The Ph.D. in Literature with Creative Writing emphasis is neither a fine arts degree nor simply a traditional literature Ph.D. with a creative dissertation. The program is designed to help the student become a better writer, as well as a writer who knows the history of his or her chosen genre and is aware of the critical theory relevant to it.

The Ph.D. is generally recognized as a writer's best preparation for a teaching career at the college or university level. Many colleges cannot afford to hire someone to teach only creative writing; the Ph.D. is strong evidence that the writer can also teach literature courses, and that she or he can take a full and active part in the academic community.

Coursework

During the first two years or so of the Ph.D. residence, candidates take courses to satisfy requirements, to prepare for preliminary exams, to develop a background in literature and criticism, and to gain experience in writing. Ten courses (excluding colloquia) must be completed at the 6000- or 7000-level with grades of "B" or better.

The courses must include at least two 7000-level seminars and will fall under the following categories, and a single course may not be used to meet requirements in more than one category:

Workshops

Four workshops

Literary History (with emphasis on broad knowledge of a particular period, whether or not it conforms to conventional period divisions):

At least 3 courses (including two focusing on literature before 1830, at least one of them before 1700)

Theory and Critical Problems or Special Topics in Literary and Cultural Study:

Narrative Theory and Practice or Theory and Practice of Poetry (depending on the genre of the thesis)

English 6480 (Foundations of Literary Theory--Overview)

One additional course, other than Narrative Theory and Practice or Theory and Practice of Poetry

Students who feel they need more work in literature, and who can demonstrate that they are writing steadily and well on their own, may, in consultation with the Director of Creative Writing, request permission from the Graduate Director to substitute one or two literature courses for workshops.

Procedures for forming a Supervisory Committee, obtaining the Program of Study form, developing reading lists, and preparing for qualifying exams are found in materials at the English Department and in the Policies and Requirements page on the web site.

Qualifying Examinations

In the Creative Writing program, the qualifying examinations are based on a study of the genre (fiction or poetry) of the dissertation. The students chooses three fields in which to be examined:

1. an historical study of the genre from its beginnings until approximately the end of the19th century;

2. a topical study of the genre in the 20th century;

3. a study of critical theory relevant to the genre.

Prospects

During the semester following the students' successful completion of the preliminary exam, the student must submit a formal dissertation prospectus. (Students passing the Ph.D. examinations in the Spring semester will submit the prospectus in the following Fall semester.) The prospectus should be approximately ten pages in length and should include a bibliography of at least thirty works. The student will discuss this prospectus with the Supervisory Committee at a formal meeting.

Dissertation

By the end of the semester after the qualifying exams, the candidate will begin work on his/her dissertation. After the dissertation has been completed and the necessary approvals have been received, the defense will be scheduled by the department. Students must be registered for 3 hours in the semester of defense.

The Ph.D. program provides dual emphasis in literature and creative writing, culminating in the dissertation, which combines critical analysis with creative originality. Doctoral candidates not only read and write texts as finished products of scholarship in researching their creative work's literary and historical milieu, but also consider the text as writers create it, then compose texts as writers, a process that goes to the source of the study of literature and of literature itself. This integration of literature and creative writing is reflected in the structure of the dissertation, which introduces the creative work within a context of critical inquiry, bringing together the examination and embodiment of the literary act, a new model of scholarship and creative innovation.

Ph.D. candidates in Literature and Creative Writing must pass the same departmental examination taken by Ph.D. candidates in Literature who are not working in the area of creative writing. The exam tests students in various areas of emphasis (British literature, American literature, poetry, prose, etc.) and literature and historical periods as a measure of their preparedness to undertake independent research.

Degree Requirements

These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.

