creative writing masters thesis

Creative Writing

A fully funded M.F.A. program that combines creative and scholarly work, undergraduate teaching, and professionalization opportunities.

Quick Links

• Enrolling in Undergraduate Intermediate Workshops
• Creative Writing Minor
• Writers Here and Now Event Series
• Jiménez-Porter Writers' House
• Stanley Plumly Lecture Series

The M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing is nationally ranked and our graduates are the recipients of many distinguished awards and fellowships.

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Our Faculty

Lillian-yvonne bertram.

Associate Professor, English Director, MFA Program in Creative Writing, English

Professor, English

3103 Tawes Hall College Park MD, 20742

Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes

Associate Professor, English

3120 Tawes Hall College Park MD, 20742

Emily Mitchell

3122 Tawes Hall College Park MD, 20742

Rion Amilcar Scott

3234 Tawes Hall College Park MD, 20742

Joshua Weiner

3113 Tawes Hall College Park MD, 20742

Program Coordinator

Lindsay bernal.

Academic Coordinator, MFA Program in Creative Writing, English MFA Program in Creative Writing, English

2116E Tawes Hall College Park MD, 20742

Emeritus Faculty

Michael collier.

Emeritus Professor, English

In Memoriam

Elizabeth arnold.

3101 Tawes Hall College Park MD, 20742

Program Requirements

The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing offers concentrations in fiction and poetry and requires a creative thesis. The course requirements include both writing workshops and literature courses.  

Course Requirements

• Four writing workshops in your concentration (poetry or fiction: English 688 or ENGL 689, respectively).
• Four graduate (600- or 700-level) literature courses.
• At least one semester of Studies in Narrative Form (English 789), if your concentration is fiction, or Studies in Poetic Form (English 788), if your concentration is poetry.
• NOTE: Forms courses are repeatable and can be taken outside of your concentration for elective credit.
• One graduate-level (600-level or above) course outside the English Department, or one 400-level English course elective within the English Department.

Beginning in the second year, MFA students register for English 799 (thesis research) under the direction of a member of the creative writing faculty, write as a thesis a book-length manuscript of fiction or poetry.

Mentoring Credit

All MFA students are required to complete one credit of pedagogical or professional mentoring each semester: either ENGL878 or ENGL898.

A Letter from the M.F.A. Program Faculty

Dear Prospective Students,

Our MFA program is committed to social justice and antiracism. Our workshop process decenters whiteness and amplifies BIPOC voices, as we aim to create a space of equity for writing and collaboration and encourage extending creative practice into the world.  What is the writing that is happening now, that is looking to the future and creating a viable community?  The answer starts in the work of your imagination, your dedication to the craft, and your sense that this matters beyond the act of writing. Our commitment is to you. 

Each fall, we welcome three poets and three fiction writers into the MFA Program, a studio-based fine arts program devoted to the development and mentoring of the next generation of poets and fiction writers. 

Our attention is to your original writing and to you, the writer; our aim is to help you become the writer you envision for yourself.  As fully funded writers, selected by the program faculty from an applicant pool of over 200, you’ll spend two to three years taking workshops, literature courses, and creative forms courses, meeting one-on-one with our faculty, and gaining valuable experience teaching undergraduate workshops, academic writing, and literature courses.

Our varied individual teaching philosophies share the conviction that the hard work of drafting and revising original stories and poems is grounded in reading and studying exemplary works.  Literary history, innovative poetic and narrative form, and the experience of the writer all come into play through the shaping hand of art.

During the second and third years of the program, MFA students develop a thesis (a book-length collection of poetry or short fiction, a novel, or a hybrid project) under the direction of the MFA faculty. Students have the opportunity to work closely with each program faculty member in the genre of concentration during their time at UMD.

Completion of the thesis culminates in the occasion of a thesis defense with several faculty members, and a celebratory public reading, at which each student is introduced by their faculty mentor.

The MFA core curriculum includes practica in teaching creative writing (in the first semester) and finishing the thesis (in the last semester), plus a set of professionalization courses to prepare you for a career in creative writing.  Our program emphasizes one-on-one mentoring and personal attention to your development as a writer in the world. 

The Writers Here & Now reading series, co-sponsored and -curated by the Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House (UMD’s undergraduate residential college devoted to creative writing), brings writers of national and international prominence to the University of Maryland each year, both to read and meet with students in the graduate and undergraduate workshops. Recent visiting writers include Leslie Nneka Arimah, Jennifer Chang, Jos Charles,  Alexander Chee, Jennine Capó Crucet, Natalie Diaz, Danielle Evans, Ross Gay, Louise Glück, Kaitlyn Greenidge, Terrance Hayes, Mitchell S. Jackson, John Keene, Yiyun Li, Claudia Rankine, Cristina Rivera Garza, Evie Shockley, Ocean Vuong, and Javier Zamora.  We also invite program alumni to read in the series and visit with the MFAs.

Our program faculty and alumni include recipients of the following awards and honors: ●    Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize ●    Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship ●    Guggenheim Fellowship ●    Italo Calvino Prize ●    National Book Award ●    National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship ●    NAACP Image Award ●    National Jewish Book Award ●    National Poetry Series competition ●    New York Public Library Young Lions Prize ●    Rome Prize ●    Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award ●    Whiting Writers’ Award

They have received Stegner, Hodder, Radcliffe Institute, and Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center fellowships, and their work has been featured in the following publications: ●    The Atlantic ●    Best American Poetry ●    Harvard Review ●    Los Angeles Review of Books ●    The Nation ●    The New Republic ●    The New Yorker ●    New York Review of Books ●    New York Times ●    Paris Review ●    Poetry ●    Threepenny Review ●    Washington Post ●    Yale Review

Our alumni have started their own literary journals online and in print: ●    The Account ●    Asian American Literary Review ●    AzonaL ●    B O D Y ●    Leavings ●    Oversound ●    Smartish Pace

They have continued their formal studies in doctoral programs at Florida State University, the University of Houston, the University of Illinois–Chicago, the University of Missouri, the University of Utah, and other top programs. And they have taught in universities, colleges, and high schools around the country and abroad, serving communities and fostering the literary arts.

We thank you for your interest in our program.  We urge you to review the department website to get a further sense of whether or not the MFA at Maryland is right for you.  And we wish you the very best in your writing.

M.F.A. Application Instructions

Submit the complete application and all supporting materials by December 17, 2024 —for the Fall 2025 term. (We do not accept applications for the Spring term.) Please note that the system will close promptly at midnight, so you will be unable to edit your application past 11:59pm on December 17, 2024.

University of Maryland's Graduate Application Process

The University of Maryland’s Graduate School accepts applications through its application system . Before completing the application, applicants are asked to check the Admissions Requirements site for specific instructions.

As required by the Graduate School, all application materials are to be submitted electronically:

• Graduate Application
• Non-refundable application fee ($75) for each program to which an applicant applies.
• Unofficial transcripts of your entire college/university record (undergraduate and graduate), including records of any advanced work done at another institution. Electronic copies of these unofficial transcripts must be uploaded along with your online application. Official transcripts will be required after an applicant is admitted to the program.
• Three Letters of Recommendation . In your online application, please complete the information requested for your recommenders and ask them to submit their letters electronically. The strongest letters of recommendation are written by individuals who are familiar with your fiction or poetry and can speak about you as a writer.
• Statement of Purpose . The statement, which should not exceed 1000 words, should address your creative interests, relevant aspects of your educational experience, and your reasons for applying to our program.
• A single Creative Writing Sample in the genre in which you are applying: for fiction, 15 pages (double-spaced); for poetry, 10-15 pages (single-spaced). To ensure that your application package is processed accurately, you must specify your genre (fiction OR poetry) in the online application.

Note: We DO NOT require--or recommend--that applicants to the MFA Program in Creative Writing submit GRE scores.

The electronic submission of application materials helps expedite the review of an application. Completed applications are reviewed by a faculty admissions committee in each genre. The recommendations of the poetry and fiction committees are submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will make the final admission decision. Students seeking to complete graduate work at the University of Maryland for degree purposes must be formally admitted to the Graduate School by the Dean.

Information for International Graduate Students

The University of Maryland is dedicated to maintaining a vibrant international graduate student community. The Office of International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) is a valuable resource of information and assistance for prospective and current international students.  International applicants are encouraged to explore the services they offer, and contact them with related questions.

The University of Maryland Graduate School offers admission to international students based on academic information; it is not a guarantee of attendance.  Admitted international students will then receive instructions about obtaining the appropriate visa to study at the University of Maryland which will require submission of additional documents.  Please see the Graduate Admissions Process for International Applicants for more information.

Applicants are encouraged to direct any technical issues and questions related to the admissions process to the Graduate School ([email protected]; 301-405-3644)

Prospective M.F.A. Student FAQs

If, after reading this list, you still have unanswered questions, please contact us.

• Where do I apply on-line? You can apply now via the Graduate School's website .  
• When is the application deadline?  December 17, 2024 at 11:59 pm (EST)
• Does your program admit students for the Spring semester? No.
• What is the most important part of the application? The creative writing sample is the single most important element of a successful application to the MFA Program in Creative Writing. Of course, the Creative Writing faculty look closely at all of the other materials in the application file.
• Is it possible to meet with the Creative Writing faculty and/or staff to discuss the admissions process? Unfortunately, the faculty and/or staff do not have the time to meet with prospective applicants. We do, however, strongly encourage applicants who have been accepted into the program to visit during the spring semester to meet with faculty, staff, and current students and attend a graduate-level course.
• When are admissions decisions made? Admissions decisions are made in March.
• Should the fiction writing sample be one piece or several pieces? The fiction writing sample can be either a novel excerpt, a short story, or several short stories, as long as the writing sample does not exceed 15 double-spaced pages.
• Can I submit creative work in more than one genre and/or apply in more than one genre? No. All MFA applicants must apply within one genre (fiction or poetry) and submit work only within that chosen genre.
• Does Maryland offer an MFA in Creative Nonfiction? No. However, a workshop in Creative Nonfiction is offered occasionally, and MFA students are welcome to take it as an elective.
• Does the program offer a low-residency option? No.
• What kind of financial award packages does the program offer? Each year, the program accepts 6 applicants (3 fiction writers and 3 poets), who are fully funded by Teaching Assistantships for up to three years of graduate study. Our financial award packages include a stipend of about $26,000 per academic year and 60 credit hours of tuition remission (10 credit hours of tuition remission per semester) over three years of study. MFA students do not teach during their first year in the program. They teach two classes during their second year and four classes during the optional third year of study.
• How do I put myself in the running for funding? No separate application is required. Please see the question above.
• When are decisions made about program-awarded aid (fellowships and teaching assistantships) ?  In March. We fully fund all 6 applicants who we've accepted. Our offer letter details the program-awarded financial package.
• Where can I find information on tuition and fees? Student Financial Services and Cashiering provides a chart of tuition and fees for Graduate Students by credit hour and residency classification (resident and non-resident).
• Do MFA students ever attend the program part-time? No. Since our MFA students are fully funded  they must remain enrolled on a full-time basis (taking at least 6 credits per semester).
• What time do the MFA students take classes? Most graduate English classes are offered once a week, Monday-Thursday, either from 3:30-6pm or from 6:30-9pm. Fiction and poetry workshops are on Wednesdays from 3:30-6pm. Students must be enrolled continuously—unless they petition the Graduate School for a medical leave of absence or for a waiver of continuous registration and such petitions are approved.
• Does your program accept letters of recommendation via Interfolio? The Graduate School does not accept letters of recommendation via Interfolio. However, if Interfolio is your only option to submit your letters of recommendation, then please arrange for Interfolio to send your dossier electronically to the MFA Program Coordinator, Lindsay Bernal: [email protected] . (Lindsay will confirm the receipt of the dossier.) Please note that this alternative is a work-around: though the MFA faculty reviewers will be given access to your Interfolio dossier, your letters will continue to appear as missing from your online application.
• Does your program require applicants to submit GRE scores? No.
• Does your program waive the application fee? The Graduate School, not the Program, processes all application fee waiver requests. For more information about application fee waivers, including the eligibility guidelines, please visit the Graduate School’s website .

Featured Alumni

Poet shara mccallum mfa ’96 named 2023 guggenheim fellow.

The fellowship will support McCallum’s upcoming project, a collection of poems in response to Jamaican visual art.

Elizabeth Acevedo Has Written Her First Novel for Adults–and It’s Full of Magic

Creative Writing M.F.A. alum is profiled in TIME on her newest novel, Family Lore .

Jewish Folklore Goes Queer in Alum’s New Novel

The mystical and mundane meet in story inspired by Temim Fruchter's Eastern European family matriarchs.

"Wave House" by Professor Elizabeth Arnold Wins Poetry Society of America William Carlos Williams Award

English professor elizabeth arnold dies at 65, “bitter water opera" in briefly noted book reviews, professor lillian-yvonne bertram and hoa nguyen ’91 receive foundation for contemporary arts grants to artists, accepting submissions: sadat poetry and music for justice and peace competitions, umd creative writing at awp 2024, poetry nfts are having a moment, lillian-yvonne bertram to read from 'negative money', upcoming events, writers here and now: ama codjoe & hanna pylväinen, writers here and now: elizabeth arnold tribute reading, writers here and now: karen solie & latoya watkins.

MFA – Curriculum

Master the art of creative writing.

Through one-on-one mentorships with faculty thesis advisors, intimate writing seminars, and in-depth peer reviews, you will learn to think critically about your craft. Examining literary works, exploring genres, and establishing close relationships with professors will all contribute to your development as a writer and help you to discover your unique style and voice. Monmouth’s M.F.A. program is a rigorous course of study built on the foundation of the M.A. in English and teaches students to apply their skills in literary analysis to their own creative projects and professional careers.

Courses Offered

EN 607: Creative Non-Fiction Workshop (3 credits) In a workshop setting, students will analyze readings in creative non-fiction to understand and become aware of the variant forms, techniques, and approaches used. As workshop participants, students will write and analyze their own creative nonfiction pieces. This course may be retaken for credit.

EN 609: Poetry Workshop (3 credits) In this seminar, we will read and discuss contemporary poetry with an eye toward understanding and honing techniques in craft, and will generate and revise poems that demonstrate range and skill. Students will prepare and receive detailed feedback on the workshopped poems. In addition to producing and revising original work, students will write focused responses to some of the assigned readings and will demonstrate familiarity with the critical vocabulary and tools of poetry.

EN 611: Fiction Workshop (3 credits) Students will analyze in a workshop setting their own short stories or novel chapters for intensive examination by workshop participants. Reading may be assigned. This course may be retaken for credit. Light reading may be assigned. This course may be retaken for credit.

EN 615: Craft Seminar: Poetry:  Ekphrasis  (3 credits) In this seminar, we will study ekphrastic poetry and examine the art of writing poems inspired by art objects and art forms (including painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, music, dance, theater, photography and films). We will pay particular attention to how contemporary poets have pushed the boundaries of the ekphrastic “enterprise” (Gregory Pardlo), and how they reinvigorate the conversations between form and content. We will read individual poems as well as sequences and full length collections that sustain and expand the ekphrastic mode. This seminar will have a workshop component and will incorporate writing sessions, but the focus will be on savoring the rich possibilities within this (sub)genre and understanding its strategies and techniques with an eye toward employing them in our own work.

EN 650: Publishing Seminar (3 credits) A seminar designed for students who are interested in pursuing professional experience in publishing, media, the teaching of creative writing, and other fields optimal for MFA graduates. Guest speakers will include authors, book and magazine editors, literary agents, nonprofit professionals, advertising copywriters, journalists, and scholars. Professional- training exercises may include query letter and resume workshops, writing story pitches, preparing publication submissions, drafting project proposals, discussing interview techniques, and conducting research into potential professional fields.

EN 652: Craft Intensive Seminar:  Great Expectations  (3 credits) In novel writing, the first chapter is often thought of as the most important pages of a book. It is where disbelief is suspended and where the specific world of the fictional tale is built. It is in this space where “great expectations” are shaped for what is to come. Yet so much more is established in a successful beginning, too. By reading the first 20-30 pages of select novels “blind” (i.e. without knowing the author or title), we will study what makes a successful and compelling first chapter. And toward the end of the semester, we will vote on which novel or novels we will be reading in their entirety to see if they live up to our great expectations. Excerpts will encompass mostly contemporary fiction, across multiple genres. Some of the writers we may read include: Mary Gaitskill, Rivka Galchen, Patricia Highsmith, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ben Lerner, Tea Obreht, Toni Morrison, Don DeLillo, E.L. Doctorow, Zadie Smith, Katie Kitamura, Michel Houellebecq, Karl Ove Knaussgård, Joy Williams, Hari Kunzru, Haruki Murakami, Kazuo Ishiguro, among others.

