Frequently Asked Questions about the Creighton MFA in Creative Writing

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1 How long is the Creighton MFA? Frequently Asked Questions about the Creighton MFA in Creative Writing The Creighton University Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a two-year residential program (48 hours) conferring the MFA, the terminal degree in creative writing. In addition, the program offers the Graduate Certificate and Certificate in creative writing and the Certificate in screenwriting. Students may enroll full- or parttime in the program. Do you admit students only in the fall? We prefer students to start in the fall term. However, in some cases, students can start at mid-year, in time for the spring term, which starts in mid-january. How many students will the program accept? Ultimately, we want to build to a total of forty-eight in the program at any one time. Because our program is new, we don t yet know the full number of applications we ll receive. How large are classes? No more than ten to twelve per workshop, perhaps a few more in literature and craft classes. What does the program cost? The cost per credit is $750 ( rates). A full-time load is twelve credits per semester split between A and B terms. So the student takes two courses per eight-week term. What about fellowships? The program offers a number of fellowships, some full fellowships that cover all tuition and provide a yearly stipend, as well as some half-fellowships that cover half the tuition. Students must enroll full-time in the program to be eligible for fellowship aid. Full fellows attach themselves to their choice of faculty and program projects related to creative writing. Such projects may include working on an online literary magazine, the Nebraska Center for Writers web site, or the Creighton University Press. If you ve been awarded a full or half fellowship, as soon as possible before the start of the term, be sure to drop in at the Business Office (Creighton Hall, Room 113, ) to make sure they have you in the system. Is the GRE required for admission to the MFA program?

2 FAQ s about the Creighton MFA 2 No, we don t find that the GRE provides a reliable indication of a writer s potential for graduate study. But we reserve the right to request GRE scores or a personal interview. If I m a former Creighton student, do I need to provide letters of recommendation and a CU transcript? It is unlikely we d need letters of rec or a Creighton transcript from former students with whose work we re already strongly familiar, but we reserve the right to ask in some cases. I can t afford to give up my day job. Does that mean the MFA is not possible for me? The Creighton MFA program has been designed to fit in with your real life. Courses meet once a week in the late afternoon or evening. And the eight-week terms more easily accommodate our students busy lifestyles. I don t have a day job but need done. What are job prospects like in Omaha? Job opportunities are more plentiful in Omaha than they are in many places around the country. Our students hold jobs in the community and on campus in various capacities. The program does what it can to help students find jobs and housing. Check with the Career Center for on-campus job possibilities. When will application decisions be made? We ll make decisions about applications as soon as we can after receiving them. We d be able to accept students right up until the start of school, but we won t make applicants wait that long. The earlier you apply, the more fellowship money is available. How does a given semester work? Creighton University operates mainly on a sixteen-week semester system. The MFA program divides the semester into two eight-week terms: the first sometimes begins 1-3 days before the regular term begins; the second begins right after mid-term break and extends into final exam week. A CRW course listed as section A meets the first eight weeks of the semester; a CRW course listed as section B meets the second eight weeks of the semester. Each course meets only once a week, for four hours each week, making a total of eight meetings. The terms move quickly, so it s important that you not miss class. Students meet for the same amount of time in eight weeks that they d normally meet in a full sixteen-week term. What courses does the MFA student take, and when does he/she take them? The MFA student will take four workshops in the primary genre, four craft classes, four literature seminars, and two thesis courses.

