In addition to meeting the college graduate admission requirements , applicants to the MFA in Creative Writing program must meet the following minimum requirements for admission to the program and for the degree:
- The applicant should have completed 12 hours of advanced English with an average of 3.0 or better grade point average.
- The applicant should have two years of college-level study in one foreign language or otherwise demonstrate, with a passing score on the GSFLT, a reading knowledge of a foreign language.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Submission of a manuscript consisting of a maximum of 10 pages of poetry or 20-25 pages of fiction.
- A statement of intent (1,000 or fewer words): reasons for pursuing graduate study in creative writing, which writers in the applicant's genre the applicant is reading, and comments on those writers.
- On a separate sheet of paper, list awards and publications of the applicant.
- Two official copies of transcripts from each school attended.
The GRE Advanced Subject (Code 64) score is not required for MFA applicants.
- GRE Waiver Option - The GRE requirement is optional for all applicants (both international and domestic) applying to any UH English graduate programs (MA, MFA, PhDs) who have at least one of the following:
- an overall undergraduate or graduate grade point average of 3.00 or higher (on a 4" point scale) from an institution accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations as specified in the UH Minimum Qualifications for Admission to Masters and Doctoral Programs (General Admission Policy ), or
- a grade point average in the top 80% on other GPA scales and a combined IELTS score above 7 or TOEFL score above 79 or a DUOLINGO score above 105.
Consult the Creative Writing Program for additional information and more specific requirements.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 36 hours of approved graduate courses. these courses must be distributed over creative writing workshops and courses in literary studies. Specific requirements are as follows:
- 15 hours in creative writing, including 9 hours in the primary genre, 3 hours of Master Workshop, and 3 hours of Poetic Forms and Techniques for poetry students, Fiction Forms and Techniques for fiction students, or Nonfiction Forms and Techniques for nonfiction students. Students are strongly encouraged to take the course in Forms and Techniques early in the MFA program.
- 3 hours of Writers on Literature
- 12 hours in English or American literature or other literary studies (Students should divide their courses between early and later literatures. Early British literature is defined as British literature before 1800 and early American literature is defined as American literature before 1865.)
- 6 hours of elective courses (literature or other literary studies, workshop in the primary genre, workshop in a crossover genre, Writers on Literature, or coursework in another department that complements the student's program). In addition, MFA students must complete a creative thesis for 6 credit hours.
In addition, MFA students must complete a creative thesis for 6 credit hours.