USF's M.F.A. in Writing Program in the Literary Heart of San Francisco

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a vibrant community of writers with a rich literary tradition. This makes the University of San Francisco (USF) an exceptional place to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Writing. The Writing Program at USF includes the study of literature alongside the required writing workshops, so that other literary styles might inform the student's craft of writing. This two-year evening program (two evening courses each week) consists of courses taught by full-time professors and accomplished writers. Writing classes are combined with workshops and literature seminars to create a curriculum with a strong focus on writing.

Students pursue fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and are able to cross genres beyond the student's primary genre. The program culminates in the completion of a book-length work.

More information is available about the College of Arts and Sciences and applying online, as well as information for international graduate students.

USF Is Your University -- San Francisco Is Your Campus

USF was founded in 1855 as the first university in San Francisco and is ranked in the top tier of national universities (U.S. News & World Report, Tier 1 national university, 2016). USF is a private, Jesuit university with a distinguished history in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, arts, finance and business management. Of the 11,019 students at USF, 37% are graduate students. USF is composed of five graduate schools: Arts and Sciences, Management Education, Law and Nursing.

The university offers rigorous and innovative graduate programs with a truly extraordinary faculty filled with professors who are experts in their fields and passionate about research. USF's faculty members are dedicated to providing high-quality, personalized attention to their students by having small class sizes.

Students enjoy the rich experiences available in San Francisco, one of the world's most vibrant, cosmopolitan, and beautiful cities. As the financial, cultural and technological center of the West Coast of the U.S., the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most economically advanced regions of the world. San Francisco's diverse population draws people from around the world, while the Pacific Ocean climate of the city is moderate all year round. Outside the city, USF students experience California's many other attractions, such as the Napa Valley wine country, the Redwood forests, Pacific beaches, the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe, and the Big Sur Coast.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Writing Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 30
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Thesis Required
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied 163
• Accepted 118
• Acceptance Rate 72
• Enrolled 34
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $55
• Application Fee - International $65
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline January 15th January 15th Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's Degreesminimum overall GPA of 2.7, writing sample, 2 letters of recommendation, and resume, interview
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 550 paper based, TOEFL iBT, IELTS required

• Tuition & Fees *
• Tuition & FeesNot Reported
• *Average dollar amount (tuition & fees) required to complete the degree
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsMarch 2
• Types of financial support availableFinancial Support for Part-time Students, Institutionally-sponsored Loans

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students85
• Female Percentage59%
• Male Percentage41%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students85
• Part-time Percentage4%
• Full-time Percentage96%
• Race/Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino16%
• Black / African American4%
• White / Caucasian52%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian7%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races13%
• Unknown or International Student8%

• Faculty Breakdown
• Total Faculty14
• Full-time Percentage36%
• Part-time Percentage64%
• Female Percentage43%
• Male Percentage57%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchTechniques of teaching the novel to writers, oral history
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported