Program Overview:
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program offered by the department of English provides serious writers with the opportunity to develop their craft within a supportive and challenging academic community of creative writers and literary scholars. This full-residency MFA program allows students to work rigorously within their chosen genres in workshops and to complete a full-length creative work as a thesis. Students study literature as they deepen and broaden their writing skills, adding a strong component of literary analysis and criticism to their range of knowledge and skills. The Practicum provides opportunities for students to engage in editorial work on a literary journal, help in the organization of readings on campus and in the larger community, and/or participate in a range of writing-related activities designed to further their interests and enhance their career potential.
Our graduates pursue careers in writing, publishing, law, nonprofit organizations, the public sector, teaching on the college level, and other positions in the academy and the literary world.
Objectives
The English department expects that its MFA recipients will achieve:
- Mature skills in creative writing;
- Ability to produce publishable works;
- Knowledge of and experience in publishing procedures for their genre;
- Experience working within literary, academic, editorial, and/or publishing fields;
- Working knowledge of, and capacity to respond critically to, diverse literatures and discourses; and
- Intellectual and aesthetic engagement with the literary world.
Program Contacts:
To email the English Graduate Coordinator,
Dr. Eurie Dahn, English
Program Webpage,
Creative Writing
English Blog,
http://stroseenglish.wordpress.com
Program Requirements:
Once admitted to the program, students work with the MFA coordinator to plan either a part- or full-time course of study. Full-time students (taking a minimum of nine credits per semester) may complete the program in three academic years. Part-time students may take up to six years to complete the program. Up to 16 transfer credits from MA or MFA programs may be accepted.
All students must complete 48 credits of graduate work with a grade of “B” or better in each course. Courses are three credits each.
|
Core Requirements
|
48 Credits
|
|
6 writing courses (at least two 600-level)
|
(18)
|
|
5 literature courses
|
(15)
|
|
1 theory course
|
(3)
|
|
3 electives
|
(9)
|
|
Practicum
|
(0)
|
|
Thesis
|
(3)
|
Projected Literature, Theory and Writing Course Offerings
N.B. Events over which the College has no control may result in changes in course schedules; the most recent information will be available prior to the beginning of each semester. Summer courses will be offered based on student and faculty interest and availability. Consult the graduate coordinator and the English M.A. website for updates.
Internship/Field Experience/Service:
Practicum
Designed to provide students with opportunities to utilize the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout their MFA studies, the Practicum is a professional experience intended to be taken near the completion of a student’s MFA program. It serves as a bridge (and in some cases, an introduction) to professional literary contexts and writers’ organizations, and gives students tangible, “real-world” work experience they can then use to enter their respective fields of choice after graduation.
Culminating Academic Experiences:
Practicum (0)
(see description from Internship/Field Experience/Service)
Thesis (3)
In the last semester of MFA study, all students will complete a book-length thesis in the genre in which their graduate studies have focused: fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. This work will be conducted under the direction of a faculty mentor, along with a second reader. The mentor should be an English faculty specialist in the particular genre. The completed thesis should represent professional-level writing and preparation; the work should be of publishable quality, suitable for submission to literary contests, publishers and/or agents.
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs are fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://www.msche.org.
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
General Admission Information
Eligibility for admission to The College of Saint Rose graduate programs is typically based upon the following minimum requirements:
-
Submission of a completed application and a Statement of Purpose of approximately 300 words detailing the applicant’s goals for graduate study.
-
Evidence of the possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution through submission of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
-
Academic and professional qualifications for graduate study, as indicated by two letters of recommendation.
-
A grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), overall and in the undergraduate major.
-
Other admission criteria specified by academic programs such as submission of resumes, writing samples, portfolios, test scores, and participation in interviews or admissions workshops.
Applicants to The College of Saint Rose are responsible for completing their applications by submitting all required components. Prospective students may wish to visit our website for online application options and downloadable forms.
See Graduate Admissions section for more information.
Financial Aid
The College of Saint Rose has long been committed to the premise that a quality education should be within the reach of qualified students. To this end, the College serves its student body through a comprehensive program of federal, state, and institutional financial aid. While the basic responsibility for financing education lies with the students and their families, scholarships, loans, and/or assistantships can supplement insufficient family resources. The amount of aid available through the College is limited and is awarded on the basis of academic merit. All financial assistance from the College is subject to adjustment if the recipients are later granted aid from other sources. Financial aid awards are contingent upon students’ maintaining good academic standing and satisfactory academic progress.
See Financial Aid section for more information.
Additional Creative Writing Admission Information:
Applicants to the program should have at least 24 undergraduate credits in English (literature and writing courses), a grade point average of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) in these courses, and an overall index of 3.2. All applicants will be required to submit a portfolio of creative writing in their primary genre. This portfolio will be evaluated by a panel of creative writing faculty. Committed writers with a strong creative writing portfolio who lack an undergraduate background in literature may also be required to submit a literary analysis paper to demonstrate their readiness to participate in graduate-level literature classes.
At the discretion of the MFA coordinator, applicants who fall slightly below the required grade point average or whose undergraduate background in literature or writing is limited, may be admitted to the program as non-matriculated students. Such students will ordinarily be required to finish two graduate courses with a grade of “B” or better in each before changing to matriculated status, and they may register for no more than six credits in their first semester in the program.
Find Out More: