Low-Residency Program FAQs

What exactly is a Low-Residency MFA?

What makes Alaska 's Low-Residency MFA program different from all the other MFA programs?

How many students are in the program?

How are the work schedules and communications between faculty and graduate writers handled in a distance-delivery program, such as a low-residency MFA?

Is the new program accredited?

Where are the summer residencies held?

How much does the program cost?

What about financial aid?

Who's on the faculty?

Which visiting writers have been to UAA, and who might be expected to participate in the Low-Residency program?

What kind of students are we looking for?

How is work conducted between students and faculty during the rest of the year, outside of the 12-day summer residencies?

How long will graduate students study under their assigned mentors, and how many different mentors will they eventually have in the low-residency MFA program?

What if I need to take more than three years to complete my MFA in the Low-Residency program? Is it possible to remain in the program for five years? Is there a deadline for completion?

What airlines fly to Anchorage and where can I go for up-to-date travel cost information?

I'd like to extend my stay in Alaska, either before the summer residency, or after, and need to know more about what Alaska has to offer visitors. Where can I find information on summertime activities and places to go?

If I am an Alaskan resident, and don't require on-campus housing, will any of my meals during the summer residency be covered?

Won't UAA's Low-Residency MFA program have a diminished sense of community compared to its former, traditional MFA program?

What if I'd like to attend a summer residency without officially enrolling in the whole program? Is this possible?

Can you provide a few examples of how the graduate writing practicum might work? What kinds of experiences and internships would qualify for the practicum?

Who can I talk with to see if the Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing is right for me?

What’s required to apply?

FAQs for Current Students

What should I do during my last semester to be sure I graduate?

What are the thesis formatting requirements?

What style guidelines do I use in my thesis? MLA or APA?

The first low-residency MFA program was developed at Goddard College in Vermont by poet Ellen Bryant Voigt, who later established Warren Wilson's program in 1981. This MFA model has become more attractive than ever for graduate students in writing because it allows writers to earn a degree and focus on their work without requiring them to relocate.

The basic model combines intensive group sessions, known as “residencies,” followed by individual mentorships. Once or twice a year, (in Alaska's case, it will be ONCE per summer), students, core and guest faculty gather on campus, usually for 10-12 days. These residency sessions include workshop critiques, classes, seminars, lectures and readings, and often feature guest writers and lecturers. Each student then works with a single mentor (a writing professor) during the academic year, sending his/her work on an established schedule for extensive responses by the mentor. Most low-residency programs also incorporate some kind of field work or outside work, in which students select a literary project or internship which is approved by the program's director but completed during the months when they are absent from campus.

There are now more than 30 low-residency programs in diverse geographical locations. And just as traditional MFA programs may offer different emphases, some low-residency programs also focus on certain genres and sub-genres.
This 2005 article in Poets & Writers provides an overview: http://www.pw.org/mag/0503/dreifus.htm.

Alaska's landscape is expansive, and so is our idea of what it means for a writer in any genre to explore the metaphorical and physical representations of “landscape.” We offer a unique vision and creative framework that recognizes and promotes first-hand connections between humanity and the natural world, thought and experience, diverse cultures and wilderness. We invite performing and visual artists, scientists, musicians, cultural and social leaders, and distinguished guest writers to help us broaden our inquiries and understanding of those “landscapes.”

Through these cross-disciplinary exchanges, and investigations of landscape, writers will gain new insights that will be instrumental in further developing their creative work and the philosophies and ideas that drive that creative work. Writers also have the opportunity to take advantage of Alaska's distinctive beauty and dramatic geography through optional field excursions.
Nationally, graduate creative writing degrees greatly increased in number, and in reputation and stature. There are now over 130 MFA programs, traditional and low-residency, from which to choose. University of Alaska 's low-residency MFA program is the first of its kind in Alaska , and one that supports writers of all genres. UAA's low-residency MFA program encourages more voices—Alaskan and otherwise—to add to the great body of literature.

We offer a wide-ranging and highly diverse group of writers, guests, associate faculty and core faculty (national and international) in the new, low-residency program. MFA students will hail from the Eastern seaboard, the Midwest , the South, and all across the West, and will include writers from indigenous cultures—Inupiat, Yup'ik, Tlingit, and Native American Indians.

We plan to admit 5-7 graduate writers in each genre (fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry) during the first year (summer of 2008). They will be joined by another 5 students in each genre every year. Our full student cohort will remain between 45 and 50 students so we can retain our focus on individual attention to students.

