A low-residency program (or limited residency program) is a form of education, normally at the university level, which involves some amount of
distance education and brief on-campus or specific-site residencies—residencies may be one weekend or several weeks. These programs are most frequently offered by colleges and universities that also teach standard full-time courses on campus. There are numerous
master's degree programs in a wide range of content areas; one of the most popular limited residency degree programs is the
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.)
is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...
in
creative writing. The first such program was developed by
Evalyn Bates
Evalyn Cora Bates (1907–2010) was an American educator who helped found Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.
Born in Williamstown, Vermont, in 1916 to a Vermont subsistence farmer and his Vermont-born wife, Evalyn Cora Bates was the middle-b ...
and launched in 1963 at
Goddard College in
Plainfield, Vermont.
There are low-residency MFA programs in creative writing, visual arts, photography, and painting. Other graduate programs that can earn a student a degree include Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Accounting. A few schools offer limited residency undergraduate options:
Goddard College,
Prescott College,
Lesley University,
New Hampshire Institute of Art
The New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA) was a private art school in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) a ...
, and
Union Institute & University
Union Institute & University (UI&U) is a private university in Cincinnati, Ohio. It specializes in limited residence and distance learning programs. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and operates satellite campuses ...
.
Structure
Programs vary, but an intensive, low-residency model requires students to come to campus every six months for 1-2 weeks, during which time students engage in a variety of activities and lectures during the day, and create detailed study plans. During the non-residency semester periods, students study independently, sending in "packets" to their faculty mentors every month or so. The content of the packets varies with each individual, but focuses on research, writing, and reflection related to each student's individualized study plan. A few schools, such as Western State Colorado University, actually conduct live online classes via Skype each week during the non-residency periods as well as having instructors reading students' work and provide written feedback weekly.
List of colleges with low-residency programs
United States
Alma College MFA in creative writing
*
Antioch University Los Angeles, MFA in creative writing
*
Antioch UniversityPh.D. in leadership and change*
Arcadia University, MFA in creative writing
*
Ashland University
Ashland University is a private university in Ashland, Ohio. The university consists of a main campus and several off-campus centers throughout central and northern Ohio. Ashland was founded in 1878 as Ashland College. It is affiliated with The ...
**MFA poetry
**MFA creative nonfiction
**MFA fiction
**MFA interdisciplinary
*
Augsburg University
Augsburg University is a private university in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was founded in 1869 as a Norwegian-American Lutheran seminary known as Augsburg Seminarium. Today, the u ...
MFA in creative writing*
Bastyr University
Bastyr University is a private alternative medicine university with campuses in Kenmore, Washington, and San Diego, California. Programs include naturopathy, acupuncture, Traditional Asian medicine, nutrition, herbal medicine, ayurvedic medic ...
br>
MS in Midwifery*
Bennington College
**MFA in writing
**MA in teaching a second language (MATSL)
*
Boston Architectural College
*
Master of Architecture, DIstance*
Master of Architecture, Sustainable Design*
Master of Design Studies, Historic Preservation*
Master of Design Studies, Design for Human Health*
Burlington College
Burlington College was a private college in Burlington, Vermont. It offered associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees, as well as several professional certificates. Although regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools an ...
independent degree program*
California College of the ArtsMFA in comics*
Carlow UniversityMFA in creative writing*
Chatham University
Chatham University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally founded as a women's college, it began enrolling men in undergraduate programs in 2015. It enrolls about 2,110 students, including 1,002 undergraduate students an ...
MFA creative writing*
College of Saint Elizabeth (Morristown, New Jersey)
M.A. in theology*
Converse College (Spartanburg, South Carolina
MFA in creative writing*
Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa)
MFA in creative writing*
Drew University (Madison, New Jersey)
MFA in poetry*
Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, Kentucky
MFA in creative writing*
Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityMFA in creative writing*
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time ...
MFA in creative writing*
Goddard College
**MFA creative writing
**MFA interdisciplinary arts
**BFA creative writing
**MA & BA individualized studies
**MA & BA education
**MA & BA psychology & counseling
**BA & MA health arts & sciences
**BA in sustainability
*
Goucher College
MFA in Creative Nonfiction*
Master of Arts in Cultural Sustainability (MACS)Master of Arts in Historic Preservation*
Master of Arts in Arts Administration*
Hamline UniversityMFA in writing for children and young adults*
Institute of American Indian Arts
*
MFA in studio arts*
Jacksonville University
*
MFA in choreography*
MFA in visual arts
*
Lesley University
**Master of Science ecological teaching and learning
**Master of Arts expressive therapies
*
MFA in creative writing*
MFA in Visual Arts*
Maine College of ArtMFA in studio arts*
Marylhurst University (Portland, Oregon)
B.A. in English literature & new media*
Marywood University
Marywood University is a private Catholic university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Established in 1915 by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Marywood currently enrolls more than 2,800 students in a variety of undergraduate, gradu ...
MFA in graphic design or illustration*
Massachusetts College of Art and DesignMFA in studio arts*
Mills CollegeMFA in Translation*
Miami University**MFA in fiction
**MFA in creative nonfiction
**MFA in poetry
*
Montclair State UniversityMFA in danceref>
*
Murray State University
Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, H ...
MFA in creative writing*
Naropa University
Naropa University is a private university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa, it is named for the 11th-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, an abbot of Nalanda. The university describes itself as B ...
, MFA in creative writing
*
New England College
MFA program in poetryMs in Sport & Recreation Management*
New Hampshire Institute of Art
The New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA) was a private art school in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) a ...
