English (nonfiction writing), MFA

This is the first version of the 2026–27 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.

The Master of Fine Arts in English with a nonfiction writing subprogram (emphasis in creative nonfiction) is offered through the Nonfiction Writing Program, one of the few programs in the nation that offers a full range of graduate courses in nonfiction.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates will:

  • develop a common understanding and appreciation of the history and range of traditions of nonfiction writing including forms such as the essay, lyric essay, memoir, journalism, and experimental writing, and major theoretical approaches; 
  • develop an understanding of the practical aspects of a writer's professional life and prepare for future career paths—including, but not limited to—an understanding of the basic operations of the publishing world and the necessary protocols leading to publication, developing an individual teaching philosophy and practical skills for teaching creative nonfiction writing, and learning helpful strategies for providing editorial feedback to the writing of others; and  
  • develop facility with a range of narrative strategies and stylistic approaches to creative nonfiction, including a range of research skills, which will culminate in crafting a long-form project in nonfiction, the capstone of a graduate student's career in the Nonfiction Writing Program.