CCA MFA WRITING
San Francisco
Your Creative Community
We’re a close-knit program that meets you where you are—and helps you get where you’re meant to go. You’ll find a strong sense of community, lasting creative friendships, and a culture of care, challenge, and collaboration.
Our two-year program offers four consecutive semesters of one-on-one mentorship--more than any program in the country. In addition to intensive mentorship, our program includes workshops, craft courses, and professional development seminars.
You’ll leave with:
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A completed creative thesis (your book, your project, your vision)
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Hands-on experience in teaching, publishing, and community work
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A toolkit for building a sustainable creative life
FAQs
What kind of financial support do you offer?
All our students receive program scholarships. These range from partial tuition remission to full scholarships. Need-based awards and program honors are also available. In addition, students can work as teaching assistants as soon as their first semester. The college also offers a multitude of work study positions.
What does a typical day look like for a CCA MFA student?
Most of our classes are held in the 12–3 PM and 3-6 PM slots. It's rare for students to be on campus more than three days a week—two is fairly typical—which allows time for writing, reading, part-time jobs, and internships. Our schedule is designed to preserve creative space while accommodating real-life commitments. Our new homeroom is a cozy space to spend time between classes, featuring a quiet study room, kitchen, and a large lounge.
What makes Mentored Studies so special?
Mentored Studies offers students the rare opportunity to work one-on-one every semester with a faculty member on a project of their choosing. It’s an individualized course that supports deep creative growth and professional development. Students might use this time to develop their thesis, explore a new genre, revise work for submission, or design a teaching portfolio. The key is that it's student-driven and highly personalized. . .and we're the only program in the country that offers it.
What makes it truly special is the mentorship: you’re paired with a faculty member whose interests align with yours, and together you shape the direction and goals of the term. This structure allows for sustained dialogue, rigorous feedback, and a relationship that often extends well beyond graduation.
Do students need to choose a genre or specialization?
No, students do not need to commit to a single genre. While you may enter with a primary focus (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or hybrid forms), you're encouraged to explore across genres. Our curriculum includes workshops in multiple modes, and faculty support cross-genre experimentation. The program values fluidity and innovation in literary practice.
Do students work during the program?
Yes, many of our students work while completing the program. The class schedule is designed to allow for outside employment, and we offer a range of Teaching Assistantships (TAs) and on-campus roles. TA-ships begin as early as the first year and are structured to provide mentorship and teaching experience without overwhelming students. These opportunities are designed to enhance—not detract from—your writing practice.
What does the thesis project look like?
The thesis is a substantial, book-length manuscript in your chosen genre. This might be a novel, a memoir, a collection of essays, or a book of poems. Students work closely with faculty advisors and receive one-on-one mentorship through the process. The second year is especially focused on thesis development, culminating in a public reading and submission of your completed manuscript.
What professional development resources are offered?
We offer robust support for career development through:
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A dedicated class called What to Do With Your MFA, focused on turning your creative training into a sustainable career path
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Regular workshops and panels on publishing, editing, residencies, and teaching
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Readings and networking events with established authors and editors
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One-on-one career coaching sessions
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Teaching Assistantships and leadership roles
What kinds of jobs do graduates pursue after the MFA?
Our alumni go on to a wide range of careers in and beyond the literary world. Many teach writing at colleges, high schools, or community programs; others work in publishing, editing, or literary nonprofits. Some take on roles in communications, marketing, UX writing, or content strategy. Still others build their own creative businesses or go on to residencies, fellowships, and PhD programs. The diversity of post-MFA paths is a strength of the program, and we’re committed to helping you find the one that fits you best.
Do most students stay in the Bay Area post-graduation?
Many do. Our program is closely tied to the Bay Area literary scene—from Litquake and local readings to partnerships with presses and nonprofits. Some students teach in California public schools using their MFA, while others remain due to the vibrant creative community. Still, we support a variety of post-grad paths, and alumni live and work around the world.
Are there opportunities to gain experience in editing or publishing?
Absolutely. While we don’t currently have a dedicated literary magazine, students are encouraged to launch new publications and creative projects. CCA has an excellent student-run publication called RRR, currently edited by an MFAW student. Past student projects have included zines, podcasts, and hybrid digital journals. Our professional development sessions frequently focus on editing and publishing.
Students can also explore offerings in adjacent programs such as Comics and Printmaking. For example, the course Press Print > Press Play gives students access to tools and frameworks for publishing a wide range of materials, from artist books to zines to podcasts.
If you have more questions or want to chat with a current student or alum, reach out anytime to jdarznik@cca.edu
Beyond the Traditional MFA: A Creative Incubator for the Next Generation
More Than Writers. Creative Professionals.
California College of the Arts' MFA Writing program isn't just another graduate writing program—it's a dynamic incubator designed to launch the next generation of creative professionals. While we honor literary tradition, we recognize that today's writers build careers that span far beyond the traditional paths of academia and publishing.
Where Art School Meets Literary Excellence
What makes us different? We're the only MFA program that combines rigorous literary training with the cross-disciplinary energy of a leading art school. Our students don't just workshop in isolation—they collaborate with visual artists, filmmakers, designers, and musicians. This unique environment fosters innovative approaches to storytelling and prepares writers for the multimedia landscape of contemporary culture.