3 FAQ s about the Creighton MFA 3 How are MFA courses graded? Students in the MFA program are graded holistically based on their overall engagement in the course. Students who don t miss too many classes, who participate responsibly in workshop discussions and other activities in and out of class, and who complete the assigned work will almost always receive an A for the course. Students who fall short in one or more of these areas may receive a B. Students who fall short in all three areas may receive a C. While you still receive course credit for a grade of C, in graduate school, a C generally indicates that the student needs to reconsider his/her level of commitment to the program. Workshop courses (CRW 641, 642, and 643) are also graded holistically, but with Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory (SA/UN) instead of a letter grade. We do this because it seems to us that creative writing is too complex to be reduced to something as simple as a letter grade. Why don t we use SA/UN in all creative writing courses? Because the Graduate School only allows the use of SA/UN in skills development courses. Use of SA/UN instead of regular grading in any other course is not permitted. Students who don t miss too many classes, who participate responsibly in workshop discussions and other activities in and out of class, and who complete the assigned work will always receive a Satisfactory for the course. Students who fall short in one or more areas may receive an Unsatisfactory. Credit earned with SA counts toward graduation but does not affect the student s GPA. However, UN functions as a failure in computing the grade-point average. A grade of I may be awarded only for reasons if illness, unavoidable travel breaks, or incomplete work on a thesis. An I will not be granted for excessive absences or for failure to complete course work, without an exceptionally good reason. Note that the student who fails to hand in all assigned work will fail the course, unless a prior arrangement is made for an alternate deadline. In that case, the grade of I (Incomplete) can be given. Incompletes must be made up within a year. A graduate student whose GPA falls below 3.0 at the end of any term is placed on academic probation. A student who fails to regain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within one semester of full-time enrollment or its equivalent (8 credit hours) will be dismissed from the Graduate School. Any student who accumulates more than six credit hours of a C grade, or any grade less than C, in his/her graduate program is disqualified from the Graduate School and will be dismissed from the program. How do I register for classes? Though the MFA courses are listed on the CU Registrar s web site, in order to register for them, call LuAnn Schwery in the Grad School office ( ). Remember that, if you re a full-time student (recipients of full and half fellowships must be enrolled full time), you need to register for four courses two A courses and two B courses. And remember that, occasionally, an A course will start meeting 1-3 days before the start of the regular term.

4 FAQ s about the Creighton MFA 4 How will the thesis work? The goal of the program is for the student to complete or work towards a book-length manuscript of prose or poetry. Students take the Thesis course twice, one near the beginning of their time in the program and once near the end. Students will also work with their thesis supervisors throughout their time in the program. Do you guarantee that my thesis will be published? No one can guarantee that a manuscript will be published. There are too many variables to consider. However, the program s goal is to provide the guidance that will allow students to complete or to work towards a publishable book-length manuscript by the end of the program. To help, we bring writers, editors, and agents to meet with students. What are the craft courses like? And how are the literature courses focused? All courses are taught from a writer s perspective. The content of the literature and craft courses changes every time, according to the interests of the faculty member teaching it and to input from the students taking it (faculty members take turns teaching all the courses). For instance, one term the craft course may focus on the long poem, or the literature course may focus on the novel-in-stories. How is the Creighton MFA different from the Creighton MA in creative writing? The MA in creative writing is primarily a degree in literature with a specialization in creative writing. The MA is not considered a terminal degree. In other words, a writer who hopes to teach creative writing at the university level would need the MFA or PhD in addition to the MA. The MFA is a terminal degree, which means it is the highest degree a student can be expected to achieve in creative writing, according to The Association of Writers and Writing Programs. It should be noted, however, that university teaching jobs in creative writing are few and far between. In addition to the MFA, successful job applicants often also have a strong publication record, teaching experience and, in some cases, a PhD. Courses in the MFA program in creative writing have the designation CRW (e.g., CRW 641, etc.) to distinguish them from graduate courses in English. Courses in the MA program in English are not interchangeable with courses in the MFA program in creative writing. The MFA is a studio program with its entire focus on helping writers complete or work towards book-length manuscripts with the goal of publication. Even the literature courses are taught from a writer s perspective. What teaching opportunities will be available to MFA students?

5 FAQ s about the Creighton MFA 5 The teaching experience our students gain is in the form of a teaching practicum, a threecredit course in which the student works with a full-time faculty member in an undergraduate course of the student s choice. Can students work in more than one genre? The short answer is yes. If you re interested in working in both prose and poetry, submit manuscripts in both areas when applying and indicate this in your personal statement. Students may take craft and literature classes in other tracks by simply registering for them. They will be able to take workshops in other genres by submitting a manuscript to the teacher of that workshop (or by having a manuscript on file as part of their application). Of course, in cases where we re already familiar with a writer s work, we d skip this step. As to which emphasis will appear on your official record (poetry, prose or both), we re still working on this and will make a decision in the coming months. In other to get both on your transcript, we might have to ask students to take more workshops than usual. Is there a language requirement? No but we encourage learning a second language. A writer can sometimes supplement an income by writing translations. Is there a comprehensive exam? No. Your writing is the primary focus of your work in the program. How is the Creighton MFA different from other MFA programs? One of several unique features of the program is its focus on book projects. As soon as the student enters the program, he or she is guided in working towards a publishable book-length manuscript. That manuscript becomes the thesis the student submits at the end of two years. Most MFA programs leave the teaching of literature courses to the English Department. The Creighton MFA program includes craft classes and literature seminars taught by writers and from a writer s perspective, with an emphasis on technique, strategies, design, and vision. In the first term, the faculty help students establish a writing goal and lay out a plan for achieving that goal. From that point on, every aspect of the program is aimed at helping the student achieve that goal. In formal and informal ways throughout the program, writers learn how to live and thrive in the profession. As part of their education as writers, the students will attend a series of on-campus readings, talks, and conferences with visiting writers, editors, and literary agents.

