About the Program
Consists of workshops in chosen genres, culminating in a final project (the master's thesis) which showcases the writer's cultivated talents, in the form of a poetry collection, novel, memoir, screenplay, or full-length play. The M.F.A. requires students to write in two genres, allowing for creative movement within disciplines. Structure and focus in screenwriting and playwriting can also be applied to fiction and nonfiction, and lyricism and metaphor in poetry can also enhance description and dialogue in the other genres, for example. Students engage in course work in varied areas of directing and acting, in film history and literature, in literary criticism and translation, with supplemental courses selected from the departments of Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages, English, Hispanic Studies, and Media and Cultural Studies. Students can gain practical aspects of filmmaking from courses in Studio Art and Theatre.
If you are interested in our program please complete the Preliminary Information Form. The form will be delivered to the Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts program Director and Graduate Advisors for initial review. This will provide immediate consideration of your interests and qualifications prior to receipt of the official Graduate Division application, which is a longer process and will provide you with an early opportunity to ask questions and speak with faculty. We also encourage you to file an "official" application through the Graduate Division website http://www.graddiv.ucr.edu/admtoc.html.