MFA

Curriculum

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Course Outline

 Year One Residency 1 MFA 6210 Workshop I 3 credits
  Residency 1 MFA 6100
 Art & Faith 3 credits
  Quarter 1
 MFA 6410  Tutorial I 6 credits
  Quarter 2  MFA 6420  Tutorial II 6 credits
  Residency 2 MFA 6220  Workshop II 3 credits
  Residency 2 MFA 6310 Craft I  3 credits
  Quarter 3 MFA 6430 Tutorial III  6 credits
         
 Year Two Residency 3 MFA 6230 Workshop III 3 credits
  Residency 3 MFA 6320 Craft II 3 credits 
  Quarter 4 MFA 6440 Tutorial IV 6 credits
  Quarter 5 MFA 6450 Tutorial V 6 credits 
  Residency 4  MFA 6240 Workshop IV 3 credits 
  Residency 4  MFA 6330 Craft III 3 credits 
  Quarter 6 MFA 6460 Final MS Tutorial 6 credits 
         
 Year Three Residency 5 MFA 6250 Workshop V 3 credits
  Residency 5  MFA 6500 MS & Reading 1 credits 

Quarter Packet Exchange

Quarter Packets

Packet deadlines will vary depending on your mentor's arrangements. 

Students will submit 3 packets per academic quarter to their faculty mentor, generally 3 weeks apart. Each packet should include a cover letter, creative writing or revisions, and annotations. The third packet of the quarter should additionally include a critical paper.

Cover Letter    1-2 pages.
Creative Writing   Prose        10-30 double-spaced pages.
Poetry       5-10 double-spaced pages.

Annotations		  
2 double-spaced pages. 2-4 annotations are due in each packet, with a minimum of 10 submitted per quarter. Over the course of the program, students must read and annotate 60 titles approved by their faculty mentor.

Critical Paper		  
7-8 double-spaced pages. The critical paper may be included in any packet of the quarter but must be turned in by the end of the third packet.
Note: no critical paper will be required in the final quarter.

Graduating Work

The fifth quarter is the last quarter a student will produce new creative work. A student’s final quarter is devoted to their creative thesis. Graduating students must submit all of the work listed below to the director and assistant director before their final residency. 

Final Critical Essay   15-20 double-spaced pages. Due in the 1st packet of the penultimate quarter. This packet will not include any new or revised creative work. 

Creative Thesis		  
Prose        minimum of 100 double-spaced pages.
Poetry       minimum of 40 double-spaced pages.

1st draft due the 1st packet of the final tutorial quarter. 
2nd draft due in the 2nd packet of the final tutorial quarter.
Final draft due the 3rd packet of the final tutorial quarter.

Students will have the opportunity to purchase copies of their hardcover, bound thesis after their final residency. There will also be a copy for archives at the SPU library. 

Annotation List		  
A compiled list of the books read and annotated during the program. Due with the final draft of the thesis. 


The following resources may be useful to you during your time in the MFA program: