oklahoma state university creative writing

English: Creative Writing

Master's in creative writing.

• Thesis: 12 credit hours max
• Workshops in fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction: 12 credit hours
• Electives in creative writing, literature, teaching methodology, languages and cultural studies: nine credit hours

4 FIELD-LEADING JOURNALS

are edited by our faculty and advanced graduate students—Milton Quarterly, American Indian Quarterly, Journal of Linguistic Geography, and The Cimarron Review.

Research and Faculty

Our award-winning faculty have mentored and advised hundreds of emerging writers who have gone on to publish in their fields and to acquire jobs teaching writing. Creative writing students and alumni have placed their work in such venues as   The New Yorker , the   New York Times  and the annual   Best New Poets   anthology and published books with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, BOA, Sibling Rivalry Press and other distinguished presses.

Their accomplishments include the AWP Award Series Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, the Gwendolyn Brooks Centennial Poetry Prize, the Gold Line Press Poetry Chapbook Competition, the Pushcart Prize, the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, the Oklahoma Book Award and selection as National Book Award finalist.

Admissions Requirements

• Transcripts
• B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, typically in English with an option in creative writing and at least twelve hours of upper-division English courses (minimum GPA of 3.0)
• Other undergraduate majors may be eligible for admission depending on quality of writing sample
• Two letters of recommendation
• Written statement identifying specific program, reasons for undertaking graduate studies, relevant experience and future publication and/or work plans (approximately 250 words)
• Writing sample: fiction or creative nonfiction (approximately 25 pages) or 10 poems (maximum 20 pages in total length)

Test Scores:

• GRE not required
• TOEFL iBT minimum scores of 26 for reading, 26 for writing, and 100 for total
• IELTS minimum scores of 7.0 on reading, writing, and total

* Please note that the Department of English's requirements for demonstration of English language proficiency are more stringent than those of the Graduate College.

* The Department of English requires standardized Academic English proficiency test scores for all graduate program applicants who are non-native speakers of English, regardless of whether they have received previous degrees from U.S. institutions or any other English-speaking country’s institutions.

Application Deadlines:

• January 1 (Priority for fall admission)
• March 1 (fall admission)
• October 15 (spring admission)

Learn more about our program requirements at:

English Program Guidelines

Cost & Assistance

The Department of English employs a large number of graduate teaching assistants each year. They instruct their own courses, work in the OSU Writing Center, and receive mentoring and pedagogical training.  Click here for more information. Assistantships and tuition waivers are available to the majority of our graduate students. Travel funding opportunities are available on a competitive basis to support conference presentations and archival research. Scholarships are also available to recognize outstanding work.

Applications received prior to the fall admission priority placement deadline of Jan. 1 are given first consideration for assistantships and financial incentives. Students admitted in spring are typically not eligible for departmental funding, including assistantships, until the following fall semester.

Assistantships and Scholarships

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Academic Catalog

2024-2025 edition.

• College of Arts and Sciences /

English: Creative Writing, BA

Requirements for Students Matriculating in or before Academic Year 2024-2025. Learn more about University Academic Regulation 3.1 .

Minimum Overall Grade Point Average: 2.00 Total Hours: 120 

Other Requirements

• See the College of Arts and Sciences Requirements.
• Minimum GPA 3.00 in all ENGL courses and a minimum grade of “C’ in each ENGL course (excluding English Composition and free electives).
• Upper-Division Credit: Total hours must include at least 40 hours in courses numbered 3000 or above.

