creative writing masters gre

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 .

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.

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Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

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Research newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications that consistently publish book reviews using the Review Outlets database, which includes information about publishing schedules, submission guidelines, fees, and more.

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MFA Programs Contact Form

Help us keep this database current. If you have updated information on one of the programs listed in the MFA database, let us know.

MFA Programs Database

• Help Keep This Database Current

Our MFA database includes essential information about low- and full-residency graduate creative writing programs in the United States and other English-speaking countries to help you decide where to apply.

Adelphi University

Poetry: Jan-Henry Gray, Maya Marshall Prose: Katherine Hill, René Steinke, Igor Webb

Albertus Magnus College

Poetry: Charles Rafferty, Paul Robichaud Fiction: Sarah Harris Wallman Nonfiction: Eric Schoeck

American University

Poetry: Kyle Dargan, David Keplinger Fiction: Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Stephanie Grant, Patricia Park Nonfiction: Rachel Louise Snyder

Antioch University

Poetry: Victoria Chang Prose: Lisa Locascio

Arcadia University

Poetry: Genevieve Betts, Michelle Reale Fiction: Stephanie Feldman, Joshua Isard, Tracey Levine, Eric Smith Literature: Matthew Heitzman, Christopher Varlack, Elizabeth Vogel, Jo Ann Weiner

Poetry: Genevieve Betts, Michelle Reale Fiction: Stephanie Feldman, Joshua Isard, Tracey Levine, Eric Smith

Arizona State University

Poetry: Sally Ball, Natalie Diaz, Eunsong Kim, Alberto Álvaro Ríos, Safiya Sinclair Fiction: Matt Bell, Jenny Irish, Tara Ison, Mitchell Jackson, T. M. McNally Creative Nonfiction: Sarah Viren

Ashland University

Poetry: Aria Aber, Dexter Booth, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Adam Gellings, Tess Taylor, Vanessa Angélica Villareal

Fiction: Kirstin Chen, Brian Conn, Edan Lepucki, Sarah Monette, Nayomi Munaweera, Vi Khi Nao, Naomi J. Williams, Kyle Winkler

Nonfiction: Cass Donish, Kate Hopper, Lauren Markham, Thomas Mira y Lopez, Lisa Nikolidakis, Terese Mailhot, Kelly Sundberg

Augsburg University

Poetry: Jim Cihlar, Michael Kleber-Diggs Fiction: Stephan Eirik Clark, Lindsay Starck Nonfiction: Anika Fajardo, Kathryn Savage Playwriting: Alice Eve Cohen, Carson Kreitzer, TyLie Shider Screenwriting: Stephan Eirik Clark, Andy Froemke

Ball State University

Poetry: Katy Didden, Mark Neely Fiction: Cathy Day, Sean Lovelace Nonfiction: Jill Christman, Silas Hansen Screenwriting: Rani Deighe Crowe, Matt Mullins

Bard College

Mirene Arsanios, CA Conrad, Hoa Nguyen, Christopher Perez, Cedar Sigo, Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Roberto Tejada, Monica de la Torre, Simone White

Bath Spa University

Poetry: Lucy English, Carrie Etter, Tim Liardet, John Strachan, Samantha Walton, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Alexia Casale, Lucy English, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Maggie Gee, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Steve Hollyman, Emma Hooper, Claire Kendal, Kate Pullinger, C.J. Skuse, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Celia Brayfield, Richard Kerridge, Stephen Moss Scriptwriting: Robin Mukherjee

Poetry: Lucy English, Carrie Etter, Tim Liardet, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Maggie Gee, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Claire Kendal, Kate Pullinger, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Richard Kerridge, Stephen Moss

Bay Path University

Mel Allen, Leanna James Blackwell, Jennifer Baker, Sari Botton, Melanie Brooks, María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado, Áine Greaney, Shahnaz Habib, Jessica Handler, Ann Hood, Susan Ito, Karol Jackowski, Yi Shun Lai, Anna Mantzaris, Meredith O’Brien, Lisa Romeo, Kate Whouley

Bennington Writing Seminars at Bennington College

Current Faculty: Poetry: Michael Dumanis, Carmen Giménez, Dana Levin, Randall Mann, Craig Morgan Teicher, Mark Wunderlich Fiction: Jai Chakrabarti, Monica Ferrell, Manuel Gonzales, Deirdre McNamer, Stuart Nadler, Téa Obreht, Katy Simpson Smith, Taymour Soomro, Claire Vaye Watkins, Toya Wolfe Nonfiction: Eula Biss, Jenny Boully, Saeed Jones, Sabrina Orah Mark, Shawna Kay Rodenberg, Hugh Ryan

Binghamton University

Poetry: Tina Chang, Joseph Weil Fiction: Thomas Glave, Leslie L. Heywood, Liz Rosenberg, Jaimee Wriston-Colbert, Alexi Zentner Nonfiction: Leslie L. Heywood

Bluegrass Writers Studio at Eastern Kentucky University

Poetry: Julie Hensley, Young Smith Fiction: Julie Hensley, Nancy Jensen, Robert D. Johnson Nonfiction: Nancy Jensen, Robert D. Johnson, Evan J. Massey

Boise State University

Poetry: Martin Corless-Smith, Sara Nicholson, Taryn Schwilling Fiction: Mitch Wieland (Director), Anna Caritj Creative Nonfiction: Clyde Moneyhun

Boston University

Poetry: Andrea Cohen, Karl Kirchwey, Robert Pinsky Fiction: Leslie Epstein, Jennifer Haigh, Ha Jin

Boston University—MFA in Literary Translation

Odile Cazenave, Margaret Litvin, Petrus Liu, Christopher Maurer, Roberta Micaleff, Robert Pinsky (advising), Stephen Scully, Sassan Tabatabai, J. Keith Vincent, William Waters, Anna Zielinska-Elliott

