Information for:
MFA 2009-2010 Degree Requirements Checklist
Forms Course (3 credit hours required): ENGL 564, ENGL 565, or ENGL 566 in student’s concentration
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This should be taken in the first semester. Workshops should not be taken with the forms course but students are encouraged to take ENGL 608 with forms courses.
Craft Seminar (6 credit hours required): ENGL 608 in student’s concentration
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Students may begin taking these courses in their first semester. More than the minimum may be taken and counted as electives.
Workshops (9 credit hours required, in student's concentration): Courses or equivalent should include at least one section of ENGL 616 (nonfiction), ENGL 617 (poetry), and ENGL 618 (fiction), as appropriate, and at least three hours of ENGL 750 (poetry), ENGL 751 (fiction), or ENGL 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.
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These courses are taken starting in the 2nd semester and repeated along with literature courses, special -topic writing courses, and craft seminars.
Other Genre Course (3 credit hours required): A three-hour workshop or writing-intensive course not in student’s concentration. May be ENGL 608 in concentration different from student’s concentration.
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This course is normally taken after the 1st year. For students in poetry, could be a forms course or ENGL 608 in fiction or nonfiction; for fiction students, could be a forms course or ENGL 608 in poetry or nonfiction; for nonfiction students, could be a forms course or ENGL 608 in fiction or poetry.
Literature Courses (6 credit hours required): May be in any genre. Neither ENGL 608 nor ENGL 684 may count as a literature course; nor can more than three hours of ENGL 798 (independent studies).
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Any graduate-level literature courses meet this requirement.
Electives (15 credit hours required): 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].
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Any course including extra literatures and workshops and special-topic writing courses (ENGL 619) and independent studies (ENGL 798), and craft seminars (Engl 608) are counted here.
In addition:
- All students must complete at least one hour of ENGL 699, Visiting Writers, which counts as one credit of elective.
- Nonfiction students must take ENGL 506, Research for Narrative Writing, replacing one elective
- TA’s must take two pedagogical courses, ENGL 615 and ENGL 610, replacing two electives
Thesis (6 credit hours required): To register for first three hours of ENGL 799, students must submit a proposal with writing sample attached. Committee members’ permission is required by the grad programs manager before registration.
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- Thesis Committee (director and 2 readers) All committee members’ signatures or permissions are required on a thesis proposal prior to registration of first three thesis hours and on the final thesis signature sheets. However, the work of the three members is not equal. Students normally work most closely with the director. For more information...
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.