6 FAQ s about the Creighton MFA 6 Another innovation of the Creighton MFA is the eight-week term, which provides flexible scheduling that includes built-in writing time for the student. This means each student will get the benefit of intense workshop discussion with a teacher and fellow writers. But it also means that, during terms they re not in workshop, students will work individually with faculty mentors. The Creighton MFA is dedicated to keeping workshops small, no larger than students, the ideal size for the best learning. The Creighton MFA is a program that s tailored to the individual needs of its students. We take seriously the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, care for the whole person. Every element of our program has been designed to allow us to give the individual student the greatest amount of personal attention possible. How does the program break down by genre? The two main tracks are poetry and prose. Generally, students are admitted in one track or the other, though all students are encouraged to take workshops, craft classes, and literature seminars in the other genre as a way of enriching their writing. Screenwriters working on the MFA will be part of the prose track and will present screenplays in the prose workshops. Dedicated online screenwriting workshops are held during the summer. Who teaches in the MFA Program? The award-winning faculty includes Susan Aizenberg, author of Muse; David Philip Mullins, author of Greetings from Below; Brent Spencer, author of Rattlesnake Daddy; and Mary Helen Stefaniak, author of The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia. Will any visiting writers come to the program? Each year a series of visiting writers, editors and literary agents will visit the program to give talks, conduct workshops, and conference one-on-one with students in the program. I ve been out of school for a while. Is that a handicap? Not at all. In fact, it may be an added benefit. The average age of students in MFA programs across the country is thirty, but the age-range goes from people in their twenties to people in their eighties. Older students often thrive in MFA programs because, in many cases, age brings greater experience, knowledge, and focus. What are the application requirements? Applicants must have a bachelor s degree or its equivalent in any subject from an accredited college or university by the start of the first semester in the program. An application should include:

7 FAQ s about the Creighton MFA 7 1. Completed online application form and $50 non-refundable application fee 2. Manuscript: A manuscript of original writing (published or unpublished): for the poetry track pages, for the prose track pages, for the screenwriting certificate pages; 3. Personal statement: A personal essay of about 500 words on the applicant s purpose for pursuing graduate study in creative writing, identifying a particular track (poetry, prose, screenwriting); 4. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (no photocopies are accepted) ; 5. Three recommendations from persons other than family members and preferably submitted by undergraduate/graduate faculty and/or colleagues; 6. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): All international applicants from countries in which English is not the primary language must demonstrate proficiency in English language by submitting a minimum TOEFL score of 80 ibt (213 CBT/550 PBT). International applicants who receive their baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited institution in the US, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Africa (English-speaking only) are NOT required to submit a TOEFL score report. 7. The GRE is not required, but Creighton University reserves the right to request GRE scores or a personal interview. 8. Technology: For the screenwriting track, acknowledge regular access to the technology needed to take online courses as outlined here. By starting the application process, students are implicitly acknowledging such access. My undergraduate major wasn t English. Is that a problem? Not at all. Writers come from all walks of life and all disciplines. My undergraduate grades weren t very strong. Is that a problem? The admissions committee is primarily interested in the quality of the writing sample, the personal statement, and the letters of recommendation. It s encouraging to recall that Nobel Prize-winning writer William Faulkner earned a C in his Freshman English course. Will a campus visit help me get accepted? We re happy to visit with prospective students. If the timing is right, and if the instructor agrees, it s possible to sit in on a class. However, such a visit is not necessary and will not affect an applicant s chances for acceptance. How do I apply? Point your browser to FOR MORE INFORMATION: l bspencer@creighton.edu l HTTP//THEWRITERSEDGE.ORG