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Program Description
Degree Requirements
Financial Assistance
Admissions
Application Process
The Programs in the writing of poetry and fiction lead to the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in English. In addition to the workshops and seminars taught within the Writing Program by its faculty, instruction is offered by visiting writers. The curriculum is augmented by frequent readings on the Irvine campus.
The MFA centers around the Graduate Writers' Workshop, a group which meets each quarter in poetry and fiction, in which faculty and students share in criticism and discussion of student writing. There
are currently ten MFA students in poetry and twelve in fiction, half in their first year and half in their second year in the Writing Program. About two-thirds of the Writing Program student's work consists of participation in the Workshop; the other third is devoted to graduate-level seminars offered by the MFA faculty and other faculty of the Departments of English and Comparative Literature and other graduate programs. The aim of the Program in Writing is the training of accomplished writers who intend to make their writing their life. What we expect of our students is passionate precision, character, and stamina. What we want most for our students is that each will sooner or later write something that lasts. Successful writing, we think, is writing that succeeds itself each time it is read with interest and care by a succession of new readers. To facilitate such writing, the faculty has kept the Writing Program small in order to ensure the high quality of the students as well as to permit much teaching on a one-to-one basis. All students consult frequently with the staff for assistance with their work.
In recent years, visiting writers and lecturers have included: Ralph Angel, John Ashbery, Wilton Barnhardt, John Calvin Batchelor, Don Bogen, Ethan Canin, Jennifer Clarvoe, Killarney Clary, Gwyneth Cravens,
Stuart Dybek, Robert Farnsworth, Amy Gerstler, Louise Glück, Jay Gummerman, Ursula Hegi, Brenda Hillman, Rust Hills, T.R. Hummer, Cynthia Huntington, P.D. James, Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Margot Livesey, Thomas Lux,
Lynne McMahon, Heather McHugh, Maile Meloy, Jeredith Merrin, Josephine Miles, Wright Morris, Howard Moss, Carol Muske-Dukes, Robert Olmstead, Ann Patchett, Bette Pesetsky, Martha Rhodes, Mark Richard, Mary Robison, Thomas Sanchez, Sherod Santos, Christine Schutt, Lynn Sharon Schwartz, Alan Shapiro, Jim Shepard, Mona Simpson, Ted Solotaroff, Pamela Stewart, Robert Stone, Mark Strand, Melanie Thernstrom, Lawrence Thornton, Brad Watson, Joy Williams, and William Wiser.
The Master of Fine Arts degree is awarded after two years of residence that include six quarters of Graduate Writers' Workshop plus six academic courses (in most cases these will be graduate courses in English or Comparative Literature). During this period, the student regularly submits material for criticism in the Workshop, and in addition is in constant contact with the regular teaching staff and visiting writers through individual consultation. A single course credit, substituting for one of the academic courses above, may be granted for service as a Teaching Assistant. Students are expected to teach composition and creative writing.
A thesis consisting of a book-length manuscript of poetry or fiction of publishable quality is submitted at the end of the second year.
Financial assistance for students in the Program is available in the form of Regents' Fellowships (student fees and stipend), Tuition Fellowships (for out-of-state students), and Teaching Assistantships. All students normally receive some form of financial assistance, and all students receive in-service training in University-level teaching. For example, in 2007-2008 teaching assistants will earn $5,203.50 per quarter ($15,610.50 for the full academic year) for one course per quarter. In addition to the salary, teaching assistants receive payment of partial fees and health insurance. Renewal of a teaching appointment is contingent upon satisfactory teaching performance and a good record in academic courses.
Students are admitted to either the Fiction or Poetry Program, although admission to both is also possible. Admission is highly competitive. In examining applications, the Admissions committees place
particular weight on the quality of the manuscripts submitted, looking not only for evidence of talent but for indications of a permanent and firm commitment to the craft of writing. The Program takes pride in an impressive achievement of publication by its graduates.
A bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 grade point average is a prerequisite for admission to the Program. The application for admission should specify interest in either poetry or fiction and must include complete transcripts of all academic work, three letters of recommendation, an autobiographical sketch, and samples of writing. (Two short stories or a short story and a novel chapter for Fiction; ideally, the two submissions together should not exceed 40 pages. Ten poems for Poetry.) The Admissions Committees place particular emphasis on the quality and competence of the writing submitted. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores are not required. The MFA Program in Fiction admits 6 students, and Poetry admits 4-6 students each year.
Prospective applicants must complete the university's
electronic application. It
is essential that applicants also complete
the department's supplementary form which can be accessed within
the checklist provided below. Except for the university-wide application and letters of recommendation (which can be submitted either electronically or in hardcopy, depending on each recommender's preference), we require that all supporting
documents be submitted to the department in hardcopy form.
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Completed electronic application.
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Submission of the $70.00 application fee by credit card (MasterCard or Visa only) or by check or money order made payable to the UC Regents.
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One official copy of transcripts from each undergraduate
and graduate institution previously attended. Transcripts may be sent directly to the
department from the Registrar's Office in a sealed envelope or included
in a sealed envelope with your application. (Although Graduate Division's application requirement checklist specifies two official copies of transcripts, please send only one official copy from each college or university attended. If we need a second copy for our files, we will make it.)
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Three letters of recommendation.
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Completed manuscript cover-sheet
form.
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Autobiographical Sketch (please refer to cover-sheet form
for further details). Please note: the Autobiographical Sketch and the Statement of Purpose (part of the university's electronic application) are two separate essays, and both are required for the MFA application. The Autobiographical Sketch is generally 2-4 pages, and is a much more personal statement from you as a writer. The Statement of Purpose is generally 1-2 pages, and is more of an academic statement. You may complete the Statement of Purpose on-line as part of your electronic application, or you may submit it in hardcopy form with your Autobiographical Sketch and manuscripts.
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Manuscript submissions (please refer to cover-sheet form
for further details).
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One (1) stamped, self-addressed postcard.
Applicants to the MFA Programs in Writing should address
all materials to:
Graduate Program Administrator
MFA Programs in Writing
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-2650
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