The M.F.A. program in creative writing is designed to offer students an opportunity to concentrate more intensively on their writing and to choose, from a wider selection, those courses that will best help them develop as writers. The M.F.A. program does not have a foreign language requirement. This program is recommended for students who may want to apply for creative writing positions at colleges and universities, which often require the M.F.A. degree.

Requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree include the completion of 32 points (eight 4-point courses) and the following specific requirements:

1. Four graduate creative writing workshops taken in four separate semesters (16 points).
2. One to four craft courses (The Craft of Poetry, The Craft of Fiction, and The Craft of Short Fiction), taught by members of the CWP faculty. Craft courses may be repeated provided they are taught by different instructors (4 to 16 points).
3. Any remaining courses chosen from any department with the permission of that department and of the director of the CWP.
4. A creative thesis in poetry or fiction, consisting of a substantial piece of writing—a novella, a collection of short stories, or a group of poems—to be submitted in the student’s final semester. The project requires the approval of the student’s faculty thesis adviser (who is also the student’s final workshop instructor) and of the director of the CWP.
5. Completion of all requirements within five years.

To qualify for the degree, a student must have a GPA of at least 3.0, must complete a minimum of 24 points with a grade of B or better, and may offer no more than 8 points with a grade of C (no more than 4 points with a grade of C in creative writing workshops). A student may take no more than 36 points toward the degree.

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