mfa writing los angeles

Creative Writing

The MFA in Creative Writing Program is a 36-unit interdisciplinary course of study that culminates in a terminal degree that qualifies the holder to teach at the college level. The coursework includes fifteen unit hours in creative writing workshops [including bilingual creative writing when offered], three hours of literary theory, nine additional unit hours in Humanities and Film electives, three hours of electives, and six hours of thesis. We do not allow either the Humanities Internship course nor the Teaching course in our curriculum as units toward the degree. The MFA student completes a critical essay and an original creative writing manuscript in a selected genre.

Graduate Certificates

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Latin American/Latinx Creative Studies 

Latin American and Latinx Creative Studies offers you the creative writing and study abroad components to develop your intellectual interests and creative skills, while exploring diverse cultures from Latinx-America.

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Writing for Media 

Our certificate in Writing for Media exposes you to a curriculum that prizes the contributions of different ethnicities, styles and cultural traditions in multiple genres. We offer a varied set of courses in screenwriting, television writing, playwriting, podcasting and creative cinema studies.

Modes of Study

Learn more about our Online Study, Study Abroad, and The Weekend Format.

Online Study

Our MFA offers two kinds of flexibility: weekend study, meeting six times per semester, and online study, which does not require your physical presence. All courses have an online component, meaning that half of the course is conducted in our course management system, Canvas. Dedicated to the tutorial element of the course (i.e., writing essays and exercises that go only to your professor), your Canvas work prepares you for your in-class meetings. In-person sessions are devoted to workshops of student writing and discussion of assigned books.  

Fully online courses are not radically different in nature from weekend ones. You still write, read, discuss, and respond to your peers' work. Quality and quantity of instruction is the same. Some professors use video conferences to provide the workshop experience; others use the platform creatively to offer written exchanges. The same professors teach weekend and online courses.   

Some students elect to complete the program exclusively online. More often, students mix and match.  

We emphasize that we do not have two separate programs. We have a single MFA program, with courses delivered in two modalities. In a given course, you will find students from the L.A. area, and those from far away.  Whether you complete 100% or 25% of your degree from a distance, online learning is an asset. Canvas make us more available to you, and helps you continue your progress as a writer without any significant gaps.  

OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS : Please note that not all states are authorized for students to enroll in our fully online MFA Creative Writing program at MSMU. Please visit our  State Authorization  webpage to confirm if you are eligible to enroll based on your state of residency.  

The Weekend Format

The Weekend format  provides an alternative way of being a graduate student for professionals with complex work and personal schedules. It redistributes the weekly coursework for a traditional fifteen-week semester into six intensive weekends of class instruction. The weekends are non-consecutive and are scheduled two to three weeks apart. Each weekend of instruction in the Weekend format is the equivalent of more than two weeks of coursework in a traditional or evening format. The adult who attends the Weekend format prepares for this intensive learning experience well in advance of the actual two days spent on campus. The Weekend format offers time for students to balance school, career and family responsibilities.  

Summer Study Away in Cusco  

June 10th - 26th, 2022  

The MFA in Creative Writing program at Mount Saint Mary’s University is proud to announce its summer study away program in Cusco, Peru from June 10th to June 26th. Courses will be taught in English, although students may write in Spanish if they choose. This experience includes excursions to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu, as well as outings to pulsating restaurants, museums and cultural venues in Cusco. Accommodations and classes will be held at Hotel Tierra Viva-Cusco and Hotel Tierra Viva-Aguascalientes. The people of Cusco are warm and hospitable and the city is most welcoming for exploring its historic offerings.  

Creative Writing Coursework & Application  

Students will enroll for both of the courses listed below, with the exception of those already in Thesis, who will enroll for one or the other. The course will largely follow the MSMU weekend summer calendar, with certain intensive activities and assignments happing during the period in Cusco.  Applications for Summer 2022 are now being accepted. Deadline to apply to the MFA program and participate in this study away opportunity is April 1st.  

Fee: $9,256  

Fee includes tuition for two courses, housing, breakfast, tours, medical and travel insurance, and airfare to and from Los Angeles, or departure location with equivalent fare for those residing outside Southern California. All hotel rooms are single.  

Course 1: Travel Writing and Latin American Chronicle: Beyond the Personal Essay   (Dr. Juana Moriel-Payne)  

In this course we will combine the study and craft of both Travel Writing and Chronicle following a Global and the Latin American literary traditions, respectively. The Travel Writing will cover the Study away course that the CRW department organizes every Summer and encompasses the reading of Travelogues, observations that will end in a journal, group discussions, and creative travel pieces. The second part of the course will cover the Latin American Chronicle, one that has included both personal and journalistic essay forms using a narrator/observer who is emotionally involved in his/her socio-historical narratives. In this sense, chroniclers are enunciators who transgress the official social representations by exposing social tensions and conflicts. Students will write short chronicles (personal and journalistic essays) based on observation of their cultural environment, following each of the Latin American Chroniclers’ techniques and style. Students may write in English, Spanish, or both.    

Course 2: Latin American Short Story and Poetry   (Johnny Payne)  

This course will introduce you to major writers of Latin America in two genres in the 20th century. Writers famous internationally, such as poets Borges, Neruda Mistral, are accompanied by writers influential within Latin America. In fiction, the extraordinary explosion of short fiction writers—Lugones, Quiroga, Hernández, Carpentier, Rulfo, Cortázar, Vargas Llosa, Lispector, and numerous others—gives evidence of an equally fertile century for narrators. The focus will be mainly on reading this literature and writing your own short stories and poetry, as we also put these modernist writings into their cultural and historical context to make sense of what Eduardo Galeano calls “The Century of the Wind.”  

UCLA Extension

Creative Writing

One of the nation's most prestigious open-enrollment creative writing programs..

Creative Writing at UCLA Extension

Whether you're looking to improve your writing for personal fulfillment, want to be published, or are preparing to apply to an MFA program, the Writers' Program can help you achieve your goals. You will find a supportive community of instructors, academic counselors and fellow students to help you on your journey.

We offer a wide range of open-enrollment courses, all of which may be taken individually. A guide on where to get started is provided below.

We also offer a fully customizable 21-unit Certificate in Creative Writing  where you can develop professional creative writing skills in the genre of your choice.

What do you want to create?

See All Courses

Creative Writing Certificate

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Develop your skills in the genre of your choice, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and more.

This customizable program culminates in a capstone project where you will make significant progress on a polished collection of work.

Taught by a prestigious roster of instructors who are published writers and active professionals, courses can be taken onsite, online, or a combination of both.

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Annual Writers Studio

4-day in-person, intensive workshops in Creative Writing & Screenwriting.

Perfect for both aspiring and experienced writers looking for new inspiration.

August 1-4, 2024 Registration opens Monday, February 5

Writers' Program Consultations

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If you have a completed draft of a manuscript and need feedback for your work, you may consider a one-on-one consultation with a Writers’ Program instructor.

Consultations give you a full cover-to-cover read of your work, a written evaluation, and a follow-up conversation in person, via phone, or web chat.

Expect more from your education.

MFA, fiction writer, author of the story collection Once Removed (UGA Press) and winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. 

Colette Sartor

BUILD COMMUNITY

Writers' Program Network of Writers (WP NOW)

Stay immersed in the Writers' Program community. Our optional membership program offers exclusive access to a range of discounts and benefits, including members-only networking, professional development opportunities, and course discounts. 

L earn More

My UCLA Extension coursework, teachers, and colleagues have shaped my writing life, fueled the creation of my novel, and provided continual inspiration.

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Special emphases of the mfa in creative writing program, program learning outcomes, program overview, advanced standing, the mfa professional development semesters, post-mfa certificate in the teaching of creative writing, the project period and project period contract, online communication, the midterm evaluation, degree requirements, hardware and software requirements.

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree is offered by the Creative Writing Department of the Division of Graduate and Professional Studies, and represents the study of literature from the perspective of the writer rather than that of the critic or the scholar. The reading and analytical components of each semester project, and the lectures offered during the residencies, provide opportunities for a well-integrated humanities-based curriculum, without sacrifice of direct manuscript work and criticism. The MFA in Creative Writing graduate is well-prepared in literature (especially the student’s primary genre) as well as in writing.  The MFA in Creative Writing program's goal is not to credential, but rather to help students with their writing and their creative education.

The MFA in Creative Writing program is devoted to the education of literary artists, community engagement or service, and the pursuit of social justice. The program helps writers develop the skills of their craft and teaches them about the various roles of the writer in society. The program also develops awareness of and appreciation for culturally diverse writers and traditions.

Upon leaving the program, MFA students will be able to demonstrate:

  • Proficiency of writing skills for selected genre s: creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and young people.
  • Critical reading, writing, and thinking skills required of a literary artist.
  • Knowledge of ethical dilemmas and social values of the literary arts.
  • Commitment to a broad range of issues and activities associated with a literary writer and the communities in which the writer lives and works.

The MFA in Creative Writing program is a low-residency, mentor-based (as opposed to a course-based) program. There are no individual courses offered for units of credit. The MFA program includes five ten-day intensive residencies at the Los Angeles campus (or six residencies in the dual concentration option) involving required and elective activities, writing workshops, and individual as well as collaborative learning experiences. These residencies alternate with five-month non-residential, online project periods for the completion of individualized learning plans and projects designed with the student’s faculty mentor. Students are awarded 12 semester units for the completion of each semester's learning, including both residency and project period activities.

The curriculum offers instruction in the techniques of writing in the genres of creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and young people in combination with theoretical interpretation, cultural and literary criticism, and the exploration of social contexts. Occasionally, the program offers online electives such as TV/Screenwriting, craft courses in poetry, prose, and others. A required field study involves the student in experiential learning, such as involvement in community arts activities, the teaching of creative writing, or an internship in a professional setting. Students also take an 8-week translation course. Intense student-faculty mentoring relationships support the student learning and round out the curriculum. During the project periods, online discussions such as critique and reading groups connect students and mentors on a regular basis in an active learning network.

