The M.A. in literary nonfiction is a two-year residential program. The first year is devoted to core required seminars. The second year has room for electives as well as time for the production of a final project of publishable narrative nonfiction.

The following graduate seminars are required of all literary nonfiction students:

• Literature of Literary Nonfiction (reading significant works in the genre)
• Literary Nonfiction I (intensive writing seminar)
• Literary Nonfiction II (intensive writing seminar)
• Writing about…workshops (led by notable visiting writers, total of 3 required)
• Writing for Etude (our online journal of literary nonfiction)
• Writing the Nonfiction Book (a primer in commercial publishing)
• Mass Communication and Society (overview of current issues and conflicts)
• Introduction to the Faculty (weekly informal sessions presenting faculty and their work)
• Project (research and writing of a significant work of narrative nonfiction)

In addition, LNF students must take:

• One 600-level (graduate-only) course within the School of Journalism and Communication
• At least two graduate courses outside the School (in support of the student’s writing interests

Electives are also part of the curriculum and can range from craft courses within the School (e.g. Environmental Writing, Cyberjournalism, Magazine Editing, Interviewing) to more conceptual/ critical classes (Ethics, Gender and Media, Democracy and Communication). Outside the School, LNFers have taken courses in a wide variety of disciplines depending on their areas of writing interest (e.g. sociology, psychology, environmental studies, women’s studies, art, history, folklore).

The first-year schedule of classes looks like this:

FALL
Mass Communication and Society
Literature of Literary Nonfiction
Introduction to the Faculty

WINTER
Literary Nonfiction I
Writing about…workshop
Writing for Etude

SPRING
Literary Nonfiction II
Writing about…workshop
Elective

The second-year schedule of classes looks like this:

FALL
J6xx (the required 600-level course in the School)
Elective
Elective

WINTER
Writing about…workshop
Project
Writing for Etude (or)
Elective

SPRING
Writing about…workshop
Project
Writing the Nonfiction Book