Master of Fine Arts in Writing: Curriculum Requirements

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) allows for a flexible, yet structured curriculum that supports your individual goals.

We strongly recommend first year students take a workshop, a seminar, and a graduate projects adviser within the MFA in Writing program. In succeeding semesters, you can work with graduate advisers to construct a schedule of courses from within the writing program and any area of SAIC that best supports and provokes your continued growth.

WRIT 5001 Writing Workshop  12  
WRIT 5500 Topics in Writing Seminar 12  
MFA 6009 Graduate Projects 
(minimum of 12 credits with writing advisors)		 24  
Electives
Courses at the 3000 level or above. Art History coruses must be at the 4000 level or above.		 12  
Participation in four graduate critiques   
Inclusion in graduate publication or participation in the Graduate Exhibition or equivalent   
Completion of the thesis   
Total Credit Hours60  

Students may elect internships to satisfy up to 6 hours of elective credit.

Degree requirements and specifications

  1. Completion schedule: you have a maximum of four years to complete your degree (this includes time off for leaves of absence).
  2. Transfer credits: you must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours at SAIC. You may request up to 15 transfer credits at the time of application for admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
  3. Thesis requirement: During your final semester, you are required to submit a thesis of appropriate length in any genre. Also in your final semester, you may choose to participate in the MFA Writing publication, Collected, and/or the MFA Writing reading. Students with a visual arts practice may also participate in the Graduate Exhibition provided they have completed 6 studio credits by spring of their second year. Students with a time/arts practice (Film, Video, Animation, Sound, or Performance) may choose to participate in a time arts event, provided they have completed 6 studio credits by spring of their second year. But a student may not do both the exhibition and the time arts event; we ask that you choose.
  4. Exhibition requirements: Master of Fine Arts in Writing students planning to participate in the Graduate Exhibition or Time Arts events are required to complete at least 6 studio credits by the end of the third semester and to advise with a studio faculty member in their final semester. 
  5. Studio space: Individual studio space is not provided automatically to students in the MFA in Writing; however, writing students with a visual arts practice in addition to their writing may apply for a space through the Administrative Director, Graduate Division, at gradstudios@saic.edu.
  6. Graduate Projects: MFA 6009 Graduate Projects enrollments must be in increments of 3 credit hours. No more than two advisors and a total of 6 credit hours may be scheduled for a given semester. If a student enrolls with one advisor for 6 credit hours per semester, this does not mean there are more meetings with the advisor throughout the semester; but rather indicates a preference for the distribution of advising credit hours. Writing students may also advise with faculty in other departments.
  7. Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours

Interested in learning more?

Click around the pages of this website for more information on admissions requirements, MFA in Writing faculty, students and alumni, and more.

Interested in learning more about how you can apply?

Visit the graduate admissions website or contact the graduate admissions office at 800.232.7241 or gradmiss@saic.edu.