Each term, students are issued a Residency and Semester Student Handbook detailing specific learning activities for the upcoming residency. This Student Handbook also includes information on program requirements, policies, procedures, and documentation of learning.

DEGREE OPTIONS

This low-residency MFA program for adult students is designed to provide writers with a high level of professional training and an appreciation for the multifaceted relationship of the arts and artists to society. Creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and young people are offered as primary genres for study, and literary translation is offered as a secondary genre for study.  There are three options for completing the MFA degree: 

  • Single genre option – the student chooses one genre as the designated field of study and works in that genre for four terms (two years)
  • Mixed genre option – the student chooses to spend three terms in a primary genre and one term in a second genre (two years).  This is referred to as a "Genre Jump".
  • Dual concentration – the student spends three terms in the primary genre and two terms in a second genre (two and one half years). Before the beginning of their fourth residency, students seeking this option, 1) must have spent one term in the second genre, and 2) must have declared their intent to pursue a dual concentration.

Advanced standing in the MFA in Creative Writing program can be sought by students who have completed at least one semester in another MFA in Creative Writing program in an accredited college or university. Students with an MA in English or other qualifications may also be granted Advanced standing on a case-by-case basis. After having been accepted into the AULA MFA in Creative Writing program, students may request advanced standing under the advice and guidance of the Creative Writing Department Chair. Advanced standing qualifies a student to complete the standard MFA in Creative Writing program in three terms rather than four. Advanced standing moves the student forward only one term.

The MFA Professional Development Semester (PDS) consists of a single term that may be taken for a range of 5 units of credit.  PDS A is an additional semester of project period mentoring any of the following genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, young people, or literary translation. The MFA Professional Development Semester is offered to Antioch MFA alumni as well as currently enrolled MFA students who have completed all requirements for the MFA degree except the formatting review of the final manuscript.  PDS A students must be in good standing with the program and have completed their work in a timely manner, as well as demonstrated the ability to work independently. Continuing MFA students take the PDS during their fifth (or, in the case of dual concentrations, sixth) term of work.  The 5 PDS units are added to the continuing student's number of units required for graduation, making a total of 53 units that must be completed in order to earn the degree.  Continuing MFA students may take only one Professional Development Semester but may also return for additional PDS terms as alumni.  MFA alumni enroll in a PDS term as non-matriculating students.

A Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing is available to eligible MFA in Creative Writing students who have met all requirements for the degree, to AULA MFA in Creative Writing alumni, and to those holding the degree of MFA in Creative Writing from other institutions. AULA students must apply to the Post-MFA program and be in good standing academically, as well as have demonstrated the ability to complete work on time and independently throughout the MFA Program. Since the Post-MFA Certificate requires a placement with another faculty member at an academic institution, the Post-MFA student must also have demonstrated professionalism while in the MFA Program. The Certificate is described later in this page.

THE MFA RESIDENCY

The ten-day residencies in June and December form a principal component of the MFA in Creative Writing program. Required to initiate each semester’s work, the residency provides the student with seminars, lectures and workshops, an opportunity to submit preferences for a faculty mentor, and time to prepare the project period learning plan. It also offers the student peer support and networking with other writers.

Each ten-day residency at the Los Angeles campus provides the student with:

  • Exposure to a wide range of collaborative and independent learning activities in the field
  • Input in the selection of a faculty mentor for the upcoming project period
  • Time to prepare the project period learning plan with the mentor
  • General direction in the development of an individual curriculum
  • Stimulation and support

Students and faculty come to the Los Angeles campus to participate in intensive sessions in writing and literature, as well as informal exchanges with students, faculty, and special guests on social issues related to the arts. Faculty, visiting writers, and graduating students present lectures in literature, literary theory, the craft of writing, and the professional aspects of a writing life. Descriptions of residency seminars, panels, and other presentations are included in the MFA Student Handbook.  The handbook is mailed to students and posted online in advance of the residency so that students may select learning activities in which they wish to participate and to prepare for them. Students are expected to attend a minimum of seven learning activities during each residency (including a  writing workshop ) along with required orientations for specific student cohorts.  In addition, students must attend two community activities (at least one lunchtime student reading and one graduating student reading) every residency.

The writing workshop s, which meet on alternate days throughout the residency, encourage the development of analytical skills and critical skills in a genre. Workshops are led by faculty members and students serve as resources for one another. Each includes five to eight students. During the residency, each student has original writing discussed in a workshop. Students are required to submit in advance representative new work completed during the previous semester’s project period; new students may include work submitted with the application. A maximum of ten pages of poetry are requested; fiction and nonfiction writers submit a maximum of 20 double-spaced pages.  Prior to the residency, students should prepare typed critiques for each fellow author and plan to hand these out in person to the author immediately after the writer's work has been discussed.  The critique should be a minimum of 200 words with no maximum for each separate work (story, essay, poem, etc.) submitted for discussion.

Each residency schedule includes a variety of special presentations, optional off-site events, performances, and other activities. Faculty members and graduating students give public readings of their work. Additionally, visiting writers are brought to the campus to participate in residency activities and give readings or presentations. Special discussion sessions are held on publishing, networking, book arts, dramatic writing, performance art, and the like. These special discussions vary with each residency.

Prior to the residency, students are encouraged to read published work by members of the faculty for that semester. During the residency, students submit their preferences for the faculty mentor who will work with them during the project period. The MFA core faculty team then assigns an appropriate mentor, based on student choice, student seniority, faculty availability, and other factors. The program cannot guarantee that each student will be able to work with every faculty member s/he/they  wishes to have as a mentor or workshop leader. Students are required to work with a variety of faculty during their time in the program, and they are permitted to request to work with the same project period mentor for a maximum of two semesters.

During the residency, students meet in groups and in individual conferences with their assigned faculty mentor to discuss their learning projects for the upcoming project period. New students are oriented to the program model and counseled in how to meet degree requirements. High value is also placed on students being resources for one another.

Students and faculty do not reside on campus during the residency. Students must secure their own housing at one of the many hotels or rentals nearby. Students may choose to stay in other facilities, or with friends or family. 

Students are generally expected to be on campus from 9:00 a.m. to as late as 9:00 p.m. every residency day, because of the full schedule of activities and the importance of informal, unscheduled exchange with colleagues (both faculty and students). Although readings are open to the public, other activities and facilities are for students only (alums may come if they inform the program). With the exception of readings, students may not bring spouses, partners, friends or family to campus, as the residency period is an extremely demanding time to which the student must give full attention. No childcare is provided by the University. Campus policy does not allow pets on campus except for service animals. Other details of the residency, including accommodations, directions to the campus, etc., are included in the MFA Student Handbook.

During the residency, each student maintains a Residency Log, which is a list of the learning activities attended. The log must be submitted at the conclusion of each residency. Students must also write and submit a residency student learning analysis (RSLA) reflecting on the various learning activities during the residency. This must be submitted to the MFA program office approximately ten days after the student departs from the residency and it becomes a part of the student’s permanent file. In addition, students complete a residency review, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for future residencies. The review helps the MFA program faculty plan the next residency period more effectively,  and does not become part of the student’s permanent file.

Students are expected to participate fully in the entire ten-day residency period. Full participation is required to earn the semester’s credit and for the granting of the degree. If, for some exceptional reason such as health or family emergency, a student cannot participate fully, s/he/they  must petition the MFA program for a one-semester leave of absence (LOA). See the Office of the Registrar Policies and Procedures section of this Catalog for further information about LOAs. Students on leave are reminded that a new semester cannot be initiated without full residency participation.

The second essential component of the MFA is the project period. During each residency, students are assigned a faculty mentor with whom they design a five-month learning plan called a Project Period Contract (PPC). The Project Period Contract contains the following elements:

  • A list of specific learning objectives for the term
  • A list of what the student will write in order to achieve these objectives
  • A list of books and shorter works the student will read individually and in common with her/his/their mentee group in order to achieve the learning objectives
  • A schedule by which writings and readings will be completed

A signed Project Period Contract is required before the student departs from the residency.

Activities in the PPC are completed during the project period. During these five months, regular communication is conducted with the faculty mentor via email, telephone, Zoom, and AULA’s online learning management system. Over the course of the project period, students submit five monthly packets of work to their mentors. Small groups of students also participate in an online reading discussion supervised by their respective mentors. Project period activities require a minimum of 25 hours per week, consisting of reading and writing, conferencing, and communicating with other students.

The primary focus of the project period is the student’s own creative writing as well as written annotations based on selected readings. Specific project periods also include other core requirements, such as the Art of Translation Course (2 nd project period), the Critical Paper ( 2 nd   and 3 rd project period), the Final Manuscript, and Cumulative Annotated Bibliography. These last two requirements are completed during the student’s final project period in either the 4 th or 5 th semester, depending on whether or not the student is pursuing a dual concentration.

An important feature of the MFA in Creative Writing program is the online component. During the project period, students, mentoring faculty, the Creative Writing Department office, and all offices at AULA are connected online through the AULA Gmail system and the online learning management system, Sakai, on which students are trained during their first residency. Mentors also establish private online reading and writing/critique discussions for their mentees on the learning management platform. The primary means of exchange is online via the AULA Gmail system. The Creative Writing Department also communicates information to faculty and students online through the AULA Gmail system.

Midway through the project period, the mentor completes a midterm evaluation that indicates the student’s satisfactory work toward the Project Period Contract’s learning objectives or indicates problems with the student’s work and student-faculty relationship that might prevent the student from successfully completing the semester. This midterm evaluation is submitted to the Creative Writing Department office. If it is an unsatisfactory evaluation, the student is contacted by the Creative Writing Department Chair to discuss strategies for academic improvement or the potential for the student being placed on probation. The student also completes a midterm self-evaluation which is submitted to the mentor and the Creative Writing Department office. By mutual agreement, the student and mentor may modify the Project Period Contract during the project period, but any significant changes to the original contract must be noted in the mentor’s Student Learning Evaluation (SLE) at the end of the term. Another progress evaluation from the mentor is provided at the three quarter point of the project period to satisfy requirements of the Financial Aid office.