Bowling Green State University

Poetry: Abigail Cloud, Sharona Muir, F. Dan Rzicznek, Larissa Szporluk, Jessica Zinz-Cheresnick Fiction: Joe Celizic, Lawrence Coates, Reema Rajbanshi, Michael Schulz

Brigham Young University

Poetry: Kimberly Johnson, Lance Larsen, Michael Lavers, John Talbot Fiction: Chris Crowe, Ann Dee Ellis, Spencer Hyde, Stephen Tuttle Nonfiction: Joey Franklin, Patrick Madden

Brooklyn College

Poetry: Julie Agoos, Ben Lerner Fiction: Joshua Henkin, Madeleine Thien Playwriting: Dennis A. Allen II, Elana Greenfield

Brown University

Poetry: Sawako Nakayasu, Matthew Shenoda, Eleni Sikelianos, Cole Swensen Fiction: Colin Channer, Laird Hunt, Karan Mahajan, Jacinda Townsend Cross Disciplinary & Digital Language Arts: John Cayley, Thalia Field, Sawako Nakayasu

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

Online Students

For All Online Programs

International Students

On Campus, need or have Visa

Campus Students

For All Campus Programs

Master's in Creative Writing Online MA Degree Program

Earn a Master's in Creative Writing

• $637/credit (36 credits)
• Inclusive creative writing community
• 24/7 online access – attend class at your convenience
• 100% online – no residency required
• 4 genre options for concentrations
• Complete in as few as 15 months, or at your own pace

Master's in Creative Writing Online Program Overview

Ignite your imagination and jump-start your professional writing career with a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Creative Writing online at Southern New Hampshire University. Learn to use the written word to effectively tell your story and share your ideas with the world. By studying literature and the way accomplished authors have perfected their art, you'll be prepared to enter a number of industries as a creative writer. 

This English and creative writing graduate program fosters your imagination and creativity with a perfect balance of critical analysis and craft, along with an emphasis on literary theory and the history of the English language. You also have the freedom to choose from 4 genre concentrations or to combine your choice of genre courses if, for example, you're interested in both fiction and screenwriting.

This specialized creative writing master's degree can help you develop an ability to communicate in any career path you choose to follow, including:

• Marketing and communications

If you've always dreamed of starting your own novel, writing a collection of poetry or developing your screenplay, you'll gain the foundation you need through this program.

At the end of the program, you'll either complete a creative thesis or submit a portfolio of creative writing, along with a retrospective essay.

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

• Integrate form, language and literary works into writing style and voice
• Expand upon your own creative process
• Create original literary works of publishable quality
• Reflect on goals, process and ethos as a creative writer
• Use technology as a tool to stylize and promote creative work

.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.

Concentration Options

You'll also have the option to master a specialized skill set with one of our 4 genre-focused concentrations .

Fiction Literature has long been a source of inspiration, both for readers and writers. In Southern New Hampshire University's online MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction degree, you can find your creative voice and tell your story. Your knowledge can grow beyond a basic understanding of plot building, narrative, voice and character as you push your creative boundaries. Hone your craft for the kind of fiction you've always dreamed of bringing to life through novels, short stories, children's literature and more. In this degree program, you'll have the opportunity to explore whichever genres in fiction pique your interest, from horror and sci-fi to fantasy, young adult, romance and more.  The art of storytelling has deep historical and societal roots, and it is critical to cross-cultural communication. In your MA in Creative Writing online degree program, you’ll study the work of published writers to help you develop your own creative writing skills. You’ll focus on why authors make specific creative decisions to develop a deeper understanding of fiction in all of its forms, all while writing your own works of fiction. If you decide to pursue this concentration, you'll take a capstone course designed around completing your thesis in your fiction genre of choice. At the culmination of your coursework, you’ll create your own manuscript and apply what you've learned about your own creative voice to your work. If you feel it's time to put pen to paper to tell a tale, this program is for you. "I chose the fiction concentration [because] I believe it will give me a wider range in skills and training that will make me more attractive as a writer," said student Joshua Yarbrough . "Great and imaginative storytelling is always needed, and by having this concentration, it will open doors and avenues in a wide range of projects." Career outlook: Whether you're looking to pen the next great fiction novel, or you'd like to specialize in short stories that capture the imagination for a period of time, this concentration can give you the tools you need to become successful in your field. The MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction can also lead to numerous career opportunities, as this program does more than just expose you to literature and help you develop new writing skills. You can apply the creative skills you gain to any profession, from scriptwriting to marketing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median annual wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022. 1 Courses include: Fiction Fundamentals Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Other Popular Fiction Fiction Thesis Writing Fiction Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Nonfiction In the MA in English & Creative Writing with a concentration in Nonfiction degree, you'll learn how and why writers craft nonfiction narratives. These tools can help you develop factual material based on research and experiences of your own - or someone else's. The creative writing master's degree can help you gain insights into publishing, broadcasting and professional production while you explore your creative boundaries. At the culmination of the program, you'll develop your own professional-quality piece of nonfiction, one that takes you deep into subjects that matter to you and helps you develop the skills you need for great storytelling. MA English & Creative Writing nonfiction graduate Alec Biron '17 '21G particularly enjoyed the combined emphasis on creative writing and literature. "While the curriculum allowed me to select a unique genre of creative writing to develop my nonfiction thesis," he said, "it also allowed me to explore traditional forms of literature that I love, such as medieval British and feminist genres." Career outlook: Nonfiction is the art of telling real stories - ones that people can learn from, relate to and understand. It covers a wide range of styles and subjects, encompassing everything from personal essays, autobiographical writing and memoirs, to marketing, travel writing and magazine features. Given the many career paths you could take by adding a concentration in nonfiction writing to your degree, it's worth noting some potential career paths you could explore. During a time when remote work is on the rise, you could consider a career writing freelance nonfiction stories for traditional print magazines and digital publications. Or, if telling stories for brands excites you, you could work in advertising as a copywriter and see your words on websites, billboards, emails, commercials and other types of advertisements. "Employers have been impressed by not only my achievement of a master’s degree, but also by the publications I've subsequently written for following my education," said Biron. If you like finding ways to make factual yet complex topics more digestible, you may enjoy the role of technical writer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, technical writers earned a median annual salary of $79,960 in 2022. 1 Courses include: Non-Fiction Fundamentals Non-Fiction Thesis Writing Non-Fiction Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Poetry Develop the skills you need to convey your poetic vision with a MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry . The poetry concentration within our online creative writing graduate program can take you to a new level of analysis, appreciation and understanding of this art form. Foster your love of verse with the inspiration, passion and creative peer collaboration that only SNHU's concentration in poetry can bring. This curriculum focuses your study of literature on a genre where every word and line counts. Here, you'll be able to use your imagination to create imagery that moves and inspires readers and writers alike. This creative writing graduate program challenges you to gain an appreciation for how the unique craft and vision of poetry is critical to learning to think, understand and communicate with the world at large. Throughout this online program, you’ll broaden your understanding of the art of poetry. You'll also dive deeper into structure, tone and rhythm while analyzing the work of renowned poets. Upon completion of the program, you’ll develop your own manuscript of poetry, one that allows you to expand on subjects you're passionate about. "I chose a poetry concentration because I am a poet at heart, and my career revolves heavily around creative writing, specifically poetry and accessible arts programming," said NaBeela Washington '21G . "I wanted to make sure that my studies preserved time to truly focus on poetry and developing my manuscript and network and connection to other authors." Career outlook: Whether it's getting your own poetry published or becoming the next great poet laureate that interests you, a career in poetry is sure to be one filled with passion for your work. You could work for nonprofits to promote local poetry in your area, or become the poetry curator for an array of journals, magazines and even bookstores. And the ability to write clever, concise and compelling copy is also a great fit for advertising and marketing positions. "Before SNHU, I hadn’t been published since middle school," said Washington. "And before completing the program, I would be invited to read my work at a Poetry Series in Takoma Park, MD; I would start a literary journal, Lucky Jefferson, and I would go on to be published several more times in publications like The Cincinnati Review and The Washington Writers’ Publishing House, even winning an award for my journal and building a network of more than 6,000 writers and artists." Her list of accomplishments doesn't stop there. "I’ve been invited to speak on panels about my work in the literary world as well as to help found a roundtable for Editors of Color," she said. "It's really nice realizing that I could accomplish my goals and that I believed in myself." Courses include: Poetry Fundamentals Poetry Thesis Writing Poetry Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Screenwriting We live in an increasingly visual society. The online Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Screenwriting program at Southern New Hampshire University is an advanced exploration of the world of film and video, from shorts and episodic serials to feature-length blockbusters and documentaries. This concentration is based on a comprehensive study of film, with a special focus on story structure, character development and creative writing. At the culmination of the degree program, you'll have developed your own screenplay that you can then share with others and put out into the world if you so choose. While an understanding and analysis of literature – whatever the genre – is at the core of this MA degree, the screenwriting concentration places a special emphasis on visual storytelling. Designed by experienced and distinguished faculty, this master’s in screenwriting program can give you a powerful understanding of how story, character, theme, action, visuals and dialogue intertwine to create an immersive experience. In this concentration, you'll also have the opportunity to work closely with peers and faculty to workshop your pieces, which can help push your creative work to new heights. Take it from José Roldan Jr. '17G who, with the support of his friends, family and his SNHU advisor, was able to enroll in the online MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Screenwriting program while balancing his full-time job and full-time performance schedule, along with additional acting gigs and auditions.  "That support just allowed me the strength to say, 'You know what? I can get this done. There are so many people who believe in me to do it, that I can get it done,'" Roldan said. "It wasn't easy, but it's possible. It's possible." Career outlook: Whether you dream of writing for the big screen one day or writing scripts at a regional level, in the screenwriting concentration you can hone your craft for television, commercials, news, feature films, short films and even video games. There are multiple ways you could use this degree in the media world, from adapting an existing work into a movie or writing your own script, to working closely with producers on funding and producing projects. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median annual wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022, it also reports that producers and directors earned a median annual wage of $85,320 the same year. 1 Courses include: Screenwriting Fundamentals Fiction and Film Screenwriting Thesis Writing Screenwriting Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now if (typeof accordionGroup === "undefined") { window.accordionGroup = new accordion(); } accordionGroup.init(document.getElementById('322677cfabe042d9a55551dc7b079012')); Career Outlook

Whether it's telling your story or telling someone else's, your online master's in creative writing can equip you with detailed knowledge about the worlds of publishing, communications, copywriting and the role of the professional writer. As world markets continue to shift toward a demand for online education and digital media technology, the technical skills learned in this program should continue to be in demand for a long time. The enhanced writing and communication skills you'll develop can be applied to many professions, from publishing, print and film to journalism and marketing.

Read more about Jacob Powers in this Q&A.

"The major takeaway I have gotten from my classes is that there is a viable career in literature, creative writing, and English," said student Joshua Yarbrough . "I feel confident in having the necessary skills to either work for myself or an employer and the training I have received at SNHU has made it possible."

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

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of writers and authors is projected to grow 4% – about as fast as average for all occupations –  through 2032. 1

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

The BLS reports the median wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022. 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.

The master's in creative writing is also ideal if you're interested in pursuing your PhD or teaching at the collegiate level. Additionally, the MA in Creative Writing is also a great option for high school instructors or other educators who wish to level up their salaries, as well as those whose districts require a Master of Arts for sustained career growth.

"I believe there’s a nice balance here for the program — for students who wish to pursue publication, we offer the tools, resources and faculty to help guide them. For students who wish to advance in their current career, or learn creative writing skills but also strengthen other skills (like editing, proofreading, etc.), the program offers that, as well," Powers said.

