uw madison creative writing

The Graduate Program in English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is consistently ranked as one of the best in the country and offers an experience that is both rigorous and supportive. The program offers five distinct tracks focused on Literary Studies, Creative Writing, Linguistics, Interdisciplinary Theater Studies, and Composition and Rhetoric.

Graduate study in English at UW-Madison prepares students for a range of future careers. Former students teach at top colleges and research universities, nationally and internationally. They direct writing centers and administer humanities centers. They teach at private high schools and community colleges, and they work in the non-profit and private sector using their research and teaching to shape knowledge and society. Over the course of a student’s time in Madison they will have many opportunities to explore potential career tracks and can gain experience in undergraduate teaching, university administration and advising, and in the public humanities.

The department has a longstanding commitment to cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, both in traditional areas, like Medieval Studies and American Studies, and in newer fields like Ecocriticism and the Environmental Humanities and Global Black Studies, in which the department has ongoing commitment and has hired many new faculty. Students across the graduate program participate in collaborative research workshops and colloquia.

Welcome from the Director of Graduate Studies

Professor Martin Foys Director of Graduate Studies English Department

The University of Wisconsin Department of English offers three graduate degrees with areas of focus: the MFA degree in Creative Writing; the MA degree in English (Applied English Linguistics); the PhD degree in English (Composition and Rhetoric, English Language and Linguistics, Literary Studies).

While it is my job to insure that all these areas are functioning well and in harmony with one another, each area has its own advisor. I primarily direct the Literary Studies program; prospective students who are interested in studying in other areas and who need assistance should contact the appropriate area directors. You’ll find contact information by clicking on the graduate area listed in the menu on the right side under “Programs.” As the Director of Graduate Studies for the English Department, I am happy to meet with any graduate student, from any area, should the need arise.

I extend a warm welcome to all the incoming students arriving from across the U.S. and around the globe.  While you are here, those of us on the English Department faculty will do all we can to make sure you acquire both breadth of knowledge and the particular skills you need to excel in your area of focus, and that you do so in a climate that is both supportive and intellectually challenging.  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your area director, or to our Graduate Program Managers at our Graduate Admissions Office at [email protected].

I hope too you’ll stop by my office (7195F Helen C. White) or  email me  if you’d like to make an appointment, if only to introduce yourself. I’m eager to meet all of you!

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ENGL695: The Creative Writing Capstone Experience

December 6, 2024 by Allie Armstrong

Writing stories to present to peers and professors may seem like an intimidating task, but this is a welcome norm for Creative Writing and English students here at UW–Madison.   

Recent alum Natalie Bercutt was one such student. Bercutt, who graduated in the spring of 2024, majored in Political Science and English with the Creative Writing track. 

Throughout her college career, Bercutt took various creative writing courses, encompassing both fiction and nonfiction. She read and studied literature from across time periods to further infor m her style. In addition to her academics, Natalie also competed on UW–Madison’s swimming team, specializing in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke. She competed in multiple Big Ten Championships and has been recognized nationally. In her final semester, all of this experience and knowledge culminated in the Creative Writing Capstone Course, ENGL695. 

After her time spent in ENGL695, I sat down with Natalie to gain some insight on the experience and discuss Water Baby: Essays on Growing Up Swimming , the piece that she produced within the course.  

Why did you decide to pursue an English major? Why the Creative Writing track?

I randomly took English 207 to fulfill my Comm B credit and ended up liking it so much I never left! I used to love creative writing when I was in elementary school but felt like I lost my creative spark throughout high school. It felt so good to be able to reconnect with my creative side and flex that muscle again at UW. I also loved the community within the English Department. 

Who was your ENGL695 professor? How was the experience of working with them, both in this course and any that you had together previously?

My professor was Ron Kuka. We previously worked together in my 408 fiction class. Once we met one on one, we learned how much we had in common. We were both college athletes and had crazy stories to share. The first time we met, we ended up chatting for two hours. After how well we hit it off, I knew that I wanted to work with him for my thesis. He did a great job of pushing me out of my comfort zone while also being a general cheerleader of my work. I finished up my swimming career while working on this project. Having his support as I moved through this massive life change meant a lot. 

