The Writing Program leads to the Master of Fine Arts in Writing (MFA). It is a two-year program, requiring satisfactory completion of 42 semester hours, a thesis (usually a volume of poems or short stories, or a novel), and an oral examination dealing principally with the thesis.
Course Work
Of the 42 credit units required, 24 will consist of the graduate poetry or fiction workshop taken every semester. The remainder will primarily be literature and craft courses from the English department, but in consultation with the Director of the Program, graduate-level courses from any department are acceptable as long as the student has the appropriate preparation and the permission of the instructor, and the course will enrich the student's writing. Up to six units of play-writing or non-fiction prose workshops, and up to six units of independent study (providing instructors are available) may be counted among the academic courses. Up to 30 units of appropriate course work in literary studies in the MFA are transferable to the PhD. Up to 12 units may be counted toward both the MA and MFA.
In the first year, students enroll for 24 units: the graduate workshop in their genre (6 units) plus two additional 3-unit courses each semester. In the second year, while teaching, students will typically take a total of 18 units: the workshop each semester again (12 units), thesis hours (3 units), and an additional course. This pattern may vary for the students who are not teaching assistants, or for whom the director approves a different distribution of the workload.
First Year Review
At the conclusion of each workshop students will receive an evaluation from the workshop instructor; at the end of the first year there will be a review of overall performance in the program. At this time, students who show insufficient progress as writers may be dropped even though their academic records are satisfactory (although such cases are rare). Such students may have the option of transferring into an MA or PhD. program, subject to the approval of the faculty of that program. Students who are lagging in their academic work may be put on warning at this time or may be dropped.
Thesis
The required work for the MFA culminates in a thesis, which may take different forms but is usually a volume (or most of a volume) of poems or stories, or a novel (or most of a novel). Graduate School regulations require the filing of a "Thesis Title, Scope, and Procedure" form at least six months before the date of the degree-granting period. Students in the program, when filing this form, will select a committee of three readers (a thesis director and two other full-time members of the faculty). Generally, the thesis will be completed and defended in the spring of the second year. Under unusual circumstances, it is possible to complete the thesis out of residence and return for the oral examination.
Oral Examination
Near the end of the second year, after the thesis has been submitted in final form, the department will schedule an oral examination, dealing principally with the thesis.