Creative Writing (MFA)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Offered by the Department of Literature , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Applicants must meet the minimum university requirements for graduate study. Applications from candidates who have majored in any undergraduate field will be considered, though a major in literature is desirable. Admission is based on samples of previous writing (25 pages of prose or 15 pages of poetry), academic record, and two letters of recommendation.

Degree Requirements

48 credit hours of approved graduate work
Capstone experience: 6 credit hours of LIT-797 Master’s Thesis Seminar resulting in a book-length manuscript of fiction, poetry, or nonfiction approved by the creative writing faculty after an oral examination on its merits, characteristics, and relations to the works of others

Course Requirements

Writing Workshops (12 credit hours)

Complete 12 credit hours in writing workshops:

Note: Students may concentrate on one genre or work in several.

Required (6 credit hours)

Literature (12 credit hours)

12 credit hours in literature courses selected from among the regular graduate level literature offerings of the department

Thesis (6 credit hours)

LIT-797 Master’s Thesis Seminar (1-6) (6 credit hours required)

Tracks (12 credit hours)

Complete one of the following tracks:

Professional

Complete 12 credit hours from one of the following:

With advisor approval, complete one or more internships ( LIT-691 Graduate Internship (1-6) ), with remaining credit hours in elective courses in foreign language translation, journalism, or another discipline germane to the individual student’s interests
With advisor approval, complete coursework towards the completion of a graduate/professional certificate in another department (e.g., Arts Management (Graduate Certificate) , Asian Studies (Graduate Certificate) , Audio Production (Graduate Certificate) , Technology in Arts Management (Graduate Certificate) , Translation: French (Graduate Certificate) , Translation: Russian (Graduate Certificate) , Translation: Spanish (Graduate Certificate) , and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (Graduate Certificate) )

Studio

Complete 12 credit hours from the following:

Additional writing workshops, offered at American University
Additional courses in literature, cinema studies, or performing arts
With advisor approval, courses in foreign languages, journalism, or any other discipline germane to the individual student’s interests and consistent with program objectives

Teaching

Teaching of Composition Sequence

Electives

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Additional writing workshops, offered at American University
Additional courses in literature, cinema studies, or performing arts
With advisor approval, courses in foreign languages, journalism, or any other discipline germane to the individual student’s interests and consistent with program objectives