creative writing masters programs texas

Michener Center for Writers

Mfa in writing.

The Michener Center for Writers is the only Creative Writing M.F.A. program in the world that provides full and equal funding to every writer—yet it is our extraordinary faculty and sense of community that most distinguishes us. Our program is a three-year, fully-funded residency M.F.A. with a unique multi-disciplinary focus. Writers apply and are admitted in a primary genre—fiction, poetry, playwriting or screenwriting—and study in both their primary and a secondary genre(s). There are no teaching duties, a luxury that allows our Fellows to commit themselves fully to their writing. And because only twelve writers are admitted each year, our faculty can devote ample time and energy to every writer. With unparalleled support and the deeply held belief that literary art matters now more than ever, the Michener Center offers writers 3 years of unencumbered space to make the work that only they can make.

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The Michener Center aims to be a welcoming, inspiring, and invigorating community where writers feel safe and supported to take chances on the page. We are extremely proud that there is no hierarchy here—all students receive equal funding—and we firmly believe that our egalitarian approach fosters a higher level of work that more competitive environments suppress.

Our MFA candidates have come from places as varied as western India, South Korea, eastern Europe, and northern Idaho. Their backgrounds and experiences lend to the pages they produce, which are unique and uniquely vital. We aren’t seeking writers of any particular aesthetic, but rather we are looking for writers whose work is distinct, urgent, and arresting.

Each year, we receive hundreds of applications for twelve seats in the cohort. We accept only full-time, in-residence candidates for the three-year program. There is no low-residency or part-time option.

Applicants must meet the UT Graduate School’s minimum requirements for consideration, which include completion of a Bachelor’s Degree prior to enrollment. The Michener Center no longer requires GRE scores.

James Michener was the Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of over 40 books, including Texas , Hawaii , and Tales of the South Pacific . In his final years, he and his wife, Mari Yoriko Sabusawa, moved to Austin, TX, where they endowed the Texas Center for Writers, a three-year MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Texas. The first cohort of Michener Fellows graduated in 1996. After Mr. Michener’s death in 1997, the Center was renamed in his honor.

To ensure both continuity and fresh perspectives, the Michener Center faculty is built with fixed and moving parts. Writers from UT’s departments of English, Theatre and Dance, and Radio-Television-Film comprise our Resident Faculty, and each year we also welcome an exciting roster of distinguished Visiting Faculty. That our faculty members—resident and visiting—are as passionate about their teaching as they are their writing is of the utmost importance. Like our students, our faculty afford the program a wealth of varied experience, an abiding sense of shared enterprise, and deep commitment to the making of literary art. For more on our outstanding faculty in each genre, visit our Faculty page .

M.F.A. in Creative Writing

Get an m.f.a. in creative writing.

Our creative writing M.F.A. allows students to focus on creative writing in a specific genre while also studying a broad and diverse range of literatures in English. This degree is not a studio degree. It offers students preparation for the following areas:

• Creative publication
• Expert teaching in creative writing and literature
• Leadership in communication for business, education, and arts organizations
• Advanced studies in literature and creative writing in a doctoral program.

Admission to our creative writing program is extremely competitive, with up to 20 new students across the two genres selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. The curriculum for M.F.A. students emphasizes creative writing and literary study.

The city of Houston offers a vibrant, multi-cultural backdrop for studying creative writing at the University of Houston. With a dynamic visual and performing arts scene, the Houston metropolitan area supplies a wealth of aesthetic materials. 

Overview of Admissions Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission.

• B.A. degree
• 3.0 GPA in undergraduate studies 

Application Deadline

Applications to the M.F.A. in Creative Writing program are due January 15.

For more admissions information, visit the How to Apply web page for our M.F.A. in Creative Writing.

History of the Creative Writing Program

Over the years many more internationally acclaimed writers have made the Program their home, including Mary Gaitskill, Richard Howard, Howard Moss, Linda Gregg, Adam Zagajewski, Daniel Stern, David Wojahn, Edward Hirsch, Alan Hollinghurst, Mark Strand, David Wagoner, Philip Levine, Charles Wright, Claudia Rankine, Kimiko Hahn, Mark Doty and Ruben Martinez.

Current faculty includes Erin Belieu, Robert Boswell, Audrey Colombe, Chitra Divakaruni, Nick Flynn, francine j. harris, Antonya Nelson, Alex Parsons, Kevin Prufer, Brenda Peynado, Martha Serpas, Roberto Tejada, and Peter Turchi.

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MFA in Creative Writing

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About the Texas State MFA

A top ranked, funded mfa program in creative writing.

MFA faculty includes Tim O’Brien, Naomi Shihab Nye, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and 9 full-time instructors who mentor students in completing book-length theses. Our student to faculty ratio is 6:1.

Student Accomplishments

Our Creative Writing MFA students come from a competitive international pool of applicants. Alumni have published countless books, won national awards, and secured teaching positions throughout the country.

Extensive Funding

Almost 90% of interested students receive funding in the form of graduate assistantships and scholarships. The cost of living in San Marcos is relatively low, though we're in the Austin Metro area.

Visiting Writers, Editors, and Agents

Our visiting writers series is one of the most robust in the country. Writers teach a master class, enjoy dinner with students, and host a craft Q&A, in addition to several readings.

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MFA in Creative Writing

Degree Requirements    |   Getting Started   |   Institution and Advisor   |   FAQs  

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) offers a bilingual, fully-online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. The goal of this unique bilingual program is to prepare writers for the publishing marketplace and for teaching and editing careers, both in the United States and Latin America.

Degree Requirements

The degree plan consists of 42 credits of coursework, followed by 6 credits of thesis during which the student completes a publishable manuscript in poetry or fiction. Refer to the Online MFA Curriculum page for a listing of available courses and course descriptions. Spanish is not a requirement for admission.

Many online MFA in Creative Writing courses are open to cross-campus enrollment. Check with your program advisor prior to registering for any of cross-campus courses to ensure they apply toward your degree program, and non-UTEP students who want to take MFA courses must get permission from the MFA Advisor.

To view Online MFA in Creative Writing program courses currently open for cross-campus registration, go to the Student Portal Course Schedule and select Creative Writing-Bilingual (MFA) from the Finish@UT Program menu, or search for a specific course name/number. UTEP students should refer to the UTEP Course Schedule and register directly through your home campus.

Getting Started

Interested in applying? Be sure to review the Online MFA Application Process , Application Check List , and FAQs . If you have any questions regarding the application process after reviewing this information, please contact Coordinator of Graduate Enrollment, Sally Vasko .

Refer to the Student Support section of our website for additional information on cross-campus registration and course access.

Institution and Program Advisor

Degree Awarded: Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Program Advisor:

Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny

Please send program-related questions to  [email protected] .

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to questions such as, "Do I need to know Spanish to be admitted into the program?" and, "Who do I contact about financial aid?" on the MFA Online website .

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The University of Texas at El Paso is proud to offer a fully online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Writers can complete the entire degree from anywhere in the world, as there is no residency requirement.

Our goal is to prepare serious writers for publishing and teaching careers. The degree plan consists of 48 hours of coursework - 42 hours of workshops and literature classes (14 courses), followed by 6 hours of thesis during which students complete a publishable manuscript in poetry or fiction.

We offer a workshop-heavy M.F.A., but we believe in the necessity of a background in theory and form. Our candidates enjoy a wide variety of graduate courses in literature, from the “Form of the Short Story” to “Asian American Poetry.”

We believe that the excellent reputation of our M.F.A. program is created by our faculty and the writers we graduate. Therefore, our primary goal is to connect our students with solid writers who will aid in their artistic and intellectual development.

The main criterion for admission is a writing sample in either fiction or poetry. We look for writers with distinctive or developing voices, a sense of cultural or social awareness, and a yearning to expand one’s use of the craft. It’s simple; if you’re good at what you do, we want you to study with us.

We encourage but do not favor undergraduate degrees in Creative Writing or English. Our students and graduates come from various fields, from physics to theater, and all of them enrich the writing experience. Some of our applicants are establishing themselves as writers, while some already have books published, but need the M.F.A. degree to advance in their teaching careers. Whatever level you find yourself at, we welcome your work.

Our classes and discussions are held in English, however if you feel more comfortable, or feel like exploring language, you may submit your creative assignments in Spanish.

We look forward to hearing from you.

No matter where you are in the world, write with us.

Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny, Advisor for the Online MFA

For questions concerning the M.F.A. curriculum itself, please write us at [email protected]

For questions about the application process, please contact  [email protected]

Maestría en Escritura Creativa en Línea de UTEP

La Universidad de Texas en El Paso se enorgullece en ofrecer la Maestría en Escritura Creativa en línea completamente en español. Ahora también los escritores latinos podrán realizar sus estudios de posgrado con nosotros en tu idioma y desde cualquier lugar del mundo. 

El programa consta de 48 créditos académicos a completar en el curso de tres años. Nuestras materias cubren un amplio rango de tópicos como traducción literaria, guión, crónica, novela corta y prosa poética, entre otros. Además, si eres bilingüe puedes optar por llevar materias en inglés.

Nuestro objetivo es preparar a los escritores para que publiquen y emprendan una carrera como maestros a nivel licenciatura y posgrado. La tesis a desarrollar dentro del programa es un libro en los géneros de poesía, ficción, o no ficción. Así que al graduarte estarás listo para el mundo editorial.

Aceptamos postulantes de cualquier parte del mundo y de diversas carreras. Aunque la gran mayoría de ellos vienen del área de literatura, nuestros alumnos y graduados provienen también de áreas como física, comunicación, y teatro, consolidándose así un diálogo enriquecedor.

Buscamos escritores que tengan conciencia intercultural y social, así como un deseo por ampliar la técnica de su oficio. Todos nuestros profesores son escritores activos y destacados en la escena literaria de las Américas. Cada uno de ellos habrá de contribuir en tu desarrollo artístico e intelectual. Esta es tu oportunidad de discutir tu trabajo con voces experimentadas y consolidar tu progreso literario.

Nuestras clases son impartidas en inglés, sin embargo, nuestro profesorado es bilingüe, esto te permite escribir en el idioma que más te sientas cómodo, español o inglés, como prefieras.

Envíanos tu solicitud, queremos que estudies con nosotros, no importa en qué parte del mundo estés.

Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny

Consejera del MFA en Línea

Universidad de Texas en El Paso. Para preguntas sobre el programa, por favor contactar a [email protected]

Preguntas sobre el proceso de admisión, por favor contactar a Samantharai Yrigoyen [email protected]

Program Information:

For prospective students, faq’s, step by step process, application check list, for current students, online mfa faculty, connect with us.

The University of Texas at El Paso Department of Creative Writing Education Building, Room 901 Additional Emails English: [email protected] Español: [email protected] MFA Online: [email protected] Undergrad: [email protected] 500 W University Ave El Paso, Texas 79968

E: [email protected] P: (915) 747-5237

• Fine Arts Degrees

Creative Writing Masters Program (MFA) About the Masters in Writing

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a 45-credit-hour terminal degree. The workshop-driven program provides students a rigorous creative environment to pursue fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction writing, building on a rich foundation of apprenticeship and critical studies . Earn a terminal degree in creative writing in two years with our accelerated, low-residency MFA program. Students can study anywhere in the world, joining faculty, guest authors like Bret Lott and Scott Cairns, and peers at two annual Texas-based writers retreats. A parallel MFA in Screenwriting is also available.

The MFA utilizes an accelerated, low-residency model  designed to meet the needs of today’s students, while emphasizing a strong commitment to excellence in craft, analysis, and creativity. Three times per year, students and faculty gather either at HCU’s campus or for a destination writers’ retreat near cities like Austin, TX. Each residency features workshops and extensive interaction with notable professional writers serving as guest instructors, as well as ongoing mentorship from HCU’s exceptional full-time writing faculty.

Between residencies, students work from home, maintaining connections with their cohort through online workshops and ongoing coursework . These long-distance classes preserve HCU’s apprenticeship model, providing frequent feedback and personalized direction from each student’s writing mentors and peers. While the low-residency model allows writers to continue to live and work in their home cities, students should expect to commit considerable time every week to practicing their craft in order to successfully develop and hone their creative skills.

The  accelerated schedule allows students to complete the MFA degree in two  years . For professional writers, the Master of Fine Arts serves as a terminally qualifying degree , allowing successful graduates to teach at the university level . However, the program’s primary goal is  to nurture students’ creative potential, ensuring that their artistic craft is sharpened and developed.

Most importantly, the core of this degree remains HCU’s steadfast commitment to providing a learning experience that instills in students a passion for academic, spiritual and professional excellence as a result of our Christian convictions. Students learn how this faith has guided writers, storytellers, and artists throughout history and will be inspired by this rich heritage as together we seek to craft new works reflecting our Creator’s goodness, truth, and beauty.

Applications for the next cohort are now open. A writing portfolio is required for admission.

View Degree Plan

Program Highlights

Workshop-based mentoring.

The MFA in Creative Writing places a strong emphasis on practice and feedback, using rigorous faculty-led workshops throughout the program. Students will work closely with a writing mentor and receive valuable critiques from their cohort of peers.

Study from Anywhere

The MFA in Creative Writing is offered as a low-residency program, requiring approximately four weeks of Texas-based instruction across bi-annual writers retreats, supplemented by year-round online workshops that can be completed from anywhere in the world. ( Learn more… )

Accelerated Program

With intense, focused classroom instruction during four Texas-based residencies and year-round online workshops, students earn the 45-credit-hour terminal degree in Creative Writing in about two years. ( Learn more… )

Terminal MFA Degree

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a terminal degree. When coupled with professional work in the field, the MFA qualifies graduates to teach Creative Writing at the university-level.

Learn from the Best

Each residency features notable professional writers. The focused retreat structure means students have extensive face-to-face interaction with the visiting authors, while year-round online workshops also facilitate feedback from HCU’s exceptional writing faculty and distinguished adjunct instructors. ( Learn more… )

Strong Christian Foundation

HCU is committed to providing a learning experience that instills a passion for academic, spiritual and professional excellence as a result of our Christian convictions. MFA students explore the rich heritage of our faith, which has guided writers, storytellers, and artists throughout history.