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

• Hours in One Department:   For B.A. and B.S. degrees, no more than 54 hours in one department may be required to meet degree requirements. Courses used to satisfy the General Education English Composition, U.S. History, American Government, and Mathematics or Statistics requirements will not count toward the 54-hour maximum required from one department.
• Arts and Humanities are defined as any course carrying an (H) designation or courses from AMST, ART, DANC, ENGL (except ENGL 3323 Technical Writing ) HIST, MUSI, PHIL (except PHIL 1313 Logic and Critical Thinking (A) , PHIL 3003 Symbolic Logic (A) and PHIL 4003 Mathematical Logic and Computability ), REL, TH, and foreign languages.
• Natural and Mathematical Sciences are defined as any course from the following prefixes: ASTR, BIOC, BIOL, CHEM, CS (except CS 4883 Social Issues in Computing ), GEOL, MATH, MICR, PBIO, PHYS, and STAT; or courses from other departments that carry an (A) or (N) general education designation.
• Six upper-division hours are required from General Education or any CAS courses outside the student’s major department . This requirement may be satisfied by courses also used to satisfy any part of a student’s degree program (i.e., in General Education, College Departmental Requirements, Major Requirements or Electives).
• Non-Western Studies Requirement for B.A. and B.F.A.; One course in Non-Western Studies (N.W.). This requirement may be satisfied by courses also used to satisfy any part of a student's degree program (i.e., in General Education, College Departmental Requirements, Major Requirements or Electives).
• The College of Arts & Sciences requires a minimum 2.0 GPA in all major requirements and a minimum 2.0 GPA in all major-prefix courses applied to the degree.
• The foreign language requirement for the B.A. may be satisfied by 9 hours college credit in the same language, which must include 3 hours at the 2000-level, or equivalent proficiency (e.g., passing an advanced standing examination; TOEFL exam; presenting a high school transcript which demonstrates the high school was primarily conducted in a language other than English; etc.). Computer Science courses may not be used to satisfy this requirement. Currently Arabic and Mvskoke are not offered at the 2000-level at OSU.
• The foreign language requirement for the B.S., B.M. and B.F.A. may be satisfied by presenting a high school transcript which demonstrates two years of study of a single foreign language (passing grades at second-year level of study). It may also be satisfied by 6 hours college credit in the same language, which must include language courses 1713 and 1813, or equivalent proficiency (e.g., passing an advanced standing examination; TOEFL exam; presenting a high school transcript which demonstrates the high school was primarily conducted in a language other than English; etc.). Computer Science courses may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
• In addition to a. and b., students pursuing teacher certification must meet novice-high foreign language proficiency by presenting a high school transcript which demonstrates two years of study of a single foreign language with no grade below B. Or, students may complete 3 hours college credit in a single language with no grade below C (or pass an advanced standing examination, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam, or Oral Proficiency Interview developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, equivalent to 3 hours of college credit.) Or, students may meet the requirement by transfer of documentation of meeting the foreign language competency from one of the teacher education programs in the State of Oklahoma approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
• Exclusions . Courses with ATHL or LEIS prefixes and leisure activity courses may not be used for degree credit.

Additional State/OSU Requirements

• At least: 60 hours at a four-year institution; 30 hours completed at OSU; 15 of the final 30 or 50% of the upper-division hours in the major field completed at OSU.
• Limit of: one-half of major course requirements as transfer work; one-fourth of hours earned by correspondence; 8 transfer correspondence hours.
• Students will be held responsible for degree requirements in effect at the time of matriculation and any changes that are made, so long as these changes do not result in semester credit hours being added or do not delay graduation.
• Degrees that follow this plan must be completed by the end of Summer 2030.

Finish in Four Plan of Study

The plan below is an example of how students can successfully complete degree requirements in four years. This suggested class schedule plan may be used as a guide and can be adjusted based on individual needs. Students are required to meet with an academic advisor prior to enrollment each semester to plan their class schedule, and students are ultimately responsible for completing all degree requirements.

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The College of Arts and Sciences

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Department of English

The study of literature and language, resources for students, undergraduate studies.

Our program offers a BA in English with paths in Literature, Creative Writing, Professional Writing & Rhetoric, Screen Studies, and Pre-Law.

Graduate Studies

MA, MFA, and PhD are available in Creative Writing, Literature, Rhetoric and Writing Studies, Screen Studies, and Teaching English as a Second Language & Linguistics

Areas of Specialization

Our Creative Writing program gives talented students of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction the opportunity to learn the art together in a supportive community with highly accomplished faculty. (BA, MFA, PhD)

The Literature program embraces the centuries-long history and diversity of literatures in English, offering unique courses and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students who want to deepen their literary knowledge and develop their critical reading and writing skills. (BA, MA, PhD)

The Rhetoric and Writing Studies (RWS) program offers courses and hands-on experiences that ensure students gain depth and breadth of knowledge in areas such as professional writing, composition and rhetoric, and digital studies.  (BA with an option in Professional Writing, MA, PhD)

The Screen Studies program provides instruction in the creative media industries: film, television, and digital media. Our courses emphasize historical, theoretical, and industrial approaches to the study of media. (BA, MA, PhD)

The TESOL & Linguistics program provides professional training in descriptive and applied linguistics, methods of teaching English as a second language, materials development, and second language testing. Students also participate in a supervised internship program in ESL and may focus on either Applied Linguistics or Sociolinguistics. (TESOL Certificate, MA with an option in TESOL, PhD)

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• Gender and Women's Studies
• Language Studies Lab

Get to Know Us

The Department of English is formed by nationally and internationally recognized faculty. In all of our degree programs, students collaborate with their advisors to create individualized programs of study reflecting their own intellectual and creative interests while working towards their unique professional goals.

Friendly Department of English staff are ready to help you navigate your study at OSU.

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Make an Impact

When you support the College of Arts and Sciences, you help shape the future for Oklahoma State University. Help by donating to the English Department Fund or English Department Scholarships. English Department Scholarships benefit from donors like you. 

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