The decision to grant the MFA degree is made by the MFA Faculty Committee upon recommendation of the faculty mentor. The student’s record must demonstrate the following: 

  • Full participation in five residencies (six for the dual concentration option)
  • Successful completion of four project periods (five for the dual concentration option)
  • Completion of the Art of Translation Seminar and online Art of Translation Course
  • Completion of the Critical Paper
  • Working with at least three different faculty mentors (during the project periods) during the course of the program
  • Completion of a Core Faculty-approved Field Study
  • Broad reading and the preparation of a cumulative annotated bibliography in creative writing, literature, and the arts
  • Successful completion of the final semester requirements: the graduating student presentation, graduating student reading, and the final manuscript 

The criteria for granting the degree include completion of all the above degree requirements, creative writing ability, engagement with perennial questions of literature and the social role of the writer, experience in applied criticism, and knowledge of the genre/genres studied in the program. It is expected that developing mastery in these areas will be demonstrated in each residency and project period evaluation, as well as documented specifically in responses to and evaluations of the student’s work for each project period, including monthly packets of creative writing, critical papers, the field study, the final manuscript, and at the end of the student’s final residency, the graduating student presentation.

Sample Curriculum Plan

Students are required to participate in all learning activities specified as “required” for their specific cohort in the Student Handbook. The following curriculum plan illustrates a typical program of study. Bracketed items may be taken during any residency or project period in which they are offered. This is a representative plan, but each student’s progress through the program is designed individually in consultation with her or his faculty mentors.

Residency 1:

  • New Student Orientations, Parts I & II
  • Orientation to Sakai and Antioch Gmail
  • Arts, Culture and Society I
  • [Orientation to the MFA Field Study]
  • [Writers at Work]
  • Reading as a Writer
  • Mentor panel and selection

Writing Workshop

  • Seminars/readings/panels/graduating student presentations
  • Student Log, Residency Student Learning Analysis and Project Period Contract

Project Period 1:

  • Monthly submission of creative work to mentor
  • Selected reading and written annotations
  • Submission of workshop material for residency 2
  • MFA field study preparation
  • Online book discussion forum on Sakai

Project Period Student Learning Analysis and Student Evaluation of Mentor

Residency 2:

  • [Arts, Culture and Society II (topic varies each residency)]
  • [Orientation to the Field Study]

The Art of Translation Seminar

Project Period 2:

  • Online Translation and Adaptation Conference
  • Field study completed
  • Submission of workshop material for residency 3
  • Practice Critical Paper 

Residency 3:

Critical Paper Seminar

Project Period 3:

  • Critical Paper
  • Submission of workshop material for residency 4

Residency 4:

  • Submission of Critical Paper to MFA Program Office
  • Orientation to the Final Term
  • How to Prepare and Give a 20-Minute Graduating Student Presentation
  • Mentor interview and selection

Residency Student Learning Analysis and Project Period Contract

Project Period 4:

  • Preparation of the Final Manuscript
  • Preparation of graduating student presentation and public reading
  • Selected reading and written annotations  
  • Preparation of Cumulative Annotated Bibliography
  • Submission of workshop material for residency 5

Residency 5 :

  • Submission of final manuscript to MFA Program Office
  • Submission of cumulative annotated bibliography to MFA Program Office
  • Life After Antioch
  • Present graduating student presentation
  • Perform graduating student reading of creative work
  • Student Log and Residency Student Learning Analysis

Semester 5 (for dual concentration students only)

Project Period 5:

For Dual Concentration students, same as project period 4

Residency 6:

For Dual Concentration students, same as residency 5

Final Semester Requirements

At the end of at least three successful semesters (four for dual concentration students), and with faculty mentor approval of the Critical Paper, the student proceeds into the final semester's projects. During the final residency, the student is also expected to offer a 20-minute conference-style presentation under faculty supervision and to present a reading of her/his work. Final semester work focuses primarily on the preparation of the Cumulative Annotated Bibliography (a complete listing of everything the student has read and studied during the program) and the Final Manuscript, described below.

The Final Manuscript

The Final Manuscript is a volume of the student’s best creative work produced in the MFA program, reflecting proportionally the genre(s) the student has studied under the supervision of hi s/her/their m entors each project period.

For students who concentrate in a single genre , the requirements are as follows:

  • Creative Nonfiction: At least 100 manuscript pages
  • Fiction: At least 100 manuscript pages
  • Poetry: At least 40 manuscript pages
  • Young People: At least 100 manuscript pages

For students who pursue a mixed concentration (3 semesters in a primary genre, 1 in a secondary genre), the minimum page requirements are listed below.

Note : Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Young People, and all genres offered by the AUSB program are each calculated as “prose.”

  • Poetry (primary) and prose (secondary): 30 pages of poems, 25 pages of prose
  • Prose (primary) and Poetry (secondary): 75 pages of prose, 10 pages of poems

Prose (primary) and different genre of prose (secondary): 75 pages of primary genre, 25 pages of secondary genre

For students who pursue a Dual Concentration (3 semesters in a primary genre, 2 in a secondary genre), the minimum page requirements are as follows:

  • Poetry (primary) and prose (secondary): 30 pages of poems, 50 pages of prose
  • Prose (primary) and Poetry (secondary): 75 pages of prose, 20 pages of poems

Prose (primary) and different genre of prose (secondary): 75 pages of primary genre, 50 pages of secondary genre

Student learning in the MFA in Creative Writing program is assessed in a number of ways, all of which are grounded in the program’s learning objectives and mission.

Each student’s writing is evaluated by a faculty admissions committee during the application process. This writing sample and faculty evaluation serve as a baseline from which to identify the student’s strengths in writing and assess the student’s improvement through the course of the program.

The evaluation of the student’s learning and, more precisely, the student’s development and mastery of writing skills in a selected genre occurs in several ways:

Students receive ongoing responses to their writing from faculty mentors and peers throughout the program.

As noted above, there is a midterm evaluation for each project period.

Students write their own project period student learning analysis and receive their mentor’s evaluation at the end of each project period.

At the end of the final project period, the mentor approves the student’s Final Manuscript (which also must be approved and signed by the MFA Chair) and writes the final evaluation, clearing the student for graduation.

Faculty and peer review of each graduating student’s presentation are gathered during the final residency and later shared with the student.

Because the MFA learning community engages in distance and hybrid education, it is essential that every student in the MFA program have ongoing reliable access to a working computer and a stable Internet connection.

Please consult the Antioch University website and the MFA Program Office for our regularly updated information on hardware and software requirements. 

Computer Hardware/Operating System:

Mac (10.5 or higher) or Windows PC (XP or higher) with a minimum of 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended)

Computer speakers to listen to audio content

Webcam to participate in course-related video conferencing

We recommend that you use a computer purchased in the last 2-3 years. Many retailers offer discounts on new laptops and desktops to enrolled students.

Office Productivity Software:

Word processing software that can save to MS Word “doc” or “docx” format

A good choice for students is a current office suite package, such as Microsoft Office, that includes word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and other useful software. See Antioch website for other acceptable options. (Antioch University requires students and faculty to trade files in .docx format to prevent incompatibilities.)  

Internet Connectivity:

Reliable Internet connection

Consistent access to a high-speed (i.e., cable/DSL) Internet connection is strongly recommended. Also, it is helpful to have consistent access outside of an office environment. Some offices have restrictions on network usage.

Internet Browsers and Plug-Ins:

Please use one of the following Internet browsers:

Internet Explorer (PC)

Firefox (PC, Mac)

Google Chrome (PC, Mac)

Safari (Mac)

Note: Firefox has worked especially well for students accessing Sakai .

Free Internet plug-ins should allow you to view PDF documents, and play multimedia files. 

Security, Anti-Virus, and Handheld Devices:

Antioch University urges you to take steps to prevent viruses and other malware from infecting your educational computing environment. To that end, we recommend you use and keep updated reliable anti-virus software, and malware and spyware protection.

We also encourage all members of our community to back up their work often to protect against computer failure. The MFA program requires students to maintain some documents over the course of their two years in the program. It is essential that you not let natural disaster or computer failure create challenges for you in the months leading up to your graduation.

Please note that handheld and tablet devices may be very helpful, but will not be able to interact with all the online features of the MFA program.

LEARNING ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS

Residency Core Offerings

The Writing Workshop is an intensive four-day workshop (10 total hours) in the genre (creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or young people) the student concentrated on in the project period that preceded the residency. (Note: Mixed genre students and incoming students participate in a workshop in the genre they were mentored—or accepted in—that precedes the residency.)

Arts, Culture, and Society (I & II)

These courses investigate the relation between cultural production, politics, and social change. With a lecture-discussion format, students focus attention on the principal aspects of cultural theory in an effort to come to a fuller understanding of the place of writing and the arts within our social system. Students gain a better understanding of themselves as cultural workers situated within particular matrices of political and social power.

Orientation to the Field Study

Students are required to complete one field study project, pre-approved by core faculty. In some instances, pre-designed field studies are available for students to select. These include introducing guest writers or working on the MFA program’s student-edited online literary journal, Lunch Ticket. However, in most instances, students develop opportunities for these learning experiences under the guidance of their core faculty field study mentor and on-site field study supervisor. Field studies can consist of varied types of learning such as developing a multimedia presentation, interning in professional settings or cultural organizations, creating a web page, editing a magazine, and other activities or projects approved by the core faculty and on-site field study supervisor. Each student’s field study is expected to address at least two of the three aspects of the MFA program’s special focus: the education of literary artists, community engagement, and the pursuit of social justice.

Seminars/Presentations on the Art and Culture of Writing

Faculty and guest writers present historical, critical , and process seminars on writing and the work of writers. Graduating students present 20-minute conference-style presentations on literary topics.

This course introduces students to graduate-level library research. Students learn to research topics in literary studies, access online research, provide proper documentation for critical papers, and prepare critical paper manuscripts according to Modern Language Association guidelines.