Recent Guests

We are pleased to host a wide array of talented and experienced authors as guest speakers and instructors at each of our residencies, as well as through virtual discussions throughout the year. Our recent guests have included:

Bret Lott New York Times best-selling author of a dozen novels including Jewel , an Oprah Book Club selection

Fred Dings Acclaimed, award-winning poet, including the books Eulogy for a Private Man and After the Solstice 

Kimberly Povloski Poet, educator, and editor; author of hell of birds

Scott Cairns Acclaimed poet, essayist, and memoirist; author of Slow Pilgrim and Idiot Psalms

Theodora Ziolkowski Award-winning author of the novella On the Rocks and the short story chapbook Mother Tongues

Lauren Berry Award-winning poet and educator; poetry editor of Gulf Coast

HCU’s cross-disciplinary writing MFAs bring together novelists, poets, non-fiction writers, and screenwriters  at multiple retreats throughout the year, providing unique opportunities for experienced writers to inspire and challenge a new generation of storytellers.

Accelerated, Low-Residency Model

Our unique model is tailored to fit the active schedules of today’s writers, allowing students to study from anywhere in the world through online workshops, while not sacrificing invaluable face-to-face instruction with faculty, guest authors, and peers facilitated through three annual Texas-based writers retreats.

With our accelerated, low-residency model, students earn a 45-credit-hour terminal degree in Creative Writing in about two years. Across four residencies, students will gain 30 credit hours of intensive residential classes, providing essential foundations for the 15 credit hours of online courses that supplement the in-person instruction (learn more about the courses offered ).

MFA in Creative Writing — Sample Schedule

What to expect at the residencies… Each writing residency is carefully planned to provide an ideal, concentrated creative environment for learning and lasting growth. Bond with peers in small, focused workshops and learn directly from seasoned professional writers through extended conversations in-class and over meals.

The residencies also provide an opportunity to be inspired and challenged by a wide variety of writers, as we bring together poets, fiction authors, creative non-fiction writers, screenwriters, and playwrights in cross-disciplinary discussions.

August On-Campus Residency For six days in early August, students gather on HCU’s campus for classes and workshops. With special visiting instructors, the August residency focuses on the craft of writing and explores how artists of faith can create in ways that reflect the goodness, truth, and beauty of our Creator.

January Destination Retreat For seven days, students travel to a Texas-based retreat location. Be inspired by a fresh locale and the beauty of God’s natural world, as we take a break from our busy lives and gather together to focus on artistry and creativity. This retreat explores how the work of great poets and authors have inspired and shaped today’s successful writers, offering students a chance to build upon a great tradition, while developing  unique voices of their own.

Annual Writers Conference Students also have the option to gather on our campus for the annual HCU Writers Conference, featuring a wide array of guest speakers and an opportunity to connect with writers, editors, and publishers.

Meals and lodging for the residencies are included in tuition. Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements.

Courses Offered

The MFA in Creative Writing is a 45-credit-hour terminal degree. 30 hours of the degree are completed at four different residencies, while the remaining 15 hours are facilitated through online workshops throughout the accelerated program, which can be completed in less than two years.

For additional information on MFA courses and for the current official degree plan, see the HCU Course Catalog or select any course below for more details...

This course explores the role of the Christian artist in culture. Students will study how great Christian thinkers have thought about culture and art throughout church history and be challenged to understand their vocation as writers from a biblical perspective. Students will also develop an understanding of how to live out their faith through their work as they seek to affect the culture around them.

Study with experienced authors or poets, exploring the creative works that have inspired or shaped their writing. Topics will vary at each residency depending on the instructor and may also take into account the genres and mediums of interest to the current cohort of students. Cross-disciplinary courses in fiction, poetry, and cinema will be offered.

A study of the techniques available to writers of poetry or fiction. In Poetry Techniques, students will examine the various uses of form, metaphor, symbolism, meter, and narrative in poems. In Fiction Techniques, students will examine the various uses of person, character, voice, dialogue, detail, and plot.

Writing workshops in which students will create and revise original works of poetry or fiction (or other genres such as creative non-fiction). Over the course of the semester students will learn to critically assess their own work as well as the work of their peers.

Students select one medium to specialize in for 12 hours and are required to take at least one cross-disciplinary course.

This course is a capstone experience for students. In this course, students will reflect upon what they have learned in all previous courses. WRIT 6390 will also prepare students to begin their thesis.

Under the direction of a faculty mentor, students will write and defend a faculty-approved creative writing thesis.

Admissions Requirements

• Personal Statement – Please submit a personal statement, between 300 and 500 words, sharing your desire to attend the HCU Graduate School and how you feel a degree from HCU will assist you in your academic and professional careers.
• Résumé – Email a current résumé to the Graduate School at [email protected] .
• Writing Portfolio – Please submit a portfolio containing examples of your writing to The Graduate School. Your writing sample must be at least 10-15 pages in length for poetry or 20-30 pages in length for fiction or creative non-fiction, which may contain one story, multiple stories or excerpts. Additional work from other genres may be included as well.

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The MFA in Creative Writing is a 48-hour program of advanced study and practice of literary craft. This studio/research program provides aspiring writers with the ongoing support and challenge of a workshop environment, along with individualized guidance by faculty members who are published authors themselves. The objective of this degree program is to prepare students for careers as writers, teachers at the college or university level, editors, literary translators, and other related professional careers. The program provides further training in the art of contemporary literary writing and publishing, the artistic inspiration of other writers as peers and mentors, and a deepened understanding and appreciation of literary traditions, including those of the Rio Grande Valley and elsewhere. The program's small workshop sizes concentrate student energies, promote success, and encourage a sense of community.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the graduate program in creative writing, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:

• Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a recognized international equivalent in a similar or related field.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
• Three  letters  of  recommendation  from  professional  or  academic sources.
• Personal  statement  detailing  professional  goals  and  reasons  for pursuing the graduate degree.
• Submission of a portfolio of creative work

Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at  www.utrgv.edu/gradapply .

Program Advisment

The choice of courses to satisfy the requirements will be determined in consultation between the student and a designated advisor in the genre concentration chosen by the student (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction or literary translation).

Each student must complete a creative thesis consisting of a significant body of creative work in addition to a critical introduction which places that work in the context of a literary tradition. The thesis will be formally defended before the student’s thesis committee.

Program Requirements

Creative writing studio workshop courses - 15 hours.

Choose five from the following:

All ENGL Creative Writing Studio Workshop courses can be taken up to four times. Most students will enroll in 2-4 workshops of the same genre during the course of their MFA program.

Readings Seminars - 9 Hours

Choose three from the following:.

ENGL Readings Seminars can be taken up to 3 times. 

Professional Development - 3 Hours

Choose one from the following:.

Literature Seminars - 9 Hours

Choose two from the following:

A student who has already satisfied the Readings Seminars requirement may use any additional Readings seminars  courses to satisfy Literature requirements: any of ENGL 6335 , ENGL 6336 , ENGL 6337 , ENGL 6338 ,  ENGL 6339 ,  ENGL 6341 , ENGL 6342 , and  ENGL 6344  are applicable.

