The University of Oregon’s Creative Writing Program is a two-year full-time residency Master of Fine Arts program. The MFA program consists of six workshops, four seminars, three writing and conference tutorials, an MFA exam, and a terminal creative project. All work must occur while the candidate is enrolled in the program and under faculty supervision.
Our MFA students take 9-16 credit hours each term. A student’s schedule for each term usually consists of a workshop, a seminar, and a writing and conference tutorial (replaced by terminal creative project hours in the second year), although this can vary slightly depending on course availability. In addition, students seeking second-year funding take composition pedagogy courses through the Department of English during winter and/or spring term of their first year.
Program Requirements
All work required for an MFA degree in creative writing from the UO must take place during the candidate’s enrollment in the program and under the supervision of its faculty. Revision of earlier work is discouraged unless it can be demonstrated that doing so will result in substantial enlargement and improvement of the original. That parts of a thesis have been published or accepted for publication by a journal or anthology is laudable but an entirely separate matter from faculty evaluation.
Six Workshops
Because the program recognizes the need for students to spend a majority of time writing, students take six graduate workshops (in a single genre) in six consecutive academic quarters of residence.
Choose one:
- CRWR 635 Poetry
- CRWR 645 Fiction
Four Seminars
The program’s craft seminars focus on style, form, and literary tradition. Unlike the workshops, each seminar is open to students in both genres (fiction and poetry).
- CRWR 607 Seminar
Three Writing and Conference Tutorials
The writing and conference tutorials provide mentorship for first-year students. Each tutorial offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with a different professor each term.
- CRWR 605 Writing and Conference
MFA Exam
In the second year, all MFA candidates must take and pass a formal examination. It can involve—but is not limited to—questions about theory and technique, the history of a genre, and contemporary literature.
Terminal Creative Project
All MFA candidates are required to complete a terminal creative project (a thesis), which the program defines as “a sustained piece of imaginative writing (poetry or fiction) of high literary merit.” Students choose a thesis advisor toward the end of their first year and begin work on the thesis itself during the following summer. In their second year, MFA candidates must register for a minimum of 3 thesis credit hours each term.
- CRWR 609 Terminal Creative Project
Program FAQs
How many students are in the MFA program?
The total number of students in the program during 2018-2019 was 19. Admission is offered yearly to up to 10 applicants (divided equally between fiction and poetry).
What is the difference between terms (quarters) versus semesters?
The University of Oregon is term-based (fall, winter, spring, and summer). Each term is 11 weeks long, including finals.
What is the typical MFA student course load?
CRWR MFA students take 9-16 credit hours each term. CRWR workshops and seminars are each generally three hours long with a short break in the middle, once each week. Because CRWR writing and conference tutorials are one-on-one tutorials, the duration varies with each instructor. A student’s schedule for each term usually consists of a workshop, a seminar, and a writing and conference tutorial (replaced by terminal creative project hours in the second year), although this can vary slightly depending on course availability. In addition, students seeking second-year funding take composition pedagogy courses through the Department of English during winter and/or spring term of their first year.
How large are the workshops?
The limit for each workshop is 10 students.
What does the typical Terminal Creative Project look like?
The CRWR MFA Terminal Creative Project [thesis] is a book-length manuscript and is defined as “a sustained piece of imaginative writing (poetry or fiction) of high literary merit.” It is not an essay.
Can I take a course outside of the program?
Subject to the director’s approval, other graduate courses (500-level or higher) may be used to satisfy part of the MFA seminar requirement.
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