2008-2009 Guidelines for the MFA
in Creative Writing

The MFA in Creative Writing at Oklahoma State University allows students to focus on developing their abilities as poets and/or fiction writers, through a course of study emphasizing creative writing workshops, literature seminars, and electives in either of those areas or other areas in language and culture. In consultation with their advisory committees, students devise an individualized curriculum that reflects their own artistic and intellectual interests and prepares them to publish their artistic writing, enter a PhD program, or teach at the college level.
The MFA in Creative Writing consists of 42 credit hours, including twelve hours of thesis. In addition to these hours, students must present their creative work at a public reading following the completion of their thesis. A description of the degree requirements and regulations appears below.

Summary Checklist:

By the end of the second full semester of enrollment, you should have:

• chosen an adviser in your major area of study
• chosen your advisory committee
• met with your committee and discussed your Plan of Study
• filed your Plan of Study

By the end of the second full year (or twenty-four credit hours) of enrollment, you should have:

• submitted material for the Second-year Review to your advisory committee and received a successful evaluation

Before you are eligible to graduate, you must have:

• filed a Diploma Application
• filed a Graduation Clearance form (and a revised Plan of Study, if applicable)
• submitted the Final Draft of your thesis by the Graduate College deadline
• completed your Public Reading and turned in the signed Thesis/Dissertation Defense Results form to the Graduate College
• submitted the final copy of the thesis in accordance with the format guidelines at: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/student/thesis/default.html

Graduate College Rules and Regulations

There are many rules and regulations affecting graduate enrollment, tenure, examinations, theses, and dissertations that are made by the Graduate Faculty of Oklahoma State University rather than the English Department. Among the rules students should familiarize themselves with are those governing academic dishonesty or misconduct, especially those dealing with plagiarism. It is the student's responsibility to become informed about all English Department, Graduate College, and University regulations.

The Oklahoma State University Catalog should be read closely by all those who are thinking about, or participating in, graduate studies in English at Oklahoma State University. Copies are available free to all incoming graduate students at the Graduate College, 202 Whitehurst.

Adviser and Advisory Committee

All graduate students select an individual adviser and an advisory committee to guide them in completing their degrees.

Adviser. Students should choose an adviser by the end of their first semester of course work, but if this is not possible, students should select an adviser by the end of their first year of graduate study. An adviser of an MFA student may be any member of the graduate faculty in creative writing.

Advisory Committee. The advisory committee will normally consist of the student's major adviser as committee chair and at least two members of the English Department's graduate faculty. Most MFA students’ committees will include a member of the creative writing faculty in the student’s genre (poetry or fiction) besides the adviser.

Changes. To change an adviser or advisory committee, a student must request the change in writing to the English Graduate Director and provide reasons for the change. The Graduate Director will forward the request to the Graduate College for final approval.

Plan of Study

MA students must file a Plan of Study with the Graduate College before completing the 17th hour of graduate credit.

Planning Meeting. No later than the second full semester of enrollment and prior to enrolling for the third semester, students should schedule a meeting with their advisory committee. During that meeting, the student and advisory committee will discuss the student's preparation, artistic and professional goals, and plans for graduate study. The student and committee should agree upon a Plan of Study.

Submitting the Plan of Study. Students may download or print a Plan of Study form from the Graduate College web site or the English Graduate web site. The student and committee will discuss the Plan of Study; the student will complete the form and will then obtain signatures from all members of the advisory committee. The student returns the signed form to the English Graduate Office for the Graduate Coordinator’s signature. The English Graduate Office then processes the completed and signed form for delivery to the Graduate College.

The process is complete when the Graduate College reviews the form and returns an approved copy to the English Graduate Office.

Changes. Changes to the Plan of Study can be made with the approval of the advisory committee and initialed by the adviser. A final, accurate and approved Plan of Study must be on file with the Graduate College before the end of the second week of the semester in which the degree is to be conferred.

Ten-Year Rule. A final Plan of Study may not include any course more than ten years old at the time of actual graduation.

Checklist for Submitting a Plan of Study

• 42 hours, including 12 hours of thesis, beyond baccalaureate degree
• 30 hours of course work at the 5000 or 6000 level at OSU
• Minimum of 15 hours of creative writing and 6 of literature
• No more than 9 hours of course work taken as a special student or transferred from another institution
• No course work may be used to complete requirements for another degree
• The Plan of Study must be signed by the adviser, committee members, and the Graduate Director or Department Head

Course Requirements

The MFA program consists of 42 credit hours. The following requirements govern MFA course work:

• ENGL 5730, 5740, 6130, or 6140 (graduate level workshops in fiction or poetry) - 12 hours
• ENGL 5723: Craft and Forms of Poetry Writing or ENGL 5763: Craft and Forms of Fiction Writing - 3 hours
• Graduate level literature courses - 6 hours
• Electives (creative writing, literature, methods course for teaching assistants, or other areas of language and culture) - 9 hours
• Thesis - 12 hours

Methods Course for Teaching Assistants. Teaching assistants must take an appropriate methodology course or courses in their first semester of teaching at Oklahoma State University. These hours may be counted as part of the elective hours of course work.

Creative Writing Requirements. As the defining focus of work towards the MFA degree, creative writing coursework makes up the majority of credit hours, in a combination of: ENGL 5730: Seminar in Fiction Writing, ENGL 5740: Seminar in Poetry Writing, ENGL 6130: Studies in Fiction Writing, ENGL 6140: Studies in Poetry Writing, ENGL 5723: Craft and Forms of Poetry Writing or ENGL 5763: Craft and Forms of Fiction Writing, as well as thesis hours.

Literature Coursework Requirement. MFA students are required to take six hours of literature coursework at the 5000 or 6000 level.

Electives. Students choose the remaining hours of course work in consultation with their advisory committees. Course selection should take into account the student's thesis genre, artistic interests, and academic and professional goals. For instance, students interested in going on to PhD work at Oklahoma State University upon completion of the MFA would normally include courses to assist in preparing them for the first-year exam for PhD students.

Required Hours at 5000/6000 Level. All MFA students must complete their course work at the 5000/6000 level.

Transfer Hours. Students may transfer up to nine graduate hours from another university granting a Master's degree in English. No hours in creative writing may be transferred. A student's advisory committee shall determine the number of hours of transfer credit to be awarded. If a student uses the hours for a degree at the previous institution, the hours are not applicable to the MFA degree at OSU.

Independent Study. Independent Study courses may occasionally be arranged with an instructor when no regular graduate course on the desired topic is available during the student's expected tenure. Each of the two course numbers (ENGL 5210 and 6210) may be used for up to six hours credit per semester, and no more than nine hours total per course number. All students requesting an Independent Study course must hold a meeting with their advisory committee and receive approval by the members of the committee. Students who wish to enroll in independent study courses must submit an Independent Study Request form to the Graduate Office no later than the end of the first week of graduate enrollment prior to the semester in which the Independent Study class is taken. A student who has completed the 17th graduate credit hour in a degree program but who does not have an approved Plan of Study on file in the Graduate College may not arrange an Independent Study course.

The Graduate Studies Committee will evaluate applications for Independent Study in accordance with the following criteria and procedure:

1. Has the student's advisory committee approved the course?
2. Has the student taken regularly offered courses related to the subject?
3. Is the Independent Study unlikely to have a negative impact on enrollment in concurrent or immediately subsequent course offerings?
4. Does the Independent Study fill a gap in the student’s curriculum? Or is the specific course content unlikely to be offered during the student's expected tenure?
5. Are the text materials clearly listed?
6. Is the work appropriate for the number of credit hours requested?
7. Is the list of assignments and percentages awarded to each clearly explained?
8. Is the schedule of conferences sufficiently specific?

If all eight questions may be answered affirmatively, the Graduate Director will send a written notice of acceptance to the proposed instructor, who will then inform the student.

If one or more questions cannot be answered affirmatively, the Graduate Director will contact the proposed instructor in an effort to clarify and/or resolve the problem(s). If no resolution can be reached, the Graduate Director will inform the proposed instructor of the denial and the reason(s) for the denial in writing. The proposed instructor will then inform the student.

End-of-Semester Evaluations. All graduate students will be evaluated in writing at the end of each semester by the professors with whom they have taken courses. These evaluations are kept on file in the English Graduate Office and are available for students to read.

Grade of "Incomplete." The following regulations apply to students who receive what at OSU is termed the “composite incomplete” grade (“IB,” “IC,” “ID,” or “IF”) for any of their coursework within the English Department:

Students must complete coursework within one calendar year, after which time the preliminary grade (expressed by the second letter of the composite) becomes permanent in accordance with University policy. Individual faculty members, however, may establish a shorter time limit for completing coursework. Faculty will identify time limits in the “remarks” dropdown of the electronic grade sheet.

Teaching assistants or associates having more than three incomplete grades on their records will not be recommended for reappointment.

Teaching assistants or associates having any incomplete grades on their records will not be recommended for summer employment.

Students should familiarize themselves with Section 6.2 of the University Academic Regulations found in the University Catalog for a full explanation of university policy governing incomplete grades.

Second-year Review

Prior to the completion of their second full year (twenty-four credit hours) of enrollment, MFA candidates submit a portfolio of their creative work to their advisory committee which decides in advance the length of the portfolio and other specific requirements for its contents. Students must submit a Notice of Intent, signed by their committee, 30 days before the portfolio is due. The Notice of Intent will indicate the specific requirements for the portfolio. No review may be conducted during the summer.

Prerequisites.  In order to submit a portfolio for review, students must:

• have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on all graduate work taken beyond the baccalaureate degree. All courses carrying graduate credit, including transfer hours on the approved Plan of Study, will be calculated in this grade point average.
• have an approved Plan of Study on file with the Graduate College and with the English Graduate Director.
• submit an Intent to Submit Portfolio form to the English Graduate Office 30 days before the portfolio is due.

Format and Submission. Students must submit a signed Notice of Intent to the Graduate Office no later than 30 days before the portfolio is due. The Notice of Intent will indicate the specific requirements for the portfolio. The student will submit at least one paper copy of the portfolio to the Graduate Office to be retained in their Graduate File. Additional paper or electronic copies will be submitted for committee review as specified in the Notice of Intent.

Evaluation. The portfolio will be evaluated by the student’s advisory committee. The readers will meet as a committee to discuss the portfolio, and will provide a rating of Pass or Fail.

Notification of Results.  The Graduate Director will notify students of the results of their portfolio review no later than five weeks after the submission date. The English Graduate Office will mail the results to the student's home address and send a copy of them to the student's adviser.

Resubmission. Students may submit a portfolio for review only twice. When resubmitting a portfolio, students may modify all or part of the portfolio contents prior to the second review. Students must submit a revised Notice of Intent at least 30 days prior to the second review.

Appeals. Normally, a second “Fail” rating of a student’s portfolio will result in termination of the student's work toward the degree. However, when course work has been of exceptionally high quality, a student may, after a second failure, petition the Graduate Studies Committee for permission to submit the portfolio a third and final time. In order to petition, the student must have a grade point average of 3.50 or higher in graduate courses taken at OSU. In addition, the student's petition must be supported by favorable end-of-semester evaluations from at least three professors.

Thesis

The candidate for the MFA degree prepares original work in poetry, prose fiction, or creative non-fiction for the twelve hours of thesis credit. The thesis should be a serious effort of publishable quality.

Thesis Committee. Unless a student requests a change, the advisory committee serves as the thesis committee. Once constituted, a thesis committee may not be changed except for serious reasons stated in writing to the Graduate Director and then approved by the Graduate College.

Reading Procedure. The candidate and the committee members should agree upon a reading procedure for the thesis. Matters to be discussed in reaching this agreement might include whether each member of the committee needs to see individual poems, stories, or essays as they are completed, or revised, by the candidate; whether individual committee members wish to see the sections of the thesis serially or all at once; and how much time committee members will need to finish reading a section or the entire thesis. Under no circumstances should a completed thesis be submitted to any committee member for reading less than two weeks before the defense.