Graduate Curriculum and Unit Requirements

The graduate curriculum is divided into 500-level foundation courses and 600-level advanced courses. The 500-level courses offer fundamental work in theory and in the history of British and American literatures and cultures. The 600-level courses feature advanced studies in theory, creative writing seminars and workshops and special topics. Although students will normally take 500-level courses leading up to the screening procedure and 600-level courses thereafter, students after consultation with their advisors may be permitted to take 600-level courses in the first semester of their graduate training.

The student's course work must total at least 64 units. More than eight units of 794 Doctoral Dissertation and no more than four units of 790 Research may count toward the 64 units. A maximum of 24 Transfer units approved by the graduate director, is allowed toward the 64 units minimum required by the Ph.D.

Admission

Requirements for admission to study in the Ph.D. Program in Literature and Creative Writing include:

* B.A. degree and/or transfer students with an M.A. or M.F.A in Creative Writing; GPA in undergraduate major and overall GPA;

* scores on the GRE General Test and the GRE literature Subject Test

* a creative writing sample and a critical writing sample

* applicant's statement of purpose

* letters of recommendation from at least three of applicant's college instructors

DU's Program in Creative Writing is the only writing program in the country that focuses exclusively on doctoral study. All of the University of Denver's graduate students in Creative Writing are PhD students. At other creative writing doctoral programs, MFA and MA students generally outnumber creative writing PhD students in workshops. We pitch our workshops and other courses to the sophisticated levels of students who have done an MA or MFA in creative writing elsewhere (recent PhD students have come from Brown, Iowa, the Art Institute of Chicago, Syracuse, U-Mass-Amherst, Florida, and many other celebrated MFA programs). We no longer offer an MA in creative writing (and we've never had an MFA).

At DU, a little more than half the graduate students in the English Department are in creative writing. The creative writing, literature, and rhetoric and theory students all work closely together in courses and on other projects. We believe that the experience of writing is crucial to a profound appreciation of literature and theory.

We encourage students to regard genre in an open way, to experiment with hybrid genres, and to create new ones. We concentrate on writing first and categories later. We do workshops in cross-genre writing, travel writing, translation, book reviews, and prose poetry, as well as poetry and fiction. More and more, the faculty regards the old workshop model as outmoded. All of our workshops integrate literature and writing, and we believe that all writing is creative writing. The doctoral program in creative writing at the University of Denver resembles a pure mathematics or philosophy PhD. Our students do a good deal of hard critical reading and research, and some of them write and publish traditional literary critical works. But we also prepare them as writers, just as a philosophy program prepares philosophers, who think and apply their historical knowledge to contemporary problems. Our PhD is a theoretical doctorate, an experience that builds creative thinking.

Our program has about eighteen writers at any one time, and it offers an intimate writing community as well as a bracing academic experience. We are able to hand-pick students from a highly competitive pool of applicants, selecting six strong and committed writers each year to become teaching fellows (we do not accept anyone without a teaching fellowship).

The Ph.D. degree programs prepare students to write, to teach on the college and university levels, and to conduct scholarly research. At the end of their Ph.D. coursework, students will have acquired a productive general knowledge of the various fields of literary study in English and will have developed a concentrated preparation in their areas of specialization.

Students who specialize in creative writing must take either poetry or fiction as their major examination and must choose the other genre as their minor area. They must complete 30-39 hours of graduate coursework beyond the M.A. level, with 12 of those hours in creative writing workshops in the student's major genre, plus 20 hours of dissertation research. The following coursework requirements must be completed during the Ph.D program unless they have already been satisfied during a student's M.A. or M.F.A. program: (printer friendly pdf)

* 12 hours of workshop in major genre;

* 9-12 hours of courses in or strongly related to area of primary examination specialty, including 3 hours of Form and Theory in major genre and 3 hours of Contemporary Poetry or Fiction Craft in major genre;

* 9 hours of courses in or strongly related to area of secondary examination specialty, including 3 hours of Engl 8160 Form and Theory in secondary genre;

* 3 hours of language study, unless satisfied at M.A. level;

* 3 hours of theory, unless satisfied at the M.A. level.