EN 655A-B: Creative Thesis Seminar (6 credits) Students will complete 80-200 pages or the equivalent of a book-length manuscript, consisting of previously written work that has been revised substantially along with new work. In addition, the student will craft a critical paper (10-15 pages) analyzing comparable texts that exemplify the literary tradition from which the thesis springs. The paper may discuss the influence of analyzed works on the thesis, but will focus on a discussion of the craft evident in the creative works discussed.

M.A. in English Creative Writing (First 30 Credits) Curriculum Chart

M.F.A. (18 Credits) Curriculum Chart

M.A./M.F.A. in Creative Writing Coursebook

Graduate Admission

Cost and Financial Aid

Career Opportunities

The Department of English offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing for students committed to pursuing the writing life. This three-year degree provides advanced graduate-level coursework in writing, language, literature, as well as studies in a related field.

Workshops in poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction are at the heart of the creative writing program, while courses in the Reading as Writers and Topics in Advanced Writing series enable writers to explore a variety of issues relating to contemporary themes in American and world literature. The program encourages experimentation across genres, fostering the discovery of new and varied forms for a developing voice.

Our program is committed to the goal of improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of departmental operations. Diversity, here, includes but is not limited to: race, indigeneity, gender identity, sexual orientation, caste, religion, cultural/educational background, (dis)ability, nationality, and socioeconomic status.

Please view our  graduate handbook  for more information.

Requirements for the MFA Degree

The MFA thesis, completed in the spring of your third year in the program, is a book-length manuscript suitable for publication. The minimum length for prose is 120 pages and the minimum length for poetry is 50 pages. (Some students, in consultation with their advisors, have completed multi-genre theses.) Feel free to consult the bound MFA theses on the bookshelf in the Assistant Director's office in 112 Pillsbury.

Class of 2024: Your thesis is due to your committee on Monday, April 22, 2024. Please work out specific arrangements (e.g. time, format) with your committee.

The MFA booklist will consist of 20 books of your choice, books that have been particularly influential or useful to you in the composition of your work. The list must include at least one book from each genre. The booklist should be assembled during your first and second years in the program. Strive for a balanced list, keeping classic as well as contemporary works in mind. Please keep your thesis advisor updated on your progress assembling the booklist.

Class of 2024: Your booklist is due to your committee on Monday, April 29, 2024.

During the fall of your third year, in the context of the thesis seminar, you'll devise a topic for your MFA essay (see below). During early spring of your third year, you'll consult with your thesis advisors about the MFA essay. In April of your third year, one week after the due date for the MFA thesis, you must give the completed essay, along with the booklist, to your thesis director and second reader, in preparation for your defense. Note: no changes to the thesis or other materials may be made between the date when you hand them in and the defense. Commentary and feedback on the MFA essay will take place within the context of the defense.

What should the MFA essay look like? This is a literary essay, personally voiced and intellectually rigorous. It is 2,500–3,500 words long (10–15 pages, double-spaced). It should focus on a specific topic (e.g. structure in experimental fiction; trauma and memoir; urban settings in contemporary poetry) as evidenced in your booklist and in your own work. You do not need to admire all of the works on your list; nor are you expected to discuss all twenty selections from your booklist in your essay. The essay is not a "hoop" through which you must jump, it can serve as both a preface to your thesis and as a way of reflecting on your own writing process and on the place of your own work within a larger tradition.

Class of 2024: your booklist and essay are due to your committee on Monday, April 29, 2024.

Thesis defense

The MFA defense will take place in May. Students who are deemed not ready to defend will be discouraged from doing so. At the defense, you will read briefly from and discuss your creative work (for about 30 minutes) and then field questions from audience members (30 minutes) about your thesis. The first portion of your defense is open unless otherwise requested. The second portion of your defense (60 minutes) will consist of you and your committee members only; this portion is closed to the public. Your committee will ask questions about the thesis, booklist and essay. After a brief private discussion with each other, your committee members may either sign off on the thesis as is, or ask for revisions to the thesis–or the essay.

MFA Thesis Defenses will take place May 6-10, 2024.

The Thesis is due April 22, 2024. The MFA essay and booklist are due April 29, 2024.

Thesis advising

At least two faculty members of your choice will work with you as advisors on your final manuscript.

• In some circumstances, you may be able to petition by letter to the Director of the Creative Writing Program to have an affiliate faculty member serve as your second reader. Approval will rest on your previous coursework experience with the instructor and whether funds are available to pay them for the additional work.
• If you choose to have two co-advisors , one of the two must be a member of the creative writing faculty; the other may be a faculty member of any department. You will divide your four thesis credits (and the workload) between your co-advisors; often, this means you will work with one advisor in the fall semester (for two credits), and the other advisor in the spring (for two credits).

It is your responsibility to seek out faculty who you think will be the most supportive of you as a writer, regardless of department.

Note: Mentorship is a mutual endeavor. Make use of faculty office hours to introduce yourself to potential advisors.

Earning A Master’s In Creative Writing: What To Know

Updated: Nov 1, 2023, 1:51pm

Do you want to create written work that ignites a reader’s imagination and even changes their worldview? With a master’s in creative writing, you can develop strong storytelling and character development skills, equipping you to achieve your writing goals.

If you’re ready to strengthen your writing chops and you enjoy writing original works to inspire others, tell interesting stories and share valuable information, earning a master’s in creative writing may be the next step on your career journey.

The skills learned in a creative writing master’s program qualify you to write your own literary works, teach others creative writing principles or pursue various other careers.

This article explores master’s degrees in creative writing, including common courses and concentrations, admission requirements and careers that use creative writing skills. Read on to learn more about earning a master’s degree in creative writing.

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What Is a Master’s in Creative Writing?

A master’s in creative writing is an advanced degree that helps you develop the skills to write your own novel, poetry, screenplay or nonfiction book. This degree can also prepare you for a career in business, publishing, education, marketing or communications.

In a creative writing master’s degree program, you can expect to analyze literature, explore historical contexts of literary works, master techniques for revising and editing, engage in class workshops and peer critiques, and write your own original work.

Creative writing master’s programs usually require a thesis project, which should be well-written, polished and ready to publish. Typical examples of thesis projects include poetry collections, memoirs, essay collections, short story collections and novels.

A master’s in creative writing typically requires about 36 credits and takes two years to complete. Credit requirements and timelines vary by program, so you may be able to finish your degree quicker.

Specializations for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are a few common concentrations for creative writing master’s programs. These vary by school, so your program’s offerings may look different.

This concentration helps you develop fiction writing skills, such as plot development, character creation and world-building. A fiction concentration is a good option if you plan to write short stories, novels or other types of fiction.

A nonfiction concentration focuses on the mechanics of writing nonfiction narratives. If you plan to write memoirs, travel pieces, magazine articles, technical documents or nonfiction books, this concentration may suit you.

Explore the imagery, tone, rhythm and structure of poetry with a poetry concentration. With this concentration, you can expect to develop your poetry writing skills and learn to curate poetry for journals and magazines.

Screenwriting

Screenwriting is an excellent concentration to explore if you enjoy creating characters and telling stories to make them come alive for television or film. This specialization covers how to write shorts, episodic serials, documentaries and feature-length film scripts.

Admission Requirements for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are some typical admission requirements for master’s in creative writing degree programs. These requirements vary, so check with your program to ensure you’ve met the appropriate requirements.

• Application for admission
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Transcripts from previous education
• Writing samples
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement or essay

Common Courses in a Master’s in Creative Writing

Story and concept.

This course focuses on conceptualizing, planning and developing stories on a structural level. Learners study how to generate ideas, develop interesting plots, create outlines, draft plot arcs, engage in world-building and create well-rounded characters who move their stories forward.

Graduate Studies in English Literature

Understanding literature is essential to building a career in creative writing. This course prepares you to teach, study literature or write professionally. Expect to discuss topics such as phonology, semantics, dialects, syntax and the history of the English language.

Workshop in Creative Nonfiction

You’ll study classic and contemporary creative nonfiction in this course. Workshops in creative nonfiction explore how different genres have emerged throughout history and how previous works influence new works. In some programs, this course focuses on a specific theme.

Foundations in Fiction

In this course, you’ll explore how the novel has developed throughout literary history and how the short story emerged as an art form. Coursework includes reading classic and contemporary works, writing response essays and crafting critical analyses.

MA in Creative Writing vs. MFA in Creative Writing: What’s the Difference?

While the degrees are similar, a master of arts in creative writing is different from a master of fine arts in creative writing. An MA in creative writing teaches creative writing competencies, building analytical skills through studying literature, literary theory and related topics. This lets you explore storytelling along with a more profound knowledge of literature and literary theory.

If you want your education to take a more academic perspective so you can build a career in one of many fields related to writing, an MA in creative writing may be right for you.

An MFA prepares you to work as a professional writer or novelist. MFA students graduate with a completed manuscript that is ready for publishing. Coursework highlights subjects related to the business of writing, such as digital publishing, the importance of building a platform on social media , marketing, freelancing and teaching. An MA in creative writing also takes less time and requires fewer credits than an MFA.

If you want to understand the business of writing and work as a professional author or novelist, earning an MFA in creative writing might be your best option.

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Creative Writing?

Below are several careers you can pursue with a master’s in creative writing. We sourced salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Postsecondary Creative Writing Teacher

Median Annual Salary: $74,280 Minimum Required Education: Ph.D. or another doctoral degree; master’s degree may be accepted at some schools and community colleges Job Overview: Postsecondary teachers, also known as professors or faculty, teach students at the college level. They plan lessons, advise students, serve on committees, conduct research, publish original research, supervise graduate teaching assistants, apply for grants for their research and teach subjects in their areas of expertise.

Median Annual Salary: $73,080 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in English or a related field Job Overview: Editors plan, revise and edit written materials for publication. They work for newspapers, magazines, book publishers, advertising agencies, media networks, and motion picture and video production companies. Editors work closely with writers to ensure their written work is accurate, grammatically correct and written in the appropriate style for the medium.

Median Annual Salary: $55,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field Job Overview: Journalists research and write stories about local, regional, national and global current events and other newsworthy subjects. Journalists need strong interviewing, editing, analytical and writing skills. Some journalists specialize in a subject, such as sports or politics, and some are generalists. They work for news organizations, magazines and online publications, and some work as freelancers.

Writer or Author

Median Annual Salary: $73,150 Minimum Required Education: None; bachelor’s degree in creative writing or a related field sometimes preferred Job Overview: Writers and authors write fiction or nonfiction content for magazines, plays, blogs, books, television scripts and other forms of media. Novelists, biographers, copywriters, screenwriters and playwrights all fall into this job classification. Writers may work for advertising agencies, news platforms, book publishers and other organizations; some work as freelancers.

Technical Writer

Median Annual Salary: $79,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree Job Overview: Technical writers craft technical documents, such as training manuals and how-to guides. They are adept at simplifying technical information so lay people can easily understand it. Technical writers may work with technical staff, graphic designers, computer support specialists and software developers to create user-friendly finished pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About a Master's in Creative Writing

Is a master’s in creative writing useful.

If your goal is to launch a career as a writer, then yes, a master’s in creative writing is useful. An MA in creative writing is a versatile degree that prepares you for various jobs requiring excellent writing skills.

Is an MFA better than an MA for creative writing?

One is not better than the other; you should choose the one that best equips you for the career you want. An MFA prepares you to build a career as a professional writer or novelist. An MA prepares you for various jobs demanding high-level writing skills.

What kind of jobs can you get with a creative writing degree?

A creative writing degree prepares you for many types of writing jobs. It helps you build your skills and gain expertise to work as an editor, writer, author, technical writer or journalist. This degree is also essential if you plan to teach writing classes at the college level.

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Sheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation. Sheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Indiana University South Bend, and she received her teacher certification training through Bethel University’s Transition to Teaching program.

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Master's in Creative Writing Online MA Degree Program

Earn a Master's in Creative Writing

• $637/credit (36 credits)
• Inclusive creative writing community
• 24/7 online access – attend class at your convenience
• 100% online – no residency required
• 4 genre options for concentrations
• Complete in as few as 15 months, or at your own pace

Master's in Creative Writing Online Program Overview

Ignite your imagination and jump-start your professional writing career with a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Creative Writing online at Southern New Hampshire University. Learn to use the written word to effectively tell your story and share your ideas with the world. By studying literature and the way accomplished authors have perfected their art, you'll be prepared to enter a number of industries as a creative writer. 

This English and creative writing graduate program fosters your imagination and creativity with a perfect balance of critical analysis and craft, along with an emphasis on literary theory and the history of the English language. You also have the freedom to choose from 4 genre concentrations or to combine your choice of genre courses if, for example, you're interested in both fiction and screenwriting.

This specialized creative writing master's degree can help you develop an ability to communicate in any career path you choose to follow, including:

• Marketing and communications

If you've always dreamed of starting your own novel, writing a collection of poetry or developing your screenplay, you'll gain the foundation you need through this program.

At the end of the program, you'll either complete a creative thesis or submit a portfolio of creative writing, along with a retrospective essay.

.st0{fill:#21386D;} What You'll Learn

• Integrate form, language and literary works into writing style and voice
• Expand upon your own creative process
• Create original literary works of publishable quality
• Reflect on goals, process and ethos as a creative writer
• Use technology as a tool to stylize and promote creative work

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } How You'll Learn

At SNHU, you'll get support from day 1 to graduation and beyond. And with no set class times, 24/7 access to the online classroom and helpful learning resources along the way, you'll have everything you need to reach your goals.

Concentration Options

You'll also have the option to master a specialized skill set with one of our 4 genre-focused concentrations .

