English (MA) Creative Writing

Degree Requirements

  1. Coursework: A minimum of thirty-six semester hours of credit is required beyond the bachelor's degree with a grade of "A" or "B," including the following course in the first year of coursework.
    EH 502Graduate Writing for English3
    DEI Requirement: One course from the "diversity, equity, and inclusion" list (which may be in literature or creative writing): EH 548, EH 551, EH 552, or EH 5883
    Literature Coursework: Twelve additional hours of courses in literature chosen from EH 501, EH 505, EH 506, EH 507, EH 508, EH 513, EH 514, EH 520, EH 521, EH 526, EH 527, EH 532, EH 534, EH 536, EH 538, EH 543, EH 544, EH 545, EH 547, EH 548, EH 551, EH 552, EH 562, EH 570, EH 571, EH 572, EH 573, EH 574, EH 577, EH 590, EH 59212
    Creative Coursework: Twelve additional hours of courses in creative writing chosen from these courses: EH 583, EH 584, EH 585, EH 586, EH 588, EH 589, EH 59112
    Thesis or Capstone Requirement: Thesis Option (6 hours) or Capstone Option (3 hours + 1 additional course). See information below.6
    Total Hours36

Note on dual-listed courses. No more than 18 hours of dual-listed courses (courses listed simultaneously at both the 400 level and the 500 level) may be counted towards the minimum hours required for a degree. In addition, graduate students will receive graduate credit only when they enroll in the 500-level version of any dual-listed course.

B. Thesis or Capstone Requirement. The creative writing concentration requires either a creative thesis or a capstone, which is included in the program requirement of 36 hours.

  1. Thesis option (6 hours). The thesis is a substantial body of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or other genres. An oral defense, which will situate the thesis in the comprehensive objectives of the creative writing concentration, will be required one to two weeks prior to the Thesis First Submission Deadline for the Graduate School. Six hours of thesis credit will be granted on the successful completion and oral defense of the thesis.
  2. Capstone option (6 hours + 1 additional course). The capstone is a collection of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or other genres, which grows out of previous coursework. NOTE: Students who choose the capstone option must take an additional course in order to complete the program requirement of 36 hours.

C. Foreign Language Requirement. All students pursuing the M.A. in English must demonstrate a reading proficiency in Spanish, French, German, or Latin before registering for capstone or thesis hours. Students for whom English is not native may offer their native language to satisfy the foreign language requirement. Credit earned in foreign language courses does not count toward the 36-hour credit requirement for the M.A. in English.