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Admission Requirements
The MFA in creative writing is a rigorous and selective program, enrolling 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 course work with at least a B average, as well as 6 additional hours of thesis credit, for a total of 42 hours:
- 12 hours minimum in MFA writing workshops
- 12 hours minimum of literature courses, further divided as
- 6 literature hours of pre-1800 subjects
- 6 literature hours of post-1800 subjects
- 12 hours of electives in related disciplines
- 6 hours of thesis credit
Graduate students who teach composition classes are required to take English 617: Teaching College English, whereas graduate students who assist in the large lecture sections of the sophomore literature surveys are not. Students with an MA or other degree may be released from some course work, as decided 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 at the 300 level or above, 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 MFA Committee
Students work with a committee of three faculty members, one of whom will be the student's supervisor. Students should assemble their committees as soon as they feel comfortable doing so (but comfortably before the end of general coursework). Each committee member must sign a form,
available as a PDF file, before the following steps are taken:
Comprehensive Final Examination
Before submitting the MFA 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 MFA committee. The committee creates and administers the
exam.
The MFA Thesis
The MFA thesis is a book-length manuscript of either poetry or prose, generally 48 pages minimum for poetry and at least 120 pages for prose.
Thesis Defense
An oral defense before the committee, lasting approximately one hour, is the final stage before the student is recommended for the degree.
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