This seminar familiarizes students with the art of translation and adaptation of literary texts. One of the primary goals of this conference is cultural mediation. Collaborative translation and adaptation create bridges to other cultures while honing English language skills by creating "equivalent" patterns of sound and sense that also serve the originality of poems in another language. Spinoffs and rewritings of poems and short prose passages also help students discover how their own cultures modulate universal themes. It is not necessary to know a foreign language to participate in this seminar.

How to Prepare and Teach a 20-Minute Presentation

This seminar helps students approaching graduation prepare to give their graduating student presentations. The broader purpose is twofold: 1) To help students envision their presentations with clear delivery of information and audience engagement; and 2) to help students envision contexts in which this type of presentation – teaching, job interviews, conference presentations, etc. – will be essential to success.

Writers at Work

Lectures, field trips, meetings with editors and publishers, and other resources show students ways in which creative writers earn a living in today's culture. Alum at Work is similar but taught by MFA alumni.genre

Creative Writing Pedagogy Workshop

This workshop is an intensive, four-day workshop (10 total hours) in innovative creative writing pedagogies, required for students in the Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing program.

The Pedagogy of Creative Writing

Various faculty seminars are offered which examine both the theory and the practice of teaching creative writing. Of particular interest is an ongoing critique of the workshop model, offering multiple alternative paradigms for the production and critical assessment of creative work that may better suit the needs of emerging creative writers. Required for students in the Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing program.

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Department of Creative Writing

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The Department of Creative Writing at UCR offers the only Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing in the University of California system and the MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts . It is a growing and dynamic program made up entirely of established writers and poets. Courses at UCR are designed for all students in the language arts, and they emphasize developing each student's skills and talents. Through writing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and/or drama, students examine language and meaning both as practitioners and as readers as they develop and hone essential writing techniques.

Every writer needs to develop a critical sense to augment creative ability. For this reason, the Creative Writing Department offers two types of courses. Workshop courses are seminars that focus on writing and on the discussion of student work. Reading courses for writers focus on aspects of literature presented from a writer's point of view. Frequently, they employ writing in imitation as one of several approaches to understanding the craft of writing. Upper-division workshop courses are offered at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. Several reading courses link two genres such as fiction and poetry, and poetry and drama.

Give to Creative Writing Department

Announcements

Katie Ford 's sequence of poems The Anchoress — set as a monodrama by composer David Serkin Ludwig — was performed this summer at Chamber Music Northwest.

Laila Lalami published the New York Times Magazine cover story “A State of Uncertainty” and was named a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard for 2023-2024.

Charmaine Craig ’s  My Nemesis  has been published this year by Grove Press.

Thalia Williamson ’s “The Silent Part” was published this summer in Joyland .

Quyen Pham ’s “Such Good Girls” was published this past spring in Room .

Emily Doyle  published “Thursdays for Haru” earlier this year in the Sun.

Tom Lutz 's  1925 A Literary Encyclopedia  is being published by Rare Bird Lit, and his novel  Archipelago  is coming out from Red Hen Press. His essay "Gravy Donuts" was published in Iowa Review .

Reza Aslan 's  An American Martyr in Persia was longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Beograd Weld Award.

Allison Benis White won the 2022 Pushcart Prize and the Lucille Medwick Memorial Award.

Allison Hedge Coke  was a National Book Award finalist for 2022’s Look at This Blue .

Susan Straight 's  Mecca was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and named a Top Ten California Book of the Year by the New York Times and one of the best books of 2022 by NPR, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Juan Felipe Herrera  was a recent recipient of the Poetry Foundation’s Pegasus Award and the LARB/UCR lifetime achievement award. The Fresno Unified School District named its latest school Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary.

Conversations With Steve Erickson has been published by the University Press of Mississippi as part of a series that includes Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, James Baldwin, William Burroughs and Toni Morrison.

Employment Opportunities

None at this time.

Statement of Solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander Community

We are grieved by the recent killings in Atlanta, as well as by all other anti-Asian bigotry and violence, and stand in solidarity with our AAPI colleagues, students, and, more broadly, all AAPI across the nation. We stand against all anti-AAPI hate crimes, discrimination, and dehumanization, knowing that the group Stop AAPI Hate has reported 3,975 hate incidents against Asian Americans between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021.

To take action:

  • Educational resources and petitions to sign: HERE .
  • Report hate incidents HERE and HERE .
  • Attend a bystander intervention training to learn ways to stop anti-Asian American and xenophobic harassment.  [ March 29 at 3 p.m. ] [ April 20 at 2 p.m. ]
  • Send a message to elected officials.

To learn more:

  • The New Yorker : Ed Park, "Confronting Anti-Asian Discrimination During the Coronavirus Crisis"
  • The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans

Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter

We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The brutal killings of George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia are part of a pattern of state violence against Black people, which too often remains invisible and unpunished when it is not blamed on the victims themselves.

America’s institutionalized practice of settler colonialism, genocide, slavery, and segregation continues in the form of continued occupation, discrimination, mass incarceration, and racist policing.

The nationwide protests we are witnessing this week are an expression of anger at police violence, a rejection of white supremacy, and a call to our leaders that they live up to the nation's founding proclamation of equality. We demand accountability from the police, disinvestment from law enforcement in favor of education, housing, and community services, and, above all, justice for the victims.

Recognition of Native Lands Statement

We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the original and traditional territory of Tongva people [ Tongva and Cahuilla people] and within Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño & Serrano original lands and contemporary territories.

In the spirit of Rupert and Jeanette Costo’s founding relationship to our campus, we would like to respectfully acknowledge and recognize our responsibility to the original and current caretakers of this land, water and air: the Cahuilla , Tongva , Luiseño , and Serrano peoples and all of their ancestors and descendants, past, present and future. Today this meeting place is home to many Indigenous peoples from all over the world, including UCR faculty, students, and staff, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on these homelands. Please also visit our university founder's  legacy page, Cahuilla Scholar Rupert Costo ,  California Indian Studies & Scholars Association , UCR's  California Center for Native Nations ,  Native American Student Programs  (NASP), and the page of UCR's  Rupert Costo Chair, Dr. Clifford Trafzer .

Download UCR Native American Student Programs Land Statement

Faculty Publications

Book Covers

Writers Week 2023

mfa writing los angeles

Screenwriting MFA

mfa writing los angeles

The Screenwriting program challenges students to write well-structured stories inhabited by vivid, compelling characters. The program explores the elements of character, dialogue, scene, setting, texture, style and tone.

The two-year Master of Fine Arts degree program allows students to focus on either feature film or television writing, with opportunities to explore workshops in both areas. Throughout their studies, students are guided by faculty members actively involved in the film, television, and new media sectors, benefiting from their extensive professional experience. We challenge our students to succeed through risking failure, to engage with other art forms in order to better understand the art of screenwriting, to cultivate a curiosity in global art, to develop critical thinking skills to aid in the analysis of their scripts, and to provide an ethical foundation in building a career path.

Admission to the Screenwriting program does not guarantee specific workshop placements each quarter. All workshops and classes require program consent for enrollment.

Established in 1965, the UCLA TFT Screenwriting program has provided a strong foundation for hundreds of alumni, including Ana Lily Amirpour ( A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night ), Dustin Lance Black ( Milk ), Steven Canals ( Pose ), Francis Ford Coppola ( The Godfather ), Laeta Kalogridis ( Shutter Island , Altered Carbon ) David Koepp ( Spider Man ), Josefina Lopez ( Real Women Have Curves ), Alexander Payne ( Nebraska ), David S. Ward ( The Sting ), Eric Roth ( Forrest Gump ) and Caroline Williams ( Miss/Guided ).

World-Class Faculty

Phyllis Nagy

Phyllis Nagy

George Huang

George Huang

Requirements.

Students build their thesis portfolio by concentrating either on feature film or television writing, though students are encouraged to, and often do take, workshops in both concentrations. The program is designed so that students may fulfill their thesis requirements within their tracks in five quarters, leaving the student space within which to pursue screenwriting workshops outside of their tracks if they wish to do so.

The Screenwriting program has the following time-to-degree requirement: A minimum of six quarters; maximum of seven quarters. The minimum total units required to graduate is 72 units (18 courses). Maintenance of a B average GPA.

430: Introduction to Film & Television Writing  is required for all MFA screenwriting students and must be taken in the Fall Quarter of the student’s first year. Students must take a minimum of  two  graduate-level Cinema and Media Studies courses.

Students must also take FT 210 Viewing and Reading Media in the Fall Quarter of their first year, which fulfils the first of two graduate-level Cinema and Media Studies (CMS) courses requirements.

Please see list below for approved course numbers and titles, and please note that not all courses are offered every quarter. Students should consult the Registrar’s schedule for available courses and class times. For courses in the 298 series, students should consult the graduate advisor first to check whether a course fulfills the CMS requirement.

  • 203: Film and Other Arts
  • 204: Visual Analysis
  • 206A: European Film History
  • 206B: Selected Topics In American Film History
  • 206C: American Film History
  • 207: Experimental Film
  • 209A: Documentary Film
  • 208B: Classical Film Theory
  • 208C: Contemporary Film Theory
  • 209B: Fictional Film
  • 209D: Animated Film
  • 217: Selected Topics in Television History
  • 217A: American Television History
  • 218: Culture, Media and Society
  • 219: Film and Society
  • 220: Television and Society
  • 221: Film Authors
  • 222: Film Genres
  • 223: Visual Perception
  • 224: Computer Applications for Film Study
  • 225: Videogame Theory
  • 246: Electronic Culture
  • 270: Film Criticism
  • 271: Television Criticism
  • 276: Non-Western Film
  • 277: Narrative Studies
  • 298AB: Special Studies (topics vary and must be selected in consultation with the graduate counselor)

Students must take a minimum of  one  graduate-level FTVDM course outside of screenwriting. These may include classes offered by the Producers Program, Production Program or Animation Program.

