Catalog Year

2023-2024

Degree

Master of Fine Arts

Credits

46

Locations

Mankato

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Creative Writing (MFA)

The Creative Writing MFA meets the needs of students who want to strike a balance between the development of individual creative talent and the close study of literature and language. Students will find appropriate training for careers in freelance writing, college-level teaching, editing and publishing, arts administration, and several other areas.

For information on class times, dates, instructors, and locations, please visit the Registrar's website. There you will be able to find information on the current or upcoming semester.

Program Requirements

Common Core

Form and Technique and Contemporary Genre courses/Research course/Capstone course. - Choose 16 Credit(s). The form and technique courses are generally taken in one's first year. English 638 and 672 are generally taken one's third year. Thesis is taken for 4 credits in the last year.

In this course students develop skills in editing, close reading, process implementation, and community building meant to sustain their writing careers after leaving the MFA program. Generally taken in students' third year.

Prerequisites: none

Study of the underpinnings of fiction.

Prerequisites: none

Study of the technical underpinnings of poetry.

Prerequisites: none

This course familiarizes students with various approaches and strategies to the teaching of creative writing. Discussions of classroom practices and pedagogical theories as well as teaching demonstrations prepare students to plan and develop an introductory-level creative writing course.

Prerequisites: none

Exploration of the business of creative writing and the tools for writing and research in the field.

Prerequisites: none

Independent capstone experience, guidelines of which are determined by the requirements of a particular program option.

Prerequisites: none

Restricted Electives

Writing Seminars/Workshops - Choose 12 Credit(s). 549 and 594 are acceptable in this category when offered as writing workshops. Courses are repeatable with new content.

Topics in Creative Writing Form and Technique will be a variable-title course that explores special topics relating to the technical mastery of one or more creative genres, or the technical achievement of one or more practitioners. May be repeated with different topics.

Prerequisites: none

Specialized workshops in topics such as computer-assisted writing, teaching the writing of poetry in the secondary school, or discipline specific writing.

Prerequisites: none

Workshop in writing personal essays and literary journalism.

Prerequisites: none

Workshop in fiction writing.

Prerequisites: none

Workshop in poetry writing.

Prerequisites: none

This course is a creative writing workshop for English or non-English graduate students who are not currently admitted to the MFA program.

Prerequisites: none

Topics relating to creative writing. May be repeated with different subject matter.

Prerequisites: none

Creative Writing Electives - Choose 6 Credit(s). 594 and 649 are repeatable with new content. (Other courses acceptable with consent of advisor)

Specialized workshops in topics such as computer-assisted writing, teaching the writing of poetry in the secondary school, or discipline specific writing.

Prerequisites: none

This course familiarizes students with various approaches and strategies to the teaching of creative writing. Discussions of classroom practices and pedagogical theories as well as teaching demonstrations prepare students to plan and develop an introductory-level creative writing course.

Prerequisites: none

Topics relating to creative writing. May be repeated with different subject matter.

Prerequisites: none

On-site field experience, the nature of which is determined by the specific needs of the student's program option.

Prerequisites: none

Unrestricted Electives

Additional English courses - Choose 12 Credit(s). Select an additional 12 credits from creative writing classes above or from the broader English offerings. Examples below.

Analysis and training focused on concepts and practices of visual design as they relate to technical and professional communication.

Prerequisites: none

Editing the content, organization, format, style, and mechanics of documents; managing the production cycle of documents, and discovering and learning microcomputer and software applications for technical editing tasks.

Prerequisites: none

Continued workshop in composition pedagogy for first-year teaching assistants.

Prerequisites: none

Introduction to the major theories of the nature of composition and their pedagogical application.

Prerequisites: none

This course aims to develop students¿ understanding of the interdisciplinary field of second language (L2) writing and, more specifically, the unique characteristics and instructional needs of L2 writers across multiple contexts.

Prerequisites: none

This course will examine current instructional practices used to teach writing in academic settings. This course can be repeated for credits as the topic changes each time it is offered.

Prerequisites: none

This course will explore the theoretical and practical implications of integrating literature into the composition classroom.

Prerequisites: none

Trends in film theory and criticism. Practice in critical analysis.

Prerequisites: none

Other Graduation Requirements

With advising, students will compile and read a booklist (40-60 titles). Students will present an oral defense of their thesis, a book-length collection of writing in the student's chosen genre, and reading list in their final year. All courses must be in English with the exception of those specifically approved by the Graduate Committee in English; 75% of all coursework must be taken at the 600-level.

Degree Plan

First Year

Fall - 9 Credits

Continued workshop in composition pedagogy for first-year teaching assistants.

Prerequisites: none

Study of the underpinnings of fiction.

Prerequisites: none

Workshop in writing personal essays and literary journalism.

Prerequisites: none

Spring - 9 Credits

Study of the technical underpinnings of poetry.

Prerequisites: none

Workshop in writing personal essays and literary journalism.

Prerequisites: none

Topics relating to creative writing. May be repeated with different subject matter.

Prerequisites: none

Second Year

Fall - 9 Credits

Workshop in fiction writing.

Prerequisites: none

This course familiarizes students with various approaches and strategies to the teaching of creative writing. Discussions of classroom practices and pedagogical theories as well as teaching demonstrations prepare students to plan and develop an introductory-level creative writing course.

Prerequisites: none

On-site field experience, the nature of which is determined by the specific needs of the student's program option.

Prerequisites: none

Spring - 6 Credits

Introduction to the major theories of the nature of composition and their pedagogical application.

Prerequisites: none

Specialized, in-depth study of topics such as Holocaust literature, environmental literature, or regional literature. May be repeated with different subject matter.

Prerequisites: none

Third Year

Fall - 7 Credits

In this course students develop skills in editing, close reading, process implementation, and community building meant to sustain their writing careers after leaving the MFA program. Generally taken in students' third year.

Prerequisites: none

Workshop in writing personal essays and literary journalism.

Prerequisites: none

Independent capstone experience, guidelines of which are determined by the requirements of a particular program option.

Prerequisites: none

Spring - 6 Credits

Exploration of the business of creative writing and the tools for writing and research in the field.

Prerequisites: none

Independent capstone experience, guidelines of which are determined by the requirements of a particular program option.

Prerequisites: none

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