Fiction Literature has long been a source of inspiration, both for readers and writers. In Southern New Hampshire University's online MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction degree, you can find your creative voice and tell your story. Your knowledge can grow beyond a basic understanding of plot building, narrative, voice and character as you push your creative boundaries. Hone your craft for the kind of fiction you've always dreamed of bringing to life through novels, short stories, children's literature and more. In this degree program, you'll have the opportunity to explore whichever genres in fiction pique your interest, from horror and sci-fi to fantasy, young adult, romance and more.  The art of storytelling has deep historical and societal roots, and it is critical to cross-cultural communication. In your MA in Creative Writing online degree program, you’ll study the work of published writers to help you develop your own creative writing skills. You’ll focus on why authors make specific creative decisions to develop a deeper understanding of fiction in all of its forms, all while writing your own works of fiction. If you decide to pursue this concentration, you'll take a capstone course designed around completing your thesis in your fiction genre of choice. At the culmination of your coursework, you’ll create your own manuscript and apply what you've learned about your own creative voice to your work. If you feel it's time to put pen to paper to tell a tale, this program is for you. "I chose the fiction concentration [because] I believe it will give me a wider range in skills and training that will make me more attractive as a writer," said student Joshua Yarbrough . "Great and imaginative storytelling is always needed, and by having this concentration, it will open doors and avenues in a wide range of projects." Career outlook: Whether you're looking to pen the next great fiction novel, or you'd like to specialize in short stories that capture the imagination for a period of time, this concentration can give you the tools you need to become successful in your field. The MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction can also lead to numerous career opportunities, as this program does more than just expose you to literature and help you develop new writing skills. You can apply the creative skills you gain to any profession, from scriptwriting to marketing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median annual wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022. 1 Courses include: Fiction Fundamentals Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Other Popular Fiction Fiction Thesis Writing Fiction Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Nonfiction In the MA in English & Creative Writing with a concentration in Nonfiction degree, you'll learn how and why writers craft nonfiction narratives. These tools can help you develop factual material based on research and experiences of your own - or someone else's. The creative writing master's degree can help you gain insights into publishing, broadcasting and professional production while you explore your creative boundaries. At the culmination of the program, you'll develop your own professional-quality piece of nonfiction, one that takes you deep into subjects that matter to you and helps you develop the skills you need for great storytelling. MA English & Creative Writing nonfiction graduate Alec Biron '17 '21G particularly enjoyed the combined emphasis on creative writing and literature. "While the curriculum allowed me to select a unique genre of creative writing to develop my nonfiction thesis," he said, "it also allowed me to explore traditional forms of literature that I love, such as medieval British and feminist genres." Career outlook: Nonfiction is the art of telling real stories - ones that people can learn from, relate to and understand. It covers a wide range of styles and subjects, encompassing everything from personal essays, autobiographical writing and memoirs, to marketing, travel writing and magazine features. Given the many career paths you could take by adding a concentration in nonfiction writing to your degree, it's worth noting some potential career paths you could explore. During a time when remote work is on the rise, you could consider a career writing freelance nonfiction stories for traditional print magazines and digital publications. Or, if telling stories for brands excites you, you could work in advertising as a copywriter and see your words on websites, billboards, emails, commercials and other types of advertisements. "Employers have been impressed by not only my achievement of a master’s degree, but also by the publications I've subsequently written for following my education," said Biron. If you like finding ways to make factual yet complex topics more digestible, you may enjoy the role of technical writer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, technical writers earned a median annual salary of $79,960 in 2022. 1 Courses include: Non-Fiction Fundamentals Non-Fiction Thesis Writing Non-Fiction Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Poetry Develop the skills you need to convey your poetic vision with a MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry . The poetry concentration within our online creative writing graduate program can take you to a new level of analysis, appreciation and understanding of this art form. Foster your love of verse with the inspiration, passion and creative peer collaboration that only SNHU's concentration in poetry can bring. This curriculum focuses your study of literature on a genre where every word and line counts. Here, you'll be able to use your imagination to create imagery that moves and inspires readers and writers alike. This creative writing graduate program challenges you to gain an appreciation for how the unique craft and vision of poetry is critical to learning to think, understand and communicate with the world at large. Throughout this online program, you’ll broaden your understanding of the art of poetry. You'll also dive deeper into structure, tone and rhythm while analyzing the work of renowned poets. Upon completion of the program, you’ll develop your own manuscript of poetry, one that allows you to expand on subjects you're passionate about. "I chose a poetry concentration because I am a poet at heart, and my career revolves heavily around creative writing, specifically poetry and accessible arts programming," said NaBeela Washington '21G . "I wanted to make sure that my studies preserved time to truly focus on poetry and developing my manuscript and network and connection to other authors." Career outlook: Whether it's getting your own poetry published or becoming the next great poet laureate that interests you, a career in poetry is sure to be one filled with passion for your work. You could work for nonprofits to promote local poetry in your area, or become the poetry curator for an array of journals, magazines and even bookstores. And the ability to write clever, concise and compelling copy is also a great fit for advertising and marketing positions. "Before SNHU, I hadn’t been published since middle school," said Washington. "And before completing the program, I would be invited to read my work at a Poetry Series in Takoma Park, MD; I would start a literary journal, Lucky Jefferson, and I would go on to be published several more times in publications like The Cincinnati Review and The Washington Writers’ Publishing House, even winning an award for my journal and building a network of more than 6,000 writers and artists." Her list of accomplishments doesn't stop there. "I’ve been invited to speak on panels about my work in the literary world as well as to help found a roundtable for Editors of Color," she said. "It's really nice realizing that I could accomplish my goals and that I believed in myself." Courses include: Poetry Fundamentals Poetry Thesis Writing Poetry Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Screenwriting We live in an increasingly visual society. The online Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Screenwriting program at Southern New Hampshire University is an advanced exploration of the world of film and video, from shorts and episodic serials to feature-length blockbusters and documentaries. This concentration is based on a comprehensive study of film, with a special focus on story structure, character development and creative writing. At the culmination of the degree program, you'll have developed your own screenplay that you can then share with others and put out into the world if you so choose. While an understanding and analysis of literature – whatever the genre – is at the core of this MA degree, the screenwriting concentration places a special emphasis on visual storytelling. Designed by experienced and distinguished faculty, this master’s in screenwriting program can give you a powerful understanding of how story, character, theme, action, visuals and dialogue intertwine to create an immersive experience. In this concentration, you'll also have the opportunity to work closely with peers and faculty to workshop your pieces, which can help push your creative work to new heights. Take it from José Roldan Jr. '17G who, with the support of his friends, family and his SNHU advisor, was able to enroll in the online MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Screenwriting program while balancing his full-time job and full-time performance schedule, along with additional acting gigs and auditions.  "That support just allowed me the strength to say, 'You know what? I can get this done. There are so many people who believe in me to do it, that I can get it done,'" Roldan said. "It wasn't easy, but it's possible. It's possible." Career outlook: Whether you dream of writing for the big screen one day or writing scripts at a regional level, in the screenwriting concentration you can hone your craft for television, commercials, news, feature films, short films and even video games. There are multiple ways you could use this degree in the media world, from adapting an existing work into a movie or writing your own script, to working closely with producers on funding and producing projects. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median annual wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022, it also reports that producers and directors earned a median annual wage of $85,320 the same year. 1 Courses include: Screenwriting Fundamentals Fiction and Film Screenwriting Thesis Writing Screenwriting Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now if (typeof accordionGroup === "undefined") { window.accordionGroup = new accordion(); } accordionGroup.init(document.getElementById('322677cfabe042d9a55551dc7b079012')); Career Outlook

Whether it's telling your story or telling someone else's, your online master's in creative writing can equip you with detailed knowledge about the worlds of publishing, communications, copywriting and the role of the professional writer. As world markets continue to shift toward a demand for online education and digital media technology, the technical skills learned in this program should continue to be in demand for a long time. The enhanced writing and communication skills you'll develop can be applied to many professions, from publishing, print and film to journalism and marketing.

Read more about Jacob Powers in this Q&A.

"The major takeaway I have gotten from my classes is that there is a viable career in literature, creative writing, and English," said student Joshua Yarbrough . "I feel confident in having the necessary skills to either work for myself or an employer and the training I have received at SNHU has made it possible."

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } Job Growth

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of writers and authors is projected to grow 4% – about as fast as average for all occupations –  through 2032. 1

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } Salary

The BLS reports the median wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022. 1

Understanding the Numbers When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors — like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

The master's in creative writing is also ideal if you're interested in pursuing your PhD or teaching at the collegiate level. Additionally, the MA in Creative Writing is also a great option for high school instructors or other educators who wish to level up their salaries, as well as those whose districts require a Master of Arts for sustained career growth.

"I believe there’s a nice balance here for the program — for students who wish to pursue publication, we offer the tools, resources and faculty to help guide them. For students who wish to advance in their current career, or learn creative writing skills but also strengthen other skills (like editing, proofreading, etc.), the program offers that, as well," Powers said.

SNHU does not guarantee that the completion of this program will result in endorsements or rank and salary increases for teachers and strongly encourages interested individuals to contact their state education licensure board prior to enrolling. SNHU provides additional information for education-related outcomes on our Licensure and Certification Disclosures page.

Where Could You Work?

Graduates of the online master's in English and creative writing program will find that, according to the BLS¹, there is opportunity for employment in a variety of fields, including:

Self-Employment

Tech companies, public relations, start your journey toward an online english and creative writing degree, why snhu for your master's in creative writing flexible with no set class meeting times, you can learn on your schedule and access online course materials 24/7. affordable as part of our mission to make higher education more accessible, we’re committed to keeping our tuition rates low. in fact, we offer some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation. prior coursework and work experience could also help you save time and money. snhu’s transfer policy  allows you to transfer up to 12 credits from your previous institution. you could also earn college credit for previous work experience . respected founded in 1932 , southern new hampshire university is a private, nonprofit institution with over 160,000 graduates across the country. snhu is accredited by the new england commission of higher education (neche), a regional accreditor, which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.  recently, snhu has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education: “most innovative” regional university honors from u.s. news & world report each year since 2015 a $1 million grant from google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth recognition as a 2017 digital learning innovator by the online learning consortium network at southern new hampshire university, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 300,000 students, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate the field. plus, with our growing, nationwide alumni network, you'll have the potential to tap into a number of internship and career opportunities. 93.2% of online students would recommend snhu according to a 2023 survey with 21,000+ respondents. discover why snhu may be right for you . admission requirements expanding access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. that’s why you can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials: completed free application undergraduate transcripts, which we can retrieve for you by submitting a transcript request form acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 5 graduate terms . master's degree candidates must also submit a personal statement. students with an undergraduate gpa below 2.75 are eligible for provisional acceptance. how to apply if you’re ready to apply, follow these simple steps to get the process going: complete free graduate application submit undergraduate transcripts work with an admission counselor  to explore financial options  and walk through application process if (typeof accordiongroup === "undefined") { window.accordiongroup = new accordion(); } accordiongroup.init(document.getelementbyid('e835202be13f4497bc29372de09b8f42')); get the skills you need.

Alec Biron '17 '21G

"The skills that I learned in nonfiction writing have helped me to build a career in freelance journalism and content writing."

Courses & Curriculum

The master's in creative writing online exposes you to powerful examples of writing and provides you with an outlet to refine your skills as a writer. SNHU is home to the New Hampshire Writer’s Project and is also a destination for nationally recognized writers who perform readings and participate in workshops and lectures. This can give you additional context and insight into the industry you'll eventually be joining. All of our courses were also created by subject matter experts in their field, many of whom are critically acclaimed writers themselves.

Not only are the courses created by experts, they're taught by them, too. Just ask student Joshua Yarbrough .

"I have worked with professors who are well versed and accomplished in their field," he said. "They have provided valuable feedback to me in terms of preparing for my next steps as a writer and educator."

If you're looking for a degree program with collaboration built in, look no further. The online MA in English and Creative Writing has an added emphasis on peer workshops for additional feedback. Each concentration requires students to take three workshops, so you'll have the chance to fine-tune your editing and proofreading skills both for your peers and for yourself.

You'll also be required to take one of two teaching courses, Seminar in Writing Instruction or Online Teaching Experience . This can give you a background for teaching creative writing or English composition, depending on which interests you more. As a whole, this degree program is highly customizable, allowing you to focus on what types of creative writing interest you most.

In addition to working on your writing craft, you'll take several literary courses that focus on analysis and reflection, while learning about the history of the publishing industry. This can give you the chance to sharpen your editing and professional communication skills, while also giving you the edge you need to advance your writing career.

Graduate Alec Biron '17 '21G agrees. "One course that stood out to me, in particular, was “The Editor”. This course was both writing and editing intensive, allowing us to review the work of our peers while optimizing our own narratives," he said. "The Editor went beyond simple proofreading, and taught me how to edit for structure, character development, syntax, language and tone."

You'll also have the choice of four literary genres:

• Screenwriting

Or, you can customize your program and study multiple genres.

What's more, there's plenty of opportunity to build your network and hone your craft outside of normal class time. Once enrolled, you'll have access to SNHUconnect, a community built exclusively for our online learners. With plenty of clubs and events at your disposal, you might find that the Creative Writing Review Club is right up your alley. Wrote a few poems and want a critique? Need an audience to run your plot ideas by? Here, you can share your nonfiction, fiction, poetry and screenplay works – and even seek peer revising if you desire.

Joan Garner

Joan Garner came from a family of activists. Now she’s earning her master’s in creative writing to write her family’s story.

“The classes that I am taking are helping me in writing the book by stretching my limitations as a writer,” she said.

Read Joan’s story.

Minimum Hardware Requirements Component Type PC (Windows OS) Apple (Mac OS) Operating System Currently supported operating system from Microsoft. Currently supported operating system from Apple. Memory (RAM) 8GB or higher 8GB or higher Hard Drive 100GB or higher 100GB or higher Antivirus Software Required forcampus students. Strongly recommended for online students. Required forcampus students. Strongly recommended for online students. SNHU Purchase Programs Visit Dell Visit Apple Internet/ Bandwidth 5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100ms Latency 5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100ms Latency Notes:   Laptop or desktop?   Whichever you choose depends on your personal preference and work style, though laptops tend to offer more flexibility.  Note:   Chromebooks (Chrome OS) and iPads (iOS) do not meet the minimum requirements for coursework at SNHU. These offer limited functionality and do not work with some course technologies. They are not acceptable as the only device you use for coursework. While these devices are convenient and may be used for some course functions, they cannot be your primary device. SNHU does, however, have an affordable laptop option that it recommends: Dell Latitude 3301 with Windows 10.  Office 365 Pro Plus  is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are a student at SNHU. Upon graduation you may convert to a paid subscription if you wish. Terms subject to change at Microsoft's discretion. Review system requirements for  Microsoft 365 plans  for business, education and government.  Antivirus software:  Check with your ISP as they may offer antivirus software free of charge to subscribers.  if (typeof accordionGroup === "undefined") { window.accordionGroup = new accordion(); } accordionGroup.init(document.getElementById('f756dce5bd874c61855f6f6e92d88470')); University Accreditation

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually. *Note: students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.

Additional Costs: Course Materials ($ varies by course). Foundational courses may be required based on your undergraduate course history, which may result in additional cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

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1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

• https://www.bls.gov/OOH/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm (viewed Oct. 25, 2023)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/technical-writers.htm (viewed Oct. 25, 2023)
• https://www.bls.gov/OOH/entertainment-and-sports/producers-and-directors.htm (viewed Oct. 25, 2023)

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing The Write Stuff for Writers

Credit Hours

View Courses

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Grow Your Writing Passion into a Career with Liberty’s Online MFA in Creative Writing

Many people write creatively, but few hone their skills to develop their writing craft to its highest form. Even fewer learn the other skills it takes to become a successful writer, such as the steps needed to get a book published and into the hands of readers. Liberty’s 100% online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing can help you develop your writing passion into a career so you can set your works free to impact culture and the world.

Employers in every industry need professionals who have strong writing skills, so you can be confident that your ability to write effectively can also help set you apart in your current career. With in-demand writing expertise and the ability to customize your degree with electives in literature or writing practice, Liberty’s online MFA in Creative Writing can help you achieve your professional writing goals.

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is designed to help you build on your writing skills with specific workshops dedicated to the craft of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting. With a work-in-progress approach to writing practice and mentorship from our faculty of experienced writers and scholars, you can learn the specific skills you need to make your writing stand out.

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing?

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is mainly offered in an 8-week course format, and our tuition rate for graduate programs hasn’t increased in 9 years. Through our program, you can study the writing process and develop your creative skills through workshops with experienced writing professionals. With our flexible format, you can grow in your creative writing while continuing to do what is important to you.

As a terminal degree, the online MFA in Creative Writing can also help you pursue opportunities to teach writing at the K-12 or college level. You will gain comprehensive and in-depth exposure to writing, literature, publishing, and many other professional writing skills that you can pass on to students. Partner with the Liberty family and learn under faculty who have spent years in the field you love. Your career in professional writing starts here.

What Will You Study in Our MFA in Creative Writing?

The MFA in Creative Writing program is designed to help you become an excellent creative writer across the genres of creative fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and poetry. You can learn how to produce aesthetically and culturally engaged creative works while gaining professional knowledge and practice. You will also study foundational contemporary literature so that you have a background in studying important works to draw on for your writing.

To help you in your professional writing, you will also study many essential skills in editing, layout, and the business of publishing so that you can best position yourself for success in the market. Through your creative writing courses and workshops, you can develop your craft so that you will be ready for your thesis project.

Here are a few examples of the skills Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing can help you master:

• Marketing your projects and pursuing new writing opportunities
• Organizing writing and adapting it to different types of writing
• Tailoring writing to specific audiences and markets
• Understanding what makes art effective, compelling, and impactful
• Writing compelling stories that engage readers

Potential Career Opportunities

• Book and magazine writer
• Business communications specialist
• Creative writing instructor
• Publications editor
• Screenwriter
• Website copy editor and writer
• Writing manager

Featured Courses

• ENGL 600 – Editing, Layout, and Publishing
• ENGL 601 – Writing as Cultural Engagement
• ENGL 603 – Literary Theory and Practice
• WRIT 610 – Writing Fiction

Degree Information

• This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences .
• View the Graduate Arts and Sciences Course Guides (login required) .
• Download and review the Graduate Manual for MFA .

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

All Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid Forms & Eligibility

Scholarship Opportunities

Admission Information for the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form .
• Creative Writing Sample – A creative writing sample of one creative writing work of at least 2,500 words or a culmination of creative writing samples totaling 2,500 words.*
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

*A sample of one or more poems totaling a minimum of 750 words may also be submitted. Song lyrics are not accepted at this time as writing samples.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
• Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
• If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application .
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Dual Enrollment

Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.

Transcript Policies

Unofficial college transcript policy.

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

• Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
• Cumulative GPA
• A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
• Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

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Liberty University Online Admissions Verification

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Lynchburg, VA 24515

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Submit your application online or over the phone.

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
• Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

• Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
• Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course) *
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an mfa in creative writing.

A Master of Fine Arts degree, or MFA, is a terminal degree in an artistic craft that demonstrates that you have achieved the highest level of training and skill in your discipline. Like a doctorate, an MFA often allows you to teach courses at the graduate level while also providing many opportunities for scholarship and leadership in education. If you want to grow your creative writing skills to become the best writer you can be, then the Master of Fine Arts can help you get there.

How will students work towards developing their writing skills?

With creative writing workshops and a thesis project, you will receive support and guidance to help you become the best writer you can be.

How long will it take to complete the MFA in Creative Writing?

You can complete the MFA in Creative Writing in just 48 credit hours!

