The MFA is a three-year, 54 semester-hour degree. Students are in residence and enrolled full-time, typically for three classes each in the fall and spring semesters. The requirements are flexible, allowing students to shape their own degree plans and take supporting courses that feed into their writing projects-say, a 20th century American novel seminar, a spoken—word performance class, a cinema history survey, acting or directing for the theatre. Through a community outreach option, students can satisfy certain degree requirements by developing outside writing workshops and gaining hands-on teaching experience.

Courses are generally 3 semester hours credit each, and the 54 required hours are:

•  First-Year Seminar (an interdisciplinary examination of craft)
•  3 graduate workshops in the primary field
•  2 workshops in the secondary field
•  2 classes in a minor subject
•  2 studies courses, primary field
•  2 studies courses, secondary field
•  1 elective, primary field
•  3 general elective courses
•  Year-long thesis course