Students in CCA’s graduate programs in Humanities and Sciences develop their voice, deepen their critical thinking skills, and advance cultural discourse and engagement through research, writing, and studio practice. Supported by a tight-knit community of peers, graduate students produce publications and works that draw inspiration from the Bay Area’s rich literary history, while participating in a vibrant contemporary forum for creative storytelling, independent publishing, alternative art spaces, and the exchange of ideas.
Dual degree options
CCA provides students the option to earn two full degrees in three years by combining an MA in Visual and Critical Studies with an MFA in Fine Arts or an MFA in Writing.
Publications and partnerships
The CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts is an internationally recognized exhibition and research institute dedicated to the presentation of new ideas and works by artists who challenge our perspectives and understanding of the art of our time. In addition to engaging with the Wattis, graduate students participate in symposia, have access to printing and recording studios, and gain networking opportunities with peers and professionals in their disciplines.
Lecture Series
Each semester, CCA hosts a powerful slate of thinkers and practitioners to present lectures, workshops, and critiques. Recent visiting speakers include Alison Bechdel, Jericho Brown, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Da’Shaun Harrison, Marlon James, Dean Spade, Raina Telgemeier, and Gene Luen Yang.
MA in Visual and Critical Studies
This two-year program trains artists, critics, and scholars to write professionally about today’s visual culture. Our rigorous curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary and cross-cultural study, historical grounding, social and political analysis, and the craft of critical writing. Students learn to investigate a broad range of media and present criticism in straightforward language, so art theory can be accessible to everyone.
MFA in Comics
Comics artists are storytellers, and CCA’s STEM-designated graduate Comics program enables students to hone their craft within a supportive community that will encourage—and critically challenge—their bold work. The only program like it on the West Coast, our low-residency and full-time curricula supports a range of practices and formats as students work toward their thesis publications, which range from digital comics and graphic novels to zines and more.
MFA in Writing
In CCA’s innovative writing program, students can expect individualized instruction from a faculty of award-winning authors who have spent their careers teaching and advising emerging writers. MFA Writing students workshop personal narratives, engage with contemporary issues, and build the foundation to sustain a serious writing practice in genres from poetry and fiction to screenwriting and creative nonfiction.