Low-residency programs offer a more customized program of study and writing practice to graduate writers. Graduate writers and their mentors establish a regular schedule of communication throughout the academic year. In these correspondences the readings are discussed, as are the new and revised drafts of the creative work, taking into consideration the graduate writers' specialized areas of study.

Many educators/faculty believe the low-residency model resembles more realistically the solitary writing life that writers experience post-MFA. This type of writing apprenticeship program does require people who are already highly-motivated, disciplined, and committed to developing their art—just as any graduate program in the arts. MFA low-residency programs offer what their residency counterparts do: they afford students the opportunity to focus on the art of writing with the goal of creating an extended volume of creative work, such a collection of poems, literary nonfiction, short stories, or a novel.

University of Alaska 's low-residency graduate writing program combines the best of two worlds: the rigorous study of writing and literature in tandem with the expanded freedom and flexibility of distance-delivery. Low-residency students have more time to concentrate directly on their writing, with more opportunities for one-on-one consultations with their mentor. (Faculty typically mentor only 1-3 students per year in a low-residency program). When everyone reconvenes for the summer residency sessions at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus, students and faculty experience classroom learning through intensive offerings of workshops, lectures, seminars, experiential field studies, and craft talks. Evening poetry and prose readings also bring everyone together.

The program uses the same basic curriculum that CWLA currently offers, with an emphasis on the “studio” or creative function. The Department of Creative Writing & Literary Arts will remain an accredited Master's degree program at UAA. The low-residency is a three-year, 45-credit program, and it requires four summer residency sessions.

On the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. ( Anchorage has a population of approximately 280,000.) UAA provides an inspirational setting for the summer residencies. Housing is in student residency halls and catering/food services are provided on-site at the Creekside Eatery. The campus is surrounded by wooded areas, a creek, and protected wetlands. Students have the opportunity to observe Alaska wildlife on campus and in nearby state parks, sometimes in an unexpected and unnervingly close way, including moose, bears, ducks, geese, bald eagles, and beavers. Our Consortium Library and medical facilities are within walking distance. Other amenities a few steps away from the residency halls include: the Bear Necessities convenience store, Power House Fitness Center , computer lab, and a lounge area with fireplace. Bike paths and hiking trails into the nearby Chugach State Park are easily accessible from campus.

Students will be housed in non-smoking, private rooms in UAA's residency halls, in either a quad suite (four private bedrooms with two baths) or a double suite (two private bedrooms, one bath).

All linens (sheets and towels) are provided. All rooms have a desk, chairs, phones, small coffeepots, soap/shampoos, and Ethernet cables for Internet connections. Rooms are not equipped with any radios or televisions, hair dryers, or small refrigerators. Coin operated are available.

Free parking is available on UAA's campus during summer months. For rental car information, and other useful regional travel tips about Anchorage offerings and attractions visit the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Estimated annual tuition costs for the low-residency MFA program (using '08-'09 tuition rates) :

Costs for housing and meals are not included in the MFA tuition. Estimated costs for the summer residency is $1,000 per writer for a 12-day stay, which includes housing and three meals per day. All transportation to and from Alaska, and to and from airports are the student's responsibility. We will make an effort to match students for ride-sharing from the Ted Stevens International Airport, if requested.

Students will also be responsible for miscellaneous university fees, not to exceed $250/semester in '08-'09, and the cost of books and supplies for classes.
Total estimated program cost for three academic years (45 credits) plus the required four residencies (using '08-'09 figures, not including student fees or travel expenses and subject to annual increases):

In the future, the Creative Writing & Literary Arts Department plans to develop possible funding sources to help offset student tuition costs by way of scholarships, writing prizes, and grants. But currently, no graduate teaching assistantships or fellowships/grants are available through the department to offer prospective graduate writers. However, the university does have numerous scholarship opportunities for graduate students.

Other federal and state financial aid programs may assist you with MFA tuition costs. Visit the UAA Financial Aid Office for more information.

We have a distinguished group of core faculty in poetry, literary nonfiction, and fiction. Additionally, each year new associate faculty who are established writers and teachers will join us as mentors and instructors in the program. Click the following link for a list of the confirmed associate faculty for the first summer residency, July 12-23, 2008.

In recent years, their students have achieved many successes, including: publishing books, poems and essays in notable online and print journals, winning a Wallace Stegner Fellowship, publishing in the Atlantic Monthly and winning ABA and PEN awards.

