Program Requirements
A description of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing requirements.
Concentration in Mainstream/Genre Fiction
The MFA concentration in Mainstream/Genre Fiction includes instruction in writing for such forms as science fiction, the mystery, narrative nonfiction, and mainstream commercial fiction. Study includes short and long written forms, as well as exploration of forms for alternative media such as public performance, audio, and internet media.
The MFA Concentration in Mainstream Genre Fiction requires 60 credits:
CRWR 600 Summer Orientation 3 credits
CRWR 601 Patterns and Paradigms for Mainstream Genre Fiction 2 credits
CRWR 602 Fiction Workshop and Translation 2 credits
CRWR 603 Specific Fiction Forms 2 credits
CRWR 606 What Do You Know (about Fiction)? 6 credits
CRWR 607 The Truth and a Good Story: Research for the Fiction Writer 6 credits
CRWR 611 Poetics: Focused Fiction Genre Studies 6 credits
CRWR 612 Poetics: Narrative Nonfiction 6 credits
CRWR 616* Fiction Writing for the World, from the Spirit 6 credits
CRWR 617* Fiction Writing in/on Air 6 credits
CRWR 621 Making Connections in Fiction 6 credits
CRWR 697 Special Topics 6 credits
CRWR 694 Thesis 3 credits
*In place of either CRWR 616 or CRWR 617, choose one of the following:
CRWR 636 Metrical Traditions & Versification I 6 credits
CRWR 637 History of the English Language and Teaching Poetry 6 credits
CRWR 665 The Narrative in Picture Form 6 credits
CRWR 667 Screenwriting Genre 6 credits
Mainstream Genre Fiction as a Second Area of Emphasis
Students pursuing this concentration as a second area of emphasis must earn 30 credits within the concentration as follows:
All four of the following:
CRWR 600 Summer Orientation 1 credit
CRWR 606 What Do You Know (about Fiction)? 6 credits
CRWR 607 The Truth and a Good Story: Research for the Fiction Writer 6 credits
CRWR 694 Thesis 3 credits
Supporting courses in consultation with advisor, 12 credits
One of the following:
CRWR 602 Fiction Workshop and Translation 2 credits
CRWR 603 Specific Fiction Forms 2 credits
Students may count CRWR 611 if taken already to fulfill the out-of-concentration course required by the primary area of emphasis.
Concentration in Poetry with an Emphasis in Formal Verse
(Visit the program's blog site dedicated to the poetry concentration)
The Concentration in Poetry with an Emphasis in Formal Verse requires that students achieve demonstrable mastery of a wide range of poetic forms and techniques along with acquiring historical and analytical knowledge about them. Students who complete the program will also be required to demonstrate their readiness to participate fully in the literary world through public speaking and relevant prose (book reviews, metrical analysis, historical investigation, etc.). This concentration requires passing a comprehensive exam on formal poetry and poetics as well as second-year reading competency in a foreign language.
The MFA Concentration in Poetry requires 60 credits:
CRWR 600 Summer Orientation 3 credits
CRWR 631 Scansion Immersion 2 credits
CRWR 632 Public Performance 2 credits
CRWR 633 Poetry and Music 2 credits
CRWR 636 Metrical Traditions & Versification I 6 credits
CRWR 637 History of the English Language and Teaching Poetry 6 credits
CRWR 641 Metrical Traditions & Versification II 6 credits
CRWR 642 Poetry Book Reviewing and Translation 6 credits
CRWR 646* Narrative Forms in Poetry 6 credits
CRWR 647* The Satirical Tradition and Dramatic Verse 6 credits
CRWR 651 Advanced Poetry Genres in Particular Forms 6 credits
CRWR 652 Rhyme 6 credits
CRWR 694 Thesis 3 credits
*In place of either CRWR 646 or CRWR 647, choose one of the following:
CRWR 606 What Do You Know (about Fiction)? 6 credits
CRWR 607 The Truth and a Good Story: Research for the Fiction Writer 6 credits
CRWR 665 The Narrative in Picture Form 6 credits
CRWR 667 Screenwriting Genre 6 credits
Poetry as a Second Area of Emphasis
Students pursuing this concentration as a second area of emphasis must earn 30 credits within the concentration as follows:
All four of the following:
CRWR 600 Summer Orientation 1 credit
CRWR 636 Metrical Traditions & Versification I 6 credits
CRWR 637 History of the English Language and Teaching Poetry 6 credits
CRWR 694 Thesis 3 credits
Supporting courses in consultation with advisor, 12 credits
One of the following:
CRWR 631 Scansion Immersion 2 credits
CRWR 632 Public Performance 2 credits
CRWR 633 Poetry and Music 2 credits
Students may count CRWR 636 if taken already to fulfill the out-of-concentration course required by the primary area of emphasis.
Concentration in Screenwriting
The Concentration in Screenwriting includes instruction in the history and analysis of classical and contemporary screenwriting texts and the resulting films. The program further includes instruction in writing the visual narrative, three-act structure, and four-act structure, character development, thematic development, conflict, genre, story arc, dialogue, and voice-over. Although the program emphasizes the Hollywood or independent feature-length screenplay, the curriculum also includes television drama and situation comedy writing as well as screenwriting contests, festivals, and opportunities for marketing the MFA students’ work. A Master’s Thesis Project in the form of a 100-page feature-length screenplay must be completed as a part of the degree requirements.
The MFA Concentration in Screenwriting requires 60 credits:
CRWR 600 Summer Orientation 3 credits
CRWR 662 Story, Conflict, Character, and Genre in Screenwriting 2 credits
CRWR 663 Screenwriting Competition, Representation, the “Option” 2 credits
CRWR 665 The Narrative in Picture Form 6 credits
CRWR 667 Screenwriting Genre 6 credits
CRWR 671 The First Feature-Length Screenplay of Less Than 90 Pages 6 credits
CRWR 672 Television Drama and Situation Comedy 6 credits
CRWR 676* The Character Voice-Over 6 credits
CRWR 677* Screen Pacing and Tempo, Chronology, Flashback, Flash-Forward, and Montage 6 credits
CRWR 691 Screenwriting Master’s Thesis Project I 6 credits
CRWR 692 Screenwriting Master’s Thesis Project II 6 credits
CRWR 694 Thesis 3 credits
*In place of either CRWR 676 or CRWR 677, choose one of the following:
CRWR 606 What Do You Know (about Fiction)? 6 credits
CRWR 607 The Truth and a Good Story: Research for the Fiction Writer 6 credits
CRWR 636 Metrical Traditions & Versification I 6 credits
CRWR 637 History of the English Language and Teaching Poetry 6 credits
Screenwriting as a Second Area of Emphasis
Students pursuing this concentration as a second area of emphasis must earn 30 credits within the concentration as follows:
All four of the following:
CRWR 600 Summer Orientation 1 credit
CRWR 665 The Narrative in Picture Form 6 credits
CRWR 667 Screenwriting Genre 6 credits
CRWR 694 Thesis 3 credits
Supporting courses in consultation with advisor, 12 credits
One of the following:
CRWR 661 Film History and Analysis; the Visual Narrative 2 credits
CRWR 662 Story, Conflict, Character, and Genre in Screenwriting 2 credits
CRWR 663 Screenwriting Competition, Representation, the “Option” 2 credits
Students may count CRWR 665 if taken already to fulfill the out-of-concentration course required by the primary area of emphasis.