What did you write about and how did you arrive at the decision of which story to tell? Why was Water Baby: Essays on Growing Up Swimming important to you?  

My thesis ( Water Baby: Essays on Growing Up Swimming ) was a collection of essays written about my swimming career. I always loved to read memoirs, and after taking a nonfiction workshop with Beth Nguyen, I knew it was something I wanted to continue working on while at UW. I felt my piece was important for two reasons. One, so many sports stories are a very linear march towards greatness. And while I really wanted that to be my life, it didn’t end up that way. I wanted to make sure the reality of being an athlete at that level was featured in a funny, but also truthful light. Second, it felt like the perfect coda to this relationship of fifteen years that was coming to an end. In a weird way, writing this whole saga of my career felt like I was letting it go peacefully. It ended up being very therapeutic.

How did this class (and/or other writing workshops) improve your ability as a writer?

Every single writing workshop improved my ability as a writer in basic terms of expanding my toolbox, but I think the most important ability I’ve gained from it has been my ability to take criticism. The workshop structure really forces you to be critiqued without the opportunity to defend your work. While that really frustrated me at the start of the program, the ability to listen to others’ opinions before jumping in has been very valuable in the postgrad world. A lot of times, taking that criticism would lead to an improved piece.

Did you learn anything unexpected in this class (and/or other writing workshops), either about yourself or the writing process? 

When I was younger, I had these massive writing plans for myself that I would never follow through on. I would have a whole plan for a book and then only be able to write five pages. Being able to plan a large-scale project and see it through with only minor changes was so unexpected and an amazingly pleasant surprise for me.

What support did you get from your professor and your peers? Do you still keep in contact with any of them? 

I had so much support from both my professors and peers in the program. I would love to catch up with Professor Kuka if I’m back in Madison soon. But I keep in contact with my friends from the major, especially those from my linguistics class and English 241.

What can creative writing students expect from ENGL695? 

It’s really hard to self-motivate. You’re not really working on a deadline and there aren’t any parameters, so get ready to choose your own adventure! 

What writing workshops would you recommend for non-creative writing majors? What can they expect from those workshops? What skills will they learn?  

ENGL207 (Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry Workshop) is a classic, but I would recommend everyone take a nonfiction workshop. It’s a great way to learn how to write about yourself and can be applied to any kind of writing moving forward. 

Why should current and future UW-Madison students consider choosing the Creative Writing track? Have those skills helped you in your professional career?   

Yes! People always ask about it in job interviews and at the various places I’ve worked. Being able to write and do literature analysis is a skill that surprisingly not that many people have. It also makes you stand out. You have great stories to tell–both real and the stuff you’ve written. On my first day at my internship this fall, somehow it came up that we had to learn Middle English in my 241 class. Everyone was very impressed! Overall, I have found the Creative Writing track to be a great choice!  

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What does it mean to study the humanities at a large public research university like UW-Madison? Rich interdisciplinary work. A tradition of rigorous debate. Unparalleled language programs. A focus on the Midwest's unique role — past, present and future — in our society. Opportunities to study under leading scholars and contribute to a global body of knowledge. And so much more. 

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The humanities are essential to our future. They make an enormous difference in our lives, and we need them now more than ever.

Arts & Humanities Departments & Programs

Click to view all academic degree-granting program in the Arts & Humanities division.

African Cultural Studies, Department of

The mission of the Department of African Cultural Studies is to provide research and teaching in the languages and expressive cultures of Africa and Africans around the world.

Department Chair : Luis Madureira

Art History, Department of

The mission of the Department of Art History is to promote scholarly inquiry into the history of art in all its different media in a wide range of historical periods and world cultures.

Department Chair: Kirsten Wolf

Asian Languages & Cultures, Department of

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures includes instruction in Chinese, Japanese and Korean, as well as courses on literature, linguistics, culture, religion, and thought in East Asia.

