The MFA in Creative Writing Program at Antioch University Los Angeles is dedicated to nurturing the writer as a whole person. By working with renowned faculty mentors and participating in our lively and rich Online Community, students engage with their craft and their peers, paving the way for their future lives as working writers.

Our commitment to diversity sets us apart from other institutions and is reflected in our student body and in the opportunities available to students—from the Field Study to the post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing and the forthcoming Certificate in Publishing Arts. Students are able to explore writing in different genres outside their primary field of study and to learn about language nuance in a Translation seminar. Final activities for graduating students include a public reading and the presentation of a 50-minute lecture on a topic of the student’s choosing.

The MFA Field Study allows students, through methods of their own design and choosing, a way to explore the changing role of the writer in the world. For some of our alumni, a Field Study in teaching creative writing to underserved communities has led to the development of vibrant non-profit presses, or lifelong volunteering in correctional institutions or the teen rooms at libraries. For others, the Field Study has been an opportunity to learn how the risk-taking of surfing can lead directly into new creative work, or the rhythm of throwing a pot can relate to the rhythm of writing a poem. Other Field Studies have involved internships with magazines, small presses and non-profit arts organizations.

The Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing is a one-semester extension to the MFA, offering professional training for writers with an MFA from any accredited institution who are interested in pedagogy and real-world training as precursors to teaching careers. The new Certificate in Publishing Arts offers rich additional programming during Antioch University residencies. The Certificate program is open to anyone with a bachelors degree, and provides a year-long experience in nonprofits and small magazine or small press publishing.