Requirements for the MFA
General Requirements. The MFA requires 36 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 3.0, plus the completion of an acceptable final manuscript. Requirements vary according to the student’s area of major interest (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry), but the degree requires a combination of writing workshops, graduate-level readings courses, and English courses outside the Writing Program (in composition, literature, or film). Also required is ENGLIT 2608: Genres and Genre Theory. Further information about requirements for each MFA genre can be found in the English Department’s graduate handbook. There are no language requirements for MFA students.
The Final Manuscript. The final manuscript is equivalent to the MA comprehensive examination. It consists of a book-length manuscript of the student’s best work in the area of major interest - 150 pages (typed, double-spaced, standard format) for fiction and nonfiction, and 50 pages for poetry. The manuscript shall be submitted to a committee of three English faculty members-two writing graduate faculty in the student’s area of major interest and one English graduate faculty member outside the writing program. The student may recommend committee members, but the writing program director has final approval.
