creative writing masters programs

Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program

Online Courses

11 out of 12 total courses

On-Campus Experience

One 1- or 3-week residency in summer

$3,220 per course

Unlock your creative potential and hone your unique voice.

Build a strong foundation in literary criticism and writing across multiple genres — including fiction, nonfiction, and drama — in our live online writing and literature program with an in-person writers’ residency at Harvard.

Program Overview

Through the master’s degree in creative writing and literature, you’ll hone your skills as a storyteller — crafting publishable original scripts, novels, and stories.

In small, workshop-style classes, you’ll master key elements of narrative craft, including characterization, story and plot structure, point of view, dialogue, and description. And you’ll learn to approach literary works as both a writer and scholar by developing skills in critical analysis.

Program Benefits

Instructors who are published authors of drama, fiction, and nonfiction

A community of writers who support your growth in live online classes

Writer's residency with agent & editor networking opportunities

Personalized academic and career advising

Thesis or capstone options that lead to publishable creative work

Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation

Customizable Course Curriculum

As you work through the program’s courses, you’ll enhance your creative writing skills and knowledge of literary concepts and strategies. You’ll practice the art of revision to hone your voice as a writer in courses like Writing the Short Personal Essay and Writing Flash Fiction.

Within the creative writing and literature program, you will choose between a thesis or capstone track. You’ll also experience the convenience of online learning and the immersive benefits of learning in person.

11 Online Courses

• Primarily synchronous
• Fall, spring, January, and summer options

Writers’ Residency

A 1- or 3-week summer master class taught by a notable instructor, followed by an agents-and-editors weekend

Thesis or Capstone Track

• Thesis: features a 9-month independent creative project with a faculty advisor
• Capstone: includes crafting a fiction or nonfiction manuscript in a classroom community

The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program.

First, you’ll register for and complete 2 required courses, earning at least a B in each. These foundational courses are investments in your studies and count toward your degree, helping ensure success in the program.

Getting Started

We invite you to explore degree requirements, confirm your initial eligibility, and learn more about our unique “earn your way in” admissions process.

A Faculty of Creative Writing Experts

Studying at Harvard Extension School means learning from the world’s best. Our instructors are renowned academics in literary analysis, storytelling, manuscript writing, and more. They bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.

Bryan Delaney

Playwright and Screenwriter

Talaya Adrienne Delaney

Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta

Our community at a glance.

80% of our creative writing and literature students are enrolled in our master’s degree program for either personal enrichment or to make a career change. Most (74%) are employed full time while pursuing their degree and work across a variety of industries.

Download: Creative Writing & Literature Master's Degree Fact Sheet

Average Age

Course Taken Each Semester

Work Full Time

Would Recommend the Program

Professional Experience in the Field

Pursued for Personal Enrichment

Career Opportunities & Alumni Outcomes

Graduates of our Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Program have writing, research, and communication jobs in the fields of publishing, advertising/marketing, fundraising, secondary and higher education, and more.

Some alumni continue their educational journeys and pursue further studies in other nationally ranked degree programs, including those at Boston University, Brandeis University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cambridge University.

Our alumni hold titles as:

• Marketing Manager
• Director of Publishing
• Senior Research Writer

Our alumni work at a variety of leading organizations, including:

• Little, Brown & Company
• New York University (NYU)
• Bentley Publishers

Career Advising and Mentorship

Whatever your career goals, we’re here to support you. Harvard’s Mignone Center for Career Success offers career advising, employment opportunities, Harvard alumni mentor connections, and career fairs like the annual on-campus Harvard Humanities, Media, Marketing, and Creative Careers Expo.

Your Harvard University Degree

Upon successful completion of the required curriculum, you will earn the Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Creative Writing and Literature.

Expand Your Connections: the Harvard Alumni Network

As a graduate, you’ll become a member of the worldwide Harvard Alumni Association (400,000+ members) and Harvard Extension Alumni Association (29,000+ members).

Harvard is closer than one might think. You can be anywhere and still be part of this world.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

After admission, you may qualify for financial aid . Typically, eligible students receive grant funds to cover a portion of tuition costs each term, in addition to federal financial aid options.

What can you do with a master’s degree in creative writing and literature?

A master’s degree in creative writing and literature prepares you for a variety of career paths in writing, literature, and communication — it’s up to you to decide where your interests will take you.

You could become a professional writer, editor, literary agent, marketing copywriter, or communications specialist.

You could also go the academic route and bring your knowledge to the classroom to teach creative writing or literature courses.

Is a degree in creative writing and literature worth it?

The value you find in our Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program will depend on your unique goals, interests, and circumstances.

The curriculum provides a range of courses that allow you to graduate with knowledge and skills transferable to various industries and careers.

How long does completing the creative writing and literature graduate program take?

Program length is ordinarily anywhere between 2 and 5 years. It depends on your preferred pace and the number of courses you want to take each semester.

For an accelerated journey, we offer year round study, where you can take courses in fall, January, spring, and summer.

While we don’t require you to register for a certain number of courses each semester, you cannot take longer than 5 years to complete the degree.

What skills do you need prior to applying for the creative writing and literature degree program?

Harvard Extension School does not require any specific skills prior to applying, but in general, it’s helpful to have solid reading, writing, communication, and critical thinking skills if you are considering a creative writing and literature master’s degree.

Initial eligibility requirements can be found on our creative writing and literature master’s degree requirements page .

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

What to Know About Creative Writing Degrees

Many creative writing degree recipients pursue careers as authors while others work as copywriters or ghostwriters.

Tips on Creative Writing Degrees

Getty Images

Prospective writing students should think about their goals and figure out if a creative writing degree will help them achieve those goals.

Many people see something magical in a beautiful work of art, and artists of all kinds often take pride in their craftsmanship. Creative writers say they find fulfillment in the writing process.

"I believe that making art is a human need, and so to get to do that is amazing," says Andrea Lawlor, an author who this year received a Whiting Award – a national $50,000 prize that recognizes 10 excellent emerging authors each year – and who is also the Clara Willis Phillips Assistant Professor of English at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.

"We all are seeing more and more of the way that writing can help us understand perspectives we don't share," says Lawlor, whose recent novel "Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl" addresses the issue of gender identity.

"Writing can help us cope with hard situations," Lawlor says. "We can find people who we have something in common with even if there's nobody around us who shares our experience through writing. It's a really powerful tool for connection and social change and understanding."

Creative writing faculty, many of whom are acclaimed published authors, say that people are well-suited toward degrees in creative writing if they are highly verbal and enjoy expressing themselves.

"Creative imaginative types who have stories burning inside them and who gravitate toward stories and language might want to pursue a degree in creative writing," Jessica Bane Robert, who teaches Introduction to Creative Writing at Clark University in Massachusetts, wrote in an email. "Through formal study you will hone your voice, gain confidence, find a support system for what can otherwise be a lonely endeavor."

Read the guide below to gain more insight into what it means to pursue a creative writing education, how writing impacts society and whether it is prudent to invest in a creative writing degree. Learn about the difference between degree-based and non-degree creative writing programs, how to craft a solid application to a top-notch creative writing program and how to figure out which program is the best fit.

Why Creative Writing Matters and Reasons to Study It

Creative writers say a common misconception about their job is that their work is frivolous and impractical, but they emphasize that creative writing is an extremely effective way to convey messages that are hard to share in any other way.

Kelly Caldwell, dean of faculty at Gotham Writers Workshop in New York City, says prospective writing students are often discouraged from taking writing courses because of concerns about whether a writing life is somehow unattainable or "unrealistic."

Although creative writers are sometimes unable to financially support themselves entirely on the basis of their creative projects, Caldwell says, they often juggle that work with other types of jobs and lead successful careers.

She says that many students in her introductory creative writing class were previously forbidden by parents to study creative writing. "You have to give yourself permission for the simple reason that you want to do it," she suggests.

Creative writing faculty acknowledge that a formal academic credential in creative writing is not needed in order to get writing published. However, they suggest, creative writing programs help aspiring authors develop their writing skills and allow space and time to complete long-term writing projects.

Working writers often juggle multiple projects at once and sometimes have more than one gig, which can make it difficult to finish an especially ambitious undertaking such as a novel, a play for the screen or stage, or a well-assembled collection of poems, short stories or essays. Grants and fellowships for authors are often designed to ensure that those authors can afford to concentrate on their writing.

Samuel Ace, a published poet and a visiting lecturer in poetry at Mount Holyoke, says his goal is to show students how to write in an authentic way that conveys real feeling. "It helps students to become more direct, not to bury their thoughts under a cascade of academic language, to be more forthright," he says.

Tips on Choosing Between a Non-Degree or Degree-Based Creative Writing Program

Experts note that someone needs to be ready to get immersed in the writing process and devote significant time to writing projects before pursuing a creative writing degree. Prospective writing students should not sign up for a degree program until they have reached that sense of preparedness, warns Kim Todd, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts and director of its creative writing program.

She says prospective writing students need to think about their personal goals and figure out if a creative writing degree will help them achieve those goals.

Aspiring writers who are not ready to invest in a creative writing degree program may want to sign up for a one-off writing class or begin participating in an informal writing workshop so they can test their level of interest in the field, Todd suggests.

How to Choose and Apply to a Creative Writing Program

In many cases, the most important component of an application to a writing program is the writing portfolio, writing program experts say. Prospective writing students need to think about which pieces of writing they include in their portfolio and need to be especially mindful about which item they put at the beginning of their portfolio. They should have a trusted mentor critique the portfolio before they submit it, experts suggest.

Because creative writing often involves self-expression, it is important for aspiring writing students to find a program where they feel comfortable expressing their true identity.

This is particularly pertinent to aspiring authors who are members of minority groups, including people of color or LGBTQ individuals, says Lawlor, who identifies as queer, transgender and nonbinary.

How to Use a Creative Writing Degree

Creative writing program professors and alumni say creative writing programs cultivate a variety of in-demand skills, including the ability to communicate effectively.

"While yes, many creative writers are idealists and dreamers, these are also typically highly flexible and competent people with a range of personal strengths. And a good creative writing program helps them understand their particular strengths and marketability and translate these for potential employers, alongside the more traditional craft development work," Melissa Ridley Elmes, an assistant professor of English at Lindenwood University in Missouri, wrote in an email.

Elmes – an author who writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction – says creative writing programs force students to develop personal discipline because they have to consistently produce a significant amount of writing. In addition, participating in writing workshops requires writing students "to give and receive constructive feedback," Elmes says.

Cindy Childress, who has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Louisiana—Lafayatte and did a creative writing dissertation where she submitted poetry, says creative writing grads are well-equipped for good-paying positions as advertising and marketing copywriters, speechwriters, grant writers and ghostwriters.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual compensation for writers and authors was $63,200 as of May 2019.

"I think the Internet, and writing communities online and in social media, have been very helpful for debunking the idea that if you publish a New York Times Bestseller you will have 'made it' and can quit your day job and write full time," Elmes explains. "Unless you are independently wealthy, the odds are very much against you in this regard."

Childress emphasizes that creative writing degree recipients have "skills that are absolutely transferable to the real world." For example, the same storytelling techniques that copywriters use to shape public perceptions about a commercial brand are often taught in introductory creative writing courses, she says. The ability to tell a good story does not necessarily come easily to people who haven't been trained on how to do it, she explains.

Childress says she was able to translate her creative writing education into a lucrative career and start her own ghostwriting and book editing company, where she earns a six-figure salary. She says her background in poetry taught her how to be pithy.

"Anything that we want to write nowadays, particularly for social media, is going to have to be immediately understood, so there is a sense of immediacy," she says."The language has to be crisp and direct and exact, and really those are exactly the same kind of ways you would describe a successful poem."

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DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

• Litowitz MFA+MA Program

The Litowitz MFA+MA Program in Creative Writing and English

Program faculty, the department of english is grateful to northwestern university alumna jennifer leischner litowitz ’91 and her husband, alec litowitz for helping launch and support this program..

The Litowitz MFA+MA Program in Creative Writing offers intimate classes, the opportunity to pursue both creative and critical writing, close mentorship by renowned faculty in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, and three fully supported years in which to grow as writers and complete a book-length creative project.  The Litowitz MFA+MA curriculum gives students time to deepen both their creative writing and their study of literature.  Students will receive full financial support for three academic years and two summers, a total of 33 months.  Both degrees—the MFA in Creative Writing and the MA in English—are awarded simultaneously at graduation.

Drawing on innovative scholarship, deep immersion in process, and cross-pollination between critical and creative texts, Litowitz students will complete a Capstone essay—a 20-25 page expanded version of a paper written for an English department graduate or MFA+MA seminar—by the end of their second year, and will spend their third year working on a book-length creative thesis of their own design, either within one genre or across genres.  The MFA+MA program's small size and attentive faculty will develop students' sense of literary context, the possibilities of genre, and their creative practice, while encouraging them to pursue the individual distinctiveness of their projects.

The Litowitz MFA+MA program provides significant exposure to a second genre in addition to the genre in which a student has been admitted. Students must take at least one out-of-genre workshop and have the option of taking more.

Over two years of coursework students will take:

In spring quarter of the second year, with advising and mentoring by the faculty, each student will complete the MA Capstone Essay.

In year three, students will be almost wholly dedicated to their creative thesis manuscripts.  Third-year students will take three quarters of the MFA Thesis Workshop/Tutorial.

Some students will complete their MFA thesis manuscript by the end of this year; others will wish to take more time.  The Graduate School permits students to submit the culminating project for the MFA at the end of full-time enrollment, or afterward.   

In all three years, students will be mentored by the faculty in the practice of their writing, the design of their projects, and regarding artistic and intellectual resources for their work.  In the teaching of creative writing and, through summer editorial work at TriQuarterly.org , students will get first-hand experience in editing a literary journal.

Visiting writers (including some anglophone international writers) will bring new perspectives to artistic practice, the three genres, and cross-genre or multi-genre work.

Students will pursue their work on our beautiful Evanston campus, amid artists, filmmakers, scholars and public intellectuals, with easy access to the vibrant literary arts scene of Chicago.

Admissions Cycle

Each year, the MFA+MA program admits new students in two of our three genres.  The genres in question rotate annually.  Information on the application process and the genres in which applications will be considered can be found here .

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2024 Best Creative Writing Master's Degree Schools

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 154 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for creative writing students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,996 master's degrees in creative writing to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Master’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Creative Writing School for Your Master's Degree

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to creative writing students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of creative writing students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized creative writing related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for creative writing students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Creative Writing Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings , including this Best Creative Writing Master's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Creative Writing in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in creative writing. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

23 Top Schools for a Master's in Creative Writing

It's hard to beat Johns Hopkins University if you want to pursue a master's degree in creative writing. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University

It's difficult to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you want to pursue a master's degree in creative writing. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Columbia University in the City of New York

Northwestern University is a good option for students interested in a master's degree in creative writing. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Northwestern University

University of Iowa is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in creative writing. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from University of Iowa

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. More information about a master’s in creative writing from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the city of Seattle. More information about a master’s in creative writing from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Brown University

Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Harvard University

WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Washington University in St Louis

Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame. More information about a master’s in creative writing from University of Notre Dame

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Vanderbilt University

UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the city of Austin. More information about a master’s in creative writing from The University of Texas at Austin

Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ames. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Iowa State University

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Boston University

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. More information about a master’s in creative writing from New York University

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from George Mason University

Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from North Carolina State University

Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Miami University - Oxford

Located in the town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from Syracuse University

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from San Diego State University

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a master’s in creative writing from University of Maryland - College Park

University of Arizona is a very large public university located in the city of Tucson. More information about a master’s in creative writing from University of Arizona

Rest of the Top Best Creative Writing Master's Degree Schools

Related programs.

Learn about other programs related to Creative Writing that might interest you.

Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction

Harness your passion for storytelling with SNHU's Mountainview Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction. In this small, two-year creative writing program, students work one-on-one with our distinguished faculty remotely for most of the semester but convene for weeklong intensive residencies in June and January. At residencies, students critique each other's work face-to-face, meet with major authors, agents and editors and learn how to teach at the college level.

English (I Have a Bachelors)

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Creative Writing Master's Degree Schools award.

Creative Writing by Region

View the Best Creative Writing Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best associate degrees in creative writing, best doctorate degrees in creative writing, best bachelor's degrees in creative writing, best overall in creative writing.

View All Rankings >

Rankings in Majors Related to Creative Writing

Creative Writing is one of 4 different types of Writing Studies programs to choose from.

Most Popular Related Majors

Notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO . More about our data sources and methodologies .

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THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

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Litowitz Creative Writing Graduate Program

Degree requirements.

Learn more about the program by visiting the Department of English

See related Interdisciplinary Clusters and Certificates

Degree Types: MFA+MA

This new, fully-funded MFA+MA in Creative Writing and English program offers intimate classes, the opportunity to pursue both creative and critical writing, and close mentorship by renowned faculty in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Our three-year curriculum gives students time to deepen both their creative writing and their study of literature. Students will receive support for three academic years, and two summers, to complete both degrees – an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in English.

Drawing on innovative scholarship, deep immersion in process, and cross-pollination between critical and creative texts, students will complete book-length thesis projects of their own design, either within or across genres, and a substantial essay on literary texts. The program's small size and attentive faculty will develop students' sense of literary context, while encouraging them to pursue the distinctiveness of their projects.

In addition to their studies, students will be guided in the teaching of creative writing and, through summer editorial work at TriQuarterly.org , the editing of a literary journal.

Students will pursue their work on our beautiful Evanston campus, amid artists, filmmakers, scholars and public intellectuals, with easy access to the vibrant literary arts scene of Chicago.

Additional resources:

• Department website
• Program handbook(s)

Program Statistics

Visit Master's Program Statistics for statistics such as program admissions, enrollment, student demographics and more.

Program Contact

Contact Nathan Mead Graduate Program Assistant 847-491-3341

The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in  The Graduate School Policy Guide .

Course Requirements

May be taken outside the English department with permission of Creative Writing DGS.

Other Degree Requirements

• First Year Review
• Satisfactory completion of an article-length literary critical essay in the late spring of year two. This 20-25 page capstone essay will typically be an expanded version of an essay written for an English Department graduate seminar, revised in response to comments from, and as appropriate in consultation with, the seminar instructor.
• Satisfactory completion of an MFA Thesis: the first draft of a book-length work of original fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or mixed-genre work.

Last Updated: September 12, 2023

Best Master's in Creative Writing (MFA) Online

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Learn about our editorial process .

Updated September 21, 2023

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TBS Rankings Team

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Drawing on their firsthand industry expertise, our Integrity Network members serve as an additional step in our editing process, helping us confirm our content is accurate and up to date. These contributors:

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Best Master's in Creative Writing Online

Master's in creative writing programs are ideal for students who love writing and aspire to make a living through the craft.Creative writers build worlds, develop stories, and create characters that engage and entertain readers. Writers often choose genres and stories that relate to their own interests. For instance, a traveler may write creative nonfiction pieces about tourist locations, and writers who are interested in the American West often write western novels.

Creative writing graduates can also pursue careers in other fields. For example, they may write marketing advertisements, political speeches, or technical pieces for instructional manuals. Over half of writers and authors are self-employed.

These careers require editing, writing, and research skills. Editors must also have an understanding of genre fundamentals. To gain the necessary knowledge, students can earn a master's in creative writing online.

The following guide provides information about the top online writing programs in the country and what you can do with a creative writing degree after graduation.

Featured MFA Programs

Best master’s in creative writing programs online.

We use datasets from sources like the National Center for Education Statistics to inform the data for these schools. TheBestSchools.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site. from our partners appear among these rankings and are indicated as such. All data is current as of the date this article was published. Program-specific information may vary.

#1 Best Master’s in Creative Writing (MFA) Online

The University of Texas at El Paso

• El Paso, TX
• Online + Campus

The University of Texas at El Paso hosts a top-ranked creative writing program. The MFA in creative writing builds specialized skills for advanced practice, preparing graduates for leadership positions with increased salary potential. After earning a master's degree, candidates can also pursue careers in new industries.

The master's curriculum explores theoretical and practical perspectives in the field. Learners take electives and other specialized courses to gain career-specific training. Applicants without a background in creative writing may need to complete prerequisite courses before enrolling in the master's program.

Online enrollees add to their resume by pursuing internship opportunities at approved locations in their local area. Graduate students also participate in networking events to expand their professional connections.

The University of Texas at El Paso at a Glance:

Type of School: Public, four-year

Admission Rate: 100%

Total Online Master's Programs: 14

Program Name: MFA in creative writing

Graduate Tuition In State: $5,497

Graduate Tuition Out of State: $14,766

#2 Best Master’s in Creative Writing (MFA) Online

University of Nebraska at Omaha

The University of Nebraska at Omaha offers an online creative writing program. Individuals prepare for advanced roles in the field during the rigorous master of fine arts in writing program. After completing a master's degree, candidates often advance in their current field or pursue new opportunities.

The master's curriculum emphasizes research methods and analytical skills. Learners focus the program with electives or a concentration. The master's program builds on undergraduate training or professional experience in writing.

Online enrollees gain real-world experience through internships offered in their local area. Experiential learning opportunities and networking events help graduate students expand their professional network.

University of Nebraska at Omaha at a Glance:

Admission Rate: 83%

Total Online Master's Programs: 6

Program Name: Master of fine arts in writing

Graduate Tuition In State: $5,558

Graduate Tuition Out of State: $14,440

#3 Best Master’s in Creative Writing (MFA) Online

Saint Leo University

• Saint Leo, FL

The online master's in creative writing program, offered by Saint Leo University, ranks as a top program in the field. The creative writing master's program helps graduates move into leadership roles and increase their earning potential. Earning a master's degree can also help candidates pursue new career opportunities.

The master's curriculum emphasizes practical and theoretical approaches to creative writing. Learners take electives and other specialized courses to gain career-specific training. The master's program recommends a background in creative writing for applicants.

Online enrollees participate in internship programs at approved locations in their local area. Graduate students also attend networking events to expand their professional connections.

Saint Leo University at a Glance:

Type of School: Private, not-for-profit, four-year

Admission Rate: 72%

Total Online Master's Programs: 27

Program Name: Master's in creative writing

Graduate Tuition In State: $7,296

Graduate Tuition Out of State: $7,296

#4 Best Master’s in Creative Writing (MFA) Online

Central Washington University

• Ellensburg, WA

Central Washington University, located in Ellensburg, enrolls master's students in its online creative writing program. The MA in professional and creative writing builds specialized skills for advanced practice, preparing graduates for leadership positions with increased salary potential. After completing a master's degree, candidates often pursue career advancement in their current field or a new one.

The master's curriculum emphasizes the best practices in creative writing. Learners choose electives and concentrations to prepare for focused career paths. The master's program recommends that applicants have a background in creative writing.

Online enrollees complete internship requirements at approved sites in their own community. Graduate students expand their professional networks through internships and online events.

Central Washington University at a Glance:

Admission Rate: 85%

Total Online Master's Programs: 17

Program Name: MA in professional and creative writing

Graduate Tuition In State: $9,582

Graduate Tuition Out of State: $22,449

What Is an Online Master's in Creative Writing Degree?

A master's in writing develops research, writing, and editing skills and explores story elements in different genres. For example, poetry learners study rhyme and meter, while children's writers explore child psychology and common writing techniques. Required courses often cover character development, setting research, and publishing.

Creative writing programs often include literature courses in which learners analyze famous works for writing insights. Students also create new pieces and critique classmates' work in writing workshops. These workshops hone writing, editing, and proofreading skills and increase students' professional networks. Additional requirements may include a thesis, portfolio, or internship.

Admission requirements often include writing samples and personal statements. Ideal applicants have previous writing experience.

Choosing an Online Program

Prospective students should consider program quality and flexibility when choosing a master's in writing. Learners may prefer departments with published authors as faculty, or they may prefer a program that offers the flexibility of asynchronous courses. They should also consider concentration options, completion times, and tuition costs.

