
Biography and Memoir

The M.A. program in Biography and Memoir recognizes and embraces the divide between the scholarly and the popular, exploring the imaginative art of creative non-fiction.
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M.A. in Biography and Memoir
Full-time/Part-time
Admissions Deadlines
June 1 for fall
(No spring enrollment)
This is a golden age for biography and memoir. Many leading publishers have series that focus on biography and memoir, while agents are keen to consider those who write more creative non-fiction. Oral history projects continue to obtain funding and grow exponentially, while radio, podcasting, film, television, and video streaming services are open to new voices and forms of content that center upon life writing in all its forms. The M.A. in Biography and Memoir provides students with the academic rigor and creative fulfillment to seize this moment and pursue a diverse range of careers in journalism and media, professional writing and publishing, oral history studies, documentary filmmaking, digital communications, archival work, and other professions, or to continue their academic pursuits with a Ph.D.
The Graduate Center’s M.A. Program in Biography and Memoir is one of the only programs in the world to offer a uniquely rich series of courses to students who wish to study biography and memoir, or to become biographers and memoirs writers themselves. Our affordable program offers academic excellence and serves as an intellectual and cultural hub of activities, talks, and opportunities for mentorship.
Our students come from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds, and complete a foundational course of study that addresses topics such as research and methodology, ethics, and writing style. Students also choose from an array of electives from across the Graduate Center's masters and doctoral programs, including English, history, art history, film studies, urban politics, and psychology, and study side-by-side with students in these programs.
Executive Director of the Leon Levy Center for Biography (and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer) Kai Bird introduces The Graduate Center’s Master’s Program in Biography & Memoir

At the Center of Publishing and Academia
Our location in New York City and affiliation with The Graduate Center’s Leon Levy Center for Biography offer students unparalleled networking and mentorship opportunities. The city remains the center of publishing and media in America, with a strong tech presence, while The GC provides further opportunities for students to work across disciplines.
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Personalized Guidance from Esteemed Writers and Scholars
Our faculty are renowned scholars and writers, many of whom have published popular and award-winning biographies or memoirs, including the Pulitzer Prize. In addition, students in our program study and practice the art and craft of biography with guidance from eminent writers who are well connected in academic and publishing circles. Brenda Wineapple (author of "The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson" and "The Dream of a Just Nation") and Annalyn Swan (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "de Kooning: An American Master", and "Bacon: Revelations") regularly teach small seminars.
Meet our faculty
Leon Levy Center for Biography
Students in the M.A. program are encouraged to take part in the events and public programs sponsored by the Leon Levy Center for Biography, which acts as a cross-disciplinary hub for writers, scholars, students, teachers, and readers of biography. The center also offers four annual fellowships.
Learn more about the Leon Levy CenterRecent News
May 11, 2023
Biography Conference Convenes Top Writers to Mingle and Share Advice
The event this month, open to the Graduate Center community, features several Graduate Center scholars.
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
- Student News
Apr 12, 2023
The Leon Levy Center Announces 2023-2024 Biography Fellows
Five writers, including a Graduate Center alumnus, receive the distinguished fellowships.
- Press Release
- Alumni News
Apr 10, 2023
Two Faculty Members and an Alumna Win 2023 Guggenheim Fellowships
Professors Wayne Koestenbaum and Tanya Pollard and Alumna Deborah Lutz receive the prestigious fellowship.
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
- Alumni News
Jan 12, 2023
Catch These Shows Before They Close
Museum and gallery exhibitions across New York showcase the work of Graduate Center scholars.
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