Master of Fine Arts in English
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- Admission Requirements
- Course Requirements
- Foreign Language Requirement
- The M.F.A. Thesis
- Comprehensive Final Examination
- Thesis Defense
- Apply Now!
The Master of Fine Arts in English program maintains its own web site at http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/english/mfa/.
Admission Requirements
The M.F.A. in creative writing is a rigorous and selective program, enrolling only a handful of students each year. Admission is competitive, based on a writing sample, statement of purpose, three recommendations, undergraduate transcripts, and GRE quantitative and verbal test scores. See Application for further specifics.
Course Requirements
Students must complete 36 hours of coursework with at least a B average, as well as 6 additional hours of thesis credit, for a total of 42 hours. Of the 36 coursework hours, a minimum of 12 must be in creative writing workshops; at least 12 must be in literature courses, 6 before 1800 and 6 after; and 3 must be in literary, critical, cultural, rhetorical, or composition theory. Students may take up to 9 hours in related disciplines or directed readings. Teaching assistants are required to take English 617: Teaching College English. Students with an M.A. or other degree may be released from some coursework, set by the graduate admissions committee. The program is designed to be completed in three years.
Foreign Language Requirement
Students must show evidence of proficiency in one of the following foreign languages before the thesis defense: Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, German, or Italian. Evidence of proficiency ordinarily means a grade of B or above for 3 coursework hours in a foreign literature (in the original), or by a score in the 40th percentile or higher in a foreign language examination administered by the Educational Testing Service. Anyone seeking to satisfy the foreign language requirement in a language other than those listed must petition the Graduate Studies Committee.
The M.F.A. Thesis
The M.F.A. thesis is a book-length manuscript of either poetry or prose, generally 48 pages minimum for poetry and at least 120 pages for prose. Students are to work with a committee of three faculty members, one of whom will be the student's supervisor.
Comprehensive Final Examination
Before submitting the M.F.A. thesis, each student must pass a four-hour written test on topics in literature and related fields, based on a thirty-book list arranged in consultation with the student's M.F.A. committee, which also sets the exam.
Thesis Defense
An oral defense before the committee, lasting approximately one hour, is the final stage before the student is recommended for the degree.