The following guide provides more tips on finding the right program.

What Else Can I Expect From a Master's in Creative Writing Program?

Online MFA in creative writing programs usually offer concentrations in poetry, fiction writing, and creative nonfiction. Most programs include workshops and lectures on writing concepts like character building and plot development. These programs also introduce learners to different genres and often require a thesis.

Below are three common courses in online writing programs.

Master's in Creative Writing Curriculum

Literary genres for writers.

This course covers fiction and related subgenres, such as fantasy, romance, and historical fiction. Students explore the structures and general expectations of these genres. The course may also focus on a single type of writing, such as poetry, memoir, or nonfiction.

Character Development

This course trains students to create effective, believable characters. Coursework may prioritize character realism, consistency, and psychology within the story's context. Students examine the necessary traits of major and minor characters and build a portfolio of several character outlines.

Writing a Short Story

Learners in this course study short stories and analyze elements of writing styles. Additional topics may include syntax and short story structures. Students create a short story and undergo peer review to receive feedback. Programs may offer similar classes focused on other forms of writing, like nonfiction, poetry, or television writing.

Association of Writers and Writing Programs

AWP provides an online tool that allows users to search for writing programs by location, genre, and degree. The association connects website visitors with writing contests, funding, job opportunities, and avenues to publication. Professionals can also attend the annual AWP book fair and conference or browse the online database to find other meetings.

The Authors Guild

The Authors Guild supports writers by offering panels, book launches, and book expos. Website visitors can browse contests in fiction, poetry, and translations, or they can seek out fellowships and workshops. Members receive legal assistance for book contracts, access to writing resources, and insurance against copyright disputes.

The Writer's Center

The Writer's Center offers writing workshops for specific age groups, including adults, teenagers, and children. Members can also attend book launches and an annual poetry reading. This organization offers editing and project advising and maintains a blog that covers industry topics like publication practices, genre word counts, beta readers, and author experiences.

Careers in Creative Writing

Earning a master's in creative writing online prepares students to craft creative messages for books, articles, advertisements, speeches, scripts, and social media posts. Graduates can pursue any field that involves message creation and delivery.

The best candidates for writing careers are creative and have a strong grasp on writing structure and effective communication. Creative writers should also understand research methods, work well within deadlines, and be able to accept constructive criticism from editors. Below are a few creative writing jobs that graduates can pursue.

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Writers and Authors

Writers and Authors research and write pieces for magazines, websites, publishing houses, and blogs, and may also create scripts for television, movies, or plays. They may write books for traditional or self-publishing in genres like fantasy, romance, mystery, and nonfiction.

Authors often polish their works based on editor critiques and may need to market their work as well. Companies usually expect writers to have a college degree and writing experience.

Median Annual Salary

Projected Growth Rate

make publication decisions for companies and help writers develop stories into polished products. These professionals may review small writing issues, like spelling and grammar, or larger issues, like structure, factual accuracy, continuity, and clarity.

Specific job titles include copy editor, publication assistant, and executive editor. Editors often work at newspaper and book publishing companies, or they work freelance.

Earning a master's in creative writing online gives prospective editors an advantage when competing for jobs.

Public Relations Specialists

help organizations create and uphold a positive image for the public, affecting their relationship with customers and investors. These professionals create press releases, write speeches, and research consumer preferences through social media. Public relations specialists may also review advertisements and communicate with media outlets about publicity opportunities.

These professionals can find work at advertising, educational, business, and government organizations. They need a bachelor's in a field like English, journalism, or communication. Employers may also require a portfolio and field experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to complete a master's in creative writing program.

Most students can earn a master's in writing in around two years.

What Can I Do With a Master's in Creative Writing?

This degree prepares students for careers as authors, editors, reporters, and public relations specialists. Graduates can also teach creative writing at colleges.

Is a Master's in Creative Writing Worth It?

Many writing careers do not require a master's degree. However, online writing programs help students polish writing skills, which can improve their salary and career prospects.

Can I Teach English With a Creative Writing Degree?

Earning a master's in writing online qualifies graduates to teach English courses at many colleges, as an MFA is often the minimum qualification for these roles. However, some schools require a doctorate for teaching positions.

What Is a Master's in Creative Writing?

Online MFA in creative writing programs explore brainstorming, writing, and editing practices for different genres. These programs often culminate in a thesis or portfolio.

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The NYU Creative Writing Program

is among the most distinguished programs in the country and is a leading national center for the study of writing and literature.

Graduate Program

The graduate Creative Writing Program at NYU consists of a community of writers working together in a setting that is both challenging and supportive.

Low Residency MFA Workshop in Paris

The low-residency MFA Writers Workshop offers students the opportunity to develop their craft in one of the world's most inspiring literary capitals.

Undergraduate Program

The undergraduate program offers workshops, readings, internships, writing prizes, and events designed to cultivate and inspire.

Spring 2022 Reading Series

The lively public Reading Series hosts a wide array of writers, translators, and editors, and connects our program to the local community.

Creative Writing Program

Low-residency mfa writers workshop in paris, undergraduate, washington square review, literary journal, a sample residency calendar, write in paris, scholarships and grant opportunities, program of study, dates and deadlines, creative writing, recent highlights from the mfa community.

• Alum Bruna Dantas Lobato   won the 2023 National Book Award in translation

• Faculty member Sharon Olds received the Joan Margarit International Poetry Prize from King Felipe VI in July 2023

• Alumni  Tess Gunty  and  John Keene   each won a 2022 National Book Award in fiction and poetry , respectively

• Books by faculty members  Sharon  Olds  and  Meghan O'Rourke;  and alums  Tess Gunty, John Keene ,  and  Jenny Xie  were named finalists for the 2022 National Book Awards; books by alum  Rio Cortez and faculty member Leigh Newman were also longlisted

• Alum  Ada Limón   has been named the nation's 24th Poet Laureate  by the Library of Congress

• Alum  Amanda Larson 's debut poetry collection  GUT  was selected by Mark Bibbins as the winner of the Poetry Society of America Norma Farber Book Award

• Alum  Sasha Burshteyn  was named a 2022 winner of the 92Y Discovery Prize. Alums Jenna Lanzaro and JinJin Xu were also named semi-finalists for the prize.

• Alum Clare Sestanovich was selected as a  2022 5 under 35 Honoree  by the National Book Foundation

• Alum  Maaza Mengiste  was awarded a  2022 Guggenheim Fellowship

• Visiting graduate faculty member  Brandon Taylor 's collection  Filthy Animals  was named a 2021/22  finalist for The Story Prize  and was shortlisted for the  2022 Dylan Thomas Prize

• Alum  Raven Leilani  won the 2021 Clark Fiction Prize, Dylan Thomas prize, the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Fiction and the Center for Fiction 2020 First Novel Prize for her debut novel  Luster,  and was named a finalist for the 2021 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, the Gotham Book Prize, the 2021 PEN/Hemmingway Award for Debut Novel, the 2021 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award

• Alum Desiree C. Bailey 's debut poetry collection  What Noise Against the Cane  was longlisted for the 2022 Dylan Thomas Prize and was also named a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award in Poetry and the 2022 Kate Tufts Discovery Award, and was published as the winner of the 2020 Yale Series of Younger Poets

• Senior faculty member  Sharon Olds  was named the 2022 recipient of the Poetry Society of America's Frost Medal for distinguished lifetime achievement in poetry

You can read more MFA Community news here and find a list of forthcoming and recently published books by alumni here .   NYU CWP alumni include  Aria Aber, Amir Ahmadi Arian, Julie Buntin, Nick Flynn, Nell Freudenberger, Aracelis Girmay, Isabella Hammad, Ishion Hutchinson, Mitchell S. Jackson, Tyehimba Jess, John Keene, Raven Leilani, Robin Coste Lewis, Ada Limón, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Maaza Mengiste, John Murillo, Gregory Pardlo, Morgan Parker, Nicole Sealey, Solmaz Sharif, Peng Shepherd, Ocean Vuong, Jenny Xie,  and  Javier Zamora. 

Announcements

Ocean Vuong joins the NYU Creative Writing Program Faculty

Mary Gabriel, Author of “Ninth Street Women”, Receives the NYU/Axinn Foundation Prize

Claudia Rankine joins the NYU Creative Writing Program Faculty

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Anne Carson

Zadie Smith and Jeffrey Eugenides

Terrance Hayes

Where to find us.

Faculty Spotlight

Darin Strauss is the author of several acclaimed novels, including the most recent The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story.

Ocean Vuong is the author of the bestselling novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and the poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds.

Foer was listed in Rolling Stone's "People of the Year," Esquire's "Best and Brightest," and The New Yorker's "20 Under 40" list.

Terrance Hayes’s most recent publications include American Sonnets for My Past And Future Assassin and To Float In The Space Between.

Claudia Rankine is a recipient of the 2016 MacArthur Fellowship, and the author of six collections including Citizen and Don’t Let Me Be Lonely.

Hari Kunzru is the author of six novels, including the most recent Red Pill, and White Tears, a finalist for the PEN Jean Stein Award.

Sharon Olds is a previous director of the Creative Writing Program. Her 2012 collection Stags Leap was awarded the T.S. Eliot Prize and a Pulitzer.

Jeffrey Eugenides is the author of acclaimed novels The Virgin Suicides, Middlesex, and The Marriage Plot. His latest collection is Fresh Complaint. 

Katie Kitamura’s most recent novel Intimacies was longlisted for the National Book Award and named a Best Book of 2021 by numerous publications.

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Online MFA in Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts

Earn an MFA in Creative Writing Online

• $637/credit (48 credits total)
• Transfer up to 12 graduate credits
• 100% online – no residency required
• Four fiction genres to choose from
• Career-focused certificate included
• No application fee or GRE/GMAT scores required

Online MFA in Creative Writing Program Overview

Share your story with the world and let the power of storytelling take your career to new heights with an online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing . As one of the only programs available that encourages a focus on genre fiction, our online MFA lets you hone your craft in an area specific to your strengths and interests. You'll also learn about the business side of creative writing, preparing you to market your work in the real world.

While most MFA programs require a residency, Southern New Hampshire University's online MFA in Creative Writing can be completed entirely online, with no travel necessary.

“Traditional MFA programs, whether full-time or low residency, are out of reach for many writers,” said Paul Witcover , associate dean of creative writing. “The SNHU online MFA was designed to make the MFA experience accessible to all fiction writers, opening the door to diverse voices excluded for too long from the literary conversation. Our program is dedicated to giving writers the tools to succeed on the page and beyond it.”

Graduates leave the program with a completed and revised novel in one of our four offered genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance and Speculative. With the included certificates in either online teaching of writing or professional writing , you'll have the skills to support your writing career, no matter where it takes you.

.st0{fill:#21386D;} What You'll Learn

• The business and technical sides of professional writing
• How to navigate the publishing ecosystem, identify agents and editors, and market your work to appeal to decision-makers
• Using social media to gain a following and build your brand
• How to teach writing in a classroom setting

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } How You'll Learn

At SNHU, you'll get support from day 1 to graduation and beyond. And with no set class times, 24/7 access to the online classroom and helpful learning resources along the way, you'll have everything you need to reach your goals.

The Value of an Online MFA

Emily Jones ’20 embraced a transformational experience through the online MFA in Creative Writing program, which supported her in taking her writing career to the next level. “I can now say, without even a hint of imposter syndrome, that I am a writer,” said Jones. “And that is because of Southern New Hampshire University.”

Career Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, writers and authors made a median annual salary of $69,510 in 2021, while editors made $63,350. 1

“Our mission is to give students a degree and associated practical skills they can use to forge successful pathways in academia, business, or by blazing their own career trail,” said Paul Witcover , associate dean of creative writing.

Earning one of the included certificates in online teaching of writing or professional writing will also be an invaluable addition to your resume for part-time, full-time and freelance jobs in a variety of fields, including:

• Higher education. Instruct writing courses in higher education settings. In 2021, postsecondary teachers made a median annual wage of $79,640, and you can expect to see a 12% growth in available positions through 2031, according to the BLS. 1
• Advertising. Use your storytelling skills in a way that influences consumer action. As a copywriter, you could find yourself doing any number of writing projects from crafting emails and ads to writing entire commercials.
• Marketing. If you're more comfortable with long-form prose, many businesses have invested in content writers who create quality content such as blog posts, ebooks and podcasts to attract and retain customers.
• Entertainment. Good at building suspense or setting up punchlines? From movies and plays to comedy and podcasts, being a good storyteller and writer is important to finding success in the entertainment industry.
• History. Every person's life has a plot, but it takes writers like you to tell their stories in a compelling way. Help readers relive the experiences of historic figures and pop culture icons as a biographer.

Higher Education

Instruct writing courses in higher education at a college or university, either in-person or online.

Advertising

Influence consumer action through copywriting, from print ads to digital advertising and broadcast commercials.

Create written content such as blog posts, ebooks and podcasts to attract and retain customers.

Entertainment

From movies and plays to comedy and podcasts, writers often find success in the entertainment industry.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts favorable job growth in postsecondary education. And while statistics are not available for all job settings mentioned above, the BLS reports the following:

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } Job Growth

The BLS predicts an 8% growth in available postsecondary teaching positions through 2032. 1

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } Potential Salary

Writers and authors made a median annual salary of $73,150 in 2022, while editors made $73,080 and postsecondary teachers made $80,840. 1

Understanding the Numbers When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors — like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

Start Your Journey Toward an Online MFA in Creative Writing

If you're looking to earn your Master of Fine Arts online, you've found the right program. Even though there are no residency requirements, you'll still interact frequently with other students and faculty members in asynchronous discussions, critique workshops and within our online writer’s community, where students come together to share industry news, extend writing tips and develop critique partnerships.

"I liked MFA-514 (Advanced Studies in Genre Literature) best," said student Jamilla Geter . "It was a great look into the different genres. It really helped me narrow down what genre I wanted to write in."

"Though it was not writing exactly, its connection to it – especially in our digital world – was made clear almost immediately," she said. "Writing is not just providing content of value to your readers, but also creating avenues of access so those readers can find your content. This course helped me to understand that and to learn how I can create those avenues."

Besides allowing you to focus on your own creative interests, part of our 48-credit online MFA curriculum requires you to choose from 2 certificate offerings designed to round out your education and better prepare you for a multitude of writing-related careers.

The first choice is a Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching of Writing , which is tailored to those who see themselves teaching in an online classroom setting as a supplement to their writing careers. Students practice approaches to editing and coaching, learning how to establish a virtual instructor presence and cultivate methods for supporting and engaging students within online writing communities.

Learn more about the online teaching of writing graduate certificate .

Students can also choose the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing , which highlights the technical and business opportunities available to writers. Students will develop a range of skills, such as copywriting, social media, marketing principles and/or content generation, learning many of the freelancing skills integral to today’s project-driven economy.

Learn more about the professional writing graduate certificate .

All of our courses are taught by accomplished authors and industry professionals who know both the craft and business of creative writing. They will work closely with you to develop both your creative and professional skill set.

"All instructors within my program were extremely knowledgeable and helpful," Warden said. "I learned a lot about the different career paths my instructors chose. ... The course instruction, along with their anecdotal experiences, helped in offering knowledge in different areas of our field.

MFA Program Thesis

The thesis for the Online MFA in Creative Writing is required to be a novel of at least 50,000 words in one of the four genres the program offers: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, and Speculative.

Every Southern New Hampshire University online MFA student who graduates from the program will do so with a revised novel manuscript in their chosen genre, which is completed in a three-course thesis series. Throughout your tenure in the program, you can either work on a singular idea that you will develop during the three thesis courses, or you can begin a new project for your thesis. You can also combine elements of the four genres offered in the program for your thesis. For example, your thesis might be a YA Speculative Fiction novel.

"My three thesis classes for the MFA degree were the most helpful," said Kathleen Harris '21 . "I was actually writing a book as my thesis, so it was both enjoyable and advantageous for the degree. And it was the end of a very long milestone of accomplishments."

Minimum Hardware Requirements Component Type   PC (Windows OS)   Apple (Mac OS)   Operating System  Currently supported operating system from Microsoft.   Currently supported operating system from Apple.  Memory (RAM)  8GB or higher  8GB or higher  Hard Drive  100GB or higher  100GB or higher  Antivirus Software  Required for campus students. Strongly recommended for online students.  Required for campus students. Strongly recommended for online students.  SNHU Purchase Programs  Visit Dell   Visit Apple   Internet/ Bandwidth  5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100 ms Latency  5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100 ms Latency  Notes:   Laptop or desktop?   Whichever you choose depends on your personal preference and work style, though laptops tend to offer more flexibility.  Note:   Chromebooks (Chrome OS) and iPads (iOS) do not meet the minimum requirements for coursework at SNHU. These offer limited functionality and do not work with some course technologies. They are not acceptable as the only device you use for coursework. While these devices are convenient and may be used for some course functions, they cannot be your primary device. SNHU does, however, have an affordable laptop option that it recommends: Dell Latitude 3301 with Windows 10.  Office 365 Pro Plus  is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are a student at SNHU. Upon graduation you may convert to a paid subscription if you wish. Terms subject to change at Microsoft's discretion. Review system requirements for  Microsoft 365 plans  for business, education and government.  Antivirus software:  Check with your ISP as they may offer antivirus software free of charge to subscribers.  if (typeof accordionGroup === "undefined") { window.accordionGroup = new accordion(); } accordionGroup.init(document.getElementById('f756dce5bd874c61855f6f6e92d88470')); University Accreditation

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually. *Note: students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.

Additional Costs: Course Materials ($ varies by course). Foundational courses may be required based on your undergraduate course history, which may result in additional cost.

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College Info

Finding a dedicated creative writing program at a school you're excited about can be a real challenge, and that's even before you start worrying about getting in. Nonetheless, there are some great options. In order to help you find the best school for you, this list rounds up some of the best colleges for creative writing in the United States .

The Best Creative Writing Programs: Ranking Criteria

You should never take college rankings as absolute truth —not even the very official-seeming US News ones. Instead, use these kinds of lists as a jumping-off place for your own exploration of colleges. Pay attention not just to what the rankings are but to how the rankings are determined.

To help with that, I'll explain how I came up with this highly unscientific list of great creative writing colleges. I started by narrowing my search down to schools that offered a specific creative writing major. (If you don't see a school you were expecting, it's likely because they only have a minor.)

In ranking the schools, I considered five major criteria:

• #1: MFA Ranking —If a school has a great graduate creative writing program, it means you'll be taught by those same professors and the excellent graduate students they attract. Schools with strong MFA programs are also more likely to have solid alumni networks and internship opportunities. However, many schools with great undergrad programs do not offer MFAs, in which case I simply focused on the other four options.
• #2: General School Reputation —The vast majority of your classes won't be in creative writing, so it's important that other parts of the school, especially the English department, are great as well.
• #3: Extracurricular Opportunities —One of the key advantages of majoring in creative writing is that it can provide access to writing opportunities outside the classroom, so I took what kind of internship programs, author readings, and literary magazines the school offers into consideration.
• #4: Diversity of Class Options —I gave extra points to schools with a variety of genre options and specific, interesting classes.
• #5: Alumni/Prestige —This last criterion is a bit more subjective: is the school known for turning out good writers? Certainly it's less important than what kind of education you'll actually get, but having a brand-name degree (so to speak) can be helpful.

The Best Creative Writing Schools

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of schools! The exact numbering is always arguable, so look at it as a general trend from absolutely amazing to still super great, rather than fixating on why one school is ranked #3 and another is ranked #4.

#1: Northwestern University

Northwestern's undergrad creative writing program boasts acclaimed professors and an unparalleled track record of turning out successful writers (including Divergent author Veronica Roth and short-story writer Karen Russell).

Outside the classroom, you can work on the student-run literary journal, intern at a publication in nearby Chicago, or submit to the Department of English's yearly writing competition . The university is also home to a top journalism program , so if you want to try your hand at nonfiction as well, you'll have plenty of opportunities to do so.

#2: Columbia University

Like Northwestern, Columbia is home to both a world-class creative writing program and a top journalism school (plus one of the best English departments in the country), so you have a wide range of writing-related course options. Columbia also benefits from its location in New York City, which is bursting at the seams with publishing houses, literary journals, and talented authors.

#3: University of Iowa

The University of Iowa's big draw is the infrastructure of its graduate Writers' Workshop, which is often considered the best MFA program in the country.

As an English and Creative Writing major here, you'll take classes from great young writers and established professors alike, and get to choose from a wide range of topics. This major provides transferable skills important for a liberal arts major with a creative focus. You'll also have access to the university's impressive literary community, including frequent readings, writing prizes and scholarships, and the acclaimed literary journal The Iowa Review .

#4: Emory University

Emory is renowned for its dedicated undergrad creative writing program , which draws the very best visiting scholars and writers. Students here have the chance to attend intimate question-and-answer sessions with award-winning authors, study a range of genres, compete for writing awards and scholarships, and work closely with an adviser to complete an honors project.

#5: Oberlin College

A small liberal arts school in Ohio, Oberlin offers very different advantages than the schools above do. You'll have fewer opportunities to pursue writing in the surrounding city, but the quality of the teachers and the range of courses might make up for that. Moreover, it boasts just as impressive alumni, including actress and writer Lena Dunham.

#6: Hamilton College

Hamilton is another small college, located in upstate New York. It's known for giving students the freedom to pursue their interests and the support to help them explore topics in real depth, both inside and outside the classroom. Hamilton's creative writing program takes full advantage with small classes and lots of opportunities to intern and publish; it also has one of the best writing centers in the country.

#7: Brown University

Brown's Literary Arts program offers one of the top MFAs in the US as well as an undergraduate major . For the major, you must take four creative writing workshops and six reading-intensive courses, which span an array of departments and topics, from music and literature to Middle East studies and Egyptology.

#8: Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University has an excellent creative writing MFA program, lots of super specific class options, and a number of scholarships specifically earmarked for creative writing students. This school’s undergraduate English program also offers a concentration in creative writing that allows students to specialize in a specific genre: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. If you’re interested in exploring your potential in a specific writing genre, Washington University could be a great pick for you.

#9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT might not be a school you generally associate with writing, but it actually has an excellent program that offers courses in digital media and science writing, as well as creative writing, and provides plenty of guidance on how graduates can navigate the tricky job market.

Not to mention the school is located in Cambridge, a haven for book lovers and writers of all kinds. Though it probably isn’t a good fit for students who hate science, MIT is a great place for aspiring writers who want to build writing skills that are marketable in a wide range of industries.

#10: University of Michigan

University of Michigan is one of the best state universities in the country and has a top-notch MFA program. This school’s undergrad creative writing sub-concentration requires students to submit applications for admittance to advanced creative writing courses. These applications give students crucial practice in both building a writing portfolio and articulating their interest in creative writing to an audience who will evaluate their work. If you're looking to attend a big school with a great creative writing major, this is a fantastic choice.

#11: Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins is another school that's known more for engineering than it is for writing, but, like MIT, it has a dedicated writing program. As a major here, you must take not only courses in prose, poetry, and literature, but also classes on topics such as philosophy and history.

#12: Colorado College

Colorado College is a small liberal arts school known for its block plan , which allows students to focus on one class per three-and-a-half-week block. The creative writing track of the English major includes a sequence of four writing workshops and also requires students to attend every reading of the Visiting Writers Series.

Bonus School: New York University

I didn't include NYU in the main list because it doesn't have a dedicated creative writing major, but it's a great school for aspiring writers nonetheless, offering one of the most impressive creative writing faculties in the country and all the benefits of a Manhattan location.

How To Pick the Best Creative Writing School for You

Just because Northwestern is a great school for creative writing doesn't mean you should set your heart on going there. (The football fans are completely terrifying, for one thing.) So where should you go then?

Here are some questions to ask yourself when looking at creative writing programs to help you determine the best school for you:

Does It Have Courses You're Interested In?

