Vermont College of Fine Arts - MFA Creative Writing Posted on April 26th
The Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) MFA in Writing Program offers degree tracks in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, as well as a secondary concentration in translation. Established in 1981, the program was one of the first low-residency programs to offer writers the opportunity to earn an MFA degree through study with accomplished authors and teachers without leaving their communities, families, or jobs. The program also features a summer residency option in Slovenia and hosts an international literary/art journal, Hunger Mountain.
VCFA also offers an MFA in Writing Program dedicated solely to writing for children and young adults, the first college in the country to do so. Still a pioneer in the field, their faculty and alumni are some of the most distinguished in the field. The program features, during each residency, theme weekends focused on subjects such as “historical fiction”, “fantasy”, and other topics of special interest in the genre. The program also features a one-semester concentration in picture book.
Unlike traditional residential programs, which require you to live elsewhere for two years, ours brings you together with other writers twice each year for intensive 10-day residencies. Because your classmates come from every corner of the United States, the diversity of perspectives, attitudes, and voices is exceptional. After each residency, you return home to complete your semester of self-designed study while working independently under the guidance of a faculty member. One of the greatest benefits of the program is the opportunity to become part of large, collegial community of writers – consisting of students, alumni and faculty – of which you will remain a part long after graduation.
Both programs offer a post-graduate semester for writers who already hold an advanced degree in writing or literature and may want to work specifically with one of our faculty members of their genre, begin work in a new genre, complete a writing project with the input of a professional writer or simply advance their skills still further. VCFA also hosts the only summer workshop in the country specifically designed for postgraduate writers.
Cited by Atlantic Monthly as one of top five low-residency programs in the U.S., it is a rigorous program of study guided by dedicated and highly talented faculty. The MFA in Writing Program is housed on the historic Vermont College campus in Montpelier, Vermont. The campus is a five-minute walk from downtown Montpelier, the quaint and architecturally beautiful capital of Vermont.
Louise H. Crowley
Director, MFA in Writing
louise.crowley@vermontcollege.edu
Phone: (802) 828-8840
(866) 934-8232
Katie Gustafson
Director, MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults
katie.gustafson@vermontcollege.edu
Phone: (802)828-8696
(866)934-8232
This program is phenomenal! I’m in my second semester and I’ve often told friends that this is the best thing that I’ve ever done for myself. The faculty are the best! They are caring, knowledgeable, and they are top notch writers. I’ve had an opportunity to work with two of the best, Rigoberto Gonzalez and Laurie Alberts, but there are so many more. We’ve had such notable visiting writers as James McBride and Terrence Hayes.
Montpelier is beautiful in the summer and the winter. The surrounding community is welcoming to the students and Burlington is not that far from the campus. Which did I say is beautiful? I think if you’re considering a program, this should be the one that you consider. This program is not just comprised of faculty members and students; we are a family of writers that inspire and encourage each other. Wonderful program!
Commented Laurie Cannady on April 4th, 2009.