Program Overview

MFA Creative Writing Program

The MFA Creative Writing program at Western Washington University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in creative writing, literary study, and analysis. The program aims to produce multifaceted scholars, writers, and teachers who are well-versed in various genres and styles.

Program Description

In this versatile program, students will gain fluency in single genre, multigenre, cross-genre, or hybrid writing, as well as an understanding of the way diverse genres can inform one another. The program combines creative writing courses with in-depth literary study and analysis, allowing students to develop their writing skills and critical thinking abilities.

Program Requirements

The MFA Creative Writing program requires a total of 55 credits, which includes:

• CORE COURSES: 20 credits in creative writing, taken in at least two different genres
• ELECTIVES: 20 credits in literature, composition/rhetoric, pedagogy, or critical theory
• THESIS: 10 credits granted upon program completion
• ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • Successful completion of the Creative Writing Graduate Exam
  • A successful creative thesis, with a critical preface, approved by the student's Creative Writing Thesis Committee and the Graduate School

Core Courses

The core courses for the MFA Creative Writing program include:

• English 502: Seminar in the Writing of Fiction (repeatable)
• English 504: Seminar in the Writing of Poetry (repeatable)
• English 505: Seminar in the Writing of Nonfiction (repeatable)
• English 506: Seminar in Creative Writing: Multigenre (repeatable)
• English 520: Studies in Poetry (repeatable)
• English 525: Studies in Fiction (repeatable)
• English 535: Studies in Nonfiction (repeatable)

Electives

The elective courses for the MFA Creative Writing program include:

• English 500: Directed Independent Study
• English 513: Teaching Composition (required for Graduate Teaching Assistants)
• English 509: Internship in Writing, Editing and Production (repeatable)
• English 510: Seminar: Topics in Rhetoric (repeatable)
• English 515: Studies in Literary and Critical Theory (repeatable)
• English 540: Studies in Global Literatures (repeatable)
• English 550: Studies in American Literatures (repeatable)
• English 560: Studies in British Literature (repeatable)
• English 570: Topics in Cultural Studies (repeatable)
• English 575: Studies in Women's Literature (repeatable)
• English 580: Studies in Film (repeatable)
• English 594: Practicum in Teaching
• English 598: Research in the Teaching of English (repeatable)

Thesis

The thesis for the MFA Creative Writing program is a critical component of the degree. Students will work with their Creative Writing Thesis Committee to develop a successful creative thesis, with a critical preface, which will be approved by the committee and the Graduate School.

Additional Requirements

In addition to the core courses, electives, and thesis, students in the MFA Creative Writing program must also complete the Creative Writing Graduate Exam and meet the requirements for graduation.

Distinguished Alumni

The MFA Creative Writing program at Western Washington University has produced many distinguished alumni, including:

• Kate Christie, author of Gay Pride & Prejudice, Beautiful Game, and Leaving LA
• Jai Dulani, featured in Best New Poets 2020
• Spencer Ellsworth, author of the Starfire Trilogy
• Julie Marie Wade, author of Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures and winner of the Lambda Literary Award
• Caroline Van Hemert, author of The Sun is a Compass
• Soham Patel, Kundiman fellow and assistant editor at The Georgia Review
• Dayna Patterson, author of If Mother Braids a Waterfall
• Urban Waite, author of The Terror of Living, The Carrion Birds, and Sometimes the Wolf