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The Creative Writing Option

The Masters of Arts Program in the Humanities ( MAPH ) Creative Writing Option is intended for students who plan to do a creative writing thesis project in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. Unlike MFA programs at other institutions that offer more strictly professionally-oriented training in writing, students at UChicago are encouraged to develop their writing skills in the context of interdisciplinary humanistic study. Students may wish to do so in the course of a year of intensive study of literature, or, perhaps, philosophy, music, or art history.

In addition to completing the MAPH core course, students in the Writing Option take:

• 1 CRWR course in the student's chosen genre in Autumn Quarter
• 1 CRWR Thesis/Major Projects Workshop in Winter Quarter
• 3 academic courses relevant to the proposed thesis area
• 2 elective courses to be taken in any area of student interest

Writing Option thesis projects must have both a creative component and a brief critical essay about the work. In practice, the Writing Option is designed to provide a flexible structure for creative thesis work.

Instructor permission is required for most creative writing courses. Students who apply to and are admitted to the Writing Option in the spring before their MAPH year have priority for one spot in Autumn Quarter CRWR classes. Writing Option students also receive priority in their chosen genre-specific Thesis/Major Projects Workshop in Winter. The Creative Writing faculty member who leads the Winter Workshop will also serve as the student's thesis advisor during Spring Quarter.

The Poetics Option

The Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH) Option in Poetics is intended for students who are primarily interested in the critical study of poetry and poetics. Offered in cooperation with the University’s Program in Poetry and Poetics, this option facilitates a critical engagement with the poetry of numerous historical periods, geographical regions, and aesthetic traditions, including modern and contemporary English language poetry. 

Students enrolled in this option are required to take the MAPH Core course in Autumn Quarter, the Poetics seminar, and three courses on the study of poetry and poetics from any number of departments and committees across the Humanities Division. (Relevant courses in the Social Sciences Division may also count toward these requirements.) Of these three courses, one must be on pre-Romantic poetry, one on non-Anglophone poetry (which can be studied in English translation), and one on modern and/or contemporary poetry. Students will consult with their MAPH preceptors and advisors on how to fulfill these distribution requirements, and may petition to substitute other courses for these requirements under special circumstances. Additionally, students in the MAPH Poetics Option will write a thesis with a relation to poetry and poetics under the supervision of a faculty member in the Poetics Program.

Further opportunities for students in the Poetics Option may include internships at Chicago Review —the University’s graduate student-run literary journal—and participation in the Poetics Workshop, a bi-weekly colloquium for the peer review of student and faculty work. Students in the option also benefit from frequent visits to campus by nationally-recognized poets through the Poetics Program’s “Poem Present” reading series, and talks by distinguished visiting scholars through the “History and Forms of Lyric” lecture series.

Chapman University Digital Commons

Home > Dissertations and Theses > Creative Writing (MFA) Theses

Creative Writing (MFA) Theses

Below is a selection of dissertations from the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in Wilkinson College that have been included in Chapman University Digital Commons. Additional dissertations from years prior to 2019 are available through the Leatherby Libraries' print collection.

Access to these theses is restricted to the student authors and select Chapman University faculty and staff.

Theses from 2024 2024

Body as Kintsugi , Anthony Alegrete

Shivers , Casie Gambrel

The House of Half-Light , Diego Garcia

The Detectives Club , Yuya Hattori

I Have to Believe This Story to Live , Sarah Johnson

Fissure , Henneh Kwaku Kyereh

The Doldrums , Bailey Powell

A Siren of Terror , Tlotlo Tsamaase

Theses from 2023 2023

Little Girls , Nour Abuelreich

The Second Life of the Nodosaur , Sinclair Adams

Hiraeth , Belana Beeck

Bitterroot Tea , Kimberly Madsen Bowcutt

You Can't Make Me: Stories , Kayla Chang

The Dragon in the Lake , Elizabeth Chen

The Night We Saw Together , Su Chen

Nightfall , Nicole Cook

If God Carried Water , Ximena Delgado Paredes

The Curse of the Rios Family , Samantha Diaz

The collection bag and other stories , Audrey Fong

Alpha Romeo , Todd Gilbert

Beaumont Court , Elena Goodenberger

You Can Find Me Here , Piper Gourley

Spring All Year Long and Other Stories , Kate Hampton

Short Stories From the Other World , Nina Handjeva-Weller

Reaching for Fairies , Rebekah Izard

Do Black Girls Go to Heaven? , Montez Jennings

DIY , Louis Labat

Amarie, Before and After , Matthew Lemas

The Apartments That Raised Me , Mikayla McLean

Clockwork Monstrum , Vesper North

On Becoming a Runner , Deborah Paquin

Shatter / Proof , Lydia Pejovic

Accordance , Isabelle Stillman

The Reaper , Elizabeth N. Tran

After the Body , Emily Velasquez

deep in the green lilac park , Constance von Igel de Mello

Theses from 2022 2022

Autogynéphale , Jay Dye

Running Catalina , Megan Friess

Voice of a Matriarch Contemporary Diasporic West Asian Life Writing: Out of Armenia, Syria, and Lebanon , Maya Theresa Garabedian

It Could Happen to Anyone , Joshua D. Granite

End of the Road , Michael Khuraibet

Dangle Charm from Unblessed String , Ian Koh

Cold Comfort , Alec Meden

Notes of Venom and Vengeance , Makena Metz

The Cantankerous: A Ponderosa Pines Tale , Hannah Montante

The Barrier , Ansalee Morrison

Future Unlimited , Alexander Quintanilla

These Stars We Pray To , Janalee Tabayoyong

Becoming Brotherless , Aria Valle

Theses from 2021 2021

Save Me A Song , Aysel Atamdede

The Aleph , Ariel Banayan

Circle Gets the Square , Cristian Bourgeois

Her Inner , Marrissa Childs

The Hidden Grave , Melissa Gaiti

A Collection of Short Stories： Too Real To Be Fake , Shengjie Ge

Seasons of Fate , Christopher Hines

Voodoo Dolls, Automatons, Avatars and Other Literary Doubles , Destiny Irons

I Took His Words , Rachel Jeffries

All You Knead Is Love , Ryan Alyson Johnson

Deficit , Phoebe Merten

Son of a Preacher Man & Other Poems , Daniel Miess

Carácter , Santa-Victoria Pérez

The Ghosts We Leave Behind: A Novel , Sam Risak

We Sink Beneath the Sand , Natalie Salagean

Circles of Dawn , Jason M. Thornberry

The Madness We Carry , Geneva Trelease-Gordon

Whispers From Scotland , Sarah Nicole Valadez

Vampire Money , Jacob VanWormer

The Terrarium , Paige Welsh

Mudlark , Candice Yacono

First Light , Tryphena Yeboah

Theses from 2020 2020

Party on a Roof , Samer Alrayes

School of Artistas Inmigrantes , Manuel Calvillo de la Garza

The Sixth Try , Winnie Chak

Don't Ruin the Experience , Jocelyn Foster

Limerence: A Kaleidoscopic Coming Out Story , Matthew Goldman

A Pocketful of Secrets , Larissa Lacy

Thoughts From Your Bartender , Nikolas Loyatho

Dream On , Jonathan Moch

When It Was Us , Victoria O'Leary

From Sicily to America: An Immigrant's Story , Marco Randazzo

Ringed In Fire , Natalia Sanchez

Letters to a Dead Someone: Stories , Danielle Shorr

Wrestletopia: A Collection of Shorts , Daniel Strasberger

In the Middle of What , Ashley Teller

The Memory of the Universe , Karina Trejo Melendez

Lady Parts , Allie Vernon

Right There , Morgan Wilson

The Blizzard , Phil Wood

Little Monsters , Kati Zamani

Theses from 2019 2019

The Tall-Men Are Real , Alex Athanail

Indiana and Other Indianas: Stories , Andrew Beckner

GROUPIE , Meg Boyles

Letty , Kevin Brown

The Searching Husband , Rahul Chak

The Watched , Sierra Ellison

Searching for Sacajawea and The Square Dance , Melinda Guilford

Interpretation Machine: A Memoir , Liz Harmer

Their Bodies Are Home , Rachel Jorquera

Hostage , Maryam Khamesi

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MFA in Creative Writing

The MFA in creative writing at the University of Nevada, Reno, is a three-year residency program which culminates in the submission of a thesis (a novel, a collection of stories, or a collection of poems).

Program director

Christopher Coake, MFA Email: [email protected]

Start an application

December 15 is the deadline for fall enrollment consideration.

Program handbook

Review the MFA handbook to find out if the program is right for you.

Program overview

The program typically admits up to ten graduate students each year — ideally, we admit five fiction writers and five poets.

We do not look for any specific style of writing, but rather for a high level of quality and evidence of skill and originality. We value good, literary fiction regardless of the subject matter. We value and often admit writers who produce work within traditional genres like young adult, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, horror etc.

We are looking for poets who are open to developing unique voices and artistic visions, with a strong commitment to the power of language. Our graduates work in a broad spectrum of poetic styles: recent graduates have worked in narrative, lyric, and experimental modes, and their thesis is similarly diverse, encompassing book length poems as well as collections of lyrics.

The program requires a series of rigorous workshops, classes in editing and publishing, and electives in literary history, critical theory and craft, as well as a thesis created under the close mentorship of a faculty committee.

The residential MFA in creative writing also offers students opportunities to engage in public outreach. Our students help organize the Nevada Humanities Literary Crawl and gain experience in editing and publishing via partnerships with Black Rock Press, Baobab Press, and the University of Nevada Press.

Numerous nationally prominent writers visit the University every year to read and to meet our students. Recent visitors include Camille Dungy, Manuel Gonzales, Aaron Hamburger, Fonda Lee, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Srikanth Reddy, Cedar Sigo, Justin Torres, JJ Amaworo Wilson, and Robert Wrigley.

MFA in creative writing application and degree requirements

Admissions requirements.

Application deadline: December 15 (Fall enrollment)

Applicants to the MFA program in creative writing must have a bachelor's degree or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from an accredited university, school, or college and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants need not have received their previous degree in English, but all applicants must demonstrate readiness to engage in graduate-level scholarship in English.

Candidates will be accepted for fall semester admission only and must submit applications by the January 15 deadline. Applicants are required to submit for Department of English graduate committee approval:

• A creative writing sample of 30 pages in fiction or 10 pages in poetry, demonstrating the student's strongest work in the genre of application
• A scholarly writing sample approximately 15 pages in length, demonstrating readiness for graduate study in English
• A 2-3 page statement of intent, including declaration of genre of study
• Official transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation

Ready to get started?

You can connect with the Department of English or, if you are ready to begin your journey at the University, you can apply now .

Start your application

Financial assistance

Teaching assistant positions also are available to MFA in creative writring students on a competitive basis. Teaching assistants in the Department of English receive an annual stipend, health insurance and a tuition waiver. Teaching assistants teach three courses per year (2/1 or 1/2 depending on departmental needs), typically in the Core Writing program. New applicants to the English Graduate Program are automatically considered for a teaching assistantship when they apply for admission, unless the applicant specifies they do not wish to be considered. No separate application is needed.

Degree requirements

All requirements must be satisfied during the six calendar years immediately preceding the granting of the degree.

Advisory committee

During the second year and consulting with the director of graduate studies, MFA in creative writing candidates must choose one Department of English creative writing faculty member to serve as MFA committee chair and advisor, two additional department faculty (one from creative writing and one outside the student's declared course of study) to serve as committee members, and a fourth committee member from outside the Department of English chosen in consultation with the committee chair.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete their degree within six semesters. All MFA candidates must enroll in a minimum of six credits per semester during their first five semesters in the program and maintain graduate standing thereafter. It is assumed that students in their fifth and sixth semesters will be completing their thesis projects and will likely be registered only for thesis credits and the comprehensive exam.

Continuous registration

Graduate School regulations require graduate students to maintain continuous registration of at least three credit hours per semester (summers excluded) to remain active.

Total credits

The MFA requires 48 credits, all of which must be taken at the graduate (700) level.

Transfer credits

Students will only be allowed to transfer credits from previous graduate courses in exceptional circumstances, to be determined by the Department of English MFA committee and director of graduate studies. In most circumstances, no more than three graduate classes applicable to the approved program of study may be accepted from graduate courses taken at another institution and/or the University of Nevada, Reno. These courses must have been completed within the six-year time limit for the MFA degree and must be approved to count toward the degree by the MFA committee, the director of graduate studies and the Graduate School. No previous writing workshops will count for transfer credit.

Seminar requirement

MFA students are required to take all courses at the 700 level or above, with the exception of electives taken outside of the Department of English.

Comprehensive examination (written)

In order to register for 795 (the comprehensive exam), a student must have met the following requirements:

• Filed a completed program of study with the Graduate School
• Completed five semesters of study toward the degree
• Met with the student's committee chair to work out plans for completing the written and oral portions of the exams
• Returned the "approval to register for comprehensive exams" form completed to the Department of English office before the end of registration

Working closely with his or her advisory committee, at the beginning of their second year of study, the student will prepare a reading list of 30 works. As soon as is feasible, the student will turn in an annotated bibliography of this reading list to his or her committee. Before the end of his or her third year of study, the student will take a one-day written examination, prepared by the committee, focusing on ideas and concepts represented by the student's reading list and annotations. After the student has passed the written exam, the advisory committee will conduct an oral exam, not to last more than an hour and a half.

During their last semester of study, an MFA candidate must complete and defend a thesis: a book-length work of fiction or poetry of publishable quality, written and revised over the course of the student's studies. The student will plan and draft the thesis under the supervision of their thesis committee and chair. Before the end of the third year of study (by which time the student shall have registered for/completed 13 credits of thesis study), students will present a polished draft of the thesis to their committee for review, then (shortly after completing the comprehensive examination) defend the completed thesis before the full committee. The committee will then vote according to Department of English bylaws whether to confer the MFA degree.

To graduate in any given semester, the student must file an application for graduation by the dates specified for that semester in the University catalog and meet that semester's deadlines for submission of the notice of completion and (if on the thesis plan) the final copy of the thesis to the Graduate School. Students should be aware that graduation application dates at the University of Nevada, Reno are unusually early: the deadline is generally eight weeks prior to graduation. MFA candidates may be hooded during graduation, but must meet all notice of completion deadlines listed for MFA candidates in order to do so.

The student is responsible for knowing the degree requirements and for submitting all Graduate School forms on time. Early in their graduate careers, students should become familiar with the most important forms: the program of study, the notice of completion and the application for graduation. Most Graduate School forms are available online. The application for graduation is available on the Graduate School's website.

Please review the MFA creative writing checklist of degree requirements.

MFA program timeline

• Read degree requirements, general and MFA-specific, on English website and Graduate School website
• Read the Graduate School Survival Handbook on the Graduate School website
• Meet twice with faculty mentor
• Meet and talk with faculty who share your interests, even if you’re not taking classes with them
• Submit transfer credit evaluation form (if applicable) to Director of Graduate Studies
• In consultation with faculty mentor, plan approach to fulfill MFA requirements
• If you do not have a teaching assistantship but wish to, apply (or reapply) for the teaching assistantship by the deadline
• Meet with faculty mentor to strategize the creation of a committee and reading list
• Attend AWP conference in April; seek out other venues for networking and professionalization
• Begin submitting work for publication, if you have not already and continue to do so throughout your time in the program
• Consider doing a summer internship or volunteer work
• Begin to think about the shape of your thesis and whom you might want to chair and sit on your committee

Second year

• Choose a committee chair
• In consultation with chair, establish the rest of your committee
• In consultation with chair, establish reading list for comprehensive examination and plan for summer work to develop and focus plans for the thesis
• Take an interdepartmental elective in a field related to your literary interests or the subject of your thesis
• In consultation with committee chair and Director of Graduate Studies, prepare program of study form and file it with Graduate School
• In consultation with committee chair, prepare thesis prospectus and submit it to full committee for approval
• Read, or reread, the texts on your list
• Begin work on annotated bibliography
• Consider and begin to research longer-term goals (more graduate school versus immediate job search, publishing goals, etc.)
• Begin writing/compiling/revising thesis
• Meet with chair early to discuss progress toward degree
• Continue work on thesis
• Prepare for and take comprehensive exam
• Apply to graduate schools with early deadlines (if applicable)
• Finish course work
• Complete and submit thesis
• Apply to graduate schools and/or jobs
• Submit application for graduation early
• Defend thesis
• File notice of completion by Graduate School deadline

Note: A teaching assistantship in the MFA program may be held for a maximum of three years. The MFA degree must be completed within six years from the time you first earn graduate credits that you apply toward the degree. This timeline represents a very general model for your progress toward the degree. The key is to be aware of what you’re doing, keep medium and long-range goals in mind and consult frequently with your mentor/chair.

MFA in creative writing faculty

Apply to the MFA in Creative Writing

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Master of Arts in Creative Writing

Our two graduate programs differ in scope, distinguished by innovative classes. Both include seminars, workshops, opportunities for community projects and a thesis.

