MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults

Ideal for those who want to take an active role in shaping their own education in a model that balances rigorous academic critique with nurturing aesthetic support. Graduates emerge with a strengthened writing practice and a strong network of personal and professional connections with bestselling authors, publishers and more.
Application Info
Upcoming Application Deadline:

Winter 2025 Semester – October 1, 2024 (final deadline Nov. 1)
 
Summer 2025 Semester – April 1 (final deadline May 1)

Applications for Winter 2025 are now open! APPLY NOW.

Residency Dates

  • Winter: January 3 – 11, 2025
    Valencia, California

  • Summer: June 24 – July 2, 2025
    Valencia, California

Each semester begins with a 9-day residency packed with events to encourage students, faculty and visiting writers to collaborate and learn from each other. Students are paired with faculty advisors to develop a customized study plan to direct and inspire their Masters in Writing for Children & Young Adults.

Connect with Admissions!

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INFORMATION SESSIONS

Join us to learn more about our low residency MFA programs and the application process. In this session we will discuss:

  • Overview of VCFA programs
  • What does low residency look like at VCFA?
  • What is expected in a typical semester?
  • What is residency?
  • Learn more about our faculty mentorship model
  • First steps for preparing your application
  • Financing your MFA overview
  • Q&A

Visit the event page to learn more and RSVP.

Questions? Please email [email protected].

MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults

This two-year MFA program allows students to master the art of children’s writing through collaboration with our community of award-winning, published authors. Students develop a strong network of personal and professional connections while strengthening their writing practice.

Low-Residency Explained

View Sample Schedule

Semester Work
Liz Garton Scanlon
Faculty Co-Chair, MFA in WCYA
Emily X.R. Pan
Faculty, MFA in WCYA
Varian Johnson
Faculty, MFA in WCYA
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Program Faculty
The MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults faculty are New York Times bestselling authors, National Book Award finalists, and Newbery and Caldecott Medal winners. Our faculty are invested in strengthening your writing practice for the next two years and the rest of your life.
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Visiting Writers
Each residency features a new group of distinguished visiting faculty and artists–learn more about them here.
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Vanessa Brantley Newton
Visiting Writer
Joseph Bruchac
Visiting Writer
Donna Barba Higuera
Visiting Writer, WCYA
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Jen Lynn Bailey, 2013 MFA Writing for Children & Young Adults
In early 2023, we interviewed 2013 WCYA graduate Jen Lynn Bailey, author of the picture book This is the Boat that Ben Built...
Sandra Nickel, 2012 MFA in WCYA
Only a few months into 2021, Writing for Children & Young Adults alumnx Sandra Nickel has already received numerous accolades for her recent nonfiction picture...
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Alumnx Stories
Our students and alumnx inspire us every day with their exhibitions, publications, screenings, performances, and teaching, bringing the magic of VCFA out into the world.
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Notable Alumnx Profiles
Laura Obuobi, ‘21
Author of 2022 picture book publication Black Gold celebrating black children

"Besides the learning and resources I gained at VCFA, I also have a lovely network of friends and colleagues who understand what it means to be an author or writer, and they inspire and encourage me in my work."
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Ann Dávila Cardinal, ‘07
Author of The Storyteller's Death and former VCFA Director of Recruitment

Without VCFA and her community, Cardinal explains “[The Storyteller’s Death] wouldn’t exist. That’s why I have the [VCFA] logo tattooed on my arm, because this is part of who I am. I talk to alum friends and faculty friends every day about their work, and I graduated years ago. I still have that support system.”
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Nora Shalaway Carpenter, ‘12 & Rocky Callen ‘19
Co-edited AB(SOLUTELY) NORMAL: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes

The collection of 16 stories came out with Candlewick Press in April of 2023. Shalaway Carpenter’s YA novel, Fault Lines, came out in September of 2023 with Hachette.
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“The program bonds everyone together and seems to live on far from VCFA, even after graduation.”

– Nova Ren Suma | Faculty, MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults

MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults FAQs

No, this is not an online program. VCFA’s MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults is a low-residency program. You come to campus for 10 days, twice a year. The rest of the work is done from where you work and live, and work is shared with your advisor through an online platform.

Learn more about our low-residency model.
Actually, this program was created for those of us who can’t pull up our lives, move to a campus across the country, and live there for two years. Most of our students are juggling varying responsibilities and are hoping to deepen their craft while meeting their obligations. The low-residency model makes that possible, and the faculty and other students totally understand the struggles. You’ll learn tricks and habits that will help you build the writers’ life you want.

Learn more about our low-residency model.
Again, yes and no. The two years of the program are all about craft. The faculty will want you to stay focused on your writing, not the business. They believe that the best way to get published is to be the strongest writer you can be. But in the last semester of your program you can begin exploring next steps with your faculty. In addition, since students come in at all different points in their career, you will learn much from your fellow students and visiting writers along the way. A degree from VCFA opens doors in the publishing industry because the gatekeepers know the quality of the work that comes from our alumnx.

View some of our students’ work and read more about our alumnx.
Founded in 1997, ours was the first academic program dedicated exclusively to writing for children and young adults. We are experts in the model, the style of education, and the field. So many of the finest writers have passed through our doors as students, faculty, and visiting writers that our program is a veritable who’s who of children’s literature. Our location on a hill in beautiful Montpelier, Vermont, is a bonus, as is our fabulous optional summer residency in Oxford and Bath, England. Our faculty comprises award-winning authors who are experts in helping writers deepen their craft while respecting their individual voice.

Learn more about our residencies abroad.