CCA’s MFA in Writing Program is dedicated to embracing the full range of literary paths and possibilities. We lead talented writers toward their lifelong creative careers. Watch a short video »
Discover a Diverse and Creative Writing Community
Perfect your writing by studying with other dedicated cross-genre writers. In our distinctly flexible yet rigorous MFA in Writing Program, you’ll engage in workshops that offer supportive yet instrumental critiques of your work.
We encourage fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, memoir, graphic novels, playwriting, and screenwriting. You are not required to declare a specific genre of study. Instead we are dedicated to supporting your individual career path.
Learn from Devoted Mentors & Guests
With mentored-study courses offered each semester, you’ll receive one-on-one instruction and guidance from accomplished faculty writers who value the interdisciplinary opportunities CCA offers. From painting to graphic design to filmmaking and beyond, ours is the type of environment in which creative expression flourishes, and you’re constantly encouraged to expand your horizons as a writer and artist.
Our inspired weekly Writers Series features noted authors, editors, performers, and alumni in an intimate setting reading their latest work and discussing the craft of writing. Guests have included Achy Obejas, Paul Harding, and Paul Muldoon (each a Pulitzer Prize–winning author); Cheryl Strayed (New York Times bestselling memoirist); Ishmael Reed (a MacArthur Fellow and Pulitzer Prize nominee); celebrated American novelist Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), and even Keorapetse Kgositsile, a Poet Laureate from South Africa -- to name just a few!
Immerse Yourself in a Rich Literary Scene
With the vibrant Bay Area literary community as the setting for your studies, you’ll discover incredible internship opportunities that extend far beyond campus, whether you’re teaching writing to high school students at 826 Valencia, learning about small-press publishing at City Lights Books, or editing submissions for our national Eleven Eleven literary journal.
Teaching-assistant positions in our undergraduate Writing and Literature courses are also available that let you gain valuable practical experience as a writing instructor.
Find Inspiration from Acclaimed CCA Alumni
Our MFA in Writing alumni have gone on to publish successful novels, win prominent writing awards, and teach at the some of the finest colleges and universities. And with a focus on preparing students for life after graduate school, we’ve inspired many students to create new small presses, launch literary magazines, and establish reading series in the Bay Area, nationally, and even internationally.
