West Virginia University - MFA Posted on April 29th
1. Admission
Admission to the M.F.A. degree program in creative writing is based primarily on the excellence of a substantial writing sample in fiction, nonfiction or poetry. An admissions committee made up of members of the English graduate faculty with specialties in creative writing examine applications for excellence and promise. Normally, prospective candidates for the degree of Master of Fine Arts are expected to have completed work in an undergraduate discipline resulting in a Bachelor degree in English. Graduate Record Examination scores are required, as are letters of recommendation and a personal statement. Application information is here.
2. Program Requirements
M.F.A. students must successfully complete 45 hours, distributed as follows: twelve hours of creative writing workshops; twelve hours of graduate-level English courses (non-creative writing); three hours of creative writing pedagogy (which involves participation in the writers-in-the-schools program); three hours of special topics in writing; nine thesis hours; six hours to be determined in consultation with the Creative Writing faculty. The student is required to submit a book-length manuscript (minimum of 48 pages in poetry, 150 pages in fiction), ideally suitable for publication on its own, that has been approved by a thesis director and two readers. Final approval is granted following an oral defense of the thesis. The core of the program is the workshop, where students submit their own writing for discussion and critique. This writing will make up the bulk of the thesis, which will be completed under the close supervision of the thesis adviser and two additional thesis committee members. The non-creative writing courses will be the same as those taken by Ph.D and M.A. students.
3. Teaching/Financial Assistance
Most students admitted into the M.F.A. program receive Graduate Teaching Assistantships that include a stipend plus a tuition waiver. Students who attend the Department of English’s summer internship program in teaching are paid an additional $1,000.
230 Stansbury Hall
PO Box 6296
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506-6296
Tel: 304-293-3107
Fax: 304-293-5380