Department Chair: Charo D'Etcheverry

Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Department of

The Department of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies offers undergraduate majors in classical humanities, classics (Greek and Latin), and Latin, along with a certificate in classical studies. The department also cooperates with the School of Education to offer a teacher certification program in Latin.

Department Chair: Alex Dressler

Creative Writing Program

The Creative Writing Program provides a full range of opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and, through the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing's fellowships, post-graduates to study, practice, and receive recognition in the genres of poetry and fiction. While the program's primary emphasis is on those genres, it additionally offers classes in creative nonfiction and playwriting. The program also sponsors readings throughout the academic year that are free and open to the public.

English, Department of

The Department of English includes a wide array of disciplines in contemporary English studies: literary studies, composition and rhetoric, creative writing, English linguistics and English as a second language. The department offers a strong undergraduate major in literature, with complementary tracks in creative writing and linguistics.

Department Chair: Christa Olson

English as a Second Language, Program in

The Intensive English Program provides quality instruction to adults who wish to improve their proficiency in English. English as a Second Language offers full-time 15-week programs in the fall and spring semesters and an 8-week program in the summer.

Director: Joe Nosek

French and Italian, Department of

The Department of French and Italian is recognized as a leader in literary and critical scholarship, and for a tradition of excellence in teaching and pedagogical research and training. The department is proud of its reputation for interdisciplinary innovation in curriculum and technology.

Department Chair: Grazia Menechella

Gender and Women's Studies, Department of

The mission of the Department of Gender and Women's Studies is to expand the understanding and appreciation of women's lives and experiences both historically and in contemporary societies. The department defines education and learning in the broadest sense, including coursework, research, and a wide range of educational programs on and off campus.

Department Chair: Judy Houck

German, Nordic, and Slavic+, Department of

The Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic+ strives to create inclusive excellence by valuing the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds based on their race, ethnicity, culture, veteran status, marital status, socio-economic level, national origin, religious belief, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and class. This is an ongoing task that requires each of us to unlearn our socialization in cultures where privilege and opportunity are unequally distributed along many of those lines and then to put that learning into practice in our classrooms, syllabi, decision-making structures, and research.

Department Chair: Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor

History, Department of

The Department of History serves over 750 undergraduate majors and countless additional students drawn to history to meet other requirements of the College. As a member of the Graduate School, the History Department has a vibrant community of over 200 graduate students.

The Department of History of Science joined the Department of History in summer 2017.

Department Chair: Neil Kodesh

Honors Program

The L&S Honors Program serves over 1,300 students in the College of Letters and Science with an enriched undergraduate curriculum. Students in the program pursue the Honors in the Liberal Arts, Honors in the Major or Comprehensive Honors Degrees. The program began in response to a 1958 petition by students seeking more challenging work and opportunities to "delve more deeply" into their fields of interest.

Director: Daniel Kapust

Integrated Liberal Studies Program (ILS)

The Integrated Liberal Studies (ILS) Program offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the basic subjects in the liberal arts curriculum. Its faculty members are drawn from many programs and departments at the UW-Madison. This diversity enables the ILS Program to offer the different subject areas needed to satisfy the breadth requirement and for a sound liberal education.

Program Chair: Karen Britland

Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies Program (ITS)

Formerly the M.A./Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama, the Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies Program at UW-Madison prepares M.A. and Ph.D. students to pursue innovative, interdisciplinary research in theatre studies, and to relate their scholarly research to production and/or teaching.

Director: Paola Hernandez

Jewish Studies, Mosse/Weinstein Center for,

Founded in 1991, the George L. Mosse/Laurence A. Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies brings together a variety of disciplines to study and interpret Jewish and ancient Israelite history, religion, politics, society, and culture. Drawn from over a dozen different departments, our faculty have achieved national and international prominence for teaching and scholarship.

Director: Jordan Rosenblum

Language Sciences Program

Language Sciences is a hub for cross-disciplinary and cross-departmental collaborative research, teaching, service, and outreach related to the scientific study of human language at UW-Madison. Language Sciences houses an undergraduate Linguistics major, a Ph.D. program in Linguistics, and a Linguistics Ph.D. minor. Our faculty from across campus are engaged in innovative research projects spanning a broad range of topics and methods of inquiry.

