California State University, Fresno - College of Arts & Humanities

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Department of English

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Admission Requirements

The MFA Program in Creative Writing accepts applications once a year in February for admission to the following Fall semester.

For admission to the Fall 2010 academic year, the deadline is February 19, 2010.

Admission to the Master of Fine Arts Program
in Creative Writing requires:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or better in the undergraduate major

• Program application and required materials

• As of Fall 2007, GRE scores are not required for admission to the Program

• As of Fall 2009, the foreign language requirement has been dropped.

Applying for admission to the MFA Program is a two-part process. Applicants must apply to BOTH the Division of Graduate Studies at California State University, Fresno and to the MFA Program in Creative Writing.

IMPORTANT: Though the Division of Graduate Studies lists April 1 as the deadline for applications, the MFA Program application deadline is February 19, 2010. Students applying to the MFA Program in Creative Writing must have BOTH applications, as well as all supporting documentation (i.e., letters of recommendation, writing sample, etc.), completed and postmarked by February 19, 2010.

Steps to Applying

1. Start your application process by applying to the Division of Graduate Studies at CSU Fresno online through the CSUMentor website.

**Remember that official, sealed copies of your undergraduate transcripts must be sent to the Office of Admissions, not to the English Department. (Inclusion of additional copies of your transcripts with your MFA Program application is optional).

2. The MFA Program Application (.pdf)is available for download here and at the final page of the CSUMentor application. In addition, the following elements complete the application package:

•A writing sample of the student's creative work (up to ten poems or 25 pages of prose) to be evaluated by the creative writing committee. Prose submissions may be a continuous selection from a larger work, such as a novel, or a collection of multiple short stories or essays. Screenplays and scripts are not encouraged, as these forms are not within the primary scope of the program. Please send clean copies of your work.

•Three letters of recommendation from teachers, editors, or others familiar with the applicant's writing and academic skills, as well as potential to contribute to the program's environment. If sent together with the students' other application materials, these letters must be sealed and signed by the recommender across the envelope's flap. Recommenders may also send their letters directly to the department, Attn: MFA Program Coordinator.

•Brief (one or two pages) statement that discusses your interest, background, goals in creative writing.

Mail these materials to the following address:
Coordinator, Creative Writing
Department of English
5245 North Backer Ave., M/S PB98
California State University, Fresno
Fresno, CA 93740

3. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to fill out a general Scholarship Application for California State University, Fresno. Please note that the deadline for these applications is FEBRUARY 28, 2010.

MFA APPLICATION DEADLINE : February 19, 2010

Please contact MFA Program Assistant Rachel Jackson at (559) 278-1569 Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 - 5 or Wednesdays, 10 - 3, or send an email to rjackson@csufresno.edu if you have questions about the application process.