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Saint Mary's College of California · Creative Writing Department

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative WritingPartial funding

Overview

A two-year, full-time residential MFA in creative nonfiction, fiction, or poetry requiring 44 units, built on studio workshops, craft seminars, contemporary literature courses, the Writer in the World series, and a thesis. About six students are admitted per genre each year.

Official program name
MFA in Creative Writing
Awarded degree
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
School
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Location
Moraga, CA
Delivery / residency
Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Study intensity
Full-time
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Duration
Two years
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Required credits
44 units (up to 48 may be taken)
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Teaching language
English (not separately stated)
Start
Fall
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Why this degree is listed

Awarded degree is a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in creative nonfiction, fiction, or poetry.

Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

We list dedicated creative writing degrees only. Eligibility rules

Curriculum, genres and faculty

Genres

Creative NonfictionFictionPoetry

Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Workshops

  • Writing workshop (5 units) with a workshop tutorial each semester, led by permanent faculty and visiting writers.
    Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Craft courses

Literature courses

  • Contemporary literature courses in each genre with a research component.
    Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Thesis / dissertation

Other

  • Optional three-year dual MFA and single-subject teaching credential pathway.
    Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Faculty listed by the program

  • Marilyn Abildskov — Core faculty, creative_nonfiction
  • Chris Feliciano Arnold — Director, MFA in Creative Writing, creative_nonfiction
  • Ingrid Rojas Contreras — Core faculty, fiction
  • Matthew Zapruder — Core faculty, poetry

As listed on the program's official page on October 9, 2026. Listing does not mean a faculty member is teaching or supervising new students in a given year.

Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
Personal statement
RequiredPersonal statement, 2-5 double-spaced pages
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required2 letters — Minimum of two, no more than three letters of recommendation
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Application fee
Required$50 — $50 application fee
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Application fee waiver
OptionalAttendees of Visiting Writer events are eligible for a fee waiver
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Transcripts
RequiredUnofficial transcripts; official transcript from the degree-granting institution upon admittance
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Other requirement
OptionalTeaching Fellowship Essay (up to 1,000 words) for a Teaching Fellowship in Composition
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Writing portfolio

GenreLengthRequirement as published
Poetryup to 10 pagesNo more than 10 pages of poetryFormatting: 12-point fontSource: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Fiction10–15 pages10-15 pages of fictionFormatting: double-spaced, 12-point fontSource: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Creative Nonfiction10–15 pages10-15 pages of creative nonfictionFormatting: double-spaced, 12-point fontSource: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Tests

GRE and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness: programs rarely publish comparable figures.

Deadlines

Dates are shown with the admissions cycle the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

  • International applicants

    January 8, 2027 · for Fall 2027

    Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
    Upcoming

  • Application deadline

    February 12, 2027 · for Fall 2027

    Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
    Upcoming

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its applicant category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-year and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
All students — MFA in Creative Writing, yearly tuition (locked for two years)Published for campus-based study$34,056per academic year · 2026-2027Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
All students — MFA in Creative Writing, total two-year program tuitionPublished for campus-based study$68,112entire program · 2026-2027Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Funding

Some scholarships, assistantships or awards exist for some students; full funding is not stated. “Fully funded” never means every personal expense is covered. How we classify funding

Partial fundingPolicy year: 2026-2027

Funding guarantee
Not fully funded; all students receive some tuition scholarship.
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Assistantship duties
Composition Fellows study pedagogy in year one and teach a first-year writing class.
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Separate application
Automatic consideration for merit-based scholarships.
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Other
Graduate assistantships covering cost of attendance for students in program-support roles.
Source: stmarys-ca.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 9, 2026.
  1. stmarys-ca.edu/arts-sciences/creative-writing — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  2. stmarys-ca.edu/arts-sciences/mfa-creative-writing/admissions — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  3. stmarys-ca.edu/arts-sciences/mfa-creative-writing/course-of-study — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  4. stmarys-ca.edu/arts-sciences/mfa-creative-writing/faculty — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  5. stmarys-ca.edu/arts-sciences/mfa-creative-writing/financial-support — Official funding / aid page, verified October 9, 2026
  6. stmarys-ca.edu/mfa-in-creative-writing — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026

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Creative Writing Programs is independent and not affiliated with Saint Mary's College of California. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.