Students fulfilling their thesis requirements in the feature film track must take:

  • One  434: Advanced Screenwriting Workshop
  • One  437: Adaptation for Screen
  • One  434B/438: Advanced Screenwriting Workshop — Rewrite
  • EITHER an  additional 434 or an additional 437

Students fulfilling their thesis requirements in the TV track must take:

  • Two  284B: One-Hour Drama Pilot Workshops AND
  • One  283B: Half-Hour Comedy Pilot Workshop OR
  • Two  283B: Half-Hour Comedy Pilot Workshops AND
  • One  284B: One-Hour Drama Pilot Workshop

MFA in Creative Writing

Antioch university los angeles, welcome to the antioch mfa program's site .

Click here for information about the return to campus: sites.google.com/antioch.edu/aulareopening/home

Future residency and project period dates are listed below:

Winter/Spring 202 4 Project Period

12/18/23 - 5/12/24

June 2024 Residency

6/13/24 - 6/22/24

Summer/Fall 2024 Project Period

6/24/24 - 11/17/24

Stay Connected

We would like to hear about your accomplishments and give you a shoutout.

Email [email protected] to share your news with the community.

MFA Social Media

On Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AntiochWriters/

On Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/antiochmfa

On Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/aulamfa/

Share your social media for Antioch MFA to follow you:

https://forms.gle/7UwK6CdKsGEmmaqTA

MFA Citizen

Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, MFA Citizen: 

bit.ly/MFACitizen

Archived MFACitizen newsletters:

MFACitizen Newsletters

Lunch Ticket Social Media

Follow our student-run literary journal Lunch Ticket : www.lunchticket.org 

https://www.facebook.com/LunchTicket

https://twitter.com/lunchticket1

https://www.instagram.com/lunchticket/

Subscribe to Lunch Ticket newsletter: 

Lunch Ticket Newsletter

Follow Antioch’s MFA Literary Citizen podcast:

https://antiochlitcit.libsyn.com/

Meet the MFA Team

mfa writing los angeles

Lisa Locascio Nighthawk

Program Chair

mfa writing los angeles

Alistair McCartney

Teaching Faculty

mfa writing los angeles

Colette Freedman

Dramatic Writing Program Officer  

mfa writing los angeles

Colleen Bradley

Program Coordinator

mfa writing los angeles

Daisy Salas

mfa writing los angeles

Natalie Truhan

mfa writing los angeles

Tuul Gantogtokh

Program Assistant

D esign M edia A rts

Design media arts, programs mfa: design media arts.

The Master of Fine Arts in Media Arts is a rigorous three-year program that focuses on each individual's personal and creative development within the context of media arts. Each student works toward an individual thesis project that incorporates research and theoretical exploration of a topic of their choice, with the goal of producing a refined body of work that culminates in an MFA exhibition. DMA graduate students come from many fields and artists from diverse backgrounds including the visual arts, sciences, and engineering are encouraged to apply.

The program is focused on preparing students in three primary ways. First, through the acquisition and development of technical and craft-based skills in various related media. Second, by building a thorough theoretical foundation in media history and theory, and supporting each student’s journey in developing their own unique discursive framework through writing, research, and interdisciplinary engagement with other departments at UCLA. Finally, by helping students hone a sophisticated and compelling body of work, through critiques, seminars, exhibitions and one-on-one mentorship.

The first year curriculum provides a foundation in Media Arts. The 252 ABC course sequence provides a foundation in craft and skills in the areas of computer programming and software development, 3D literacy and virtuality, and in physical media such as 3D printing, mechanics and robotics. The 269 and 289 Seminars provide an introduction to contemporary topics in theory relevant to media arts; The 403 and 404 critique and one on one tutorial classes offer opportunities to develop context for discussion, critique and development of students' work.

Fall Quarter

  • 200 Faculty Seminar
  • 252A Programming Media I
  • 289 Contemporary Topics in Media Arts
  • 495 TA Training
  • 403 Graduate Group Critique (MFA 1)

Winter Quarter

  • 289 Graduate Seminar
  • 252C Virtuality
  • - Choice of: 403 Grad Critique / 404 Grad Tutorial / 289 Graduate Seminar
  • - Elective(s) of Choice or 596

Spring Quarter

  • 403 Graduate Group Critique (All MFAs)
  • 252B Programming Media 2
  • - Choice of: 404 Graduate Tutorial or 289 Graduate Seminar
  • - Elective of Choice

The second year curriculum is centered on exploration , offering opportunities to explore a wide range of topical courses that introduce various craft skills, techniques, and critical approaches, and begin working on research towards their written thesis during this year with support from 289 special topics, and the 269 thesis writing seminars. Students are encouraged to take elective courses from the wider offerings at DMA and UCLA at large.

  • 403 Graduate Group Critique (MFA 2)
  • 289 Creating Context & Collaborative Practice
  • 404 Graduate Tutorial

The third year curriculum is centered on focus , and honing each student's individual or collaborative practice; and is designed to support the development and completion of a thesis project and finalizing the written thesis paper. The curriculum in the third year is more loose and shifted more towards critique and independent work through one on one tutorials. The 200 professional practice course introduces tools to negotiate and support a range of possible post graduation career pathways.

  • 200 Professional Practice
  • 403 Graduate Group Critique (MFA 3)
  • 404 Graduate Tutorial (MFA Exhibition)

In addition to these required courses, students must enroll in a minimum of 33 units from any combination of the courses DESMA 404, DESMA 289 or DESMA 403, as well as a minimum of 16 units of electives (from DESMA upper division undergraduate courses, DESMA graduate seminars, upper division courses, or graduate courses outside of the department), of which 8 units of DESMA 596, may be applied toward the requirements for the degree.

A minimum of 101 quarter units of upper division and graduate Design Media Arts courses are required. 52 of the 101 units require letter grades; 16 units require S/U grades.

For a complete list of DMA and other UCLA courses and course descriptions, consult the UCLA General Catalog .

Faculty Advising

Each entering student is assigned two faculty advisors by the department based on student input and faculty availability. The initial faculty advisors are charged with the responsibility of reviewing the first-year student’s progress a minimum of three times in the academic year and may or may not eventually become a member of the student’s thesis committee. Satisfactory student progress is determined by course grades and the quality of the student’s work..

In the third year, the Graduate Thesis Committee is responsible for reviewing, at least once every quarter, the student’s progress toward a thesis project and documentation. The Graduate Thesis Committee, approved by the departmental chair, has a minimum of three members: two senate faculty members from the Department of Design Media Arts, and one senate faculty member from the Department of Media Arts or any UC campus department. The Committee must be established no later than the end of the fourth week of the fall quarter in the second year.

The comprehensive MFA examination consists of a written thesis and a concentrated body of work that will be presented in a master of fine arts exhibition. An accompanying record of the exhibition, including documentation appropriate to the media, for example, images of physical work, research material, other visual material, a written statement, and other materials as determined by the student’s Graduate Thesis Committee, is also required.

For a complete outline of degree requirements, see "Program Requirements for UCLA Graduate Degrees," accessible on the Graduate Division website at Program Requirements for UCLA Graduate Degrees .

Note: We do not accept traditional graphic design portfolios. The focus of the MFA program in media arts is the use of digital media in an art context. We do NOT offer an MFA in graphic design.

Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in order to apply. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last two years of upper-division undergraduate work is also required. The applicant’s bachelor’s degree need not be in media arts, though applicants with degrees in interdisciplinary programs that emphasize media arts are preferred. Applicants are expected to have working knowledge of a variety of software. Additional experience with video, interactive media, or 3D modeling and animation is expected.

Students are recommended for acceptance into the Department of Design Media Arts program based on a faculty evaluation of their portfolio, written statements, and official academic records from all higher-education institutions attended after high school.

All applicants are also required to provide two letters of recommendation with the application. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required.

A portfolio documenting no more than ten of the applicant's original works is required as a part of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission.

Formal faculty review of graduate applicant portfolios takes place in February of each year. Applicant finalists should be available for an in-person or Skype interview as a part of the application process.

For questions, see the Graduate Application FAQ document available below, or contact: [email protected]

Financial Support

Various merit- and eligibility-based financial support is available to entering and continuing graduate students at UCLA. Entering DMA graduate students are offered financial assistance at the time of admission based on the strength of their application; continuing students are usually informed of their financial support before the beginning of their second and third year of study. Additionally, all students are given the opportunity to apply for Teaching Assistantship positions, which offer a quarterly salary and a partial fee remission during the term(s) of employment.

More information on financial support, including extramural awards, is available through the UCLA Graduate Division .

Information on fees can be found on the UCLA Tuition & Student Fees site.

Important Dates

Important documents.

  • MFA Application Requirements
  • Graduate Application FAQ

Useful Links

  • UCLA Application for Graduate Admission
  • English Proficiency Requirements
  • Transcripts Requirements
  • UCLA Graduate Division
  • General Catalog
  • School of Arts and Architecture
  • Financial Aid Office
  • Housing Office
  • Center for Accessible Education
  • Registrar's Office
  • Why Choose Writing for the Screen?
  • Message from the Program Director
  • Learning Outcomes
  • MFA Application Requirements
  • Required Courses
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  • First Pitch

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M.F.A. Writing for the Screen

Our world class MFA Writing for the Screen program trains and launches writers specializing in feature length storytelling that capture a global audience. Experienced, award winning faculty who are working writers in the industry guide students in developing a dynamic body of work that are reflective of their distinct voices that can garner professional representation by managers and agents. Writers will hone their pitching skills in preparation for selling projects to major studios, networks, and streaming platforms. The intimate and commercial screenplays crafted during these three years can also serve as samples for Open Writing Assignments. Our students gain real-world experience through industry interpersonal connections and build a vibrant professional network that can provide access to the multitude of creative opportunities in Hollywood and beyond. 

poster of Ratched and headshot of screenwriter Evan Romansky

MFA in Creative Writing Location:  AU Los Angeles Credits for Degree:  48 semester credits Standard Mode of Instruction:  Low-residency Standard time to completion: 25 months

Program Overview

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree is offered by the Creative Writing Department of the Division of Graduate and Professional Studies, and represents the study of literature from the perspective of the writer. The reading and analytical components of each semester project, and the lectures offered during the residencies, provide opportunities for a well-integrated humanities-based curriculum, without sacrifice of direct creative manuscript work and criticism. The MFA in Creative Writing graduate is well-prepared in literature (especially the student’s primary genre) as well as in writing. While the MFA is a terminal degree and can help a student achieve their career goals, the MFA in Creative Writing program’s goal is not to credential, but rather to help students with their writing and their creative education.