Free Electives - 6 Hours

Choose any two master level course at UTRGV. 

It is recommended to discuss elective choices with the advisor to select courses that will promote the success of the student’s thesis project.

Thesis - 6 Hours

Total Credit Hours: 48

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Program overview.

The Master’s degree in Creative Writing offers advanced study and practice of literary craft. This studio/research program provides aspiring writers with the ongoing support and challenge of a workshop environment, along with individualized guidance by faculty members who are published authors themselves.

The degree program prepares students for careers as writers, teachers at the college or university level, editors, literary translators, and other related professional careers. The program provides further training in the art of contemporary literary writing and publishing, the artistic inspiration of other writers as peers and mentors, and a deepened understanding and appreciation of literary traditions, including those of the Rio Grande Valley and elsewhere.

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Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Major in Creative Writing (Fiction Concentration)

Program overview.

The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree with a major in Creative Writing program offers talented writers the opportunity to develop skills as fiction writers or poets in a formal academic program. 

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website . International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

• completed online application
• $55 nonrefundable application fee

          or

• $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
• baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our  International FAQs  for more information.)
• official transcripts from  each institution  where course credit was granted
• a 2.75 overall GPA or 2.75 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)
• GRE not required
• resume or CV

Prompt for statement of purpose : Discuss your goals for your time in our three-year program. How do you hope to use this time to grow as a writer? You might additionally choose to address scholarly goals, professional goals, and/or what you see as the benefits of living and working in a diverse community of writers.

three letters of recommendation that address your academic qualifications and  your commitment to good citizenship in a collegial and diverse academic community. If you are applying for an Instructional or Teaching Assistantship, all letters should  also  discuss your potential as a teacher. 

• Fiction applicants should submit  a maximum of 25 double-spaced pages of t heir work (short stories and/or a novel excerpts).
• Poetry applicants should submit 12-15 poems.
• Both Fiction and Poetry applicants may, if they choose, also include one creative nonfiction essay or excerpt in their portfolio, subject to the same 25-page maximum for the manuscript in total.

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our  exempt countries list .

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall
• official PTE scores required with 52 overall
• official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
• official Duolingo scores required with a 110 overall
• official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

This program does  not  offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree with a major in Creative Writing concentration in fiction requires 48 semester credit hours, including a thesis.

Course Requirements

Comprehensive Examination Requirements

All candidates for graduate degrees must pass one or more comprehensive examinations.

If a student elects to follow the thesis option for the degree, a committee to direct the written thesis will be established. The thesis must demonstrate the student’s capability for research and independent thought. Preparation of the thesis must be in conformity with the  Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation .

Thesis Proposal

The student must submit an official  Thesis Proposal Form  and proposal to his or her thesis committee. Thesis proposals vary by department and discipline. Please see your department for proposal guidelines and requirements. After signing the form and obtaining committee members’ signatures, the graduate advisor’s signature if required by the program and the department chair’s signature, the student must submit the Thesis Proposal Form with one copy of the proposal attached to the dean of The Graduate College for approval before proceeding with research on the thesis. If the thesis research involves human subjects, the student must obtain exemption or approval from the Texas State Institutional Review Board prior to submitting the proposal form to The Graduate College. The IRB approval letter should be included with the proposal form. If the thesis research involves vertebrate animals, the proposal form must include the Texas State IACUC approval code. It is recommended that the thesis proposal form be submitted to the dean of The Graduate College by the end of the student’s enrollment in 5399A. Failure to submit the thesis proposal in a timely fashion may result in delayed graduation.

Thesis Committee

The thesis committee must be composed of a minimum of three approved graduate faculty members.

Thesis Enrollment and Credit

The completion of a minimum of six hours of thesis enrollment is required. For a student's initial thesis course enrollment, the student will need to register for thesis course number 5399A.  After that, the student will enroll in thesis B courses, in each subsequent semester until the thesis is defended with the department and approved by The Graduate College. Preliminary discussions regarding the selection of a topic and assignment to a research supervisor will not require enrollment for the thesis course.

Students must be enrolled in thesis credits if they are receiving supervision and/or are using university resources related to their thesis work.  The number of thesis credit hours students enroll in must reflect the amount of work being done on the thesis that semester.  It is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that students are making adequate progress toward their degree throughout the thesis process.  Failure to register for the thesis course during a term in which supervision is received may result in postponement of graduation. After initial enrollment in 5399A, the student will continue to enroll in a thesis B course as long as it takes to complete the thesis. Thesis projects are by definition original and individualized projects.  As such, depending on the topic, methodology, and other factors, some projects may take longer than others to complete.  If the thesis requires work beyond the minimum number of thesis credits needed for the degree, the student may enroll in additional thesis credits at the committee chair's discretion. In the rare case when a student has not previously enrolled in thesis and plans to work on and complete the thesis in one term, the student will enroll in both 5399A and 5399B.

The only grades assigned for thesis courses are PR (progress), CR (credit), W (withdrew), and F (failing). If acceptable progress is not being made in a thesis course, the instructor may issue a grade of F. If the student is making acceptable progress, a grade of PR is assigned until the thesis is completed. The minimum number of hours of thesis credit (“CR”) will be awarded only after the thesis has been both approved by The Graduate College and released to Alkek Library.

A student who has selected the thesis option must be registered for the thesis course during the term or Summer I (during the summer, the thesis course runs ten weeks for both sessions) in which the degree will be conferred.

Thesis Deadlines and Approval Process

Thesis deadlines are posted on  The Graduate College  website under "Current Students." The completed thesis must be submitted to the chair of the thesis committee on or before the deadlines listed on The Graduate College website.

The following must be submitted to The Graduate College by the thesis deadline listed on The Graduate College website:

• The Thesis Submission Approval Form bearing original (wet) and/or electronic signatures of the student and all committee members.
• One (1) PDF of the thesis in final form, approved by all committee members, uploaded in the online Vireo submission system.  

After the dean of The Graduate College approves the thesis, Alkek Library will harvest the document from the Vireo submission system for publishing in the Digital Collections database (according to the student's embargo selection).  NOTE: MFA Creative Writing theses will have a permanent embargo and will never be published to Digital Collections.  

While original (wet) signatures are preferred, there may be situations as determined by the chair of the committee in which obtaining original signatures is inefficient or has the potential to delay the student's progress. In those situations, the following methods of signing are acceptable:

• signing and faxing the form
• signing, scanning, and emailing the form
• notifying the department in an email from their university's or institution's email account that the committee chair can sign the form on their behalf
• electronically signing the form using the university's licensed signature platform.

If this process results in more than one document with signatures, all documents need to be submitted to The Graduate College together.

No copies are required to be submitted to Alkek Library. However, the library will bind copies submitted that the student wants bound for personal use. Personal copies are not required to be printed on archival quality paper. The student will take the personal copies to Alkek Library and pay the binding fee for personal copies.

Master's level courses in English: ENG

Courses Offered

English (eng).

