MFA Program Admissions
Updated August 2025
Anna Joy Springer
Director of the MFA Program
Director of the MFA Program
The MFA Program in Writing welcomes brave and innovative writers and encourages the formation of mutually-supportive, inspiring literary communities. The MFA program is a three-year full-time, in-person program foregrounding the interconnectedness of literary arts practice, modes of production and distribution, and the rigorous study of literatures, arts, and cultures.
All graduate writing workshops are cross-genre and often interdisciplinary, investigating and often undermining a studio-versus-academic distinction in advanced literary education. Moreover, the program encourages interdisciplinary research and holistic approaches to teaching and learning. Program participants are encouraged to focus exclusively on writing, teaching, research, and art-making during their residency, allowing writers to integrate pedagogical training and artistic practice as a way to prepare for future scholarly endeavors while creating a book-length work of literature.
About the Program
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students are admitted each year?
We typically admit 4 students from a pool of approximately 150 applicants. You may view the full stats here: Admissions (Grad Data).
How do I know your program is the right one for me?
If you would like to explore our department metrics, student population data, info on placement after graduation and more, Grad Data has several relevant public reports. You can view more details about our faculty on their profiles. You can also view our current students page (MFA Students) to see their interests and creative works and our alumni page (MFA Alumni) to see past thesis titles.
We also recommend that you read a few books by our core faculty and New Writing speakers before you apply.
In your Statement of Purpose, explain why you see this program as a good fit for your specific interests and goals, and be sure to name which faculty members you hope to work with and why.
Is it typical for MFA graduates to pursue a PhD degree?
No, it is not typical. The MFA is a terminal professional degree, and most of our students pursue career and employment opportunities after graduating.
For any students who choose to pursue a PhD program after the MFA:
- Whether or not courses from the MFA may be applied to future PhD requirements depends on the policies of the specific PhD program, and students should seek advising from the respective program.
- While the MFA in Writing is a 9-quarter (3-year) program, not all courses taken during the program will directly apply to the MFA degree requirements. Typically, any courses taken that do not apply to the MFA degree requirements may be transferable to a PhD program.
Generally, the University of California allows its graduate students a maximum of 18 quarters to serve as a teaching assistant (the most common form of financial support). Students in our MFA in Writing program will typically serve as a TA for 9 quarters. Many doctoral programs are designed to be completed in 18 quarters of time/support; therefore, if you pursue a PhD at one of the UC campuses after you complete the MFA, you will only be eligible to serve as a Teaching Assistant for 9 quarters (which may or may not fulfill your financial support needs during the program).
While it is possible to complete a PhD after the MFA (both within the UC system), it's a very difficult path and requires advance planning. Before you apply to our MFA in Writing program, seek advising from faculty and staff at potential PhD programs for guidance.
While it is possible to complete a PhD after the MFA (both within the UC system), it's a very difficult path and requires advance planning. Before you apply to our MFA in Writing program, seek advising from faculty and staff at potential PhD programs for guidance.
Is there a part-time or online attendance option?
No. This is a full-time study, full residency program. “Full residency” means that you must be physically present on campus September to June to participate in seminars, fulfill teaching duties (if applicable), and attend orientations and training sessions. It is important for prospective students to note that full-time enrollment is a requirement of many financial support options, most commonly 50% Teaching Assistant positions on campus, but also stipends and tuition/fee payments. Half-time study is a quarter-by-quarter exception, which makes students ineligible for most forms of financial support. So, it is only a viable option in a few very specific situations.
Can I visit the campus and talk to a particular professor?
You are always welcome to visit us, but it is best to make meeting arrangements in advance. If you would like to meet with a particular faculty, please contact them directly to arrange a time. Aside from faculty you may want to work with if admitted, you can also consider reaching out to the faculty leaders of our graduate programs (Graduate Program Leadership). Please keep in mind that there may be times when faculty members are not able to meet with prospective students. This is especially true in the summer and any holidays. Please be respectful of the professors' time.
If you would be interested in attending a New Writing Series event, please reach out to the New Writing Series Director for information.
If you would be interested in sitting in on a class meeting, search UCSD's quarterly Schedule of Classes for our MFA classes (LTWR 215 or LTWR 220). Then, if the class schedule is convenient for you, email the instructor for permission to attend.
For general information about UCSD and San Diego, we recommend the following resources:
- Visitor information and a virtual tour with Office of Admissions Tours
- UC San Diego from the Skies (YouTube)
- City of San Diego Official Website
- UCSD Grad and Family Housing
Can I contact some of your students? I would like to ask them some questions.
Yes, but please be respectful of the students' time and keep in mind that some student may not respond (especially during the summer and any holidays). A list of our graduate students and contact information can be found on the Graduate Student Profiles Page. Aside from specific MFA students, you can also consider reaching out to the students of our Literature Graduate Student Committee (Graduate Program Leadership).
Do you accept late applications?
We only admit students once a year, and we do not accept late applications. Be sure that you have submitted your application and paid the application fee by the application deadline. If you will be applying for an application fee waiver, please carefully review the process and timeline details on the Application Guidelines page.
Check your account in UC San Diego Graduate Application Management regularly for missing documents. Plan to apply at least a month before the application deadline to allow enough time to track down delayed or missing documents.
NOTE: If you have completed all other sections of the application and are only waiting on a letter of recommendation and/or a test score, please move forward with submitting your application (as-is) by the deadline. Letters of recommendation and test scores will be added to your application once received, even after the submission deadline. However, since we begin reviewing applications soon after the submission deadline, we cannot guarantee that any late documents will be included in the review of your application. Therefore, we highly recommend that you request these items as early as possible.
What is your policy on deferring admissions?
If you are offered admission to our program and choose not to accept during the current admission cycle, you will not be guaranteed admission in any future cycle. You would need to submit a new application, which would be reviewed with that respective year's pool of applicants.