Thursday, August 24, 2006

Minnesota

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MANKATO
Subject areas: Poetry, Prose
Faculty: Candace Black, Suzanne Bunkers, Terry Davis, Diana Joseph, Richard Robbins, Roger Sheffer, Richard Terrill
Length: “Full-time students will typically complete their course work and theses in 2-3 years.”
# of credits: 48
Tuition per year: Easier to go by credit. Tuition is $275.50 per credit (residents) or $453.45 (non-residents). The entire 48-credit program should cost about $13 K (residents) or $22 K (non-residents).
Application materials: Submit all materials to the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English: Graduate Application, $40 application fee, 2 recommendations, 2 transcripts. statement of background/interest, writing sample, and verification of baccalaureate degree (to be sent upon completion). GRE not required. If relevant, also submit Graduate Assistantship Application (w/ cover letter and resume).
Deadline: 1 Feb. (fall) to be considered for Teaching or other Graduate Assistantship; no spring admissions
Financial Aid: The Department of English employs about 30 teaching and research assistants at stipends of approximately $8 K over 2 semesters. Assistants receive full tuition remission for up to 18 credits over the academic year (2 semesters). All graduate assistants are required to enroll for a minimum of 6 credits per semester.
Web address: http://english.mnsu.edu/cw/cwmfa.htm

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOOREHEAD
Subject areas: Poetry, Fiction, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Creative Nonfiction
Faculty: Alan Davis, Kevin Carollo, John Early, Lin Enger, Elizabeth Severn, Thom Tammaro, Mark Vinz, Richard Zinober
Length: “Students usually complete the program in two-and-a-half to five years.”
# of credits: 42
Tuition per year: Non-residents began to be charged resident tuition beginning in 2002. Tuition is $278.82 per credit; in all the degree should cost about $12 K.
Application materials: Submit the following materials to the Graduate Admissions Office: Application for Admission to Graduate Study (online; may include personal statement), $20 application fee, 3 recommendations, transcript, writing sample. The program interviews applicants who earned their undergraduate degrees more than 10 years before the time of application. GRE not required. The following financial aid materials are submitted to the MFA Coordinator in the English Department: if interested in TA-ship, submit cover letter + expository writing sample and have 2 recommenders address teaching potential; if interested in GA-ship, submit letter of interest summarizing background/qualifications.
Deadline: 1 Mar. (fall); 1 Nov. (spring)
Financial Aid: You can apply for a Teaching Assistantship or Graduate Assistantship. TA’s get $10 K per academic year and 50% tuition remission (plus in-state tuition for out-of-state students). GA’s get $1.5 K a year—extra pocket money, but by no means a way of supporting oneself throughout the program.
Web address: http://www.mnstate.edu/finearts

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS
Subject areas: Poetry, Fiction, Literary Nonfiction
Faculty: Charles Baxter, Michael Dennis Browne, Maria Damon, M.J. Fitzgerald, Ray Gonzalez, Patricia Hampl, Deborah Keenan, Julie Schumacher, Madelon Sprengnether, David Treuer
Length: 3 years
# of credits: 45
Tuition per year: Easier to go by semester. Tuition per semester is $4 651 (residents) or $8 200 (non-residents).
Application materials: Submit to Graduate School Admissions Office: Graduate Application (online), $55 application fee, transcript. Submit to English Graduate Office: cover sheet (to be downloaded), 3 recommendations, statement of purpose, writing sample (with description of your creative background), sheet indicating your GPA in English courses (to be downloaded), curriculum vitae (optional); if you wish to teach composition in your first year, also send a paragraph stating your interest and describing your teaching background. GRE not formally required but strongly recommended; fellowships are often tied to GRE scores and missing GRE scores may weaken your application—submit GRE results to the English Graduate Office.
Deadline: 20 Dec. (fall); no spring admissions
Financial Aid: “The English Department at the University of Minnesota is committed to providing financial support to MFA students for three full years. Support is given in the form of teaching assistantships and research or administrative fellowships. In addition, grants and fellowships from outside the department may be available, by nomination, to incoming students. All forms of support provide salary or stipend and include a full tuition waiver plus health benefits. Classroom appointments carry the added benefit of teaching training.” All this looks pretty good, only salary/stipend values are unspecified.
# of students admitted per year: 13-15 (4 or 5 per genre)
Web address: http://creativewriting.umn.edu