SNHU does not guarantee that the completion of this program will result in endorsements or rank and salary increases for teachers and strongly encourages interested individuals to contact their state education licensure board prior to enrolling. SNHU provides additional information for education-related outcomes on our Licensure and Certification Disclosures page.

Where Could You Work?

Graduates of the online master's in English and creative writing program will find that, according to the BLS¹, there is opportunity for employment in a variety of fields, including:

Self-Employment

Tech companies, public relations, start your journey toward an online english and creative writing degree, why snhu for your master's in creative writing flexible with no set class meeting times, you can learn on your schedule and access online course materials 24/7. affordable as part of our mission to make higher education more accessible, we’re committed to keeping our tuition rates low. in fact, we offer some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation. prior coursework and work experience could also help you save time and money. snhu’s transfer policy  allows you to transfer up to 12 credits from your previous institution. you could also earn college credit for previous work experience . respected founded in 1932 , southern new hampshire university is a private, nonprofit institution with over 160,000 graduates across the country. snhu is accredited by the new england commission of higher education (neche), a regional accreditor, which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.  recently, snhu has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education: “most innovative” regional university honors from u.s. news & world report each year since 2015 a $1 million grant from google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth recognition as a 2017 digital learning innovator by the online learning consortium network at southern new hampshire university, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 300,000 students, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate the field. plus, with our growing, nationwide alumni network, you'll have the potential to tap into a number of internship and career opportunities. 93.6% of online students would recommend snhu (according to a 2022 survey with 17,000+ respondents). discover why snhu may be right for you . admission requirements expanding access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. that’s why you can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials: completed free application undergraduate transcripts, which we can retrieve for you by submitting a transcript request form acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 5 graduate terms . master's degree candidates must also submit a personal statement. students with an undergraduate gpa below 2.75 are eligible for provisional acceptance. how to apply if you’re ready to apply, follow these simple steps to get the process going: complete free graduate application submit undergraduate transcripts work with an admission counselor  to explore financial options  and walk through application process if (typeof accordiongroup === "undefined") { window.accordiongroup = new accordion(); } accordiongroup.init(document.getelementbyid('e835202be13f4497bc29372de09b8f42')); get the skills you need.

Alec Biron '17 '21G

"The skills that I learned in nonfiction writing have helped me to build a career in freelance journalism and content writing."

Courses & Curriculum

The master's in creative writing online exposes you to powerful examples of writing and provides you with an outlet to refine your skills as a writer. SNHU is home to the New Hampshire Writer’s Project and is also a destination for nationally recognized writers who perform readings and participate in workshops and lectures. This can give you additional context and insight into the industry you'll eventually be joining. All of our courses were also created by subject matter experts in their field, many of whom are critically acclaimed writers themselves.

Not only are the courses created by experts, they're taught by them, too. Just ask student Joshua Yarbrough .

"I have worked with professors who are well versed and accomplished in their field," he said. "They have provided valuable feedback to me in terms of preparing for my next steps as a writer and educator."

If you're looking for a degree program with collaboration built in, look no further. The online MA in English and Creative Writing has an added emphasis on peer workshops for additional feedback. Each concentration requires students to take three workshops, so you'll have the chance to fine-tune your editing and proofreading skills both for your peers and for yourself.

You'll also be required to take one of two teaching courses, Seminar in Writing Instruction or Online Teaching Experience . This can give you a background for teaching creative writing or English composition, depending on which interests you more. As a whole, this degree program is highly customizable, allowing you to focus on what types of creative writing interest you most.

In addition to working on your writing craft, you'll take several literary courses that focus on analysis and reflection, while learning about the history of the publishing industry. This can give you the chance to sharpen your editing and professional communication skills, while also giving you the edge you need to advance your writing career.

Graduate Alec Biron '17 '21G agrees. "One course that stood out to me, in particular, was “The Editor”. This course was both writing and editing intensive, allowing us to review the work of our peers while optimizing our own narratives," he said. "The Editor went beyond simple proofreading, and taught me how to edit for structure, character development, syntax, language and tone."

You'll also have the choice of four literary genres:

• Screenwriting

Or, you can customize your program and study multiple genres.

What's more, there's plenty of opportunity to build your network and hone your craft outside of normal class time. Once enrolled, you'll have access to SNHUconnect, a community built exclusively for our online learners. With plenty of clubs and events at your disposal, you might find that the Creative Writing Review Club is right up your alley. Wrote a few poems and want a critique? Need an audience to run your plot ideas by? Here, you can share your nonfiction, fiction, poetry and screenplay works – and even seek peer revising if you desire.

Joan Garner

Joan Garner came from a family of activists. Now she’s earning her master’s in creative writing to write her family’s story.

“The classes that I am taking are helping me in writing the book by stretching my limitations as a writer,” she said.

Read Joan’s story.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Associate Dean of Liberal Arts Dr. Robert Denning: A Faculty Q&A

Must-Watch Movies: A Guide for Tomorrow's Filmmakers

How to Become a Copywriter

1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

• https://www.bls.gov/OOH/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm (viewed Oct. 25, 2023)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/technical-writers.htm (viewed Oct. 25, 2023)
• https://www.bls.gov/OOH/entertainment-and-sports/producers-and-directors.htm (viewed Oct. 25, 2023)

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

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Creative Writing MFA

• Major:  Creative Writing
• Degree:  Master of Fine Arts
• School/College:  Arts and Sciences

Program Website

See the program curriculum and learn about admission. 

Ready to apply? Take note of any deadlines and documents required for this degree program.

Required Documents

See program website for supporting documents needed for applications. 

Areas of Concentration 

Challenge the conventional. create the exceptional. no limits..

Literary Arts

Graduate students in Brown's Literary Arts MFA program may choose to focus in one of three tracks – Fiction, Poetry, or Digital/Cross Disciplinary Writing. The Graduate School has notified candidates regarding admission decisions for Fall 2024 in all three tracks: Cross-Disciplinary, Fiction and Poetry.

