MA in Creative Writing & Literature
for educators
a low residency program
The teaching of creative writing requires understanding of the creative and analytical processes of both the writer and the reader. This program combines exposure to how writers create and revise with a focus on how meaning is created (what may be termed the “writerly” process) with advanced practice of critical analysis from the reader’s point of view (considerations of theory and reader response in the creation of literary and cultural meanings of the text; the “readerly” process). By combining and connecting “writerly” and “readerly” approaches, the program will enhance educators’ abilities to teach both creative writing and literature.
All students begin with the Foundation Course—Reading Like a Writer—that introduces the practice of writerly exegesis and the focus on how meaning is created. The subsequent writing courses are designed specifically to provide both a creative and writerly/analytical experience in each of the major genres the educators are likely to see in student work. The literature courses offer greater breadth and enriched understanding and connection to the advanced readerly aspects of the literature often taught in high school. Specifically they address areas of the traditional high school curriculum (Shakespeare, Young Adult Literature), non-Western literature (African Writers, World Literature), cross/intercultural literature (Ethnic American Literature) and contemporary literary issues (Non-Linear Narrative, Theatrical Re-writes).
To earn the MA degree, students must attend the beginning residency and complete these 7 courses:
- Foundation Course - Reading Like a Writer
- 4 Writing/Critiquing Courses (one from each genre)
- 2 Literature Courses
Foundation Course
Writing/Critiquing Courses
Literature Courses
Curriculum
