Creative Writing, Master of Fine Arts (0478)
Department website: http://www.wku.edu/english/
Program Coordinator
Nancy W. Dinan, nancy.dinan@wku.edu
The MFA program provides students pursuing vocations in creative writing the opportunity to acquire the background and knowledge required to be leading citizens of what Vachel Lindsay calls the “Republic of Letters.” The program prepares students for lives as writers of novels, short fiction, creative nonfiction, scripts, and poetry and related pursuits such as teaching, literary editing and publishing. In addition to intensive creative writing, students will complete four classes in a secondary concentration as part of the MFA. Students can select a concentration in literature, composition/rhetoric, or teaching English as a second language in order to give them additional options for employment after graduation. In total, the three-year residential program consists of 48 credit hours of graduate course work, culminating in the completion of a publishable creative thesis in fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, or creative nonfiction.
To apply for a funded graduate assistantship, download and submit the application on the department's program webpage: https://www.wku.edu/english/mfacw/index.php.
Concentration(s)
- Composition and Rhetoric (ENCR)
- Literature (ENLI)
- Teaching English as a Second Language (ENTL)
Program Admission
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- A twenty-page creative writing sample consisting of work in at least one of the following genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or screenwriting. The spacing and formatting of the writing sample should fit conventions of the selected genre.
- A statement of purpose consisting of one or two single-spaced pages describing the applicant’s background and interest in creative writing and how the WKU MFA program could help with the applicant’s literary pursuits.
- A curriculum vita or resumé, maximum two-pages.
- Optional: Students who are interested in applying for one of our funded graduate assistantships must download and submit the GA application along with the required application materials. The completed GA application must include a one-page statement addressing interests, skills, or experiences that make them highly qualified for a graduate assistantship position of teaching introductory college writing classes. The link to the GA application form is found on the department's program website: https://www.wku.edu/english/mfacw/index.php.
- Although not required, undergraduate creative writing courses are highly recommended
Graduate Studies Admission
Please refer to the admission section of this catalog for Graduate Studies admission requirements.
Program Requirements (48 hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENG 507 | Introduction to Creative Writing Studies | 3 |
| ENG 510 | Graduate Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| ENG 512 | Reading as a Writer | 3 |
| ENG 501 | Graduate Writing Workshop | 9 |
| or ENG 403G | Writing Memoir and Autobiography | |
| or ENG 474G | Advanced Poetry Writing | |
| or ENG 475G | Advanced Fiction Workshop | |
| ENG 515 | Internship | 3 |
| ENG 599 | Thesis Research and Writing | 6 |
| Electives 1 | ||
| Literature course | 3 | |
| Select 6 additional hours | 6 | |
| Select a concentration | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
- 1
Students may take the six hours of elective courses from any of the concentration courses so long as they have not counted them as part of the core or secondary concentration. In order to earn TESL certification as a secondary concentration, students must complete one TESL course as one of their free electives.
Composition & Rhetoric Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 12 hours from the following: | 12 | |
| Advanced Composition | ||
| Editing and Publishing | ||
| Composition Theory and Practice in Writing Instruction | ||
| Theories of Rhetoric and Persuasive Writing | ||
| Writing and Technology | ||
| Special Topics in English | ||
| Advanced Directed Study | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Literature Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 12 hours from the following: | 12 | |
| The British Novel | ||
| American Novel | ||
| American Poetry | ||
| Southern Literature | ||
| Women's Literature | ||
| Studies in American Literature | ||
| Studies in British Literature | ||
| Studies in World Literature | ||
| Studies in Genre | ||
| Seminar in British Writers | ||
| Seminar in American Writers | ||
| Special Topics in English | ||
| Advanced Directed Study | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 12 hours from the following: | 12 | |
| Linguistic Analysis | ||
| Psycholinguistics and Sociolinguistics | ||
| TESL Practicum | ||
| Integrated Teaching English as a Second Language | ||
| Seminar in Teaching English as a Second Language | ||
| Advanced Directed Study | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |