san francisco state university creative writing mfa

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San Francisco State University

California, united states.

The Creative Writing Department at San Francisco State University was established in l968; before that, writing courses were taught in the English Department. In 1991, the M.F.A. degree was added in response to an increasing, nation-wide demand for a terminal degree in the field.

We offer three degree programs: B.A. in Creative Writing, M.A. in Creative Writing, and M.F.A. in Creative Writing. Our curriculum reflects our commitment to a variety of styles, subjects, and approaches, recognizing the complexity and breadth of contemporary writing. Graduates of our Creative Writing Program, Graduate and Undergraduate (creative nonfiction, fiction, playwriting, poetry and starting in 2016, literary translation), are instructed in literary analysis and develop their craft to constructively critique their own work and that of others.

The Creative Writing Department offers several awards in short fiction, the novel, playwriting, and poetry. Students publish two literary magazines, Transfer and Fourteen Hills: The SFSU Review. Each year four to six current graduate students are given part-time teaching positions.

Contact Information

1600 Holloway Avenue Creative Writing Department San Francisco California, United States 94132-4162 Phone: 415-338-1891 Email: [email protected] http://creativewriting.sfsu.edu

Michelle Carter

Publications include Hillary And Soon-Yi Shop For Ties (Dramatic Publishing), Ted Kaczynski Killed People With Bombs (Dramatic Publishing). Awards include PEN USA Literary Award in Drama (2012, 2003); Susan Glaspell Award (2010); NEA Grant in Literature; Sloan Foundation Grant; Gulf & Western Foundation Grant; residency, Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.

http://creativewriting.sfsu.edu/people/faculty/michelle-carter

Nona Caspers

San Francisco Arts Commission Cultural Equity Grant (2011), Glimmer Train Fiction Award (2010), National Endowment for the Arts Grant (2008). Publications include Little Book of Days (2009) , Heavier than Air: Stories (University of Massachusettes Press 2006) winner of the Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction.

http://www.nonacaspers.com

Maxine Chernoff

Recipient of National Endowment for the Arts grant (2013). Recent books of poetry are Without , To Be Read in the Dark, A House in Summer, The Turning (Apogee Press, 2008). With Paul Hoover, she translated The Selected Poems of Friedrich Hölderlin, (Omnidawn Press, 2008), which received the 2009 Pen U.S.A. Translation Award.

http://creativewriting.sfsu.edu/people/faculty/maxine-chernoff

Matthew Clark Davison

Awards include San Francisco Arts Commission Cultural Equity Grant. Work published in The Atlantic Monthly, Per Contra, The Creosote Journal, Lodestar Quarterly, Mississippi Review, The Pacific Review, Argestes and other journals. Runs the Douglass Street Lab.

http://www.matthewclarkdavison.com/

Donna de la Perriere

The recipient of a 2009 Fund for Poetry award, Donna de la Perrière is the author of Saint Erasure and True Crime. Her work has appeared in Agni, American Letters and Commentary, Colorado Review, Denver Quarterly, Five Fingers Review, New England Review & Bread Loaf Quarterly, New American Writing, Volt, and other journals. De la Perrière curates the Bay Area Poetry Marathon reading series every summer at The Lab, a gallery and performance space located in San Francisco's Mission district.

http://donnadelaperriere.net/

Steve Dickison

Director of the American Poetry Archives and SFSU Poetry Center. Author of poetry collection Disposed, co-editor of Prison Culture.

http://www.sfsu.edu/~poetry/staff.html

Anne Galjour

Plays produced include Okra, Bird in the Hand, Hurrican. Awards include Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award, the American Theatre Critics Association Osborn Award for Emerging Playwright.

http://annegaljour.com/

Paul Hoover

Thirteen poetry collections, including desolation : souvenir, In Idiom and Earth, Sonnet 56, Edge and Fold, Poems in Spanish. Awards include PEN-USA Translation Award, Carl Sandberg Award, NEA Fellowship in Poetry.

http://paulhooverpoetry.blogspot.com/

Andrew Joron

Publications include Force Fields, Science Fiction, Invisible Machines, The Removes, Fathom, The Sound Mirror, Trance Archive: New and Selected Poems, The Cry at Zero: Collected Prose, Collected Poems of Gustaf Sobin, ed., and The Collected Poems of Philip Lamantia, ed.

http://creativewriting.sfsu.edu/people/faculty/andrew-joron

Chanan Tigay

Author of the forthcoming Unholy Scriptures: Fraud, Suicide, Scandal—and the Bible that Rocked the Holy City, and two long works of nonfiction, The Special Populations Unit: Arab Soldiers in Israel’s Army (McSweeney’s) and Nuclear Meltdown, (Rodale Press). His journalism has appeared in publications including Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and The Jerusalem Post. Awards include UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism’s 2011-2012 Investigative Reporting Fellowship and residency fellowships at Yaddo, the Blue Mountain Center and the Mesa Refuge.

http://creativewriting.sfsu.edu/people/faculty/chanan-tigay

May-lee Chai

https://may-leechai.com/

Caro De Robertis

http://www.carolinaderobertis.com/

Michael David Lukas

http://michaeldavidlukas.com/

Tonya Foster

https://tonyafosterpoet.com

Joseph Cassara

https://www.josephcassara.com

Publications & Presses +

Fourteen Hills

Reading Series +

Poetry Center Reading Series ( http://poetry.sfsu.edu/ )

VelRo Reading Series ( https://www.facebook.com/VelRoReadings )

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Master of Fine Arts in Cinema

Our M.F.A. program offers rigorous, professional training in cinema production in conjunction with an understanding of cinema history, theory and aesthetics. The faculty supports production practice in diverse forms — narrative, experimental, documentary, animation or hybrid, and our graduate writers/directors become skilled in both traditional cinematic and emerging digital technologies.

