Creative Writing, M.F.A.

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College of Arts and Sciences
Department: English

Major Contacts, Deadlines, and Delivery Information

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a graduate-level major that emphasizes the craft of writing and concentrates on the student’s original work. The MFA typically will take three years for the student to complete. Our goal is to help MFA students to produce publishable theses and secure teaching or editing positions upon graduation.

Admission Information

Must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below. Students accepted into the program will begin coursework in the fall. No applications will be considered for spring or summer admission.

Bachelor’s degree in English or related field, with a 3.20 average, or its equivalent
Three (3) letters of recommendation, preferably from former English instructors, assessing the student’s potential to do graduate level work
A writing sample consisting of 12-20 pages:
- Prose should be double spaced. Indicate genre (fiction, memoir)
- Poetry should be single spaced
- A sample that includes both prose and poetry is permitted if the student plans to specialize in more than one genre
- Hybrid, graphic, text/image works and comics are invited (format is left up to the author)
A two-to-three page personal statement, describing the student’s background, purpose for attending graduate studies, and career goals
Interest in a Graduate Assistantship should be noted in the personal statement
Candidates with a BA degree in a field other than English may be required to take undergraduate surveys in English and American Literature. Coursework will be determined by the Graduate Director in consultation with the student

Curriculum Requirements

Total Minimum Hours: 45 Credit Hours

Core Requirements - 6 Credit Hours
Additional Required Courses - 30 Credit Hours
Thesis - 9 Credit Hours Minimum

The distribution of the requirements includes

18 hours in writing workshops and craft seminars and
12 hours in pedagogy and literature courses

Core Requirements (6 Credit Hours Minimum)

Must be taken in the student’s first or second semester of graduate studies.

ENG 6009 Introduction to Graduate Study Credit Hours: 3
ENC 6745 Teaching Practicum Credit Hours: 3

Additional Required Courses (30 Credit Hours)

Select six courses (18 Credit Hours) from the following:

CRW 6130 Fiction Writing Credit Hours: 3 (May be taken up to three times for a maximum of 9 credits)
CRW 6331 Poetry Writing Credit Hours: 3 (May be taken up to three times for a maximum of 9 credits)
CRW 6236 Nonfiction Writing Credit Hours: 3 (May be taken up to three times for a maximum of 9 credits)
CRW 6164 The Craft of Fiction Credit Hours: 3
CRW 6352 The Craft of Poetry Credit Hours: 3
CRW 6025 Special Topics in Creative Writing Credit(s): 3 (The Craft of Nonfiction)
CRW 6025 Special Topics in Creative Writing Credit Hours: 3 (This course concentrates on screenwriting, translation, editing, creative writing pedagogy (with a community service component), or study of a particular genre or technique.) May be taken up to four times for a maximum of 12 Credit Hours)
Select four (4) courses (12 Credit Hours) in any combination of the courses below:
CRW 6025 Special Topics in Creative Writing Credit Hours: 3 Taken as “Practice in Teaching Creative Writing (3 Credits)”
CRW 6726 Practicum in Literary Editing and Publishing Credit Hours: 3
ENG 6946 Internship Credit Hours: 3 (Required of students participating in the graduate internship program)
Any graduate-level (6000 or above) literature courses offered by the English Department. These courses are coded AML 6—, ENL 6—-, and LIT 6—

Comprehensive Exam

Students do not take a written comprehensive exam. The thesis introduction serves in lieu of the comprehensive exam.

Thesis (9 Credit Hours Minimum)

The student must be registered in at least 3 hours of ENG 6971 during the semester prior to graduation.

Complete a book-length manuscript in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry ,comics, or hybrid work that will meet departmental and university requirements for the thesis. The thesis shall consist of at least 40 pages of poems (single-or double-spaced), at least 100 pages of prose, or , in a hybrid work, a length determined in consultation with the thesis director. All students must write a three-to-ten-page introduction to their thesis that explains their goals for the work.

ENG 6971 Thesis: Master’s Credit Hours: 2-19 (9 credits for the program) taken in the student’s final year of study

University of South Florida