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 M.F.A. typically will take three years for the student to complete. Our goal is to help M.F.A. students to produce publishable theses and secure teaching, writing, 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, nonfiction, memoir)
- Poetry should be single spaced
- 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 Teaching Assistantship and any relevant teaching experience should be noted in the personal statement (teaching experience is not required)
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, literature, or rhetoric courses

Core Requirements (6 Credit Hours Minimum)

Required:

ENG 6009 Introduction to Graduate Study Credit Hours: 3 - Must be taken in the student’s first or second semester of graduate studies.
CRW 6726 Practicum in Literary Editing and Publishing Credit Hours: 3 -May be taken any year (offered in fall semester)

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 6231 The Craft of Nonfiction Credit Hours: 3
CRW 6025 Special Topics in Creative Writing Credit Hours: 3 (This course concentrates on screenwriting, translation, the novel, 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:
Any graduate-level (6000 or above) courses offered by the English Department. These courses are coded AML 6—, ENC 6—, ENG —, ENL 6—-, or LIT 6—
ENC 6745 Teaching Practicum Credit Hours: 3 (Required of students teaching first year composition, taken in fall of the first year).
CRW 6806 Creative Writing Pedagogy Practicum Credit Hours: 3 (Required of students teaching creative writing, taken in spring of the first year)
LAE 6389 Practice in Teaching Literature Credit Hours: 1-3
ENG 6946 Professional Internship Credit Hours: 3 (Required of students participating in the graduate internship program)

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 three (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 50 pages of poems (single-or double-spaced), at least 100 pages of prose, or, in comics or a a hybrid work, a length determined in consultation with the thesis director. All students must write a five-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) usually taken in the student’s final year of study

University of South Florida