The M.A. degree, like the M.F.A., provides students with the inspiration and guidance of a faculty of professional writers in developing the student's own potential as a professional writer. The curriculum emphasizes the primary importance of the study and practice of imaginative writing in the genres of creative nonfiction, fiction, literary translation, playwriting and poetry. The 30 unit degree combines an intense workshop requirement and a variety of special topic creative process classes as well as courses that expose students to a wide range of writers and community service learning opportunities. The creative writing courses reflect our commitment to a variety of styles, subjects, and approaches, recognizing the complexity and breadth of contemporary writing. Graduates of the M.A. Program are instructed in literary analysis and develop their craft to constructively critique their own work and that of others. As a culminating experience, the student submits a thesis of creative work in their chosen genre.

Read more about our programs in our graduate brochure and our  graduate handbook  (pdf).

Please email  [email protected]  with any questions! 

Please do not use the Degree Progress Report to track your degree progress. The DPR is not yet in use for our Graduate students at this time and may not be accurate.

• M.A. in Creative Writing
• M.A. in English: Creative Writing (Last offered Fall 2021)
• Applying to the MFA as an MA Student
• Graduate Applications
• Application FAQs
• Community Projects in Literature
• ATC and PCE Forms

The Master of Arts in Creative Writing is a two-year program with a focus on developing a writing practice as well as preparing students to teach creative writing.  The Master of Fine Arts is a three-year program and is considered the terminal degree in creative writing. The program may benefit in particular teachers who want to increase their range and earning potential with a Masters degree and/or individuals who want to teach creative writing at private schools, community venues, labs and salons.  As part of the M.A. in CW, students can choose to study the teaching of composition, and receive a certificate, a skill that translates into any level of teaching and various subjects that include writing.

The M.A. degree, like the M.F.A., provides students with the inspiration and guidance of a faculty of professional writers in developing the student's own potential as a professional writer. The curriculum emphasizes the primary importance of the study and practice of imaginative writing in the genres of creative nonfiction, fiction, literary translation, playwriting, and poetry. The degree combines an intense workshop requirement and a variety of special topic creative process classes as well as courses that expose students to a wide range of writers and community service learning opportunities. The creative writing courses reflect our commitment to a variety of styles, subjects, and approaches, recognizing the complexity and breadth of contemporary writing. Graduates of the M.A. Program are instructed in literary analysis and develop their craft to constructively critique their own work and that of others. As a culminating experience, the student submits a thesis of creative work in their chosen genre.

In addition to the workshop and process courses, students in the M.A. in Creative Writing elect one of two teaching pathways. The pathway leading to an emphasis in teaching creative writing includes a rigorous course in the pedagogy and philosophy of teaching creative writing (TCW 860); a Teaching Practicum Course (859), in which the student gains in-class undergraduate teaching experience as a Graduate Instructional Aide while continuing their study of pedagogy with a seasoned faculty member and a group of peers; and, Projects in Teaching Creative Writing (785), a course that allows students to deepen their teaching experience as a Graduate Instructional Aide under faculty supervision. This teaching curriculum makes our M.A. unique within the nation of creative writing graduate degrees. The pathway leading to the teaching of composition allows students to earn the English Composition Certificate, offered by the English Department, by electing to take four courses (12 units) in English composition. Students on this path would earn an M.A. in Creative Writing along with the English Composition Certificate.

This course of study would lead students to a Masters of Arts degree in creative writing. The combination of workshop and process courses ensures that students would be prepared should they wish to continue on as an M.F.A. candidate in a creative writing program.

All students in the M.A. Creative Writing degree program would be eligible to apply for a Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA) position in their second year of study. A GTA is hired to teach a 101/301 Fundamentals of Creative Writing course. The GTA must be enrolled in at least one unit of study with the university to be eligible. Students in the M.A. also may apply for admission to the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (54 units) either to switch to the terminal degree program or to complete both degrees, with a separate thesis for each. In no case will a student be admitted to both programs simultaneously.

View the Bulletin page for the M.A. in Creative Writing .

View the M.A. in Creative Writing Advising sheet (PDF)

For the current M.A. offering, see the NEW - M.A. IN CREATIVE WRITING (FALL 2021).

View the Bulletin page for the M.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing .

Are you an M.A. student who would like to Complete both an M.A. and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing? You can use up to 24 units of M.A. coursework towards our M.F.A. Completing both programs can be without the need to repeat the coursework! 

To be admitted to the M.F.A. after you complete your SF State Creative Writing M.A. degree, you must apply to the M.F.A. program in the appropriate timeline to be admitted for the semester you will be entering the M.F.A. Applications are only reviewed for Fall admission. If your intended semester to begin your M.F.A. is in the Spring, please apply for to the previous admission cycle. There are no guarantees of admission to the M.F.A. from our M.A. Please   apply through the Cal State Apply portal .

If you are an M.A. Student who does not wish to complete your M.A., and is choosing instead to move into the M.F.A. program, please submit the following items to Katherine Kwid by email at  [email protected]  for distribution to the application review committee.

• Statement of purpose, briefly write (500 words) why you wish to study at the graduate level, what led you to choose creative writing, your experience writing and reading, etc.

One manuscript in one of the following genres: creative nonfiction or fiction: 15-20 pages double-spaced, single-sided pages (either one or more stories, or 15-20 pages of a longer work); 15 poems;  1 play: either a finished play of any length, or 20-25 pages of dramatic writing (theater plays only! No Film scripts, no radio plays, nor television plays; they will not be considered); 10 pages of literary translation into English, accompanied by 10 pages of the literature in the original language. Manuscripts must be legibly typed to be considered.

Two letters of recommendation, preferably from an academic reference, such as a former instructor, tutor, or someone who can speak of your writing skills from a position of knowledge.

One unofficial transcript

If you are offered a seat in the M.F.A., the offer of admission will have a change of graduate program form included which will move you to the M.F.A. officially. 

Deadlines for Fall 2024 Admission: 

Fall 2024 applications open October 1. The Creative Writing Department does not offer Spring admissions to the Graduate Programs in Creative Writing. 

• Round 1 Deadline: February 15 for Priority Consideration for Scholarships
• Round 2 Deadline: April 19

We are moving to an all online application process; all materials for the application are to be uploaded via the Cal State Apply for Graduate Study  website. Creative Writing only has applications open once a year, however you can choose to defer your study for a semester if you are interested in starting in the spring. Applicants need a B.A. degree, or equivalent, and a 3.0 GPA or equivalent. 

Cal State Apply for graduate admission materials required for either the M.A. Creative Writing Degree Objective or the M.F.A. Creative Writing Degree Objective:

• Cal State Apply for Graduate Study
• Cal State Apply application fee; currently $75.
• One set of unofficial transcripts for  all  college and/or university coursework (If you are chosen for admission, official transcripts will be requested to finalize admission). Please note: If you previously attended SF State University, you do not need to submit an SF State transcript. All are submitted electronically by uploading, as part of this complete application to Cal State Apply for Graduate Study  
• One manuscript in one of the following genres: creative nonfiction or fiction: 15-20 pages double-spaced, single-sided pages (either one or more stories, or 15-20 pages of a longer work); 15 poems;  1 play: either a finished play of any length, or 20-25 pages of dramatic writing (theater plays only! No Film scripts, no radio plays, nor television plays; they will not be considered); 10 pages of literary translation into English, accompanied by 10 pages of the literature in the original language. Manuscripts must be legibly typed to be considered.
• Two letters of recommendation, preferably from an academic reference, such as a former instructor, tutor, or someone who can speak of your writing skills from a position of knowledge. Creative Writing does not have a template for letter writers.  

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: please reference Cal State Apply for International Students for the following:

• Academic requirements by  country .
• English language  requirements .
• Summary of CSU Application for Graduate Study  process .

FAQs for the Graduate Application

Please click on the following question to be taken to the answer on this page. If your question is not addressed on this page, please email Katherine Kwid at  [email protected] .

• I'm interested in a graduate degree in Creative Writing, but I'm not sure if the M.A. or the M.F.A. is right for me. What is the difference between the M.A. and the M.F.A. ?
• What do I need in order to qualify for a graduate degree in Creative Writing ?
• I'm about to send in my application materials that are requested by the Creative Writing Department, but am afraid I've forgotten something! What is supposed to be included ?
• I just got an email from the Division of Graduate Studies that told me I am missing items for my application. I'm not sure what items are missing. How can I find that out ?
• I'm not sure who to ask for my letters of recommendation. What is the Admissions Committee looking for ?
• How many students are admitted to the Graduate Program each year ?
• Can I apply for Spring Admission ?
• Is the GRE required for admission to the Creative Writing Graduate Programs ?
• I'm not sure how to finance my education. Does SF State offer any financial assistance ?
• How much does it cost to be an M.F.A. or an M.A. student in Creative Writing ?
• How do I establish residency ?
• I've been accepted to the M.F.A. (or M.A.), but something has come up. Can I defer my admission ?

I'm interested in a graduate degree in Creative Writing, but I'm not sure if the M.A. or the M.F.A. is right for me. What is the difference between the M.A. and the M.F.A.?

• The M.A. degree program is 30 semester units: 3-6 units (1-2 classes) of writing classes, 3-6 units of process classes, 3-6 units of special topic creative process courses, 9-12 units of teaching courses guided elective classes and a 3 unit thesis (written creative work); the time it takes to finish the M.A. program typically is two years, but you have up to seven years to complete the program. California community colleges typically want to hire people with an M.A. in English; this degree will increase your potential for obtaining a teaching position in 2 year colleges.
• The M.F.A. degree program is 54 semester units, with a fair amount of latitude in your choice between workshop, seminar and literature seminar classes (there is a required minimum of 2 M.F.A. workshops and 2 M.F.A. seminars) and a 6 unit thesis (written creative work): the time it takes to finish the M.F.A. program typically is three to four years, but again, you have up to seven years to complete the program. Four year university creative writing departments typically hire adjunct and permanent faculty with this degree. BOTH degrees will prepare you for application to Ph.D. programs.
• One way of getting a feel for the program beyond our bulletin requirements, is to attend an event, either at the  SF State Poetry Center  or one of the many events listed on our public  Facebook page  (public - so you don't need to have a Facebook account to view all content, simply click on the "f" icon on the right-hand side of our webpage.)

What do I need in order to qualify for a graduate degree in Creative Writing?

•  A bachelor's degree or a recognized equivalent from a regionally accredited institution (See the Bulletin for information regarding Applicants from Institutions Without Regional Accreditation).
• A satisfactory scholastic average; a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0.
• In good academic standing at the last college or university attended.
• Complete the application process outlined on the Graduate Application section on this page.
• Completing these steps does not guarantee entry to the program. A formal offer of admission will be sent to you by mail by the Division of Graduate Study after the decisions have been made. 

I'm about to upload my supplementary application materials that are requested by the Department of Creative Writing, but am concerned I may have forgotten something! What is supposed to be included?

• One manuscript sample of your work (appropriate submissions are detailed on the Graduate Applications tab on this page).
• One 500 word statement of purpose.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• Unofficial transcripts for each institution attended

I just got an email from the Division of Graduate Study that told me I am missing items for my application. I'm not sure what items are missing. How can I find that out?

• Open a browser (Internet Explorer is recommended for best function) to the San Francisco State University Website .
• Click the Login link at the top of the page.
• Click SF Gateway.
• Enter your SF State ID and your password. If you have forgotten your password, click the link below the login box. 
• Click on Academics, under STUDENT.
• Click on the Student Center "button" in the bottom of the box in the middle of the page.
• On the right hand side, there is a "To Do List". You will find the items that are missing listed under the "To Do List" .

I'm not sure who to ask for my letters of recommendations. What is the Admissions Committee looking for?

• Your options range widely, anywhere from a writer in the field of Creative Writing, to a teacher or professor of an unrelated subject who knows your study habits. People who can speak of your skills as a writer are preferred, but not necessary.

How many students apply to and are admitted to the Graduate Program each year?

• Our program admits between 30 and 50 Graduate students per year, and we get approximately 130 applications per year. Approximately 1/4 of the admitted students are admitted to our MA program. 

Can I apply for Spring Admission?

• No. Our admission dates are from October 1 to February 15 each year (unless extended), for the following Fall semester only. Students admitted for the fall semester may request to defer their admission for up to two semesters for serious and compelling reasons, if spring admission is desired. This includes financial reasons, health reasons, and more. This does not include students who are denied a VISA. 

Is the GRE required for admission to the Creative Writing Graduate Programs?

• No, the GRE is not required for the application to the Department of Creative Writing.

I'm not sure how to finance my education. Does SF State offer any financial assistance? 

• New students in both graduate programs are automatically considered for our three scholarships for new students: The Joe Brainard Fellowship (two or more prizes, amount varies between $1000-$5000), the William Dickey Fellowship in poetry (two prizes; amount varies between $500 – $2000), Miriam Ylvisaker Fellowship in Fiction (one prize; amount varies between $500-$1000 scholarship)
• The Kathryn A. Manoogian Scholarship (one prize; amount varies between $500 - $2000) is awarded to one graduate student, new or continuing, based on merit and financial need. A call for applications will be posted to our students at the beginning of the fall semester.
• For information on applying for financial aid, please contact the financial aid office;  [email protected] . SF State Financial Aid Office website. Please be advised that it has come to our attention that California State University Grants, SUG, are available for only ONE graduate degree per student. If you have other questions about Financial Aid, including the SUG issue, you should probably email  [email protected] .
• The Federal Student Aid website has information for international applications about U.S. Financial Aid eligibility requirements.
• The Financial Aid Office at SF State also has more information about other scholarships.
• The University and national scholarships page is a resource web page that offers useful links, including information about how to make a one-on-one appointment with a fellowship advisor. Of special interest to graduate student is the Graduate Equity Fellowship.
• Each Spring Semester, graduate students in Creative Writing are invited to apply to teach undergraduate Creative Writing courses as Graduate Teaching Associates (GTAs). Three to five positions are available each academic year. Interested students submit a cover letter and a detailed 15-week syllabus for an introductory Creative Writing course in fiction, poetry and playwriting. Submitted syllabi are expected to demonstrate a robust, inventive engagement with the course's subject matter and to proceed from a thoughtful pedagogy. The Teaching Creative Writing course, Creative Writing 860, offers students the opportunity to develop teaching materials over the course of a semester-long engagement in pedagogical study and course preparation. It is highly recommended that students applying for GTA positions take both Creative Writing 860 and Creative Writing 859, Practicum in Teaching, in which students work as Graduate Instructional Aides for instructors teaching undergraduate Creative Writing courses. Applicants for GTA positions must have classified standing in the SF State Creative Writing M.F.A. program, the M.A program in English / Creative Writing, or the M.A. program in Creative Writing. 

How much does it cost to be an M.F.A. or an M.A. student in Creative Writing?

Note:  Campus fees should be regarded as  estimates  that are subject to change upon approval by the President and/or Student Fee Committee, without notice.

CURRENT fees PER SEMESTER for graduate study at SF State:

More information about California resident fees can be found on the SF State Bursar website.

• Out of State/International, these fees are based on the California resident fees, plus $396 per unit: - 3 Units (1 course): $2,082 + $1,188 = $3,270 - 6 units (2 courses): $2,082 + $2,276 = $4,458 - 9 units (3 courses): $3,588 + $4,458 = $8,046 (3 units x $396 = $1188; 6 units x $396= $2276; 9 units x $396= $4458)

How do I establish residency?

You can find basic guidelines on how to establish residency and find out if you are eligible on the Division of Graduate Studies website . Because neither campus nor Chancellor's Office staff may give advice on the application of these laws, applicants are strongly urged to review the materials for themselves and perhaps consult with a legal advisor. 

Can I defer admission to the Graduate Program in Creative Writing?

You can defer your admission until the following spring or following fall semester to which you applied. This is a department deferral only. You will be required to submit a new application to the CSU mentor for the semester you would like to attend. You will not need to submit new letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, or writing sample and the department will consider you accepted as soon as your application comes through. Please email Katherine,  [email protected] , with any questions. 

Being sheltered doesn’t cut down on opportunities to volunteer for literary organizations: it creates new ones. Many organizations are interested in working at a distance with our students this fall. Early in my search for workable community engagement, quite a few organizations have stepped forward to express interest in CW 675 and 875 students:

These include Nomadic Press, Associated Writing Programs (AWP), Writeaways Residency, Foglifter Magazine, Poetry Flash, Berkeley Poetry Festival, Lyrics and Dirges Reading Series, the Milvia Street Journal, two different organizations that connect writers to incarcerated people, Amnesty International: these are some of the new organizations.

