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Writing
- Master of Fine Arts
Facilities for Graduate Work
The James A. Michener Center for Writers offers a cross-disciplinary Master of Fine Arts program that draws on strong programs in English (fiction and poetry), radio-television-film (screenwriting), and theatre (playwriting). The University Libraries, including the Fine Arts Library, provide rich resources for students interested in the creative process. The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center houses a number of noted book collections as well as manuscripts, edited drafts, and early editions of creative works. The Jesse H. Jones Communication Center has extensive film and video production facilities, and the Performing Arts Center offers outstanding theatrical production facilities.
Students admitted to the program are offered James A. Michener Fellowships to support their study.
Areas of Study
Students seeking the MFA are expected to develop professional skills in at least two of the following fields of creative work: fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and playwriting. The curriculum requires students to work across disciplines; for example, the student might study fiction as a primary field and screenwriting as a secondary field. Each candidate must write a thesis in his or her primary field.
Graduate Studies Committee
The following faculty members served on the Graduate Studies Committee in the spring semester 2008–2009.
- Michael W. Adams
- Oscar H. Casares
- Steven Dietz
- Laura Furman
- Elizabeth Harris
- Kurt Heinzelman
- R. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith
- Stuart Kelban
- Judith Kroll
- Joseph E. Kruppa
- Peter N. La Salle
- Richard Lewis
- James L. Magnuson
- Charles E. Ramírez Berg
- Thomas G. Schatz
- Thomas Bacon Whitbread
- Dean H. Young
- Suzan L. Zeder
Degree Requirements
The student must complete at least fifty-four semester hours of coursework, including a three-hour first-year seminar; nine hours of creative work and six hours of studies courses in the primary field; six hours of creative work and three hours of studies courses in the secondary field; twenty-one hours of supporting coursework; and the six-hour thesis course. Reviews conducted each semester determine the student’s eligibility to continue in the program. Further information about degree requirements is available from the graduate adviser.
For More Information
Campus address: J. Frank Dobie House (FDH), 702 East Dean Keeton Street, phone (512) 471-1601, fax (512) 471-9997; campus mail code: A3400
Mailing address: The University of Texas at Austin, MFA in Writing, James A. Michener Center for Writers, 702 East Dean Keeton Street, Austin TX 78705-3201
E-mail: mcw@www.utexas.edu