Doctoral students in creative writing must submit a dissertation, a substantial written creative project of either poetry or fiction that includes a critical introduction that is acceptable to the Department of English and to the Graduate Office of the College of Arts and Sciences. While writing the dissertation, the student must register for at least 20 semester hours of Engl 8999 (Thesis Research). Students must pass a defense of the dissertation administered by the members of the student's dissertation committee and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Founded in 1975, our creative writing program is an integral part of an English department committed to diversity in its offerings. The BA, MA, and PhD programs in creative writing focus on the vital relationship between fictional and poetic coursework in both writing and literary study. Concentrations in poetry writing and fiction writing are available, as are teaching assistantships, fellowships, and tuition waivers. The Cummins and Burris fellowships are awarded to entering graduate students and are renewable on a competitive basis.

Graduate students in creative writing submit original creative works prefaced by a critical introduction rather than a scholarly thesis or dissertation. Doctoral students have the option of testing in the Practical Poetics and Fictional Rhetoric comprehensive examination area. This area is designed to assess knowledge of close reading and craft. Our creative writing PhD program is unique in including this focus on literary technique at the comprehensive examination level, allowing our graduate students to integrate their work as writers into their overall academic approach.

The Graduate Program in Creative Writing at the University of Houston has grown dramatically and attained national prominence since its founding in 1979. Based on its reputation, scholarship, curriculum, and the quality of faculty and students, the Creative Writing Program was rated second in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its first annual ranking of writing programs in 1997. The Creative Writing Program offers a Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing and an M.F.A. in English: Creative Writing.

Admission to the Creative Writing Program is extremely competitive, with only 10 new poetry and 10 new fiction students selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. Because the candidates that are accepted by the program are of such high caliber, quite a few win national writing awards and the majority have work accepted for publication while studying at UH. Most of our graduate students are awarded teaching assistantships to teach undergraduate classes here, and many also work with elementary and high school students through the acclaimed Writers in the Schools organization. In addition, program students can gain valuable editorial and publishing experience as staff members of the student-produced Gulf Coast literary journal.The Creative Writing Program has fostered a thriving literary community in Houston and is active in developing a diverse audience for contemporary literature. Its prestigious Margaret Root Brown Houston Reading Series presents seven readings each year featuring some of the most important writers of fiction, poetry, and essays from around the nation and the world. Our faculty and students join the visiting artists in a number of local outreach activities that broaden participation in writing, particularly among youth in traditionally underserved areas. Many of the literary programs and all of the students of the Creative Writing Program are supported by the generosity of Inprint, Inc., a unique nonprofit organization that acts as an independent advocate for the written word in general and the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston in particular.

Welcome to the University of Kansas's graduate program in English, which offers the Ph.D., M.A., and M.F.A. degrees. Our program prides itself on its comprehensive coverage of the field, from medieval studies to contemporary postcolonial literatures, and from the history of the English language to the intersection of ethnicity and rhetoric.

Strengths

Particular strengths of the department include Renaissance/Early Modern Studies, Twentieth-Century American literature, Postcolonial Literatures, African-American literature, Gender Studies, Rhetoric and Composition, and Creative Writing. In recent years, we have supplemented our course offerings in traditional fields with courses in Irish studies, postcolonial theory, African and Caribbean literatures, Latino literature, cultural rhetorics, jazz studies, American Indian literature, and cultural studies.

The Creative Writing Program currently offers the Ph.D. in the genres of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Once admitted to candidacy, students are required to take 30 hours of coursework beyond the M.A. Except for the required English Language course, and certain optional courses in other departments, at least 18 hours must be taken at the 8000-level, with those courses distributed as follows:

1) A minimum of 9, and a maximum of 12 hours of 8000-level Creative Writing Workshops: 8510 in fiction, 8520 in creative nonfiction, 8530 in poetry. If a candidate chooses to take 12 hours of workshop, 3 of those hours may be taken in a second genre (including 8000-level writing courses in other departments within the Center for the Literary Arts). No courses may substitute for workshops.

