English
Program Descriptions
The English department offers three master's degrees:
The M.F.A. in Creative Writing is a terminal degree for writers, and for some time now this program has been ranked highly among similar programs nationwide. Graduates have frequently gone on to high-profile careers as published authors; many teach or work in publishing. In addition to providing students with workshops in which to develop their writing skills, the program requires them to take classes in the study of literature, and it offers training appropriate to collegiate-level teaching of creative writing. Students edit and publish CutBank, a noted periodical featuring the work of students and nationally known writers. Admission to the M.F.A. program is highly competitive; in a typical year, 20-30 students will enter the program in the fall out of the 200-400 who apply in January.
The M.A. in Literature is often pursued by people thinking of applying eventually to a Ph.D. program elsewhere, and in recent years students who have decided to go on to doctoral work have gained admission to prestigious Ph.D. programs around the country. Less frequently, this degree is sought by secondary teachers and by students thinking of a career in private secondary teaching. The program offers training in critical reading and writing, in British, American, and comparative literatures, and in cultural studies and critical theory. In a typical year, 10-20 students enter the program out of the 30-70 who apply in January.
The M.A. in Teaching exists for secondary teachers of English language arts who wish to continue their education. It offers teachers a balance of advanced studies in composition, linguistics, literature, critical theory and pedagogy. Graduates go on to leadership positions in middle and high school English departments and/or curriculum programs. Teachers may apply for admission at any time of the year. In a typical year, 3-10 students enter the program; rates of acceptance are higher than for the other two programs.
Degrees Offered
M.F.A. Creative Writing
Options:
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Poetry
Requirements
45 credits of graduate-level course work and a professional paper from which you give a public reading in your last semester. Course requirements include 12 credits in at least four 500-level workshops; 3 credits in Techniques of Modern Fiction or Traditional Prosody; up to 12 thesis credits; and 12 credits in English department literature courses, including at least one 500-level seminar. If you take Techniques twice, or both Techniques and Prosody, or one of the Special Topics reading courses offered by creative writing faculty (ENCR 516 or ENCR 595), these 3 credits may count toward the 12 required literature credits; so may a maximum of 6 credits of Graduate Independent Study, provided that a member of the literature faculty supervises the project. Students may take up to 12 credits in courses outside the department, and up to 9 credits of Graduate Independent Study. The professional paper can be a full-length novel, a collection of short stories, a collection of non-fiction prose essays, or a collection of poems at least 40 pages long; with the permission of your Masters committee and the Director of Creative Writing, a hybrid work of poetry and prose can be submitted.
M.A. English
Option: Literature
Requirements
36 credits of graduate-level course work and a critical thesis defended orally in your last semester. Course requirements include two courses in pre-1800 literature and two courses in literary criticism or critical theory (one of which may be a linguistics course), unless you have already completed such course work. You must complete five 500-level seminars, up to two of which may, with the prior approval of the Director of Literature, be taken in other departments. With prior approval, students may take up to 9 credits in courses outside the department, and up to 9 credits of Graduate Independent Study. To complete the degree, students will write either a thesis, comprised of two or more chapters and an introduction (minimum 50 pages, suggested maximum 100 pages); or, beginning in 2013, a portfolio of three seminar papers revised in consultation with a committee made up of professors with whom the student has worked. Students writing a thesis may count up to 6 thesis credits toward the 36 required for the degree. Those who compile a portfolio may count 3 professional paper credits toward their degree; they must complete at least six 500-level seminars, instead of the five required for the thesis option.
Option: Teaching
Requirements
36 credits of graduate-level course work and an in-house professional paper which you defend orally in your last semester. Course requirements include three 500-level workshops in English teaching pedagogy; two 500-level literature seminars; and up to 4 professional paper credits. You must also complete 20th Century Critical Theory, and either Introduction to Linguistics or Structure and History of English for Teachers, if you have not already completed these courses or their equivalents. Students may take up to 9 credits in courses outside the department, and up to 9 credits of Graduate Independent Study. Excluding professional paper credits, half of the remaining credits must be earned in 500-level courses.
Admissions
1. Application Materials and Deadline
Instructions for applying to the Graduate School are in the Applying for Admission section on this web site.
Please send all application materials complete in one packet to the Graduate Program, Department of English, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812-6120. All necessary application forms can be downloaded from this web site.
Note: Writing samples become the property of the University and are not normally returned to you, though of course you retain all publication rights. Department policy is to destroy all files of applicants who are not accepted into programs after one year. If you wish to have a writing sample or other application materials returned to you in the event you are not accepted, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope in your application packet.
The Department of English accepts GRE scores with a test date that is within the past five years, or verifiable GRE scores if the test date is over five years old.
M.F.A. in Creative Writing
Application deadline: Fall - Complete application packet must be postmarked by January 5. No spring or summer admissions.
In addition to the materials required by the Graduate School, the Department of English also requires:
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A short (100-300 word) essay of personal goals for graduate study.
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A sample of your creative writing (for the poetry option, fifteen pages of poetry; for the fiction or non-fiction options, one or two short stories or essays, or part of a novel.) Samples should not exceed 15 pp. of poetry or 25 pp. of prose.
