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Master of Fine Arts (Creative Writing) Degree Requirements

55 credits, a creative manuscript, and a critical essay. The program should be completed within six full-time quarters.

  • 20 course credits in creative writing workshops (one may be outside the student's genre)
  • 15 credits in graduate literature seminars (5 credits of which must be a seminar numbered 506-510, 550, 551, or 581)
  • 5 elective credits (5 credits of internship [601] can count for degree credit)
  • 15 thesis credits, under the direction of a Thesis Committee, including each of the following:
    1) Creative Manuscript:  a minimum of 30 poems, or 100 pages of 5 short stories and/or personal essays, or 150 pages of a novel or book-length essay. 
    2) Critical Essay: 20-30 pages, addressing the student's relationship their reading, based on the student's own writerly concerns and studies, using a reading list compiled by the student.
  • An Oral Presentation: a discussion with and/or questions from the candidate's thesis committee on the creative manuscript, critical essay, and/or the writing process and which may include a reading from the candidate's creative manuscript.
  • The submission of the Creative Manuscript or the Critical Essay as an Electronic Thesis.  

Additional Information

Please visit Creative Writing for more information. Staff in the Creative Writing and English Graduate Offices are also available to answer questions concerning admission and program requirements.

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