Master of Fine Arts in Fiction and Poetry

The Department of English offers a two-year program in fiction or poetry leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree. The program provides an opportunity for students of superior ability in creative writing to develop their skills and critical judgment through the practice of writing and the study of literature. The primary aim of the program is to nurture the individual’s writing talent; the secondary aim is to prepare students for careers in writing and teaching. Enrollment is kept deliberately small to maximize student/teacher interaction. Degree candidates are expected to produce a book-length work of literary value and publishable quality.

Financial Aid

All MFA candidates receive some form of financial aid. We offer Teaching Assistantships in Creative Writing and/or Freshman Composition (optional) and a small number of Creative Writing Scholarships. Teaching Assistantships include full tuition and a stipend ($15,965 for the 2008-09 academic year). Teaching assistants teach two sections of Introduction to Creative Writing, one in fall and one in spring, during their second year in the program. Creative Writing Scholars receive full tuition waivers and may elect to teach Introduction to Creative Writing during their second year at a part-time lecturers’ rate. Please also see Graduate School webpage for other financial aid resources.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the M.F.A. degree must complete a total of 36 credits. 18 of these are taken in the area of writing specialization. These include workshop courses (12 credits) and thesis (6 credits). The remaining credits are taken in literature and forms/craft classes (12 credits), electives (6 credits), and, for those with a teaching assistantship, a creative writing teaching practicum and the option of taking a second teaching practicum in preparation for teaching composition.

The final thesis must be a book-length manuscript in the student's field of interest. In fiction an approximate one hundred fifty pages are expected; in poetry, fifty.
A portfolio is due at the end of the final semester. It consists of a critical paper, a sample of creative work, a self-assessment, and an annotated bibliography.