M.A. in English-Literature Option
Application deadline: Fall - Priority will be given to complete application packets postmarked by January 5. Complete application packets received after this date will be considered on a space available basis. No spring or summer admissions.
Requirements:
Normally, a B.A. in English. Applicants judged to have insufficient preparation may be admitted with the understanding that they must complete certain courses after entering the program, either as part of or in addition to the 36 credits required for the degree.
In addition to the materials required by the Graduate School, the Department of English also requires:
M.A. in English-Teaching Option
Application deadline: None (rolling admissions). If you wish to receive a Teaching Assistantship, your completed application packet must be postmarked by January 5.
Requirements: Normally, at least one year's experience teaching English full-time at the middle school or high school level. Applicants who have a B.A. in English and who wish to be certified may also be admitted.
In addition to the materials required by the Graduate School, the English Department also requires:
2. Assistantship Application and Deadline
The application for teaching assistantship can be downloaded from the English department's web site at http://www.cas.umt.edu/english/finaid.htm. If you are unable to access this site or to download the form, the English department can mail you information and the necessary forms.
Assistantship application deadline: If you wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship, your complete application packet must be postmarked by January 5.
If you wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship in the Creative Writing program, you must also submit a sample of expository prose (a critical essay or research paper).
3. International Students
- The TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB exam can substitute for the GRE
- See information in the International Admission section on this web site.
Financial Assistance
For additional information about financial assistance, see the Financial Information section on this web site.
Teaching Assistantships
The main source of financial support for graduate students in the department is the teaching assistantship. Each two-semester TA provides a stipend and waiver of the tuition fee (out-of-state or in-state) and a waiver of the registration fee, in compensation for teaching three to four credits per semester assigned by the department. One-semester TAs are occasionally offered, with half the above stipend. Other fees charged by the University are not included in the fee waiver package. These fees are approximately $1,800 per semester. Teaching assistants are required to register for 9 credits each semester.
Students who have received a TA in their first year can apply for one in their second year by submitting a short letter by January 5 to the Director of Graduate Studies, requesting renewal. TAs are not automatically renewed, and are never awarded for more than two years. Second-year renewals are the norm in the M.F.A. program and occur frequently in the M.A. Literature program. They are less common in the M.A. Teaching program.
Most teaching assistants teach composition; some teach basic composition. All must participate in a seminar in teaching composition.
Faculty may nominate outstanding students in the M.F.A. program at the end of their first year for a Prose or Poetry Fellowship. Fellows teach one section of introductory creative writing.
Scholarships
The department nominates up to three qualified candidates each year for Bertha Morton Fellowships ($5,000) and Scholarships ($3,000), which are University-wide graduate awards administered by the Graduate School. These awards are available to entering students and to continuing students. Criteria for selection include honors, professional credentials and especially evidence of scholarly or creative achievement. Some record of publication at the time of applying is usually necessary for success.
The department itself administers the Richard Hugo Memorial Scholarship (minimum $1,500), which is awarded each year to one entering M.F.A.-poetry student for outstanding promise as a writer. The Merriam-Frontier Award ($500 and the funds to publish a chapbook) is given every year to a University of Montana student whose fiction, nonfiction or poetry manuscript is chosen by a panel of judges. In addition, there are a number of other scholarships awarded each year to outstanding creative writing students (ranging from $400 to $3,000).
Graduate students in the humanities are also eligible to apply for the Erasmus Scholarships administered by the Department of Philosophy, which reward commitment to ethical principles in professional life.
Travel Funds
Students who have papers accepted for presentation at local, regional or national conferences may apply to the Graduate Chair for support of their expenses for travel, lodging, meals or registration fees. Funding comes from three different sources, all of them uncertain, and different numbers of students apply in different years; but in recent years we have managed to support everyone who applies up to a maximum of $500. These funds chiefly benefit M.A. students in the literature and teaching programs.
Creative writers planning to travel to a summer workshop may apply to the director of creative writing for financial support from the Nettie Weber Memorial Scholarship fund. The fund supplies $1,200 annually, and three or four M.F.A. students are awarded grants of $400 or $300 each, depending on demand.
Department website
Campus Location
Liberal Arts Building - Room 133
Federal Express Delivery - Street Address
English Department
32 Campus Drive #6120
Missoula, MT 59812-6120
Attn: Janis Schmier
**Please note this is the same address listed on the Creative Writing Website. Send only one application.**
Department of English
Director of Graduate Studies
John Hunt
(406) 243-4062
john.hunt@mso.umt.edu
Creative Writing Program Director
Judy Blunt
judy.blunt@mso.umt.edu
Director of the English Teaching Program
Beverly Ann Chin
(406) 243-2463
beverly.chin@umontana.edu
Director of the Montana Writing Project
Heather Bruce
(406) 243-2138
heather.bruce@umontana.edu
Director of Literature
Casey Charles
(406) 243-2762
casey.charles@mso.umt.edu
Program information last updated 8/12
