Take your writing to the next level through a curriculum designed to nurture your creative vision. Make connections to San Francisco’s vibrant literary community. MFA in Writing students work closely with peers, award-winning authors, and published faculty in small workshops and seminars.

  • A Diverse Community of Writers — Small classes with dedicated writers from all backgrounds.
  • Individual Instruction — Two semesters of one-on-one instruction toward a long-form thesis project.
  • Experiment with Genre — Take cross-genre classes while pursuing traditional concentrations in nonfiction, poetry, or fiction.
  • San Francisco Advantage — Our campus is in the heart of San Francisco, home to many vibrant literary organizations, including Zoetrope, McSweeney’s, Fogcutter, Zyzzyva, Litquake, and the MFA program’s literary magazine, Invisible City.
  • An MFA to Fit Your Schedule — Classes are held in the evenings to accommodate the schedules of working writers.
  • Teaching Assistantships — Each semester, a number of teaching assistantships are available in undergraduate English literature and creative writing courses.

The faculty is vibrantly diverse in their teaching philosophy, cultural backgrounds, and aesthetic leanings. I always felt supported and challenged. Beyond the classroom, I had the opportunity to work on the program's literary journal, attend the MFA Reading Series, and gain experience teaching as a graduate assistant. My thesis project, which later became my first book of poems, would not have been possible without this experience."

Craig Santos Perez MFA Alum and author of from unincorporated territory