Smiling student in front of bookstore.
Writing, MFA

Program Overview

The program is in person, 32-units over two years, and begins each fall. Courses are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:15 p.m. On Tuesdays, workshops in each genre (fiction, poetry, and nonfiction) focus on student manuscripts in a peer setting of supportive critique. On Thursdays, literature seminars focus on traditions, styles, craft elements and developments, and literary models.

Program Details

  • Prospective students can obtain more information by attending an info meeting, open house, or graduate fair. Individual visits can be scheduled by contacting the MFA in Writing office.

  • All new students begin the program with a required weekend orientation in mid-August before the start of the fall semester.

Program Timeline

Requirements include three workshops, four elective seminars, and two semesters of one-on-one thesis work.

Year Fall 2025/Spring 2026 Fall 2026/Spring 2027 Summer 2026 (optional)
1 Workshop & Seminar (8 units) Workshop & Seminar (8 units) Thesis (optional) (4 units)
2 Workshop & Seminar (8 units) Thesis & Seminar (8 units)  
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The USF MFA program helped me find my way to the stories I wanted to tell. The program encouraged me to take my work seriously, and taught me practices that I continue to use in my writing life. For the first time, I felt immersed in a literary community, forming friendships with fellow writers that have lasted through the years.”

Kate Folk ’11 Adjunct Professor