Deadlines. Students submitting theses must adhere to deadlines established by the Graduate College and by the Department of English.

Style. The student must write the thesis according to the guidelines in the current Graduate College Style Manual. The Style Manual is available from the Graduate College or at: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/download/misc.htm. A Graduate College staff member will be available for advice on formatting for binding and microfilming.

Final Copy. The final draft of the thesis should contain all of the original work in a completed form. All members of the student’s advisory committee must read and approve the thesis prior to the public reading. Committee members will not sign the thesis until they are satisfied with any revisions they have requested.

Public Reading

The final exercise for the MFA degree will consist of a public reading of material from the student’s thesis. It will be no less than 45 minutes, but in many instances, it will be longer. The public reading occurs after the student has submitted a complete draft of the thesis to all committee members.

Intent to Schedule Form. Candidates will file a nonbinding Intent to Schedule Form with the Graduate Director no less than two weeks before the public reading. Each member of the committee will sign this form before it is filed with the Graduate Director. If a student does not conduct the reading in the semester when the form is filed, he or she should resubmit the form when he or she is prepared to reschedule the reading.

Scheduling of Public Reading. Under no circumstances should a completed thesis be submitted to any committee member for reading less than two weeks before the public reading. The English Graduate Office must be notified two weeks before the public reading of the day and time of the defense, and the title of the thesis.  No public reading may be conducted during the summer.

Student Tenure

Students must complete all requirements for the MFA degree within seven years from their first enrollment in classes for the MFA program.

Length of Financial Support For Teaching Assistants

A teaching assistant who has not been placed on strict academic probation and who is making satisfactory progress toward the degree is eligible for financial support for a maximum of three years. A student who obtains an MFA in English at OSU and then enters the PhD program is eligible for an additional four years of support.

If exceptional circumstances warrant, a student in the final year of financial support may petition the Head of the English Department for an additional year's support. Such exceptional cases will be judged on an individual basis and in light of Departmental policies and staffing needs.

Ineligibility for the MFA Degree

The Graduate Director may upon proper cause declare a student ineligible for a degree from the English Department at Oklahoma State University. Upon determining that such cause exists, the Graduate Director will immediately notify the student's adviser, who will discuss the matter with the student and respond to the Graduate Director within fifteen working days. Should the Graduate Director still believe that proper cause exists, he or she will write a letter to the student indicating the reasons for the decision. The student may then appeal to the Graduate Studies Committee within ten working days for a hearing.

The Graduate Studies Committee will review the appeal and report its findings to the Graduate Director, who will notify the student. The student may then appeal that decision to the full Graduate Faculty of the English Department. The decision of that group shall end the Departmental appeal process.

Appeals and Petitions

All appeals involving grades or charges of academic dishonesty or misconduct must be directed to the OSU Academic Appeals Board. Contact the Provost’s Office (101 Whitehurst) for information and forms. Petitions involving teaching assistantships must be directed to the Department Head.

All other petitions or appeals must be directed in writing to the Graduate Director, who will then forward the petition to the appropriate body, usually one of the following: the Graduate Studies Committee (for special requests as described within the English Graduate Guidelines), the English Graduate Faculty (for exceptions to English Department policy), or the Faculty Council (for exceptions to OSU policy). Students are urged to discuss matters with their advisers and with the Graduate Director before making a formal petition or appeal.

If the Graduate Director does not act upon a student's written request within a reasonable amount of time, a student and/or adviser may appeal directly to the Department Head. If a student has exhausted all appeals procedures within the Department and is still not able to resolve the problem, he or she may appeal to the Graduate College.

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English Department
College of Arts & Sciences
Oklahoma State University
205 Morrill Hall
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: 405-744-9474
For Information about English Programs: english.information@okstate.edu
Webmaster: engweb@okstate.edu

Summary Checklist
Graduate College Rules and Regulations
Adviser and Advisory Committee
Plan of Study
Course Requirements
Second-year Review
MA Qualifying Examination
Thesis
Public Reading
Student Tenure
Length of Financial Support For Teaching Assistants
Ineligibility for the MFA Degree
Appeals and Petitions