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UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

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M.F.A. in Creative Writing

Description

An M.F.A. in creative writing prepares students who have decided to develop their particular literary skills to a higher level. By working closely with the well-published poets and writers in the Department of English, as well as with their fellow graduate students, the developing creative writers actively participate in a scholarly community that focuses on successfully learning the craft of writing. Upon completion of the degree, the successful student will have a completed manuscript ready for publication.

Minimum Total Credit Hours: 42

Course Requirements

Students with a B.A. must complete 36 hours of course work with at least a B average, as well as 6 additional hours of thesis credit. Of the 36 hours, a minimum of 12 must be in creative writing workshops; at least 12 must be in literature courses (6 before 1800 and 6 after); and 3 must be in literary, critical, cultural, rhetorical, or composition theory. Engl 600 is required during the first fall semester of enrollment in full standing. Students may take up to 9 hours in related disciplines and/or directed readings. Teaching assistants are required to take English 617: Teaching College English. Students with a M.A. or other graduate degree may be released from some course work.

The M.F.A. thesis is a book-length manuscript of either poetry or prose. Students are to work with a committee of three faculty members, one of whom will be the student's supervisor.

Before submitting the M.F.A. thesis, each student must pass a four-hour written test on topics on literature and related fields. The exam is set by the student's M.F.A. committee.

An oral defense before the committee, lasting approximately one hour, is the final stage before the student is recommended for the degree.

Other Academic Requirements

Each student is expected to demonstrate evidence of proficiency in one foreign language, usually Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, German, or Italian, before the thesis defense. Ordinarily, it would be demonstrated by a grade of B or higher in 3 hours of resident course work in the literature of the appropriate foreign language (in the original), by a score in the 40th percentile or higher in the Graduate Student Foreign Language Test administered by the Educational Testing Service, or by a grade of B or higher in FR 599, GERM 599, or SPAN 599, Special Topics: Translation for Foreign Language Proficiency. Anyone seeking to satisfy the foreign language requirement in a language other than those listed must petition the graduate studies committee.

The policies and regulations contained in this online University of Mississippi Catalog are in effect for the current or selected semester. The catalog is not a contract, but rather a guide for the convenience of students. The University of Mississippi reserves the right to 1) change or withdraw courses; 2) change the fees, rules, and schedules for admission, registration, instruction, and graduation; and 3) change other regulations affecting the student body at any time. Implicit in each student’s enrollment with the university is an agreement to comply with university rules and regulations, which the university may modify to exercise properly its educational responsibility.