Update in progress
All MFA students must complete LTTH 250 Writing and Theory and LTTH 255 Modern Art Movements during their first two years in the program. The courses are offered in alternate years. Both courses must be completed at UCSD.
The seminars in literature requirement can be fulfilled with graduate seminars in Literature outside of the Writing section or, with prior permission, upper-division undergraduate courses or guided independent study in Literature (more on this below). At least 4 units must be from a graduate seminar.
The outside-seminar requirement must be fulfilled with graduate seminars or guided independent study in an art practice or theory offered outside of Literature (such as Visual Arts), or graduate seminars offered by the Literature Department in a language other than English. Students may petition to use courses offered by Communication, Sociology and other departments if the topic fits with the student's primary research interests.
All graduate seminars taken outside of Literature must be petitioned, except the following pre-approved courses:
VIS 211. Fact and Fiction (4)
VIS 212. History and Memory (4)
VIS 213. Public Space (4)
VIS 215. Human Interface (4)
VIS 216. The Object (4)
To use an outside course for the MFA degree, download and complete the appropriate petition form (see Forms). Submit the petition and the course syllabus to the MFA Graduate Coordinator.
MFA students may seek permission to enroll in an upper-division undergraduate course (numbered 100-199) if a similar graduate seminar is not available. The student must arrange with the instructor to do a graduate-level final project; also, the student must take the course for a letter grade and receive an "A" grade.
Be aware that a letter grade can have a disproportionate, negative impact on GPA, academic standing, and eligibility for funding. Read about grades in Academic Policies for more information. It is better to arrange with the instructor to audit the course and do a graduate-level independent study project (see below), though auditing may not be an option if it's a popular course and seating is limited.
To enroll in an upper-division course, you must obtain preapproval from the MFA director and preauthorization from the course instructor, and then petition to use the course for the MFA degree. Preapproval and preauthorization can be pursued concurrently; petitioning should be done immediately after the student receives a final grade for the course.
Email a request to the program director and copy the MFA graduate coordinator. The email should include the following:
Submit a preauthorization request in EASy. Be sure to include the following:
Your request will be forwarded to the instructor. You will receive email notification from EASy once your request has been reviewed, and
The graduate student must petition the MFA Program to use upper-division courses for the degree. The student submits a petition, syllabus and rationale for each course to the MFA graduate coordinator, who will submit the packet to the MFA program director for approval (see Forms for the appropriate petition).
MFA students may propose an individualized independent study course when seminar offerings do not cover subjects, genres, or authors of interest. Enrollment in independent study is limited to 4 units per quarter; additional units must be preapproved. Contact the MFA Graduate Coordinator for advising about policy exceptions.
Independent study courses must include writing projects if the credit is to be used for the MFA degree.
The MFA Program offers two independent study courses: LTWR 298 Directed Studies (Writing Course) and LTWR 295 MFA Thesis. Credit for LTWR 298 courses may be applied toward the MFA's graduate seminar in literature requirement. Enrollment in LTWR 295 is restricted to second- and third-year students.
Students may also complete independent study in other departments and petition to use the credit for the MFA degree. The outside course must be numbered 298 or 299 (296/297 directed reading and research practicum courses are not eligible). Contact the MFA Graduate Coordinator if you need help to select course numbers.
Students must complete 4-12 units of guided teaching at UC San Diego. Those who do not want to teach may petition to substitute graduate seminar credit for teaching apprenticeship. Note that readerships do not offer academic credit and cannot be used for the teaching apprenticeship requirement.
TAships offer 2 units of credit if 25% time, 4 units if 50% time.
Teaching credit is not awarded automatically; the student must enroll in the appropriate course section and select the correct number of units. To identify the appropriate course section,
Here is a list of the apprenticeship courses you are most likely to use:
Literature Department – LTWL 500
Sixth College/Culture, Art & Technology – CAT 500
Marshall College/Dimensions of Culture – DOC 500
Muir College Writing – MCWP 500
Roosevelt College Writing – MMW 501
Revelle College Humanities – REV 500
Warren College Writing – WCWP 500