Creative Writing
The English Department offers the degree of Master of Arts in Creative Writing. Students typically fulfill their M.A. requirements in two years. A total of 33 semester hours of coursework, including the Master's Report, is required for the M.A. These hours will be chosen in consultation with the Graduate English Advisor.
Course requirements for M.A. in Creative Writing
- 9 hours E385N or E386L or WRT380 or E391L (creative writing workshops or conference courses)
- 3 hours E380F (Literature for Writers, may be repeated for credit when topics vary)
- 12 additional hours of English Department or WRT courses (literature or creative writing), three of which may be taken at the upper-division undergraduate level
- 6 hours of courses outside of both the English Department and the Michener Center for Writers
- 3 hours E398R (Master's Report)
About the Master's Report: Students admitted to the Creative Writing concentration must complete the M.A. Report as well as other applicable program requirements to receive the degree. In the Creative Writing concentration, the M.A. Report must consist of a body of creative work. Students admitted to the concentration in Creative Writing typically complete their graduate training with the M.A. and take Master's Report hours (E398R) in their final (fourth) semester. M.A. candidates must be registered for E398R during the same semester in which they receive the degree.
The M.A. Report in Creative Writing must be supervised by two members of the creative writing faculty: a supervising professor and a second reader. The M.A. Report supervisor must be a member of the English Graduate Studies Committee (GSC). The Report is to be printed and bound according to Graduate School specifications, signed by the student's M.A. Committee (the supervising professor and a second reader), and submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, Main Bldg. 101. In addition, students must fill out candidacy papers required by the Office of Graduate Studies early in the semester they expect to complete the M.A., and must submit their reports before the last class day of that semester. For graduation deadlines and candidacy packets, visit the UT Office of Graduate Studies page.
Switching genres or degree programs: M.A. Students who wish to switch genres or degree programs during their current study are discouraged from doing so, as it may entail additional coursework and/or prolonged enrollment. Creative Writing students are expected to submit their M.A. Reports in the same genre (fiction or poetry) which they specified in their applications. An admitted student who desires to change genres before or during their study must obtain the approval of two members of the Creative Writing faculty and the Director of the Creative Writing. Similarly, a current student who desires to change to Creative Writing from the English M.A./Ph.D. program must obtain the approval of two members of the Creative Writing faculty, the Director of the Creative Writing, and the Graduate English Adviser.
Grades: All courses counting for the M.A. Degree must be taken on a letter-grade basis, with this exception: 6 hours of minor coursework, which may be taken on a CR/NC basis. Students must maintain a 3.0 average to remain in the M.A. program.
Progress: Students earning the Master's degree will make normal progress by completing the M.A. requirements within four long semesters (two years). Continued financial support is contingent upon timely and successful completion of coursework in each semester. (The Office of Graduate Studies requires that all work for the Master's degree be completed within one six-year period.)
Continuing study beyond the M.A.: This English department does not offer a Ph.D. in Creative Writing. Students admitted into the Creative Writing program who wish to continue into the Ph.D. program in English must apply for formal admission. They will need to complete two steps:
1. Submit an application to the Graduate Adviser. This will include a letter declaring their intention to proceed to the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and a statement of purpose. They should also include a writing sample of a critical or scholarly paper written in a graduate English course at the University. This application will be reviewed by the admissions committee, which will approve or deny a student's eligibility for Ph.D. qualification. Please visit the English Graduate Programs' Application Procedures page for a complete list of the required application materials.
2. Earn a 3.5 G.P.A. in the 33 hours of graduate English courses required for the M.A. Since creative writing hours do not count toward the Ph.D. degree, students with an M.A. in Creative Writing will not normally be approved to register for creative writing courses once they have qualified for the Ph.D. program.