The program offers access to exceptional resources that transform how writers create and share their work: Risograph printers for crafting distinctive broadsides, professional audio suites for podcast production, and a fully equipped letterpress studio for hands-on book and zine making.
This interdisciplinary approach means our graduates emerge not just as accomplished writers, but as versatile creative professionals equipped to navigate and shape the evolving landscape of contemporary literature and media. Whether you're interested in artist books, multimedia storytelling, or independent publishing, our program provides the tools, space, and community to bring your vision to life
Experience the power of writing within a thriving artistic ecosystem—where every discipline informs and elevates your craft.
Diverse Paths, Exceptional Outcomes
Our graduates pursue careers as:
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Literary fiction and poetry writers
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Content strategists and creative directors
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Screenwriters and media producers
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Editorial professionals and publishers
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Teaching artists and workshop facilitators
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Arts administrators and cultural workers
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Freelance writers and consultants
Program Highlights
Mentored Studies
Four Consecutive Semesters of One-on-One Mentorship--More Than Any Other MFA!
Every semester our students work one-on-one with a mentor of their choosing, an unparalleled opportunity for feedback and professional development.
Faculty Who Are Writers—and Mentors
Our faculty includes award-winning novelists, poets, nonfiction writers, journalists, and editors who are passionate about teaching. With small classes and one-on-one mentorship, you’ll get the individualized attention and support you need to grow.
Beyond the Page: Career Support for Emerging Writers
How We Help Students & Alumni Thrive in the Literary World
Our MFA program benefits from being embedded within the #1 art school in the nation for return on investment - the same career-focused culture, industry connections, and practical approach that makes our undergraduates successful also supports our graduate writers in building sustainable creative careers.
TA-Ships at CCA: Mentorship, Not Labor
At CCA, our Teaching Assistantships aren't about grading papers or doing grunt work—they're about creative partnership and professional growth.
From your very first year, you can step into the classroom alongside a faculty member whose work aligns with your own. We individually match TAs with professors based on shared interests—whether that's prose or poetry, community storytelling, or topics and themes that dovetail with your writing.
These are not generic composition courses. You won't be assigned to teach outside your field or asked to carry a heavy workload that takes away from your writing. Instead, you'll be invited into the heart of a course, collaborating on lesson plans, engaging in dynamic classroom conversations, and helping shape how material is delivered. You'll learn how to teach by doing it—with guidance, intention, and creative purpose.
Each TA-ship is carefully structured to protect your time:
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No more than 6 hours a week
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No grading responsibilities
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Real teaching experience, not just observation
We also take care to pair students with generous, experienced mentors—professors who are deeply invested in helping you grow as both a writer and a future educator.
Some MFA programs treat TA-ships as free labor. We don't. At CCA, it's an opportunity, not an expectation. You choose whether it supports your goals—and if it does, we make sure it becomes a deeply meaningful part of your experience.
What Our Students Say
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Partnering with Anne Shea as her TA, and discovering Arundhati Roy through her teaching, was formative for my writing journey. It was both affirming and validating in my search for voice and place in the literary world. I learned so much from Anne and through this experience; about writing, about reading, and more importantly, about the why behind it all. In return, I taught her how to spot AI-assisted work! Anne is an empowering educator who genuinely valued my input. Whether it was incorporating my suggestions for creative writing prompts, inviting me to co-lead discussions, or even giving me the opportunity to co-run my first writing workshop. We were aligned; from nerding out on literary theory to our teaching philosophy to our shared hatred for the same author! I loved that she even engaged with my own writing. And on a more personal note, I'll never forget her treating the class to empanadas from my favorite spot on my last day, or the small, teal notebook she gifted me, for spontaneous bursts of poetry for my upcoming writing residency.
Zeeniya Yahiya, Class of '26
Student Publications & Opportunities: RRR Magazine
One of the unique publishing opportunities available to our students is RRR, CCA's own publication that has featured the work of MFA Writing students for years. This provides invaluable experience in both the editorial and publishing sides of literary work.
Current Leadership: Isaiah Diaz-Mays, a second-year MFAW student, serves as RRR's assistant editor, demonstrating our program's commitment to giving students real editorial experience and leadership opportunities within the broader CCA community
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Student Contributions: Many of our MFA students have published their work in RRR over the years, creating a bridge between our program and the wider college community while providing concrete publishing credits for our graduates.
This publication opportunity exemplifies how our location within an art school creates unique platforms for student work that extend beyond traditional literary magazines into the broader creative arts community.
Shape Your Writing in the Company of Artists
At CCA, you’re not just in a writing program. You’re in a creative ecosystem. Surrounded by painters, filmmakers, designers, and architects at one of the country’s top art and design colleges, you’ll have access to courses in visual arts, filmmaking, design, and more. This unique opportunity allows your work to grow in bold, unexpected directions.
Visiting Writers Series
A course designed for all first-year students, Tuesday Seminar brings world-renowned writers and poets into the classroom to speak directly with students. In addition to professional development workshops, students have the chance to engage in intense discussions around craft and the visiting writer’s work. Seminars culminate with a reading by the visiting writer. Recent guests have included Kaveh Akbar, Justin Torres, Charif Shanahan, Rita Bullwinkel, Hanif Abdurraqib, Camille Dungy, Andrew Sean Greer, R.O. Kwon, sam sax, and Marlon James.
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Let’s Be In Touch
Get in touch so we can start working together.
