Degree Requirements
Acceptance into the BFA Creative Writing program is competitive. Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the BFA program.
After acceptance to Mason, students who wish to pursue a major in creative writing should inform the academic coordinator in the English department or the director of the creative writing program of their interest in the program and should seek evaluation of any prior coursework as well as guidance on courses to take and the sequence in which to take them. In the program, students enroll in a series of courses intended to introduce them to all forms of creative writing, and then they select a core set of courses built around a specialization in fiction, nonfiction or poetry, along with upper-level writing, literature and advanced studies courses.
Students planning to enter the BFA program are initially designated as “pre-BFA” until they have successfully completed the requirements for full admission. Full admission requires a minimum of three creative writing courses successfully completed with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher in those courses. Alternatively, students who have taken creative writing courses at another institution or in their early undergraduate coursework at Mason may gain full admission status to the BFA program on the strength of recommendations from the instructors in those courses, subject to departmental approval, which is obtained from the Mason creative writing faculty and the director of the creative writing program.
A student admitted to the university and intending to enter the BFA program may designate a major in English and complete English major courses before attempting to move into admitted BFA status. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to full BFA status.
Students must fulfill all requirements for bachelor’s degrees, including Mason Core requirements. Students pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing must complete additional college requirements for the BA degree in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Students pursuing this degree must complete 45 credits (14 courses) in English excluding ENGH 302, with a minimum GPA of 2.00.
Students will complete 21 credits of BFA core requirements, 12 credits from one of 3 concentrations, and 12 credits in English department requirements.
300-level courses in English and linguistics teach the foundational principles for a field of study, include courses of broad scope, and provide an introduction to a genre, literary period, or methodology.
400-level courses in English and linguistics provide an in-depth approach to a field of study, a single genre, literary period, or methodology. They include special topics classes and English honors classes. Some 400-level courses require ENGH 305 as a prerequisite.
Students should consult with an English department advisor to learn ways in which the Mason Core requirements can also satisfy college-level requirements or the BFA.
At the discretion of the Department, transfer students may substitute transferred lower level creative writing classes for some BFA requirements.
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