The MFA program in fiction, nonfiction or poetry normally takes two years to complete. Some students who choose to attend part-time take three years. Candidates must complete 45 graduate semester hours and submit a thesis acceptable to their MFA committee and to the Graduate School.

The English Department has detailed course descriptions.

Thesis Requirements

A prose thesis may be a novel, group of short stories, or collection of nonfiction essays with a minimum length of 80 pages. A poetry thesis requires a minimum of 40 pages. With committee and graduate chair permission, an MFA could comprise work in both prose and poetry.

Candidates give a public thesis reading after committee approval.

Class Requirements

Four 500-level creative writing workshops (12 credits)

Students may take two additional workshops for elective credit.

One techniques course (3 credits)

Prosody, Techniques of Fiction or Techniques of Nonfiction

Four literature courses (12 credits)

One 500-level seminar and one 500- or 400-level literature course are required, but the remaining two courses can be substituted with a "special topics" creative writing class, an independent study with a literature professor, or a second techniques class.

Thesis Credits (up to 12)

These credits serve as placeholders for work done on the thesis, but they are not required. Students can take other electives instead.

Electives (6 credits)

Students may take up to 12 400- or 500-level credits in courses outside the department.