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
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
programs in a wide range of content areas; one of the most popular limited residency degree programs is the
Master of Fine Arts in
creative writing. The first such program was developed by
Evalyn Bates 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, such as
Prescott College and
Lesley University.
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, MA in Clinical Psychology]
*
Antioch UniversityPh.D. in leadership and change*
Antioch University Seattle,
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
*
Arcadia University, MFA in creative writing
*
Ashland University
**MFA poetry
**MFA creative nonfiction
**MFA fiction
**MFA interdisciplinary
*
Augsburg UniversityMFA in creative writing*
Bastyr Universitybr>
MS in Midwifery MFA in Visual Arts
*
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 Collegeindependent degree program*
California College of the ArtsMFA in comics*
Carlow UniversityMFA in creative writing*
Chatham University 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 UniversityMFA 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 Art
Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) is a Private college, private art school in Portland, Maine. Founded in 1882, Maine College of Art & Design is the oldest arts educational institution in Maine. Roughly 32% of MECA&D students are from Maine. ...
MFA in studio arts*
Marylhurst University (Portland, Oregon)
B.A. in English literature & new media*
Marywood UniversityMFA in graphic design or illustration*
Massachusetts College of Art and DesignMFA in studio arts*
Mills CollegeMFA in Translation*
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...
**MFA in fiction
**MFA in creative nonfiction
**MFA in poetry
*
Montclair State UniversityMFA in danceref>
*
Murray State UniversityMFA in creative writing*
Naropa University, MFA in creative writing
*
New England College
MFA program in poetryMs in Sport & Recreation Management*
New Hampshire Institute of Art
*
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, 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 CollegeSolstice 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
*
School of Visual Arts
** MFA in Art Practice
*
Seattle Pacific University, MFA in creative writing
*
Seton Hill UniversityMFA 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
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" () is a public university, public research university in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is the oldest institution of higher education in Bulgaria.
Founded on 1 October 1888, the edifice of the university was constr ...
(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 InstituteMaster's in international education*
St. Edwards University in
Austin, Texas
Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
*
The Bill Munday School of Business**
Master of Business Administration**
Master of Science in leadership and change*
Stephens College
*
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 Nebraska
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
MFA in creative writing*
University of New Orleans, creative writing
*
University of Nevada, RenoMFA in interdisciplinary arts*
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
MA 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 Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
MFA creative writing
Europe
*
ArtEZ University of Arts (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
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
(Oxford, England) MSt in creative writin
Asia
*
City University of Hong Kongbr>
MFA Creative Writing
References
{{Reflist
Alternative education
Learning
Distance education