Advising Overview

If you do not see your question here, please email Katherine Kwid at kkwid@sfsu.edu with your question.

Do we have assigned advisors?

• No, B.A. English: Creative Writing majors do not have assigned advisors. Any Creative Writing advisor can assist you in planning your B.A. degree program in English: Creative Writing.

How do I meet with an advisor?

• Our faculty advisors have office hours listed for each semester on our department website. Their office hours are walk in, with no appointments necessary, with exception to the Department Chair. 

How do I declare or change my major to Creative Writing?

• If you are an undeclared student, or a student declared in another major you can declare your Creative Writing major online following the steps outlined by the Registrar's office: FAQ: Change of Major or Minor | SF State Registrar's Office (sfsu.edu). 
• A minimum 2.0 GPA is required for entry into the Creative Writing Major

Can I minor in Creative Writing?

• No, the Creative Writing Department does not offer a minor. It is possible to register for a double major, with a Petition to Add a Second Major. 

How do I figure out what courses I need to take to complete the major?

• Using your Degree Progress Report and our B.A. in English: Creative Writing Advising worksheet (Spring 2021 or prior) or our B.A. in Creative Writing Advising worksheet, you should be able to figure out which courses you have left to take for the Creative Writing Major. If you have further questions, or want to double check that you have/will be registered for the correct courses, you can meet with any of our Faculty Advisors for their help. Please bring an advising worksheet that you have filled in as much as possible, and your unofficial transcripts when meeting with an advisor. 
• If you need help with your G.E. requirement, you can visit the Undergraduate Advising Center.

My Degree Progress Report doesn't reflect some of the courses I have taken. What can I do?

• If the course is listed as approved on our advising worksheets, but is not showing up in the associated section in your DPR, please reach out to Katherine Kwid for the correction via email at kkwid@sfsu.edu. If the course is something that you think would work well for a section, but is not listed as approved for the section you wish to apply it to, please reach out to a faculty advisor for approval. Once you have the approval in writing, you can forward it to Katherine Kwid to get the programming updated in your DPR.

When can I enroll in classes?

• You will find your enrollment appointment date in your Student Center, accessed through SF State Gateway.

I'm transferring from a two year community college or other university. What courses will transfer?

• Please speak with an articulation advisor at your current college. If you are transferring from an in-state public 2 or 4 year colleges or universities, there is an online tool, called Assist, (but this should only be supplementary to speaking with an Articulation Advisor). If you will transfer from an in-state private or out-of-state 2 or 4 year institution, please contact Undergraduate Admissions by email at ugradmit@sfsu.edu. You can also view general information on the Future Students page.

I'm ready to graduate. How do I apply for graduation?

• You can find directions on how to graduate on the registrar's website.

If you have a question that has not been answered on this page, please email Katherine at kkwid@sfsu.edu.

I am not sure when my priority registration is going to be. How can I find that out?

• The Registrar's Office has a Dates and Deadlines page for each semester. Dates and times may change without prior notice. Contact the Registrar's Office for verification.

Who is my advisor?

• We do not make formal advisor assignments. We recommend reaching out to any faculty advisor in your genre, until you get familiar enough to know which advisor would best suit your academic career. You will receive an informal advisor assignment when you begin the program. When you find a faculty advisor you would like to work with, you are welcome to reach out to them to ask for an advising appointment. No formal declaration of your advisor is needed.

What deadlines should I be aware of?

• There are two places to look for important dates and deadlines. The first one has all of the basic university deadlines and dates, including and not limited to semester start and end dates, class registration dates, course add and drop deadlines, withdrawal deadlines, and the finals schedule. This page is updated each semester. The information is found on the Registrar's Dates and Deadlines page. The other page to look at for specifics of your Graduate paperwork, you can look at the Student Deadlines page on the Division of Graduate Studies website. You can also find useful information about the semester activities, including on the Academic Calendar.

How do I change my program from the M.F.A. to the M.A. or from the M.A. to the M.F.A.?

• You can find detailed instructions here on our M.A./M.F.A. program section.
• You can use up to 24 units of M.A. coursework towards our M.F.A. Completing both programs can be done with as little as one additional class and the additional thesis (6 units). 

How do I change my designated genre?

• If you decide that the genre that you applied to and were accepted into, is no longer of interest to you, you should make arrangements to meet with a professor who specializes in the genre to which you wish to change to. They will want to see your writing as it relates to the genre that you wish to move to, and will determine if they think you are a good fit. Changing genres is not guaranteed. If the professor agrees that your work and skill level would work for the new genre, they will agree to let you move to the new area. Your thesis does need to be done in the area in which you have designated, so you must change genres if you wish to do a thesis in a different area.

I'd like to register for my thesis course next semester. Is there anything I need to prepare now?

• Yes, there are two forms that need to be completed before you can get permission to enroll in your thesis course. These need to be turned in the semester before enrollment.
• You will need to ask a faculty member to be your thesis reader. This should be a faculty member who specializes in your chosen genre. 
• Open interactive Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) form found on the Division of Graduate Studies website. From the dropdown menu select either Creative Writing M.F.A. or English: Creative Writing M.A. Fill in the form on your computer and print it out for signature (your thesis advisor will sign your ATC form). The ATC form has various sections with informative headings, consisting of which courses satisfy which requirements, read carefully. Aids to filling in your ATC form: program requirements as outlined in various handouts, the bulletin and your unofficial SF State transcript, available through your student center. Once you have filled in all coursework, your personal information, print out for signature.
• Open interactive Proposal for Culminating Experience form online. Select 893: Written Creative Work. Fill in the form on your computer. The description must be at least 40 words long. You and your first reader must agree upon 2-3 dates in your thesis semester when you will meet; your fist reader checks the boxes to indicate that they are not (rarely he or she might be available, but usually they are not) available during either the Summer or Winter. 
• Get signatures from Committee Chair (also known as your first reader or thesis advisor) on your ATC and your Proposal for Culminating Experience forms. Your "second reader" or committee member also signs your culminating Experience from (this second reader/committee member is a nominal member only except in special circumstances).
• Form submissions directions can be found on the steps to graduation pages. 

Does my advisor need to be my thesis reader?

• No, your advisor does not need to also be your thesis reader. Your thesis reader should be one of the professors that specializes in your designated genre, but the person who advises you can be from any area of Creative Writing.

The courses I ended up taking have deviated from the courses I submitted on my ATC form. How do I update the form to reflect the courses I took?

• You would use the ATC Course Substitution form. This form is necessary when you have deviated in any way from the M.A./M.F.A. degree requirements, including if you take different courses than those listed on your ATC. If more than three changes are needed, the Division of Graduate Study would like you to complete and submit a new ATC form.

I ended up changing the title of my thesis after I submitted my Proposal for Culminating Experience form. How do I update my title?

• You can change the title of your thesis by submitting a Title Change for Culminating Experience form.

I would like to change the committee member(s) for my Proposal for Culminating Experience. How do I update this information?

• You can update or completely change your committee members using the Petition for Committee Revision.