Look at the course offerings and see whether they interest you. While you can't predict exactly what classes you'll love, you want to avoid a mismatch where what you want to study and what the program offers are completely different. For example, if you want to write sonnets but the school focuses more on teaching fiction, it probably won't be a great fit for you.

Also, don't forget to look at the English courses and creative writing workshops! In most programs, you'll be taking a lot of these, too.

What Opportunities Are There To Pursue Writing Outside of Class?

I touched on this idea in the criteria section, but it's important enough that I want to reiterate it here. Some of the best writing experience you can get is found outside the classroom, so see what kind of writing-related extracurriculars a school has before committing to it.

Great options include getting involved with the campus newspaper, working on the school's literary journal, or interning at the university press.

Who Will Be Teaching You?

Who are the professors? What kind of work have they published? Check teacher ratings on Rate My Professors (but make sure to read the actual reviews—and always take them with a grain of salt).

If you're looking at a big school, there's a good chance that a lot of your teachers will be graduate students. But that's not necessarily a bad thing: a lot of the best teachers I had in college were graduate students. Just take into consideration what kind of graduate program the school has. If there's a great creative writing MFA program, then the graduate students are likely to be better writers and more engaged teachers.

What Are the Alumni Doing Now?

If you have a sense of what you want to do after you graduate, see if any alumni of the program are pursuing that type of career. The stronger the alumni network is, the more connections you'll have when it comes time to get a job.

What About the Rest of the School?

Don't pick a school for which you like the creative writing program but dread everything else about it. Most of your time will be spent doing other things, whether hanging out in the dorms, exploring off campus, or fulfilling general education requirements.

Many schools require you to apply to the creative writing major, so make doubly sure you'll be happy with your choice even if you aren't accepted to the program.

What's Next?

Are you sure a creative writing major is the right fit for you? Read our post on the pros and cons of the major to help you decide what path to take in college.

For more general advice about choosing a college, check out our complete guide to finding the right school for you. Some major factors to consider include deciding whether you're interested in a small college or a big university , an in-state or out-of-state institution , and a public or private school .

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Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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Creative Writing, MFA

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: MFA Creative Writing

The MFA in creative writing at ASU has always been an unswervingly student-first program. Through small classes, intimate workshops and one-to-one mentoring, the centuries-old apprenticeship model thrives within the New American University. Poets and fiction writers work with outstanding faculty who have published more than 80 books and garnered national and international attention through awards and honors that include:

• Guggenheim, Howard Foundation, Lannan Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and United Artists fellowships
• international Griffin Poetry Prize and Whiting Award
• multiple Pulitzer Prizes
• two medals of achievement from the National Society of Arts and Letters
• two Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets
• Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets

Additionally, in concert with the Master of Fine Arts program, several campus entities contribute to the MFA experience: the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing offers students a wide range of fellowships, support for professional development, and other teaching and leadership opportunities including a Community Outreach Graduate Assistantship. The Center for Imagination in the Borderlands brings writers and other artists for intensive workshops, classes and public events, and offers an artistic development and teaching assistant fellowship and two research assistantships. The Master of Fine Arts program also hosts a newly inaugurated series of craft lectures and an alumni reading series.

Furthermore, students have access to a variety of additional professional development opportunities, including serving on the editorial board of an international literary journal Hayden's Ferry Review, translation experience through the Thousand Languages Project and internships with award-winning independent literary press Four Way Books.

Sally Ball , Director of Creative Writing, Professor

Justin Petropoulos , Program Manager

Faculty in Creative Writing

The ASU MFA in Creative Writing is and has always been an unswervingly student-first program. Through small classes, intimate workshops, and one-to-one mentoring, the centuries-old apprenticeship model thrives within the New American University. Creative writing has been a part of the department of English since the 1930s. With the inception of the MFA degree in 1985, creative writing became an ascendant unit; the program was ranked within the top 20 MFA programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

ASU Creative Writing is distinguished by an outstanding faculty that has garnered national and international attention: Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, a Pulitzer Prize and several Pulitzer nominations, two Flannery O’Connor Awards, the Western States Book Award, PEN/Faulkner finalist recognition, the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, the International Griffin Poetry Prize, the Western Literature Association Distinguished Achievement Award, and two Medals of Achievement from the National Society of Arts and Letters.

The program's alumni are equally impressive, having won the Iowa Short Fiction Award, the Pen Southwest Book Award, the Prairie Schooner Book Prize, the May Swenson Poetry Award, the Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Award, and numerous Pushcart Prizes. They are the recipients of grants from the NEA and Fulbright and Stegner Fellowships.

Currently, all students admitted to the MFA program who submit a complete and approved teaching assistantship application are awarded a TA by the Department of English. Each assistantship carries a three course per year load and includes a tuition waiver and health insurance in addition to the TA stipend ($24,586 per year) . Graduate students with assistantships must enroll in a minimum of six credit hours each semester.

In addition, students have diverse opportunities for additional financial and professional support via The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, including:

• Graduate Assistantships in arts education and community programming (providing stipends and tuition remission)
• Creative Research Fellowships and other funding and scholarship opportunities
• Travel Funding to support tabling and presenting during the annual AWP Conference
• A robust visiting writer event series , with exclusive opportunities to learn from and engage with highly acclaimed authors
• Free admission to the annual Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference
• Opportunities to moderate author panels and read creative work during the Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference and other events
• A professional development program series for creative writing students, with a focus on creative lives, careers, and opportunities during and after graduation

The program requirements include 48 hours of study evenly divided between writing courses and literature courses designed to inform that writing. While students are expected to satisfy these requirements in the genre in which they were accepted, the program encourages cross-genre study, and electives can include courses taken outside of the creative writing program, even outside the English department. Courses such as “Creative Writing and the Professions” and “Internship for Community Outreach” encourage students to envision life beyond graduation. The Creative Writing Program at ASU has been able consistently to offer MFA students among the best funding packages in the nation through teaching and research assistantships, which are renewable for each of the program's three years. Additionally, in concert with the CWP, the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing offers a variety of graduate assistantships, international writing and teaching scholarships, and thesis fellowships to continuing students. Students who accept the TA offer are required to take the TA seminar, a pedagogy and training course designed to assist graduate students during their first year. TA seminar is credited as a literature elective. Successful TAs have the opportunity to teach introductory creative writing to undergraduates, under the supervision of one of the program faculty. In the second year students assemble their thesis committees and identify a committee chair. The second year is also when one-on-one mentorship begins. In the spring of the third year, students typically focus on completing the thesis manuscript with their committee chair.

Degree Requirements

48 credit hours including a written comprehensive exam and the required applied project course (ENG 593)

Coursework (39 credit hours)

Other Requirement (6 credit hours) ENG 592 Research (6)

Culminating Experience (3 credit hours) ENG 593 Applied Project (3)

Additional Curriculum Information The creative writing program requires 48 credit hours of study evenly divided between writing courses and literature courses designed to inform that writing.

While students are expected to satisfy these requirements in the genre in which they were accepted, the program encourages cross-genre study, and electives can include courses taken outside of the creative writing program or even outside of the English department.

A written comprehensive exam and an applied project are required.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants should have an undergraduate major in English or creative writing; however, exceptional students who do not have either of these undergraduate majors may be admitted on the basis of writing excellence.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• resume or curriculum vitae
• three letters of recommendation
• creative manuscript
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) and has not graduated from an institution of higher learning in the United States must provide proof of English proficiency . Applications will not be processed without valid proof of English proficiency. Please note that official scores must be sent to ASU in order for the application to be processed.

The personal statement should include the applicant's writing background, intended area of specialization and a brief self-evaluation of recent work (double-spaced, up to three pages or 750 words). The creative manuscript should be up to 20 pages of poetry or up to 30 pages of prose (prose should be double-spaced). Students applying for a teaching assistantship must submit a statement of teaching philosophy and an academic writing sample.

Courses and Electives

Mfa course requirements - fiction.

A 48-hour Program of Study

For additional information please contact Justin Petropoulos , Program Manager of Creative Writing

WRITING COURSES (24 hours)

Students are expected to satisfy the degree requirements in the genre in which they are accepted. Exceptions must be approved by the director of creative writing, the chair of the student’s supervisory committee, the dean of the Graduate College, and the instructor. Electives may be taken out of genre, with the permission of the instructor.

Required (15 hours)

• ENG 592 Research (Fiction) (6 hours)*
• ENG 593 Applied Project (Fiction) (3 hours)
• ENG 594 Conference and Workshop (Fiction) (3 hours)
• ENG 563 Forms of Fiction (3 hours)

*Research Hours are dedicated the development of a student's creative thesis with the support of their committee.

Electives (choose 9 hours)

• ENG 505 Writing Workshops (Special Topics)(3 hours)
• ENG 591 Seminar, Selected Topics* (3 hours)
• ENG 594 Conference and Workshop (Fiction) (3-6 hours)
• ENG 663 Fiction Genres* (3 hours)
• ENG 680 First Book Seminar (3 hours)

LITERATURE COURSES (24 hours)

Required (9 hours).

• ENG 538 Studies in Modern and Contemporary American Literature (3 hours)
• ENG 539 Studies in Modernist and Postmodern Literature and Theory (fiction topics, 3 hours)
• ENG 665 Creative Methods, Fiction (3 hours)

Electives (choose 15 hours)

Any 400, 500, or 600 level English course relevant to the student’s program of study, and up to six hours of credit in class work outside the department of English (for example, courses at the 400, 500, or 600 level in theater, music, dance, photography, fine printing and bookbinding, papermaking, or editing and publishing), subject to the approval of the director of creative writing, the chair of the student’s supervisory committee (if designated), and the dean of the Graduate College.   Possible English courses include:

• ENG 537 Studies in Modern and Contemporary British Literature (3 hours)
• ENG 543 Studies in Anglophone Literatures (3 hours)
• ENG 545 Studies in Women’s Literature (3 hours)
• ENG 550 Translation (3 hours)
• ENG 584 Internship* (3-6 hours)
• ENG 591 Seminar (Selected Topics, 3 hours)
• ENG 593 Pedagogy (3 hours)
• ENG 594 Conference and Workshop (TA Seminar) (4 hours)
• ENG 598 Special Topics* (3 hours)
• ENG 667 Writing for the Professions (3 hours)

 *May be repeated for credit if topics are distinct.

MFA COURSE REQUIREMENTS - POETRY

For information about the program please contact Justin Petropoulos , Program Manager of Creative Writing

• ENG 592 Research Hours (6hours)*
• ENG 593 Applied Project (3 hours)
• ENG 594 Graduate Poetry Workshop (3 hours)
• ENG 562 Forms of Poetry (3 hours)

 *Research Hours are dedicated the development of a student's creative thesis with the support of their committee.

• ENG 505 Writing Workshop (3 hours)
• ENG 594 Conference and Workshop (Poetry) (3-6 hours)
• ENG 662 Poetic Genres* (3 hours)
• ENG 539 Studies in Modernist and Postmodern Literature and Theory (poetry topics, 3 hours)
• ENG 665 Creative Methods, Poetry (3 hours)

Any 400, 500, or 600 level English course relevant to the student’s program of study, and up to six hours of credit in class work outside the department of English (for example, courses at the 400, 500, or 600 level in theater, music, dance, photography, fine printing and bookbinding, papermaking, or editing and publishing), subject to the approval of the director of creative writing, the chair of the student’s supervisory committee (if designated), and the dean of the Graduate College.   Possible English courses might include:

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

• Analyze and critique the writing of other creative writers.
• Explicate their creative works articulately.
• Create original fiction or poetry that incorporates theoretical and foundational literary knowledge.

Career Opportunities

A Master of Fine Arts in creative writing graduate is prepared primarily for the professional creation of new art, including fiction, poetry and other written forms. In addition to working as novelists, poets and short story writers, graduates go on to careers in education, arts administration, media and entertainment, and in political and community organizations. Career examples include:

• book designer or marketer
• book or magazine editor
• creative writing professor
• essayist or journalist
• grant writer and developer
• literary or events coordinator
• nonprofit administrator
• public relations and communications manager
• screenwriter
• secondary education teacher

Global Opportunities

Global experience.

With over 250 programs in more than 65 countries (ranging from one week to one year), study abroad is possible for all ASU students wishing to gain global skills and knowledge in preparation for a 21st-century career. Students earn ASU credit for completed courses, while staying on track for graduation, and may apply financial aid and scholarships toward program costs. https://mystudyabroad.asu.edu

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/727-9130

MSt in Creative Writing

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The MSt in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialisation, and critical and creative breadth.

The emphasis of the course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces their creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community.

The MSt offers a clustered learning format of five residences, two guided retreats and one research placement over two years. The research placement, a distinguishing feature of the course, provides between one and two weeks' in-house experience of writing in the real world.

The first year concentrates equally on prose fiction, poetry, dramatic writing and narrative non-fiction. There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the genres. In your second year you will specialise in one of the following:

• short fiction
• radio drama
• screenwriting
• stage drama
• narrative non-fiction.

The residences in particular offer an intensive workshop- and seminar-based forum for ideas exchange and for the opening up of creative and critical frameworks within which to develop writerly and analytical skills. There is a strong element of one-to-one tutorial teaching. Tutorials take place within residences and retreats, and relate to the on-going work produced for the course.

You will be assigned a supervisor who will work closely with you throughout the development of the year two final project and extended essay. All assessed work throughout the two years of the course is subject to one-to-one feedback and discussion with a tutor. This intensive, one-to-one input, combined with the highly interactive workshop and seminar sessions, is a distinguishing feature of the course.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department for Continuing Education and this role will usually be performed by the Course Director.

You will be allocated a supervisor to guide and advise you on your creative and critical work throughout the second year.

It is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Department for Continuing Education.

The MSt is assessed by coursework. In the first year, four assignments (two creative, two critical), one creative writing portfolio and one critical essay are submitted. Work is set during each residence and handed in for assessment before the next meeting. Feedback on work submitted is given during tutorials within the residence or retreat. In the second year, submissions comprise one research placement report, one extended critical essay, and a final project – a substantial body of creative work in the genre of choice. 

You will be set specific creative and critical work to be completed between residences and handed in to set deadlines. Creative submissions in the first year must be in more than one genre. In the second year, submitted work focuses around the genre of your choice.

Graduate destinations

Graduate destinations have included publishing creative work in a chosen field, careers in arts/media, and doctoral programmes in creative writing.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a first-class or upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours  in a related field.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA normally sought is 3.6 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience 

• Assessors are looking for writers with a proven record of commitment to their craft, whose work demonstrates significant creative promise. You should be a keen reader, and bring an open-minded, questioning approach to both reading and writing. You will not necessarily have yet achieved publication, but you will have written regularly and read widely over a sustained period. You will be keen to dedicate time and energy and staying-power to harnessing your talent, enlarging your skills, and aiming your writerly production at consistently professional standards. It is likely you will have a first degree, or equivalent, although in some cases other evidence of suitability may be acceptable.
• Applicants do not need to be previously published, but the MSt is unlikely to be suitable for those who are just starting out on their writerly and critical development.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.  

For those applying by the January deadline, interviews are generally held in February and March. For March applicants, interviews are generally held in March and April.

The decision to call an applicant for interview is based on the University Admission Board's assessment of your portfolio, statement of purpose, academic and professional track record and references. Interviews will be conducted in person or by telephone. All applicants whose paper submissions indicate they are qualified for entry will generally be interviewed, either in person or by telephone/Skype. There are always two interviewers. Interviews usually last up to approximately 30 minutes and provide an opportunity for the candidate to discuss his/her application and to explore the course in more detail.

The interview is designed to ascertain, through a range of questions, the shape and emphasis of the candidate's writing and reading, and general suitability for the demands of the MSt. 

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

The department is committed to supporting you to pursue your academic goals. 

The Rewley House Continuing Education Library , one of the Bodleian Libraries, is situated in Rewley House. The department aims to support the wide variety of subjects covered by departmental courses at many academic levels. The department also has a collection of around 73,000 books together with periodicals. PCs in the library give access to the internet and the full range of electronic resources subscribed to by the University of Oxford. Wi-Fi is also available. The Jessop Reading Room adjoining the library is available for study. You will have access to the Central Bodleian and other Bodleian Libraries.

The department's Graduate School provides a stimulating and enriching learning and research environment for the department's graduate students, fostering intellectual and social interaction between graduates of different disciplines and professions from the UK and around the globe. The Graduate School will help you make the most of the wealth of resources and opportunities available, paying particular regard to the support and guidance needed if you are following a part-time graduate programme. The department’s graduate community comprises over 600 members following taught programmes and more than 70 undertaking doctoral research.

The department provides various IT facilities , including the Student Computing Facility which provides individual PCs for your use. Many of the department's courses are delivered through blended learning or have a website to support face-to-face study. In most cases, online support is delivered through a virtual learning environment. 

Depending on the programme you are taking with the department, you may require accommodation at some point in your student career. Rewley House is ideally located in central Oxford; the city's historic sites, colleges, museums, shops and restaurants are only a few minutes’ walk away. The department has 35 en-suite study bedrooms, all with high quality amenities, including internet access.

The Rewley House dining room has seating for up to 132 people. A full meal service is available daily. The department operates a Common Room with bar for students. 

Department for Continuing Education

The need for new learning opportunities throughout life is now recognised throughout society. An intensive, initial period of higher education is not always enough in times of rapid social, economic and technological change. The Department for Continuing Education is known worldwide as a leading provider of extended learning for professional and personal development.

The department provides high-quality, flexible, part-time graduate education, tailored for adults. Students can undertake graduate-level certificates, diplomas and taught master’s degrees in a wide range of subjects. Increasing numbers of courses are delivered in mixed mode, combining intensive periods of residence in Oxford with tutored online study.

The department recruits adult students of all ages on a regional, national and international level. Many courses are offered jointly with other academic departments around the University. Courses are offered in the following areas:

• Mathematical, physical and life sciences
• Medical and health sciences
• Social sciences .

All postgraduate students on the department's courses are members of its Graduate School. The Graduate School aims to provide a stimulating and enriching environment for learning and research. It also fosters intellectual and social interaction between students coming from different disciplines and professions. Interdisciplinary research seminars, training opportunities and other events are offered by the Graduate School in support of this goal.

All masters' and DPhil applicants are considered for Clarendon Scholarships . The department is committed to seeking scholarship support for other students wherever possible.

View all courses   View taught courses View research courses

The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships , if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. 

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

This course has residential sessions (residences and retreats) in Oxford. You will need to meet your travel costs in attending these sessions. The tuition fee includes the cost of board and lodging during the residences and retreats (eg for a four day residence, three nights accommodation will be provided). Further, as part of your course requirements, you will need to complete a research placement in the second year. For this placement you will need to meet your travel and accommodation costs, and any other incidental expenses. You may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses. Further information about departmental funding can be found on the department's website. Please check with your specific college for bursary or other funding possibilities.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students on the MSt in Creative Writing:

• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Harris Manchester College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Oriel College
• Regent's Park College
• St Catherine's College
• Somerville College
• Wadham College
• Wycliffe Hall

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.

If you have any questions about the course, these should be directed to the course administrator via the contact details provided on this page.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents . 

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Referees: Three overall, academic and/or professional

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

Your references will support your commitment to creative writing and suitability to pursue a course of this nature at graduate level. Both professional and academic references are acceptable.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

A CV/résumé is compulsory for all applications. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic and writerly achievements and any relevant professional experience.

Statement of purpose: A maximum of 750 words

The statement of purpose should contain sufficient detail to allow it to be assessed against the indicated criteria.

Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you and/or in which you intend to specialise.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This will be assessed for:

• your reasons for applying
• evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
• the ability to present a reasoned case in English
• commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
• capacity for sustained and intense work
• reasoning ability and quality of written expression
• capacity to address issues of writerly and critical significance.

Written work: A maximum of 2,000 words of prose fiction or narrative non-fiction or 10 short poems or 15 minutes of dramatic writing (stage, screen, radio or TV)

Your portfolio of creative writing for assessment can be in any of the four genres, or in more than one. It should be clearly indicative of your ability in creative writing.

This will be assessed for excellence in creative writing.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide   Apply

ADMISSION STATUS

Closing soon - applications close at 12:00 midday UK time on Friday 5 April 2024

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 19 January 2024 Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships

Friday 1 March 2024 Applications may remain open after this deadline if places are still available - see below

A later deadline shown under 'Admission status' If places are still available,  applications may be accepted after 1 March . The 'Admissions status' (above) will provide notice of any later deadline.

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Department for Continuing Education

• Course page  and blog on  department website
• Funding information from the department
• Academic staff
• Departmental research
• Continuing Education Graduate School
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 280145

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

Graduate Program Creative Writing

• Program Details
• Info Sessions
• Admission Details

Degree Details

• Masters (M) Total Credits 48 Start Term Fall Delivery Method On campus Degree map (M)

Learn more about our academic program delivery methods

Creative Writing Master's Degree Overview

Creative writing master's degree: why psu.

Our program is committed to a hybridity that crosses aesthetic and social boundaries and to a diversity that reflects the progressive spirit of its surroundings.

Consistent with PSU's mandate to serve our city's cultural and professional needs, engagement in Portland's vibrant local community of writers is central to our students' movement from academic to creative careers.

What can I do with a master's degree in Creative Writing?

Graduates of the program go on to pursue the following careers, among others:

• Teacher, all levels (university, secondary, elementary, community)
• Book Editor
• Magazine Editor
• Journalist/Reporter
• Screenwriter
• Literary Agent
• Grant writer
• Proofreader
• Arts Administrator
• Advertising

Find your Advisor

Creative Writing & Publishing

The Master’s University’s Creative Writing & Publishing (CWP) program is designed for students who are passionate about content creation across the changing and expanding spectrum of communicative media, including fiction and non-fiction, photography, videography, journalism, and podcasting. CWP students choose from a wide variety of courses that provide opportunities to develop their unique creative interests, and they graduate with content creation skills that are increasingly in-demand across diverse industries.

A key characteristic of the CWP program is that our students learn by doing. Classes are hands-on and provide regular opportunities for feedback and publication. CWP students graduate with not just a degree, but also a portfolio of creative work to show prospective employers and clients. If God has gifted you with a creative spark, and if you love inspiring others through what you create, the CWP program may be the perfect place for you to hone your talents and discover why God gave them to you in the first place!

Communication Core Courses

For a complete list of requirements for this degree please see our academic catalog .

In a day and age when on-the-street experiences are documented and shared worldwide, this class will explore the best go-to tool: the phone in your pocket. Students will create ready-to-be-viewed short video productions using minimalist technology. Throughout the course, students will focus on elements such as story structure, camera angle, lighting, editing, and sound. Finished productions will be viewed and critiqued by peers and the instructor.

An exploration of podcasting as a form of journalism. Students will be introduced to the various types of podcasts and podcast outlets. They will work with classmates to research a podcast concept and then regularly produce and publish it. Components of marketing and attracting subscribers will also be discussed. Computer expertise is not required.

Theories and techniques of social influence. Course content includes motivation, attitude change, ethics, credibility, nonverbal persuasion, logic and argumentation, emotions, and cultural influences.

An introduction to the dynamics of technologically mediated social discourse with a look at both individual implications as well as larger processes within society including culture, polity, and commercial enterprise.

An exploration of journal keeping and autobiographical writing. Students will read and write various types of personal essays and memoirs and share them in small group settings.

An introduction to the styles, techniques, content, and forms of screenwriting. Student work is considered for the department annual short film production.

This course will examine the entrepreneurial power shift in the world of business and what it means for media practitioners, entrepreneurs, and technologists. The disruptive nature of the Internet, open-source technologies, and lower barriers-to-entry have prompted a shift in the power from large media companies toward smaller organizations and individuals.

Students will study the extended short story form (novella), including plot, characterization, and dialogue. The course will include regular writing for peer review, offering ample time for revision and completion of a polished extended short story (novella).