Recent visitors to UAA include: Robert Bly, Sherman Alexie, Jane Urquhart, Francine Prose, Linda Hogan, N. Scott Momaday, Major Jackson, Brett Lot, Robin Hemley, Jodi Picoult, Mark Doty, Paul Lisicky, Dorianne Laux, Ron Carlson, and Adrienne Rich. We hope to continue with this tradition of inviting some of the nation's finest writers and thinkers to our residencies.

Studying literature and writing in a low-residency program demands prospective students who possess self-discipline and a commitment to the rigors of a graduate-level of study in the art. Graduate writers are working under the guidance of their individual writing mentors each year (mentors change annually to provide MFA students with a wider range of literary perspectives), but much of the work is accomplished through individual study while away from campus during the academic year.

Ideally, students should be:

• experienced writers who demonstrate potential to work at the graduate level;
• committed to being responsible to the schedules of study and assignments set up between themselves and faculty mentors;
• self-disciplined;
• willing to explore a world wider than their own experience;
• committed to a program of study which they will help to shape.

Mentors (faculty) and students will exchange work and critical comments through distance-delivery venues such as email, through a web-based course system such as Blackboard, or through regular postal methods. Each student and faculty member will decide between themselves, during the residency period, how that exchange will happen.

MFA students will be assigned a total of THREE different faculty mentors through their low-residency program. Students will work with a different mentor each year.

Unfortunately, at this time the program will not be able to accommodate part-time studies because of scheduling arrangements.

Anchorage is served by most major air carriers. Commercial airlines add extra flights to Alaska during the summer. Non-stop air service to Anchorage is usually offered in: Minneapolis, Chicago, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Seattle, to name a few. Other cities with easy connections to Anchorage include: Atlanta, Orlando, Newark, Dallas/Ft.Worth, Portland, Reno, and Los Angeles, as well as flights from Mexico and Canada.

Flight times:
Seattle to Anchorage, 3 hours, 15 minutes, approximately.
Minneapolis to Anchorage (non-stop): 6.5 hours, approximately.
San Francisco to Anchorage (non-stop): 5 hours, approximately
Washington, D.C. to Anchorage, 5-12 hours, depending upon number of stops and connections made.

Travel information is found on the web sites of Alaska Airlines, Northwest, Delta, American Airlines, Southwest Air, and Continental. Other travel web sites that may be helpful: Expedia, Travelocity, and Priceline.com.

For personal budgeting purposes, expect to spend anywhere from $600 to $1,000 per ticket per round-trip travel, depending on discounts, seat availability, the use of accumulated air miles, distance of travel, time reservations are made, and other factors.

The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau is an excellent source of Anchorage-area information. For more of statewide view, visit the Alaska Travel Industry Association. Each larger city in the state also maintains a chamber of commerce or travel bureau web site which you can locate through your favorite search engine.

No. You can make arrangements to pay for on-campus meals on an individual basis, however.

We don't think so! In fact, we think the community of writers can grow stronger since residencies give everyone the chance to mix and mingle for craft talks, readings, meals, and field excursions. Our diverse group of MFA students, core faculty, and associate faculty (guest writers) are all physically present at the same time, sharing their work, collaborating, inspiring one another—across genres—all within Alaska's unforgettable landscape.

This is an option we're exploring. Please check this web site again for more information on if, and when, this might be a program offering.

Here are a few examples of what we mean by completing a practicum :
Writers could create an anthology, intern at a literary journal or publishing house, teach community writers, conduct an ambitious research project which may or may not include a first-hand “immersion,” work with arts organizations, or spend a semester volunteering in other writing-related positions in public radio or at a newspaper.
We hope to encourage students to undertake innovative projects that contribute to a wider community. The possibilities are more varied than the few examples mentioned here but these will give you some idea of the range of possibilities available to the graduate writing students in this program. MFA students may suggest their own specialized ideas for a practicum, depending upon their chosen discipline and field of study. A practicum could therefore include scholarly research and work with a linguist, geologist, anthropologist, historian, etc.

Please contact our program coordinator, Kathleen Tarr, with additional questions. Her contact information can be found here. She'll be happy to direct you to the appropriate faculty member to answer your detailed questions about individual genres.

1. A personal essay on the topic "Why Write?"
   
   (Please list your FULL contact information, including mailing address, home phone, cell phone, and email address.)

Include some things we'd like to know:

Why did you choose a low-residency program?

Why you write and wish to study your particular genre?

What is your writing history?

Where do you situate yourself in your writing?

What do you hope to accomplish in your program?

What are your writing strengths and weaknesses?

What aspects of “landscape” or “place” do you want to explore?

