Master of Arts in English: Concentration in Creative Writing
Last Admit Term: Fall 2021
Program Learning Outcomes
- Creative Work: Students will produce a publishable written creative work.
- Professional Preparation for fields related to literature and/or creative writing: Includes skills in publishing, writing, teaching, editing, book arts, and arts management.
- Literature: Students will understand and appreciate work of a broad range of writers, develop an awareness of literature in general, and his/her own genre in particular as it relates to larger human experience.
- Craft Elements: Students will have a working knowledge of the major elements in the craft of creative nonfiction, fiction, literary translation, playwriting, and/or poetry and consciously incorporate these elements in the revisions of their work and be able to discuss craft elements in written responses to their peers’ work.
Admission to the Program
Students interested in this program must submit, via Cal State Apply, a meaningful sample of their writing (15 to 20 pages of creative nonfiction or fiction, or 15 to 20 pages of literary translation, or a full-length stage play or two short plays, or 15 to 20 poems), three letters of recommendation, and transcripts. All application materials are to be uploaded by January 15 for the fall semester. Applicants from graduate creative writing programs at other colleges or universities may transfer six units to the M.A. program, on review and recommendation of the Creative Writing Admissions Committee and approval of the Division of Graduate Studies. For further clarification, contact the Creative Writing Department. Students accepted into the program with an undergraduate major that is not English are accepted conditionally. Admission to the M.A. does not imply admission to the M.F.A. Students who wish to earn both degrees must finish the M.A. before beginning the M.F.A. degree.
Written English Proficiency Requirement
Level One (Pre-admission)
Statement of purpose (500–1500 words) and writing sample (15 to 20 pages of creative nonfiction or fiction, or 15 to 20 pages of literary translation, or a full-length stage play or two short plays, or 15 to 20 poems) scored 8.0 or higher on a scale of one to ten based on the following criteria:
- fluency and precision of expression;
- ability to embody and illustrate ideas creatively; and
- appropriateness of the applicant’s interests, life experiences and goals to the program.
Level Two
Satisfactory completion of C W 893MA on the following criteria: thesis deemed by two faculty readers to be publishable in part or whole (book, chapbook and/or literary journals).
Selected upper-division courses offered by the department may be used for the master's degree upon approval of a departmental advisor. Enrollment is not required in the semester of graduation.
English (M.A.): Concentration in Creative Writing — Minimum 30 units
Program (9 units)
Writing courses selected from the following:
Code | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
C W 803 | Advanced Short Story Writing 3 | 3 |
C W 804 | Advanced Poetry Writing 3 | 3 |
C W 807 | Developing the Novel | 3 |
C W 808 | Novel Writing 3 | 3 |
C W 809 | Directed Writing for Graduate Students 3 | 3 |
C W 899 | Independent Study | 3 |
Creative Process (9 units)
Creative process courses selected from the following:
Code | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
C W 785 | Graduate Projects in the Teaching of Creative Writing | 3 |
C W 806 | The Business of Creative Writing | 3 |
C W 810 | Seminar in the Creative Process 1 | 3 |
C W 814 | Contemporary World Poetry | 3 |
C W 820 | Writers on Writing | 3 |
C W 825 | Playwright's Theatre Workshop | 3 |
C W 840 | Fourteen Hills Literary Magazine 2 | 3 |
C W 850 | Poetry Center Workshop | 3 |
C W 859 | Practicum in Teaching | 3 |
C W 860 | Teaching Creative Writing | 3 |
C W 866 | Craft of Translation | 3 |
C W 875 | Community Projects in Literature 2 | 3 |
C W 899 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
Upper Division/Graduate Literature Courses (9 units)
Courses in the English, Comparative and World Literature, or Theatre Arts Departments, to be taken on advisement.
Culminating Experience (3 units)
Code | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
C W 893MA | Written M.A. Creative Project | 3 |
1 | May be repeated for credit when topics vary. |
2 | May be taken for two semesters of credit. |
3 | May be taken for three semesters of credit. |
4 | May be taken for six semesters of credit. |