Grammar basics and sentence structure are reinforced. However, the bulk of the course covers the real-world issues writers encounter in college and beyond. Issues such as word choice, antecedents, plurals, possessives, punctuation, clarity, conciseness, and self-editing. Chicago, MLA, and Associated Press style formats will be explored. Reading and coursework are also geared for those looking at editing as a career or see it as an important aspect of a chosen job field. Additional topics covered include “editing well means writing well,” the editor-writer relationship, and using style guides. Students learn by dissecting weekly news articles, editing articles for the campus newspaper, and self- and peer-editing various writing assignments.

Theories and methods of evaluating persuasive communication, including public address, contemporary drama, and other categories of written discourse.  Prerequisite: C371 or C391.

Students will explore the genre of science fiction short stories—how to read them critically and how to write them effectively. The course will cover the nuances and history of the different forms and motifs of science fiction to help students develop their writing skills across each of those forms and motifs. Prerequisite: C351.

Students will practice the craft of writing in the genre of fantasy fiction, with special emphasis placed on the novel and novel series formats. The course will focus on traditional fiction writing components such as plot, character, tone, setting, narrative, point of view, scene building, etc. Additionally, students will engage in discussion and guided practice surrounding genre-specific elements such as world building, history creation, systems of myth and magic, etc.

This course explores the history and impact of the graphic novel, both as a form of entertainment and social/cultural commentary. Additionally, the course will explore the process of creating a graphic novel and of visual storytelling. Students will participate in the creation of a graphic novel concept. Prerequisite: C351.

Students learn the techniques of novel writing, including plot outlining, character development and arcing, conflict, complication, and resolution. Techniques of dialogue and narration will also be explored.

Introduction to the video technical language and creative and aesthetic elements of the production process. Students will gain understanding of lighting, sound, camera operation, composition, and design of visual elements.

This class introduces the students to the concepts of Desktop Publishing. Topics covered will include color theory, page layout, composition, print requirements, and other production-related techniques. The applications used in this class are Adobe™ Photoshop™ for image editing, Adobe™ Illustrator™ for logo design, and Adobe™ InDesign™ for page layout and composition.

Visual storytelling through making, selecting, processing, and disseminating photographic images. Technical, artistic, and professional topics are covered, including composition, lighting, portraiture, photo essays, and reproducing and publishing images, as well as legal and ethical issues.

An introduction to the arena of multimedia journalism. Students will learn the process of combining text, images, sound, videos, and graphics to tell an engaging story on an online platform. Students will produce finished pieces to be viewed and critiqued by peers and the instructor. Prerequisite: C261 or C311.

Students are introduced to the basics of professional journalism to gain an understanding of how a publication works; develop instincts as an interviewer, reporter, and writer; and understand the various genres associated with journalistic writing. Students will also learn to develop editing skills by using the Associated Press Stylebook and write on deadline to prepare for writing for the campus publication and beyond.

From handheld to professional SLR cameras, students will learn the basics of equipment and advanced methods to make photographs look more professional. This class will cover how to connect, download, and upload your digital images to CDs, the web, or for print. Everything from file management to composition, this class covers a wide range of techniques to make students better, more effective photographers.

• Publication
• Screenwriter
• Film/TV Editor

The Master’s University is committed to providing quality Christian education to believers around the world.

To be admitted as an undergraduate, bachelors degree-seeking student in the Online School of Education, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have a clear profession of faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. 
• Be a high school graduate or have a GED certificate. 
• Demonstrate college-level writing ability. 
• Submit official transcripts from all other colleges and universities attended. 

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Writers' Workshop

Graduate program.

The MFA in Creative Writing

A studio program in poetry or fiction in a unesco city of literature, program overview.

The Program in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa, known informally as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, offers a Master of Fine Arts degree in English, a terminal degree that qualifies graduates to teach creative writing at the college level. 

While working toward their degree, graduate students will work with and learn from established poets and prose writers and make substantial progress in their creative projects. 

The MFA program requires full-time residency in Iowa City, which offers students the chance to learn from one another and take advantage of the academic resources of our research university.

Twenty to twenty-five new students in each of the two genres come to Iowa City to join the program each year.

30 Pulitzer Prize winners

20 macarthur genius grant recipients, 19 national book award winners, 8 u.s. poets laureate, graduate courses.

Writers' Workshop courses, divided into workshops and seminars, comprise the core of the MFA degree curriculum. Taught by Writers' Workshop faculty, these classes are designed to help students develop their fiction and poetry while building a deeper understanding of the contemporary literary landscape and the many diverse literary traditions that might inform their work. Students often use these courses to start new creative projects or deepen and develop the projects they've already begun.

Workshops are the heart of the MFA degree and a defining element of our program. All Writers' Workshop graduate students take a workshop each semester with one of the program faculty. The workshop, a group of 8-12 writers, becomes each student's mini-cohort for the semester. Over the course of a semester, every student submits their creative work one or (often) more times to be read and discussed.

In addition to workshops, Writers' Workshop faculty offer seminars on a variety of literary topics. Seminars are designed specifically for writers and are intended to feed their creative work and process. Each seminar typically focuses on a specific topic relevant to writers honing their craft.

Other Courses

Graduate students may take classes outside of the department in any of many fields at the University of Iowa. These classes might be creative (screenwriting, bookmaking, translation) or scholarly (languages, history, literature). Students can also take advantage of professional seminars and training offered by the Graduate College.

Workshop Faculty

Visiting writers.

Every year the Writers' Workshop brings a number of distinguished writers to Iowa City to teach workshops and seminars. Recent visitors include Carmen Maria Machado, Tom Drury, Margaret Ross, Sarah Thankam Mathews, and Garth Greenwell. The Visiting Writer program allows graduate students to build working relationships with established writers working in a variety of genres at different stages in their careers. These relationships are often meaningful to students as they progress through their literary careers after the Workshop.

Readings & Events

Throughout the semester, writers come to give readings, Q&As, and master classes in the Frank Conroy Reading Room. Recent visitors include Karen Russell, Ayad Akhtar, Arinze Ifeakandu, D.A. Powell, John Irving, and Sheila Heti.

The "After the Workshop" series offers students insight into publishing and career options. Every year, agents ask to visit the Workshop to meet with students.

Creative Community

While courses are the core of the Writers' Workshop experience, engaging with fellow students has proven just as key to our writers' growth. Iowa City provides an ideal environment for our community of about 100 writers to live, socialize, work on projects, and inspire one another. Writers' Workshop graduate students run several reading series in town, edit the Black Poetry Review , volunteer at community organizations, hang out in back yards and at local eating establishments, and provide for each other a support system, a sounding board, motivation, inspiration, and friendship.

The University of Iowa is also home to a range of creative disciplines, each of which offers additional opportunities for engagement. Writers' Workshop graduate students often take part in events with the International Writing Program, the Nonfiction Writing Program, the Spanish MFA Program, the Translation Program, and other creative disciplines. In recent years, graduate students have assembled a Workshop band, have sung in the University choir, auditioned for theater productions, and have taken part in various social organizations on campus.

Application Requirements

How to Apply

Mfa creative writing (low-residency).

Applications for our August 2024 Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing cohort are currently being accepted. Admissions is rolling and applications will be accepted until the program is full.

Priority deadline: February 16, 2024.

Submit an Application

Apply online by creating a new account or signing in to an existing account.

At the end of your application, you will be prompted to pay a $60 nonrefundable application fee. If your current financial situation warrants waiving of your application fee, you may submit a fee waiver request.

Please note, only one application will be accepted per applicant. Do not apply more than once. Application fees are nonrefundable. 

APPLY ONLINE

Application Status

Transcripts.

Naropa University requires transcripts from any and all institutions where undergraduate or graduate coursework was completed, and it is very important that you successfully complete the coursework entered on your application. An official transcript of a conferred bachelor’s degree must be received by the Office of Admissions prior to beginning graduate coursework.

Transcripts that are uploaded as part of your application are not considered official; however, we encourage electronic submission at time of application to expedite an admissions decision.

If mailing, official transcripts should be sent to:

Naropa University Office of Admissions 2130 Arapahoe Ave Boulder CO 80302

Electronic transcripts from your university may be emailed to  [email protected] .

Electronic official transcripts are acceptable if submitted through a secure document sending service used by your university. If you submit your transcripts by email, as an attachment, they will not be accepted as official.

If you completed any coursework at a foreign college or university (other than a study abroad program), an  international education evaluation  is required.

Statement of Interest

In a concise statement of interest please address:

• Your writing goals and any personal information that you feel sheds light on your commitment to writing (e.g., details of your writing and reading practices, service to writing communities, artistic, professional, or academic objectives).
• How does pursuing an MFA prepare you to accomplish your goals as a creative writer? You may also address why you are interested in pursuing your MFA in Naropa’s experiential and contemplative academic setting.
• 1000 words or less in a standard 12-point font, double-spaced.

Creative Writing Sample

Letters of recommendation.

Two letters of recommendation are required. Recommendations must be from pertinent academic or professional sources, and may not be from family members, spouses, friends, or current or former therapists or spiritual advisors.

Financial Aid

Domestic applicants : learn more about how to apply for financial aid.

International applicants : learn more about how to apply for financial aid.

International Applicants

English proficiency testing.

• Internet test (iBT): 80 or higher
• Computer test (cBT): 213 or higher
• Paper test (pBT): 550 or higher
• 6.5 or higher

Non-U.S. Education Records

• Global Academic Evaluators ( www.aevaluators.com , 720-298-9564)
• Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. ( www.jsilny.com , 305-273-1616)
• World Education Services ( www.wes.org , 212-966-6311)
• SpanTran ( www.spantran.com , 713-266-8805)
• Copy of passport
• Financial documentation

Creative Writing (Low-Residency)

Connect with your counselor

Olivia phipps.

Graduate Admissions Counselor

• [email protected]
• Schedule an Appointment
• Attend An Info Session

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Naropa Campuses Closed on Friday, March 15, 2024

Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed Friday, March 15, 2024.  All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. All online and low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Based on the current weather forecast, the Healing with the Ancestors Talk & Breeze of Simplicity program scheduled for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be held as planned.

Staff that do not work remotely or are scheduled to work on campus, can work remotely. Staff that routinely work remotely are expected to continue to do so.

As a reminder, notifications will be sent by e-mail and the LiveSafe app.  

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.  Naropa University trusts you to make thoughtful and wise decisions based on the conditions and situation in which you find yourself in.

Graduate Program Handbook

Jump to a section

• Program description
• Degree requirements
• Timeline for degree completion
• Committee selection guideline
• Graduate assistantship
• Additional funding
• Health insurance
• Leave of absence
• Graduate student association
• Campus resources
• Policies: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Program description

The Department of English at the University of Nevada, Reno, with 27 graduate faculty, has specialists in most areas of literary, rhetorical, composition, and linguistic study. The University is a Research One university, and our faculty are active researchers pursuing cutting-edge work in a variety of fields. At the same time, our graduate program is small enough that students enjoy a sense of community and benefit from close faculty mentoring. Faculty members take their roles as mentors very seriously, giving students the careful attention that helps them define and achieve their professional goals. Hence, our program has a low attrition rate. MA and MFA alumni have entered successful careers in writing, publishing, community college teaching, business, and non-profits and have been accepted to Ph.D. programs at other top-rated universities. Ph.D. alumni hold a range of positions in higher education and outside the academy.

1.1 Degrees offered

The M.A. program is designed for students who plan to continue working toward a Ph.D., for potential community college teachers, for individuals who want to acquire an overall background in the study of language and literature, and for those interested

Master of Arts (MA)

The M.A. program is designed for students who plan to continue to work toward a Ph.D., for potential community college teachers, for individuals who want to acquire an overall background in the study of language and literature, and for those interested in writing and editing careers. The MA degree is offered with areas of concentration in

• Public Engagement
• Rhetoric and Writing Studies

Both a thesis plan and a non-thesis plan are available. Proficiency in one foreign language (the equivalent of four semesters of college-level coursework) or equivalent interdisciplinary literacy (MAPE) is required.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will obtain a broad knowledge of several of the historical fields in, literary genres of, and major critical approaches to British, American, and World Literatures in English; or, broad knowledge of writing studies issues and methodologies; or broad knowledge in literary and rhetorical public engagement and its methodologies; or broad knowledge of linguistics issues and methodologies. Students will demonstrate specialized competence in the primary and secondary literature of an appropriate specialized sub-field of literature or writing or public engagement or language.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

The MFA in creative writing provides top-level training and experience to writers of promise, in order to best prepare them to be publishing creative writers and /or to pursue careers in college-level teaching. In addition, the program allows apprentice writers to develop their gifts amidst a community of artists in a university setting; the program also provides a link between student writers and the wider professional community of published writers, editors, and agents. Students produce bodies of original work, based on an understanding and study of historic, contemporary, and avant-garde literatures, culminating in a book-length thesis. Students are expected not only to produce creative work, but to develop traditional scholarly and pedagogical skills, so as to better articulate their knowledge—to a potential audience including readers, colleagues, and students—as befits the recipient of a terminal degree in English.

By the end of their degree program, MFA candidates should be able to:

• Demonstrate mastery of manipulation of elements of craft/technique within their chosen area of emphasis. (in fiction, this is defined as: form (the novel, novella, and short story); generic tropes; narrative structure; point of view; tone; and voice. In poetry, this is defined as: traditional forms; line/enjambment; imagery and metaphor; meter; rhyme and free verse);
• Demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary publishing landscape for fiction (both genre and literary) and/or poetry, for book-length works as well as for individual stories/poems;
• Demonstrate the ability to curate/edit the creative work of others for publication;
• Create a book's-length of work of publishable creative writing, as well as identify its audience/market;
• Analyze and describe their creative work within the context of historical trends/movements and genres in literature;
• Compile a professional portfolio demonstrating an understanding of future career options and approaches to the same.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Ph.D. program is designed for students preparing to be teachers and scholars at universities and community colleges. The Ph.D. is offered with areas of concentration in

Students will obtain a broad knowledge of several of the historical fields in, literary genres of, and major critical approaches to British, American, and World Literatures in English; or, broad knowledge of writing studies issues and methodologies; or, broad knowledge of linguistics issues and methodologies. Students will demonstrate specialized competence in the primary and secondary literature of an appropriate specialized sub-field of literature or writing or language.

1.2 Emphases

Our programs of study allow for and encourage study and training across the various fields in the department, resulting in a remarkably productive and exciting intellectual atmosphere.

Literature (MA and Ph.D.)

The English Department offers a wide range of courses in English, American, and Anglophone literatures and cultures. Our faculty members publish in leading journals and have authored recent books on topics ranging from Shakespeare’s first folios to postmodern American lyric. We have particular strengths in modernist studies; archival and media studies; twentieth-century and contemporary American, British, and comparative literatures; and cultural studies and theory. Faculty members also teach in a variety of programs across campus, including the Gender, Race, and Identity Program.

Our Ph.D. graduates have been appointed to tenure-track positions at schools across the country and abroad as well as non-tenure-track jobs and careers outside of academia. MA students have gone on to advanced graduate study in areas including English, law, education, and business, and to careers in politics, business, editing, and many other fields. Our students are active in the profession, from organizing panels at national conferences to working at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Graduate students may have opportunities for teaching a range of courses and for sponsored travel and research.

Rhetoric and Writing Studies (MA and Ph.D.)

Focusing on those interested in careers in academic research and teaching, program administration (first-year writing, writing across the curriculum, and writing center), as well as community and workplace literacy, the Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing Studies is designed to balance theory/practice and teaching/scholarship. In addition to seminars in classical and modern rhetoric, feminist rhetoric, research methodologies, composition pedagogy, rhetorical studies of cultural practices, and various other topics, the curriculum offers internships that place students in community and school settings. We also strongly emphasize students' development as writers, with workshop courses offered in the craft of writing, advanced nonfiction, and creative nonfiction.

The Rhetoric and Writing Studies faculty are committed to collaborative activity with students, engaging with them in local internship opportunities, conference presentations, scholarly research, program development and assessment, and writing projects. In addition, students receive active mentoring in teaching and administration, as well as opportunities to serve in leadership positions in the Core Writing Program and the University Writing Center. Ph.D. students in Rhetoric and Writing Studies also develop expertise in one cognate area, such as American literature, oral history, women's literature, critical theory, environmental literature, narrative theories, secondary school pedagogy, business/technical writing, or linguistics. Qualified Ph.D. candidates have opportunities to teach intermediate and upper-division courses in their areas of emphasis.

The MA in Rhetoric & Writing Studies is designed for students who wish to strengthen their skills as writers while deepening their understanding of theories of writing from the fields of rhetoric, composition, and writing studies. Cognate work in linguistics, literature, or literacy studies further enriches the study of writing. Students may choose either a non-thesis or thesis program of study. This emphasis supports a range of professional pursuits, including technical and professional writing, literacy studies, the teaching of composition, and rhetorical studies. Students in the program are active in publishing, participating in conferences, and serving as writing interns in businesses, community agencies, or educational institutions.

The Ph.D. program of study in Rhetoric and Writing Studies has had notable success placing its graduates in tenure-track positions. Placements have occurred at a wide range of colleges and universities, including Indiana University of Pennsylvania; UT San Antonio; UC Davis; Arizona State; Saint Mary’s College of California; and University of Northern Colorado, to name only a few. Other graduates place into industry jobs, for example a recent graduate is now a Narrative Writing Specialist at The Change Companies. The MA Rhetoric & Writing Studies program has placed graduates in community colleges, positions in the public and private sectors, and Ph.D. programs throughout the US.

Public Engagement (MA)

Our English department, located in a land-grant institution, has always had an outreach mission. That mission is especially crucial now as we seek to reinvigorate the humanities and serve the communities that nurture the University. We are the department with particular knowledge in reading, writing, and language study—the skills most crucial to the current technological age. The Public Engagement emphasis brings these talents to bear on issues of public concern. The emphasis prepares students with a required seminar in public intellectualism and emphasizes experiential learning and the development of interdisciplinary literacy. It includes core coursework in rhetoric and in literature. But it also incorporates any course in the English department that may serve a public engagement student’s particular commitments. For instance, a course in postmodern poetics might be useful to a student committed to creating a space for local spoken word; a course in rhetoric and Marxism might be useful to a student who does labor advocacy work; a course in environmental literature might be useful to a student active in local sustainability movements; and a course in literature and film might be useful to a student who wants to facilitate community reading groups. Like a magnet, the Public Engagement emphasis draws expertise from across the English faculty to help students tailor their MA to their interests in public engagement.

The Public Engagement MA emphasis is designed to serve students whose career goals may include teaching, working for non-profits, and/or going on for a Ph.D. in literature or rhetoric programs that emphasize community activism.

Language (MA)

The MA program of study in Language and Linguistics is designed primarily for students who have some background in linguistics but did not major in the field as undergraduates. The program is an excellent complement to BA or advanced degrees in Anthropology, Composition and Rhetoric, English Literature, Foreign Languages, Philosophy, Psychology, or Speech Pathology. The MA can serve as a terminal degree, or as preparation for further study in a Linguistics Ph.D. program.

The program provides students the opportunity to study the English language and to master the analytical tools of linguistics, which can be applied to the study of any language. In addition to a firm grounding in the basic concepts of linguistics, students receive training in phonology, morphology, syntax, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, the history of the English language, and Old English.

Creative Writing (MFA)

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in creative writing is designed for students who wish to pursue a professional degree with emphases on both students’ writing and graduate-level scholarship in English. The degree involves a three-year course of study, requiring a series of rigorous workshops centered on the development of students’ creative work, in addition to coursework in literary history, critical theory, and literary craft. Students will have the opportunity to develop a significant body of publishable creative work with an understanding of and the ability to describe the work’s historical/ literary context.

As the terminal degree in the field of creative writing, the MFA degree prepares graduates to teach at the collegiate level, as well as for employment in the fields of publishing, literary agenting, and editing. The degree also guides writers toward publishing in nationally prominent presses, journals, and magazines.

The MFA program offers specializations in fiction and poetry and welcomes writers who aspire to high levels of literary quality, including fiction writers working within traditional genres (i.e., young adult, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, horror, etc.).

Contact Information

The Director of Graduate Studies, James Mardock , is available to advise applicants to our program. To schedule an appointment, contact the front office staff at (775) 784-6689 .

To learn more about our graduate program, explore the links above. For an introduction to the University of Nevada and the surrounding area, visit the About the University page.

For information about English Department graduate faculty, please see Graduate Faculty on the Department of English page.

2. Admission

Applications must be submitted with the  Graduate School’s application process . The application deadline for the following Spring Semester (MA only) is October 1. The application deadline for the following Fall semester is January 15. The Program does not admit students for the Spring semester. See the English department’s website for additional information concerning the admission process and admission criteria.

2.1 Transfer credits

These are credits transferred from another institution. Credits completed at the University in another program or as a graduate special do not need to be transferred. Transfer credit can be requested on the  Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request form  available on the Graduate School website, and must be signed by the student, major advisor, and graduate director. Transfer credits applied to a master’s program must comply with the time limitation on master’s work (6 years). Thus, if a student took a course five years prior to admission, they would have to complete the degree within one year for the course to apply to the degree. Credits from a completed master’s degree will be exempt from the 8-year time limitation for those students pursuing a doctoral degree.

3. Degree requirements

3.1 master of arts (ma).

The Department of English offers four areas of emphasis within its MA program: Language , Literature , Rhetoric and Writing Studies , and Public Engagement . These emphases serve a variety of students with a wide range of professional goals and ambitions.

Applicants to the MA program must have an undergraduate major or minor in English or its equivalent from an accredited college or university, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Potential applicants who do not meet these minimum requirements should talk with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine which undergraduate English courses to take should they wish to prepare for graduate studies in English.

General Requirements

The following general requirements apply in all emphases within the MA program, except where clearly stated in the specific descriptions for each emphasis.

1. Time Limit.

All requirements must be satisfied during the six calendar years immediately preceding the granting of the degree.

2. Graduate Committee.

As soon as is practical and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, a student should choose an advisory committee and complete a Program of Study. The graduate program in English emphasizes a close working relationship between the student and his or her advisory committee. Advisory committees for master's students consist of a chair and a second member from the graduate faculty in the Department of English and one member of the graduate faculty from another University department.

3. Choice of Thesis or Non-Thesis Plan.

Most of our MA emphases allow students the option of writing a thesis or of substituting coursework for the thesis. We encourage students to follow the non-thesis plan unless there is a compelling reason to select the thesis plan.

4. Total Credits.

Both the non-thesis and thesis plans require 31 credits of graduate work; for the thesis plan, 6 of those will be thesis credits. No more than 3 credits of Internship and 3 credits of English 790 Special Topics (Independent Study) may be counted toward the degree. Except in the case of required internships, independent study and internship credits may not be used to fulfill course requirements but may be counted for the total number of credits required for degrees.

5. Transfer Credits.

No more than nine total credits applicable to the approved program of study may be accepted from graduate courses taken at another institution and/or taken at the University of Nevada, Reno on graduate special status. These courses must have been completed within the six-year time limit for the MA degree and must be approved to count toward the degree by the student's committee chair, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School.

6. Residence.

In the non-thesis plan, a minimum of 23 credits must be earned in residence; in the thesis plan, the minimum is 21 credits.

7. Continuous Registration.

Graduate School regulations require graduate students to maintain continuous registration of at least three credit hours per semester to remain active in the pursuit of a degree. This means that students studying for comprehensive exams or writing theses must (even if they are not in residence) register for at least three credit hours each semester (summers excluded) until they graduate.

8. Seminar Requirement.

All MA students are required to take a substantial portion of their coursework at the 700 level. In the Public Engagement emphasis, at least 16 credits must be completed in courses numbered 700 or above. In the Literature, Rhetoric and Writing Studies, and Language emphases, 19 credits must be numbered 700 or above in the thesis plan, or 16 credits in the non-thesis plan.

