» Dual MA in English / MFA in Creative Writing

Prospective students in the Dual Degree program must apply to and be admitted to both the MA in English and MFA in Creative Writing programs and complete all requirements for each degree program, including the book-length thesis for the Creative Writing program and a 6,000-10,000 word thesis for the English program. Information on degree prerequisites, admission requirements and a list of courses are found in the Graduate Course Catalog.

Apply now using the Online Application. All applicants must provide the following materials:

• Official transcripts from ALL degree-granting (bachelor’s or master’s degrees) colleges and universities attended. An official transcript submitted in a sealed envelope which you have received from your college or university is acceptable.
• An essay expressing your reasons for wanting to join the program to which you are applying. What are your personal and career goals, and how will this particular degree from Chapman University help you reach those goals? Your essay should be double spaced, size 12 font and 1-2 pages in length.
• Two letters of recommendation that speak to your academic preparation, intellectual ability and aptitude for graduate study.
• A finished critical literary essay of 12-15 text pages that demonstrates your talent for scholarly writing and ability to handle texts of literary criticism relative to the subject matter. The essay should reflect a grasp of critical literary skills and ability to deal with theoretical texts in an effective and knowledgeable manner. The MA essay must be a critical literary essay only. In other words, the subject matter should deal with literary texts and literary topics only unless it is a Comparative Literature paper.
• A portfolio of creative work. You should submit work that best represents your style and demonstrates your potential. The portfolio should include 20-30 pages of fiction or nonfiction OR 10-15 pages of poetry. While we offer courses in additional genres, please stick to fiction, nonfiction, or poetry in the application writing sample. You will be prompted to identify the genre of your portfolio. This genre identification is for the submitted portfolio only, not an indication of any track in the program. While students can take courses in multiple genres, we ask that the application writing sample be in a single genre: fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Please also include your first and last name and selected genre in the document header.

Students complete 54 credits of academic coursework toward the MA and the MFA. These degrees culminate in two separate thesis projects, including a book-length creative project and an essay on literature or rhetoric. For further information on degree prerequisites, admission requirements and a list of courses view the Graduate Course Catalog.

• Six competitive fellowships (three each year) with full tuition waiver and a fellowship payment of $18,000, each renewable for a second year and requiring no work obligation. Limited full-tuition scholarships are also available.
• Graduate Teaching Assistantships and other jobs-oriented Graduate Assistantships for select students in the second year of study.
• Paid Graduate Teaching Assistantships for select second-year students in the competitive Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) program—worth $6,000 for teaching in our undergraduate English Composition courses. This assistantship allows first-year students who take the spring class in Teaching Composition to apply for one of the GSI positions for the following fall. The selected GSIs each teach a section of composition in the fall, while also enrolled together in a second pedagogy class. This position does not come with an award that covers tuition but does come with a teaching stipend.
• Financial aid often contains mainly student loans. In addition to any program funding, you will also receive your “financial aid package” from the Graduate Financial Aid Office after you have been admitted. Regarding loans, please contact their office directly with any questions at gradfinaid@chapman.edu.

Important Dates

• Fully completed applications received by the February 1 priority deadline are automatically considered for fellowship.
• Offers of fellowship are released with offers of admission, typically by March 15.