Overview
The Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Illinois provides students with the opportunity for graduate study and professional training in the writing of fiction and poetry. It also trains writers to become teachers of writing, supplying them with the terminal degree appropriate for university teaching and gives them experience in literary editing and publishing.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world-class research and teaching institution. The University Library, with over eight million volumes, ranks as the third largest in the country. The MFA program is affiliated with an English Department routinely ranked among the highest in the nation. The department's creative writing faculty features several distinguished poets and fiction writers with national and international reputations. The Department's reading series draws writers of the highest caliber. Among the countless writers who have been brought to campus to read or to teach are:
- Chris Abani
- Julia Alvarez
- Ann Beattie
- Robert Olen Butler
- Gabrielle Calvocoressi
- Dan Chaon
- J.M. Coetzee
- Edward Falco
- Nuruddin Farah
- Alice Fulton
- William Gass
- Douglas Glover
- Allan Gurganus
- Michael Harper
- Aleksandar Hemon
- Bob Hicok
- Oscar Hijuelos
- Tony Hoagland
- Maureen Howard
- Adam Johnson
- Dana Johnson
- Suji Kwock Kim
- Philip Levine
- Yann Martel
- W. S. Merwin
- Baharati Mukherjee
- Grace Paley
- Sharon Olds
- Gregory Orr
- Mona Simpson
- Mark Strand
- Katherine Vaz
- Sharmila Voorakkara
- William Wenthe
- John Edgar Wideman
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Ninth Letter is the University of Illinois' innovative literature and arts magazine. The biannual publication features emerging and established writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other genres undefined, as well as visual artists working in a variety of mediums. All of this collaborative energy comes together in a highly designed format, both in print and on the web. With these elements in place, Ninth Letter’s goal is to challenge the traditional boundaries of artistic pursuit while maintaining the quality and integrity that has long been the yardstick of artistic success. Ninth Letter is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to all interested MFA candidates. Students are eligible to apply for a range of semester-long and annual assistantships, as well as participate in the Ninth Letter publishing workshop, which is offered each term.
The primary goal of the MFA in Creative Writing is to give these literary artists time and space to work on perfecting their art. Financial support, in the form of scholarships, fellowships, or teaching assistantships, is available to each student in the program. Upon completion of the program, students will:
- have the pedagogical skills necessary to teach writing
- produce a book-length, publishable manuscript
Students will also have the opportunity to gain extensive experience in literary editing and publishing while enrolled in the program.
If you would like to query current students about their experiences in the program, you may contact:
Students in the program have work published or forthcoming in Massachusetts Reeview, 21 Stars, Zoetrope: All-Story, Paris Review, Sou'wester, Alaska Quarterly Review, Sycamore Review, Image, Denver Quarterly, South Carolina Review, Arkansas Review, Black Mountain Review, Karamu, Pretext, Dickinson Review, Georgia Review, Black Warrior Review, Miller's Pond, Taint Magazine, Texas Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Grain, Kalliope, 13th Moon, North Dakota Quarterly, Raven Chronicles, Bellatrix Blue, Naked Poetry, Berkeley Fiction Review, Michigan Review, and Phoebe.
Curriculum and Requirements
The degree of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a three-year program combining professional training in creative writing with literary study. Students in this program specialize in one of two areas: fiction or poetry. Candidates for the MFA will complete at least 48 hours of coursework. These will include 16 hours of Writing Workshop--one course each semester the first two years they are in the program--and 8 hours of thesis credit. (One semester-long graduate course equals 4 hours of credit.)
Below is a summary of the course requirements:
Required Courses of Study
|
Writing Workshop |
16 hours |
Thesis (may only be taken after first year) |
8 hours |
Problems in Fiction or Poetry (taken first year) |
4 hours |
English and American Literature |
8 hours |
Proseminar in the Teaching of English
(students with advanced degrees and college teaching experience may be exempted) |
4 hours |
Electives |
8 hours |
Total Number of Hours Required |
48 hours |
Successful completion of the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing also requires that candidates:
- complete the required coursework
(see sample course distribution below)
- satisfactorily complete a book-length manuscript
- complete an author's preface to the thesis manuscript, and
- read from the thesis in a public reading
First Year |
Fall |
Spring |
Workshop |
Workshop |
Problems |
Literature |
Proseminar in the
Teaching of English |
Elective |
Second Year |
Fall |
Spring |
Workshop |
Workshop |
Literature |
Elective |
Third Year |
Fall |
Spring |
Thesis |
Thesis |
Thesis |
Thesis |
