The English department's M.F.A. in creative writing is a three-year program, offering writing workshops and seminars and supervision in the composition of a creative thesis in the student's primary genre, and a successful oral defense of the thesis. The goal of the M.F.A. program is to produce creative writers with a broad and deep knowledge of their genres.
Applicants for the M.F.A. must submit an official college transcript, a manuscript of creative work, a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation. For more details see Vanderbilt's M.F.A. website: https://as.vanderbilt.edu/english/mfa-degree-requirements/.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF FINE ARTS
Requirements for the M.F.A. include 48 hours of formal, didactic coursework completed in the first two years, a thesis of creative work (a novel, book of short stories, or collection of poems), plus an oral defense of the thesis. The coursework includes graduate workshops (one per semester for four semesters) and seminars in the craft of writing and in literary studies. Students must take ENGL 7460: Literature and The Craft of Writing during the first year. Two sections are offered annually by MFA faculty members, one in poetry and one in fiction. Students may take 7460 an additional time and in the other genre. Students must take ENGL 7997: Teaching Creative Writing during the spring semester of the first year. The remainder of the coursework each semester will be composed of electives. With guidance and approval of faculty, M.F.A. students may enroll in relevant courses in other departments, programs, or schools. Students are required to take a complement of literature courses along with their workshops. During their third year, students work intensively on a creative thesis. The thesis is a substantial piece of creative writing: a novel, collection of short stories, collection of poems, or collection of personal essays. Students also fulfill part-time responsibilities within the department, such as teaching, tutoring, or other creative writing-related activities.