Students will also be free to make their own connection for a writing projects that sustain us through COVID. Class meets at the beginning and end as a group; you do your community project in the middle and contribute through I-Learn to an ongoing discussion of your project. Email Andrew Joron,  [email protected]  if you want to get your own community project idea approved before the class.

CW 675/875 Community Projects in Literature is an opportunity to gain experience in the fields of publication, teaching, and arts administration, which will make valuable additions to your resume. Though each internship will be individually shaped, you will make a commitment of at least six hours a week for the length of the semester to earn three units credit.

Below is link to a list of organizations which you may use as a guide to finding a community project, or you can find one on your own. This list includes on-campus  opportunities, such as the Poetry Center. You also may create your own project as well; for example, teaching writing workshops in community, institution or school settings, or creating a reading series.

Typically, the organizations listed will ask you for a brief resume; try to give them some idea of the kinds of experience you already have.  For example, did you work on a campus journal, can you operate a computer, file, write clearly?

Community Projects Leads

Submitting your ATC and PCE Forms

If you are planning on enrolling in your thesis next semester, please review the following information.

There are two forms due the  semester before  enrollment in your thesis course. These are the Advancement To Candidacy (ATC) form, and the Petition for Culminating Experience (PCE) form, and can be found in step two and three of the Steps to Graduation guidelines . These forms are due November 1 for the following Spring Thesis enrollment, or April 1 for Fall Thesis enrollment. There’s a helpful deadline calendar for all things graduation.

Petition for Culminating Experience ( PCE)

• Please select 893 Written Creative Work to generate the appropriate petition.  
• The Petition for Culminating Experience proposes your thesis. The description needs to be at least 40 words, and we recommend keeping it vague if you think your thesis has the potential to change. The timeline asked for is a general guideline, and not one you will be held to. Your thesis chairperson can help you come up with these dates, and they are generally listed as reviewing sections of the thesis; first 4 chapters, first two acts, x number of poems, and so on.  
• Your thesis chairperson should be a tenured professor of your choosing. Please reach out to the professor to request that they be your thesis chairperson before the petition is submitted. Each professor has a limited number of thesis spots available, and permission is required. The tenured faculty are listed at the top of the Advising page under faculty academic advisors. You will also need a second reader, who is an informal position on your thesis committee. The second reader only signs the paperwork, and will not be working with you on your thesis. Please reach out to a tenure track professor to be the second reader. The only reason I’ve seen someone say no to this informal position is when they will be on leave the semester the thesis is completed. Once a first and second reader have agreed to work with you, please follow directions on this page to upload your 893 paperwork for processing and signatures;  Proposal for Culminating Experience (PCE) | Division of Graduate Studies .

Advancement To Candidacy ( ATC )

• For the ATC form, you will need to list the courses you are using to fulfill the degree requirement. You can determine which courses should be listed by filling out an advising worksheet for your degree, which can be found on our Advising  page. The courses listed on the ATC form will be the same ones you would use to complete the worksheet.  
• The class schedule for the Spring is not yet available, so we ask you to guess which course you would like to use to complete your requirements if you have more than just the thesis course to complete. If the course you guess will be offered does not end up being offered next semester, you would then find an appropriate course to enroll in and submit an ATC substitution form on the Grad Forms website  to amend the course list.  
• If you are using any coursework towards your degree, as approved by your faculty advisor, you will need to fill out an ATC substitution which you can do by following these procedures;  DocuSign .  
• Your graduate advisor should be a tenured professor of your choosing, and this signature is usually given by your thesis chairperson. We do not assign advisors, rather encourage you to reach out to a faculty member you would like to work with in your genre. Tenure track faculty are on the top of the office hours page , or anyone with professor in their title on the people page .  
• Once you have the form completed, follow the submission guidelines for processing and approval available on the Advancement to Candidacy Substitution Submission website.

Please note that completion of these forms does not automatically enroll you in your C W 893 Thesis course. Please request a class number and a permit number from your thesis chairperson when registration begins for the semester of your thesis enrollment.

You can find examples of the petitions below.

• M.A. ATC Sample  (pdf)
• M.F.A. ATC Sample  (pdf)
• PCE Sample  (pdf)
• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone: (415) 338-1891

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Creative Writing MFA

• The Craft Paper
• Twin Cities Literary Resources
• About the Creative Thesis

Taken with a paired course in Mentorship and Creative and Critical Reading, the thesis course represents the culmination of a student’s experience in Augsburg's MFA program. At this time, a student completes and revises a book-length project worthy of publication under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Types of theses vary depending on a student’s primary genre, but the Creative Thesis may be a novel, a collection of short stories or poems, a screenplay or play, a memoir, or a book of essays. If a student’s manuscript is not deemed ready by his or her mentor, the student will be asked to take an additional semester of thesis work.

Guidance for physically preparing a thesis for an Augsburg graduate program may be found here . From the links on that page, you can search for already-written theses, explore department requirements, and learn more about submitting your thesis.

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• Last Updated: May 31, 2024 2:49 PM
• URL: https://library.augsburg.edu/cw-mfa

• Creative Writing MFA

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Meghan Crowther Graduate Admissions Coordinator [email protected]

Terry Thaxton Graduate Programs Director [email protected]

Application Deadline January 1. Please review “How to Apply” in the navigation for more information.

The MFA in Creative Writing is a supportive and vibrant community for writers. Ours is a 2-year program (36 credits) with a creative thesis. Our award-winning faculty are dedicated to the growth of each writer in the program. We have between 30-40 students in the program, and we admit 15-20 new students each year. We believe that a diverse group of students creates the best learning environment. Hence, we encourage applications from marginalized groups–including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and LGBTQ people.

We accept applications in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and we welcome applications in hybrid and experimental/new forms.

Our innovative curriculum includes courses in professional development, workshops, editing and publishing, and a variety of craft-focused courses. We encourage students to experiment and push boundaries in their work. We offer specializations in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and hybrid forms. In their second year, students work one-on-one with one faculty member on a creative thesis worthy of publication.

Focus Areas

Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Hybrid, Experimental Forms

Experiences

The Florida Review, The Cypress Dome, Creative Writing Pedagogy, Professional Development, Literary Citizenship, Internships, Department of English Symposium, Parcels, Writers in the Sun, The Literary Arts Partnership, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Retreats, Conferences, Rollins College: Winter With the Writers, Burrow Press, Page 15, The Drunken Odyssey: A Podcast About the Writing Life, The Jack Kerouac Project

Our students and alumni actively publish in top journals— Passages North, Fourth Genre, Quarterly West, The Rumpus, PANK, New Yorker, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction to name just a few—and have won prestigious prizes such as the AWP Intro Award and the NEA Fellowship. Graduates of our program go on to become teachers, editors, publishers, freelance writers, lawyers, marketing professionals, nonprofit managers, and much more. Our students support each other and thrive in the literary arts activities both on and off campus.

On campus, our students are members of their own student organization, the Graduate Writers Association (GWA), which brings two visiting writers to campus each year, hosts several social and professional events, including PARCELS a monthly reading featuring MFA students, faculty, and alumni. Writers in the Sun, another reading series supported by the department, brings 2-5 nationally known writers to campus. Students are involved with The Florida Review as well as Aquifer: The Florida Review Online , UCF’s prestigious literary journal, or can volunteer with The Cypress Dome (CD), our undergraduate-run student literary magazine. Additionally, The Literary Arts Partnership trains and supports students who lead creative writing workshops for marginalized groups. We are partners with UCF’s Florida Prison Education Project .

Orlando, also called Litlando, is home to a number of literary arts activities, including Burrow Press, The Drunken Odyssey: A Podcast About the Writing Life, The Writer’s Atelier, Page 15, Loose Lips Reading Series, The Jack Kerouac Project , and many other literary arts organizations and events. We have several funding opportunities for incoming and returning students. We’d love to see your application. Here’s how to apply . If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected] or call at 407-823-5329. If you are interested in taking our MFA courses as a non-degree seeking student or as a UCF undergraduate please visit the FAQ page.

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Find us on  Facebook, Instagram , and Twitter . Also check out our MFA Blog and Working Title Podcast .

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Creative Writing Program

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Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: 307-766-3269

Fax: 307-766-3189

Email: [email protected]

To earn the MFA degree, we ask that students produce and shape a significant body of work, accompanied by an artist's statement.   While University of Wyoming graduate student forms employ the more conventional term "thesis," we encourage a language more suited to the ways in which writers actually discuss their own projects. By framing your work in these terms, we hope to encourage a more flexible, rangy, and expansive understanding of the writing goals you should set for your time in the program. To avoid confusion when it comes to university forms, we'll use the university's terminology for describing your committee ("thesis chair," etc), and we'll call the sum of your body of work and artist's statement "the thesis."

The Body of Work

In close consultation with the thesis chair (and typically with input from some or all other committee members), the student will assemble a body of work for presentation to the full committee. The body of work can include writing in various stages of progress and revision, although each piece should be far enough along that it has a genuine sense of necessity, shape, and promise. At least some portion of the body of work should be polished, finished writing. The body of work may include writing in more than one genre. A student might assemble a wide variety of pieces for the body of work, or might present a more singular manuscript (a novel, a nonfiction book project, etc). It is the responsibility of the thesis chair to approve the final body of work before it is sent to the full thesis committee prior to the student's defense.

The Artist's Statement

In the artist's statement, the student should both explain what decisions lay behind the assembling of the body of work, and bring the body of work into a coherent experience for the thesis committee. While the body of work need not be made up of thematically-linked pieces, the artist's statement should find a persuasive way to explain why these particular pieces were assembled together, and what they demonstrate about the writer's growth and/or goals for the work. The artist's statement should demonstrate the student's deep understanding of the genre(s) in which the student writes and the particular genre elements the student employs. It can include discussion of the writer's influences, process, aesthetic, and future goals for the material; it can express the questions the student wishes to ask through her/his creative work. The style, language, and form of the artist's statement is up to the student, but it should present a rich and articulate understanding of the body of work and act as a basis for the discussion at the student's defense. The artist's statement should be a minimum of 10 pages long.  It should be placed at the end of the defense draft, after the body of work, not before.

Here are some successful examples of artist's statements by previous MFA students.

Minimum Page Expectations (inclusive of artist's statement):

Prose thesis: 100 pages minimum, 150 pages maximum

Prose/poetry hybrids: 60 pages minimum, 150 pages maximum

In general, students should expect that they will produce a substantial amount of writing during their time in the program, and that not all of those creative efforts will be included in the final form of the body of work.

The Thesis Committee

The thesis committee is made up of a chair drawn from the Creative Writing faculty; a second reader typically drawn from the Creative Writing faculty (including adjuncts), and an “external member” (third reader) drawn from outside the Creative Writing Program. Sometimes a fourth, optional member is added to the committee when a special expertise is desired (in such cases, the fourth committee member may be a UW faculty member or someone from outside campus). Part-time writers in residence may also serve as fourth committee members.  Students are discouraged from using Creative Writing faculty members as fourth committee members, and should only expand the committee to four members if special expertise, or work with a part-time writer in residence, is particularly advantageous to the thesis project.  Thesis committee formation guidelines are set by Academic Affairs.

Eminent Writers in Residence may at times be available for thesis committee membership. Through a consortial agreement with Utah State University, members of their creative writing faculty may be able to join MFA thesis committees here.

Students may work with faculty both in their primary genre and outside of it. If a student wishes to present a thesis that includes writing in more than one genre, the committee should be composed so that expertise in each genre in represented.

Students should wait until April of their first year to approach faculty regarding thesis committee membership. Faculty members who are unfamiliar with a student's work may ask the student for a recent writing sample before making the decision to serve on that student's committee.  Chairs and second readers ideally are selected before the end of the second semester; external committee members are typically selected during the third semester.

The student will work most closely with the thesis chair to establish a thoughtful schedule for production and discussion of drafts and revisions, and for assembly of the body of work and artist's statement.  Second readers are often deeply involved in most stages of the student's work. The external member (and optional fourth reader) most typically join in discussion of the student's work very close to the end of the thesis process. The student can and should explicitly negotiate with each committee member the scope of their involvement in the thesis process. It is the student's responsibility to keep the committee apprised of their progress and to give reasonable notice of any change to the thesis schedule.

In the fourth, final semester, students should not ask MFA faculty members outside of their thesis committee to read their manuscript (in order to allow faculty members to give their undivided attention to their thesis students).

If a student wishes to change the membership of the thesis committee, they should consult with the MFA director regarding appropriate process.

Planning the Thesis Schedule

**Please note: This is the typical thesis schedule for full-time students. Part-time students will of necessity follow a different time-line.

Second Semester: During the second semester of study, plan to meet with the MFA director to discuss your preliminary plans for the body of work and to identify a possible thesis chair.  Faculty members can be approached beginning at the start of April, and not before, regarding thesis service. By the end of the second semester, you should have chosen a chair (and typically your second reader as well), worked out a brief description of your goals for the body of work, and designed a plan for writing and revision during the summer and into the second year.

Third Semester: Early in the third semester, you need to finalize the full membership of your thesis committee. The thesis chair should consult closely with the student in identifying potential thesis committee members. When the membership of the thesis committee is finalized, the information will be recorded in the MFA program's Record of Thesis Committee form and the Thesis Committee Assignment form for the University of Wyoming.  You should also meet with your thesis chair early in the third semester to discuss the summer's writing accomplishments and to plan for the second year. Students must also submit the university's Program of Study form by the end of the third semester.

Fourth Semester: During the fourth semester, the student is focused on revisions of materials assembled in the body of work and of the artist's statement. The student will consult with the thesis committee, particularly with the thesis chair, regarding preparations of materials for the defense (see "The Defense and Public Reading"). The student will follow university graduation processes regarding filing of forms, payment of graduation fees, and uploading of the thesis (see the Graduate Education page for details).

On rare occasions (see Good Standing ), a student may with permission of the MFA director and thesis chair extend the writing of the thesis beyond the fourth semester. If a student exceeds the original time-line given for the thesis, committee members have the right to step down from the committee.

The Defense and Public Reading

MFA degree candidates are required by UW to schedule and hold a defense and a public reading before graduation. The thesis chair, typically in consultation with other committee members, will determine when a student's body of work and artist's statement are ready to defend and will inform the student when to go forward with the scheduling of the defense. The defense will consist of an intensive discussion with the full thesis committee of the body of work and artist's statement; if the student is passed by the committee, the student will then give a public reading at a later time.

The program strongly encourages students to defend during the regular school year. Summer defenses are not necessarily possible, as faculty members are typically unavailable for thesis work during the summer months and cannot participate. If a student is not prepared to graduate by the end of the fourth semester, a return for a fall semester defense may be required. Students pursuing the ENR double major may sometimes extend into a fifth semester in order to satisfy requirements in both programs. MFA students in this situation are welcome to defend their thesis in the fourth semester and complete ENR coursework in the fifth semester, if at all possible.

The final version of the thesis is due to thesis committee members no later than three weeks before the defense. The defense takes between 1 and 2 hours; only the student and the thesis committee may be in attendance. The typical defense looks like this:

The student may give a brief introduction to the thesis.

Following the introduction, the committee intensively questions the candidate. While the questioning focuses on the artist's statement and body of work, the committee may also ask about material from the student's coursework, about genre and influences, and about the student's future plans for the work. This part of the exam is conducted as a rigorous conversation about matters of importance to the student, about strengths and weaknesses in the writing, and about future possibilities for the material.

Once the discussion is over, the student steps out, and the committee evaluates the student's performance, the body of work, and the artist's statement. The committee then tells the candidate of its decision. At this point, the committee may, and often does, ask for modifications of the written work before forms are officially filed.

If the committee deems the student's performance and/or materials to have failed the minimum expectations of the program, the committee can require the student to produce new or revised materials and to resubmit them for a new defense. The date of the new defense will be set only after approval by the thesis chair of the resubmitted materials.

After a successful defense, the candidate will work with the MFA/English graduate program coordinator to schedule a public reading before the end of the semester. The public reading will typically include several MFA degree candidates; MFA program members and the public will be invited, as required by UW. The program coordinator will handle the formal announcements of the readings. The program coordinator schedules these readings so as not to conflict with classes and other events, and has to balance many students’ needs; please be aware that special requests to change the reading schedule or pre-select the slate of readers may be very difficult for the coordinator to accommodate. We ask for your patience and understanding.

Uploading the MFA Thesis and Completing University Graduation Requirements

After successfully completing your defense, you must upload either your artist’s statement or your full thesis. UW uploading (“electronic publication” via Proquest) procedures are available on the Registrar’s Graduate Student Graduation page . If you wish, you can use the MFA-specific uploading format approved by the Registrar's Office and available on the MFA website's forms page (see the “thesis upload template”). This specially-designed format allows you to upload just your artist's statement (rather than uploading the full thesis manuscript). Many students prefer this option, since it allows them to keep the body of work from the public eye until ready for submission to magazines and presses.

