Candidates may apply to do a Master of Fine Arts degree either in Creative Writing or in Translation.

The MFA in Creative Writing requires sixty hours of coursework, with up to eighteen hours transferable for students holding the MA in English. Students with bachelor's degrees generally take four years to complete the curriculum, while those with master's degrees may finish in three years or less. The coursework is of three kinds: 1) workshop sessions in which student work is read and discussed; 2) theory classes in which the techniques of poetry and fiction are given intensive attention; and 3) advanced classes in English and American literature, with the hours divided about equally between 20th-century and pre-20th-century readings. Students who earn the MFA in Creative Writing will have both a broad knowledge of literature and a firm understanding of the history and techniques of poetry and fiction.

The MFA in Translation offers training in the practice and theory of literary translation. In particular, it focuses on the translation of literary works from other languages into English. It is closely allied to the MFA Program in Creative Writing and operates on the assumption that a translation of a literary work is an act of creative writing. Students take at least 12 hours of translation workshops, 24 hours of study in the literature of source languages, as well as formal study of the techniques of poetry and fiction, and one semester each of poetry and fiction workshop. A candidate for the degree must have reading knowledge of two foreign languages.

All candidates for the MFA degree produce a book-length thesis. Most spend at least three years completing the curriculum. The program also offers workshops in screenwriting and creative non-fiction.