Graduate courses listed as “repeatable” ordinarily count toward nine hours of English degree credit unless otherwise indicated. Exceptions require written justification and departmental approval. Specific emphases of repeatable courses vary by term and instructor, but they may focus on literary and rhetorical forms and genres; authors, periods, or literary movements; perspectives from social, intellectual, and cultural studies; literary themes; or theoretical and practical information for technical communication. The department provides descriptions of specific courses prior to each term’s enrollment period.

ENG 5199B. Thesis.

Continuing thesis enrollment until the thesis is submitted for binding.

ENG 5299B. Thesis.

ENG 5300. Language Problems in a Multicultural Environment.

An introduction to the study of multicultural language and linguistics with descriptive, psychological, social, and semantic emphases. (MULT).

ENG 5301. Literary Scholarship.

An introduction to scholarly resources, methods, theories, and responsibilities that guide the study and interpretations of literature in English. Literary texts chosen for detailed examination vary with expertise of the instructor. Required in first year of M.A. with a Literature Major.

ENG 5302. Media Studies.

The study of film and media history, theory, and practice. Special topics may include videography, video editing, genre, filmmakers, and regional film.

ENG 5307. Visual Rhetoric.

This course focuses on of this course is the investigation of image-based modes of rhetorical communication. The course includes theories of visual rhetoric and the analysis of the issues and implications of images.

ENG 5309. International Technical Communication.

This course covers models and theories of cultural differences and how to ethically and effectively communicate with cross-cultural audiences verbally and non-verbally. Students also learn how to analyze international audiences in terms of their values, cultural needs, and communication styles.

ENG 5310. Studies in English Language and Linguistics.

A study of the English language, with special attention to phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, dialectology, sociolinguistics, normal language acquisition, and/or writing and spelling systems. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5311. Foundations in Technical Communication.

An introduction to the theory and practice of technical communication.

ENG 5312. Editing the Professional Publication.

The editing, design, layout, and proofreading of a professional publication. This course is an internship. May be repeated one time with different emphasis.

ENG 5313. Studies in Principles of Technical Communication.

A group of courses that provide students theoretical and practical information useful in any position in technical communication. Recent emphases include Digital Media and the web, Technical Editing, and Visual Rhetoric. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5314. Specializations in Technical Communication.

A group of courses that provide students theoretical and practical information for specialized types of technical communication. Recent emphases include International Technical Communication Proposal Writing, Software Documentation and Writing for the Government. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5315. Graduate Writing Workshop.

A studio course in which the primary texts are student manuscripts. Concentrations in fiction or poetry examine principles and techniques of creating, evaluating, and revising writing in these genres. The course requires class members to review writing produced by other workshop members.

ENG 5316. Foundations in Rhetoric and Composition.

A group of courses providing students with theoretical, pedagogical, and methodological foundations in the field of rhetoric and composition. Emphases vary but include Contemporary Composition Theory and Composition Pedagogy. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5317. Specializations in Rhetoric and Composition.

A group of courses providing theoretical, pedagogical, methodological, and/or administrative grounding in specialized areas of rhetoric and composition. Emphases vary but may include Writing Center Theory, Practice, and Administration; Writing Across the Curriculum; Service Learning; and Literacy. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5320. Form and Theory of Fiction.

An examination of traditional and current theory and practice in fiction. Major emphasis will be placed on the British/American tradition, but some attention will be given to the practice and theory of fiction in other literatures. For M.F.A. credit only.

ENG 5321. Contemporary Fiction.

Readings selected from canonical and/or experimental fiction. Recent emphases include novels into film, postmodern fiction, Magical Realism, and Saul Bellow. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5322. Form and Theory of Poetry.

An examination of traditional and current theory and practice in poetry. Major emphasis will be placed on the British/American tradition, but some attention will be given to the practice and theory of poetry in other literatures. For MFA credit only.

ENG 5323. Studies in Autobiography and Biography.

A study of selected works in autobiography and biography with special attention to the art forms used in these works. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5324. Studies in Literary Genre.

A study of one or more literary genres over several historical periods or from a variety of cultural perspectives. The course focuses on genres such as the following: the epic, the novel, the short story, the lyric, the pastoral, the romance, and Irish comic fiction. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5325. Studies in Literature of the Southwest.

Selected Texas and Southwestern writers with emphasis on fiction. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit. (MULT).

ENG 5326. Contemporary Composition Theory.

Introduces students to the history of writing instruction in the university and to the theories of writing and composing that inform contemporary composition studies and the teaching of writing.

ENG 5327. Research Methods in Rhetoric and Composition.

This course introduces research practices in rhetoric and composition, focusing on the strategies, methods, paradigms, and perspectives that characterize qualitative and quantitative research. It considers research ethics, issues of representation, and the history and role of research in the field.

ENG 5328. Directed Portfolio.

Constitutes partial fulfillment of non-thesis option for students earning the MA in Rhetoric and Composition. Under guidance of a graduate faculty committee, students produce a portfolio of representative written work with written commentary and reflection. Repeatable once. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

ENG 5329. User Experience (UX) and Usability Research.

This course introduces foundational principles of user experience (UX) design theory and the practice of placing users and their needs as the focus of design. Along with the principles of human factors and user interface design, the course also focuses on user and task-analysis, field research methods, usability testing, and the UX process.

ENG 5331. Studies in American Poetry.

Selected poets with a survey of their works. Recent emphases include Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Southern poetry, Denise Levertov, and Robert Bly. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5332. Studies in American Prose.

Selected authors with special attention to novels. Recent emphases include William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Richard Wright, and Zora Neale Hurston. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit. (MULT).

ENG 5335. Technical Editing.

This course explores how to edit technical documents using different levels of editing, including copyediting and developmental editing. Students will also explore current trends in technical editing and publishing, as well as effective author-editor relationships.

ENG 5336. Document Design.

This course explores designing documents that utilize principles of design to maximize the effects of layout, style, color, information architecture, and typography. Students learn to coordinate content for information messaging and view documents as active, response-invoking artifacts in a variety of media.

ENG 5340. Discourse Analysis.

This course introduces theories and methodologies for the study of human discourse, or language in use. Discourse history, assumptions and principles, verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as society and culture's roles in a variety of discourse genres are analyzed and discussed.

ENG 5341. Software Documentation.

This course develops students’ expertise in the management and production of writing that supports the efficient use of software in its intended environment. Major genres include software and hardware manuals such as tutorials, procedures, and reference manuals. Students address issues of user analysis, text design, graphics design, task orientation, etc.

ENG 5345. Southwestern Studies I: Defining the Region.

An interdisciplinary course that surveys the physical, cultural, and social history of the Southwest, emphasizing architecture, art, literature, philosophy, politics, popular culture, and technology. Historical focus from the 15th to the mid-19th century. (MULT).

ENG 5346. Southwestern Studies II: Consequences of Region.

Second course in a survey of physical, cultural, and social history of the Southwest, emphasizing regional and ethnic expressions of culture. This course moves from the broad overview of the first semester to more specific problems in the region and to the artistic products of regional culture. Historical focus is from the Civil War to the present. (MULT).

ENG 5353. Studies in Medieval Literature.

