Degree Details and Courses
The MA in Writing offers students two concentrations to choose from: Fiction or Nonfiction.
Fiction Concentration
Fiction students complete the following nine courses:
- Two core courses
- Three fiction workshops from the list below, general or specialized
- Three electives, including at least one Fiction-specific elective
- Thesis and Publication – taken only after completion of all core courses, workshops, and electives
Nonfiction Concentration
To earn the M.A. in Writing, Nonfiction students complete the following nine courses:
- Two or three required core courses
- Three workshops from the list below, regular or specialized
- Two or three electives (depending on a number of cores taken)
- Thesis and Publication—taken only after completion of all core courses, workshops, and electives
Fiction Core Courses
This final course is required for all degree candidates in fiction or nonfiction and is offered only in the fall and spring terms. The two course goals are the completion of a successful thesis and an enriching, challenging capstone experience for the entire program. The creative writing thesis will contain portions of a novel or a nonfiction book, and/or a collection of short stories, essays, or articles. We recommend that students select their best work and the work they most want to work on revising during the thesis semester; not all program writing will become part of a thesis. Students taking this course are required to submit a full thesis draft early in the course; the author spends the term working one-on-one with a thesis advisor to revise this draft. In addition, thesis students meet as a class with the thesis class instructor for certain weeks during the term. During those class sessions, students engage in forward-looking discussions on the writing life, participate in a program-capping roundtable discussion, and rehearse and conduct a public reading. Prerequisite: All other required and elective courses. Students may take a second course during their thesis term with the program director’s permission; such a course must be in addition to program requirements. Students enrolling in this course must submit a Thesis Planning Form at least 30 days in advance of the course start date.
Fiction Workshops
Three required; each may be taken more than once.
Fiction Electives
Three required, including but not limited to those on this list. Other electives include dual concentration courses such as Sentence Power: From Craft to Art, Voice in Fiction and Nonfiction, and Poetry for Prose Writers.
Nonfiction Core Courses
This final course is required for all degree candidates in fiction or nonfiction and is offered only in the fall and spring terms. The two course goals are the completion of a successful thesis and an enriching, challenging capstone experience for the entire program. The creative writing thesis will contain portions of a novel or a nonfiction book, and/or a collection of short stories, essays, or articles. We recommend that students select their best work and the work they most want to work on revising during the thesis semester; not all program writing will become part of a thesis. Students taking this course are required to submit a full thesis draft early in the course; the author spends the term working one-on-one with a thesis advisor to revise this draft. In addition, thesis students meet as a class with the thesis class instructor for certain weeks during the term. During those class sessions, students engage in forward-looking discussions on the writing life, participate in a program-capping roundtable discussion, and rehearse and conduct a public reading. Prerequisite: All other required and elective courses. Students may take a second course during their thesis term with the program director’s permission; such a course must be in addition to program requirements. Students enrolling in this course must submit a Thesis Planning Form at least 30 days in advance of the course start date.
Nonfiction Workshops
Workshops (general or specialized / any combination of three required).
Nonfiction Electives
Two or three required, depending on cores taken; Nonfiction students must complete at least one elective from this list.
STATE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR ONLINE PROGRAMS
Students should be aware of state-specific information for online programs. For more information, please contact an admissions representative.