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30 semester hours of approved courses including ENGL 6983 and ENGL 6993 , or a minimum of 18 semester hours of approved courses including ENGL 6983 and ENGL 6993 in addition to a related minor. Normally, students pursuing the Creative Writing Track will have demonstrated a commitment to creative writing.
The thesis will be prepared according to the general guidelines designated by the Graduate School. In addition, students must complete three stages in the thesis process: (1) receive approval by the Graduate Creative Writing Faculty to pursue a creative thesis and select Graduate Advisory Committee, (2) enroll in ENGL 6983 and prepare a reading list, and (3) successfully complete thesis and deliver a final presentation.
1. Receive Approval from Graduate Writing Faculty and Select Graduate Advisory Committee
Prior to registering for ENGL 6983 (Thesis I), the student must receive approval from the Graduate Creative Writing Faculty to pursue a creative thesis and form a committee of no fewer than three graduate faculty members to guide the project. The student must obtain their signatures on the Graduate Advisory Committee form and submit it to the Graduate Coordinator. Once this paperwork is received, the student will be considered a candidate for the degree and may register for ENGL 6983 .
2. Enroll in ENGL 6983 : Prepare Reading List, Thesis Project Proposal, and Thesis Outline
a. During the first semester of thesis work, the student will consult with the GAC, prepare a Reading List approved by the GAC to support the critical preface, and submit a written Thesis Project Proposal. This proposal must be presented by week 10 and include the following:
- Description of the project, including a justification of the critical and contextual merit of the project. The 10-page description will serve as the basis for the required critical preface to the creative writing thesis.
b. Once the GAC has approved the Thesis Project Proposal, the student will prepare a Thesis Outline for the committee’s review. Upon satisfactory completion of these two requirements (Thesis Project Proposal and Thesis Outline), the student will be permitted to begin work on the thesis.
c. Students may not complete requirements for ENGL 6983 (i.e., Reading List, Thesis Project Proposal, and Thesis Outline) in the same semester in which they present their thesis.
3. Enroll in ENGL 6993 (Thesis II): Final Presentation of the Thesis
a. Documentation and titles in theses will be formatted according to the current edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, and the writing will reflect the conventions of edited American English.
b. Depending on when graduation is planned, the student will be expected to deliver a reading copy of a thesis into the hands of his or her GAC by the end of the fifth week within any long semester or six weeks prior to Summer II finals for an August graduation. Individual members of the GAC will hold the copy for consideration no longer than seven school days. Students presenting theses for reading will make sure that the delivery dates are known in advance and that deliveries of thesis copies are acknowledged by GAC members. Students will be expected to make appropriate revisions and submit a final copy of the thesis to the GAC.
c. During this time, students also will schedule the Final Presentation, which must take place at least three weeks prior to commencement. The Final Presentation will be held only if the thesis has been approved by the GAC. The presentation will be open to the university community: faculty members besides the committee and students will be invited to attend. The advisor should notify the university community of the time and place of the presentation in a suitable way. The presentation will be held in a classroom or conference room in the department and should run no longer than 90 minutes: approximately 30 to 45 minutes for the student’s presentation and the remaining time for questions. Students will have prepared a presentation that describes the creative thesis and the critical and contextual merit of the project and includes a reading from the creative work. The GAC chair will act as the moderator of the presentation. When the questioning has run its course, the chair will excuse everyone except members of the GAC, who will determine the success or failure of the student’s presentation.
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