Program Overview

Program Overview

The Creative Writing MFA program at Temple University is a 33-credit hour program that requires students to complete a combination of workshops, craft and manuscript tutorial courses, literature and writing courses, and an elective.

Program Requirements

General Requirements

The program requires 33 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. The required courses include:

• 4 workshops (12 credit hours)
• 3 craft, manuscript tutorial, or special topics courses (9 credit hours)
• 2 literature, writing, arts, humanities, or social science courses (6 credit hours)
• 1 elective (3 credit hours)
• ENG 9995: Master's Project (3 credit hours)

Culminating Events

The program includes two culminating events:

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination is a 10-15 page essay that requires students to write about the historical and formal context of the literary genre in which they practice. The exam is due between the third and fourth terms of the program and is graded by two members of the Creative Writing Graduate Faculty.

Master's Project

The master's project is a work of fiction (at least 100 pages) or a work of poetry (at least 50 pages) that reflects an aesthetically and intellectually sophisticated example of the genre in which the student has worked over the course of the program. The project is due on the second Tuesday in April of the student's fourth term and is graded exclusively by members of the Creative Writing Graduate Faculty.

Additional Requirements

Those who hold a Teaching Assistantship must take a Practicum in Composition Theory as their elective.