In addition to meeting the requirements for classified graduate standing, candidates for the MFA. in Creative Writing must complete a 54-unit graduate program, 39 of which must be in courses numbered 600 and above as follows:

1. Creative Writing Research Focus

Select one 24-unit research focus as follows:

A. Fiction

• 18 units of ENGL 750F
• 6 units in another genre of creative writing

B. Poetry

• 18 units of ENGL 750P
• 6 units in another genre of creative writing

2. Literature Research

An 18-unit literature research component divided as follows:

A. Three units selected from the following:

• ENGL 630Form and Theory of Poetry (3); required for "Poetry" students
• ENGL 631Form and Theory of Fiction (3); required for "Fiction" students

B. Nine units in American, British, or comparative literature, or an appropriate modern language literature selected with the approval of the M.F.A. adviser.

C. Six units selected from the following:

• ENGL 700 Seminar: A Major Author or Authors (3)
• ENGL 724 Seminar: Issues in British Literature (3)
• ENGL 725 Seminar: Issues in Literature of the United States (3)
• ENGL 726 Seminar: Issues in Comparative Literature (3)
• ENGL 727 Seminar: Issues in Children’s Literature (3)
• ENGL 730 Seminar: Perspectives in Critical Analysis (3)
• ENGL 784 Seminar: Creative Non-Fiction (3)
• ENGL 796 Internship (3) OR ENGL 798 Special Study (3) with consent of instructor

3. Electives

6-units of electives selected with the consent of an advisor.

4. Manuscript Preparation

6-units for research, writing and revision of a book-length manuscript.

DLO 1: Develop skills in writing, editing, and revision in the student's primary literary genre.

DLO 2: Make evident reading knowledge of classical and contemporary literature and determine how the student's own work fits within a literary tradition.

DLO 3: Exhibit the ability to read and respond thoughtfully and critically to work by other MFA students.

DLO 4: Indicate understanding of the theory and practice of literary publishing, including the practice of submitting work to literary journals and/or to quality trade book publishers.

DLO 5: Cultivate a professional identity in terms of self-presentation in both written and oral forms to include reading work aloud at public venues, interviewing other writers, attending outside readings, writing book reviews, and organizing literary events.

DLO 6: Write a polished creative manuscript (120 pages of fiction or 48 pages of poetry) of marketable quality and publicly present (orally) an excerpt from it.

DLO 7: Demonstrate readiness for finding employment in various professional fields, such as education, journalism, public relations, publishing, and technical writing. 

On a competitive basis, many different forms of Financial Aid are made available for our MFA Creative Writing students.

Tutorships, TA-ships, Assistantships and Teaching Positions

• Many of our students apply to work as Writing Mentors in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies (RWS) in their first semester. Mentors are hired to work with a faculty member as a mentor in the classroom. Mentors play an important role in the class by leading discussion groups and helping students work on assignments.
• After their first semester, and once they have successfully completed RWS 609, many of our students apply for a Graduate Teaching Associateship position in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies. The position offers exciting opportunities for financial support and teaching experience. Teaching Associates are hired to teach one or two developmental or general education writing courses (RWS 92A, 100 or 200).
• In their final year of study, our students also apply to teach literature classes in the English Department (English 220) and Creative Writing Program (English 280). These positions offer financial support and the opportunity to teach literature and creative writing.
• Our nationally-distributed literary journals, Poetry International and Fiction International, also offer paid Editorial Assistantships to qualified second or third-year students. These assistantships offer financial support and allow students to work for journals that publish some of the nation’s most influential authors.
• The Department of English and Comparative Literature hires a limited number of Assistants and English Fellows during each academic year. For more information about these opportunities, you may inquire at: [email protected].

Fellowships and Awards

• SDSU Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships offers student opportunities.
• SDSU Graduate Studies offers a Graduate Equity Fellowship Program (available to California residents). Many of our students have participated in this program in the past. If you qualify, we strongly encourage you to apply.
• Students with disabilities are encouraged to apply to the Students with Disabilities Scholarship program at SDSU.