9. Foreign Language Requirement.

Competence in one foreign language is required. French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, or Greek are recommended, but other languages may be approved by the student's advisory committee. The student is strongly advised to complete the work necessary to meet this requirement before becoming a graduate student, or as soon as possible after beginning graduate study. The requirement may be met either by coursework or by examination. Coursework: competence is demonstrated by the student completing fourth-semester college-level coursework in the language with a grade of C or better in the final term of the course, or by the student completing the second semester of a sophomore reading course with a grade of B or better. Examination: the student must pass a proficiency exam given by the Department of World Languages and Literatures at the University of Nevada, Reno.

10. Comprehensive Examination.

In order to register for 795 (comprehensive exam), a student must have met these requirements:

• Filed a completed Program of Study with the Graduate School;
• Completed all but the last semester of coursework toward the degree for the MA;
• Met the foreign language requirement for their degree and area of emphasis;
• Met with their committee chair to work out plans for completing the written and oral portions of the exams;
• Returned the completed “Approval to Register for Comprehensive Exams” form (available in NevadaBox) to the English department office prior to the end of registration.

The MA program requires a comprehensive exam as a part of the degree requirements. Students must register for English 795, Comprehensive Exam, 1 credit, the semester they will be completing their exams. In general, the exam includes three parts: a) a professional paper; b) a written examination over a set reading list; c) an oral exam of about an hour and a half, covering the professional paper or portfolio and the written exam. Examinations for each program emphasis are detailed below. A student must have completed the professional paper or portfolio and have passed the written exam prior to taking the oral exam. Failed written or oral exams can be retaken only once, no sooner than two months after the failed attempt, and the student must register for ENG 795 a second time in the following semester.

11. Thesis (thesis plan only).

Students choosing a thesis plan will first prepare a thesis prospectus, in consultation with the chair of the advisory committee, for the committee's approval. The finished thesis, after meeting the approval of the advisory committee, is defended in the final oral examination, which also covers the written exam. In the Writing program, the final oral defense is separate from the discussion of the portfolio and written exam. While the thesis is in progress, the candidate should register for the six required hours of thesis credit (English 797), including one hour to be taken during the writing of the prospectus. Documentation and bibliography should follow the current MLA Style Manual . Precise guidelines for thesis format and submission are available at the Graduate School. Students doing research involving human subjects must check with the Office of Human Subjects Research in Ross Hall regarding necessary protocols and review procedures.

12. Graduation.

To graduate in any given semester, the student must file an Application for Graduation by the date specified for that semester in the University Catalog and meet that semester's deadlines for submission of the Notice of Completion and (if on the thesis plan) the final copy of the thesis to the Graduate School. Students should be aware that graduation application dates at the University of Nevada, Reno are unusually early: the deadline is generally eight weeks prior to graduation .

13. Paperwork.

The student is responsible for knowing the degree requirements and for submitting all Graduate School forms on time. Early in their graduate careers, students should become familiar with the most important of these forms: the Program of Study, the Notice of Completion, and the Application for Graduation. Most Graduate School forms are available on the web on the Graduate School website .

MA Literature emphasis, specific requirements

The MA Literature emphasis is designed for students interested in developing their knowledge of American, British, and global literatures in English; it focuses on the ability to think and write critically about literary texts. The Literature emphasis requires students to take a variety of courses dealing with different literary genres and periods, yet also allows them to concentrate their studies in the areas they find to be of greatest interest. This emphasis is primarily, but not exclusively, intended for people who are preparing for Ph.D. programs or professions in which they will teach literature, conduct literary research, or write professionally.

1. General Requirements.

See the section on MA General Requirements.

2. Course Requirements.

• Research Methods. ENG 711, Introduction to Graduate Study, is required and must be taken at the first opportunity. It is customarily offered each fall semester.
• Distribution Requirements (elective). The student must take at least one course in nine of the following ten fields: Poetry, Fiction, Drama, Linguistics, Nonfiction/Intellectual Prose, Rhetoric, Literary Criticism, American Literature, British Literature before 1800, and British Literature after 1800. Five of the distribution requirements may be met by courses taken at the advanced undergraduate level (the equivalent of our department's 400-level courses) in which the student earned a B or above. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the faculty, determines which distribution requirement(s) specific courses may meet.
• Literature Topic or Field (elective). The student must take at least two courses in a particular field of interest, determined in consultation with his or her MA committee chair. Fields or topics might, for instance, include the Renaissance, African American literature, or the American novel.

For a list of graduate elective courses, see the University Catalog .

3. Professional Paper (non-thesis plan only)

 In consultation with their committee chair, each student will complete a professional paper. No credit toward Course Requirements (see above) will be granted for work on the professional paper or portfolio. The professional paper is a substantial literary-critical essay. The student selects one seminar paper written in the MA program and revises it, working with their chair and with the professor in whose course it was originally written, who must be a member of the student's committee. When revised, this paper will be presented to the committee as an example of the student's ability to perform research and write a convincing, reasoned argument on a topic related to literature. The paper should be approximately twenty pages long and should be of professional, publishable quality.

4. Comprehensive Examination (written).

In consultation with the MA committee chair, each student will put together a reading list based on his or her particular topic or field of concentration. The list should consist of 10 to 15 items, at least eight of which should be book-length. The written portion of the comprehensive exam will be designed to demonstrate the student's mastery of the materials on this reading list. The student completes a one-day exam on the reading list. The exam questions will be set by the members of the student's MA committee, who will then evaluate the written exam.

5. Thesis (thesis plan only).

Each student will present a prospectus, written in consultation with the student's committee chair, to the student's advisory committee. This prospectus should constitute a sound plan for writing the thesis and may include a bibliography and a tentative table of contents. The prospectus is normally approved before the student completes the written exam. The student then writes the thesis, working closely with committee members. The student must register for 6 credits of ENG 797, Thesis.

6. Comprehensive Examination (oral) and Thesis Defense.

The oral exam lasts about an hour and a half and is administered by the student’s MA committee. In the non-thesis plan, the student takes the oral exam after completing the professional paper or portfolio and the written exam; the oral will include questions on each of these works. In the thesis plan, the student takes the final oral exam after the completed thesis has been approved by his or her committee. In addition to those works covered in the exam for the non-thesis plan, the oral for students who choose the thesis plan also includes a defense of the thesis. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule the oral exam with his or her committee. The student must register for ENG 795, Comprehensive Examination, one credit, the semester he or she will be completing the oral exam.

Contact the department office for a checklist of degree requirements for the MA English, Literature emphasis.

MA Public Engagement emphasis, specific requirements

The Public Engagement MA emphasis is designed to serve students whose career goals may include teaching, working for non-profits, and/or going on for a Ph.D. in literature or rhetoric programs that emphasize community activism. The objectives of this emphasis are as follows:

• To provide a sound foundation in the rhetoric, literature, and theory of public engagement;
• To provide a rigorous critical framework for understanding and evaluating public engagement efforts;
• To produce citizen-scholars who can work both in academia and in the community;
• To familiarize students with the genres, forums, contexts, relationships, and techniques best suited to public engagement;
• To serve as a resource for tackling and articulating larger cultural issues for both the University and the larger community.

Accordingly, students who achieve an MA in English in the Public Engagement emphasis will be able to do the following:

• Articulate the theoretical and/or ideological commitments of particular public engagement efforts;
• Articulate their own theoretical and/or ideological commitments as they pursue public engagement efforts;
• Understand and apply critically the literature relevant to public engagement;
• Clearly articulate a problem in public engagement and select suitable theoretical and practical approaches to it;
• Select and deploy the genres, forums, and techniques best suited to a particular public engagement effort;
• Work productively with both academic and community partners on a public engagement effort;
• Produce professional documents and creative texts appropriate to a particular audience, purpose, and rhetorical situation.
• Research Methods. Either ENG 711 (Introduction to Graduate Study) or ENG 730 (Introduction to Graduate Study in Rhetoric and Composition) must be taken at the earliest opportunity. Both are typically offered every fall semester.
• Public Intellectualism. ENG 740: English Studies and Public Intellectualism must be taken at the earliest opportunity. It is typically offered every spring semester in even years.
• Experiential Learning. Options for fulfilling this requirement include ENG 736, an internship, or another course (either taught or taken) that has a significant experiential learning component. An Experiential Learning Application (available on Nevada Box) must be completed and approved for experiential learning courses other than ENG 736.
• Power, Place, and Publics. Two PPP courses are required. A PPP Application must be completed by the student and instructor for each course and approved by the MAPE committee.
• One course from the University Catalog’s list of electives .
• Interdisciplinary Literacy. Competence in a foreign language (see General Requirements), two 600- or 700-level courses in a cognate discipline, or three advanced courses in linguistics; plan must be approved by the committee chair. NB: Interdisciplinary literacy courses that are not ENG courses (or cross-listed as such) count neither toward the 15 700-level credits nor the 31 graduate credits required for the MA degree.

3. Professional Portfolio.

The professional portfolio requires the student to develop critical and professional materials specific to an issue of civic engagement. The materials should include a historical and critical framework for understanding the issue as well as professional materials that display the application of that framework. Ideally, these materials should develop the writing done in courses as well as community engagement work. The portfolio will be developed in consultation with the student’s committee and will be discussed during the oral exam. There is no thesis option for the Public Engagement emphasis.

5. Comprehensive Examination.

The comprehensive exam will consist of a written exam and an oral examination. Working with his or her advisor, the student develops a bibliography of approximately 15 texts relevant to the student’s interests. These texts will vary in length and form according to the student’s topic of choice and professional goals. The student completes a one-day written exam, designed to demonstrate his or her mastery of the materials on the reading list. The exam questions will be set by the members of the student's MA committee, who will then evaluate the written exam. Once the exam has passed, the student will proceed to the oral examination. Lasting one and a half hours, the examination will cover materials from both the portfolio and the written exam.

Contact the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the MA English, Public Engagement emphasis.

MA Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphasis, specific requirements

The MA RWS emphasis is designed for students who wish to strengthen their skills as writers while deepening their understanding of literature and language. It is intended for people who are preparing for careers in writing and editing or planning to teach writing in schools or colleges. The program is centered on the craft of writing and offers elective courses in both imaginative and expository writing. Students in the program are active in professional activities of various kinds: publishing, participating in conferences, and serving as writing interns in businesses, community agencies, or educational institutions.

• Research Methods. ENG 730, Introduction to Graduate Study in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, is required and should be taken at the earliest opportunity. It is customarily offered each fall semester.
• ENG 600A - Topics in Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 600B - Topics in Professional Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 601B - Advanced Non-Fiction  (3 units)
• ENG 606A - Document Design  (3 units)
• ENG 607B - Fundamentals of Technical Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 608B - Tutoring Student Writers  (3 units)
• ENG 609C - Contemporary Rhetorical Theory and Criticism  (3 units)
• ENG 675B - Literary Nonfiction  (3 units)
• ENG 729 - Contemporary Rhetoric  (3 units)
• ENG 731 - Research in Rhetoric and Composition  (3 units)
• ENG 732 - Problems in Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 733 - Classical Through Medieval Rhetoric  (3 units)
• ENG 734 - Writing in the Academy  (3 units)
• ENG 735 - Seminar in Rhetoric and Composition  (3 units)
• ENG 736 - Internship  (1 to 4 units)
• ENG 737 - Teaching College Composition  (3 units)
• ENG 738 - Seminar in Professional Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 739 - Renaissance Through Modern Rhetoric  (3 units)
• Other Electives. In consultation with the advisory committee, the student will choose at least 2 courses (Thesis Plan) or 3 courses in (Non-Thesis Plan), to complement his or her interests. No more than three courses may be taken outside the Department of English.
• ENG 411B - Principles of Modern Grammar  (3 units)
• ENG 611B - Principles of Modern Grammar  (3 units)
• ENG 412A - Linguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 612A - Linguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 414A - History of the English Language  (3 units)
• ENG 614A - History of the English Language  (3 units)

3. Comprehensive Examination (written and oral).

Working closely with the advisory committee, the student will prepare a bibliography of approximately 15 important works in the field of writing. This bibliography may be prepared throughout the student's time in the program; the works to be included must be approved in advance by the advisory committee. For the comprehensive examination, the student writes a synthesizing paper on a topic approved by the committee. Alternatively, the student may elect to take a one-day written examination, prepared by the committee, over ideas and concepts represented by the student's selected reading list. After the student has passed the paper or written exam, the advisory committee will conduct an oral exam, not to last more than an hour and a half. The student must register for English 795, Comprehensive Examination, one credit, the semester he or she will be completing the oral exam.

4. Thesis (Thesis Plan only).

The thesis may be a piece of empirical research, a library research project, a critical/rhetorical paper, or work in imaginative writing. After approval of a prospectus by the advisory committee, the student completes the thesis, registering for 6 credits of ENG 797.

5. Thesis Defense (Thesis Plan only).

The final oral exam, given by the candidate's advisory committee, will last about an hour and a half and will be a defense of the thesis. Candidates who prepare writings as a thesis project may instead present their thesis as a public reading and discussion of that work.

Contact the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the MA English, Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphasis.

MA Language emphasis, specific requirements

The MA Language emphasis offers a concentration in the study of the English language, with courses in linguistics, the structure and history of the English language, and literature. The range of available courses is designed to give students the latitude to design programs of study suited to their individual professional interests in the field of English language and linguistics. The student who selects the Language emphasis must work closely with his or her advisor and committee in planning this program of study.

Note that English 281 or equivalent course is a prerequisite for all linguistics courses.

• ENG 612D - Introduction to Phonology  (3 units)
• ENG 717 - Old English  (3 units)
• ENG 612B - Applied Linguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 613A - Sociolinguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 613B - Historical Linguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 615D - Introduction to Old Norse  (3 units)
• ENG 616B - Language and Gender  (3 units)
• ENG 692C - Language and Culture  (3 units)
• ENG 713 - Problems in Language  (3 units)
• ENG 714 - Problems in Modern Grammatical Study  (3 units)
• ENG 718 - Beowulf  (3 units)
• ENG 720 - Problems in Medieval English  (3 units)
• Other Electives. Other courses should be selected in consultation with the student’s advisory committee to complement the student’s interest in language. Courses may include graduate courses in English, or in other disciplines such as Anthropology, Psychology, Computer Science, World Languages, Basque Studies, Speech Pathology, Philosophy or in the College of Education.

3. Comprehensive Examination (written).

At the completion of coursework, the student must pass written examinations administered by his or her advisory committee. In the Thesis Plan, the written examination will last four hours. Two hours of the exam will be based on the student's coursework, and two hours will be based on basic linguistic principles, history and structure of the English language, and English dialects. In the Non-Thesis Plan, the exam will last six hours, with three hours based on coursework and three hours on the basic materials specified above. The questions will ask that the student demonstrate both specific information and a broader understanding of concepts important to the study of language.

4. Thesis (Thesis Plan).

The student writing a thesis should submit a prospectus to his or her advisory committee before beginning to write the thesis. The thesis will be written with the guidance of the chair and committee. The student must register for 6 credits of English 797, Thesis.

5. Comprehensive Examination (oral) and Thesis Defense.

Approximately three weeks after passing the written examination, the Non-Thesis Plan candidate will take an oral examination lasting no longer than one and a half hours, administered by the student's advisory committee. Like the written examination, the oral exam will be based on the student's knowledge of the structure and history of the language and on the student's coursework, although its range may be broader. For a student studying under the Thesis Plan, the oral exam will be given when the thesis is completed and approved by the advisory committee. While the exam will focus on the student's own research, it may also explore areas in which the student has had coursework. The student must register for English 795, Comprehensive Examination, one credit, the semester he or she will be completing the oral exam.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Specific Requirements

The Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing is designed for students who wish to pursue a professional degree with emphases on both students’ writing and graduate-level scholarship in English. The degree involves a three-year course of study, requiring a series of rigorous workshops centered on the development of students’ creative work, in addition to coursework in literary history, critical theory, and literary craft. Students will have the opportunity to develop a significant body of publishable creative work with an understanding of and the ability to describe the work’s historical/literary context.

Applicants to the MFA program in creative writing must have a Bachelor’s degree or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from an accredited university, school, or college, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants need not have received their previous degree in English, but all applicants must demonstrate readiness to engage in graduate-level scholarship in English.

• Demonstrate mastery of manipulation of elements of craft/technique within their chosen area of emphasis. (In fiction, this is defined as: form (the novel, novella, and short story); generic tropes; narrative structure; point of view; tone; and voice. In poetry this is defined as: traditional forms; line/enjambment; imagery and metaphor; meter; rhyme and free verse);
• Demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary publishing landscape for fiction and/or poetry, for book-length works as well as for individual stories/poems;
• Create a book-length of work of publishable creative writing, as well as identify its audience/market;
• Analyze and describe their creative work within the context of historical trends/ movements and genres in literature;

Master of Fine Arts (MFA), specific requirements

All MFA candidates must enroll in a minimum of 6 units per semester during their first five semesters in the program and at minimum must maintain graduate standing thereafter. In the sixth semester, they must finalize/finish a thesis project. Candidates must maintain a minimum 3.5 grade-point average. During the second year of study, candidates must choose one Department of English creative writing faculty member to serve as the MFA committee chair and advisor; two additional department faculty (one from creative writing, and one outside the student’s declared course of study) to serve as a committee member; and a fourth committee member from outside the Department of English, chosen in consultation with the committee chair. During the student’s third year of study, the MFA program requires the candidate to take a comprehensive written examination, on topics of the committee chair’s choosing, over the candidate’s knowledge of a 30-book reading list and annotated bibliography; this will be followed closely thereupon by an oral examination, conducted by the student’s full committee, during which the student will defend written exam answers and the annotated bibliography. At the end of the third year of study, students will complete and present to the full committee a written book-length thesis or original fiction/poetry, of publishable quality. At the conclusion of 48 credit hours, the student will be required to pass a defense of the completed thesis before the full committee.

Students on assistantship may also be required to take  ENG 737  and  ENG 793 , which may be counted as one of the student’s elective courses.

1. Course Requirements

• Research Methods (3 credits). ENG 711, Introduction to Graduate Study, is required and must be taken at the first opportunity. It is customarily offered each fall semester.
• Poetry/Fiction Workshop (12 or 15 credits).
• Creative Writing (6 credits).
• ENG 710: Literary Editing and Publishing (3 credit hours)
• ENG 707: Craft and Forms of Creative Writing OR ENG 708: Topics and Problems in Creative Writing (3 credit hours)
• ENG 707 - Craft and Forms of Creative Writing  (6 units)
• ENG 708 - Topics and Problems in Creative Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 721 - Problems in the History of Literary Criticism  (3 units)
• ENG 722 - Problems in Literary Theory  (3 units)
• ENG 723 - Problems in Themes and Ideas in Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 724 - Topics in Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 725 - Problems in the Novel  (3 units)
• ENG 726 - Problems in Literary Form  (3 units)
• ENG 730 - Introduction to Graduate Study in Rhetoric and Composition  (3 units)
• ENG 740 - English Studies and Public Intellectualism  (3 units)
• ENG 741 - Problems in Early American Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 743 - Problems in Later American Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 745 - Seminar in Ecocriticism and Theory  (3 units)
• ENG 761 - Problems in the Early Renaissance  (3 units)
• ENG 762 - Problems in 17th Century Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 764 - Problems in Non-Shakespearean Drama  (3 units)
• ENG 765 - Problems in Shakespeare  (3 units)
• ENG 767 - Problems in Milton  (3 units)
• ENG 771 - Problems in the Age of Reason  (3 units)
• ENG 775 - Problems in the Romantic Movement  (3 units)
• ENG 781 - Problems in the Victorian Age  (3 units)
• ENG 783 - Problems in Early 20th Century British Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 784 - Problems in 20th Century British and American Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 785 - Problems in Contemporary American Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 786 - Topics in Anglophone Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 787 - Problems in Contemporary British Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 788 - Problems in Modern Comparative Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 790 - Special Topics  (1 to 3 units)
• ENG 791 - Special Topics  (1 to 3 units)
• ENG 793 - Pedagogical Practicum in Creative Writing  (2 units)
• ENG 795: Comprehensive Exam (1 credit, see below)
• ENG 797: Thesis Study (14 or 17 credits). Students must enroll in a minimum of 17 credit hours of thesis study, or 14 for those who opt to take a fifth workshop. These hours may be split across multiple semesters (including summer). Thesis study is overseen by the chair of the student’s advisory committee.

2. Time Limit

3. advisory committee.

During the second year of study, and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, MFA candidates must choose one Department of English creative writing faculty member to serve as MFA committee chair and advisor; two additional department faculty (one from creative writing, and one outside the student’s declared course of study) to serve as committee members; and a fourth committee member from outside the Department of English, chosen in consultation with the committee chair.

4. Residence

It is assumed that students in their sixth semester will be completing their thesis

projects (see below), and will likely be registered only for thesis credits.

5. Continuous Registration

Graduate School regulations require graduate students to maintain continuous registration of at least three credit hours per semester (summers excluded) to remain active in the pursuit of a degree.

6. Total Credits

The MFA requires 48 credits, all of which must be taken at the graduate level.

7. Transfer Credits

Students will only be allowed to transfer credits from previous graduate courses in exceptional circumstances, to be determined by the Department of English MFA Committee and Director of Graduate Studies. In most circumstances, no more than three graduate classes applicable to the approved program of study may be accepted from graduate courses taken at another institution and/or the University of Nevada, Reno. These courses must have been completed within the six-year time limit for the MFA degree and must be approved to count toward the degree by the MFA Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School. No previous writing workshops will count for transfer credit.

8. Seminar Requirement

MFA students are required to take all courses at the 700 level. The student may in unusual circumstances take a 600-level class in English, but only in consultation with his or her committee chair and the Director of Graduate Studies.

9. Comprehensive Examination (Written)

In order to register for 795 (the comprehensive exam), a student must have met the following requirements:

• Completed five semesters of study toward the degree;
• Met with the student's committee chair to work out plans for completing the written and oral portions of the exams;

Working closely with his or her advisory committee, at the beginning of his or her second year of study, the student will prepare a reading list of 30 works. As soon as is feasible, the student will turn in an annotated bibliography of this reading list to his or her committee. Prior to the end of his or her third year of study, the student will take a one-day written examination, prepared by the committee, focusing on ideas and concepts represented by the student's reading list and annotations. After the student has passed the written exam, the advisory committee will conduct an oral exam, not to last more than an hour and a half. The student's advisory committee is responsible for the evaluation of the exam. Graduate School regulations stipulate that if more than one negative vote is cast, the examination is failed. If this happens, the student may be allowed to repeat specific areas of the exam, or the entire exam. However, no part may be retaken more than once, and three months must elapse between attempts.

A book-length work of fiction or poetry of publishable quality, written and revised over the course of the student’s studies and under the thesis committee’s supervision. Prior to the end of the third year of study (by which time the student shall have registered for/completed 17 credits of thesis study) students will present a polished draft of the thesis to their committee for review, then (shortly after completing the Comprehensive Examination) defend the completed thesis before the full committee. The committee will then vote according to the Department of English bylaws whether to confer the MFA degree.

12. Graduation

To graduate in any given semester, the student must file an Application for Graduation by the dates specified for that semester in the University Catalog and meet that semester's deadlines for submission of the Notice of Completion and (if on the thesis plan) the final copy of the thesis to the Graduate School. Students should be aware that graduation application dates at the University of Nevada, Reno are unusually early: the deadline is generally eight weeks prior to graduation. MFA candidates may be hooded during graduation but must meet all Notice of Completion deadlines listed for Ph.D. candidates in order to do so.

12. Paperwork

The student is responsible for knowing the degree requirements and for submitting all Graduate School forms on time. Early in their graduate careers, students should become familiar with the most important of these forms: the Program of Study, the Notice of Completion, and the Application for Graduation. Most Graduate School forms are available on the Graduate School’s web site .

Contact the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the MFA English, Creative Writing Emphasis.