Emphasis on authors, contexts, and genres of the medieval period. Recent emphases include Anglo-Saxon culture, language, and literature; Chaucer; non-Chaucerian medieval literature; pilgrimage literature. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit. (MULT).

ENG 5354. Studies in Renaissance Literature.

Emphasis on authors, contexts, and genres of the Renaissance. Recent emphases include Shakespeare, Renaissance epic, Tudor humanism, and John Milton. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5359. Studies in Restoration and Eighteenth-century Literature.

Major writers of the period with emphasis on scholarship and aesthetics as well as cultural and historical background. Recent emphases include Johnson and his circle, Restoration and eighteenth-century drama, and the eighteenth-century novel. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5364. Studies in the Romantic Movement.

The works of the Early Romantics or Late Romantics in context with attention to nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholarship. Recent emphases include Blake and the other arts, Coleridge, the Wordsworths, Shelley, and Keats. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5366. Studies in Victorian Poetry.

Major Victorian poets with emphasis on scholarship and aesthetics as well as cultural and historical background. Recent emphases include Tennyson, the Brownings, the Pre-Raphaelites, and Hopkins. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5368. Studies in Victorian Prose.

Major Victorian prose writers with emphasis on scholarship and aesthetics as well as cultural and historical background. Recent emphases include George Eliot, non-fiction Victorian prose, Victorian women novelists, and Charles Dickens. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5371. Studies in Modern British Literature.

Selected authors with a survey of their works. Recent emphases include Yeats, Wilde, Auden, and Post-World War II British poetry. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5372. Practicum in English Studies.

An introduction to key issues and concepts in the teaching of English studies. Required for first-year instructional assistants in the English Department. This course does not earn graduate degree credit.

ENG 5381. Studies in Modern British and American Drama.

A survey of major British and American dramatists and their European or world context. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5382. Practicum in Composition.

An introduction to key issues and concepts in the teaching of expository writing at the college level. Required for first-year teaching assistants in the English Department who have not previously taken ENG 5372 . This course does not earn graduate degree credit.

ENG 5383. Studies in Rhetorical Theory.

An introduction to classical and rhetorical theory in various areas of English studies. Recent emphases include Teaching of Composition and Technical Communication. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5384. Critical Theory.

A study of critical theory, emphasizing the history of criticism and/or contemporary critical theories. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit. (MULT).

ENG 5388. Studies in Literature for Children or Adolescents.

A study of contemporary works, extending the student’s knowledge of the literature and criticism in the field. Typical emphases are generic and/or thematic and include picture books, the contemporary novel, and the children’s classics on film. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5389. History of Children’s Literature.

The history of children’s literature from the Middle Ages through 1940. May be repeated with different emphases for up to six hours of graduate credit. (MULT).

ENG 5390. Special Problems.

Independent study under supervision of a graduate faculty member in English, with in-depth readings and research focused on a special problem in literature and/or language. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

ENG 5391. Directed Studies in English.

Students will conduct studies as necessary preparation for graduate-level coursework in English. The nature of the work varies depending on the student’s level of academic preparation. This course does not earn graduate degree credit. Repeatable up to 12 hours with different emphasis. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

ENG 5395. Problems in Language and Literature.

Recent emphases include literary technique and literary theory. Repeatable with different emphases for up to nine hours of English credit.

ENG 5399A. Thesis.

First semester of thesis enrollment. No thesis credit awarded until student has completed the thesis in English 5399B.

ENG 5399B. Thesis.

ENG 5599B. Thesis.

ENG 5999B. Thesis.

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• The Creative Writing Program
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UTSA’s Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing adds interdisciplinary breadth to a student’s course of study while increasing the depth and coherence of a student’s work in creative writing. Given the growing interest in creative writing in liberal arts as well as non-traditional disciplines like medicine, sociology, and psychology, many students find this formal recognition of their work in creative writing to be a valuable credential in both academic and non-academic job markets. Students who are pursuing the Graduate Certificate also receive first consideration for graduate workshop registration.

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Creative Writing Reading Series

The Creative Writing Reading Series hosts poets and fiction writers who give public readings and meet with students.

Festschrift for Wendy Barker

The book, The Quiet Born From Talk: A Festschrift for Wendy Barker, is available for recommended donations of $20.00 or more.

Graduate Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing adds interdisciplinary breadth to a student’s course of study while increasing the depth and coherence of a student’s work in creative writing.

• One UTSA Circle
• San Antonio, TX 78249
• (210) 458-4350
• [email protected]

Stay Connected to the College of Liberal and Fine Arts

UTSA's College of Liberal and Fine Arts will become an internationally recognized college providing the core intellectual experience that prepares students for their role as responsible citizens in a free society.

The College of Liberal and Fine Arts will meet the needs of the diverse population of Texas through quality research and creative work, exemplary teaching, and professional contributions to the community.

Best Creative Writing colleges in Texas 2024

Best creative writing colleges in texas for 2024.

The University of Texas at Austin offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 100 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 81 Certificates, and 19 Master's degrees.

University of Houston offers 3 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 14 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 8 Doctoral degrees, and 6 Master's degrees.

University of North Texas offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 4 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 4 Master's degrees.

Southern Methodist University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 11 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 11 Bachelor's degrees.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 12 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 12 Master's degrees.

The University of Texas at El Paso offers 3 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 44 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 28 Master's degrees, and 16 Bachelor's degrees.

Sam Houston State University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a faraway town. In 2022, 4 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 4 Master's degrees.

Texas State University offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 20 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 20 Master's degrees.

The University of Texas at San Antonio offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 4 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 4 Certificates.

University of Houston-Victoria offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 7 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 7 Master's degrees.

Find local colleges with Creative Writing majors in Texas

List of all creative writing colleges in texas.

Creative Writing Certificate Program

Illustration by valerie tran, announcements, admission applications.

The deadline for applying to the Creative Writing Certificate Program was March 1.  We are no longer accepting applications at this time.  The next application window is September 1 - October 1, 2024.

Creative Writing Certificate Program End-of-Semester Reception and Readings

Please join us on Wednesday, May 1 , in the Joynes Reading Room (Carothers Residence Hall) for our end-of-semester celebration.

Reception begins at 12:30pm with food and refreshments.

Writing Awards and Readings begin at 1:00pm

Creative Writing Honors Thesis Readings begin at 2:00pm.

Please feel free to come to all or part of the program.  Family and friends are welcome!

Writing Contest Winners Announced

Congratulations to the Winners of the Kruger Fellowships and Parker Prizes for student writing. 

KRUGER Fiction 

1st Place     Lara Palmqvist - "In Another Life"

Runner-up   Stephanie Degnore - "Where the Light Shines Brightest"

Runner-up   Varun Jawarani - "Lakshana"

KRUGER Poetry  

1st Place     Aguilar Alfredo - "After Three Beers My Tia Talks About The Border"

Runner-up   Safiyya Haider - "Assimilation Is Performance Art" 

PARKER Fiction

1st Place      Molly Tompkins - "Bolt from the Blue"

Runner-up    Charlie Sharpe - "A Horse of Course” 

Runner-up    Ashley Rummel - "The Artists" 

PARKER Poetry

1st Place      Leah Piñon - "The World Ends Through the Mirrors in Your House"

Runner-up    Boppana Pradhitha - "Alternate Methods of Crying"

PARKER Lit Crit

1st Place      Molly Tompkins - "Celestial, Beautiful, and Social Bodies" 

Runner-up    Lane Dent - “Our False Perception of Nature”,

Congratulations to all the contest winners and honors thesis students! 

