About Us

In a Nutshell

The MFA program offers talented writers the opportunity to develop skills as fiction writers or poets in an academic setting while immersing themselves in a vibrant literary community. Our program requires three years to complete, during which time students produce a book-length manuscript of creative work, as well as obtain valuable professional experience in a wide range of fields, including education and literary publishing. 

Learning In and Out of the Classroom   

Students learn from devoted and renowned full-time faculty—including Cyrus Cassells, Doug Dorst, Jennifer DuBois, Debra Monroe, Cecily Parks, Charlotte Pence, Lindsay Stern, and Steve Wilson—who lead workshops, teach seminars on a range of craft topics, and mentor students in completing book-length projects. Students also complete coursework in literature, rhetoric, and publishing, as well as practicums in teaching for those interested in pursuing careers in higher education.  

Just as importantly, the MFA program offers abundant learning outside of the classroom, giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in literature and craft, while preparing for a wide variety of careers, including in publishing and education. Through the TKL/KAP Visiting Writers Series, students spend quality time with renowned authors, sharing meals, participating in craft classes, and enjoying readings. In monthly co-curricular workshops, students submit writing, read their peers’ latest work, and learn from their acclaimed instructors, Naomi Shihab Nye and Tim O’Brien. During frequent program events, students develop professional skills and explore career paths while meeting with literary agents, editors, educators, publishers, nonprofit leaders, and alumni working in a range of industries. Many students also intern for Porter House Review, the program’s award-winning literary magazine, where they practice soliciting, selecting, editing, and acquiring content, as well as marketing and event management. Moreover, through the program’s large alumni and partner network, students are also connected to a range of employment, internship, and publication opportunities to further their skills and experience. Our students also regularly celebrate each other at peer readings, post-workshop socials, and other community events.

Facts and Figures

Our program enrolls approximately 70 students between the Fiction and Poetry tracks.

Most students receive robust funding in the form of Instructional Assistantships and scholarships.

Students primarily live in San Marcos and in Austin, the center of which is about 30 minutes from campus.

The MFA at Texas State is a studio/academic program that promotes comprehensive learning and professional development throughout the degree plan. As a result, hundreds of our graduates have secured teaching positions at universities, K-12 schools, and organizations devoted to community education. 

Graduates of our program have been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Award, a PEN Center USA Literary Award for Fiction among many other prizes; they have been nominated or long-listed for numerous other awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Booker Prize, and The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. They have also published several hundred books. 

MFA students also staff Porter House Review, the program's award-winning literary journal, which features established and emerging writing from around the world. Working for the publication allows students to gain experience as editors, work with visiting instructors from across the publishing industry, and earn up to six credit hours for their work.

Have Questions? 

Reach out to Bianca Alyssa Pérez, MFA Program Coordinator, at mfinearts@txstate.edu.