The M.F.A. program also prepares filmmakers to teach cinema at the college or university level. The School of Cinema’s creatively active faculty regularly share from their own production experiences, coordinate master classes with distinguished practicing professionals, arrange for visiting independent filmmakers to screen contemporary work and facilitate student connection with local cinema and arts organizations.

The M.F.A. in Cinema is intended for individuals who wish to pursue independent film and media production. A 60-unit terminal degree, the program offers students the opportunity to focus on any/all of the following areas: documentary, experimental and/or fiction. 

Learning Objectives

The M.F.A. in Cinema’s learning objectives strives to enable students to:

Produce individual creative cinematic works utilizing techniques that span a range of modes, styles and genres.

Master pre-production, production and post-production skills necessary for cinematic expression.

Realize a personal creative vision in the cinematic medium.

Write coherent critical essays using appropriate historical and theoretical materials.

Gain teaching-related experience.

Visit the SF State Bulletin to learn more about the M.F.A. in Cinema

• Interested Students
• M.F.A. Requirements
• Advancement to Candidacy
• Western Alliance

Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate study. Applicants with degrees in areas other than film who show exceptional potential will be considered for admission to the program.

Applicants must meet all general university requirements for admission. Prior to admission, all candidates must have completed two courses in cinema studies beyond the introductory level. One of these courses must be in critical theory, stressing critical approach or methodology; the other must be in cinema history. One introductory course in film production and a basic course in non-linear digital editing, or equivalent experience is required. Students will be expected to use Adobe's Premiere Pro for initial course work.

Questions about the application process and materials can be directed to:

• For specific  SF State-wide graduate policies
• For questions about  international graduate student requirements
• For questions about  tuition and Fees or  bursar
• Academic Bulletin

All M.F.A. students must complete 42 units of required classes and 18 units of electives over three distinct years. During the first year, students build a foundation through the study of technical crafts, aesthetics, theory and creative conceptualization — enabling them to express themselves in the language of images and sounds. In the second year, students take advanced courses that lead to the production of creative work demonstrating original thinking, conceptual clarity, technical skill and the refinement of a personal aesthetic. In the third year, students complete a creative project that is a culmination of previous work and a reflection of the development of the student’s creative voice.

First- and second-year required courses must be taken in sequence. Advancement to second and third year of the program is contingent on faculty review and approval by the M.F.A. coordinator.

M.F.A. Theory Requirements

In addition, M.F.A. students must take four critical theory graduate courses, according to the following guidelines:

Not all courses will be offered each semester. Please check the School of Cinema schedule information for the relevant semester for availability.

You can find course descriptions and details about these courses in the  University Bulletin .

Additional Requirements

In addition to required courses noted above, each student must meet departmental requirements for periodic reviews, as follows:

• Formal script review at the end of the first semester.
• Formal progress review at the end of the first year.
• Formal presentation and faculty evaluation of the creative work project proposal at the end of the second year (upon which advancement to candidacy is contingent).
• Documented public screening of the student’s creative thesis project.

Some recent thesis films include:

• Adam , (2020), dramatic short, directed by Pietro Pino (Venice International Critics’Week)
• Objector , (2020), feature documentary, directed by Molly Stuart (Selection, IDFA)
• Drip Like Coffee , (2019) dramatic short directed by Anaiis Cisco (Princess Grace Award)
• Shoe Shiner , (2017), dramatic short, directed Andrés Gallegos (Nomination, ASC Cinematography Award)

Students must also meet all general university requirements for advancement to candidacy, and receive a “B” or better in all required courses for the M.F.A. degree, as well as successfully pass all formal reviews (first-year script review, first-year progress review, thesis proposal review and thesis committee review).

• Produce individual creative film works utilizing techniques that span a range of genres.
• Demonstrate mastery of technical skills necessary to expressing themselves cinematically.
• Demonstrate the realization of a personal creative vision in the cinematic form.
• Demonstrate the ability to locate their personal creative practice in the context of history and traditions of cinema.
• Produce coherent critical essays using appropriate source materials.
• Demonstrate skills in teaching undergraduate film courses.
• Students must take two critical theory courses by the spring semester of their second year (see a list under the “Theory Requirement Electives” on the M.F.A. Requirements page). 

The School of Cinema accepts new M.F.A. students for the Fall term only. The application opens on October 1, 2023 and the M.F.A. Application will be due on February 1, 2024. Submissions are of course already being accepted, and early submission is appreciated.

To apply to the M.F.A. in Cinema, you must complete the Cal State Apply application for graduate admission and upload your unofficial transcripts and application documents to the Program Materials section of Cal State Apply.  You must complete the entire graduate admission by deadline to be considered for admission.    Applicants may only apply to a single graduate program per application term. Pay the $70 application fee. The School of Cinema is unable to offer any application fee waivers.

After reviewing the Application Procedures below, please visit  Cal State Apply  to apply for the M.F.A. in Cinema.

Application Instructions

Your application for graduate study to SF State consists of a two-part review:

Division of Graduate Studies

The Division of Graduate Studies reviews your application for general university admission requirements and requires you to upload copies of transcripts from every college or university attended, including study abroad coursework, community college coursework even if transfer credit appears on your degree transcript. Upload clear, legible copies of all transcripts to the Documents section of the Cal State Apply Application. Photos of documents will not be accepted.  Make sure you resolve any financial obligations at previously attended institutions so they will release your transcripts.  

Division of Graduate Studies  Administration Building, Room 250 1600 Holloway Avenue  San Francisco, CA 94132 Phone: (415) 338-2234 Email:  [email protected]

Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate study. Applicants with degrees in areas other than film who show exceptional potential will be considered for admission to the program. Prior to admission, all candidates must have completed two courses in cinema studies beyond the introductory level. One of these courses must be in critical theory, stressing critical approach or methodology; the other must be in cinema history. One introductory course in film production and a basic course in non-linear digital editing, or equivalent experience is required. Students will be expected to use Adobe’s Premiere Pro for initial course work. The GRE is NOT required to apply. Please upload additional required documents in the Documents section of this application.

School of Cinema San Francisco State University 1600 Holloway Ave. Fine Arts Building, Room 245 San Francisco, CA 94132 Phone: (415) 338-1629 Email:  [email protected]

Materials Needed to Apply

Prepare application materials in advance before starting the online Cal State Apply application.  Please note that the School of Cinema Application Materials can be submitted on the Cal State Apply Application in the “Program Materials” section of the application. Please be aware that there are four tabs in this section of the application, Home, Documents, Evaluations, and Questions. Your Program Materials for the School of Cinema will be submitted within these tabs of the application.

Required Application Documents Breakdown

• A resume  (1-2 pages) summarizing the applicant's education, awards or recognition, work experience, travel, languages, and special skills
• A   personal statement  (3 page maximum) discussing aesthetic influences, creative interests, and professional aspirations as a filmmaker, including comments on: the areas of film on which the applicant would like to concentrate, how theory informs his/her work as a filmmaker, and the goals he/she intends to pursue upon completion of the M.F.A.
• An   example of academic writing  (7-12 pages, double space, 12 pt. font) which illustrates the applicant's ability to make and support a thesis as well as familiarity with scholarly form and expository style. Papers from the film discipline are most useful, but other academic work is acceptable. No journalistic "review” essays or scripts are accepted
• A creative work sample , An example of creative, moving image work (five minutes maximum) is required - in which you had a major creative role. This sample can be a single work, or excerpts of several of your works, whichever you feel best represents your creative vision. The short film can be live-action or animation; fiction or documentary or experimental, but it should reflect your aesthetic taste as well as your intellectual and emotional interests. You must specify what role(s) you played in creating it. Submit only one video. It must be submitted on VIMEO, YouTube or other online venues. If a sample of work submitted is longer than the five minutes, it may not be viewed in its entirety. Please do not submit trailers. Examples of other creative works, such as photographs, paintings, or creative writing can also be submitted accepted as an addendum to the moving image work. Please note that other creative work samples would not be a substitute for the moving image work. Please email the School of Cinema office with any questions at  [email protected] .
• Two letters of recommendation  from individuals who can attest to the applicant's creativity and aptitude as well as to the quality of past work and potential of future achievements. One letter from a former professor is recommended. The School of Cinema does not provide official recommendation forms. Your recommender will receive an email with a link to upload a reference letter once the School of Cinema Application letter has been completed.
• Unofficial transcripts : Upload two unofficial transcripts to the Cal State Apply application. In addition to any documents required by your program, you are also required to upload legible unofficial copies of transcripts from each college or university attended.  Including study abroad coursework, or community college coursework, even if this coursework appears as transfer credit appears on your degree transcript.  Full academic disclosure is required.  Photographs or screenshots of transcripts will be rejected. An incomplete academic history will significantly delay review of your application. The Division of Graduate Studies may request official transcripts from you at any point during the application review process. 

If selected for admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts to the Division of Graduate Studies in order to secure your offer of admission.

CAL State Apply Tips

Create your account  AND  Complete your profile. 

TIP:  Students who will study on a F1/J1 visa must select  Non-Resident  for  U.S. Citizenship Status  under your Extended Profile.

Please note:  You will only see a list of programs that aligns with your academic degree objective. 

We are pleased to announce that School of Cinema is now part the  Western Regional Graduate Program  (WRGP) which enables students in 16  Western states  and territories to enroll in participating public graduate programs as nonresidents, yet pay the lower resident tuition rate.

• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone: (415) 338-1629

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CCA’s blend of theory and practice inspires students at every level to make work that matters. Select your status to learn about the application process, requirements, and deadlines, as well as contact information should you need any support along the way.

MFA Writing

Define your voice and explore your creative practice—fiction, nonfiction, and poetry—alongside writers, designers, and visual artists.

Writing at CCA is dynamic

Embedded in a creative community like no other, your writing will be energized in unexpected or unconventional ways.

At CCA, you’ll join a writing community that truly sees and supports you.

We’ve grown an MFA Writing program at an arts college with 116 years of history in the San Francisco Bay Area. The workshops and seminars where we gather are places of inventiveness, self-discovery, and exuberance. Together we’ve created a close-knit community for diverse writers who are making their mark on the world.

We believe creativity is sparked when you have space to develop your ideas, and from your first to your final semester at CCA you’ll have close, sustained support from your professors through one-on-one mentorships. Our award-winning faculty includes Faith Adiele, Tom Barbash, Dodie Bellamy, Rita Bullwinkel, Jasmin Darznik, Joseph Lease, Trisha Ya-wen Low, Aimee Phan, Denise Newman, and Leslie Carol Roberts.

