Lead Faculty: Mr. Frank Montesonti
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing offers students the opportunity to master advanced skills in carrying out independent and sustained activity in creative writing in the areas of fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. Guided development of each writer's talents culminates in a final project, a publishable-quality thesis in the area of specialty. This final project should demonstrate a critical application of knowledge in the chosen specialty and should make an independent contribution to existing work in that area. This program is excellent preparation for a professional career in writing, working in the areas of publishing or filmmaking, and is the minimal academic qualification appropriate for those who desire to teach writing at the college or university level.
Faculty in the MFA in Creative Writing program maintain a strong commitment to scholarly value and the active support of students in their passion for literature, film and writing. Creative writing students are expected to make important contributions to the publication of the student literary journal the GNU and actively participate in seminars designed to foster creative and critical debate. Courses are directed to the refinement of creative practice and academic excellence. Faculty are experienced and published writers in their fields and offer supervision in the areas of fiction, poetry, literary nonfiction, and screenwriting.
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, graduates will demonstrate the following proficiencies:
Application Requirements:
To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the University graduate admission requirements listed in the general information for graduate degrees. In addition, applicants in creative writing should email portfolios of their writing as Microsoft Word documents or .pdf files directly to Lead Faculty, Frank Montesonti, at fmontesonti@nu.edu.
The portfolio should include 20-40 pages of fiction or literary nonfiction (usually 2-3 short stories or essays), or 10-20 pages of poetry, or a completed screenplay, or a substantial sample of work in several forms. Based on the portfolio, applicants may be advised to complete one or more of the following undergraduate courses prior to enrolling in the advanced writing workshops:
ENG 365 - Creative Writing
LIT 443 - World of the Short Story
LIT 446 - Studies in Poetry
LIT 450 - Studies in the Novel
LIT 456 - Studies in Drama
Degree Requirements (10 courses, 45 quarter units):
To receive the MFA in Creative Writing, students must complete at least 45-quarter units; a total of 4.5 quarter units may be granted for equivalent work completed at another institution, as it applies to this degree, and provided the units were not used in earning another advanced degree. Students should refer to the General Catalog section on graduate admission requirements for specific information regarding admission and matriculation.
Career Development Opportunities
A number of career development opportunities are available for degree candidates who plan to teach, work in film, or pursue careers in writing or publishing.
Candidates who want to gain hands-on experience in peer tutoring can apply for an internship at National University's onsite and on-line writing centers. Contact Shareen Grogan, sgrogan@nu.edu, Director of the Writing Centers, for more information.
Candidates who want hands-on experience in editing and publishing can apply for an internship at National University's student literary journal, the GNU. Contact Professor Frank Montesonti, Program Lead, MFA in Creative Writing, for more information.
In addition, various departmental faculty have opportunities for students to assist them with teaching, scholarly projects, or other activities and students can receive valuable experience and mentoring from working with them. Contact individual faculty members for information.
Core Requirements (4 courses, 18 quarter units):
Students are required to take MCW600, and are required to take one seminar in their chosen specialty, and must choose two additional courses in different areas. MCW600 is 4 weeks; all other writing workshops and seminars are 8 weeks in duration.
MCW 600 - Pedagogy of Creative Writing
MCW 630 - Seminar in Fiction Writing
MCW 645 - Seminar in Poetry Writing
MCW 650 - Seminar in Creative Nonfiction
MCW 685 - Seminar in Screenwriting
Specialized Study (2 courses, 9 quarter units):
(Prerequisite for advanced workshops: approval of Application Portfolio)
Students are expected to take a minimum of two (2) seminars in their specialty. All advanced creative writing courses are conducted by teachers who are accomplished creative writers sensitive to the efforts of writing. Classes are conducted as workshops, with student work comprising much of the text for the course.
MCW 630A - Advanced Workshop in Fiction I (Prerequisite: MCW 630)
and
MCW 630B - Advanced Workshop in Fiction II (Prerequisite: MCW 630)
or
MCW 640A - Advanced Workshop in Poetry I (Prerequisite: MCW 645)
and
MCW 640B - Advanced Workshop in Poetry II (Prerequisite: MCW 645)
or
MCW 650A - Advanced Workshop in Literary Nonfiction I (Prerequisite: MCW 650)
and
MCW 650B - Advanced Workshop in Literary Nonfiction II (Prerequisite: MCW 650)
or
MCW 680A - Advanced Workshop in Screenwriting I (Prerequisite: MCW 680)
and
MCW 680B - Advanced Workshop in Screenwriting II (Prerequisite: MCW 680)
Elective Requirements (2 courses, 9 quarter units):
Students choose two electives in form and technique specific to specialty; courses must constitute a coherent program of study. It is possible to pursue a course in another discipline when such study is demonstrably essential to the student's creative work. Students are encouraged to choose electives to strengthen areas of weakness; pursue technical or theoretical knowledge essential to the student's creative work, or to otherwise enrich the degree program. The candidate must work out a specific program in conjunction with the lead program faculty.
Approved courses (other courses may be approved by lead program faculty):
ENG 610 - Seminar in Multicultural Literature of North America
ENG 620A - Seminar in a Literary Period or Movement I
ENG 620B - Seminar in a Literary Period or Movement II
ENG 660 - Seminar in Literary Hypermedia
ENG 670 - Seminar in Comparative Literary Studies
ENG 680A - Seminar in a Theme I
ENG 680B - Seminar in a Theme II
ENG 690A - Seminar in a Major Author I
ENG 690B - Seminar in a Major Author II
ENG 655 - Composition Pedagogy
ENG 665 - Film Theory
ENG 666 - Film History: The Silents
ENG 667 - Film History: American Film
ENG 685 - Great Directors: American
ENG 686 - Great Directors: International
Thesis Courses (2 courses, 9 quarter units):
MCW 660 - Thesis I (Draft)
(Prerequisite: all core, specialized study and elective courses)
MCW 670 - Thesis II (Revision) (Prerequisite: MCW 660)
Thesis: The thesis must be a mature, substantial body of work e.g. a collection of stories, essays, or poems, a novel, or a full-length screenplay (minimum 120 pages, 45 for poetry). The thesis will include a 5-10 page aesthetic statement, in which the writer discusses her/his evolution as an artist and the evolution of the work. The student will choose a mentor for the thesis, and will work with the mentor in an individualized manner, decided upon through conference with the mentor.
Language Requirement
There is no language requirement for this program. It is possible, however, to pursue a series of electives in a particular language when such study is demonstrably essential to the student's creative work. The candidate must work out a specific program in conjunction with the lead program faculty.
This program is available online.
National University is an affiliate of the National University System.