Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Major in Creative Writing (Fiction Concentration) | Texas State University

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 27-1011.00

Skills

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingTime ManagementComplex Problem SolvingCoordination

Knowledge

DesignEnglish LanguageComputers and ElectronicsFine ArtsCommunications and Media

Abilities

Fluency of IdeasOriginalityOral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionNear VisionVisualizationProblem SensitivityInformation OrderingVisual Color Discrimination

Tasks

Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
Present final layouts to clients for approval.
Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.

Technology

Document management softwareDevelopment environment softwareVideo creation and editing softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareWeb page creation and editing software

Tools

Desktop computersDigital still camerasDigital video camerasLaptop computersPersonal computersSketching pencilsTablet computers

Work Values

IndependenceAchievementWorking ConditionsRecognitionRelationshipsSupport

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: medium27-1011.00	Art Directors	title_inference	—	—	—

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: advanced (Level 4)(based on Master's Degree)

Creative vision and design strategy — establish at the organizational level, setting the aesthetic direction that differentiates the agency or brand across all output.
Creative directors and senior designers — mentor and develop through structured feedback, stretch assignments, and career-path planning within a large creative department.
Agency-wide standards for art, copy, and production quality — define and champion, instituting approval frameworks that ensure excellence at scale.
Executive-level client relationships — cultivate and steward by leading high-stakes presentations, negotiating creative direction, and converting strategic objectives into compelling visual narratives.
Cross-functional leadership teams — convene and align around integrated campaign strategy, translating ambiguous business goals into executable creative mandates.
Organizational budget and resource allocation — oversee across the creative division, making investment decisions on talent, technology, and tooling to maximize creative output.
Innovation culture within the design practice — foster by championing experimental techniques, emerging media formats, and risk-tolerant creative processes at the institutional level.
Talent acquisition and team composition — lead by defining role competencies, interviewing senior candidates, and shaping a high-performing, diverse creative organization.
Industry trends, platform evolution, and audience behavior — monitor systematically and translate into forward-looking creative strategy recommendations for senior leadership.
Organizational credibility and thought leadership — build by representing the creative practice at industry events, publishing perspectives, and establishing the firm as a recognized authority in visual communication.

Course Pathway

33 courses in this program

Program Requirements

Courses required to complete this program

ENG 5315Graduate Writing Workshop

3 cr

ENG 5395Problems in Language and Literature

3 cr

ENG 5320Form and Theory of Fiction

3 cr

ENG 5301Literary Scholarship

3 cr

ENG 5302Media Studies

3 cr

ENG 5310Studies in English Language and Linguistics

3 cr

ENG 5312Editing the Professional Publication

3 cr

ENG 5313Studies in Principles of Technical Communication

3 cr

ENG 5314Specializations in Technical Communication

3 cr

ENG 5316Foundations in Rhetoric and Composition

3 cr

ENG 5317Specializations in Rhetoric and Composition

3 cr

ENG 5321Contemporary Fiction

3 cr

ENG 5323Studies in Autobiography and Biography

3 cr

ENG 5324Studies in Literary Genre

3 cr

ENG 5325Studies in Literature of the Southwest

3 cr

ENG 5331Studies in American Poetry

3 cr

ENG 5332Studies in American Prose

3 cr

ENG 5345Southwestern Studies I: Defining the Region

3 cr

ENG 5346Southwestern Studies II: Consequences of Region

3 cr

ENG 5353Studies in Medieval Literature

3 cr

ENG 5354Studies in Renaissance Literature

3 cr

ENG 5359Studies in Restoration and Eighteenth-century Literature

3 cr

ENG 5364Studies in the Romantic Movement

3 cr

ENG 5366Studies in Victorian Poetry

3 cr

ENG 5368Studies in Victorian Prose

3 cr

ENG 5371Studies in Modern British Literature

3 cr

ENG 5381Studies in Modern British and American Drama

3 cr

ENG 5384Critical Theory

3 cr

ENG 5388Studies in Literature for Children or Adolescents

3 cr

ENG 5389History of Children’s Literature

3 cr

TH 5354Playwriting

3 cr

TH 5358Screenwriting

3 cr

TH 5359Advanced Screenwriting

3 cr

Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.