Special Emphases of the MFA in Creative Writing Program

The MFA in Creative Writing program is devoted to the education of literary artists, community engagement or service, and the pursuit of social justice. The program helps writers develop the skills of their craft and teaches them about the various roles of the writer in society. The program also develops awareness of and appreciation for culturally diverse writers and traditions.

Degree Options

This low-residency MFA program for adult students is designed to provide writers with a high level of professional training and an appreciation for the multifaceted relationship of the arts and artists to society. Creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and young people are offered as primary genres for study, and literary translation is offered as a secondary genre for study. There are three options for completing the MFA degree:

  • Single genre option - the student chooses one genre as the designated field of study and works in that genre for four terms (two years)
  • Mixed genre option - the student chooses to spend three terms in a primary genre and one term in a second genre (two years). This is referred to as a ‘Genre Jump’.
  • Dual concentration - the student spends three terms in the primary genre and two terms in a second genre (two and one half years). Before the beginning of their fourth residency, students seeking this option, 1) must have spent one term in the second genre, and 2) must have declared their intent to pursue a dual concentration.

Degree Requirements

The decision to grant the MFA degree is made by the MFA Faculty Committee upon recommendation of the faculty mentor. The student’s record must demonstrate the following:

  • Full participation in five residencies (six for the dual concentration option)
  • Successful completion of four project periods (five for the dual concentration option)
  • Completion of the Art of Translation Seminar and online Art of Translation Course
  • Completion of the Critical Paper
  • Working with at least three different faculty mentors (during the project periods) during the course of the program
  • Completion of a Core Faculty-approved Field Study
  • Broad reading and the preparation of a cumulative annotated bibliography in creative writing, literature, and the dramatic arts
  • Successful completion of the final semester requirements: the graduating student presentation, graduating student reading, and the final manuscript

The criteria for granting the degree includes completion of all the above degree requirements, creative writing ability, engagement with perennial questions of literature and the social role of the writer, experience in applied criticism, and knowledge of the genre/genres studied in the program. It is expected that developing mastery in these areas will be demonstrated in each residency and project period evaluation, as well as documented specifically in responses to and evaluations of the student’s work for each project period, including monthly packets of creative writing, critical papers, the field study, the final manuscript, and at the end of the student’s final residency, the graduating student presentation.

Sample Curriculum Plan

Students are required to participate in all learning activities specified as “required” for their specific cohort in the Student Handbook. The following curriculum plan illustrates a typical program of study. Bracketed items may be taken during any residency or project period in which they are offered. This is a representative plan, but each student’s progress through the program is designed individually in consultation with her or his faculty mentors.

Residency 1:

New Student Orientations, Parts I & II New Student Orientation of Online Resources Arts, Culture and Society I: The Writer at Work: The Writer as Literary Citizen

Arts, Culture and Society II: Unbuild the Wall: Self, Society & Writing Antiracism [Orientation to the MFA Field Study] [Writers at Work] Reading Like a Writer Mentor panel and selection Writing Workshop Seminars/readings/panels/graduating student presentations Residency Student Learning Analysis and Project Period Contract

Project Period 1:

Monthly submission of creative work to mentor Selected reading and written annotations Submission of workshop material for Residency 2 MFA field study preparation Book Circle Discussions on Zoom Project Period Student Learning Analysis and Student Evaluation of Mentor

Residency 2:

Mentor panel and selection [Arts, Culture and Society II (topic varies each residency)] Writing Workshop Seminars/readings/panels/graduating student presentations [Orientation to the Field Study] Art of Translation Seminar Residency Student Learning Analysis and Project Period Contract

Project Period 2:

Monthly submission of creative work to mentor Selected reading and written annotations Art of Translation Course Field study completed Bool Circle Discussions on Zoom Submission of workshop material for Residency 3 Practice Critical Paper Project Period Student Learning Analysis and Student Evaluation of Mentor

Residency 3:

Mentor panel and selection Critical Paper Seminar Writing Workshop Seminars/readings/panels/graduating student presentations Residency Student Learning Analysis and Project Period Contract

Project Period 3:

Monthly submission of creative work to mentor Selected reading and written annotations Critical Paper Book Circle Discussions on Zoom Submission of workshop material for Residency 4 Project Period Student Learning Analysis and Student Evaluation of Mentor

Residency 4:

Submission of Critical Paper to MFA Program Office How to Prepare and Teach a 20-Minute Presentation/Orientation to the Final Term Mentor panel and selection Writing Workshop Seminars/readings/panels/graduating student presentations Residency Student Learning Analysis and Project Period Contract

Project Period 4:

Performance workshop for graduating students

Preparation of the Final Manuscript Preparation of graduating student presentation and public reading Selected reading and written annotations Preparation of Cumulative Annotated Bibliography Book Circle Discussions on Zoom Submission of workshop material for Residency 5 Project Period Student Learning Analysis and Student Evaluation of Mentor

Residency 5:

Submission of final manuscript to MFA Program Office Submission of cumulative annotated bibliography to MFA Program Office Writing Workshop Life After Antioch Seminars/readings/panels/graduating student presentations Present graduating student presentation Perform graduating student reading of creative work Residency Student Learning Analysis

Semester 5 (for dual concentration students only)

Project Period 5:

For Dual Concentration students, same as Project Period 4

Residency 6:

For Dual Concentration students, same as Residency 5

Final Semester Requirements

At the end of at least three successful semesters (four for dual concentration students), and with faculty mentor approval of the Critical Paper, the student proceeds into the final semester’s projects. During the final residency, the student is also expected to offer a 20-minute conference-style presentation under faculty supervision and to present a reading of his/her/their work. Final semester work focuses primarily on the preparation of the Cumulative Annotated Bibliography (a complete listing of everything the student has read and studied during the program) and the Final Manuscript, described below.

The Final Manuscript

The Final Manuscript is a volume of the student’s best creative work produced in the MFA program, reflecting proportionally the genre(s) the student has studied under the supervision of his/her/their mentors each project period.

For students who concentrate in a single genre, the requirements are as follows:

  • Creative Nonfiction: At least 100 manuscript pages
  • Fiction: At least 100 manuscript pages
  • Poetry: At least 40 manuscript pages (one poem/page unless poem is multi-pages)
  • Young People: At least 100 manuscript pages
  • Writing for the Screen: At least 100 manuscript pages
  • Playwriting: At least 100 manuscript pages  

For students who pursue a mixed concentration (3 semesters in a primary genre, 1 in a secondary genre), the minimum page requirements are listed below. Note: Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Young People, and all genres offered by the AUSB program are each calculated as “prose.”

  • Poetry (primary) and prose (secondary): 30 pages of poems, 25 pages of prose
  • Prose (primary) and Poetry (secondary): 75 pages of prose, 10 pages of poems
  • Prose (primary) and different genre of prose (secondary): 75 pages of primary genre, 25 pages of secondary genre
  • Prose (primary) and Writing for the Screen / Playwriting (secondary): 75 pages of primary genre, 25 pages of secondary genre
  • Poetry (primary) and Writing for the Screen / Playwriting (secondary): 30 pages of poems, 25 pages of dramatic writing
  • Writing for the Screen / Playwriting (primary) and Prose (secondary): 75 pages of primary genre, 25 pages of secondary genre
  • Writing for the Screen / Playwriting (primary) and Poetry (secondary): 75 pages of dramatic writing, 10 pages of poems

For students who pursue a Dual Concentration (3 semesters in a primary genre, 2 in a secondary genre), the minimum page requirements are as follows:

  • Poetry (primary) and prose, including writing for the screen and playwriting (secondary): 30 pages of poems, 50 pages of prose
  • Prose (primary), including writing for the screen and playwriting, and Poetry (secondary): 75 pages of prose, 20 pages of poems
  • Prose (primary), , including writing for the screen and playwriting, and different genre of prose (secondary): 75 pages of primary genre, 50 pages of secondary genre  

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In the AFI Conservatory MFA program, Screenwriting Fellows do what they came here to do: write. They create six full-length works: three feature film scripts, an original TV pilot and two TV specs for current series. Fellows forge close working relationships with accomplished Faculty who guide writers’ development through AFI’s graduate-level writing program and allow Fellows to hone their unique voice in personalized courses and workshops. View AFI Conservatory  Learning Outcomes  and  Admissions Requirements .

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The two most important things about the Writing Program for me were the mentorship—being pushed by, and being championed by, faculty—both while I was at CalArts and after I graduated. Also, the peer group with which I’m still in contact. We had daily workshops; a handful of people working on the same projects for two years, who knew each other’s work really well. Taking criticism and learning how to communicate better based on that feedback, is important, because most of the time you’re trying to write on your own; you’re in a vacuum. You have no idea whether readers are going to pick up what you’re putting down. It’s valuable to learn that you can build from that criticism rather than being destroyed by it.

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Brian Dietzen on Co-Writing an ‘NCIS’ Episode Honoring David McCallum: ‘The Ritual of a Memorial Is Something I Wanted Everyone to Be Able to Share’

The actor who plays Jimmy Palmer talks about giving Ducky his due... and also how things might shake out as his character enjoys an inter-office love interest.