The two-year program is structured to allow graduate student writers maximum possible time for creative and intellectual exploration. Students attend two courses each semester: the writing workshop and an elective in the first three semesters (with an additional half-course in pedagogy in semesters two and three); and in the final semester an independent study for completing the thesis as well as an elective.

Elective courses may be selected from among the full offerings of the Brown University curriculum. In years past, students have taken courses in literature, history, philosophy, theater and performance studies, modern culture and media, religious studies, and foreign languages. Studio fine arts courses and translation workshops are often appropriate choices – as are workshops offered on special topics or in other genres. 

The thesis may be a substantial work of fiction or poetry, or a substantial digital or cross-disciplinary project. It is intended to represent the student’s achievement during the two years in residency at Brown.

Application deadline

Applications  may be submitted from 30 September to 11:59 pm ET on 15 December 2023. If seeking a fee waiver , the deadline is 1 December.

Learn More About the Program

Graduate program handbook, learn about applying, financial information.

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Creative Writing, Master of Fine Arts

The Master in Creative Writing, (MFA)  is a 42 credit program, which prepares students to be professionals in dissecting contemporary, modern, and classic literature as well construct literature pieces of their own.

Our students are published in literary journals and by publishers. Students often explore jobs in teaching from middle school to graduate level.

The MFA in Creative Writing offers students a chance to improve their stories, poems, scripts and non-fiction writing.  The ideal students are those passionate about improving their creative writing skills and would like to explore becoming a writer.

Additional Requirements:

Program Director:  Professor Michelle Valladares [email protected]  

Last Updated: 03/05/2024 16:08

Orange Alert

Creative writing m.f.a. program, three-year m.f.a. in creative writing.

The three-year M.F.A. program in Creative Writing gives promising fiction writers and poets an opportunity to practice and study their art with dedicated fellow writers. We accept six students in fiction and six students in poetry each year. We have no non-fiction track. All students receive a full tuition waiver and a yearly stipend (currently $20,000 per year). All students have undergraduate teaching duties in their second and third years.

The M.F.A. program is committed to creating a supportive environment for its students. As a program that aims to nurture new voices, we particularly want to welcome writers from underrepresented communities. We encourage people of color to apply. We believe a program is at its best when it is comprised of strong writers from a full spectrum of backgrounds and experiences. Our program strives to be a comfortable and supportive environment for POC-identified students, LGBTQ+ students, international students, veterans, first-generation college students, disabled students, and for everyone who chooses to join us.

Read our Statement of Solidarity .

Some notable books by recent alumni

“Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear,” by Mosab Abu Toha ’23 (finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award)

“Chain Gang All-Stars,” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah ’16 (longlisted for the National Book Award)

“House of Cotton,” by Monica Brashears ’22

“Grace Engine,” by Joshua Burton ’19

“Tomb Sweeping,” by Alexandra Chang ’18

“Their Divine Fires,” by Wendy Chen ’17

“How It Works Out,” by Myriam Lacroix ’20

“Last Acts,” by Alexander Sammartino ’18

“Songs on Endless Repeat,” by Anthony Veasna So ’20

“We’re Safe When We’re Alone,” by Nghiem Tran ’20

During its nearly 50-year history, the creative writing program has produced an outstanding array of writers whose work has been published by major presses and magazines and won prestigious awards. Distinguished alumni include George Saunders, Lily King, Tom Perrotta, Julia Alvarez, Cheryl Strayed, M.T. Anderson, Daniel Chaon, Rebecca Curtis, Keith Gessen, Jay McInerney, Deb Olin Unferth, and Claire Messud.

M.F.A. in Creative Writing

The three-year M.F.A. program in Creative Writing gives promising fiction writers and poets an opportunity to practice their art with dedicated fellow writers.

Creative Writing (MFA)

Program at a glance.

• In State Tuition
• Out of State Tuition

Learn more about the cost to attend UCF.

The Creative Writing MFA offers a workshop-intensive program in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, emphasizing the art and craft of creative writing and concentrating on the student's written work. The program encourages hybrid and experimental forms.

The MFA program emphasizes the study of craft and published writing alongside the closely analyzed production of original work by students. Opportunities for professional development as writers, teachers, and editors abound. Our prolific, dedicated faculty members have won numerous prestigious awards for their work and have served as officers in national professional organizations. The MFA program in Creative Writing offers workshop courses in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, emphasizing the art and craft of creative writing and concentrating on the student's written work.

Total Credit Hours Required: 36 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree

Application Deadlines

• International

Ready to get started?

Career opportunities.

• Copy Writer
• Creative Writer
• Creative Writing English Professor
• Editor / Publisher
• High School English Teacher
• Technical Writer

University of Central Florida Colleges

Request Information

Enter your information below to receive more information about the Creative Writing (MFA) program offered at UCF.

Program Prerequisites

Students are required to have a proficiency in American and British Literature as reflected by completing at least one survey course in each field. Students with baccalaureate degrees in subjects other than English whose transcripts do not clearly indicate successful completion of such courses will be required to complete survey courses in British and American literature as co-requisites before the thesis defense. The particular courses that satisfy these co-requisites are selected in consultation with the MFA program director.

Degree Requirements

Required courses.