Ongoing Opportunities

Check back often for more links to publishing, contest, and internship opportunities.

• Writer's League of Texas
• Texas Book Festival
• Poets and Writers Magazine
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The Writers' League of Texas provides internship, networking, literary, and educational opportunities in Austin and around the state, as well as an annual conference featuring literary agents and editors. 

The Texas Book Festival , one of the largest in the country, takes place annually in late October / early November, but offers volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Poets and Writers magazine lists contests, fellowships, grants, and literary journals for writers of all levels. 

Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology

Literature Graduate Programs

Join our community of scholars, creative writers, and translators who share a commitment to transnational and interdisciplinary approaches to literary study and practice.

Our graduate programs in literature provide a flexible context to pursue research across a wide range of literary traditions, critical approaches, and theoretical debates. In addition to coursework in literary studies, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in creative writing and/or literary translation workshops as well as seminars in other disciplines such as film studies, the history of ideas, philosophy, and the visual and performing arts.

Doctor of Philosophy in Literature

Students pursuing the PhD in literature may, if their coursework supports it, submit a translation or creative writing project as part of their dissertation.

Forty-five semester credit hours of which at least 24 are taken as organized graduate-level courses in Literature (LIT).

Required Courses: 36 semester credit hours 

LIT 6300  Proseminar in Literary Studies

ARHM 6310  Team-Taught Interdisciplinary Seminar

LIT 7300  Academic Writing Workshop

18 semester credit hours of organized graduate-level  LIT  courses

9 semester credit hours of  LIT 8305  Field Exam Preparation

Elective Courses: 9 semester credit hours

Nine semester credit hours of electives in any graduate-level courses.

Students in all PhD programs in the Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology are expected to demonstrate intermediate-level reading proficiency in a foreign language (equivalent to two years of foreign-language study at the undergraduate level). Students must fulfill the language requirement before scheduling doctoral field examinations. 

As part of its approval of a dissertation proposal, the Graduate Studies Committee will consider the appropriateness of a candidate’s language preparation for the research or creative project. Faculty members chairing field examinations and dissertations should ensure that students possess the necessary language proficiency to carry out their proposed doctoral research. 

The requirement can be satisfied upon enrollment in a PhD program by demonstrating evidence of one or more of the following: 

• Completion of a second-semester, intermediate-level foreign language course or higher (e.g., an undergraduate literature course in a foreign language) with a grade of B or better. 
• Completion of a graduate course taught in a foreign language or with more than 25% of its required readings in a foreign language. 
• An undergraduate major, graduate degree, or certificate in a foreign language. 
• Successful completion of graded coursework at a foreign university at which the primary language of instruction is not English. 
• A degree in any discipline from a foreign university at which the primary language of instruction is not English. 

The requirement can be satisfied during graduate study at UT Dallas in one of the following ways: 

• Completion of a second-semester, intermediate-level foreign language course or higher at UT Dallas or elsewhere with a grade of B or better. 
• Successful completion of  LIT 6326 : Translation Workshop with a grade of B or better. 
• Successful completion of one of the following:  HUMA 6330 : French Workshop;  HUMA 6331 : Spanish Workshop;  HUMA 6333 : German Workshop with a grade of B or better.
• Passing a written translation exam in an approved foreign language at UT Dallas.

The doctoral field examination consists of two written sections and an oral defense. The examining committee, composed of three members of the faculty (at least two of whom are faculty in the Literature Program), oversees definition and preparation of the two broad examination fields. Initial committee formation must take place during the semester in which students complete thirty-six semester credit hours of coursework, which will typically be followed by nine semester credit hours of  LIT 8305 : Field Exam Preparation. Students complete their doctoral field examination ideally during the semester in which they complete 45 semester credit hours, but no later than the semester in which they complete 54 semester credit hours.

Students are formally advanced to PhD candidacy when they have successfully completed the doctoral field examinations and received final approval for dissertation topics. Students should submit a preliminary dissertation proposal for consideration during the oral section of the doctoral field examination. After that examination, a four-person supervising committee is formed, normally from the examining committee plus an additional faculty member, to oversee dissertation work. The supervising committee must then approve a formal dissertation proposal before the student submits it to the Graduate Studies Committee for final approval.

Each candidate then writes a doctoral dissertation, which is supervised and defended according to general University regulations.

Toni Muñoz-Hunt,

PhD in Literature, Spring 2021

“Shortly after I received my undergraduate degree, I was looking for an institution with a strong interdisciplinary education where I could make my way and fashion my own academic plan. I met with a few local universities, and I felt most at home when I stepped foot onto this wonderfully diverse campus.”

Master of Arts in Literature

The MA in Literature can provide you with a flexible context to pursue research across a wide range of literary traditions, critical approaches and theoretical debates. In addition to coursework in literary studies, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in creative writing and/or literary translation workshops as well as seminars in other disciplines, such as film studies, the history of ideas, philosophy and the visual and performing arts.

Choose between the professional option (coursework only and no foreign language requirements) and the research option (coursework with foreign language requirements plus a portfolio). If you choose the research option, you may, if your coursework supports it, submit a translation or creative writing project as part of your portfolio.

Thirty-three semester credit hours of which at least 18 semester credit hours are taken as organized graduate-level courses in Literature (LIT).

Required Courses: 21 semester credit hours 

LIT 6300 : Proseminar in Literary Studies

15 semester credit hours of organized graduate-level  LIT  courses

Free Electives: 12 semester credit hours 

Twelve semester credit hours of electives in any graduate-level courses.

Students in the professional option must complete 33 semester credit hours of coursework. They are not required to complete a portfolio or meet the foreign language requirement.

Students in the research option must complete 33 semester credit hours of coursework, fulfill a foreign language requirement, and complete a portfolio.

The research option MA degree requires demonstrated proficiency in an approved foreign language. The requirement can be satisfied upon enrollment in the MA program by demonstrating evidence of one or more of the following: 

• Successful completion of one of the following:  HUMA 6330 : French Workshop;  HUMA 6331 : Spanish Workshop;  HUMA 6333 : German Workshop with a grade of B or better. 
• Passing a written translation exam in an approved foreign language at UT Dallas. 

Two research papers or a creative project plus a scholarly essay originating in or completed for graduate courses are revised and presented in a portfolio for evaluation by a master’s committee.

Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing

The Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing focuses on the theory and practice of creating literary works.

The certificate consists of four graduate creative writing workshops, which can be completed in one genre or in more than one genre.

More information on this certificate can be found in the University Catalog .

Graduate Certificate in Literary Translation

The Graduate Certificate in Literary Translation focuses on the history, theory, and practice of literary translation. Students will learn to study and produce literary translations.

The certificate consists of four courses: two foundational courses in the theory and practice of translation; one of two advanced courses in translation studies; and a seminar or workshop related to the student’s area of research.

