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Student Resources
Degree Plan
For students entering the program from Fall 2022 to the present day, the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing requires the successful completion of 48 graduate semester hours.
MFA Degree Plan: Creative Writing (Fall 2022 - Present)
For students enrolled in the program prior to Fall 2022, the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing requires the successful completion of 42 graduate semester hours.
MFA Degree Plan: Creative Writing
As you near the completion of your course work in the degree plan, please refer to the checklist below. It will prepare you for the paperwork and deadlines you need to complete as you get ready to defend your thesis defense and for graduation.
A) Graduate Teaching Assistantships
The College of Fine Arts is expanding the GTA positions, including positions for the MFA. Packages exceed $15,000 annually with teaching duties. Details are on their webpage, but please mention your teaching interest and experience in your cover letter if you would like to be a candidate for this support and responsibility. For creative writing, students would teach or assist in the Introduction to Creative Writing course or help out with first-year writing courses.
B) Graduate College Financial Aid portal
Students, be sure to do your FAFSA application ASAP. Please maintain 6 hours per semester for aid purposes, even in the summer (though you may spread out from one summer session to the next). Learn more.
C) Graduate Assistantships and Work-study positions
MFA students often work with riverSedge magazine in a GA position. There is usually a GA position for an MFA student to work with the student literature magazine Gallery. Students support the faculty leading the magazines in duties to help the publication and support the faculty in their workload. Learn more.
D) Affordable cities with great access to rivers and coastlands, the Rio Grande Valley is an area with great cuisine and vast cultural wealth. Learn more.
Scholarship Opportunities, click here to apply.
CFA Retention Scholarship
The College of Fine Arts will support students who are experiencing financial hardships or family emergencies. The goal of the scholarship is to assist students with unexpected financial need that may cause them to withdraw from school. $500-1,000 scholarship.
Global Citizenship and Research Travel
The College of Fine Arts will support students who engage in travel, study abroad, and research and creative activity. Awards will be recognized at the College of Fine Arts Awards Reception with invitations to members of the college and supporters and stakeholders internal and external to UTRGV. Funding will come from college funding but there is an opportunity for College of Fine Arts supporters to name awards in their honor/memory through an endowed gift.
CFA Global Citizenship Scholarship supports students to study abroad. $500-1,000 scholarship.
CFA Student Research Travel Scholarship supports students who want to attend conferences or other professional venues to present their research and creative activities. $500 scholarship.
We have been honored to welcome an inspiring range of poets, novelists, essayists, and other literary artists, including:
- Amanda Johnston, Texas Poet Laureate (2024) — February 20–22
- Mona Susan Power, fiction writer — March 12–13
- Ariana Brown
- Eleanor Davis
- Fernando A. Flores
- Marcela Fuentes
- Rigoberto González
- Myriam Gurba
- ire'ne lara silva
- Ada Limón
- Elise McHugh
- Jasminne Mendez
- Lupe Mendez
- Jonah Mixon-Webster
- Gris Muñoz
- John Murillo
- Amalia Ortiz
- Nynke Passi
- Ivelisse Rodríguez
- Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson
- Jan Seale
- Margo Tamez
- Gemini Wahhaj
- and many more
When requesting over the cap limit of hours, please fill out the Additional Enrollment Hours Request below. Email it to cofa@utrgv.edu or bring the forms to ELABS 334.