Program Chair: Rajiv Rao

Medieval Studies Program

The Medieval Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary environment for the pursuit of knowledge relating to the Middle Ages, a period spanning Late Antiquity to roughly 1500. Representing faculty from over 18 departments, the Program offers courses and certificate programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Director: Lisa Cooper

Mead Witter School of Music

The Mead Witter School of Music is proud of an outstanding international roster of faculty artists and scholars devoted to the School's fundamental mission of fostering and promoting the global cultural art of music. The school's 60-member faculty maintains a unique focus on individual student achievement, utilizing the vast resources of the world-famous Madison campus.

Director: Dan Cavanagh

Philosophy, Department of

The Department of Philosophy carries on a long and proud tradition of highly acclaimed teaching and research in core areas of philosophy — especially in the philosophy of science and ethics, but also in metaphysics, epistemology, and the history of philosophy.

Department Chair: Emily Fletcher

Religious Studies Program

Religious studies is an academic discipline that looks at religious phenomena worldwide from a variety of angles in order to achieve an understanding of the many roles that religion plays in human life. Students of religion use different methods for different goals. These include historical methods to understand how religions change in time; critical literary methods to understand religious ideas; aesthetic methods to understand religious art; social-scientific methods to understand the relationship between religion and society and culture.

Director: Susan Ridgely

Second Language Acquisition, Doctoral Program in

Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is the scholarly field of inquiry that investigates the human capacity to learn languages other than the first, during late childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, and once the first language or languages have been acquired. SLA studies a wide variety of complex influences and phenomena that contribute to the puzzling range of possible outcomes when learning an additional language in a variety of contexts.

Director: Katrina Daly Thomspson

Spanish and Portuguese, Department of

The Department of Spanish and Portugues e is dedicated to the study and teaching of the languages, literatures and cultures of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds. It is one the largest departments of Spanish and Portuguese in the United States, and offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate courses and areas of specialization in literature, culture, and linguistics.

Department Chair: Fernando Tejedo

Centers, Institutes & Special Projects

Click to view all Arts & Humanities centers and institutes.

American Constitution, Center for the Study of the

The Center for the Study of the American Constitution (CSAC) is a non-profit, non-partisan center dedicated to serving scholars, educators, and students who are interested in the American Constitution in its historical context. 

Director and Co-editor: John P. Kaminski

Creative Writing, Wisconsin Institute for

Since 1986, the University of Wisconsin's Institute for Creative Writing has provided time, space, and an intellectual community for writers working on a first book of poetry or fiction. Since 2012, we have also considered applicants who have published only one full-length collection of creative writing prior to the application deadline, although unpublished authors remain eligible, and quality of writing remains the nearly exclusive criterion for selection. Altogether, our poetry and fiction fellows have published more than a hundred full-length collections and novels, many of them winning major national honors.

Coordinator:  Sean Bishop

Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE)

The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is a multi-volume reference work that documents words, phrases, and pronunciations that vary from one place to another across the United States.  The entries in DARE include regional pronunciations, variant forms, some etymologies, and regional and social distributions of the words and phrases. 

Chief Editor: Joan Hall

Early Modern Studies, Center for

The Center for Early Modern Studies aims to encourage innovative research and foster lively dialogue and debate across a wide range of disciplines with a special focus on the early modern period (15th-18th centuries).

Director: Steve Hutchinson

Film and Theater Research, Wisconsin Center for

Researchers at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research may study more than a century of cinema, radio, television, and theater through moving images, visual materials and manuscripts. Collections donated by some of Hollywood's most renowned directors, producers, screenwriters and actors, often augmented by viewing copies of their most significant works, provide complementary documentation for both the art and business of Hollywood's Golden Age, as well as more modern independent and experimental filmmaking. 