2) Candidates shall have had or shall be required to take: (a) a graduate-level course in the history or theory of literary criticism; b) a course in the history or structure of the English language. Students scheduled to teach English 1000 (Composition) must also take English 8010: Theory and Practice of Composition.

~ Additional requirements ~

Residency requirement: A minimum of 18 hours beyond the M.A. must be taken in residence at the Columbia campus.

• Language Requirement. A candidate must achieve either a working knowledge of two foreign languages, or advanced proficiency in one. This requirement may be fulfilled either by exam or by course work.

• Written Comprehensive Exam. After a candidate's course work, foreign language, and residency requirements have been completed, she or he may take the Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam. This 12-hour written exam is taken over a period of three days (four hours each day) and is composed of (a) an 8-hour exam covering the candidate's primary field, and (b) a 4-hour exam covering the candidate's secondary field. Questions are prepared by the 5 or 6 faculty who form the candidate's Comprehensive Exam Committee.

• Oral Exam. Taken within one month of the successful completion of the Written Comprehensive Exam, the 2-hour oral exam addresses both the primary and secondary areas, and goes back over material covered in the written exams.

• Creative Dissertation. After completing all the above requirements, Ph.D. candidates in Creative Writing may choose one of three options for the dissertation: 1) a creative dissertation--a novel, novella, a book-length collection of poems, a book-length collection of short fiction or creative nonfiction--with a prose introduction (2500-word minimum) which demonstrates the correlation between the candidate's academic and creative interests; 2) a scholarly Dissertation; or (3) a combined Scholarly and Creative Dissertation, which includes significant contributions in each area. Of course, candidates may also choose to write two independent disserations, one creative and one scholarly.

Once the dissertation has been read and approved by the committee, the candidate will take a 2-hour oral examination, the "dissertation defense," which addresses the formal, thematic, and topical concerns of the dissertation.

The Creative Writing Program at the University of Georgia directs, supports, and accompanies the coming-into-being of voices. No matter the genre or the exact nature of the approach, at bottom, ours is a project in emergent phenomena : voice. While read aloud and performed in various venues and forums, these voices enter the world and live their primary lives in print.

In this we allow that writing can't be taught. We even allow that writing can't, strictly speaking, be discussed. Like the graphic media and music, writing lives a primary life on its own. Our faculty and-quickly, at least-students are all veterans of the realization that, often, the origin (and for some, the author) of key components of a piece of writing are unknown. Therefore, we proceed with the understanding that he living spark at the core of what writing breathes cannot be requisitioned.

At the same time, we're dedicated to the-if, in the end, untraceable-connection between writing and strict attention to (otherwise known as study) and talk (otherwise known as conversations) about aesthetics and criticism (literary and otherwise), experience (personal, theoretical, and otherwise), politics (electoral, cultural, and otherwise), history (earthly and otherwise). As an academic program, we're also invested in the relationship between cutting-edge creative work and the living intellectual life of a university.

The Creative Writing Program is the home to a wide and constantly changing array of creative / intellectual energy the owners of which are busy attempting to acquire the skills they need to etch-out its design in print for readers to read.

We've designed the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at the University of Georgia to offer both the MFA and Ph.D. degree. MFA students complete a two-year degree combining graduate-level writing workshops, targeted study of literature, and culminating in a creative thesis of publishable quality. In addition to the MFA or MA degree (many of our Ph.D. students apply to and enter the program after completing their MFA degrees at programs such as The Iowa Writer's Workshop, The New School, Johns Hopkins, New York University, and Brown University), PhD students complete three years of course work, take comprehensive exams in three subjects, and complete a (often a second) marketable, book-length project as their dissertation.

Through all the inevitable changes during the years since its emergence in 1964, our Creative Writing Program has deliberately remained small in order to provide an alternative to the larger MFA programs. Our students appreciate the intimacy of small classes and a picturesque campus.