As noted above, all UW graduate students must complete the required university forms and pay the required university fees in order to formally graduate. These forms and fees are required and processed by the Registrar's office, not the MFA program. We'll help you navigate the process as best we can, but students should keep track of all forms and fees themselves by communicating directly with the Registrar's office and by visiting the Registrar’s Graduate Student Graduation page for the most up-to-date graduation information. Students who do not intend to walk at graduation must still pay any required diploma and uploading fees and must meet all university deadlines.

Outstanding Thesis Awards

During thesis committee discussion following an MFA candidate's thesis defense, committee members should consider whether the thesis being defended merits nomination for a university thesis award.

Creative Writing

Making its home south of Midway Plaisance in Taft House, The Program in Creative Writing is an intersection of imagination and critical inquiry. Creative Writing offers an array of writing-workshop-based classes in a variety of genres, from fiction and poetry to creative nonfiction and translation. In addition, MAPH students focusing in creative writing have the unique opportunity to inform their creative projects with rigorous analytic research in a variety of subjects, such as Art History , Cinema and Media Studies , Comparative Literature , English Language and Literature , Gender and Sexuality , Philosophy , and Visual Arts .

Selected Faculty

Rachel DeWoskin

Srikanth Reddy

Sample Courses

There are two open spots in every Creative Writing course with a grad section; MAPH students in the Creative Writing Option get priority in these courses, and require instructor permission to register for open slots. There is no prerequisite on any grad section and all MAPH students are exempt from prerequisites. You can find the numbers for grad sections on Class Search or CIM.

If the two grad spots are already taken there is still a chance that the instructor would be interested in adding additional graduate students. In that case, students should write to the instructor, ask to be added to the waitlist and once they get the OK, plan to enroll during add/drop.

Please visit the Creative Writing page  for more details on classes and registration.

CRWR 40229 - Technical Seminar in Fiction: 3D Character Builder ( Rachel DeWoskin ) This reading and writing course will acquaint students with one of the essential tools of fiction writers, characterization. We will read works by authors including Baldwin, Guo, Nabokov, Munro, Sharma and Wharton, toward exploring how some of literatures most famous characters are rendered. How do writers of fiction create contexts in which characters must struggle, and how does each character's conflicts, choices, and use of language reveal his or her nature? How do we make characters whose behaviors are complicated enough to feel real, and why are some of the worst characters the most compelling? Students in this technical seminar will complete both creative and analytical writing exercises, reading responses, and a critical paper that focuses on characterization in a work of fiction.

CRWR 40411 - Technical Seminar in Poetry: Urban Image and Poetic Play  ( Garin Cycholl ) This technical seminar focuses on poems’ development of image through the work of urban writers. We will explore the lineage of urban lyric within the nineteenth century, then reflect on its development in the contemporary city. What impulse defines an “urban poetics?” What is urban lyric’s relationship with painting and photography? Do all city poems reflect one “city” in the end or is a more local impulse at work in cities as foci for writing? This course seeks to establish a solid, working basis in examining “image” and its lyric development through critical reflection and field work. To this end, we will work with a range of urban writers, including Paul Blackburn, Andrew Colarusso, Wanda Coleman, Kevin Killian, Frank O’Hara, Salima Rivera, Ed Roberson, and David Ulin.

CRWR 44021 - Advanced Nonfiction Workshop: The Trouble With Trauma ( Dina Peone ) In “The Body Keeps the Score” Bessel van der Kolk writes, “The greatest sources of our suffering are the lies we tell ourselves.” Many trauma survivors begin writing reluctantly, even repulsed by the impulse to query their woundedness. The process is inhibited by stigma surrounding the notion of victimhood, entities that would prefer a survivor's silence, plus our tendency to dismiss and devalue ones suffering in relation to others. Students in this class will shed some of these constricting patterns of thinking about trauma so they may freely explore their stories with confidence, compassion, curiosity, and intention. We'll read authors who have found surprise, nuance, and yes, healing through art, honoring the heart-work that happens behind the scenes. Half of class-time will include student-led workshops of original works in progress. Paramount to our success will be an atmosphere of safety, supportiveness, respect, and confidentiality. By the quarter's end each student will leave with a piece of writing that feels both true to their experience and imbued with possibility.

CRWR 49300 - Thesis/Major Projects in Poetry ( Margaret Ross ) This thesis workshop is for students writing a creative BA or MA thesis in poetry, as well as creative writing minors completing the portfolio. Because it is a thesis workshop, the course will focus on various ways of organizing larger poetic “projects.” We will consider the poetic sequence, the chapbook, and the poetry collection as ways of extending the practice of poetry beyond the individual lyric text. We will also problematize the notion of broad poetic “projects,” considering the consequences of imposing a predetermined conceptual framework on the elusive, spontaneous, and subversive act of lyric writing. Because this class is designed as a poetry workshop, your fellow students’ work will be the primary text over the course of the quarter.

A more comprehensive list of courses and descriptions is available at the Creative Writing course page . 

• Creative Writing Courses

Creative Writing Option

Students who plan to do a creative writing thesis project in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction can choose to pursue the MAPH Creative Writing Option. Students who complete the following requirements will receive a Creative Writing notation on their MAPH transcript:

• The MAPH Core course (Foundations of Interpretive Theory)
• One creative writing course in the student's chosen genre in Fall Quarter
• Creative Writing Thesis/Major Projects workshop in Winter Quarter
• Three academic courses relevant to the student’s proposed thesis area
• Two elective courses to be taken in any area of student interest

Two-Year Language Option for Creative Writing

MAPH's Two-Year Language Option is a great way for students to pursue advanced work in literary translation in their second year. Some possibilities might include advanced workshops on literary translation in various genres, upper-level undergraduate seminars and graduate courses in non-Anglophone literatures across a range of geographical regions and historical periods, and courses on translation theory.

Two-Year Language Option

Lawrence Grauman Jr. Fellowship Fund

The Grauman Fellowship , made possible by a generous legacy gift from Lawrence Grauman Jr. (AM '63), supports MAPH students studying English and/or Creative Writing, with a strong preference whenever possible for students who focus their studies on nonfiction writing or literary journalism. 

MAPH applicants who plan to work on creative nonfiction or literary journalism can indicate an interest in the Grauman Fellowship on their application.

Grauman Fellowship

Recent Creative Writing Thesis Projects

"Wonders of Unsung Black Life: A Poetic Interpretation on Living in Blackness" Tia White, MAPH '21 Advisor: Margaret Ross

" Once and Future Gardens " Sarah Hobin, MAPH '21 Advisor: Lina Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas

" Love Me, Love Me Not, Love Me Again: Stories for Bibliotherapy " Casey Glynn, MAPH '20 Advisor: Rachel DeWoskin

" From the Well That Washes Itself: A Novel (Excerpt)" Hajrije Kolimja, MAPH '20 Advisor:  Rachel DeWoskin

" The Confrontation Exercises: Essays " Jiaying Liang, MAPH '19 Advisor: Daniel Raeburn

