Postgraduate Semester in Writing or WCYA
The MFA in Writing and MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults programs offer a postgraduate semester for writers who have completed an MFA or a PhD at any accredited college or university.
Occasionally, a writer without an MFA who has an extensive writing background or an MA in English or Literature might also be considered. Writers may work in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, and translation.
This semester is ideal for writers who want assistance in launching a new writing project or feel stalled in their current one; have a degree in one genre and want to pursue another in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, or translation; are close to completing a prose or poetry project and need help completing it; or would like to spend a semester of intense study with a particular member of the VCFA faculty.
Scope
Postgraduate students may use this opportunity to work closely with a particular faculty member or to focus on a specific writing project, a manuscript, or particular elements of the craft. Because a postgraduate student is not enrolled in the degree program and therefore not required to meet the usual degree requirements, the semester works entirely around each student’s own interests and goals.
Optional Residency
VCFA graduates may choose to do the semester only and not attend the residency. Writers who are not graduates of our programs are required to attend the residency period at the beginning of the semester, an intensive time of workshops, lectures, readings, panel discussions, and many other stimulating offerings. During the residency a writer chooses an advisor–a postgraduate student generally receives his or her first choice for an advisor–and completes a preliminary study plan outlining the semester’s work.
The MFA in Writing program offers hybrid residencies for all students, meaning that students may elect to participate in person or remotely. Workshops and other residency events are hybrid, meaning some faculty and students will be online and others will be in person. Writing students are required to select a residency mode three months prior to the residency. The number of faculty who participate remotely will be determined by the number of students who elect to participate remotely. The entire staff and faculty of VCFA remain jointly committed to supporting these hybrid residencies and the needs of the students and faculty. It is important to note that all participating students and faculty are required to participate fully in all events at each residency, regardless of whether they are in person or remote.
WCYA offers dual-track residency options for all students. Students may elect to participate entirely in-person, or entirely in the cloud (remotely). Workshops are offered in each mode; all students and faculty in an in-person workshop will be in person, and all students and faculty in a cloud workshop will be in the cloud. Some residency events, such as lectures and readings, are hybrid, meaning that both in-person and cloud participants may attend. The program focuses on intentional community-building within these modes.
WCYA students are required to select a residency option three months prior to the residency. The number of cloud faculty will be determined by the number of students who select that mode. The entire staff and faculty of VCFA remain jointly committed to supporting these dual-track residencies and the needs of the students and faculty. It is important to note that all participating students and faculty are required to participate fully in all events at each residency, regardless of whether they are in person or in the cloud.
Semester Work
The student and advisor design the semester work schedule, and work typically takes place via mail and email with a mid-semester phone conference. Both student and advisor complete evaluations at the midpoint and end of the semester. Flexibility is key to making the most of this period of intensive work.
Tuition and Fees (per semester)
| Postgrad Tuition | $7,017.00 |
| Postgrad Residency Fee | $933.00 |
| Postgrad Housing | $1700 (single occupancy)/ $1155 (double occupancy) |
Tuition and fees are subject to change. Please contact the Admissions Office to confirm information.
Faculty
“The postgraduate semester I did at VCFA was a godsend. When you’re in the program, your writing is the subject of constant passionate attention by very esteemed minds but then after graduation you’re cast free and it’s just you and the work alone in a room. This creative solitude can be revelatory and challenging both… Being immersed again in the intimate inspiring mentor/mentee relationship was invaluable for my work and a total joy for me personally.”
Jandy Nelson | 2008 MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults
Application
Post-grad semester applications will open in mid-September.
Deadline
November 15, 2024 for a January start.
April 1, 2025 for a summer start.
Contact
Admissions