APPLY NOW for summer 2013
Applications are now being reviewed for summer 2013.
Please contact Noel Dahl, Director of Graduate Admission at ndahl@cca.edu for further information about submitting a late application.
Application Requirements
- Application ($70 nonrefundable fee required)
- Portfolio
- Personal essay
- Résumé / curriculum vitae
- Two letters of recommendation
- Official college transcripts
Application
Applicants must complete and submit the application online. (Note: Due to the volume of applications received, CCA is unable to return any materials; please do not submit any original artworks or writings.)
Personal Essay
A personal essay of 500 to 1,000 words must accompany the application. Indicate why you want to study comics at the graduate level. In other words, why comics? What inspires you about the medium?
Tell us your story. We're excited about comics and hope you are too. Discuss your writing experience, your visual arts experience, and your general comics and educational objectives.
Portfolio
Applicants should submit their portfolio online by registering for a SlideRoom account specifically for CCA applicants. Once an account is registered, instructions on how to create the online portfolio will be provided.
The writing portfolio should consist of a selection of writing samples (not to exceed 15 double-spaced pages total) as a single PDF document that reflects your main areas of interest. You may include short stories, a section of a novel, creative nonfiction, a portion of a screenplay, or comic book script.
The visual portfolio must also include up to 15 still images (not to exceed 5 MB each). Although these visual images may represent work in the comics medium, other types of work (e.g., painting, photography, storyboards, and graphic design) may also be submitted.
While these creative visual pieces may consist of academic and professional work, applicants are encouraged to include examples of personal work as well.
Résumé / Curriculum Vitae
Please outline your educational and professional background and relevant experiences and activities, including community work.
Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required from academic or professional sources. No personal recommendations please.
We highly recommend that you take advantage of our electronic recommendation process. This ensures we receive your recommendations in a timely fashion and it is convenient for your recommenders.
When submitting your electronic application, you can provide the email address for your recommenders. Your recommenders will receive the recommendation form electronically and then they are instructed to return it to CCA, also electronically.
Transcripts
Official college transcripts are best to use for the application, however, unofficial transcripts are acceptable for review purposes only. These should be scanned, front and back, and uploaded with your other application documents.
Should you be accepted and choose to enroll with CCA, the official, sealed transcript of your undergraduate coursework must be sent to Graduate Admission by August 1, 2013. Applicants who have taken graduate coursework are welcome to also send transcripts in support of their graduate application.
For international applicants, all transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation of the original.
All admitted students who were still in the process of completing a bachelor's degree at the time of applying must send the final transcript before enrolling to verify completion of the bachelor’s degree, including official notation of date of graduation, no later than August 1, 2013.
Mail your official transcript to:
California College of the Arts
Enrollment Services Office—Graduate Admissions
1111 Eighth Street
San Francisco CA 94107-2247
Interview
While not a specific requirement, applicants may be contacted to arrange an interview with an MFA in Comics faculty member.
International Applicants
International applicants must submit additional requirements in support of their application to the graduate program. Due of the low-residency nature of the MFA in Comics all International applicants should carefully read this specific information about studying in the United States prior to applying.