1. References
   
   Please provide a list of three references, including affiliation, contact information and e-mail addresses. No need to send reference letters.
   
   
2. Transcripts
   
   Informal tanscripts suffice for application to CWLA; upon acceptance you will be required to provide formal copies of transcripts.
   
   
3. What About My Creative Work?
   
   

   Creative work by genre: (Paperclips only, please, no staples. Include your full contact information on upper left corner of first page.)

   Fiction:  Your best work: One story 15 pages or less in length, or a chapter of a novel accompanied by a brief synopsis.
   
   Poetry:  Your best work:  Ten pages of poetry, no more than one poem to a page, please.

   Literary Nonfiction: Your best work: Fifteen pages maximum.

Friendly advice: Read this informative and helpful essay on applying to MFA Programs by Linda Formichelli. Essay used by permission of The Writer magazine.

Check on your paperwork. Keep on eye on your university email account for your Official Degree Audit, which is generated after you apply for graduation. This will tell you what steps you still need to take to graduate successfully. It will list any paperwork Enrollment Services may be missing, including a Graduate Studies Plan and Advancement to Candidacy forms. It will also list any missing grades, incompletes and missing classes. If something takes you by surprise, please contact the department and we should be able to help you sort it out. Remember to KEEP COPIES OF EVERYTHING (Official Graduate Studies Plans, Advancement to Candidacy Forms and Applications for Graduation).
Two weeks before your oral defense
Deliver one bound copy of your thesis to each member on your committee. Confirm with the Administrative Assistant that a room has been scheduled.
Day of your defense
Showtime! You must bring two perfect unbound copies of your signature page to your defense so that your committee members may sign it after your defense. The library web site has the most updated format for signature pages.
Post-defense Revisions
Make any changes to your thesis requested by your committee as soon as possible. This becomes very critical the closer to the end of the semester your defense is scheduled. Present the revision to your chair if requested.
Dean's review
Turn in one unbound copy of your final thesis to the dean's office along with the signature page that was signed by your committee following your defense. The dean or the dean's representative will review and may request minor changes (usually having to do with proofreading, though significant revisions have been requested in the past). Once the review is finished, you'll be notified as to the changes that should be made. The dean or dean's representative may wait to sign the signature page until the changes are made. It is possible that the dean or the dean's representative may keep a copy of your thesis.
Office of Graduate Studies review
Contact Elisa Mattison at 786-1096 to schedule an appointment to bring in your final thesis for review by the Vice Provost and eventual microfilming and to complete the necessary paperwork to have your thesis published. Be prepared to pay your thesis binding and copyright fees.
Binding receipt
You must pay a fee when your thesis is approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. When you have paid your fees, they will give you a "Thesis Binding Receipt." You will need to give this receipt to UAA Enrollment Services to show that you have submitted your thesis. Your degree is not recorded on your transcript until Enrollment Services Records receives the receipt. Records should be able to tell you if you still fall under that semester's graduation deadline (usually May 31 for May graduation and mid-December for December graduation). If you wait too long to make revisions before you drop off your final copy to the Office of Graduate Studies the Records office may require you to reapply for graduation.
Commencement
You will not actually receive your diploma when you march in commencement ceremonies in May. Enrollment Services is still processing grades and paperwork. However, assuming everything is going well and you successfully defend your thesis and follow the procedures outlined above, you can march and will receive your diploma in the mail at the address you provided on the Application for Graduation form. December graduates are welcome to march during the May commencement