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ducky farewell episode died jimmy palmer

Brian Dietzen ‘s Jimmy Palmer is now the chief medical examiner on “ NCIS ,” having taken over that function as the character’s mentor, David McCallum ‘s Ducky character, slid into an emeritus role a few seasons ago. When McCallum died in September, it fell into Dietzen’s real-life lap to become something of a grief examiner, as he took on the duty of co-writing a farewell salute to Ducky — and to David — along with one of the series’ longtime executive producers, Scott Williams.

As McCallum’s primary scene partner for 20 seasons, Dietzen had a vested interest in celebrating Ducky for the third episode he has co-written for the show. (He talked about his writing debut for his series in an extensive interview with Variety almost exactly two years ago.) In this catch-up, he discusses wanting to provide both the audience and himself some catharsis with the double-duty on this episode… and what’s up for Jimmy Palmer beyond the current grief, with the show having the formerly bumbling character as one of its most solid rocks two decades into a historic run.

What was it like for you, to be co-writing a tribute episode, so soon after the death of the man you’d worked so closely with for 20 years?

You know, when you lose a friend, and then you process your grief by writing something immediately, that’s to be consumed by the masses — not writing and journaling about what you’re feeling, but writing something for performance, for public consumption… it was very strange in a way. But also very cathartic.

How quickly did the show move toward thinking about how to handle the death, and how did you come into the writing part?

You have some clips in the episode, but there are only so many you can work into 42 minutes when you also have to spotlight the team’s emotional responses… and have a crime, which no “NCIS” episode is ever going to go without, as a rule.

God knows we could have done a show where it was just clip after clip of David, and these wonderful, long diatribes that he’s had. But we wanted to make sure that there was something that brought the team together one last time with Ducky, and so we found a way to have this be something that Ducky had left undone, and that the team felt a need to honor their fallen friend by finishing something for him. You know, when you lose someone, it can sometimes feel like, “What do I do? What do I do with my hands? What do I do with my body right now?” And you can feel jittery, because this is a part of grief. And so our team actually gets to go into action, and not just sit in their distress but actually affect change in someone else’s life, and by proxy fulfill a wish of Ducky’s.

Was there anything that you specifically wanted to channel into the remembrance of the person or the character?

One of the biggest things that I wanted to talk about and explore had to do with the loss of any friend or a loved one, but that really works really hand-in-glove with the character of Ducky: He told so many stories, over the course of the last 20 years at NCIS, and that I think is what a lot of people remember that character for. I certainly will; me playing Jimmy Palmer, I listened to so many of those stories, some of them long, some of them very short and quippy. Ducky had a lot of those, and David had a lot of those over the course of his almost 70 years in Hollywood. The name of this episode is “The Stories We Leave Behind.” So that’s what I wanted to do to honor him, to recognize that those stories are earned and meaningful. You add ’em up altogether and you have a very full life, and that very full life is all we really leave behind to affect people; once we’re gone, those stories become our legacy.

You and your lab partner, Kasie (Diona Reasonover), have an interesting scene, where you discuss guilt that comes after a death over not having fully expressed feelings. And then that scene ends with an “I love you.” It’s like you’re telling the audience that we should feel good about actions having proved love… but hey, maybe we should be going beyond that with words.

Yeah. I’ve experienced that before and I have loved ones that have experienced that before, where you lose someone and you go, “Oh, man, did they know?” When my mom passed away, did she know how much I loved her? And of course she did, but still the question persists, and it still nags at you. And I think there is that moment for Kasie of saying, “You know what? I do love you.” It doesn’t hurt to say. There’s an “Our Town” sort of thing that happens there where it’s like: “Why are these people not saying they love one another every moment of every day? If I were able to go back and do it again, I would be doing that in a heartbeat.” And I love that idea that if if your eyes are open to (learning from) that, then maybe you savor that moment a bit more when you get to connect with someone on a Saturday morning, or the sandwich tastes a little better, and there’s something about life that you will look at and appreciate more than before you had lost anyone.

What were some of your thoughts about David, observing him up-close for almost 20 years? He had huge fame at an early age with “Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” then fell out of sight, then seemed to have a very casual relationship with the limelight when it came back to him, less intensely, in his career’s third act.

A lot of us would marvel at how young he seemed. You know, he was cast in this show when he was 70 years old, and everyone said, “Oh, he looks like he’s in his late 50s” when we started this show. And the guy had it figured out. He knew what stressed him out, and he avoided that. I remember saying, what’s the secret to the longevity and that sort of stuff, and he said, “I try not to stress myself too much. You know, if I find things that do stress myself out, I try not to do those things, or I try to get help with those from other people.”

But I think that some of the balance that you’re kind of alluding to — that he didn’t crave to be some rocketing, huge superstar — was that he loved his family more than anything. And I think that’s where his heart was a lot, and I’m so glad that over the past five, six years, he was able to spend a lot more time not just in California but in New York with all of his grandkids. He had a wonderful grounding that way.

David had been pretty much full-time with the show through the 15th season, and then he got on a semi-retirement path, it seemed, cutting his workload down to being on just half the episodes in a season, then six, then three, remotely. From the outside we didn’t necessarily know whether that was being realistic about what he could do health-wise, or whether that was just wanting to enjoy life. But fans did appreciate that he didn’t leave the show outright.

And what was incredible was that he was largely a very, very healthy person, keeping himself well. I mean, he was doing Pilates. And he still just hit the scenes hard. I mean, the scene that keeps being shown for these promos is a scene from a show where the character of Gibbs has just left (in the opening stretch of the 2021-22 season), and Jimmy is having a tough time with that and says, “We just lost Gibbs. Bishop just left, and I lost Breena last year, and I’m just about ready for people to stop leaving. I’m having a tough time here.” And David says — or sorry, Ducky says — “Change is the essence of life, and our pain is a small price to pay for his peace.” That scene, when we filmed that, that was probably one of the last handful of scenes that he and I got to film in person together. He just knocked it out of the park. And that was him at 88 years old, and just tremendous.

So, as far as him pulling back and wanting to do less, I think it had very, little to do with health or ability or anything like that, and much more to do with “what’s smart for my life, what’s good for me — but I never want to stop doing this, because it feeds my soul, it feeds my creative energy.” He always had been and always will be an actor. But he also wanted to just spend time with family. And he was so encouraging of me in my journey in taking over the role of medical examiner on the show. He couldn’t have been more supportive and more kind.

As someone who was his primary scene partner, you had a great introduction to the public, since an audience that had watched him for decades was going to be riveted to the few scenes they got with David every week, but with you as foil, he was not going to be sucking up all the oxygen.

To focus on Jimmy for a minute, the character has been considerably elevated over the years. His personal life has been highlighted. What do you foresee for any of that this season or going forward?

Jimmy’s been on on such a ride. Over the course of the last few years, Jimmy certainly has seen some tough stuff between obviously the biggest event of his life, which is the loss of his wife during COVID, and then his team shifting. And then, with the addition of Gary Cole and Katrina Law, there’s a very different team dynamic that this show has right now, and I absolutely love it. Being able to have Jimmy actually fall in love is great to play — not to mention, I get to do more scenes with Katrina Law, who’s an absolutely fantastic actor, and we work very well together. So we will definitely see some advancement of the Jimmy and Jessica storyline. That doesn’t necessarily mean that everything’s smooth sailing all the time. He loves her enough that he blurted out “I love you” in front of an entire bullpen full of people, and she was kind enough to say it back, later in the episode. But, yeah, there’s gonna be some stuff that they’re gonna go through that maybe is some growing pains, and maybe even some bigger stuff than that.

I’ve also already shot some stuff this season that is just some terrific, classic NCIS comedic stuff that I love digging my teeth into. Our writers have really given ussome incredible scenes to do. We have this truncated season of only 10 episodes, so everyone kind of feels like, “Oh, I get one at-bat, basically, this year,” and everyone swings hard and swings for the fences. Not to pat ourselves on the back too much, but when I read these scripts, I’m like, man, it’s just banger after banger. So, yeah, the comedic bits have been fantastic, the Jimmy and Jessica stuff has been great, and then, of course, you know, the crimes… There’s always the crimes.

It’s still a little surprising to see an inter-office romance treated comfortably on “NCIS,” for anyone who remembers the Tiva years, when the romantic tension between Tony and Ziva was always paramount and those lines into clear consummation wouldn’t be crossed. Then the audience got a real romance on the sister show, “NCIS Los Angeles,” and it seemed the franchise got a little friendlier with the idea that this doesn’t have to be played purely as torture. You can see why for a lot of years the show did not lean into anything like that, but at the same time, maybe the audience enjoys some contentedness.

No one can appreciate more than you the irony that, as a former bit player, you are one of the rocks of “NCIS” — along with Sean Murray, a year-one anchor the show’s O.G. viewers depend on.

Oh, I called it from day one! I got this one-day guest star role that I was gonna go audition for and I was like, “If I play my cards right, this is gonna turn into over two decades’ worth of work.” No, of course I couldn’t know, but I’m just happy and blessed to still be playing a character that’s changed and evolved quite a bit. And people keep enjoying the stories that we’re telling, and if we keep telling good ones, then I think hopefully they’ll keep ordering some more.

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Shakira unveils ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,’ her first album in seven years

Shakira in a sleeveless nude-colored gown smiling and looking over her shoulder at the MTV VMAs red carpet

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Shakira has a new offering for her “shewolves”: her first album in seven years.

The “Hips Don’t Lie” superstar revealed her newest album, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” (which translates in English to “Women Don’t Cry Anymore”), is on the way and offered her fans insight into what went into making her 12th studio album. On Instagram , the singer shared the album cover, which shows sparkling tears running down her face.

“My new album, coming out March 22, is one I created together with all of you, my pack of shewolves who were there for me every step of the way,” she said in her caption, shared in Spanish and English. “Making this body of work has been an alchemical process.”

Shakira performs onstage during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards

Shakira was the highlight of the 2023 MTV VMAs

In a night that featured performances from Karol G, Peso Pluma and Cardi B, Shakira was the biggest star at the 2023 MTV VMAs.

Sept. 13, 2023

If the title “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” sounds familiar to some Shakira devotees, it’s most likely because it’s a line featured in the Latin pop diva’s diss track, “Bzrp Music Sessions #5.”

