate major and three minor programs in English. We also offer three graduate programs: the MFA in Creative Writing, the MA in English, and the combined MFA/MA degree. Our curriculum includes a wide variety of general education courses in writing and literature.

Learn more about our faculty of active engaged scholars. See who's coming to town for the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series. Discover our student-run literary journals: Ice Box and Permafrost. There's so much happening in the English Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Thanks for visiting, and please reach out with any questions!

You can support our programming by donating to the English General Fund or Foundation accounts. Because the UA Foundation's physical offices are currently closed, donors are encouraged to give online at the Foundation website. Under the "Designation" option, select "other," and then type "UAF English Department." To discuss how your gift can best support our programming needs, please contact Department Chair Chris Coffman.

Explore our degrees

Undergraduate Degrees

The English major and minor programs prepare students for lives of reading, writing and teaching. Students are encouraged to engage with our energetic faculty, take ownership of their curriculum, and collaborate with their literary peers.

Learn about our undergraduate programs

Graduate Degrees

The MFA in Creative Writing offers tracks in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

The MA in English features coursework in World Literatures, literary theory, and composition pedagogy.

The MFA/MA program combines curricula in creative writing and literary analysis.

Learn about our graduate programs

Search Classes

What's the perfect English class for you? We offer courses in literary theory, English grammar, world literature, Native American and Alaska Native literatures, and all forms of creative writing. If it's been written or filmed, we study it. Read more about our course offerings in the UAF course catalog.

Search the UAF catalog

"I must make my life into / an endless camp, / learn to build with air, / water, and smoke . . ." Alaskan poet John Haines, from "'It Must All Be Done Over . . . '"

Department Chair