Courses and requirements

Overview

You are required to complete a minimum of 30 credits (including thesis credits) for the Master of Arts or the Master of Science degree. 

• Your Program of Study must include four graduate-level writing workshops (creative writing seminars in the genres of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction).  
• You must complete either a 6-credit Plan A thesis project (a creative work or collection of at least 50 pages with a critical introduction) or a 3-credit Plan B thesis project (a creative work or collection of at least 25 pages with a critical introduction). Your Supervisory Committee chair will determine which plan is appropriate for your project. 

Coursework 

All coursework can be completed within the English Department. However, you may take one course outside the department if it is relevant to your Program of Study and you have received permission from both the DGS and your Supervisory Committee chair to take it. 

Although most of your courses will be taken from the curricula of the Creative Writing and Literature, Culture, & Composition specializations, you may also take courses in the department’s other master’s programs (Folklore & American Studies and Technical Communication). Coursework may include some online courses; however, the Master’s in English is an on-campus degree and may not be completed by taking only online classes. 

Creative Writing courses 

One advanced creative writing workshop is offered each fall and spring, the topics rotating through the following three genres:  

6882 Fiction Writing (taught f2f) 

6883 Poetry Writing (taught f2f) 

6884 Nonfiction Writing (taught f2f)