Overview

The Creative Writing from California State University Long Beach is a terminal degree currently recognized as sufficient to qualify students for college and university teaching jobs and for positions in the publishing industry.

The MFA programme at CSULB is a two-year, full-time programme in which students complete 48 units of coursework with professors in the Department of English. Students are expected to submit an approved thesis of creative writing midway through the spring semester of their second years.

Poetry or Prose

The English Department offers teaching opportunities to MFA students:

The center of the MFA Programme in Poetry is the graduate Seminar in Writing. The goal of the programme is to further the development of talented creative writers who will continue writing throughout their lives. Students come to us already having demonstrated significant levels of accomplishment in their writing, and a serious long-term commitment to the craft. To maximize direct faculty-to-student instruction, the programme keeps enrollment low, limiting admission to the fall semester.

The center of the MFA Programme in Prose is the graduate Seminar in Writing. The goal of the programme is to further the development of talented creative writers who will continue writing throughout their lives. Students come to us already having demonstrated significant levels of accomplishment in their writing, and a serious long-term commitment to the craft. To maximize direct faculty-to-student instruction, the programme keeps enrollment low, limiting admission to the fall semester.

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Programme Structure

Courses include:

Poetry and the Self

Theories of Writing and Literacy

Research Methods in Rhetoric and Composition

History of English Language

Theories and Practices in Composition

Selected Topics for In-service Teachers

Old English Language and Literature

Middle English Language and Literature

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Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-17 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-03-15 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2027-02-15 00:00:00 , National

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

115

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TOEFL^® IBT

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PTE Academic

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

48 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Long Beach, United States

Disciplines

Creative Writing View 385 other Masters in Creative Writing in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

3.2

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Students applying for admission to the MFA Programme generally have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree in English from an accredited institution with a 3.2 GPA in upper-division English courses, meet University admission requirements, and submit evidence of creative ability in prose or poetry.

When an undergraduate degree has been completed in a programme having different requirements from those of CSULB or in some field other than English, additional preparation may be required.

Admission to the MFA programme in Creative Writing is based in part on an evaluation of a representative sample of the applicant’s recent work. The sample should consist of 10 pages of poetry or 20-30 double-spaced pages of prose.

Official college or university transcripts,

Two letters of recommendation

A brief “statement of background and purpose” addressing the student’s preparation and potential for commitment to the MFA programme.

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

17922 USD / year

≈ 17922 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

8064 USD / year

≈ 8064 USD / year

Additional Details

If you are not a resident of California, you must add $444.00 for each unit of credit you take to your tuition total.

Living costs

Long Beach

United States

1400 - 2000 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

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Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Creative Writing.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Poetry or Prose

Get more details

Programme Structure

Check out the full curriculum

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

Explore more key information

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Additional Details

Living costs

Long Beach

Financing

Funding

Check for any work restrictions

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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