• CRW6025 - Advanced Graduate Writing Workshop (3)
• CRW6920 - Fiction Workshop (3)
• CRW6921 - Multi-Genre Workshop (3)
• CRW6922 - Novel Workshop (3)
• CRW6923 - Nonfiction Workshop (3)
• CRW6924 - Poetry Workshop (3)
• While the student is expected to concentrate their workshop study in their chief genre, multi-genre proficiency is encouraged. Additional credit hours beyond the required 9 credit hours in workshops that include their chief genre are recommended to assist the student in developing better writing and publication skills.
• LIT6039 - Studies in Contemporary Poetry (3)
• LIT6097 - Studies in Contemporary Fiction (3)
• LIT6076 - Studies in Contemporary Nonfiction (3)
• CRW5130 - Form and Theory in Creative Writing (3)

Elective Courses

• CRW6720 - Professional Development in Creative Writing (3)
• CRW6721 - Literary Journal Editing (3)
• CRW6976 - Scholarship and Publication Models (3)
• CRW6806C - Teaching Creative Writing (3)
• CRW5948C - Creative Writing Service Learning (3)
• CRW6946 - Internship (1 - 99)
• CRW 5938 - Special Topics Seminar 3 Credit Hours may also be taken if offered CRW 6920, CRW 6921, CRW 6922, CRW 6923, CRW 6924 may substitute for CRW 6025
• LIT6216 - Issues in Literary Study (3)
• LIT6936 - Studies in Literary, Cultural, and Textual Theory (3)
• ENC5705 - Approaches to Teaching College Composition (3)
• LIT6276 - Teaching College Literature (3)
• Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: An additional elective.
• Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: CRW 6971 Thesis 3 Credit Hours The candidate will complete a book-length manuscript of publishable quality, written and revised in CRW 6971 Thesis, that meets both departmental and university requirements for the thesis.

Practicum and Internship (Optional)

• Although a practicum or an internship is not required, they are encouraged to better prepare the student for their profession. These courses fulfill the 6-hour requirement in restricted electives and are listed in that category. CRW 6946 Internship The Florida Review Internship 3 Credit Hours The Cypress Dome Internship 3 Credit Hours Other Approved Internship 3 Credit Hours CRW 5948C - Creative Writing Service Learning 3 Credit Hours

Independent Learning

• The creative thesis, a book-length manuscript of original creative work, is the independent learning experience.

Grand Total Credits: 36

Application requirements.

Graduate Program Handbook

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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.

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, 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

The GRE ® Tests

Completing your view of applicant strengths

Select any step to learn more about how the GRE ® tests can help your institution.

Testing Locations

The GRE General Test is a computer-delivered test that is offered both at test centers and at home.  

Test center testing

The GRE General Test is administered in a secure testing environment at more than 1,000 ETS-authorized test centers in 160+ countries.

• In most regions of the world, the test is available on a continuous basis throughout the year.
• In Mainland China; Hong Kong, China; Taiwan, China; and Korea, the test is available up to three times per month.

At home testing

The GRE General Test at home is offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week around the world.

The at home test is:

• taken on the test taker's own computer at home
• the same valid and reliable GRE General Test you know and trust
• identical in content, format and on-screen experience to the GRE General Test taken at a test center
• administered with best-in-class security measures that use both human proctors and AI technology

Students can prepare for the test using the same prep materials. Only the delivery method is different.

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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.

Division of Humanities

Creative Writing is offered as a major and minor .

Ready to take the next step?

How to pay for college.

View tuition and aid

Creative Writing degree requirements

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

General Education:

Program courses:

Some of our most popular Creative Writing classes include:

CRWT 2601 Creative Writing across the Genres

CRWT 3603 Creative Writing in Drama

CRWT 4602 Advanced Prose Workshop

View full Creative Writing curriculum

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1 College Street Young Harris, GA 30582 (800) 241-3754

Create astonishing web sites and pages.

New Mexico State University Creative Media Institute

Graduate assistantship opportunities.

The Graduate School makes financial support available to graduate students through a set number of graduate assistantships (GAs), which are distributed among the various graduate programs at New Mexico State University. The Graduate School sets the criteria for basic eligibility for assistantships.

CMI’s Creative Writing program makes every effort to provide eligible graduate students with financial support in the form of teaching assistantships when students request such consideration in their applications. In their personal statements and in the supporting materials of their applications, prospective students should offer evidence of their preparation for teaching.

Applying for an Assistantship

Typically, the deadline to apply for a Graduate Assistantship must be submitted as part of the application in SLATE by February 1. The deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year has been extended to  February 21, 2024. 

All applications for assistantship support should include a statement of teaching interest, should be addressed to the Creative Writing Faculty, and should provide, and d discuss any experiences that you believe would be relevant to have prepared you for teaching writing, such as working as an assistant, tutoring, editing, or volunteer work. Discuss what you believe students of writing(fiction or poetry) should learn. Reflecting on your own learning method, how might you approach reaching a student like yourself? Given the opportunity to teach writing, you could talk about which of your favorite authors you would like to teach, and what these authors could offer your future students . The standard assistantship is for 6 consecutive semesters.

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• Creative Writing MFA
• Faculty Publications
• Puerto Del Sol
• The Nelson-Boswell Reading Series

Writing Studio

2024 undergraduate creative writing symposium program, schedule-at-a-glance: undergraduate creative writing symposium (wednesday, april 10).

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

Follow the links in the schedule below or scroll down for the full program of  presenters, which includes their bios and abstracts.

• 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)

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

Additional Event Links

• Coming Soon! Read all featured creative writing pieces on the UCWS 2024 Online Creative Writing Gallery
• Coming Soon! Visit the Arts Showcase’s portfolio page to view the incredible works created by undergraduate students.

Full Schedule: Undergraduate Creative Writing Symposium (Wednesday, April 10)

3:00-3:15 : opening remarks by major jackson , professor of english & director of creative writing gertrude conaway vanderbilt chair in the humanities, 3:15-4:10 : spotlight panel (alumni hall, room 206).

• Faculty Panel Chair: Justin Quarry (English)
• Panelists: Liam Betts  ’24  (poetry), Elyse Sparks  ’24  (nonfiction), Avery Fortier  ’24  (fiction)

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Spotlight Panel - Abstracts and Author Bios

Liam betts ’24:  the waves of light.