3.3 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Department of English offers two areas of emphasis within its Ph.D. program: Literature and Rhetoric and Writing Studies. Students in each emphasis design their specific programs of study following departmental guidelines and in consultation with their advisory committees. Specializations are available in a variety of fields within each emphasis.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program must have an MA in English or its equivalent from an accredited college or university, an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, and a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.5. Potential applicants without an MA in English should talk with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine whether their graduate work in a related field is comparable to that expected.

Detailed information on applying to the Ph.D. program is found here: Apply to the University of Nevada, Reno. Ph.D. admissions are entirely separate from MA admissions; completion of the MA program at the University of Nevada, Reno does not ensure admission to the Ph.D. program.

The following general requirements apply in all emphases within the Ph.D. program, except where clearly stated in the specific descriptions that follow.

All requirements must be satisfied during the eight calendar years immediately preceding the granting of the degree.

2. Advisory Committee.

As soon as practical (typically in the third semester) and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, a student should choose an advisory committee and complete a Program of Study. The graduate program in English emphasizes a close working relationship between the student and his or her advisory committee. Advisory committees for doctoral students consist of a chair and two other members from the graduate faculty of the Department of English and two members from the graduate faculty in other departments.

3. Residence.

A Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of six semesters of full-time work beyond the baccalaureate degree, of which at least two successive semesters (excluding summer sessions) must be spent in full-time residence at the University of Nevada, Reno. (Full-time residence requires a minimum of nine credits per semester. Teaching assistants taking at least six credits per semester are also considered to be in full-time residence.)

4. Continuous Registration.

Graduate School regulations require graduate students to maintain continuous registration of at least three credit hours per semester to remain active in the pursuit of a degree. This means that students studying for comprehensive exams or writing dissertations must, even if they are not in residence, register for at least three credit hours (usually ENG 799) each semester (summers excluded) until they graduate.

5. Total Credits.

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must complete a minimum of 73 graduate credits, including at least 49 credits in coursework and 24 dissertation credits beyond the baccalaureate degree. Students are required to take at least eight courses in residence, for a minimum of 24 credits. No more than 4 credits of English 736 Internship and 3 credits of ENG 791 Special Topics (Independent Study) may be counted toward the degree. Except in the case of required internships, independent study and internship credits may not be used to fulfill course requirements but may be counted for the total number of credits for degrees.

6. Transfer Credits.

A maximum of 24 credits in graduate courses with grades of B or higher may be transferred from another university and applied toward the requirements for the Ph.D. Students with a master's degree in English from another university can thus transfer as 24 credits, at most. Transfer credit requests must be approved by the student's committee chair, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School. Whether courses taken elsewhere may substitute for specific course requirements at Nevada will be determined by the Director of Graduate Studies and/or the student's advisory committee.

7. Seminar Requirement.

Exclusive of dissertation credits, a total of 31 credits, at least 19 of which are beyond the master's degree, is required in courses numbered 700 or above.

8. Foreign Language Requirement.

Students may meet the foreign language requirement in one of two ways: 1) competence in one foreign language; or 2) coursework in linguistics and the nature of language. The choice of languages or linguistics coursework is left to the student in consultation with his or her advisory committee; preference should go to those languages that would prove most useful to the student over a lifetime of reading and research. Competence in a language is defined as completion of the equivalent of four semesters of college level work in the language with a grade of C or better in the final semester, or as completion of the second semester of a sophomore reading course with a grade of B or better. The requirement is considered satisfied when a college transcript shows such a grade in the appropriate final course (whether the earlier courses are shown or not), or when the student has passed at the appropriate level a test administered by the Department of World Languages and Literatures. As an alternative to the foreign language, the student's advisory committee may allow her or him to substitute a three-semester sequence of specified graduate courses in linguistics, language, and language-related topics from other disciplines, such as psychology or anthropology.

9. Comprehensive Examination (written)

In order to register for ENG 795 (comprehensive exam), a student must have met the following requirements:

• Completed all coursework toward the degree for the Ph.D.;
• Met the foreign language requirement for the student's degree and area of emphasis;

After completing coursework and the foreign language requirement, the Ph.D. student must pass a comprehensive examination, consisting of a written test and an oral review. The options for Ph.D. exams in each program emphasis are detailed under “Specific Requirements” below. The student's advisory committee is responsible for the evaluation of the exam. Graduate School regulations stipulate that if more than one negative vote is cast, the examination is failed. If this happens, the student may be allowed to repeat specific areas of the exam, or the entire exam. However, no part may be retaken more than once, and three months must elapse between attempts.

10. Comprehensive Examination (oral)

After passing the written exam, the student must also pass an oral examination, administered by his or her advisory committee and lasting approximately two hours. The oral exam will review the written exam and--in the Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphases--the student's writing portfolio (described in the "Specific Requirements" pages). As with the written examination, a failed oral exam may be retaken only once. Students who have completed all coursework, finished the foreign language requirement, and passed both the comprehensive written and oral exams are formally admitted to Ph.D. candidacy. The student must register for ENG 795, Comprehensive Examination, and one credit in the semester he or she will be completing the oral exam.

11. Dissertation.

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must present a dissertation that makes a significant scholarly or critical contribution to knowledge. A dissertation prospectus must be submitted to and approved by the candidate’s advisory committee before work begins on the dissertation. Typically this prospectus will include a bibliography and an extensive description of contents. Since the dissertation requires close and constant supervision by the chair of the advisory committee, the candidate should develop the dissertation in residence. When considerable progress has already been made, the candidate may be permitted to complete the dissertation elsewhere, under such arrangements as his or her advisory committee may specify and the Graduate Dean approves. In the process of working on the dissertation, each candidate must register for at least twenty-four credits of dissertation under ENG 799.

Documentation and bibliography should follow the current MLA Style Manual or Chicago Manual of Style . The Graduate School has formatting requirements and submission guidelines . Students doing research involving human subjects must check with the Office of Human Subjects Research in Ross Hall regarding necessary protocols and review procedures.

12. Dissertation Defense (final oral examination).

After the dissertation has been accepted by the candidate's advisory committee, an oral examination specifically covering the dissertation and related topics will be administered. The student must pass this oral exam with not more than one dissenting vote of his advisory committee. The oral exam may be repeated once, but at least three months must elapse between attempts.

13. Graduation.

To graduate in any given semester, the student must file an Application for Graduation by the dates specified for that semester in the University Catalog and meet that semester's deadlines for submission of the Notice of Completion and the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate School. Students should be aware that graduation application dates at the University of Nevada, Reno are unusually early: the deadline is generally eight weeks prior to graduation .

14. Paperwork.

The student is responsible for knowing the degree requirements and for submitting all Graduate School forms on time. Early in their graduate careers, students should become familiar with the most important of these Graduate School Forms : the Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request, the Program of Study, and the Admission to Candidacy/Comprehensive Examination Report, the Application for Graduation, and the Notice of Completion.

Ph.D. Literature emphasis, specific requirements

The Ph.D. Literature emphasis is designed for people planning to pursue careers in scholarship and teaching at the college or university level. It is a rigorous but flexible emphasis in which individual programs of study are shaped through collaboration between the Ph.D. student and his or her advisory committee. Students in the program are strongly encouraged to participate in professional activities, including academic conferences.

See the section on general doctoral degree requirements.

• Research Methods. ENG 711, Introduction to Graduate Study, is required and must be taken at the first opportunity; it is customarily taught each fall semester. Students who have had a graduate-level research methods course at another university should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to see whether that course fulfills this requirement.
• Elective Courses. The Ph.D. Literature emphasis does not require a specific core of courses. Rather, the student and his or her advisory committee plan a course of study, considering the student's prior coursework, primary areas of interest, planned examination fields, and long-term professional aspirations.

3. Comprehensive Examination.

Each student in the literature emphasis will take comprehensive exams in three areas: period, genre and (theoretical) method. The format for taking the exam is determined by the student and his or her advisory committee. Exams, which are open book, are offered in the following format: the student will write the exams in three areas and will not take longer than a month to complete them. The student will have eight hours to complete each exam. The student should plan to spend about four hours writing a response for each exam and about four hours planning, freewriting, outlining, revising, polishing, and proofreading for each exam. The exam should be no longer than 20 pages. Committee members should keep these time constraints in mind when drafting questions. At the conclusion of the exam period, the student will email the chair the completed exam in .docx or PDF format.

• Period: Periods may be selected from the following list: Old English, Middle English, Renaissance-to-1600 (including all of Shakespeare), 17th-century British (including all of Shakespeare), 18th-century British, 19th-century British, 20th-century British, 20th-and-21st century global Anglophone, American to 1890, American since 1890, or a field of linguistics or philology to be defined by the student and his or her advisory committee. Students will be expected to be familiar with the literature, the literary history, and the intellectual history of the chosen period.
• Genre: Genres may be selected from the following list: poetry, drama, fiction, intellectual prose, or a field of linguistics or philology to be defined by the student and his or her advisory committee. Students will be expected to know the major theories pertaining to their chosen genre and the literature within their genre in the historical periods immediately preceding and immediately following their period of specialization.
• Theory/Method: Theories and methods refer to a body of ideas and intellectual traditions that help reveal new perspectives about a literary text. Some examples of theory/method include feminism, Marxism, critical race theory, postcolonial theory, post-structuralism, queer theory and cultural studies. Students will be expected to know the major authors and texts of a given theoretical tradition and be able to apply theories to literary texts.

The written comprehensive examinations will be followed by an oral examination, as described under general requirements. The student must register for ENG 795, Comprehensive Examination, one credit, the semester they will be completing the oral exam.

4. Dissertation Defense (final oral examination).

After the dissertation has been accepted by the candidate's advisory committee, the committee will conduct an oral examination dealing with the dissertation and related topics. The defense will be approximately two hours in length.

Contact the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the Ph.D. English, Literature Emphasis.

Ph.D. Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphasis, specific requirements

The Ph.D. Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphasis is intended for people planning to pursue careers in scholarship, teaching, and program administration at the college or university level. The emphasis offers a core of work in rhetoric and writing theory, coupled with focused study in other fields of English language and literature, with possibilities for interdisciplinary study as well.

Students in the program are active in professional activities of various kinds, e.g., publishing, participating in conferences, and serving as interns in community agencies, educational institutions, or businesses.

• Research Methods. ENG 730, Intro to Graduate Study in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, or a comparable course at the MA level, is required and should be taken at the first opportunity. It is customarily offered each fall semester.
• Core Courses. ENG 731, Research in Composition and Rhetoric; and EITHER ENG 733, Classical through Medieval Rhetoric, OR ENG 739, Renaissance through Contemporary Rhetoric.
• ENG 603A - Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction I  (3 units)
• ENG 603B - Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction II  (3 units)
• ENG 604A - Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry I  (3 units)
• ENG 604B - Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry II  (3 units)
• Additional Area. The student also develops expertise in another area, typically in a field of literature or language, but with interdisciplinary study possible as well.
• The student will complete a practicum or internship approved by the committee, including applied work in the field, documentation of that experience, writing a paper and participating in a public forum discussing the implications of the internship. The internship may be taken for credit as ENG 736.

The comprehensive examination process serves as the endpoint of Ph.D. coursework and is the last formal step before the evaluation of the dissertation prospectus. It is coordinated and evaluated by the candidate’s committee.

The comprehensive examination is based upon three reading lists that together comprise a total of 80-120 sources. These lists should be composed by the student in collaboration with the student’s chair and committee. The first list is the primary or major area and represents mostly canonical work. The other two lists represent particular areas of expertise directly relevant to the student’s dissertation work. Generally, at least 40 of the sources are monographs.

Exams are generally taken in the spring semester of the third year of the Ph.D. program and should be completed no later than the end of the fall semester of the student’s fourth year. The timing of the exams must be agreed upon between the student, adviser, and committee well in advance.

The comprehensive examination consists of three components: three timed questions; a longer paper; and an oral examination. These three components together span roughly 10 weeks including evaluation time. The oral examination should be scheduled to take place no earlier than two weeks (14 days) and no later than four weeks (28 days) after the evaluation of the written components is returned. The written examinations must be passed by the committee for the oral examination to take place. Committees should give their evaluation of each component within a two-week (14-day) window. All three exams must be passed by the last day of instruction in the chosen semester for a Satisfactory grade to be entered for ENG 795.

Advancement to Ph.D. candidacy is determined by (a) a Satisfactory grade recorded for ENG 795; and (b) the signing and filing of the “Doctoral Degree Admission to Candidacy/Comprehensive Examination Report” form, available at the Graduate School website . The Prospectus process begins immediately after the candidate is advanced (see “Dissertation” above under General Requirements).

The specific procedures for the three examination components are as follows and should proceed in order:

First Component: Three timed written exams

• This portion of the exam will consist of three written questions, answered in separate 24-hour sessions. These 24-hour sessions will be scheduled by the student and chair but must take place within four weeks (28 days).
• While each student has their own writing process, appropriate time should be allotted to prewriting, writing, revising, editing, and proofreading.
• The three questions will come from sets approved by the student’s committee. The first set will pertain primarily to the student’s first/canonical list while the second and third set of questions will primarily examine the secondary and tertiary lists...
• On each writing day, the chair will email the student one question set. This email marks the beginning of the 24-hour response period.
• On each scheduled date, the student will select one question from the emailed set to answer. The response should be 15-25 pages in length, depending on the number of texts engaged. Any sources used must be acknowledged in the text, but formal, formatted citations are not required.

Second Component: Essay

• This component is executed simultaneously with the timed exams and is to be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled oral defense.
• The essay may be entirely new material, but it is more common for a student to take a seminar paper they have written and develop it toward publication.
• The essay should be of typical length for a journal article; generally 20-30 pages.
• In the essay, the student should articulate the conversation that has taken place about a particular scholarly problem in the field of Rhetoric & Composition; the student should enter that conversation with a clear, focused analytical argument; the student should primarily employ relevant sources from the Comprehensive lists, though some outside sources, particularly primary sources, may appear.
• Committees may advise on the formulation of the topic for the essay before writing begins. However, they will not provide any kind of written outline or template for the essay; nor will they answer questions about the essay or read drafts of it during the writing period.
• The essay should be formatted as an MS for submission to a journal, including an abstract, citations for all source material, and a works-cited list in an appropriate disciplinary style (usually MLA, but Chicago and APA are also acceptable depending on the sub-field of Rhetoric & Composition).

Third Component: Oral exam

• This portion of the exam will begin with a 20-minute presentation in which the student narrates their scholarly development up to this point in their academic career.
• This narrative should be a coherent, focused argument about the student’s scholarly identity that articulates the importance and relevance of their interests to the field.
• This narrative presentation will be followed by a 1-hour session during which committee members will ask questions pertaining to the student’s project and to the combined reading list.
• This component of the examination process will be an opportunity for committee members to follow up on any concerns or omissions related to the narrative presentation or to the written components of the examination.

After the dissertation has been accepted by the candidate's advisory committee, the committee will conduct an oral examination dealing with the dissertation and related topics. The defense will be approximately one and one-half to two hours in length.

Contac the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the Ph.D. English, Rhetoric and Writing Studies Emphasis.

3.4 Graduate School academic requirements

All graduate students must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0. If their GPA drops below 3.0 they are either placed on probation or dismissed. Undergraduate courses will not count towards graduate GPA.

View Graduate School requirements

Students whose cumulative graduate GPA is 0.1 to 0.6 points below that needed for a 3.0 GPA are put on probation. Students are placed on academic probation for one semester. If they fail to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 by the end of one semester, they are dismissed from their graduate program. Thesis, dissertation, S/U graded credits, and transfer credits have no impact on a student’s GPA.

Students whose cumulative graduate GPA is 0.7 or more grade points below that needed for a 3.0 GPA are dismissed. Dismissed students are no longer in a graduate program but may take graduate-level courses as a Grad Special. Students wishing to complete their degree must obtain approval to take graduate-level courses, raise their graduate GPA to at least 3.0 and then re-apply to a graduate program. Any courses taken to raise their GPA will be included in the graduate special/ transfer credit limitation (9 credits for master’s degrees).

Please refer to Nevada System of Higher Education CODE on Student Program Dismissal Procedures (SPDP) and review conference policies: (NSHE CODE, Chapter 11, Sections 1-3). If program dismissal is based upon failure to maintain required grades or a required GPA as described above, SPDP does not apply and the student may be summarily dismissed from the English graduate program.

4. Timeline for degree completion

4.1 master’s degrees.

All coursework must be completed within six years preceding the awarding of the degree.

Sample Timeline: MA (two years)

• Read degree requirements (general and program-specific) on English Web site and Graduate School Web site
• Read the Graduate Student Survival Handbook on the Graduate School Web site
• Meet with Director of Graduate Studies in English in the early weeks of the semester
• Meet twice with appointed faculty mentor
• Plan approach to fulfill the requirements for your degree (including language requirements)
• Submit Transfer Credit Evaluation form (if applicable) to Director of Graduate Studies
• Meet and talk with faculty members who share your interests
• If you do not have a TA but wish to, apply (or reapply) for the TA by the deadline
• Choose a committee chair, and in consultation with chair form rest of your committee; use DocuSign to submit Declaration of Advisor/Major Advisor/Committee Chair form
• Check progress toward degree requirements, including foreign language requirement
• In consultation with committee chair, consider the thesis vs. non-thesis option (if you choose thesis, begin to consider topics)
• Draft Program of Study for approval of Director of Graduate Studies; submit it through DocuSign
• Begin focusing plans for the MA comprehensive exam/final project(s)/thesis
• Continue preparation for exam/final project(s)/thesis
• Consider doing a summer internship, field institute, or volunteer work
• Consider and begin to research longer-term goals (more graduate school vs. careers, etc.)
• Continue taking language classes if requirements not yet met

Second Year

• Meet with chair early to discuss progress through degree
• Prepare for the MA comprehensive exam and/or work on final project(s)/thesis
• Apply to graduate schools with early deadlines (if applicable)
• Finish coursework
• Apply to graduate schools and/or jobs
• Complete comprehensive exam/final project(s)/thesis
• Submit application for graduation to Graduate School early
• Submit Notice of Completion (and thesis) by Graduate School deadline

Note: A teaching assistantship in the MA program may be held for a maximum of two years. The MA degree must be completed within six years from the time the student first earns graduate credits that you apply toward the degree. This timeline represents a very general model for your progress toward the degree. Students should keep medium- and long-range goals in mind, and consult frequently with their mentor/chair.

Sample Timeline: MFA (three years)

• Read degree requirements, general and MFA-specific, on English website and Graduate School website
• Read the Graduate School Survival Handbook on the Graduate School website.
• Meet twice with faculty mentor
• Meet and talk with faculty who share your interests, even if you’re not taking classes with them
• Submit Transfer Credit Evaluation form (if applicable) to Director of Graduate Studies.
• In consultation with faculty mentor, plan approach to fulfill MFA requirements
• If you do not have a TA but wish to, apply (or reapply) for the TA by the deadline.
• Meet with faculty mentor to strategize the creation of a committee and reading list.
• Attend AWP conference in April; seek out other venues for networking and professionalization
• Begin submitting work for publication, if you have not already, and continue to do so throughout your time in the program
• Consider doing a summer internship or volunteer work
• Begin to think about the shape of your thesis and whom you might want to chair, and sit on, your committee
• In consultation with chair, establish the rest of your committee.
• In consultation with chair, establish reading list for comprehensive examination and plan for summer work to develop and focus plans for the thesis.
• Take an interdepartmental elective in a field related to your literary interests or the subject of your thesis.
• In consultation with committee chair and Director of Graduate Studies, prepare Program of Study form and file it with Graduate School.
• In consultation with committee chair, prepare thesis prospectus and submit it to full committee for approval
• Read, or reread, the texts on your list.
• Begin work on annotated bibliography.
• Consider and begin to research longer-term goals (more graduate school versus immediate job search, publishing goals, etc.).
• Begin writing/compiling/revising thesis
• Meet with chair early to discuss progress toward degree.
• Continue work on thesis.
• Prepare for, and take, comprehensive exam.
• Apply to graduate schools with early deadlines (if applicable).
• Finish coursework.
• Complete and submit thesis.
• Apply to graduate schools and/or jobs.
• Submit application for graduation
• Defend thesis.
• Submit Notice of Completion to Graduate School

Note: A teaching assistantship in the MFA program may be held for a maximum of three years. The MFA degree must be completed within six years from the time the student first earns graduate credits that you apply toward the degree. This timeline represents a very general model for your progress toward the degree. Students should keep medium- and long-range goals in mind, and consult frequently with their mentor/chair.

4.2 Doctoral degrees

All coursework must be completed within eight years preceding the awarding of the degree. Credits transferred into doctoral degree from a completed master’s degree are exempt from this eight-year limit.

Sample Timeline: Ph.D.

• Read degree requirements (general and program-specific) on English website and Graduate School website
• Submit Transfer Credit Evaluation form to Director of Graduate Studies
• Check progress toward degree requirements, including foreign languages
• Start thinking about who you might want to chair your committee and about fields for your exams
• Consider applying for internships, volunteer work that gives professional experience
• Consider attending a professional conference and/or joining a few professional organizations
• Consider and begin to research possible scholarly focus areas
• Continue language classes if requirements not met
• Check progress toward degree requirements, including foreign language requirements
• Discuss comprehensive exams with your chair and begin planning your approach
• Become more professionally involved (memberships, internships, conferences, etc.)
• Complete coursework and any outstanding requirements (foreign language, etc.)
• In consultation with chair, complete reading list for exams
• Continue preparing for comprehensive exams
• Become more professionally active (presenting work, publishing book reviews, etc.)
• Complete any outstanding coursework or requirements (foreign language, etc.)
• Complete comprehensive exams this year
• When comp exams are passed, submit Admission to Candidacy form to Graduate School
• In consultation with chair, begin to determine dissertation topic
• Draft a dissertation prospectus
• Talk with your chair about the following issues:
• Presenting papers at conferences and making professional connections
• Sending out an essay or two for publication
• Applying for grants and fellowships
• Attend department Academic Job Placement Workshop
• After you have completed comprehensive exams, consider diversifying teaching

Fourth Year

• Get dissertation prospectus approved by committee if you haven’t already done so
• Determine dissertation completion timeline with your chair
• Consider sending out modified dissertation chapters for publication
• Continue presenting papers at conferences and making professional connections
• Familiarize yourself with the job market and application procedures
• Draft strong c.v., cover letter, writing sample(s), statement of teaching philosophy
• Continue to diversify teaching experiences
• Consider applying for research and/or dissertation fellowships
• Consider attending the MLA (and/or CCCC) conference
• Complete your dissertation
• Defend your dissertation
• Participate in department Academic Job Placement Workshop
• Revise c.v., cover letter, writing sample(s), statement of teaching philosophy
• Establish a dossier and solicit letters of recommendation
• Go on the job market
• Plan to attend the MLA (and/or CCCC) conference for job interviews
• Continue applying for jobs through spring
• Submit dissertation to Graduate School

Note: A teaching assistantship in the Ph.D. program may be held for a maximum of three years. The Ph.D. degree must be completed within six years from the time the student first earns graduate credits that you apply toward the degree. This timeline represents a very general model for your progress toward the degree. Students should keep medium- and long-range goals in mind, and consult frequently with their mentor/chair.

5. Committee selection guidelines

The student advisory committee assists the chair in writing and evaluating comprehensive exams, theses and dissertations (including prospecti), and oral defenses. Members sign all milestone degree completion forms. The relationship and communication between the student and members of the advisory committee should be approved by the student’s chair; some committee members may wish to be more involved in the drafting of dissertations and theses than others, but the committee chair should always be the student’s first point of contact.

In consultation with their chair, students should form their advisory committees in their second semester (MA) or their third semester (MFA and Ph.D.). The Graduate School requires committee formation no later than the third semester (MA) or the fourth (MFA and Ph.D.).

5.2 Doctoral programs

Consist of a minimum of five graduate faculty members; the chair, at least two faculty members from the student’s major department/program, at least one faculty member from a department in a field related to the student’s major, and at least one Graduate School representative.