The Creative Writing Program is an integral component of Ohio University's English Department, offering undergraduate and graduate classes. Both undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to concentrate on a genre-poetry, fiction, or nonfiction-and to work closely in small classes with a distinguished faculty.

As one of the first universities in the country to offer a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, Ohio University has a thriving, widely respected graduate program. M.A. candidates complete two years of study and write a thesis of creative work in their genre. M.A. students participate in seminars along with doctoral candidates, who must complete five years of study, comprehensive exams, a major critical essay, and a creative dissertation.

In May, the Creative Writing Program hosts the annual Spring Literary Festival, an exciting three days of lectures and readings when students have more opportunities to attend readings and meet with authors of national and international reputation.

Students further benefit from a lively visiting-writers series, which brings to campus accomplished writers for residencies and readings. Previous residents include

* Lee K. Abbott

* Francois Camoin

* Kiki Delancey

* Kathy Fagan

* Joanna Frueh

* Lucy Grealy

* Wayne Koestenbaum

* Nancy K. Miller

* Debra Monroe

* Tim Parrish

* Alan Shapiro

* Greg Williamson

There are generally three residencies a year and five readings. Students participate in workshops led by the visiting writers; they also meet with visiting writers in one-to-one consultations regarding students' work.

The English Department at Ohio University is also frequently staffed with one-year visiting writers. Past writers include William Black (fiction), Zakes Mda (fiction), and Mark Wunderlich (poetry).

For information on applying to the graduate program in creative writing, please see the admissions page of this site. Please note that the writing sample for creative writing applicants should be appropriate to genre: fiction (20-40 pages), nonfiction (20-40 pages), or poetry (10 poems). In addition, applicants for the Ph.D. program in creative writing should submit a critical paper from a previous literature class. Applicants for the M.A. program should send only their creative work.

Faculty in Creative Writing

* Michael David Brown, Assistant Professor: Fiction

* Joan Connor, Professor: Fiction

* Mark Halliday, Professor: Poetry

* Robert Kinsley, Instructor: Poetry

* Jack Matthews, Distinguished Professor: Fiction

* Zakes Mda, Professor: Fiction and African & World Literature

* Dinty W. Moore, Professor: Creative Nonfiction

* Jill Allyn Rosser, Assistant Professor: Poetry

* Darrell Spencer, Professor: Fiction

* Catherine Taylor, Assistant Professor: Nonfiction

* Sharmila Voorakkara, Assistant Professor: Poetry

Graduate Seminars

Creative Writing graduate seminars mix both studio and academic approaches while being selective regarding genre (poetry, fiction, and nonfiction). There are typically two poetry and fiction workshops offered per year, each of the four workshops taught by different instructors, and one creative nonfiction workshop. Form and theory courses in each genre are offered annually depending on student demand. The catalogue numbers for workshops are 690 (fall quarter), 691 (winter quarter), and 692 (spring quarter). Current and recent courses include

* 691: Creative Writing Seminar: Poetry, Mark Halliday

* 765: Theory of Literature: Poetry, Mark Halliday

* 691: Creative Writing Seminar: Fiction, Joan Connor

* 692: Creative Writing Seminar: Fiction, Darrell Spencer

* 765: Theory of Literature: Fiction, Darrell Spencer

Creative Writing Requirements

In addition the general PhD requirements, doctoral students in creative writing must take two doctoral seminars in their period of specialization and two doctoral seminars in periods other than their period of specialization. They also take two creative writing workshops a year for the first two years of doctoral study, including one in a genre which is not their primary one. They take a fifth workshop in their third year as part of their preparation for the creative writing dissertation.

In addition to the general MA requirements, masters students in creative writing must satisfy either the bibliography and methods requirement or the English language requirement, but they are not required to do both. They must take three creative writing seminars, ENG 765 Form and Theory, and complete a creative master's thesis.