• Presenter Bio :  Liam Betts is a senior double majoring in computer science and english. He is originally from Portugal, but now lives in Pleasanton, California. He is the president of VandyWrites and prose editor for The Vanderbilt Review. His story The Waves of Light was selected as First Runner-Up for The Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing in 2024.
• Abstract: The Waves of Light is a neo-Victorian story that reimagines Charles Darwin’s voyage aboard The Beagle to include his two young children, William and Anne. When circumstances thrust both siblings into an odyssey from the Atlantic to London, Anne is forced to reckon with a strange metamorphosis. While William performs street magic to keep them alive, Anne studies and experiments, dreaming of becoming a natural philosopher in nineteenth century England, a world where every door is closed to her. The story is told in the form of a letter from Anne to her father.

Elyse Sparks ’24:  The Golden Child

• Presenter Bio : Elyse Sparks in a member of the class of 2024.
• Abstract: The Golden Child is centered around my mental health struggles, sexuality, and my relationship with my pastor parents. I explore how my mom, despite her religious views that seemingly contradict loving a gay child, has stood by my side in a decade-long fight with major depression. Through coming out and hospitalizations and hard conversations, I have watched my mother grow into my biggest advocate.

Avery Fortier ’24: A Clean Mind

• Presenter Bio: Avery is a member of the class of 2024.
• Abstract: This is a piece of fictional prose meant to prompt consideration of mental health experiences across contexts and roles. I wanted to reflect the importance of protecting those responsible for treating others’ health as well as those who more obviously fall into the role of “patient.”

4:15-5:00 : Session 1

• Faculty Panel Chair: Fatima Kola (Medicine, Health, and Society)
• Panelists: Sawyer Sussner  ’24 , Shadhvika Nandhakumar  ’24 , Claire Marie Tate  ’24 , Sanat Malik  ’24
• Faculty Panel Chair:  Sandy Solomon (English)
• Panelists: Molly Buffenbarger  ’24, Franklin Udensi ’27 , Sarah Wermuth ’27 , and TaMyra Johnson ’27

Panel A - Abstracts and Author Bios

Sawyer sussner ’24: power to the players.

• Presenter Bio : Sawyer is a member of the class of 2024.
• Abstract: On her last shift as an employee at the failing gaming giant Game Stop, seventeen year old Twitch streamer Cass must navigate uncomfortable conversations with leering customers along with the impossible expectations of her boss, the washed up manager known to customers only as “The Bobcat,” determined to save his failing store. In a reflection of the gaming world’s treatment of women, Power to the Players explores misogynistic cycles of behavior and how to leave them behind.

Shadhvika Nandakumar ’24:  circles

• Presenter Bio:  Shadhvika is a member of the class of 2024.
• Abstract: This realistic fiction short story discusses the experiences of a young girl who finds out that her dad has had a heart attack. Told from the perspective of someone looking back over time, it is filled with various musings about the nature of life and relationships.

Claire Marie Tate ’24: Ocular Mistrust

• Presenter Bio: Claire Marie Tate is a member of the class of 2024 from Baton Rouge, LA. She is studying Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society and will begin medical school this fall. In her free time, she enjoys running, dancing, discovering new music, reading, and, more recently, writing as a creative outlet.
• Abstract: “Ocular Mistrust” is a short piece which was inspired by the notion of the eye as the window to the soul and the unreliable nature of the visual pathway. This piece puts artistic themes of eyes in conversation with the physiology of visual processing.

Sanat Malik ’24:  Ishak’s

• Presenter Bio:  Sanat Malik is a Senior at Vanderbilt University. He was born in Hong Kong, spent some years in his native India, but primarily grew up in Singapore. Sanat is an Economics and English double major who has a passion for short story writing and journalism. He writes mainly about cultural topics with which he has personal experiences and perspectives. After college, Sanat will be working in an Investment Bank as a Raid Defense Consultant. He hopes to continue to grow in his career as a writer beyond college, and ideally would like to pursue investigative journalism in the future.
• Abstract: Ishak’s is a fictional piece about Ishak, an Indian Immigrant who has recently moved to New York to start an Indian fine-dining restaurant with his friend, Jai. Vying to win customers, Ishak creates an open kitchen in hopes that the smells spill onto the streets and draw in customers. In exploring Ishak and Jai’s pursuit of success in the culinary world, the story explores themes of immigration, assimilation, the pursuit of excellence, and the relationship between meticulous Ishak and laid-back Jai.

Panel B - Abstracts and Author Bios

Molly buttenbarger ’24:  night watch.

• Presenter Bio:  Molly is a member of the class of 2024.
• Abstract: I wrote this memoir about the night I spent alone in the hospital with my mother, when I was in sixth grade. After my mother completed chemotherapy for breast cancer, she underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction. However, her reconstructed implant got infected, which meant she ended up hospitalized after emergency surgery.

Franklin Udensi ’27: The Igbo Anglican Church

• Presenter Bio: Franklin Udensi, a budding author from Lagos, Nigeria, finds deep inspiration in the works of his favorite author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and his piece, “The Igbo Anglican Church,” reflects this influence. Beyond literature, Franklin enjoys diving into the immersive worlds of anime and manga, getting swept in the melodies of Jon Bellion, and delighting in the ever-changing landscape of construction sites, where the promise of unfinished structures sparks his imagination. With each stroke of his pen, he blends his varied influences into narratives that speak to the human experience.
• Abstract: This essay explores the author’s encounter with the Igbo Anglican church, unraveling the intricacies of cultural pride, identity, and the pursuit of connection in a diasporic community. Through reflections on language, tradition, and the clash of two worlds, the piece captures a unique narrative that invites readers to contemplate the dynamics of immigrant experiences and the dialogue between belonging and the complexities of assimilating to a new cultural landscape.“The Igbo Anglican Church” is a piece I wrote based on my own experiences navigating the United States upon my arrival during the summer before Vanderbilt. What began as pent-up emotions that I couldn’t quite explain ended up as a short story narrating my observations and cultural clashes with a segment of the Igbo (an ethnic group in Nigeria) diaspora in the US. Writing this piece showed me that my unique perspective as a literary observer could serve as a platform to explore fresh ideas surrounding cultural crossroads, immigrant perspectives, and the complexities of belonging while strengthening confidence in my storytelling abilities. This process enabled me to think critically about my own sentiments and express these thoughts in both personal and universally relatable ways. The piece engages in dialogue by presenting a narrative that resonates with individuals with similar experiences within immigrant communities. It figuratively converses with the present by exploring contemporary themes like cultural integration and identity. Additionally, it contributes to a broader discourse on the immigrant experience, belonging in a foreign land, and the intricate dance between tradition and assimilation, inviting readers to reflect on their encounters with such cultural crossroads.