In case of interdisciplinary graduate programs, the Graduate School Representative cannot have a primary appointment in the same department (or other appropriate major unit) as the student's committee chair.

Formal approval of all student advisory committees is made by the Graduate Dean.

6. Graduate assistantships

Graduate students may apply for teaching assistantships, which will allow them the opportunity to teach first-year composition and sophomore-level humanities courses. Our TA training program provides supportive mentorship and a research-based pedagogical foundation. Doctoral candidates may also have the opportunity to teach courses in their fields. Both masters and doctoral students are eligible for funding to support their professional presentations at academic conferences. Summer Research Assistantships provide an opportunity to work with faculty on their research projects.

All graduate students holding an assistantship (teaching GTA or GRA) are considered Nevada residents for tuition purposes. Non-resident tuition is only waived for the duration of the assistantship. To be eligible for an assistantship, students must be admitted to a degree-granting program and be in good academic standing. The student must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and must be continuously enrolled in at least 6 graduate level credits (600-700) throughout the duration of the assistantship. 

State-funded assistantships (GTA/GRA) may be held for a maximum of: three (3) years for master’s degree students and five (5) years for doctoral degree students.

6.1 How to Apply for a Teaching Assistantship

New applicants.

New applicants to the English Graduate Program may apply for a Teaching Assistantship at the same time as they apply for admission.

Current Students

If openings exist, current students may apply for a Teaching Assistantship every semester. Students who have applied before but have not been appointed to a Teaching Assistantship, or who would like to apply for renewal of a short-term assistantship, must reapply. See below for deadlines and instructions.

Fall TA: complete applications are due January 15.

Spring TA: complete applications are due October 1.

Applications that are not complete by these deadlines will not be considered.

Required Materials

• An application letter, which should be specifically aimed at making clear the applicant’s current experiences, qualifications, and/or ambitions as a teacher.
• Application for Teaching Assistantship
• Three letters of recommendation written within the last year, which if possible should address the applicant’s current experiences, qualifications, and/or ambitions as a teacher. (If you plan to re-use letters from a previous application, ask Kim Boehner to transfer them to your new application file.)

Where to Submit your TA Application

Current students should submit their TA application to the current Director of Graduate Studies, via email, before the deadline. Letters of Recommendation can be sent by email directly to the DGS. 

The most updated information on graduate assistantships is available from the Graduate School:   General information   and the   Graduate Assistantship handbook .

7. Additional funding

Graduate students have multiple opportunities for financial aid at the University.

The English Department offers a variety of annual awards and scholarships. The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships provides information and assistance in applying for loans and University merit-based scholarships. The University’s Graduate Student Association also provides its own scholarships, grants, and loans to qualified graduate students.

On-campus employment opportunities are available at the University. Teaching Assistants who wish to take on additional work must get approval for an overload (see the FAQ section).

For additional financial aid options, see the list of external funding opportunities, below.

7.1 English Department Support

In addition to Teaching Assistantships, other forms of financial support are available through the English Department, including Letter-of-Appointment teaching, Travel Awards, Summer Research Assistantships, Scholarships, and Fellowships.

7.2 Letter-of-Appointment Teaching

LOAs teach first-year courses on a part-time, course-by-course basis. If you are interested in applying to teach as an LOA, please contact the English Department's Core Writing Program . In addition to being paid for the courses they teach, LOAs receive reduced tuition, for up to six credits, equal to the number of credits they are teaching. For example, if an LOA teaches a 3-credit course, then the tuition for 3 of the graduate credits he or she is taking that semester is reduced.

7.3 Travel Awards

Graduate students may apply for up to $400 per year toward travel to a conference at which they are presenting a paper.

7.4 Summer Research Assistantships

Continuing graduate students are eligible to apply for a summer research assistantship, designed to provide supplemental financial assistance, to give students an opportunity to gain experience in various academic fields, and to help prepare them to undertake their own future research projects. SRAs pay $15 per hour up to a maximum of $1200 (80 hours) for a student to work on a faculty member's summer research project.

7.5 Scholarships and Fellowships

The English Department awards a variety of annual scholarships and fellowships, including the Douglass Memorial Scholarship for teaching, the Ronald Memorial Dissertation Fellowship, the Macmillan and DQ Scholarships for writing, and the Leonard Scholarship for academic excellence. We also have had good success nominating our students for University and system-wide scholarships, such as Access Scholarships and the Regents Outstanding Scholar Award.

7.7 Graduate Student Association

Located in the Fitzgerald Student Services Building , the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is an indispensable resource for students looking to fund their educations.

The Office provides information and assistance on a variety of student financial aid issues, including applying and receiving student loans, filling out the FAFSA, and links to University and external merit-based scholarships. Additionally, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, in collaboration with the Graduate School, administers a limited number of general scholarships for graduate students.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) at the University of Nevada, Reno is one of the main sources of financial aid for the University’s graduate student population. Each spring semester, the GSA sponsors an awards program for outstanding UNIVERSITY graduate students, and awards scholarships and grants in several categories, including research, teaching, and mentoring.

In addition to merit-based scholarships and loans, the GSA also provides travel grants to graduate students attending professional conferences and offers a number of need-based scholarships, grants, and loans for current graduate students, including scholarships for childcare and medical hardships, loans for purchasing computer equipment, and grants for students experiencing unexpected financial crises. Additionally, the GSA Household Items program collects and distributes various furniture items and other household necessities for current graduate students. Visit the GSA website or in person at the Joe Crowley Student Union .

7.8 Writing & Speaking Center

The University Writing & Speaking Center provides writing assistance to the University’s entire student population, from undergraduate to graduate, at any stage of the writing process. Writing tutors assist students via one-on-one peer consultation or small group instruction.

The Writing Center is partially funded by student fees, and staffed entirely by a team of committed undergraduate and graduate students. New writing consultants are hired at the end of each semester. Find employment opportunities on the Writing & Speaking Center website .

7.9 Extramural Scholarships and Fellowships

Below is a brief listing of some of the many national and local financial aid opportunities available to qualified graduate students.

External search websites

Grapes: search engine for graduate funding.

The UCLA Graduate Division has an open search engine to identify funding sources for graduate students and postdocs. The UCLA GRAPES database contains information on over 500 private and publicly funded awards, fellowships, and internships for prospective and current graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

Advanced search options allow users to refine their search by field, academic level, award type, award amount, and other criteria.

Humanities Fellowships for ABDs

Charlotte w. newcombe doctoral dissertation fellowships.

The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, and particularly to help Ph.D. candidates in these fields complete their dissertation work in a timely manner.

Henry Frank Guggenheim Emerging Scholar Awards

The foundation welcomes proposals from any of the natural and social sciences and the humanities that promise to increase understanding of the causes, manifestations, and control of violence, aggression, and dominance. Highest priority is given to research that can increase understanding and amelioration of urgent problems of violence, aggression, and dominance in the modern world.

Jacob K. Javits Fellowships Program

This program provides fellowships to students of superior academic ability—selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise—to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts level in selected fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in the Humanities and Original Sources

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation fellowships are for students in the humanities or in a related element of the social sciences who are planning to do dissertation research primarily in original source material in the holdings of archives, libraries, historical societies, museums, related repositories, or a combination.

Mellon Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies Dissertation Completion Fellowship

This program assists graduate students in the humanities or related social sciences in the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing. Students must have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except the dissertation.

Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowships

The Dissertation Fellowship Program seeks to encourage a new generation of scholars from a wide range of disciplines and professional fields to undertake research relevant to the improvement of education.

Grants for Women

American association of university women (aauw) fellowships.

The AAUW Educational Foundation supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented. AAUW offers a variety of fellowships to both international and American female students. 

Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund Grants

Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF) awards grants to outstanding women from developing countries, who are completing degrees at U.S./Canadian universities, and are committed to improving the wellbeing of women and children in developing countries.

Grants for Minority Students

Ford foundation predoctoral fellowships for minorities.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities are three-year awards in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, literature and languages, history, philosophy and religion, life sciences, chemistry, earth sciences, physics and astronomy, engineering, mathematics and computer science. There are around 40 of these awards, which are open to U.S. citizens or nationals who are members of the following minority groups: Alaskan Natives (Eskimo or Aleut), Native American Indians, Black/African Americans, Mexican Americans/Chicanos, Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesian or Micronesian) and Puerto Ricans.

8. Health Insurance

All domestic degree-seeking graduate students, who are enrolled in six or more credits (regardless of the course level) in a semester, will be automatically enrolled and billed for the University-sponsored health insurance for each term they are eligible (fall and spring/summer). If a student has other comparable coverage and would like to waive out of the student health insurance, it is the student’s responsibility to complete the University online waiver form prior to the deadline. If approved, a health insurance waiver is good for the current academic year only. A new waiver must be submitted each academic year. All international graduate students are required to carry student health insurance, and the cost will be automatically added to your student account. Any international graduate students with insurance questions must contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS)  directly.

9. Leave of Absence

The Graduate School grants a Leave of Absence for medical reasons and other emergencies. Leaves of Absence are treated the same as Withdrawals for financial aid purposes. If the student returns to his/her study prior to the date indicated on the Leave of Absence Application, he/she needs to request to the Grad School to be reinstated. Note that the Graduate School’s clock still ticks during the student’s Leave—6 years for MAs, 8 years for Ph.D.s.

Continuous Enrollment: To maintain “good standing” all graduate students are required to enroll in a minimum of three (3) graduate credits each fall and spring semester until they graduate. International students may be required to enroll in nine graduate credits each fall and spring semester depending on the requirements of their visa. All students holding assistantships (whether teaching or research assistantships) are required to enroll in a minimum of six (6) graduate credits each semester they hold the assistantship.

Leave of Absence: Students in good standing may request a leave of absence by completing a   Leave of Absence form   during which time they are not required to maintain continuous registration. Usually, a leave of absence is approved for one or two semesters. The leave of absence request may be extended by the student filing an additional leave of absence form. Students applying for a leave of absence should not have any “incomplete” grades which could be changed to “F” and have a detrimental impact on their cumulative GPA. Requests for leave of absence must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the leave is to begin.

Reinstatement: When a student has been absent for one semester or more without an approved leave of absence, he or she may request reinstatement via the   Reinstatement form . This form allows the program the option to recommend the student be re-admitted to their graduate program based on their previous admission OR require the student to re-apply for admission which would require students to submit a new application for admission and pay the application fee. The Notice of Reinstatement to Graduate Standing must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the reinstatement is to begin.

10. Graduate Student Association

The  Graduate Student Association represents all graduate students and promotes the welfare and interests of the graduate students at the University of Nevada, Reno. The GSA works closely with appropriate University administrative offices, including the Graduate School and Student Services and reports to the President of the University. The GSA government functions through the Council of Representatives, Executive Council and established committees.

The Graduate Student Association functions as one of our graduate students’ greatest support services, offering funding to attend conferences, computer loans, and low-cost household items. In addition, the GSA offers a variety of loans and merit-based scholarships to graduate students.

GSA sponsors a number of social events throughout the semester, including a beginning-of-the-semester wine and cheese social, and an end-of-the-semester breakfast and massage.

Visit the GSA online in person at the Joe Crowley Student Union .

11. Campus Resources

The University of Nevada, Reno is dedicated to providing its students with all the resources they need to have a successful academic career. The University is a Research One university, and students have access to extensive print and media-based resources at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, the main University library.

Graduate students looking to take courses and get involved beyond the English Department may be interested in the University’s Gender, Race, and Identity Program. Students seeking options for additional funding, or for social, academic, and leadership opportunities can find them through the University’s Graduate Student Association. Additional support services and social opportunities can be found through the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, which welcomes all University students.

Visit Around Campus for a virtual tour of the University campus, including 360° panoramas.

11.1 Library

An indispensable resource on the University campus, the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center combines traditional library resources with new digital and multimedia technologies. At 295,000 square feet and five stories tall, the Knowledge Center is both the intellectual and cultural hub of the University campus.

In the main library, the Knowledge Center houses over 1 million volumes of books and journals, plus 15,000+ electronic journals and a growing collection of electronic books. In Special Collections, researchers have access to manuscripts, architectural records, and historical maps, in addition to more than 200,000 photographs, and over 20,000 volumes of historical, rare, and artists’ books. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, the Knowledge Center has excellent Interlibrary Loan agreements to make sure you always have access to all the research materials you need. Visit the University Libraries page for more information.

Additionally, the Knowledge Center is the home to the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame  the @One Digital Media and Technology Center , and the Basque Library and Center for Basque Studies , the only Center for Basque Studies in the United States.

The Knowledge Center also contains a 163-seat auditorium with a stage, an art gallery, a sculpture garden, and special exhibit areas.

The Knowledge Center is an ideal study location as there are computers available throughout the library featuring extensive online databases, multiple group study rooms, and quiet study locations. Graduate students have dedicated study space within the Faculty & Graduate Reading Room, a large, spacious, and comfortable area located on the fourth floor of the Knowledge Center. Private study carrels may be reserved on an annual basis.

Bytes Cafe, which serves the popular Peet’s Coffee, is easily accessible on the main floor of the library. Additional food and drink concessions are available next door at the Joe Crowley Student Union .

11.2 Gender, Race, and Identity Program

The Gender, Race and Identity (GRI) program is an umbrella of several majors and minors, with a graduate certificate program as well as an MA degree, designed to enhance students’ understanding of the roles gender, race, and difference have played in shaping history, culture, and identity. The program is designed to enrich participants’ scholarly understanding of these issues and is open to graduate students from multiple disciplines across campus, including English.

Students wishing to earn a GRI Certificate as part of their graduate studies must complete 12 credits of approved coursework.

11.3 Multicultural Center

The Multicultural Center is a critical hub of cultural, LGBTQIA+, gender-focused services, programs, and social justice initiatives that support student success and increase graduation rates of students at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Center empowers students to be innovative colleagues in creating a better-integrated community at the University and beyond.

All programs and services are offered at no cost and include: academic advisement, leadership development, retention services, financial management counseling, career and major exploration, time management, goal setting, and study skills training. Additionally, the Center sponsors a number of intercultural student organizations, while students who wish to simply study or relax can do so in the Center’s computer lab, study area, or plasma TV, Blu-Ray, and video game lounge.

12. Policies: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about rules and regulations as well as the most important policies that apply to graduate students in English. If you have a question not answered here, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

12.1 Audits

To audit a class the student must sign up through Admissions & Records . You cannot sign up for an audit through MyNevada. Audit credits DO count toward the 6 credits required to maintain a TA-ship or the 3 credits required to maintain active standing. But audit credits do not count toward the total number of credits required for the degree, and audited courses may not be used to fulfill degree requirements. Audit credits are not always covered by Grant-in-Aid. Although audited courses cannot be applied to a degree program, they do appear on a student’s transcript.

12.2 Comprehensive exam (795), Thesis (797), and Dissertation (799) enrollment

To enroll in the Comprehensive Exam (795), students must have completed their foreign language requirement(s) and filed their Program of Study. To enroll in thesis (797) or dissertation (799) hours, students must have filed their Program of Study. Permission forms to register for these course numbers are available in NevadaBox and require your chair's signature.

12.3 Deadlines

The two most important sources for information about deadlines are the Graduate School’s website and the University Academic calendar, accessible from your MyNevada webpage. It is a good idea to consult these sources every semester, print the pages, and record key dates in your planner. Here are the links:

• Graduate School’s List of Graduation Deadlines
• Academic Calendar

12.4 Grant-in-Aid caps for TAs, and Letters of Exception

The Graduate School’s Grant-in-Aid for TAs is capped at 9 credits per semester, but exceptions can be made. If your curricular needs are such that you plan to enroll in more than 9 credits in a given semester, notify the Director of Graduate Studies a semester in advance, explaining what courses you will be taking and how they contribute to your graduate program. Pending approval of your request, the Director of Graduate Studies will send a Letter of Exception to the Graduate School, which will consider making an exception to the 9-credit fee waiver cap. There is a processing time involved, so notify the Director of Graduate Studies as soon as you know what courses you plan to take.

12.5 Grant-in-Aid for Foreign Language courses

If you are a TA and are registered for a foreign language course to meet requirements for your degree, you should notify the Director of Graduate Studies of the course. The Director of Graduate Studies will send a Letter of Request to the Graduate School, which will then consider covering your foreign language course through a grant-in-aid fee reduction. However, the Graduate School does not grant fee reductions for an open-enrollment course through the University department of Online and Independent Learning. Summer foreign language courses are not covered by grant-in-aid.

12.6 Incompletes for 795, the Comprehensive Exam

If a student does not take the exam in the semester for which he or she registered, the instructor assigns a grade of “I” (incomplete), and the student may take the exam the following semester without reregistering. After the student takes the exam, the instructor uses a “Change of Grade” form to submit the grade. 

If the student does not take the exam the following semester, the Incomplete will revert to a “U” (Unsatisfactory = Fail) unless an Incomplete Extension form is filed. That form is available from Admissions and Records (in person—it is not online).

12.7 Internships (ENG 736)

The steps to setting up an internship are as follows:

• Enlist an English Department faculty member to supervise the internship.
• Choose an internship and a site supervisor.
• Write an internship proposal that both the faculty supervisor and site supervisor agree to.
• Download ENG 736 Internship permission form from NevadaBox .
• Get your faculty supervisor's signature. (Must determine # of credits; internships are variable credit and can be taken from 1-4 credits.)
• Signatures needed: faculty supervisor, committee chair, site supervisor, Director of Graduate Studies
• Return signed form to the front office and you will be cleared to register.
• Internships may not be used to fulfill course requirements for the degree (unless the degree requires an internship).

No more than 4 credits of ENG 736 may be counted toward the degree.

12.8 Minimum Enrollment

Students in graduate programs at the University are required by the Graduate School to enroll in a minimum of 3 graduate-level credits in each fall and spring semester to remain in graduate standing. Those failing to do so will be dropped from graduate standing to graduate special status. It is at the discretion of the Department of English, subject to the regulations of the Graduate School, whether students who fail to maintain graduate standing are to be readmitted to the program at any subsequent date. Students who are unable to take the minimum number of credits in a given semester should thus request a leave of absence in writing, using the form available from the Graduate School, if they wish to retain their standing in a graduate program. (See Leave of Absence, above.)

To keep a teaching assistantship, a graduate student must continue to make satisfactory progress in a graduate degree program. A TA must register for a minimum of 6 graduate credits each semester to maintain an assistantship. In addition, he or she must pass at least 10 graduate credits each year. It should be noted that these are Graduate School minimums; meeting them does not prove satisfactory progress in English.

12.9 Overload work for those on TA

If you are a TA in English and you wish to take on additional work of any kind (e.g., tutoring, extra teaching, paid research help to a faculty member), please first talk with your committee chair about the advisability of that extra work. If your chair approves of that extra work in the context of your work for the TA and your progress on your degree, please ask your chair to send an email to the Director of Graduate Studies expressing approval of that extra work. If the Director of Graduate Studies approves the work overload, the DGS sends the appropriate form to the Graduate School. The overload work must be approved by the Graduate School before the TA begins the work.

12.10 Program of Study

The English Department strongly advises students to form their advisory committee and file their Program of Study form in a timely fashion. MA students should complete their Program of Study form in their second semester of study, while MFA and Ph.D. students should do so in their third semester. Filing your Program of Study on this schedule will reduce delays in your time to graduation. You may not sign up for the Comprehensive Exam (ENG 795) until your Program of Study is filed and your foreign language requirement has been met.

A PDF version of the Program of Study form (not accepted for formal submission, is available from the Graduate School.

The following is an ordered plan for Programs of Study, from the first to the last step. Although it looks involved, we have found that this procedure saves everyone time in the long run. Please bring your transcripts, course records, draft Program of Study, and checklist to all meetings.

• Fill out a draft Program of Study during or after consultation with your chair. Please note that, for English graduate students, the total credits required for the degree should be based on English program requirements (e.g. Non-thesis MA 33, thesis MA 31, MFA 60, Ph.D. 73) and not the minimums listed on the graduate school POS instructions.
• With your chair, check the form, look at transcripts, and use a degree checklist, making note of how the foreign language requirement has been met. The Chair does not sign in this step.
• Meet with the Director of Graduate Studies to check the form.
• After the Director of Graduate Studies okays the draft form, enter the information into the DocuSign powerform on the graduate school website. The powerform will be channeled to your chair, the members of your committee, and the DGS, before automatically going on file with the Graduate School. You will be notified that your approved Program of Study is on file or that revision is necessary.

Writing Studio

Wed. 4/10 – undergraduate creative writing symposium and arts showcase – full event schedule and presenter program now available online.

Posted by Writing Studio and Tutoring Services on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in All Events , Calendar , News , News & Events , UWSymposium .

We are excited to announce that the  full event schedule and presenter program is now available online for the Writing Studio’s quickly approaching 3rd Annual Undergraduate Creative Writing Symposium and Arts Showcase on Wednesday, April 10, co-hosted by the Writing Studio and Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt.

2024 UCWS Schedule at a Glance

When:  Wednesday, April 10, 3:00-6:00 PM |  Where:  Alumni Hall, 2nd Floor

• 3:00-3:15:  Welcome and Opening Remarks
• 3:15-4:10:   Spotlight Panel (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry)
• 4:15-5:00:   Session 1 – Panel A (fiction) and Panel B (nonfiction)
• 5:15-6:00:   Session 2 – Panel C (poetry)

For more information, visit the full 2024 UCWS web-based program .

From 3:00-6:00 pm. all attendees are encouraged to make time to peruse the adjoining Vanderbilt Undergraduate Arts Showcase.

The 2024 UCWS kicks off in Alumni Hall with Opening Remarks at 3:00 p.m., followed by student presentation panels begin at 3:15 p.m, 4:15 p.m., and 5:15 p.m., during which our featured student authors will share and reflect on their poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and more.

Visit the  2024 Undergraduate Writing Creative Symposium web-based program page to see who is presenting where and when and read short bios our presenters as well as abstracts of their featured creative pieces.

This year’s theme, “Finding Our Voices, Entering into Dialogue,” spotlights students’ emergent voices as they dare to grow as writers, exploring, experimenting, and answering the call to join a wider dialogue through earnest engagement with the words and views of others.

The Writing Studio thanks our symposium co-sponsors: The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons and the Vanderbilt Libraries.

Please contact us at  [email protected] .

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• Post published: March 26, 2024

WRAC Faculty and Graduate Students Collaborate to Teach Undergraduate Writing Courses

Before enrolling in a writing course at MSU, undergraduates might view writing as a solitary act: performed alone by a creative professional, or as a one-way conversation between an author and invisible readers. But across the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures (WRAC), faculty invite their students to challenge these traditional notions. 

In both graduate and undergraduate settings, WRAC courses push beyond one-dimensional conceptions of writing in favor of collaboration and community-building. Whether they’re pursuing a Minor in Writing (MiW), a Professional and Public Writing (P2W) degree, or simply fulfilling a writing requirement, students from all majors have the opportunity to develop their definitions of writing and apply them to their professional aspirations. 

In the spirit of collaboration, Assistant Professors Dr. Margaret Morris and Dr. Bree Straayer teamed up with Ethan Voss and Mary Murdock , both graduate students in the Master of Arts (MA) in Rhetoric and Writing program , to teach two P2W courses this spring semester: 

• Writing in Corporate Contexts (WRA 333), taught by Dr. Morris and Voss
• Writing in the Public Interest (WRA 331), taught by Dr. Straayer and Murdock

These graduate-faculty partnerships enrich the experiences of undergraduates and the learning outcomes of all involved. 

WRA 333: Writing in Corporate Contexts

In WRA 333, Dr. Morris and Voss invite students to read, analyze, and produce the kinds of writing that function as “glue” in corporate communications: from public-facing messages and crisis response to business emails and even group chats. 

Through a series of four projects, students reflect on prior experiences and apply their unique knowledge sets to their future roles, professional contexts, and responsibilities. Together, Dr. Morris and Voss engage students in a mixture of audience analysis, writing production, and presentations, with a continual emphasis on professionalism and corporate leadership.

