Creative Writing, M.F.A.

Student Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for MFA Creative Writing
1	Students will produce high quality/publishable/producible creative work in the genres of either fiction writing, poetry, nonfiction writing, or playwriting.
2	Students will demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of literary techniques in the genre of study.
3	Students will demonstrate mastery of grammatical rules and display ability to edit texts at a professional level.
4	Students will analyze and display an expertise in the literature of their genre. They will articulate clear and complex ideas on both classical and contemporary writing in their field of study.
5	Students will demonstrate an understanding of the craft elements at work in classic and contemporary literature.

Admission

In addition to meeting the minimum standards for admission to the Graduate School, an applicant is accepted for graduate work upon the recommendation of the creative writing faculty on the basis of clearly demonstrated skills in a creative writing genre, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation. All applicants must identify the genre in which they plan to specialize and submit a portfolio of their writing in the genre (two plays of any length, a feature-length film script, two short stories or a 25-page novel excerpt, ten poems, two short nonfiction pieces, or a 35-page book excerpt).

Degree Requirements

Resident option

Completion of at least 45 hours of courses, primarily offered by the Department of Language and Literature and/or the Film and Theatre Department.
Fifteen hours of 6000-level course work in creative writing workshops, at least 12 of which will be in the thesis genre area. These required course are: for fiction writing ENGL 6161 ; for poetry writing, ENGL 6163 ; for nonfiction, ENGL 6154 ; and for playwriting, ENGL 6200 .
Three hours in a craft seminar in their genre. These required courses are: for fiction writing, ENGL 6941 ; for poetry writing, ENGL 6943 ; for nonfiction writing, ENGL 6944 ; and for playwriting, ENGL 6946 .
Any additional craft courses will count as electives.
Three hours in ENGL 6154 - Non-Fiction Writing Workshop . For students whose genre is nonfiction writing, a workshop in a genre other than nonfiction is required in place of the three hours in ENGL 6154 required of students in the other genres.
Nine hours in Background Literature, Genre Studies and Professional Practice. Courses selected for this requirement in consultation with Program Director.
A grade of B or better in all required course work.
Nine hours of electives. Chosen in consultation with the Program Director, these elective hours will be expected to conform to a cohesive program of study.
An overall GPA of 3.0 in elective courses.
A creative thesis for which the student may receive six hours of preparation credit. The creative writing thesis will be prepared under the supervision of a committee approved by the Graduate School. The committee will ordinarily consist of three members of the graduate faculties of the departments of Film and Theatre and English. The thesis director and at least one other member should teach in the student’s genre area.
A comprehensive exam in the student’s genre area that will be prepared, administered, and graded by the thesis committee. It will concern itself with the literature of the student’s genre area.
Students who hold master’s degrees from other UNO programs may apply for admission, but upon acceptance they must meet all requirements for the M.F.A. degree listed above. However, only 9 hours from prior master’s courses can count toward completion of the MFA, and all 15 required workshop hours must be conducted at UNO.

Financial Aid

Graduate assistantships are also available for qualified students in all Master of Fine Arts programs of study.

Online MFA

The Online Master of Fine Arts is a unique option within the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Online Master of Fine Arts students take all their courses through distance learning, with the option of completing some coursework at one of UNO’s summer study abroad sites. The program is a 45 hour terminal degree, with the curriculum centered on 18 hours of creative writing workshops, plus 12 hours of background courses, nine hours of electives, and six hours of thesis preparation; the required courses mirror the resident Master of Fine Arts degree.
Completion of at least 45 hours of courses primarily offered by Department of Language and Literature.
At least 27 hours of courses 5000 level and above must be taken online. The additional coursework may be completed in residence, through UNO Study Abroad.
A total of 15 hours of creative writing workshops (including those taken in residence) must be completed, at least 12 of which will be in the thesis genre area. The required online workshops are: for fiction writing ENGL 6171 or ENGL 6191 ; for poetry writing, ENGL 6173 or ENGL 6193 ; for nonfiction; ENGL 6174 or ENGL 6194 ; and for playwriting, ENGL 6200 .
Three hours in nonfiction writing are required of all students. For students whose genre is nonfiction writing, a workshop in a genre other than nonfiction is required in place of the three hours of nonfiction writing required of students in the other genres.
Three hours in a craft seminar in their genre. These required courses are: for fiction writing, ENGL 6941 ; for poetry writing, ENGL 6943 ; for nonfiction writing, ENGL 6944 ; and for playwriting, ENGL 6946 .
Nine hours in Background Literature, Genre Studies and Professional Practice. Courses selected for this requirement in consultation with Program Director.
A grade of B or better in all required course work.
Nine hours of electives. Chosen in consultation with the Director of Creative Writing, these elective hours will be expected to conform to a cohesive program of study. Any additional craft seminars beyond the one “in genre” required as outlined above will count as electives.
An overall GPA of 3.0 in elective courses.
A creative thesis for which the student may receive six hours of preparation credit. The creative writing thesis will be prepared under the supervision of a committee approved by the Graduate School. This committee will ordinarily consist of three members of the graduate faculties of the departments of Film and Theatre and English. The thesis director and at least one other member of the thesis committee must teach in the student’s genre.
A comprehensive exam in the student’s genre area that will be prepared, administered, and graded by the thesis committee. It will concern itself with the literature of the student’s genre area.
Students who hold master’s degrees from other UNO programs may apply for admission, but upon acceptance they must meet all requirements for the M.F.A. degree listed above. Moreover, only 9 hours from prior master’s courses can count toward completion of the MFA, and all 15 required workshop hours must be conducted at UNO.