The Bay Area, a site of rich literary history, is our home. You’ll have access to resources and literary institutions you won’t find anywhere else, like City Lights Publishers, Litquake, and the Bay Area Book Festival. In the fall semester, we offer Tuesday Seminar, a course that brings illustrious professional writers right into the classroom with you.

MFA writing professor Faith Adiele.

An exciting blend of the emergent and established

Our MFA Writing program recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary, and we embrace the rich literary history of the Bay Area, from the Beat poetry movement and the Language poets, to the annual Litquake literary festival, to the Slam/Spoken Word scene.

Follow MFA Writing

Huge thanks to Rebecca Foust for sharing her publishing wisdom today in the studio. Some takeaways:

Aim high—it’s better than the alternative.

Be like Tom Petty—study the person a step or two ahead of you and follow their lead.

Nothing’s ever finished, so you may as well send it out.

📝 Students who couldn’t make it, you are in luck! She shared some fantastic handouts and you can find extra copies in the studio.

Our first free all-program field trip takes us to City Arts & Lectures this Thursday to hear Leila Mottley talk about her new book Nightcrawling. We meet outside the Sidney Goldstein Theater at 7. See you there, MFAW.📚🤓

By popular demand, we're devoting next week's Tuesday Coffee Hour to a practical, in-depth conversation about getting published in literary magazines. On 10/4 from 3-4 pm Rebecca Foust, poet and assistant editor of fiction at Narrative Magazine, will join us in the garden to talk about specific submission strategies and answer your questions about the publishing process. This is for writers of all genres, so come one, come all!

October Happenings! Check out the fabulous upcoming events we’ve got lined up. ✍🏻📖💫

Join a top-ranking MFA Writing program

Study.com ranks our program among the top five in California. Located in one of the world’s creative capitals, we encourage MFA candidates to explore many different forms and incorporate visual art into their work.

View the list

Studios & Shops

Practice critique, readings, and performance.

MFA students are at home in the Humanities and Sciences Graduate Center on CCA’s main San Francisco campus. Outside the studio, we write and meet alongside redwood trees in our beautiful garden. Inside, we hold our workshops, readings, and craft talks. We also host our famed Tuesday Talks series in the Humanities and Sciences Graduate Center. Today’s most dynamic writers, including Hanif Abdurraqib, Camille Dungy, Andrew Sean Greer, R.O. Kwon, sam sax, and Tracy K. Smith, read and discuss new work and lead craft talks during masterclasses. There are endless opportunities to share your writing with peers, get constructive feedback, and nurture your craft.

Support to tell your stories

We help our students locate and tell their stories; we write what we want, how we want. We embrace all forms of writing, from literary novels and poetry to science fiction and mysteries. Our MFA Writing program is designed to make sure each student finds their voice. You can explore nonfiction, fiction, and poetry during supportive workshops that celebrate voice and form. We believe in grounding our work in craft so we emphasize close reading and individualized instruction.

Expand your creative practice

In addition to our vibrant writing workshops and dynamic seminars, we encourage graduate students to immerse themselves in our diverse art and design culture. Want to learn how to design beautiful publications, paint, or make a children’s book? Access CCA’s phenomenal resources, including Risograph printers for making broadsides, audio suites for recording podcasts, and a letterpress studio for making books and zines. You’ll work with top practitioners in their fields across the college’s faculty, grow as a writer, and learn to turn your research passions and written works into literal art objects.

Frame and finish your book

You’ll get regular feedback during writing workshops and meetings with full-time faculty who believe in meeting one-on-one—not as part of any requirement, but because personalized attention is how you grow as a writer. Close reading, editorial guidance, and individualized reading lists all push our writing students toward success. We teach you craft as well as how to establish and maintain a serious writing practice.

Your creative life at CCA and beyond

From studying one-on-one with faculty mentors to participating in craft workshops with visiting writers—among the best and brightest working today—you’ll be exposed to myriad forms. You’ll learn the elements of podcasting; how to make audio stories; how to prepare a full-length manuscript; and how to collaborate with painters, filmmakers, illustrators, photographers, and more.

Your community of mentors

• Memoirist and travel writer Faith Adiele
• Novelist Tom Barbash
• Novelist Rita Bullwinkel
• Novelist and memoirist Jasmin Darznik
• Poet Joseph Lease
• Poet and performer Trisha Low
• Poet and translator Denise Newman
• Novelist Aimee Phan
• Eco-memoirist Leslie Carol Roberts

More studios, shops, and labs

Access lithography presses and a range of bookbinding equipment at the San Francisco Center for the Book

The Black-and-White Darkroom has a range of enlarging stations and two print washers

Check out DSLR cameras, lighting kits, GoPros, and more from the San Francisco campus Media Center

Study with award-winning writers

MFA Writing faculty have received major prizes, fellowships, residencies, and grants. Their books have been New York Times bestsellers and award-winning collections in fiction, hybrid essay/memoir, poetry, literary criticism, creative nonfiction, and memoir. Together they offer unique voices across multiple genres, aesthetic traditions, and vibrant writing communities.

Jasmin Darznik, Chair of MFA Writing

Chair Jasmin Darznik is a New York Times- bestselling author of three books,  The Bohemians, Song of a Captive Bird , and The Good Daughter . Born in Iran, she immigrated to America as a child and is a first-generation college graduate. After receiving a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University, she obtained an MFA in fiction from Bennington College, broadening her academic scholarship to tell stories about women who've been left out or obscured from the historical record. Her forthcoming novel, American Goddess, takes on themes of celebrity, gender, and ethnic identity in Old Hollywood. 

