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Thesis in Creative Writing

 

Master’s Thesis Prospectus Guidelines

The prospectus (1,000 - 1,500 words in length) is designed to allow students to demonstrate, to the thesis director and Graduate Studies Committee, their readiness to undertake a creative thesis. A thesis prospectus should introduce the creative work you propose to compose as part of your thesis work as well as explore the theoretical framework that will inform your writing.

To that end, a prospectus should include:

• A detailed description of the proposed creative work including a discussion of major influences and the creative themes the work hopes to explore.
• A detailed discussion of the theoretical framework informing the student’s work. This should include a literature review exploring the genre within which the student will be writing their creative work, discussions of similar creative works and how they will inform the student’s writing, etc.
• A discussion of why the student is prepared to undertake the creative thesis including a discussion of creative writing courses taken and what that student has learned from those courses.
• A bibliography with at least fifteen titles
• Identification of the thesis director and committee
• Projected timeline for finishing the creative thesis

 

Master's Thesis Guidelines

The creative thesis itself should represent a substantial creative work (short story collection, poetry collection, novella, novel, play, or memoir, 50-80 pages in length or 25-35 pages in length for poetry) accompanied by a critical essay (3,500-5,000 words). The critical essay should include a discussion of the historical/critical influences that contributed to the writing of the thesis, a statement of the student's aesthetic aims and what they have learned from the process of composing a creative work in terms of craft and technique, and a discussion of the mode(s) of creative expression used in the thesis (realism, magical realism, expressionism, impressionism, satire, comedy, farce, humor, etc.). The essay should also demonstrate that the student has read deeply in his/her chosen genre. Finally, this critical essay should illustrate the creative influences upon the student's work, both textual and experiential, and should be followed by a complete list of Works Cited.

 

Graduate Studies Committee Rubric for Thesis Prospectus in Creative Writing