UAA may reject a thesis that is not properly formatted. Be aware that previously published theses are not suitable for use as format guides because the requirements may have changed.
UAA requires you to submit one original or high-quality copy of your thesis to the Office of Graduate Studies. This office then makes a copy on archival bond paper, binds the original and the archival copy, and deposits both in the library.
Format Requirements
Paper
Must be good quality, 20-pound, white typing paper and measure 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches. Easy-erase types of paper will not be accepted.
Printing
Theses should be typewritten or printed on one side of the paper only. The print should be an even shade throughout the document, and lines must be double-spaced. Computers, word processors, or typewriters may be used, as may any simple, non-script typeface in either 10-pitch or 12-pitch. Any departure from a simple, non-script typeface will not be accepted unless its use is functional to the project and has received prior approval from Winnie Treitline of the Library's Dean's Office. Laser printers are recommended. (Ms. Treitline's number is 786-1825.)
Margins
Your thesis will be bound on the left margin. Both the left and the top margin must measure 1-1/2 inches. The right and bottom margins must measure 1 inch. The entire text, including page numbers, title page, signature page, text, diagrams, figures, tables, forms, other illustrative matter, and appendices, should conform to these margin specifications. The library has all theses bound, so it is imperative margins be exact.
Length of Thesis
Only 2-1/2 inches or less can be bound into one volume. If your thesis is extremely thick due to length or thickness of paper, please contact Ms. Treitline for special instructions on formatting for two volumes.
Illustrative Matter
Follow the specifications for producing and mounting illustrative matter in the style manual recommended by your program or thesis committee (MLA Style Book). Be sure that all illustrative matter complies with the minimum margin specifications given above. If photographs and/or maps are used, submit two sets of original prints or color photocopies.
Title Page and Signature Page
Examples of the title page and signature page are available from the administrative assistant in CWLA. These formats have been approved by UAA's Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Academic Affairs Board.
Abstract
Each thesis must include an abstract that gives a succinct account of the work and does not exceed 150 words. The abstract should be double-spaced and typed on one side of the paper only. It should contain:
-statement of the problem
-procedure or methods
-results
-conclusions
The abstract will appear as you have written it in UMI's quarterly publication, Masters Abstracts International. This bibliographic information will also be made available to various computer searching systems.
Arrangement and Pagination of Contents
The contents of your thesis should be arranged in the sequence listed below. Number pages sequentially as indicated, and conform to margin specifications. All pages (except those noted below) should be numbered so that they do not become disordered during copying or microfilming. If you are writing your thesis with the prospect of having it formally published and need to lay it out differently, please contact Ms. Treitline. Please note that a MFA thesis has a different arrangement and pagination of contents than outlined in the library's requirements.  Use the following sequence when arranging your thesis.
- Title Page: unnumbered
- Signature Page: unnumbered
- Dedication Page (optional): unnumbered
- Acknowledgements (optional): page i
- Abstract: page ii (or page i if no acknowledgments page)
- Table of Contents: follow the sequential page numbering after the Abstract using roman numerals
- Introduction (the critical essay): follow the sequential page numbering after the Table of Contents using roman numerals
- Works Cited: follow the sequential page numbering after the Introduction (critical essay) using roman numerals
- Annotated Bibliography: follow the sequential page numbering after the Works Cited using roman numerals
- Body of Thesis (creative work): begin with unnumbered page 1 (number all following pages using Arabic numerals).
Copyright
If you wish to copyright your thesis, the library will apply through UMI for copyright. Fill out and turn in the copyright application section of UMI's Masters Thesis Agreement Form to the administrative assistant for the library's dean's office. If you are requesting copyright, place a copyright notice on the title page of your thesis or on the following leaf. It should appear as:
 c1996 by John Smith
or
Copyright 1996 by John Smith
Microfilming agreement: Your thesis must be accompanied by a completed and signed Masters Thesis Agreement Form from UMI. UMI will not accept altered agreements, so do not alter the agreement.
Number of copies
Library Copies: The library requires one original or high-quality copy of your thesis. It must have all the necessary signatures and meet format specifications. Please call Ms. Treitline for an appointment when you are ready to submit your thesis for library approval.
Personal Copies: The Library Dean's Office can provide information on how to obtain microfilm copies from University Microfilms and/or bound, personal copies of the manuscript from a recommended book bindery. If you want bound copies, the bindery will need a perfect copy of the unbound manuscript.
Costs
The cost for microfilming your thesis is $45.00.  There is an optional $45.00 charge for copyright.  Fees may be paid by cash, check (made payable to the University of Alaska Anchorage), or by credit card (Visa or MasterCard).  When you have paid your fees, the library will give you a Thesis Binding Receipt. You are responsible for delivering this receipt to UAA Enrollment Services to show that you have submitted your thesis. Your degree will be posted to your transcript once Records in Enrollment Services receives the receipt.
Deadline for submitting your thesis
Please check with the Office of Graduate Studies for a final submission deadline. The department should be aware of Dean's office deadlines, so talk to your committee chair.
Graduate student study carrels
The library has five study carrels available to graduate students who are working on their theses. Carrels can be reserved for one semester, on a first-come first-served basis, and there is usually a waiting list. No one may use a study carrel for two consecutive semesters. A $25.00 key deposit is required and will be refunded when the key is returned. Contact Winnie Treitline at 786-1825 if you wish to reserve a carrel.

The CWLA MFA program requires the use of MLA Style Guidelines in formatting your thesis. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is the book to consult when citing works and for other style formatting questions. For some on line tips on MLA guidelines visit Purdue's Online Writing Lab.