The first requirement for all of the master's-level degrees offered by the Department of English is a bachelor's degree with a major in English or its equivalent from an accredited college or university with at least a B average (3.0) in the undergraduate major. ''Or its equivalent'' means a major in the humanities that is closely related to English: comparative literature, theatre, folklore, or creative writing, for example. In those cases, we expect an applicant to have completed significant coursework in English, as well as the coursework required for the major (if coursework in English is not required). What that means is that an applicant needs to have completed coursework equivalent to a minor in English (usually 15-18 hours, with 12 hours at or above the junior level, and a B/3.0 GPA or better in all of those classes). This is because the MFA demands the student be able to earn B's or better in graduate-level literature classes, these courses are for specialists in the field who have significant training, it would be cruel and unethical to admit unprepared students.