Sarah Wermuth ’27: I’m Not (Wilmeth) Smart

• Presenter Bio: Sarah is a member of the class of 2027 majoring in Political Science with minors in Gender Studies and Creative Writing.
• Abstract: In 2023, I took a creative nonfiction English class at Vanderbilt, and an essay prompt was: “Write a personal essay exploring one way your identity has developed in opposition to your family of origin.” As a result, I wrote “I’m Not (Wilmeth) Smart.” It tells the story of how growing up in a family of brilliant individuals while simultaneously struggling in school made it hard for me to see myself as smart despite getting into Vanderbilt, one of the top universities in America.

TaMyra Johnson ’27: Racial Imposter Syndrome: Personal Experience + Interviews

• Presenter Bio: TaMyra Johnson is a part of the class of 2027 from Louisville, Kentucky. She plans on double majoring in Communications and Culture Advocacy Leadership with a minor in film.
• Abstract: This piece talks about my personal experience with racial imposter syndrome. Racial imposter syndrome can be described as being unconnected or feeling inauthentic to parts of their racial identity and culture or as when a person feels internally connected to a racial identity that is not perceived by others which causes doubt in their racial self perception.

5:15-6:00: Session 2

• Faculty Panel Chair:  Mark Schoenfield (English)
• Panelists:  David Lemper ’27 , Nicole Reynaga ’26 , Ilana Drake ’25 , and Eli Apple ’24

Breakout Panel C - Abstracts and Author Bios

David lemper ’27: shakespeare rap.

• Presenter Bio: David is a member of the class of 2027.
• Abstract: This rap was written for an assignment in which students had to cast a scene of a Shakespeare play into rap lyrics. The concept was inspired by Shakespearean rap lyrics from Margaret Atwood’s “Hagseed,” a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Rap as a genre—specifcally an African-American born genre—calls back to the theme of freedom, which is a very prominent theme within both Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and “Romeo and Juliet,” so using this genre to express these narratives evokes the theme of freedom.

Nicole Reynaga ’26:  In one breath, we escaped together

• Presenter Bio:  Nicole is a member of the class of 2026.
• Abstract:  For this workshop’s penultimate poem, we were tasked with writing a prose poem (a poem not split into verse lines). As prose poems typically lack any rules of poetic form and do not visually appear as poetry, they heavily rely on the use of other poetic elements and metaphorical language. The theme of my piece falls into a more personal/self-aware realm.

Ilana Drake ’25: on rapid decline

• Presenter Bio: Ilana Drake is a junior studying Public Policy Studies and English, and she is a student activist and writer. She serves as a United Nations UNA-USA Global Goals Ambassador for SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and she was selected as a Clinton Global Initiative University Fellow in 2023. This year, Ilana was appointed to the Inaugural Student Advisory Board for the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy. Ilana was recognized as one of the forty undergraduate changemakers on Vanderbilt’s campus last year, and she is a Delegate for the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Ilana’s writing has been published in Insider ,  Ms.  Magazine, and  The Tennessean , among others, and she has been quoted in  The New York Times ,  The Washington Post , and  Teen Vogue . Her poetry has been published internationally in literary magazines and zines. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, exploring Nashville with friends, and searching for the best iced coffee.
• Abstract: This poem is about the importance of time and health. I wrote this piece following my grandmother’s death in November 2023.

Eli Apple ’24:  Autoimmune (Selected Poems)

• Presenter Bio: Eli Apple is a writer of fiction and poetry. He has lived his whole life in Tennessee and is currently a senior at Vanderbilt University, where he is studying English, Spanish, and Portuguese. In addition to writing, he loves reading, traveling, and going on walks with his dog.
• Abstract: My submission includes eight poems that will appear in my English Honors thesis. My thesis, entitled Autoimmune, is a poetry collection that investigates literal and metaphorical illnesses and their effects on the body. These poems belong in Part Two of the collection, which examines homosexuality and internalized homophobia as illnesses together with the continuing effects of the AIDS epidemic on American society.

Access the UCWS 2024 Online Gallery

Coming Soon! Visit the UCWS 2024 Online Gallery of Creative Writing to read each of this year’s featured works along with a reflection from its author.

Special Thanks and Acknowledgements

The Writing Studio offers special thanks to all those who helped make our event possible and have contributed to its success.

Our Event Co-Host and Partner

The Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt

Our Event Co-Sponsors

The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries

Our Invited Creative Writing Reviewers from the MFA Program in Creative Writing

Langston Cotman

Ajla Dizdarević

Sydney Mayes

Our Writing Studio and Tutoring Services team members

Beth Estes (Assistant Director), Lead Symposium Coordinator

Lucy Kim (Academic Support Coordinator), Assistant Symposium Coordinator

Drew Shipley (Academic Support Coordinator), Assistant Symposium Coordinator

Cameron Sheehy (Peabody), Graduate Assistant Symposium Coordinator

Tim Donahoo, Administrative Specialist for the Writing Studio and Tutoring Services

all Writing Consultants Events Committee Members and all consultants present to support the event today

In order to access certain content on this page, you may need to download  Adobe Acrobat Reader  or an equivalent PDF viewer software.

• 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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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 ,

College of Arts and Sciences - American University

American University •

WASHINGTON, DC

Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences

Lesley University •

CAMBRIDGE, MA

• • Rating 4.75 out of 5   4

University of Wyoming

LARAMIE, WY

• • Rating 4.42 out of 5   24

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