Director:  Vance Kepley

Gender and Women, Center for Research on

The Center for Research on Gender and Women was established in 1977 and serves as a unit of the Department of Gender and Women Studies to promote greater knowledge and understanding about gender and women’s studies both in the US and globally. It promotes scholarly interactions among gender studies researchers on campus, as well as linkages with women’s studies scholars nationally and internationally.

Director: Chris Garlough

Harvey Goldberg Center for the Study of Contemporary History

Humanities, center for the.

The Center for the Humanities is a hub of creative inquiry and cultural life, drawing renowned scholars from across campus and around the globe to present cutting-edge research and engage new ideas. Through seminars, workshops, and conferences, the Center fosters collaboration beyond disciplinary lines and promotes intellectual exploration outside the classroom.

Director: Russ Castronovo

Humanities, Institute for Research in the (IRH)

Founded in 1959, the Institute for Research in the Humanities (IRH) sponsors some 40 external and internal fellowships. The institute encourages innovative research and interdisciplinary exchange asking large questions of history, culture, literature, ideas, language, and the arts.

Director: Steve Nadler

Interdisciplinary French Studies, Center for

The Center for Interdisciplinary French Studies is committed to the connection of francophonie in all domains of study at UW-Madison and abroad.

Co-Directors: Gilles Bousquet and Aliko Songolo

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Ranging across the vast array of human experience, creativity, and expression, Interdisciplinary Humanities offers students the ability to discover, explore, and understand the human condition through a variety of content areas, media, and methodologies.

Max Kade Institute for German American Studies

The Max Kade Institute for German American Studies is an interdisciplinary unit dedicated to researching the story of German-speaking immigrants and their descendants in a global and multicultural context; preserving American print culture and personal documents in the German language; and sharing the Institute’s resources through teaching, publications, community outreach, and public programming.

Directors: Mark Louden

Language Institute

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an international leader in foreign language education and research, with the capacity to offer instruction in over 80 modern and ancient languages. Drawing on the wealth of this expertise, the Language Institute promotes collaboration for research, education and outreach in languages, literatures and cultures.

Director: Dianna Murphy

Mayrent Institute for Yiddish Culture

The Mayrent Institute for Yiddish Culture is dedicated to studying and preserving Yiddish music and culture, teaching it to new generations, and supporting scholarship that explores it as an important facet of Jewish and American life.

Director: Sunny Yudkoff

Pushkin Studies, Wisconsin Center for

The Wisconsin Center for Pushkin Studies is a unique resource for scholars dedicated to research and publication on the work of Alexander Pushkin.

Religion and Global Citizenry, Center for

The mission of The Center for Religion and Global Citizenry is to increase UW-Madison students’ religious literacy and their facility for communicating across boundaries of faith so that they may function effectively as citizens of a religiously diverse world. This is achieved via two programs: The Interfaith Fellows Programs and The Interdisciplinary Religious Group.

The Center was established in August of 2017 after the closing of the Lubar Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Religions in June of 2016. The Center hopes to grow to become the hub for discussion of religious pluralism on the UW-Madison Campus and the greater Madison community.

Upper Midwestern Cultures, Center for the Study of

The Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures is committed to the languages and cultural traditions of this region's diverse peoples. The Center fosters research and the preservation of archival collections, while producing educational and outreach programs for a broad public audience. It also assists community groups, classrooms, and scholars with projects involving Upper Midwestern Cultures.

Director: Anna Rue

Visual Cultures, Center for

The Center for Visual Cultures develops and sustains vital connections and collaborations between the study and practice of the visual with bridges across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. As a leader in the field since 2002, we support cutting edge creative production and interdisciplinary research, programming, and community outreach activities in the new and developing field of visual cultures studies.

Director: Laurie Beth Clark

Writing Center

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center helps undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines become more effective, more confident writers. The Center's methods - multi-faceted, flexible, and collaborative - reflect respect for the individual writer, whose talents, voice, and goals are central to its endeavors.

