Graduate Degrees and Programs: College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Department of English

 

Creative Writing Program

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the college graduate admission requirements, applicants to the M.F.A. in Creative Writing program must meet the following minimum requirements for admission to the program and for the degree:

  1. The applicant should have completed 12 hours of advanced English with an average of 3.0 or better grade point average.

  2. The applicant should have two years of college-level study in one foreign language or otherwise demonstrate, with a passing score on the GSFLT, a reading knowledge of a foreign language.

  3. Three letters of recommendation.

  4. Submission of a manuscript consisting of a maximum of 10 pages of poetry or 20-25 pages of fiction.

  5. A statement of intent (1,000 or fewer words): reasons for pursuing graduate study in creative writing, which writers in the applicant's genre the applicant is reading, and comments on those writers.

  6. On a separate sheet of paper, list awards and publications of the applicant.

  7. Two official copies of transcripts from each school attended.

The GRE Advanced Subject (Code 64) score is not required for MFA applicants.

Consult the Creative Writing Program for additional information and more specific requirements.

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.

Doctor of Philosophy in Literature and Creative Writing

Degree Requirements

Beyond the achievement of the master's degree, doctoral students must complete a minimum of 45 semester hours of approved coursework distributed as follows:

  1. 3 hours of Introduction to Doctoral Studies in English

  2. 3 hours of bibliography, literary theory, or rhetoric. If students have taken a course or courses in these areas for the M.A., this requirement will be waived, allowing the student an additional 3 hours of elective course work (but not a reduction in the total hours required).

  3. 24 hours of literature, including (1) either History of Poetry and Poetics or History of Narrative and Narrative Theory, (2) 9 hours in early literature, (3) 6 hours in later literature, and (4) 6 hours of elective courses, each contributing to the student's areas of expertise. Students should select each of these courses in consultation with the graduate advisor and his/her faculty mentors. Early British literature is defined as British literature before 1800 and early American literature is defined as American literature before 1865.

  4. 3 hours of Writers on Literature

  5. 12 hours of creative writing workshops, including 1 Master Workshop in the major genre

In addition, students must pass three written doctoral examinations and one oral examination in their areas of specialization. They will then write and defend the creative dissertation for six semester credits.

Catalog Publish Date: January 14, 2013
This Page Last Updated: January 15, 2013