*
MFA in photography*
MFA in visual arts*
MFA in creative writing*
MFA in writing for stage and screen* Newport MFA (Newport, Rhode Island)
MFA in creative writing*
Northwest Institute of Literary Arts
The Northwest Institute of Literary Arts (NILA) was a non-profit Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing low-residency program founded by the Whidbey Island Writers Association. It was in operation for twelve years, from 2005 to 2016. Beginning wi ...
, program now terminated
*
Oklahoma City UniversityRed Earth MFA in creative writing*Oregon State University Cascades, MFA in creative writing
*
Pacific Lutheran UniversityRainier Writing Workshop*
Pacific Northwest College of ArtMFA in visual studies*
Pacific UniversityMFA in creative writing*
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
*
Pine Manor College
Pine Manor College (PMC) was a private college in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1911 and was historically a women's college until 2014. It currently serves fewer than 400 students, many of whom live on the 40-acre campus. Origin ...
Solstice Low-Residency MFA Program** MFA in fiction writing
** MFA in creative nonfiction
** MFA in poetry
** MFA in writing for children & young adults
** MFA in comics & graphic narratives
** Applied Track in pedagogy
*
Prescott College
** Ph.D. in sustainability education
** Master of Arts in humanities
** Master of Arts in environmental studies
** Master of Arts in adventure education
** Master of Arts in counseling psychology
** Master of Arts in education
** Bachelor of Arts in education
** Bachelor of Arts in human development
** Bachelor of Arts in arts and culture
** Bachelor of Arts in sustainability and environmental studies
*
Queens University of Charlotte
*
Reinhardt University, MFA in creative writing
*
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
** MFA in studio
** MFA in writing
*
Seattle Pacific University, MFA in creative writing
*
Seton Hill University
Seton Hill University is a private Catholic university in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Formerly a women's college, it became a coeducational university in 2002 and enrolls about 2,200 students.
History
The school was founded in 1885 by the Sist ...
MFA in writing of popular fiction*
Sierra Nevada University
*
MFA in creative writing*
MFA in interdisciplinary arts*
Skidmore CollegeMaster of Arts in liberal studies (MALS)*
Sofia University (formerly the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology)
**MA in spiritual guidance
**MA in women's spirituality
**MA in counseling psychology
*
Southern New Hampshire UniversityLow-Residency MFA in fiction and nonfiction*
Spalding UniversityMFA in creative writing*
SIT Graduate Institute
The School for International Training, widely known by its initials SIT, is a private non-profit regionally-accredited institution headquartered in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States. The institution has two main divisions. SIT Graduate Instit ...
Master's in international education*
St. Edwards University
St. Edward's University is a private, Catholic university in Austin, Texas. It was founded and is operated in the Holy Cross tradition.
History Founding and early history
St. Edward's University was founded by the Reverend Edward Sorin, CSC, ...
in
Austin, Texas
*
The Bill Munday School of Business**
Master of Business Administration**
Master of Science in leadership and change*
Stephens College
Stephens College is a private women's college in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second-oldest women's educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833, as the Columbia Female Acade ...
*
MFA TV and screenwritingTransart Institute**MFA in creative practice (studio)
**PhD in studio art (practice-based PhD)
*
University of Alaska Anchorage, MFA in creative writing
*
University of California, Riverside: Palm Desert Graduate Center
MFA in creative writing
*
University of Hartford
**MFA photography
**MFA illustration
**MFA interdisciplinary
*
University of IllinoisMS in library and information science*
University of NebraskaMFA in creative writing*
University of New Orleans, creative writing
*
University of PennsylvaniaMA in applied positive psychology*
University of Southern Maine,
Stonecoast MFA Program in creative writing
*
University of TampaMFA in creative writing*
University of Texas-El Paso, MFA in creative writing
*
Vermont College of Fine Arts
**MFA in writing
**MFA in writing for children and young adults
**MFA in visual arts
**MFA in graphic design
**MFA in music composition
Western New England University MFA in creative writing
*
Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, MFA in creative writing
*
West Virginia Wesleyan College, MFA in creative writing
*
Western Connecticut State University, MFA in creative and professional writing
*
Western State Colorado University
**MFA in genre fiction
**MFA in poetry
**MFA in screen and television writing
**MFA in publishing
*
Wilkes University, MFA in creative writing
Canada
*
Emily Carr University of Art and DesignMFA
*
University of British ColumbiaMFA creative writing
Europe
*
ArtEZ University of Arts ArtEZ University of Arts ( nl, ArtEZ hogeschool voor de kunsten) is an art academy in Netherlands. ArtEZ combines several art institutes and art disciplines with branches in Arnhem, Enschede, and Zwolle. In its name the A stands for Arnhem, the E f ...
(Arnhem, Netherlands) MA Performance Practices (English speaking Master's Degree, including Choreography, Theatre Practices, Performance Art, Digital Performance, and Dedisciplined Body in Performance
*
Bath Spa University (Bath, England) PhD in creative writin
*
European Graduate School (Saas-Fee, Switzerland, and Valletta, Malta), MA and PhD
European Humanities University(Lithuania)
*
Free University of Berlin (Berlin, Germany) MA in Visual and Media Anthropolog
*
Kingston University, London (
Kingston upon Thames, England)
MFA/MA Low Residency in creative writing*
University of Oxford (Oxford, England) MSt in creative writin
Asia
*
City University of Hong Kongbr>
MFA Creative Writing
References
{{Reflist
Alternative education
Learning
Distance education