Co-Directors: Nancy Linh Karls and Emily Hall

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MFA in Creative Writing

Founded in 2003, the Graduate Program in Creative Writing offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts Degree in the areas of fiction and poetry. Though small—we typically admit six new students each year—the MFA is just one part of a vibrant writing community including five or six post-graduate fellows , former fellows and alums, PhD candidates in contemporary literature, and a host of other artists and writers living and working in Madison. Our MFA is unique in that we have an “alternating genre” admissions policy: we accept fiction applications in the fall/early winter of odd-numbered years, and poetry applications in the fall/early winter of even-numbered years. This allows us to provide an almost unrivaled 2-to-1 student/teacher ratio that gives each class of students the full attention of the faculty in their genre for two solid years.

All of our MFA candidates receive  generous financial aid ,  the opportunity to teach  courses both in Creative Writing and English Composition, and a semester of teacher-training and support. Our MFAs also have the opportunity to take workshops in other genres, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and comics. While cross-genre writing certainly isn’t mandatory, many of our students report that taking workshops outside their primary area not only improves their writing in multiple genres, but also leads to even greater camaraderie among all the writers in the program.

Our MFAs have access to a truly multi-generational community of writers at every stage of their careers. MFAs interact frequently with our Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing fellows, who are some of the best recent MFA recipients in the country, and both the fellows and faculty are always on-hand to provide advice about publishing, teaching, and pursuing a career in writing.

To get some sense of the scope of the Madison writing community, and the diversity of nationally acclaimed poets and fiction writers who cycle regularly through town, we encourage you to take a look at the roster of authors who’ve cycled through Madison with the Wisconsin Book Festival . Our MFAs have sat down for meals and conversation with visiting writers such as Michael Cunningham , Jericho Brown , Ayana Mathis ,  Eileen Myles , Marie Howe , Mark Doty ,  Jonathan Franzen , Terrance Hayes ,  Adam Haslett , Alice Notley ,  Tommy Orange ,  Solmaz Sharif , Tiana Clark , Claire Vaye Watkins , and Lauren Groff , as well as regular visiting editors and agents on the lookout for the next generation of American literature.

Meet Our MFAs

MFA Alumni Spotlight: Lydi Conklin

Lydi Conklin graduated from the UW-Madison MFA Program in 2012, recently served as the Helen Zell Visiting Professor in Fiction at the University of Michigan, and in Fall 2022 began as Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Vanderbilt University. They’ve received a Stegner Fellowship, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, three Pushcart Prizes, a Creative Writing Fulbright in Poland, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a Creative Writing Fellowship from Emory University, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, the James Merrill House, and elsewhere. Their fiction has appeared in Tin House, American Short Fiction, The Southern Review, and The Paris Review and is forthcoming in One Story and VQR. They have drawn cartoons for The New Yorker and Narrative Magazine, and graphic fiction for The Believer, Lenny Letter, and the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. Their story collection, Rainbow Rainbow, was published in May 2022 by Catapult in North America and Scribner in the UK.

MFA Administrator  Sean Bishop Program in Creative Writing Department of English

MFA Course of Study

The two-year MFA course of study is designed to provide as much time as possible for independent writing and reading. The degree requires 42 credits as follows:

• 9 credits of writing workshops  in the student’s primary genre (fiction or poetry). These workshops are held in the first, second, and third semesters.
• 3 credits of pedagogy , during the first semester.
• 15 thesis credits . Students take 3 credits in each of the first, second and third semesters, then 6 thesis credits in the fourth semester. These are not courses—rather, they’re the means by which the University gives MFAs credit for their independent writing.
• 15 credits of electives  drawn from appropriate courses across the curriculum. While students are expected to focus on and produce book-length theses by the end of their two years here, they are also encouraged to pursue other intellectual interests via these electives. In the past, MFA students have fulfilled their elective requirements by enrolling in literature courses, studying foreign languages, pursuing other artistic interests such as dance, book-making, and classical guitar, augmenting research for historical novels by taking appropriate history classes. MFA students may also hone their writing skills in other genres by taking intermediate and advanced undergraduate workshops and graduate level workshops in genres outside the one for which they were admitted, as electives with the permission of the instructor. Students may also take up to 6 elective credits in the form of additional thesis hours in the second and third semesters.