Information for:
MFA Requirements Checklist
Forms course—English 564, 565, or 566 One course required in student’s concentration
____________ Term _______________
This should be taken in the first semester. Workshops should not be taken with the Forms course but students are encouraged to take Engl 595 with Forms courses
English 608—Craft Seminars Two three-hour courses required in student’s concentration
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
Students may begin taking these courses in their first semester. More than the minimum may be taken and counted as electives
Three Workshops in student’s concentration. Three three-hour courses or equivalent should include at least one section of 616 (nonfiction), 617 (poetry), and 618 (fiction), as appropriate, and at least three hours of 750 (poetry), 751 (fiction), or 752 (nonfiction), as appropriate. In each concentration, either the 600-level or 700-level may be repeated as the third course, or a special topics courses such as Engl 619 may substitute for one 600-level
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
These courses are taken starting in the 2nd semester and repeated along with literature courses, special -topic writing courses, and Craft Seminars.
‘Other Genre’ A three-hour workshop or writing-intensive course not in student’s concentration. May be Engl 595 in concentration different from student’s
_____________ Term ______________
This course is normally taken after the 1st year. For students in poetry, could be Forms or Engl 595 in fiction or nonfiction; for fiction students, could be Forms or Engl 595 in poetry or nonfiction; for nonfiction students, could be Forms or Engl 595 in fiction or poetry.
Literature Courses—two three-hour courses required. May be in any genre. Neither 608 nor 684 may count as a literature course; nor can more than three hours of Engl 798-independent study
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
Any graduate-level literature courses meet this requirement.
Electives—Includes additional literature courses (more than the minimum are recommended) and writing courses beyond requirements. May include Engl 798 (independent studies) [up to a max of 12 hours (nine hours max if three hours of independent study are counted for literature credit]
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
Any course including extra literatures and workshops and special-topic writing courses (ENGL 619) and independent studies (ENGL 798), and Craft Seminars (Engl 595) are counted here.
In addition:
-All students must complete at least one hour of 699, Visiting Writers, which counts as one credit of elective.
-Nonfiction students must take English 506, Research for Narrative Writing, replacing one elective
-TA’s take two pedagogical courses, Engl 615 and 610, replacing two electives
Thesis: 6 hours. To register for first three hours of thesis, students must submit a proposal with writing sample attached. Committee members’ permission is required by the grad programs manager before registration
_____________ Term ______________
_____________ Term ______________
Thesis Committee:
______________________ Director
______________________
______________________
All committee members’ signatures or permissions are required before registration and on the final thesis. However, the work of the three members is not equal. Students normally work most closely with the director
Total Hours: 48
Other Requirements:
- M.F.A. Exam ____________ (date passed)
- M.F.A. Project _____________ (date completed)
Students in the fiction and nonfiction concentrations choose between a four-hour exam or an M.F.A. project equivalent to a three-hour course. See notes below, program director or Graduate Programs Manager for details. Students in the poetry concentration must take a written exam.
- Language Requirement: Students must demonstrate preparation through the intermediate level (coursework equivalent to GMU’s Foreign Language 202 or 209, or proficiency as shown through a translation test administered by the English Department.
Students who wish to learn more about the language requirement, request exam guidelines, or schedule an exam should contact the Graduate Programs Manager.