Posting here in case others are accepted this year. I got into the CUNY MA when applying for the PhD two years ago, and accepted it. Now finishing up and applying to PhDs.
It is an unfunded MA, which sucks. The tuition is low relative to other unfunded MAs, however, at least if you're in-state. Courses are usually four credits, so $1880 per course if you're in-state (and $3420 if you're out of state). If you're in-state it caps at $5,545 per semester for a full load. That does add up (almost $17k minimum for the degree) but compared to other MA programs my understanding is that's on the low end.
It can be a three-semester program if you take 3 classes a semester and prioritize meeting the distribution requirements. But lots of MA students take one or two courses a semester while working. That might mean completing the program part-time in 2-4 years; I think this is the best way to think about the program if you can't self-fund. People also apply to PhDs while doing this; I know one person applied in her first semester and got into CUNY's PhD from the MA while only taking one course a semester. It's not a bad deal imo if you don't have other offers and you're based in NYC or you want to live here otherwise.
The MA program itself is pretty minimal. There's one prosem with other MAs in your first semester. Then there's a capstone which is just a workshop for your writing sample (or a publishable paper, if you want to go that route). Besides that, you just register for all the same courses as the PhD students, and you can blend in with them if you try. The advice I got going in was: don't tell anyone you're in the MA program, act like a doctoral student and build connections with professors, try to get them to look at your work. I'm not great at this honestly, but still made some good connections and got new letters out of it. There are only 6 or so MA students admitted each year, so it's not like you're competing a ton for attention.