Program Highlights

Research Opportunities

Our graduate students conduct and present research national and internationally. See graduate student accomplishments.

Faculty Mentors

Our faculty members will help you gain the knowledge, skills and support you need for a rewarding career. Meet Literature faculty .

Dr. Nomi Stone

Assistant professor of literature and creative writing

“I love the hybridity and cross-pollination at UT Dallas. I’m an anthropologist and a poet — a scholar who also writes creatively — so this is just the exact right fit for me. Braiding these things together is my passion. I haven’t seen a place that does collaboration as well as this place. I see a real investment in bringing seemingly disparate things together.”

Contact Information

Dr. Charles Hatfield Associate Professor and Program Head Phone: 972-883-2780 Email:  [email protected]

Kelly Erb Graduate Academic Advisor Phone: 972-883-6176 Email:  [email protected] Office:  JO 4.508C

Graduate Advising Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology The University of Texas at Dallas, JO31 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Phone: 972-883-4706 Email:  [email protected]

Office of Admission and Enrollment 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021 972-883-2270 or 1-800-889-2443 [email protected] utdallas.edu/enroll

Doctoral Application Deadlines

MA Application Deadlines

• Degrees, Minors & Certificates
• Graduate Student Writing Resources

Reach out to us  to get more information about your program of interest.

Review the Bass School’s  graduate application process and requirements.

MFA in Creative Writing

About the Program

Our innovative MFA program includes both studio instruction and literature courses. Writers can take workshop courses in any genre, and they can write a thesis in fiction, nonfiction, poetry or “hybrid” (multi-genre) form. In the second year, they teach popular Creative Writing courses to Davis undergraduates under faculty supervision, gaining valuable experience and sharing their insight  and enthusiasm with beginning practitioners.

Questions? Contact:

Sarah Yunus Graduate Program Coordinator, MFA Program in Creative Writing [email protected]   Pronouns: she/her  

Admissions and Online Application

Events, Prizes, and Resources

• Funding Your MFA

At UC Davis, we offer you the ability to fund your MFA. In fact, all students admitted to the program are guaranteed full funding in the second year of study, when students serve as teachers of Introduction to Creative Writing (English 5) and receive, in exchange, tuition and health insurance remission as well as a monthly stipend (second year students who come to Davis from out of state are expected to establish residency during their first year). We have a more limited amount of resources – teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and out of state tuition wavers – allocated to us for first year students, but in recent years, we’ve had excellent luck funding our accepted first years. We help students who do not receive English department funding help themselves by posting job announcements from other departments during the spring and summer leading up to their arrival. We are proud to say that over the course of the last twenty years, nearly every incoming student has wound up with at least partial funding (including a tuition waiver and health insurance coverage) by the time classes begin in the fall.  

We have other resources for students, too – like the Miller Fund, which supports attendance for our writers at any single writer’s workshop or conference. Students have used these funds to attend well-known conferences like AWP, Writing By Writers, and the Tin House Conference. The Davis Humanities Institute offers a fellowship that first year students can apply for to fund their writing projects. Admitted students are also considered for University-wide fellowships.

Cost of Attendance

• Course of Study

The M.F.A. at Davis is a two-year program on the quarter system (our academic year consists of three sessions of ten-week courses that run from the end of September until mid-June). The program includes classes and a thesis project. It requires diverse, multidisciplinary study and offers excellent mentorship.  

Writers concentrate in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or “hybrid” (multi-genre) forms. They take at least four graduate workshops, and they’re required to take one workshop outside their primary genre (many of our students choose to take even more). Writers at Davis also take graduate courses in literature from abundant options, including the program’s Seminars for Writers. Writers can also take graduate courses in literary study taught by scholars in the English Department. And many of our writers enroll in courses relevant to their work in other departments like art history, comparative literature, linguistics, and performance studies.  

At the end of the first year, writers form a thesis committee with a Director and two additional readers from the faculty. In the second year, writers at Davis concentrate on Individual Study units with these mentors, working closely with their committee to create a book-length creative work. Writers present their projects at intimate, intense, celebratory defense in May with all members of their committee in attendance.

• History of the Program

We’re a new MFA, but we’ve been a successful and respected Creative Writing Program since 1975—a “sleeper” program, as one guide to MFA programs called us. The people who founded the CW program at UC Davis were all lovers and teachers of literature, and chose to call the program an MA, rather than an MFA because they wanted to ensure that the degree would not be seen as a “studio” degree but one in which the study of literature was integral.  In the 1980’s and 1990’s, most often under the leadership of Jack Hicks and Alan Williamson, the program emphasized writing on the American West and the wilderness. Our high profile faculty included Sandra McPherson, Gary Snyder, Sandra Gilbert, Clarence Major, Katherine Vaz, Elizabeth Tallent, Max Byrd, and Louis Owens.  

We also created an introductory sequence of workshops taught by graduate students, which has become one of the highlights of the program for the second years who teach the courses and the undergraduates who take them. There’s more to teaching these courses than learning to teach; teaching helps our writers understand their own writing in ways that no other aspect of a writing program can do. Pam Houston joined the program in the early 2000’s and she led a faculty that included Lynn Freed and Yiyun Li. As an MFA, we remain a place that values sustained literary study as core to the making of art, but we’re also allowing our vision of genre to expand and embrace the other arts and media.

The town of Davis began as "Davisville," a small stop on the Southern Pacific railway between Sacramento and the Bay Area.  Some of our graduate students choose to live in Sacramento or the Bay Area, making use of the commute-by-train option, which is still very much in place.  For those commuting by car, Davis is a 15-25 minute drive from Sacramento and a 60-90 minute drive from the Bay Area.

Students also choose to live in Davis itself, which CNN once ranked the second most educated city in the US.  Davis is a college town of about 75,000 people. Orchards, farms and ranches border it on all sides. The town boasts a legendary twice-weekly farmers market (complete with delicious food trucks and live music). Bike and walking paths lead everywhere (many students prefer not to own a car while they are here) and there are copious amounts of planned green space in every subdivision. The flatness of the land makes Davis ideal for biking, and the city over the past 5 decades has installed bike lanes and bike racks all over town. In fact, in 2006,  Bicycling Magazine , in its compilation of "America's Best Biking Cities," named Davis the best small town for cycling. Packed with coffee houses, bookstores, and restaurants that serve cuisine from every continent, Downtown Davis has a casual vibe. It’s a great place to hole up and write. Davis is filled with hard wood trees, and flower and vegetable gardens, and wild ducks and turkeys walk the campus as if they own the place. It’s a gentle place to live. Although summers get quite hot, the other three seasons are mild, and each, in their own way, quite beautiful. For more about the town, check out  the Davis Wikipedia page .

Woodland and Winters, two small towns close by to Davis, are also options for housing—and they’re good options for those who are not so desirous of the college town scene.  Yet another option is to live in the scenic rural areas Davis is surrounded by.

To the west of Davis, Lake Berryessa and the Napa valley are close by.  To the east, the Sierra mountains are close by; Reno and Tahoe are just a couple hours drive in that direction.