M.F.A. in Creative Writing

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted once a year in February for admission to the following Fall semester.

Admissions for the Fall 2013 academic year are currently closed.  Please check back in the fall for information/deadlines for Fall 2014 admissions.

Admission Requirements:

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

• Program application and required materials

Applying for admission to the MFA Program is a two-part process. Applicants must apply to BOTH the Division of Graduate Studies at Fresno State 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 was February 15, 2013. 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 15, 2013.

Note:  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.

Steps to Applying

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

**Statements of purpose, writing samples, and letters of recommendation are to be emailed directly to the department. All other official supporting documents, such as transcripts, must be mailed to the appropriate admissions office:

Domestic students mail documents to:

California State University, Fresno
5150 N. Maple Ave. JA 57
Fresno, CA 93740-8026

International students mail documents to:

California State University, Fresno
Attn: International Admissions
5150 N. Maple Ave. JA 56
Fresno, CA 93740-8026

2. Download the MFA Program Application (.pdf) here or 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, 2013.

MFA APPLICATION DEADLINE : Closed for 2013