MFA Writing Faculty

Faith E Adiele

Tom Barbash

Rita Bullwinkel

Joseph Lease

Denise Newman

Leslie Carol Roberts

Michael Wertz

View all MFA Writing faculty

Faculty stories

Two-year intensive program

Our two-year, 48-unit MFA Writing program includes workshops, craft seminars, literature courses, and mentorships. Courses like Experiments in Life Writing, Contemporary International Fiction, and Writing As An Act of Witness will inspire you to take risks and try new styles as you hone your craft and deepen your writing practice.

One of the many perks of being at an art school is the chance to take courses outside of the writing discipline as well as to collaborate with painters, photographers, filmmakers, bookmakers, and more. This unique opportunity allows you to move in new directions as you find and express your unique voice. Preview our workshops and courses .

Year 1: Fall Semester

Year 1: spring semester, year 2: fall semester, year 2: spring semester.

Total 48.0 units

Publish your dream project

MFA in Writing program alumni have impressive success getting their work out in the world, publishing books across genres. Recent publications include:

• Tom Comitta, The Nature Book , Coffee House Press, 2023
• Dior Stephens, Cruel/Cruel , Nightboat, 2023
• Alka Joshi, The Perfumist of Paris, Harper Collins, 2023
• Sonja Swift, Echo Loba, Loba Echo , Rocky Mountain Press, 2023
• Jessamyn Violet, Secret Rules to Being a Rock Star , Three Rooms Press, 2023
• Alka Joshi, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur , Harper Collins, 2021
• Julie Lythcott-Haims, Your Turn: How to Be An Adult , Henry Holt, 2021
• Alka Joshi, The Henna Artist , Mira Publishing, a division of Harper Collins, 2019
• Rheea Mukherjee, The Body Myth , Unnamed Press, 2019
• Adam Nemett, We Can Save Us All , Unnamed Press, 2018
• Sonia Belasco, Speak of Me As I Am , Philomel Books, 2017
• Julie Lythcott-Haims, Real American , St. Martin’s Griffin, 2017
• Molly Prentiss, Tuesday Nights in 1980 , Simon & Schuster, 2017
• Catie Jarvis, The Peacock Room , Hyperborea, 2016
• Andrew Nicholson, A Lamp Brighter Than Foxfire , Colorado State, 2015
• LaTasha Nevada Diggs, TWerk , Belladonna Press, 2013

In addition to becoming published authors, our students find traction at established and emergent platforms like Medium , and also work as educators; performance artists; editors; and writers for newspapers, magazines, and marketing agencies.

Potential career paths

• Freelance writer
• Content strategist
• Arts administrator
• Social activist
• Technical writer
• Publication and production assistant
• Small press publisher

Learn about career development

News & Events

What’s happening for mfa writing students.

Reading and lecture series span disciplines

How to Apply

Make writing your top priority.

Our two-year program welcomes students of all ages, career profiles, and backgrounds, including law, advertising, tech, music, and academia. We focus on your writing sample and your letters of recommendation in making admissions decisions.

Start your application

You’ll apply to CCA and submit all required application materials via SlideRoom. Afterward, you may be contacted for an interview with a faculty member as part of the application process. Being selected for an interview doesn’t indicate applicant status or increase or decrease an applicant’s chances of being admitted into their desired graduate program. Interviews are conducted at the program’s discretion and are used to gain more insight into an application.

Create an account and start your application

MFA Writing application requirements

• Application and $70 nonrefundable application fee To be completed and submitted on SlideRoom.
• Resume/curriculum vitae Please outline your educational and professional background and relevant experiences and activities, including community work. Resumes/CVs must be in PDF document format.
• Two recommendation letters You’ll request two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources in SlideRoom by entering the contact information for your recommenders/references. They will then receive an automated email from SlideRoom with instructions for uploading their letter of recommendation.
• Unofficial college transcripts You are required to provide your complete undergraduate academic history. Students who have already taken graduate courses are encouraged to submit those transcripts, too. For international applicants, all transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation. Please provide an unofficial transcript from the college where you will receive or have received your bachelor’s degree, as well as unofficial transcripts for all other undergraduate coursework. Unofficial transcripts will be used for review purposes. Once you have been admitted and enrolled, all students will need to submit official, sealed transcripts showing the completion of a bachelor’s degree to our graduate admissions office by August 1 of the fall semester they begin enrollment at CCA.
• Proof of English proficiency (international applicants only) Review and plan to meet our English proficiency requirements for graduate students .
• Personal essay In a personal essay, submitted as a PDF, write 500 to 1,000 words about your writing experience, why you want to study writing at the graduate level, your educational objectives, and any critical influences on your work.
• Portfolio Your portfolio, submitted as one to two PDFs (up to 10 MB each), should consist of a selection of writing samples (totaling no more than 25 double-spaced pages) that reflect your main areas of interest. You may include poems, short stories, a section of a novel, text for performance (include video, if available), creative nonfiction, or writing for new genres. You’re welcome, but not required, to submit visual materials in support of your application, including book arts and videos. Please note: We do not accept co-written material.

For prospective student inquiries, including questions about the program or how to apply, please contact us

Graduate Admissions

+1 415-548-2271 (call, text)

Nurture your craft in a dynamic environment

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San Francisco State University

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MFA Program

Poetry: Tonya Foster, Paul Hoover, Andrew Joron Fiction: Michelle Carter, Nona Caspers, Joseph Cassara, May-lee Chai, Carolina De Robertis, Tonya Foster, Andrew Joron, Michael David Lukas, Chanan Tigay Creative Nonfiction: Chanan Tigay, Joseph Cassara, May-lee Chai, Chanan Tigay Literary Translation: Carolina De Robertis, Paul Hoover, Andrew Joron Playwriting: Michelle Carter

The program offers partial funding. The program offers scholarships, the Marcus Foundation Scholarship, the Joe Brainard Fellowship, William Dickey Fellowship, Kathryn A. Manoogian Award, Miriam Ylvisikar Award, and teaching assistantships for second- or third-year students.

Fourteen Hills , Transfer Magazine

The program also offers concentrations in literary translation and playwriting.

The Poetry Center hosts reading series and houses the American Poetry Archives, a library of audio and video recordings available to stream online. Also available are courses on teaching and other professional training opportunities.

Rae Armantrout, Po Bronson, Ernest Gaines, Frances Mayes, Anne Rice, Robin Romm, Philip Schultz

Visit the Health Advisories website for the latest vaccination and mask information and to Report a Case.

Questions about FAFSA and CADAA?

Visit our Financial Aid and Scholarship Office for updated information, workshops and FAQs.

Department of English and Comparative Literature

MFA Program

Our Program and Literary Community

A 44 semester-unit, 2-year studio/research program: 

• A dual-genre program with concentrations in fiction, creative nonfiction , poetry, and playwriting/screenwriting.
• Curriculum includes writing workshops in primary and secondary genres, literature seminars, professional training courses, and internships.  
• First Year: All applicants are considered for six Graduate Steinbeck Fellowships (covers in-state tuition). 
• Second Year : Students can apply to be Teaching Associates in the English Department with a salary and tuition remittance.
• Connie L. Lurie Distinguished Visiting Author-in-Residence . Don George, Andrew Sean Greer, Nayomi Munaweera, and Faith Adiele (Spring 2020). Past visitors include: Vendela Vida, Cristina García, Ursula K. Le Guin, Ishmael Reed, Kim Addonizio, Simon Winchester, Tim Cahill, and Daniel Alarcón.
• Reed Magazine , the oldest student-run literary journal west of the Mississippi.
• Center for Literary Arts holds readings, discussions, and master classes with writers of exceptional voice and vision in San Jose since 1986. Guests since 2007 include E.L. Doctorow, Denis Johnson, ZZ Packer, Mary Roach, Salman Rushdie, Tracy K. Smith, Juan Felipe Herrera, Joy Harjo, T. C. Boyle, Viet Thanh Nguyen, William Finnegan, Paul Beatty, Marilyn Chin (Fall 2019), and Jonathan Franzen (Fall 2019).

Fall admission opens October 1.

Admission is based on a writing sample in the primary genre, in which the student will complete a full-length thesis.  Students must declare a primary and a secondary genre to apply for admission. 

• MFA Admission requirements
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why Choose Our MFA Program?

• Be part of workshops and literature seminars (averaging 15-16 students) taught by actively publishing, available faculty . 
• Courses are taught in-person and via online modalities, and are offered weekly in the late afternoons and evenings to fit your busy schedule.
• Apply for a fellowship! All applicants are automatically eligible to be considered for one of six full in-state tuition Graduate Steinbeck Fellowships in their first year. 
• Take advantage of a plethora of opportunities, such as joining the editorial staff of REED Magazine , an award-winning student-edited annual literary journal.
• Become a teaching assistant. Teaching opportunities while completing the degree through the department’s Graduate Assistant and Teaching Associate programs .
• Hear from renowned authors in events presented by the Center for Literary Arts and from our annual Lurie Visiting Author-in-Residence who teaches a graduate workshop each Spring. Come join our supportive literary and social community !

Reading List

For the MFA exam you should be prepared to cite approximately 8 works in the primary (approximately 4 per essay) and 4 works in the secondary on our reading list.

Past MFA Events

From MFA Theses Readings to Legacy of Poetry, you can find recordings and slide decks from our past events!

Nick Taylor , Director of Creative Writing  (408) 924-5087  Faculty Offices 106  [email protected]

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Master of Fine Arts in Art

The Master of Fine Arts program in Art provides a dynamic interdisciplinary environment within which students are encouraged to develop their creative practice as professional artists. The School of Art has facilities for printmaking, painting and drawing, sculpture, photography, textiles, digital media, and emerging technology, and ceramics. MFA students have access to all of the School of Art facilitates as well as individual and communal MFA studio workspaces. Our faculty are distinguished and professionally active artists and art historians. Students work closely with a graduate advisor/mentor to chart their individual path through the program, including studio seminars, critiques, and individually supervised tutorials. Coursework and seminars in art history and other academic fields complement studio courses, and students are encouraged to develop rigorous research and writing skills to enrich and complement their art practice. All students are provided with individual studio spaces, and there are opportunities for teaching, either as a teaching assistant or instructor of record. Our vibrant visiting artist program introduces students to artists in the Bay Area and beyond, connecting students to the local art community. The M.F.A. degree culminates with a written thesis report and a thesis exhibition in which students exhibit an original body of work. The program may be completed in 2 or 3 years, depending on how many classes are taken each semester. Students should decide before the beginning of their first semester whether they intend to complete the program in 2 or 3 years and meet early on with the graduate coordinator to plan accordingly. Students who choose the 2-year option must pass their first semester review without reservations and consult with the graduate coordinator before continuing with the 2-year option.

Admission to Program

Application procedures.

Applications for the master of fine arts in art program are accepted October 1 through February 1 for admission the following fall semester. Late applications will not be accepted.

The graduate admission application to SF State consists of a two-part review. Part One: The Division of Graduate Studies reviews your application for general university admission requirements and requires you to upload copies of transcripts from every college or university attended, including study abroad coursework, community college coursework even if transfer credit appears on your degree transcript. Upload all transcripts to the Program Materials “documents” section of this application. Make sure you resolve any financial obligations at previously attended institutions so they will release your transcripts. You must submit clear, legible copies of transcripts that document your complete academic history. Part Two: The School of Art will review your application for program and discipline-specific criteria. Applicants must complete the Cal State Apply application by the February 1st deadline to be considered for admission. 

Part 1: Apply to the Division of Graduate Studies (Cal State Apply)

• Apply online through Cal State Apply for a Graduate Program. You will be required to create a personal login to manage your application. Select "San Francisco" for campus, and "Art" for the degree program. 
• Pay the $55 USD application fee online by credit card at the moment you submit your application.

Upload copies of transcripts from every college or university attended, including study abroad coursework, community college coursework even if transfer credit appears on your degree transcript. Upload all transcripts to the Program Materials “documents” section of this application. If selected for admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts. If an International Applicant, TOEFL Scores of 550 or better or Internet-Based Test TOEFL Scores of 80 or better are required, taken within two (2) years of the semester you wish to attend. The TOEFL is a requirement by the CSU and cannot be waived.

Part 2: Upload Supplemental Materials for the Program to Cal State Apply

Compile the following supplemental documents for your program file ahead of time to upload in the "Program Materials" portal of the Cal State Apply application:

Program application requirements include:

• An undergraduate art degree or equivalent preparatory degree, with three units of contemporary art history taken within the last five years. If the applicant does not complete this upon admission to the program, enrollment in a contemporary art history class during the first semester is required.
• A 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 units completed in an undergraduate degree.
• M.F.A. admissions application (details below).

Master of Fine Arts Admissions Application Requirements:

Current resume/curriculum vitae.

• Categories should include Education, Exhibitions, Publications, Special Activities and Awards, and Related Employment.
• List information with the most recent activity first.

Creative Work Portfolio

• The submitted portfolio is one of the most critical components of the application.
• The Graduate Selection Committee, composed of the entire full-time art faculty, screens documentation of work in search of candidates with strong artistic direction and promise of continuing in a sustained, independent, and exploratory manner.
• Portfolios not meeting the following requirements will not be reviewed. The organization of your materials is an element that will be considered in evaluating your application.
• The Selection Committee will review a maximum of 20 images from each candidate.
• Images should be labeled with the work’s title, date, media, size, and other significant information.
• Where appropriate, other documentary material is admissible in place of images. This may include films, audio and/or video, or web-based work. If applicable, please include a link in the PDF of the URL for video and/or digital based work.
• Due to time constraints, time-based digital media and films should be cued and cannot exceed three minutes. Short segments should be excerpted from longer pieces. Full-length versions of time-based media can be included as a supplement but should be labeled as such. These versions will not be considered during the first round of the review process.

Written statement

• Please submit a 500 – 1,000 word artist statement that addresses the following: Describe the significance of your work and the concepts, research, and/or processes that drive your studio practice within the context of contemporary artistic practice. Why do you think you are prepared for a  master of fine arts program in studio art and what do you hope to get out of graduate-level study?

Letters of Recommendation

• Three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals qualified to testify to the applicant's capabilities and readiness to enter graduate study in art.

Transcripts

• Provide transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended.

Transfer of Credit for Previous Graduate Work

All transfer of credit must be approved on a course-by-course basis by a graduate advisor, the graduate coordinator and the Office of Graduate Studies. This transfer should be arranged before the first semester of graduate studies begins.

A maximum of 12 units total may be transferred towards credit for the master of fine arts in art degree.

• A student previously enrolled in any accredited master of fine arts in art program may transfer up to 12 units from that program.
• A student who has taken graduate courses in an unclassified post-baccalaureate status may transfer no more than six units in studio, and six units of other, credible, coursework, for a total of 12 units.
• A student who has accrued credits both as an enrolled candidate in an accredited master of fine arts in art program and taken courses in an unclassified post-baccalaureate status may transfer no more than 12 units total.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Able to produce professional creative work – generate a cohesive body of work.

2. Sophisticated understanding of a range of visual art practices.

3. Able to discuss historic, cultural, and contemporary theory related to their own creative work.

4. Must demonstrate commitment to a career in art and potential to grow artistically.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

All students in graduate programs at SF State must demonstrate Level One (entry) and Level Two (exit) writing proficiency in accordance with university, departmental, and or programmatic guidelines.

Level One is satisfied by the successful completion of ARTH 700 .

Level Two is satisfied by the successful completion of ART 706 .

Completion of the Degree

To complete the M.F.A., students must satisfy all University and Department requirements. Department requirements are described in detail in the M.F.A. General Information Brochure. In addition to satisfactory completion of the course of study, other requirements include satisfactory performance on yearly departmental reviews, a creative work exhibition and review, and creative work documentation  (generally in the form of a written thesis report).  The department accepts transfer units on a course-by-course basis, only upon advisement, and in accordance with the limits established in the section entitled Transfer of Credit for Previous Graduate Work of the M.F.A. General Information Brochure. If the creative work project is not complete in the final semester of the program, students must enroll in ART 899 in the semester they intend to graduate. Students are required to be enrolled during the semester in which they graduate.

Art (M.F.A.)  — 60 units

Studio requirements (30 units), studio electives (9 units).

Nine units by advisement. Suggested courses:

Academic Requirements (12 units)

Academic electives (9 units).

