Course of Study / MFA in Creative Writing
1. Required Coursework
These are minimums only. The Advisory Committee may determine that the student needs to take additional courses, or the student may opt to do so.
Students must take 36 credit hours (generally 12 courses) of graduate-level coursework.
Note: The Graduate School does not recognize undergraduate coursework on the Program of Study; hence, undergraduate courses will not count toward the 36 hours.
Hours required for teaching apprenticeships, if the student desires one, and research hours are not included in the 36 hours of required coursework.
Students must take 15 hours of graduate-level coursework (generally 5 courses) in Creative Writing, 12 hours (4 courses) of graduate-level literature (at either the 6000 or 8000 levels), and 3 hours (one course) of graduate-level electives.
At least one of the 5 courses in Creative Writing must be in a genre other than the student’s primary genre.
Electives must be approved by the student’s Major Professor.
Students must register for a minimum of 12 hours each semester during the two years of residence.
In the final semester of study, students must register for six thesis hours (7301).
No grade below a C may be counted toward the required coursework.
Generally, students enroll in three 3-credit courses when they are not teaching, and in two 3-credit courses when they are teaching. Students who are teaching at UGA (as well as UGA Research Assistants and Presidential Fellows) are on UGA Assistantships, which means that they must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours of coursework during the fall and spring semesters, and 9 hours of coursework during the summer term. They generally satisfy this requirement by topping off their regular coursework with English 7000 (master’s research) or 7301 (master’s thesis).
Note: M.F.A. students who teach in their second year are eligible for tuition waivers during the summer before they begin teaching. To be eligible, they must submit to the Graduate School a “Commitment to Teach” form, available in the Graduate Office. This form must be signed by the Department Head or Graduate Coordinator.
Students who wish to teach composition in the second year must have a minimum of 18 hours of graduate-level coursework, must take an apprenticeship (ENGL 6910) during the first year, must attend the weeklong First-Year Orientation in the summer before the second year, must enroll in the Teaching Practicum (ENGL 6911) in the fall of the second year, and must have no incompletes on their records. Teaching assistantships include a tuition waiver and call for 18 hours of work per week. The First-Year Composition Office determines who will teach First-Year Composition and makes all of these teaching assignments.
2. Other Requirements
Students must be in residence for at least four semesters. The M.F.A. degree program is designed for completion in two years.
3. Assembling an Advisory Committee
First-year students will be assigned a faculty advisor by September of the first year.
By the middle of the spring semester, first-year students should choose a Major Professor and discuss with that person the composition of the Advisory Committee for the purposes of planning a program of study and identifying a thesis topic. As soon as the student has a 3-person Advisory Committee in place (and has secured the consent of the three faculty), he or she should submit an Advisory Committee Form.
Although the composition of this committee may change, the student must submit a new Advisory Committee form each time the membership changes.
4. First-Year Review
In April of the student’s first year, the candidate will assemble a portfolio of work accomplished in that period for review by the Advisory Committee. The purpose of the first-year review is to examine the strengths and weaknesses evident in the student’s work, to direct the student in future work, and to address the issue of continuance. The committee will respond in writing to the student’s portfolio and make an assessment of the student’s progress toward the degree and performance in both creative writing and literature courses.
5. Planning a Program of Study
After the first-year review and before the end of the spring semester, the student should fill out a Program of Study for Non-Doctoral Professional Degrees form in consultation with the Advisory Committee.
The Graduate School recommends that this form be submitted by the end of the student’s second semester, and certainly by the fall of the student’s second year. This is an official form that will be submitted to the Graduate School after going through the Graduate Office. Students should plan ahead, bringing to the Graduate Office a printout of their graduate coursework. The Graduate Program Advisor will assist the student in completing this form.
Note: The Program of Study form is the student’s opportunity to ensure that he or she has met all department and Graduate School requirements. If the form is not submitted until the student’s final intended semester, it may be too late to determine whether all graduation requirements have been met.
6. Thesis
Students are required to submit a book-length manuscript (a minimum of 48 pages in poetry, 150 pages in prose), preferably suitable for publication on its own.
7. Graduation Requirements and Deadlines
Students should consult the Graduate School website to learn about important graduation deadlines and thesis format requirements. Students should plan to be registered for at least 3 hours during the semester they intend to graduate. Deadline information is available here.
Please note: It is the student’s responsibility to see that all forms have been submitted on time and that all program and Graduate School requirements have been met.
8. Academic Standing and Dismissal For Insufficient Progress
Students may be dismissed by the department at the end of any semester if they have not made sufficient academic progress to warrant continuance of study. Failure to follow the Program of Study or other departmental and Graduate School guidelines, low grades (below a 3.0 GPA), and lack of progress on a thesis are among the reasons dismissal might occur. The Graduate Faculty periodically reviews the records of graduate students whose progress or performance is in doubt.