College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Degree Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 36 hours of approved graduate courses. these courses must be distributed over creative writing workshops and courses in literary studies. Specific requirements are as follows:

1. 15 hours in creative writing, including 9 hours in the primary genre, 3 hours of Master Workshop, and 3 hours of Poetic Forms and Techniques for poetry students, Fiction Forms and Techniques for fiction students, or Nonfiction Forms and Techniques for nonfiction students. Students are strongly encouraged to take the course in Forms and Techniques early in the M.F.A. program.
2. 3 hours of Writers on Literature
3. 12 hours in English or American literature or other literary studies (Students should divide their courses between early and later literatures. Early British literature is defined as British literature before 1800 and early American literature is defined as American literature before 1865.)
4. 6 hours of elective courses (literature or other literary studies, workshop in the primary genre, workshop in a crossover genre, Writers on Literature, or coursework in another department that complements the student's program).

In addition, M.F.A. students must complete a creative thesis for 6 credit hours.