Nine units by advisement may be taken in any department and may include additional academic art history courses/seminars in theory, criticism, history, and directed experience. See MFA Handbook for a list of suggested courses in other departments in the University. Suggested courses in the School of Art:

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Faculty & Academic Advisors

Please review our Advisors and Schedules page for a list of office hours. Office hours for Spring 2024 begin on Monday January 29th, 2024. For winter advising, please reach out to [email protected] and you will be directed to the available advisor.

Lecturer Faculty

• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone: (415) 338-1891

Office Hours

Quick links.

• Undergraduate Advising Center
• SF Bulletin
• Academic Calendar

• About Our Program
• How to Apply
• Meet Our Faculty
• Visiting Faculty
• Emeriti Faculty
• Meet Our Alumni
• News and Accomplishments
• Literary Journals

Living Writers' Series

Why Choose Our Program?

At SDSU, we believe our Creative Writing program is uniquely situated to provide writers with an exciting, informative, personalized—and affordable—path to attaining their MFA.

Inspired by Experiences

Inspired by our place in the world, the program provides a rich and diverse experience that goes beyond the classroom.

A Beautiful Location

Our campus is situated in the heart of San Diego, the site of early Californian history, and only minutes from the U.S./Mexico border.

A Global Approach to Writing

Our international approach is reflected in our course work and faculty expertise.

A History of Excellence

Established in 1989 by Poet Sandra Alcosser, SDSU became the second MFA Creative Writing program in California.

In the Spotlight

Michael Mark

Michael Mark is the author of Visiting Her in Queens is More Enlightening than a Month in a Monastery in Tibet which won the 2022 Rattle Chapbook prize. He was the recipient of the Anthony Hecht Scholarship at the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. He lives with his wife, Lois, a journalist, in San Diego.

The Hugh C. Hyde Living Writers' Series at SDSU is one of the longest continuously running series in the nation. The series has featured an impressive slate of award-winning authors, many of them who are alumni of our program. All of the events are free and open to the public.

Susan Conley

Susan Conley is the award-winning author of five books, including her most recent novel  Landslide . S he is a founder of the Telling Room, a creative writing lab for youth. She grew up in Maine and teaches on the faculty of the Stonecoast Writing Program.

MFA student Robert Lang Wins Creative Writing Story Slam

Congratulations to MFA student Robert Lang who won the Creative Writing Story Slam for his presentation titled "Five Minutes in Heaven," which was inspired by his experience working in a psychiatric hospital. Robert's performance opened the recent Association of Graduate and Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP) conference alongside two other talented writers.

Creative Writing Currently: SDSU Adds New Faculty; Shares Student & Alumni Highlights

Wrapping up the spring semester, we want to take a moment to celebrate what we’ve accomplished this year and what we have in place for 2023–24. We’re excited to welcome Matt de la Peña and Lashon Daley to the MFA faculty at San Diego State University. Matt de la Peña is the #1 New York Times Bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of seven young adult novels and five picture books. Lashon Daley is the author of Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables and the director of the National Center for the Study of Children's Literature at San Diego State University.  Read the full article on the Association of Writers & Writing Programs website .

Congratulations to Stephen-Paul Martin !  His new book, TwentyTwenty , was published by Spuyten Duyvil. 

Editorial Review: S tephen-Paul Martin’s TwentyTwenty reminds us that in his finest moments, he’s the king of writing degree zero, the American Albert Camus, if Camus had a sense of humor. “He stares at the seemingly random combination of numbers and letters, then shrugs and clicks. There’s a flash on his screen, a clip of someone jerking off in a bedroom. Clark thinks it might be a picture of himself right before the phone rang, but the image is gone before he can see it clearly.” His straightforward yet unaccountably insane prose is anomie trapped in a bounce house. His seemingly relaxed narrative is “a leash that can be jerked at any moment,” as his hapless protagonists, in stories like “Almost Famous” and “Just Another Emergency” obsess over people’s fake smiles, mermaids who appear out of nowhere, and the political soul destroyers who mask their evil intentions with bland and obvious gestures in a nation soothed to boredom by the grotesquerie of the commonplace. --Johnny Payne, author of Confessions of a Gentleman Killer

More News>>

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“here you’re celebrated and challenged in the best way”.

Professor K.M. Soehnlein invites you to become a better writer and bring your full self to  USF's MFA program .

What makes the MFA program at USF distinct?

Our classes are always on the same nights, at the same time, so everyone is here in the same building together. So much happens in the hallways — on-on-the-fly conversations, plans for the future. Everyone has a chance to meet everyone else. That’s really special — and rare.

What do you find most special about the MFA writing education/experience?

The chance to bring your full self — strengths and vulnerabilities alike — to participate within an artistic community. Writing can be lonely and isolating, but here you’re celebrated and challenged in the best way.

How can pursuing an MFA support your writing process/journey now and later?

People become better writers faster when they dedicate themselves to an MFA program. It’s that simple. You’ll come to understand what you’re good at, what you need help with, and — most important of all — how to edit your own writing for the rest of your life.

Writing can be lonely and isolating, but here you're celebrated and challenged in the best way.”

How would you sum up your classroom dynamic (or teaching style) in a few words?

In seminars I talk a lot about my craft and technique, which in my experience students want to understand better. In workshops I emphasize process — what can be done in your next draft. My goal is to create a space where students feel excited to participate, learn, and write more.

Why do you teach writing?

I love being in the world of words — books, authors, writing, reading. I never get tired of it. I hope I transmit my love for this to the people who take my classes. They should leave more excited than when they started.

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