MFA Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) How do
I get an application?
Request one from
the MFA Advisory Committee member on your campus if you are a student
at one of the Consortium campuses. Otherwise, request
an application electronically; or request an application in writing
from the School of Graduate Programs, CSU, Chico, Chico, CA 95929-0875;
or call the CSU, Chico, Department of English at 530-898-5124.
2) What
is the application deadline?
The current application
period is between November 1st, 2001 and March 1st, 2002 for Summer 2002.
3) Where
should the completed application be sent?
The Grad School
application and fee should be sent to the Grad School. The portfolio
of original writing, brief statement, critical essay, and letters of reference
should be sent to Carole Oles, Department of English, CSUC, Chico, CA 95929-830.
4) How
many credits may I
transfer
from another institution?
The maximum number
of units which may be applied to the MFA degree from another graduate degree
at a Consortium campus is 24 units. The maximum number of units which may
be applied to the MFA degree from any graduate degree is 18 units. All
resident credit courses taken at consortium campuses are considered "in
residence." No more than 9 units of the 18 units may be extension
credit. For more information see Transfer
Credits or the Guide
to Graduate Studies: Policies, Procedures, & Format.
5) How
long do I have to complete the degree?
Graduate Time Limit:
All requirements for the degree are to be completed within seven years
of the end of the semester of enrollment in the oldest course applied toward
the degree. See "Graduate Education" in The
University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements.
6) May
I transfer any undergraduate courses?
Yes, assuming they
meet the course distribution requirements, as the Web site describes: at
least 35 of the total 50 units for the degree must be in courses specifically
designed for graduate study.
7) How
recent must the critical paper be?
There is no time
limit on this. It should represent you well and address the literary genre
of your major interest, whatever your undergraduate major.
8) Is
the GRE necessary?
Yes, as the Web
site describes: a minimum score of 500 on the verbal portion of the exam.
9) May
I send the rest of the application,
and forward
the GRE results later?
Yes; include a note
stating when you are scheduled to take the exam, and that you will forward
the results later.
10) How
recent must the GRE be?
It must have been
taken within the last 5 years.
11) May
I take all courses in a single genre?
In theory, yes,
though it is not our intention to schedule courses to allow students to
elect that possibility.
12) In
what format should
I present
my work in the portfolio?
Original work should
be presented as would manuscripts sent out for publication: prose double-spaced
and poetry single-spaced, on standard paper, letter-perfect printing.
13) Must
I attend a summer residency during each summer I’m working on the degree?
Yes; three consecutive
summer residencies are required for the degree.
14) Do
I "choose" my classes,
or do all
students take all classes?
Each summer residency
requires enrollment in two courses, but you may choose which courses,
i.e.,you may wish to take two courses in a single session or one course
in each of the three-week sessions scheduled each summer.
15)
Will
I be notified of how many and which of the graduate courses I have already
taken would be applied to the MFA? Who will decide?
After consultation
with a faculty advisor, each student proposes a Graduate Program Plan
which identifies such courses. The Plan is submitted to the MFA Graduate
Coordinator for consideration and recommendation to the MFA Advisory Committee
for review and approval.
16) What
if I am admitted to the program
and can’t
come for my first summer?
If you do not attend
the summer residency to which you applied and are admitted, then you must
reapply and the pay the application fee to the Graduate School at CSU,
Chico for the summer you do attend to enroll.
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