MA-MFA in Literature, Creative Writing, and Social Justice - Online

Our Lady of the Lake University’s 100% online Master of Arts (MA) in Literature, Creative Writing, and Social Justice and the 100% online Master of Arts-Master of Fine Arts (MA-MFA) in Literature, Creative Writing, and Social Justice, prepare students to become critically engaged and socially aware scholars, writers, educators, and professionals. This nationally unique, completely virtual program is designed to attract and foster the growth of individuals who wish to combine creativity with practical skills and critical knowledge, all while keeping in mind the pursuit of social justice in their own work, their communities, and their professional practice. Further, a student can complete the MA and the MA-MFA completely by distance. Every one of our courses is offered either asynchronous online or hyflex—synchronously online and face-to-face for those on the San Antonio campus. 

Program Design

Using the online and hyflex delivery modes, the Program offers two to three courses each fall and spring semester and one to two courses per summer. 

If a student takes courses in the fall, spring, and summer, the MA can be completed in two academic years, and the combined MA-MFA, with a social justice project and a critical-creative thesis, can be completed in three academic years. 

Degree Plans and Course Descriptions

• Online MA-MFA in Literature, Creative Writing and Social Justice
• Online MA in Literature, Creative Writing and Social Justice

Curriculum Design

Literature Courses

The curriculum balances a study of the art of writing with the study of literature through a variety of courses with diverse and extensive reading lists.

Creative Writing Workshops

Writing-intensive workshops in fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and poetry are offered through the program. Students have multiple opportunities for revisions that will help them produce a thesis manuscript.

Courses of Professional, Scholarly, and Academic Development

Students complete coursework in pedagogy; critical theory; research tools, methods, and scholarship; translation; and social justice philosophy; as well, a variety of literary editing and publication courses are offered.   

Visiting Writer Program

OLLU welcomes well-known authors to campus to take part in the Visiting Writer Program. Under the program, an author visits OLLU for a semester to work with students and give a public reading.

Current Visiting Writer

The Thing Itself

The OLLU literary journal, "The Thing Itself ," is published annually by the English Department. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community can submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art for publication consideration in the journal.

Social Justice Reading Series

The series brings an author to campus each semester to read work related to a social justice issue.

International Study Tours

Some courses feature opportunities for students to study abroad. One such course is the British Literature course. Students who have taken the course in recent semesters have had the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom with their classmates to visit some of the landmarks that they have read about through their coursework.