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	San Diego State University
	Jul 04, 2024   2023/2024 University Catalog     2023/2024 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG] (Major Code: 15071) (SIMS Code: 112121) Admission to the Degree Curriculum STUDENTS WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE M.F.A. IN CREATIVE WRITING ONLY IN THE FALL SEMESTER AND COMPLETE APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 1. In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission to San Diego State University with classified graduate standing, as described in Admission and Registration   , a student must satisfy the following requirements before being recommended for classified graduate standing. The applicant must possess a baccalaureate degree in creative writing, or in English with a focus in creative writing, or an approved affiliated field, with a grade point average of not less than 3.0 overall in the last 60 units of study attempted, with a 3.25 undergraduate grade point average in the major, and a 3.5 average in those courses considered prerequisite for the M.F.A. focus the student elects. If deficient, the applicant must complete undergraduate requirements commensurate with the proposed focus in the M.F.A. program. The applicant normally must achieve a minimum score of 300 on the Graduate Record Examination, with a minimum of 156 on the verbal section. Students who submit especially compelling samples of creative work, but who have not met certain criteria or who demonstrate deficiencies in undergraduate preparation or basic skill development may be granted conditional classified admission to the program. The graduate adviser shall specify the conditions for such admission with the proviso that any prerequisite coursework assigned must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and no grade less than a B-. A student holding an M.A. degree in English from San Diego State University, or any other acceptable accredited institution of higher learning, must formally apply for admission to the M.F.A. program. Applicants holding an M.A. or pursuing an M.F.A. may transfer up to 18 units of certified graduate credit from an accredited institution upon review and recommendation by the M.F.A. graduate adviser and the approval of the dean of the College of Graduate Studies. Students unable to satisfy the requirements for the M.F.A. degree will not automatically be considered for an M.A. degree. Students already accepted into the M.F.A. program at San Diego State University who request a change of focus (poetry or fiction) at a later date will be required to notify the M.F.A. graduate adviser and reapply to the creative writing committee. Advancement to Candidacy All students must meet the general requirements for advancement to candidacy as described in Requirements for Master’s Degrees   . Candidates for the M.F.A. degree must have completed a minimum of 34 units within their official program of study, including transfer credit, with a minimum grade point average of 3.25 and have no grade less than B-. Students will be permitted to repeat only one course to achieve these levels. After a student has filed an official program of study and advanced to candidacy, the student must enroll in ECL 797    and ECL 799A    if pursuing thesis option (Plan A) or must enroll in six units of manuscript preparation (English 791) if pursuing manuscript option (Plan B). If the student chooses to pursue thesis option ( ECL 797    and ECL 799A   ) instead of enrolling in six units of manuscript preparation (English 791), the student is required to have the approval of the M.F.A. graduate adviser. The M.F.A. creative writing committee must have approved a thesis topic and must recommend the appointment of a thesis adviser from the student’s area of focus (fiction or poetry). After advancement to candidacy, the student must enroll in and complete ECL 797    and ECL 799A    if pursuing Plan A or six units of English 791 if pursuing Plan B. In addition, the M.F.A. graduate committee must have recommended appointment of a thesis adviser from the student’s area of focus (poetry, fiction) and the creative writing committee must have approved a thesis topic. Applicants for advancement should submit a portfolio of their creative work to the creative writing committee for a recommendation for advancement. Aspects to be reviewed include artistic achievement, ability to function in situations that writers and teachers usually encounter, and demonstration of skills in the focus area. After advancement to candidacy, a student must enroll in and complete a minimum of 24 units from the official program to include ECL 797    and ECL 799A   . Specific Requirements In addition to meeting the requirements for classified graduate standing, candidates for the M.F.A. in creative writing must complete a 54-unit graduate program, 39 of which must be in courses numbered 600 and above as follows: Creative Writing Research Focus Student to select one 24-unit research focus as follows: ECL 750F - M.F.A. Seminar: Fiction Writing Units: 3 (18) Six units in another genre of creative writing ECL 750P - M.F.A. Seminar: Poetry Writing Units: 3 (18) Literature Research An 18-unit literature research component divided as follows: Three Units Selected From the Following ECL 630 - Form and Theory of Poetry Units: 3 ECL 631 - Form and Theory of Fiction Units: 3 Nine Units in American, British, or Comparative Literature Nine units in American, British, or comparative literature, or an appropriate modern language literature selected with the approval of the M.F.A. adviser. Six Units Selected From the Following ECL 700 - Seminar: A Major Author or Authors Units: 3 ECL 724 - Seminar: Issues in British Literature Units: 3 ECL 725 - Seminar: Issues in Literature of the United States Units: 3 ECL 726 - Seminar: Issues in Comparative Literature Units: 3 ECL 727 - Seminar: Issues in Children’s Literature Units: 3 ECL 784 - Seminar: Creative Non-Fiction Units: 3 ECL 796 - Internship Units: 3 ECL 798 - Special Study Units: 1-3 (3) with consent of instructor But not both. Six Units of Electives Six units of electives selected with consent of adviser. Six units in preparation of the thesis; a book-length creative work. Select A. Thesis or B. Manuscript: ECL 797 - Thesis Research Units: 3 ECL 799A - Thesis Units: 3 ECL 791A - Seminar in M.F.A. Manuscript: Poetry Units: 3 ECL 791B - Seminar in M.F.A. Manuscript: Fiction Units: 3 Journals & Series Academic Programs Composition Directories Quick Links Directories Home Colleges, Schools, and Departments Administrative Units Research Centers and Institutes Resources and Services Employee Directory Contact UNLV Social Media Directory UNLV Mobile Apps Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program overview. Named one of the “Five Innovative/Unique Programs” creative writing programs by The Atlantic , the master of fine arts in creative writing is one of two programs offered by UNLV’s Creative Writing International Program with genre concentrations in fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry. By providing an innovative curriculum and fostering an educational environment where students can perfect their art, our graduates become globally-engaged writers that demonstrate socially-engaged and active writing practices. Program Outcomes Students receive a strong theoretical foundation in their selected genre concentration, as well as an appreciation for the art and theory across various genres, thereby expanding their creative abilities. Moreover, they develop a nuanced understanding of canonical contexts and the historical evolution of literature, which provides valuable insights into new writing. Through exposure to international writing and literary translation, students cultivate a practical appreciation for diverse linguistic traditions beyond English, enriching their creative perspectives.  A high percentage of our graduates have widely published fiction, literary nonfiction, journalism, and poetry with mainstream presses, indie presses, and nationally esteemed venues such as: W. W. Norton & Company Grove Press The Best American Poetry McSweeney’s The New York Times The Los Angeles Times Program Structure Our students follow a three-year course of study that includes writing workshops, genre forms courses, literature classes, a residency abroad, completion of a literary translation, and completion of a book-length manuscript that meets the standard of publishable works. Students also have the opportunity for teacher training and practical experience in literary publishing. Additionally, our department, in partnership with the Black Mountain Institute, offers the Doctorate of Philosophy in English with a Creative Dissertation, supported by a graduate assistantship combined with the Black Mountain Institute fellowship. Program Funding All MFA students are fully funded by UNLV and the Black Mountain Institute (BMI) for three years of study towards their degrees.  Graduate Assistantships of $21,000/year  Opportunities for additional funding from BMI In-state tuition  Student health insurance. Duties for the Graduate Assistantship are 20 hours per week, usually fulfilled through a combination of teaching, tutoring in the Writing Center, and working for English Department or Black Mountain Institute publications. Our Faculty Maile chapman, ph.d.. Wendy Chen, Ph.D. Claudia Keelan Roberto Lovato David Morris, MFA Douglas A. Unger The MFA Student Experience The UNLV creative writing program offers a supportive and immersive experience to its students. From day one, students become part of a vibrant community of writers where creativity thrives and collaboration flourishes. Whether students aspire to publish their writing, pursue further study, or embark on diverse career paths within the literary world, UNLV provides the resources, support, and community they need to thrive and succeed. Activities and Events With the Black Mountain Institute The UNLV Department of English has a longstanding relationship with the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute (BMI). This allows our students to receive opportunities to engage in creative and literary activities with visiting BMI fellows in socially meaningful literary events for the city of Las Vegas and its greater community. Recent BMI fellows and national and international award-winning visitors include: Percival Everett Melissa Febos Layli Long Soldier Jaquira Díaz Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah See the Black Mountain Institute's website for more information. Academic and Literary Journals The creative writing concentration helps students develop their writing craft and critical thinking skills through a workshop setting and literature courses. It equips them with professional skills for various industries and prepares them for graduate studies in English and creative writing. Founded by M.F.A. alumna Kat Kruse in 2010, Neon Lit is a completely student-run reading series featuring writing of students currently in the Creative Writing programs at UNLV. Events are held on the last Friday of each month usually at the Writer’s Block, an independent bookstore and community center in downtown Las Vegas. See Neon Lit’s website and YouTube Channel for more information. Writing Series Breakout writers series. The “Breakout Writers Series” or Emerging Writers Series features writers just emerging on the literary scene. Writers who visit and read for this series are chosen entirely by the students in the M.F.A. and Ph.D. programs. Alumni Reading Series The yearly Alumni Reading Series celebrates the literary successes of graduates of the program. Recent alumni readers include Marianne Chan, Jean Chen Ho, Clancy McGilligan, Alissa Nutting, Juan Martínez, Sasha Steensen, and Mani Rao. Admission Requirements Fiction: 20-30 pages Literary nonfiction: 20-30 pages Poetry: 10-15 pages A letter of application to the Graduate Committee detailing a statement of purpose and reasons for choosing UNLV Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities  Two letters of recommendation Applicants must choose the International Focus subplan, unless they have already been accepted to the Peace Corps Master's International Partnership program. International Applicants Each year, our program admits several international writers with high competency in writing in English that immensely contribute to our literary community. Our diverse student body fosters a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives, creating a dynamic learning environment that prepares graduates for success in the global literary landscape. Furthermore, UNLV's creative writing program values inclusivity and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds and life experiences to contribute to the vibrant tapestry of voices within our community. Clear Submit Wilkes University is within a few hours’ drive from the biggest population centers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. 2023 Wilkes University     Wilkes University       Jul 04, 2024   2024-2025 Graduate Bulletin (DRAFT)     2024-2025 Graduate Bulletin (DRAFT) Students first complete the 3-semester MA in Creative Writing before continuing on (following a Letter of Interest and acceptance from the program director) to the MFA for two additional semesters. MFA = 49 Credits (30 credits from the MA in Creative Writing + 19 additional credits) Students continuing on to the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing will revise their Master of Arts thesis based on the feedback of their outside reader (an agent, editor, director, or producer) to produce a publishable manuscript, or begin anew project in the same genre or a different genre from their MA thesis. Additionally, they will produce and present a literary analysis paper, complete a term-long internship in teaching or publishing, and submit a final portfolio that chronicles their work in the entire program, all of which demonstrate their understanding and utilization of their literary tradition and the best practices of teaching pedagogy or the publishing/writing industry. First MFA Semester: CW 612   : Literary Analysis (6 credits) MFA Residency:  CW 616R    (3 credits) Second MFA Semester: CW 614   : Project Revision (3 credits) and CW 620   : Internship in Creative Writing (6 credits) Final MFA Residency: CW 650R (1 credit) CW 612   : Literary Analysis Acknowledging and understanding the diverse forms, styles, and ongoing tradition of the student’s chosen literary genre. At the completion of this course, students will be able to: describe the breadth and depth of knowledge of the historical context and tradition of the range of forms, conventions, and styles within their selected major area. demonstrate an understanding of the literary tradition and where their own work lives within that literary spectrum. demonstrate mastery of literary analysis by writing a formal MFA level extensive craft paper (25+ pages). demonstrate a mastery of an oral presentation that is a cutting of the extensive formal essay (15 minutes). CW 620   : Internship in Creative Writing Students will either teach creative writing or intern at a publisher or writing organization. demonstrate an understanding of how best to teach or work in a variety of artists-in-residency or publishing venues. demonstrate competency in the best practices of teaching creative writing or in the business of supporting writers and their work in a publishing or writing organization. demonstrate mastery of genre-specific elements at all levels, both to teach and to model those elements. CW 650   : The Professional Writer An abbreviated (2-day) residency workshop on the Life of a Writer, post-MFA: querying and submitting to agents and editors; marketing your work; networking among readers and writers; literary citizenship; making money as a writer. The Final MFA Portfolio At the end of the student’s MFA experience they will submit a final portfolio, demonstrating their understanding of the best practices of effective teaching and sustaining creative work, including the ability to critique and facilitate the creative work of others honestly and vigorously while continuing to produce one’s own creative work. Final M.F.A. portfolio will include: revised M.A. thesis (or a new project in the same or a different genre); 25-50 page craft chapter or essay copies of materials developed and written during the internship; final annotated bibliography of readings from the entire program; final summary of program work vis-à-vis a self-analysis paper. At the completion of this program, students will be able to: understand the legal and ethical standards and the practical issues of the teaching or publishing profession, and demonstrate that knowledge in the residencies and portfolio work of the program; demonstrate competency in the best practices of creative writing pedagogy or the business practices of the publishing industry; demonstrate advanced writing competency in their own creative work; demonstrate an advanced knowledge of contemporary literature in their area of study in an oral and written presentation of their analysis of assigned texts. MFA Residency #1 Students will begin the MFA coursework during the final MA residency, known as the Capstone residency (CW 525R), by attending additional modules taught by faculty with advanced degrees. Students will receive a formal reading list from their CW 612 faculty and develop their analysis plan in those meetings. Project Term #1 - CW 612   . Literary Analysis Reading, analyzing, and preparing an extensive (25-50 page)graduate paper that demonstrates the students’ understanding of the history, tradition, various forms, and diverse styles of contemporary literature in one area of study–fiction, creative nonfiction, film, drama, or poetry. Reading list will be provided by the faculty and students’ essays’ approach must be approved by faculty mentor and the Program Director. A formal presentation of this essay will take place at the subsequent residency, CW 616R   . CW 614   . Revision Term Students will either continue to work with a faculty mentor to revise their MA creative thesis and prepare it for publication/production OR begin a new project, either building upon the strengths of the Master of Arts thesis or in a new genre previously studied in the first (Foundations) MA semester. Residency #2 – CW 616R   . Writing in Education/Publishing 3 Credits/Residency Course Students will be required to make a formal presentation of their CW 612    literary analysis essay. Students will complete work generated by team-taught modules to prepare them for an internship in teaching, publishing, or a writing organization. They will meet with peers and faculty to create and deliver mini-lesson plans for proposed courses or a study plan in publishing or some other writing organization. Such work must draw upon the best practices of the industry. By week’s end, students will have an internship plan and internship supervisor assigned to them. Project Term #2 – CW 620   . Writing in Education/Publishing Internships Students will either teach creative writing or intern with a writing organization, such as a magazine, small press, or literary agency. Students will document their work through student portfolios and will be supervised by a faculty mentor. In whatever experience students select, they must demonstrate student contact hours of no fewer than 40 hours per term for teaching and 20 hours per week for internships with writing organizations. Students will present a final analysis of their teaching or publishing experience at term’s end. CW 630   . Continuous Registration 1-6 Credits This optional course allows students to continually register when needed for further revision in preparation of their final project or to experience an independent study in a second genre. Total Credits: 49 Global navigation Site navigation IU South Bend Bulletin 2024-2025 About IU South Bend Degrees Offered General Education Academic Schools Online Programs Graduate Programs Course Descriptions Academic Regulations and Policies General Education Requirements Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts School of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Natural Sciences College and Schools IU South Bend Home IU Resources Indiana University Web Site Administration Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Policies Previous IU South Bend Campus Bulletins Students are ordinarily subject to the curricular requirements outlined in the Bulletin in effect at the start of their current degree. See below for links to previous Bulletins (bulletins prior to 2013-2014 are in PDF format only). Online Only If you are seeking further information regarding specific programs, please contact individual departments . For problems accessing information on this website, please contact Teresa Sheppard . Master of Arts in English The Master of Arts (MA) in English offers a flexible program that enables students to shape their course of study. Students take core courses in literary analysis, creative writing, literary theory, and public writing, then choose their own areas of specialization through electives. Finally, students complete a capstone thesis project by working closely with a chosen faculty member to delve into an individually designed project. Transfer Credit Hours Students may be allowed to transfer up to two graduate courses or eight credit hours of previous or external coursework including credits from other graduate programs, online courses, or non-degree credits if those courses demonstrably contribute to the work required for the Master of Arts in English. Unless transfer courses are clearly equivalent to the required core courses for the Master of Arts, those courses are counted as electives. Students must submit to the Graduate Director a formal request to transfer courses, including brief descriptions of each course identifying how it contributes to the Master of Arts in English, and supporting documentation such as syllabi, assignments, papers, or other relevant material. Residency Requirement This is an in-person program. A minimum of 28 credit hours (seven 4-credit courses) must be completed through in-person classes on IU South Bend’s campus. (Individual exceptions considered on a per case basis). Academic Regulations An average grade of B (3.0) is required for graduation, and no course with a grade lower than B– (2.7) is counted toward the degree. Students are required to maintain good academic standing, i.e., to maintain a 3.0 GPA. Failure to maintain good standing may result in dismissal from the program. All courses are 4 credit hours, unless otherwise noted. Degree Requirements (36 cr.) Required courses (16 cr.). Choose one course from each of the four areas. Must be completed in person. Any substitutions or exceptions require the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. All courses are 4 credits unless otherwise stated. 1. Literary Scholarship (4 cr.) ENG-L 501 Professional Scholarship in Literature ENG-L 553 Studies in Literature 2. Literary Theory and Criticism (4 cr.) ENG-L 6XX  3. Creative Writing (4 cr.) CMLT-C 694 The Screenplay ENG-W 511 Writing Fiction ENG-W 513 Writing Poetry ENG-W 615 Writing Creative Nonfiction 4. Public Writing (4 cr.) ENG-L 502 Contexts for Study of Writing ENG-W 600 Topics in Rhetoric and Composition ENG-W 616 Prose Style Workshop Electives (16 cr.) Select four courses from the list below (Any alternatives require approval of the Director of Graduate Studies) Students must take at least one course in the area of specialization that they choose for their final M.A. project. For example, students opting to complete a final MA project in creative writing must complete at least one workshop in the project's genre of choice. Likewise, students opting to complete a final MA project in literature must complete at least one elective in the project's area of specialization (genre or historical period). ENG-L 590 Internship in English ENG-L 612 Chaucer ENG-L 623 English Drama from the 1590s to 1800, Exclusive of Shakespeare ENG-L 631 English Literature 1660-1790 ENG-L 639 English Fiction to 1800 ENG-L 642 Studies in Romantic Literature ENG-L 647 Studies in Victorian Literature ENG-L 650 Studies in American Literature to 1900 ENG-L 653 American Literature 1800-1900 ENG-L 660 Studies in British and American Literature 1900 to Present ENG-L 674 Studies in International English Literature ENG-L 680 Special Topics in Literary Study and Theory ENG-L 681 Genre Studies ENG-L 695 Individual Readings in English Final Thesis Project (4 cr.) ENG-L 699 MA Thesis; OR ENG-W 609 Directed Writing Projects Academic Bulletins Indiana University IU Bloomington PDF Version Copyright © 2024 The Trustees of Indiana University , Copyright Complaints 431 COMMENTS M.F.A. in Creative Writing The M.F.A. Creative Thesis must be accompanied by a critical paper of 7 to 10 pages, analyzing comparable texts that exemplify the literary tradition from which your thesis springs. This paper may discuss the influence of analyzed works on the thesis, but will focus on a discussion of the craft evident in the creative works discussed. To read ... Online MFA in Creative Writing Program The thesis for the Online MFA in Creative Writing is required to be a novel of at least 50,000 words in one of the four genres the program offers: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, and Speculative. Every Southern New Hampshire University online MFA student who graduates from the program will do so with a revised novel manuscript in their ... Creative Writing The University of Maryland's MFA core curriculum includes practica in teaching creative writing (in the first semester) and finishing the thesis (in the last semester), plus a set of professionalization courses to prepare you for a career in creative writing. Our program emphasizes one-on-one mentoring and personal attention to your development as a writer in the world. M.F.A. in Creative Writing Master the Art of Creative Writing. Through one-on-one mentorships with faculty thesis advisors, intimate writing seminars, and in-depth peer reviews, you will learn to think critically about your craft. Examining literary works, exploring genres, and establishing close relationships with professors will all contribute to your development as a ... MFA MFA. The Department of English offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing for students committed to pursuing the writing life. This three-year degree provides advanced graduate-level coursework in writing, language, literature, as well as studies in a related field. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction are at the ... Earning A Master's In Creative Writing: What To Know Postsecondary Creative Writing Teacher. Median Annual Salary: $74,280. Minimum Required Education: Ph.D. or another doctoral degree; master's degree may be accepted at some schools and community ... PDF The Graduate Manual Online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Degree ments Description of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing DegreeA Master of Fine Arts degree, or MFA, is a terminal degree in an artistic craft that demonstrates that you. have achieved the ... Master's in Creative Writing Online MA English & Creative Writing nonfiction graduate Alec Biron '17 '21G particularly enjoyed the combined emphasis on creative writing and literature. "While the curriculum allowed me to select a unique genre of creative writing to develop my nonfiction thesis," he said, "it also allowed me to explore traditional forms of literature that I love ... PDF Thesis Guidelines thesis defense in the Creative Writing MFA Program includes a discussion of your approved reading list, and you should be prepared to answer questions about the relation of the readings to your thesis. File Application to Graduate The semester prior to your thesis defense, you should file with the registrar your PDF English Master's Degree English MA Thesis Checklist 3 Creative Writing Thesis Prospectus The prospectus is a formal written description of your thesis project that must be approved by your chair and committee. The creative writing prospectus requirements, which vary by genre, are appended to this checklist on page 5 and 6. Online Master of Fine Arts Liberty's 100% online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing can help you develop your writing passion into a career so you can set your works free to impact culture and the world ... MAPH The Creative Writing Option. The Masters of Arts Program in the Humanities ( MAPH ) Creative Writing Option is intended for students who plan to do a creative writing thesis project in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. Unlike MFA programs at other institutions that offer more strictly professionally-oriented training in writing, students ... Creative Writing (MFA) Theses Creative Writing (MFA) Theses. Below is a selection of dissertations from the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in Wilkinson College that have been included in Chapman University Digital Commons. Additional dissertations from years prior to 2019 are available through the Leatherby Libraries' print collection. MFA in Creative Writing The program requires a series of rigorous workshops, classes in editing and publishing, and electives in literary history, critical theory and craft, as well as a thesis created under the close mentorship of a faculty committee. The residential MFA in creative writing also offers students opportunities to engage in public outreach. Master of Arts in Creative Writing The Master of Fine Arts is a three-year program and is considered the terminal degree in creative writing. The program may benefit in particular teachers who want to increase their range and earning potential with a Masters degree and/or individuals who want to teach creative writing at private schools, community venues, labs and salons. Lindell Library: Creative Writing MFA: The Creative Thesis The Creative Thesis. About the Creative Thesis. Taken with a paired course in Mentorship and Creative and Critical Reading, the thesis course represents the culmination of a student's experience in Augsburg's MFA program. At this time, a student completes and revises a book-length project worthy of publication under the guidance of a faculty ... Creative Writing MFA Terry Thaxton Graduate Programs Director [email protected] ... The MFA in Creative Writing is a supportive and vibrant community for writers. Ours is a 2-year program (36 credits) with a creative thesis. Our award-winning faculty are dedicated to the growth of each writer in the program. We have between 30-40 students in the program, and we ... MFA Thesis Creative Writing Program. 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071. Phone: 307-766-3269. Fax: 307-766-3189. Email: [email protected]. MFA Thesis The Body of Work and Artist's Statement ... If a student wishes to present a thesis that includes writing in more than one genre, the committee should be composed so that expertise in each genre in ... Creative Writing CRWR 49300 - Thesis/Major Projects in Poetry (Margaret Ross) This thesis workshop is for students writing a creative BA or MA thesis in poetry, as well as creative writing minors completing the portfolio. Because it is a thesis workshop, the course will focus on various ways of organizing larger poetic "projects." Creative Writing, M.F.A. If the student chooses to pursue thesis option (ECL 797 and ECL 799A ) instead of enrolling in six units of manuscript preparation (English 791), the student is required to have the approval of the M.F.A. graduate adviser. The M.F.A. creative writing committee must have approved a thesis topic and must recommend the appointment of a thesis ... Master of Arts in Writing The Master of Arts in Writing from the University of North Alabama is a 36-semester-hour program offering courses in creative writing, technical writing, grant writing, document design, and publishing, as well as composition theory. Through this degree, you will gain deep experience i n the types of writing required in today's professional, academic, technical, and creative communities. Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program Overview. Named one of the "Five Innovative/Unique Programs" creative writing programs by The Atlantic, the master of fine arts in creative writing is one of two programs offered by UNLV's Creative Writing International Program with genre concentrations in fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry.By providing an innovative curriculum and fostering an educational environment where ... Creative Writing Theses and Dissertations Creative Writing Theses and Dissertations; JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it. ... Recent Submissions. The Arris  Akdeniz, Aziza Lucia (University of Oregon, 2010-09) A collection of poems. The Saint and the Crows  Whitenack, Claire Lenore, 1985-(University of Oregon, 2010-06) Program: Creative Writing, M.F.A. Students continuing on to the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing will revise their Master of Arts thesis based on the feedback of their outside reader (an agent, editor, director, or producer) to produce a publishable manuscript, or begin anew project in the same genre or a different genre from their MA thesis. Theses and Dissertations (Unit for Creative Writing) David Kramer - an unauthorised biography and creative nonfiction : writing an unauthorised biography of David Kramer. Maccani, Mario (University of Pretoria, 2011-10-24) This study is comprised of two parts: an unauthorised biography of the South African musician David Kramer, as well as a reflective look at the process of writing this biography. Master of Arts in English : Academic Bulletin Students take core courses in literary analysis, creative writing, literary theory, and public writing, then choose their own areas of specialization through electives. Finally, students complete a capstone thesis project by working closely with a chosen faculty member to delve into an individually designed project. ORCID 301 Moved Permanently. nginx assignment essay homework paper phd report review speech thesis