Graduate Degrees Offered

We offer two graduate degrees, the M.A. in English Composition (with concentrations in Composition, Literature, or TESL) and the M.F.A. in Creative Writing (with concentrations in Fiction or Poetry).

The M.A. program was founded in the early 1980s and is one of only two such programs in the CSU system, and one of the very very few M.A. programs in the U.S. that focuses specifically on rhetoric and composition studies. Our program is strong in its preparation of people who wish either to teach in community colleges, to prepare for doctoral programs, or to further inform their existing teaching practice. In terms of teaching, the program prepares students to teach writing in a variety of settings, including "traditional" and networked classrooms in universities, community colleges, and K-12 settings. The program also prepares students for doctoral work in composition studies, literature, and linguistics, and we enjoy a nearly 100% placement-and-fellowship rate for our Ph.D.-bound students. The program also benefits those who need expertise as writers of grants, interpreters of public policy, and editors, as well as others interested especially in non-fiction prose. Our faculty is widely published, nationally known, and committed to working closely with students. More information about the M.A. in English Composition can be found on the program's website.

We are delighted to offer a new graduate program, the M.F.A in Creative Writing, which will admit its inaugural class in Fall 2009. A two-year terminal fine arts degree, the M.F.A. program requires writers to choose a concentration in fiction or poetry and a focus in literature or teaching and, by the end of the program, produce a publishable, book-length manuscript. Applications for the 2010/2011 academic year will be accepted from October 1, 2009-December 10, 2009. (The application period for admission to the 2009/2010 entering class has closed). Links to detailed information about application, admission and degree requirements, and our nationally acclaimed creative writing faculty are available on this page.