Months after her split from Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué in 2022, Shakira teamed with Argentine DJ-producer Bizarrap for a scathing hit slamming her ex-partner. She sings, “Women don’t cry anymore / Women cash in.”

The upbeat track was just one way Shakira opened up about moving on from Piqué — with whom she shares children Sasha Piqué Mebarak and Milan Piqué Mebarak. Shakira and Piqué were together for 12 years.

SHAKIRA || BZRP Music Sessions #53

Who is Bizarrap and why is Shakira trashing her ex with him?

With the help of a top Argentinian producer/DJ, the Colombian pop star just dropped a fiery diss track about her ex, Gerard Piqué.

Jan. 12, 2023

In a September 2023 cover story for Billboard , she said she has “gone through several stages: denial, anger, pain, frustration, anger again, pain again.”

She added: “Now I’m in a survival stage. Like, just get your head above water. And it’s a reflection stage.”

“Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” is seemingly a result of that, as Shakira‘s caption details finding comfort and healing in new music.

“While writing each song I was rebuilding myself,” she said. “While singing them, my tears transformed into diamonds, and my vulnerability into strength.”

Shakira poses in a light blue dress while holding silver and gold moonman trophies.

Shakira reveals emotional toll of her split from Gerard Piqué: I believed in ‘till death do us part’

Shakira is opening up about the emotional toll of her split from Gerard Piqué: “I believed in ‘till death do us part.’ ... Now I’m in a survival stage.”

Sept. 22, 2023

Last year the singer, 47, expressed similar feelings as she won the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards . Upon accepting the honor, she sent love to her fans for “helping me fight all my battles” and dedicated the win to her Latin American community.

“Thank you for inspiring me and for injecting me with so much strength and so much desire to move forward,” she said in her speech, translated from Spanish to English.

With “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” Shakira is helping this spring shape up to be a busy one for some of music’s most popular female artists. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande are also set to release new music in the coming months.

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mfa writing los angeles

Alexandra Del Rosario is an entertainment reporter on the Los Angeles Times Fast Break Desk. Before The Times, she was a television reporter at Deadline Hollywood, where she first served as an associate editor. She has written about a wide range of topics including TV ratings, casting and development, video games and AAPI representation. Del Rosario is a UCLA graduate and also worked at the Hollywood Reporter and TheWrap.

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  1. MFA Writing Alumni Festival

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  2. MFA Creative Writing

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  3. Create Your Own Writing MFA

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  4. Los Angeles MFA Programs

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  5. Admissions Statistics for New York Film Academy (NYFA)

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  6. MFA Creative & Professional Writing

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COMMENTS

  1. MFA in Creative Writing › Antioch University

    This low-residency degree is offered by AU Los Angeles. Antioch MFA Low Residency Program Program Overview Antioch University's MFA in Creative Writing is comprised of hybrid residencies—which include seminars, readings, and workshops—complemented by five-month online project periods during which students live and write in their home communities.

  2. Creative Writing

    The two year, 36-unit MFA in Creative Writing Program at Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles, is an artist-training program for students who want to write professionally in the genres of novel, short story, playwriting, poetry, screenplay and non-fiction. We are ideal for working adults.

  3. 10 creative writing graduate degree programs in Los Angeles (PhD, MFA

    With alums like Michael Chabon and Aimee Bender and faculty members like Ron Carlson and Amy Gerstler, UCI's MFA program is one of the best known and most respected writing programs in the country — and is fully funded, offering "three full years of financial support to all domestic students." Length: 2-3 years Concentrations: Fiction, Poetry

  4. Mfa

    On-campus, Hybrid, Online Apply Now Connect with Admission The MFA in Creative Writing Program is a 36-unit interdisciplinary course of study that culminates in a terminal degree that qualifies the holder to teach at the college level.

  5. Creative Writing Courses & Certificates

    MFA, fiction writer, author of the story collection Once Removed (UGA Press) and winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. Meet Colette Sartor BUILD COMMUNITY Writers' Program Network of Writers (WP NOW) Stay immersed in the Writers' Program community.

  6. MFA in Television, Film and Theatre: Writing

    The MFA in Television, Film and Theatre (TVFT) is a three-year, terminal degree program that prepares students for diverse professional and academic careers in content creation, acting, and writing in the narrative media. The MFA degree, in conjunction with extensive professional experience, qualifies students to work and teach in these fields.

  7. Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA) < Antioch University Los

    The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree is offered by the Creative Writing Department of the Division of Graduate and Professional Studies, and represents the study of literature from the perspective of the writer rather than that of the critic or the scholar. ... Students and faculty come to the Los Angeles campus to participate in ...

  8. Creative Writing Programs in Los Angeles 2024+

    MFA stands for Master of Fine Arts. An MFA in Creative Writing may be an especially common option. Most programs include courses in the department of English and courses about the craft of writing. In addition, programs strive to create a community of writers. They may do that by: Inviting visiting writers to campus

  9. Department of Creative Writing

    The Department of Creative Writing at UCR offers the only Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing in the University of California system and the MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts.It is a growing and dynamic program made up entirely of established writers and poets. Courses at UCR are designed for all students in the language arts, and they emphasize developing each ...

  10. PDF Creative Writing Department

    The Antioch MFA improved my craft, invited me into the writing community, and opened doorways to a literary career. The program changed my life." —Sarah Haas, MFA '21

  11. Creative Writing MFA

    Overview MFA Program Faculty MFA 2-Year Program The CalArts MFA Creative Writing is unique in the field for the way it combines a dedication to experimental practice and a resolutely non-genre tracking curriculum.

  12. Apply to Screenwriting (MFA)

    All MFA programs in Film, Television and Digital Media are full-time programs. ... DO NOT submit any other form of writing, including poems, novels, short fiction, essays; these will NOT be reviewed. ... Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622. Get in touch. 235 Charles E. Young Dr. East Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622 (310) 825-5761 . facebook twitter linkedin ...

  13. Screenwriting (MFA)

    Screenwriting MFA The Screenwriting program challenges students to write well-structured stories inhabited by vivid, compelling characters. The program explores the elements of character, dialogue, scene, setting, texture, style and tone. Tour the School Apply Now

  14. MFA in Creative Writing

    MFA in Creative Writing Antioch University Los Angeles. Welcome to the Antioch MFA Program's Site! ... Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, MFA Citizen: ... Dramatic Writing Program Officer ...

  15. UCLA Design Media Arts

    The Master of Fine Arts in Media Arts is a rigorous three-year program that focuses on each individual's personal and creative development within the context of media arts.

  16. Writing for the Screen

    M.F.A. Writing for the Screen. Our world class MFA Writing for the Screen program trains and launches writers specializing in feature length storytelling that capture a global audience. Experienced, award winning faculty who are working writers in the industry guide students in developing a dynamic body of work that are reflective of their ...

  17. Creative Writing, MFA

    MFA in Creative Writing Location: AU Los Angeles Credits for Degree: 48 semester credits Standard Mode of Instruction: Low-residency Standard time to completion: 25 months Program Overview. The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree is offered by the Creative Writing Department of the Division of Graduate and Professional Studies, and represents the study of literature from the ...

  18. new CSU MFA program

    To apply for the 1999 Summer Session, contact Mary Bush, Department of English, Cal State L.A., 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032, (323) 343-4174, or the School of Graduate Programs, California State University, Chico, Chico, CA 95929-0875, (530) 898-6880.

  19. Film Screenwriting School, Class, Los Angeles, Hollywood CA

    MFA Film School Learn from Icons in the Industry. Ranked the #1 film school in America, the AFI Conservatory MFA filmmaking program brings your favorite master storytellers to our Los Angeles campus to deliver inspiring guest lectures and enlightening seminars where they share their personal experiences and answer your questions about the filmmaking process.

  20. Creative Writing

    MFA. 2 Years. The Creative Writing MFA was designed to get over the division between 'creative' and 'critical.'. Here, writing is understood as an art form best practiced alongside the other arts, and students benefit from having access to the CalArts community of artists as their peers and fellow travelers. A defining feature of the Creative ...

  21. Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles

    Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles - MFA in Creative Writing, Los Angeles, California. 196 likes · 4 were here. Elevate your career aspirations with a Creative Writing MFA from Mount Saint...

  22. L.A. Times Book Prize finalists for 2023 announced

    The finalists for the 44th Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were revealed Wednesday morning. Palestinian human rights activist and writer are among the 66 nominees in 13 categories honoring the ...

  23. Experts rank Biden among the best presidents. Trump? Not so much

    But the third installment of our Presidential Greatness Project, a poll of presidential experts released this weekend, shows that scholars don't share American voters' roughly equal distaste ...

  24. A major auto insurer returns to California

    Feb. 15, 2024. On the lower end, some customers might see prices go up 10% to 15%. At the high end, rates could go up as much as 55%. The vast majority of policyholders will see the price of their ...

  25. PDF Creative Writing Department MFA in Creative Writing

    Antioch University MFA Program. Antioch University's MFA in Creative Writing program is distinctive for our emphasis on literature, community service, and the pursuit of social justice. Featuring widely-published, award-winning faculty in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, young people, and literary translation, our program has distinguished ...

  26. Brian Dietzen on Co-Writing 'NCIS' Farewell Episode for David ...

    Brian Dietzen talks about co-writing an 'NCIS' farewell episode for Ducky in honor of David McCallum, a few months after the actor's death at 90. ... "NCIS Los Angeles," and it seemed the ...

  27. With 'Spider-Man,' how do you top a winner? Do the opposite

    To create "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," all Phil Lord and Chris Miller "had to do was write a better movie than the one that just won an Oscar," they say in an essay..

  28. Shakira sets 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,' first album in 7 years

    By Alexandra Del Rosario Staff Writer. Feb. 15, 2024 11:30 AM PT. Shakira has a new offering for her "shewolves": her first album in seven years. The "Hips Don't Lie" superstar revealed ...