Dr. Morris frames conversations about corporate work with Dare to Lead , written by researcher, professor, and storyteller Brené Brown . After reading Brown’s book, students are asked to present core concepts from the text and articulate their strengths and opportunities for leadership development. Through this work, “students begin to take on their own markers of leadership, and hopefully begin to understand that leadership – and writing – isn’t about being perfect, but rather vulnerable and self-correcting,” Dr. Morris said. 

These aims are reinforced by the students’ final two projects, which ask them to create plans for success as future leaders and writers in corporate environments. Each student reflects on the course in a letter, in which they articulate their intentions as young writers entering a fast-changing workforce.

A Partnership Built on Past Experiences

Dr. Morris brings real-world corporate experience and over twenty years of teaching experience to her classroom. This is her second time teaching WRA 333 as well as collaborating with Voss; last fall, the duo co-taught WRA 370, an introductory course in grammar and editing.

As an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, Voss’ two favorite courses were “Technical and Professional Writing” and “Editing, Critique, and Style.” In addition to sharing relevant knowledge from his undergraduate years, Voss offers his perspectives as a young adult and current student to connect with undergraduates in WRA 331, many of whom are seniors. 

“I was in their position not too long ago, so I’m often asking: ‘How can we prepare these students to launch into the next phase of life?’” Voss said. 

As a former writer in a corporate setting, Dr. Morris also understands the particular nature of corporate environments that many of her students will enter after graduating this spring. 

“When students get to the workplace, they’re going to be writing a lot,” Dr. Morris said. “In a corporate setting, you have to be in good relationships with people across the organization, so you can gather the information you need and write it up in a way that meets the needs and expectations of your audience.”

In anticipation of these demands, Dr. Morris and Voss ask their students to write across different modes of writing while attending closely to their audiences, which involves analysis and research to better understand the needs of hypothetical readers. In the classroom, peers function as readers and supporters, so Dr. Morris and Voss strive to foster a communal space where students feel comfortable sharing, brainstorming, and writing together. 

“One of my primary aims as a P2W Professor is to create a small community in every classroom where people really know each other, their strengths and weaknesses, and trust in the process of sharing their writing,” Dr. Morris said. 

Intentional community-building is especially vital in classrooms with varied academic interests. In WRA 333 alone, represented majors include Neuroscience, Textile and Apparel, Japanese, Communications, Political Science and Theory, and Experience Architecture. Students often enroll in P2W courses like WRA 333 to fulfill requirements for the MiW or complete a writing elective, so P2W faculty – and teaching assistants like Voss – work with students from diverse backgrounds.

By getting to know these students “on a more granular level,” Dr. Morris said, she can tailor their activities and teams to align with their educational goals and personal needs. “Every class, we check in and try to be honest with each other. We share a lot of laughter, and then we forge forward.”

Co-Teaching = Co-Learning

Collaborating with Voss – who will complete his MA in Rhetoric and Writing this spring and begin a Ph.D. program next fall – “lets me perceive new ways to come into the classroom and infuse it with life and knowledge,” Dr. Morris reflected. She attributes the success of their collaboration to shared pedagogical values, enthusiasm, and overall “synergy.” 

“Ethan and I have complementary values of building community, listening to students, and centering students in our pedagogy,” Dr. Morris described. She contends that the students in WRA 333 also benefit from their collaboration, as they get to work with both a long-time professor and former corporate professional and a younger educator with newer theory and praxis. 

Both Dr. Morris and Voss bring their enthusiasm for relationship-building via writing, as well as their shared belief in the value of pedagogical partnerships in higher education. “In teaching settings, there’s so much value in observation, but even more in the process of actively engaging your ideas and putting them into practice,” Dr. Morris said. “Most of the time, students are so eager to learn that they’re forgiving about your learning process as a teacher.” It can take years to develop one’s “teacherly identity,” Dr. Morris noted – and she’s still doing it alongside Voss. 

Preparing Students for Future Work – and Future Writing

The impending job search can feel daunting for many students, so Voss and Dr. Morris take measures to ground their class in the present moment with supportive check-ins and a “Dumb Question of the Day” – usually supplied by Voss – that imbue the classroom with honesty and a therapeutic dose of humor. 

These pedagogical moves support the professional and personal success of undergraduates, as well as Voss’ personal journey as a graduate student. After completing his Ph.D., Voss sees himself teaching in a First-Year Writing Program and eventually working as a Director. From there, he plans to eventually transition into other leadership roles, but always circling back to his original love for higher education, classroom community, and the students who define this work.

In this specific course and across his pedagogy, Voss views the classroom as a space to gather and “foster the development of genuinely good people: ones who can leave as leaders and understand the importance of engaging with other people, exactly as they are.” 

“Regardless of whether they go into a corporate setting or somewhere else, we want students to make genuine changes in the spaces they enter,” Voss said. 

Voss and Dr. Morris recently submitted a presentation proposal to talk about their co-teaching experience at the Spring 2024 Teaching and Learning Conference , hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation. They look forward to completing the semester together and sharing about their collaboration with a larger community of teachers, researchers, and writers.

WRA 331: Writing in the Public Interest

Across the hall, Murdock and Dr. Straayer teach undergraduates about nonprofit writing in WRA 331. While acknowledging their roles as teachers first, they also wear “the hats of clients, such that students are creating deliverables that would be used in a nonprofit communications strategy or a real community,” Murdock reflected. 

Dr. Straayer offered a similar sentiment. “As a class, we’re really invested in understanding what reading and writing look like in community spaces, and not just in higher education.” 

In keeping with this community-centric vision, Dr. Straayer and Murdock incorporate a mixture of projects and learning modalities into WRA 331. Across assignments, they emphasize hands-on creation and thinking about the complexities of writing for nonprofit organizations, especially compared to corporate settings. 

The course is structured around five assignments, beginning with an introductory project that asks students to analyze and adjust an example of nonprofit communication with significant room for improvement. Students get a chance to play with design in a low-stakes environment, familiarize themselves with writing in the nonprofit sphere, and “make constructive changes and see what challenges arise in the process,” Dr. Straayer described. Students find that while “it’s easy to critique a writing sample, it’s much harder to make it ‘right,’” she said.  

This foundational assignment prepares students for the remaining four projects, which collectively ask them to consider the role of audience, storytelling, and personal values when communicating on behalf of a nonprofit organization. The course simulates the challenges and affordances of writing for nonprofits, whether on a freelance or in-house basis: through case studies, rhetorical analysis of common documents, project management, and ongoing reflection. 

In the students’ third project, which explores the role of storytelling in the nonprofit world, Dr. Straayer asks students to consider the ethics of communicating other people’s stories. “We consider what it looks like to give others agency in the composition practice – because in the nonprofit world, so much of writing is storytelling,” Dr. Straayer said. In this specific project but also throughout the course, Dr. Straayer and Murdock focus on preparing students to enter a nonprofit setting with care and intention. 

“We want to prepare students to listen and understand their own positionality and lens through which they view the world, so when they’re working with communities, they understand how to work with a certain kind of sensitivity and thinking,” Dr. Straayer described. “When we tell stories in nonprofit spaces, we want to honor the people we’re working with and show them in the fullness of who they really are, and ensure that we’re not just shedding one light.”

Replicating Community Work in the Writing Classroom

Prior to teaching in WRAC, Dr. Straayer worked for three years at the Literacy Center of West Michigan and oversaw their program for parents learning English. As a graduate student at MSU, Dr. Straayer worked with English Language Learners at Bethany Christian Services; and during the summers, she taught at Grand Rapids Community College as an English Fast Track Instructor. These highly immersive experiences – centered around one-on-one relationships – continue to inform Dr. Straayer’s teaching philosophy in WRA 331.

Dr. Straayer also has ample experience mentoring younger professionals like Murdock, who originally got involved in WRA 331 to fulfill the internship requirement for her MA concentration in Professional Writing and Technical Communication. On a more personal level, Murdock views this internship as an opportunity to expand the definition of teaching, particularly as it relates to her professional interests in nonprofit work.

“Teaching happens everywhere,” Murdock said. “Even though I’m not currently interested in classroom teaching as a career, I find that teaching happens across professional spaces and roles: in nonprofit leadership, project management, even user experience and design work.”

Murdock incorporates various pedagogical tools and experiences from her work in the Cube – a publishing and user experience research center in WRAC – to give undergraduates in WRA 331 an experience she called “workplace-light.” 

“When you’re presenting something to a client, explaining ‘here’s what we did, and here’s why,’ or running workshops to get feedback on a prototype – these conversations are pedagogical in a lot of ways,” she said. 

Collaboration, Community, and Cross-Cultural Communication

This Spring semester, the majority of students in WRA 331 are non-writing majors, ranging from Studio Art to Political Science. The course bridges a range of learners and experiences, enhancing the relevance of collaboration and cross-cultural understanding in the classroom. 

Outside the classroom, Dr. Straayer and Murdock collaborate regularly to plan for their next class and reflect on the last. “We’re both learning to teach this class for the first time,” Murdock explained. “It’s been really cool to bring my knowledge and experiences to this setting and see students practice project management, especially since undergraduates don’t usually get asked to take on these roles in their classes.”

As she looks forward to graduating in the spring, Murdock is actively applying to communications roles in mission-driven organizations. Reflecting on her development as a writer and professional, she loves helping undergraduates recognize and honor their passions, interests, and abilities. “A lot of this co-teaching experience has involved confidence-building: helping students recognize their own affinities and leverage them for class projects,” Murdock said. 

Dr. Straayer plays a parallel supportive role for Murdock and other young professionals. As a former graduate student, Dr. Straayer was recognized for her mentorship of new teaching assistants ; and now, as a working teacher, she maintains her commitment to advising new educators. “I want to help them develop curriculum, see their strengths as teachers, and ultimately lean into what they’re good at and not try to be something they’re not in the classroom,” she shared. 

Figuring out “your window into pedagogy” takes time, Dr. Straayer said, but these semester-long collaborations give graduate students like Murdock and Voss the time, space, and community to explore their pedagogical values – and, perhaps most challengingly, how to translate them into structured classroom activities. “How do you funnel all of your teaching values into one moment?” Dr. Straayer mused. “It’s a tough question.”

Dr. Straayer makes time at the end of each day to sit with this question, reflect on what went well in the classroom, and consider which areas might call for revision or more structured collaboration with Murdock or other teachers in the department. “It’s so fun and helpful working with Mary, getting to know the students, seeing their energy, and hearing their discussions,” Dr. Straayer said. 

In both WRA 331 and WRA 333, the lines between teacher, learner, and writer are productively blurry – and in these collaborative communities, moments of teaching and learning are always unfolding. 

For more information about the MiW, P2W major, and the graduate program in Rhetoric and Writing, please visit the WRAC website . 

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Creative Writing, Bachelor of Arts Degree

Train to effectively communicate innovative ideas in poetry and prose.

About Creative Writing at Young Harris College

Creative writing trains students to effectively communicate innovative ideas in poetry and prose. Students develop their writing technique and practice, gaining an understanding of their place in the literary tradition.

The Humanities majors are all built on the same liberal arts core. Creative writing offers a foundation in literature as well as courses in the craft and theory of writing. Through its rigorous, diverse curriculum, which includes craft classes, workshops, and seminars, the major is designed to introduce students to the genres, then allow for individual growth and mentorship as students come into their own as thinkers and writers.

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Creative Writing is offered as a major and minor .

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To graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from YHC, you’ll take 120 hours of coursework.

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• university of new orleans
• campus news
• in memoriam: english professor and author carol gelderman

CAMPUS NEWS: MARCH 25, 2024

In memoriam, in memoriam: english professor and author carol gelderman.

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Carol Gelderman, former English professor and author known for her prolific writings, died March 8, 2024.

Carol Gelderman, an esteemed English professor at the University of New Orleans for more than three decades and the author of 10 books—including a biography of Henry Ford—died on March 8. She was 89.

After earning a doctorate from Northwestern University, Gelderman joined the University in 1972 and remained on the English faculty until her retirement in 2005. She was such a prolific and skilled writer that in 1993 she was named a Distinguished Professor, a prestigious title held by only five faculty members at any one time.  

Her 10 published books included two textbooks about business and professional writing. A passionate student of American politics, she analyzed presidential speech writing in “All the President’s Words: The Bully Pulpit and the Creation of the Virtual Presidency.” But Gelderman was best known for her biographies. A review of “Henry Ford: The Wayward Capitalist” made the cover of Business Week . Her biography of the writer Mary McCarthy, “Mary McCarthy: A Life,” was reviewed on the front page of the New York Times Book Review.    

She continued to write throughout her life. “A Free Man of Color and His Hotel: Race, Reconstruction, and the Role of the Federal Government,” was published in 2012 when she was 77. In it, she examined the life of James Wormley, a free Black man who owned and operated the most luxurious hotel in Washington, D.C., from the 1850s until the 1880s.

In his eulogy of Gelderman, former UNO provost, English professor and founder of the Creative Writing Workshop Rick Barton called her a “scholar and acclaimed writer, a cherished teacher, a caring colleague and a loyal friend.”

“Despite all the long hours of intellectual effort it took to research and write these amazingly dissimilar 10 books, Carol shined in other aspects of her life as well,” Barton said. “We all know university faculty who publish important books and articles but don’t bother to put the same effort into their teaching duties. Not Carol Gelderman. She was as devoted a teacher as she was a scholar.”

Before receiving master’s and doctoral degrees from Northwestern, Gelderman worked for the American Embassy in London for a year and in public television in Chicago, conducting on-air interviews of visiting VIPs for a show called “Profile Chicago.” In addition to her 10 books, she wrote dozens of articles on topics as varied as theatre, biography, politics and mutual funds.

“Carol Gelderman was a vivacious, gregarious and affable person. She had friends all over New Orleans,” Barton said. “Carol was beloved by so many of us because she never practiced self-aggrandizement. She was a literary star, but you’d never learn about that from her.”

Colleagues and friends are planning to hold a memorial for Gelderman on UNO’s campus. Those details are incomplete.

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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Masters in Creative Writing Programs in America

1-25 of 223 results

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Cambridge, MA •

Harvard University •

Graduate School

• • Rating 4.56 out of 5   9 reviews

Other: I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student' in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Through this School, I will be focusing my time at the John A. Paulson school of Engineering & Applied Sciences. Looking forward to wrapping up my final year on campus! ... Read 9 reviews

Harvard University ,

Graduate School ,

CAMBRIDGE, MA ,

9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars.

Featured Review: Other says I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student'... .

Read 9 reviews.

Brown University Graduate School

Providence, RI •

Brown University •

Brown University ,

PROVIDENCE, RI ,

Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

Evanston, IL •

Northwestern University •

Northwestern University ,

EVANSTON, IL ,

Emerson College

Graduate School •

• • Rating 4.72 out of 5   60

American University

WASHINGTON, DC

• • Rating 4.54 out of 5   147

College of Liberal and Creative Arts - San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University •

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

College of Arts and Science

Nashville, TN •

Vanderbilt University •

Vanderbilt University ,

NASHVILLE, TN ,

Washington University in St. Louis - Arts & Sciences

St. Louis, MO •

Washington University in St. Louis •

Washington University in St. Louis ,

ST. LOUIS, MO ,

College of Arts and Letters - University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN •

University of Notre Dame •

• • Rating 4.5 out of 5   2 reviews

Doctoral Student: The faculty at Notre Dame is excellent. The student to professor ratio makes for a wonderful one to one interaction between students and teachers. At Notre Dame, my interests, dreams, goals, research and career path matter. I loved this most. I feel taken seriously and supported with every possible resources for my mental, academic and career success. One gets many opportunities to grow talents through research, and presentations with helpful and supportive feedback from students and professors. For these reasons, I find it a place to be! On the down side, the weather is at first always a challenge for one who is not used to the harsh and gloomy midwestern winter. ... Read 2 reviews

University of Notre Dame ,

NOTRE DAME, IN ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Doctoral Student says The faculty at Notre Dame is excellent. The student to professor ratio makes for a wonderful one to one interaction between students and teachers. At Notre Dame, my interests, dreams, goals, research... On the down side, the weather is at first always a challenge for one who is not used to the harsh and gloomy midwestern winter. .

Read 2 reviews.

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Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Los Angeles, CA •

University of Southern California •

University of Southern California ,

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

Cornell University College of Arts & Sciences

Ithaca, NY •

Cornell University •

Cornell University ,

ITHACA, NY ,

Rackham School of Graduate Studies

Ann Arbor, MI •

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: I was nervous about attending a prestigious school like The University of Michigan but once classes started I realized that I had made the right decision. Tuition is very expensive but I love my professors and I believe that I am getting the best education in the country! ... Read 3 reviews

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ,

ANN ARBOR, MI ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I was nervous about attending a prestigious school like The University of Michigan but once classes started I realized that I had made the right decision. Tuition is very expensive but I love my... .

Read 3 reviews.

Krieger School of Arts & Sciences

Baltimore, MD •

Johns Hopkins University •

• • Rating 4.53 out of 5   19 reviews

Master's Student: I have yet to enroll for Fall 2023 after receiving my acceptance letter due to a delay in my need-based financial aid from JHU. However the Homewood Campus in Baltimore is beautiful and my Student Advisor, Alexis has been extremely helpful in initiating my enrollment process and answering all of my questions in a timely matter. My intended Advanced Academic Program is the accelerated (2 semester), dual-modality, 40-credit M.S. in Biotechnology, Biodefense concentration. All of the anticipated course subjects are diverse and there's even a customizable core lab course on campus (at least until Summer 2024). I can't wait and I wish you all the best in your search for academic programs or professional certifications. ... Read 19 reviews

Johns Hopkins University ,

BALTIMORE, MD ,

19 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I have yet to enroll for Fall 2023 after receiving my acceptance letter due to a delay in my need-based financial aid from JHU. However the Homewood Campus in Baltimore is beautiful and my Student... .

Read 19 reviews.

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA •

University of Virginia •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   1 review

Alum: Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study ... Read 1 review

University of Virginia ,

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study .

Read 1 reviews.

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - New York University

New York, NY •

New York University •

• • Rating 4.8 out of 5   10 reviews

Master's Student: I am enrolled specifically in the Magazine concentration. My professors have all been helpful with helping me succeed and are willing to stay back to go over something I don't understand. There are multiple points of resources at this program. A director is your main academic advisor. Aside from that, there is a pitch specialist to assist with freelancing and two wonderful career advisors. They help with setting up mingle sessions, job fairs, and internship talks. As of now, I haven't had bad experiences, however, I will say that the program is expensive and is an awkward three semesters. Those two things aren't ideal, however, its not too much of a dealbreaker. ... Read 10 reviews

New York University ,

NEW YORK, NY ,

10 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I am enrolled specifically in the Magazine concentration. My professors have all been helpful with helping me succeed and are willing to stay back to go over something I don't understand. There are... .

Read 10 reviews.

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College of Liberal Arts - University of Texas - Austin

Austin, TX •

University of Texas - Austin •

University of Texas - Austin ,

AUSTIN, TX ,

College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Blacksburg, VA •

Virginia Tech •

Virginia Tech ,

BLACKSBURG, VA ,

Liberal Arts and Sciences - University of Florida

Gainesville, FL •

University of Florida •

Master's Student: Overall, the University of Florida seems to be a great school as far as rankings and attendance rates go. Despite the political turmoil going on in the state of Florida, there seems to be a relatively strong student body of undergraduate students. Graduate students, however, are less cohesive. Likely due to politics, our graduate student union is in jeopardy, and it is so difficult to get the union membership to 60%. In the Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Law, we have a very low union membership status, which is somewhat ironic considering the nature of our disciplines. The demands of balancing an assistantship and academic career are exhausting, and even more so with limited resources (financial, emotional, etc.). The faculty turnover in the dept. is also insane, likely due to the political situation that seems to be driving out all faculty members of color. Lastly, financial support is incredibly limited. All things aside, the education that I am receiving is appropriate. ... Read 1 review

Blue checkmark.

University of Florida ,

GAINESVILLE, FL ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says Overall, the University of Florida seems to be a great school as far as rankings and attendance rates go. Despite the political turmoil going on in the state of Florida, there seems to be a... .

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - Boston University

Boston, MA •

Boston University •

Boston University ,

BOSTON, MA ,

College of Letters & Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI •

University of Wisconsin •

• • Rating 4.22 out of 5   9 reviews

Alum: Aside from being really cold, UW-Madison is a great school. Needless to say, it is one of the top schools in the U.S. with a beautiful campus that has Lake Mendota and a lot of student life to enjoy. Academic was really good too, but given how the city is college town, you can feel the emptiness when students go back home during summer break. It is known as party school too with Mifflin Street Block Party. But it is also highly academically renowned school. So you can make your campus life as fun or as beneficial as you can. There are many gyms and libraries that can handle 40k + students. In addition, you have to check out Camp Randall, the football stadium and attend The MadHatters A Cappella show. I really miss this campus except for the weather. State street has many diverse restaurants that are authentic and delicious. One of the best campuses in the world. ... Read 9 reviews

University of Wisconsin ,

MADISON, WI ,

9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Aside from being really cold, UW-Madison is a great school. Needless to say, it is one of the top schools in the U.S. with a beautiful campus that has Lake Mendota and a lot of student life to enjoy.... .

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences - University of Illinois

Urbana, IL •

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign •

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ,

URBANA, IL ,

College of Arts and Sciences - University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL •

University of Miami •

• • Rating 4.67 out of 5   6 reviews

Master's Student: I am in graduate school and needed something online but also wanted something that was going to challenge me and provide me with a step further than my undergrad school provided. I compared many MPA programs and chose the University of Miami because the program was so similar to the in-person MPA program, taught by the same professors, and included the same courses. While entirely online, I have come to know my fellow graduate students and come to know the faculty in each of the courses I have taken. I'm currently half-way through the program and cannot wait to complete this degree! ... Read 6 reviews

University of Miami ,

CORAL GABLES, FL ,

6 Niche users give it an average review of 4.7 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I am in graduate school and needed something online but also wanted something that was going to challenge me and provide me with a step further than my undergrad school provided. I compared many MPA... .

Read 6 reviews.

BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Provo, UT •

Brigham Young University •

Brigham Young University ,

PROVO, UT ,

College of Liberal Arts - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN •

University of Minnesota Twin Cities •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: The School has some management problems. However, the faculty are well trained and knowledgeable. The performance faculty are very well suited to serve the twin cities area and Minnesota as a whole. ... Read 2 reviews

University of Minnesota Twin Cities ,

MINNEAPOLIS, MN ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The School has some management problems. However, the faculty are well trained and knowledgeable. The performance faculty are very well suited to serve the twin cities area and Minnesota as a whole. .

University of Washington College of Arts & Sciences

Seattle, WA •

University of Washington •

University of Washington ,

SEATTLE, WA ,

College of Humanities and Social Sciences - NC State University

Raleigh, NC •

North Carolina State University •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   1 review

Graduate Student: NC State's MSW program will prepare you to handle a wide variety of social work careers. The professors are amazing and teach students how to engage in various social justice activities on multiple levels. This grad program was an excellent career decision. ... Read 1 review

North Carolina State University ,

RALEIGH, NC ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Graduate Student says NC State's MSW program will prepare you to handle a wide variety of social work careers. The professors are amazing and teach students how to engage in various social justice activities on multiple... .

College of Arts and Humanities - University of Maryland

College Park, MD •

University of Maryland - College Park •

University of Maryland - College Park ,

COLLEGE PARK, MD ,

Florida State University - The College of Arts and Sciences

Tallahassee, FL •

Florida State University •

Florida State University ,

TALLAHASSEE, FL ,

University of Wyoming

LARAMIE, WY

• • Rating 4.42 out of 5   24

College of Arts and Sciences - American University

American University •

College of Arts and Sciences - University of Wyoming

University of Wyoming •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   3

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