Introducing Hamline University’s low-residency MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Our first residency began in January, 2007.
Why the Hamline Program?
- We have an established tradition of excellence with Hamline’s MFA in adult writing conducted year-round on our campus.
- We are allied with the Hamline University School of Education, which offers teaching resources in language and literacy.
- Our faculty is as gifted a group of writers and teachers in the field as can be found in the United States.
What is a low-residency program?
A low-residency program requires limited, intense periods of time on campus. In Hamline's low-residency MFA program, students and faculty congregate twice a year, each for eleven days. During the residencies, students attend lectures and workshops. They are then assigned to an advisor to work with throughout the semester. The low-residency model accommodates working adults and those who do not wish to or cannot relocate to attend college.
Click below to learn more about the low-residency MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
The Hamline Experience
Hamline University is committed to providing our students with the finest possible low-residency program. To that end, we emphasize both intensive community learning during the on-campus residencies (in January and July of each year) and during the individualized exchanges between students and faculty in the months in-between.
The result is a learning experience that is both rich in interactive experience and specifically tailored to the works-in-progress of each student.
Program Highlights
- Two-year MFA degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults
- One-to-one mentoring work for all students with our award-winning faculty
- Semi-annual residencies that build community and commitment to writing excellence
- A beautiful campus setting surrounded by the cultural attractions of the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
> back to top
The Structure of Our Program
The usual time frame for earning the MFA degree is two years. Students enroll for a total of four semesters, which includes attendance at five on-campus residencies at Hamline. Following each residency, the student works with a faculty advisor who provides mentoring and detailed manuscript critique by way of monthly correspondence. Twelve credits are earned for each completed residency/semester (four credits/residency; eight credits/semester), with a total of fifty-two credits required for the MFA degree. During the final (fifth) residency, students present a formal lecture as well as a reading of their work.
In the first two semesters, students are required to submit – in addition to their creative writing – monthly critical responses to assigned works in the field. The assigned reading is designed to provide students with pertinent lessons in craft as well as a comprehensive overview of the field of children’s literature in English.
In the third semester, students must submit – in addition to their creative writing – a critical thesis of twenty or more pages on an aspect of children’s/young adult literature, or an aspect of craft or literary theory pertaining to the field.
In the fourth semester, students must submit a creative thesis: a book-length manuscript of original work (e.g., poems, short stories, picture books, a novel – middle grade or young adult, creative nonfiction).
> back to top
The Semi-annual Residencies
Each January and July, faculty and students gather for eleven days of intensive – and exhilarating – lectures, workshops, seminars, and readings devoted exclusively to writing for children and young adults. Faculty, visiting writers, and graduating students deliver lectures that examine a broad range of issues for writers in the field. Workshops and seminars are led by faculty, visiting writers, and guest editors/publishers. Personal attention for students is assured by the low student-faculty ratio that is a hallmark of our program. Readings allow students and faculty alike to share their latest creative work with attentive and enthusiastic audiences. All residency events will be held on the Hamline University campus. Summer living quarters will be on the Hamline campus as well, while winter living quarters will be at a nearby hotel with shuttle-bus service provided for students and faculty to travel easily from their lodgings to campus and back. Click here for Residency Archives.
> back to top
Post-Graduate Residency/Semester
Who's it for?
- You’ve finished your MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults but feel the urge to get back in the intensive learning environment of a residency with the opportunity to revise a project or start something new with a faculty advisor you respect.
- You’ve finished your MFA, MA, or PhD in writing, having focused on writing for adults, and now wish to write a picture book, novel, or nonfiction book for younger readers. You want the opportunity to immerse yourself in the craft and discipline of writing for this particular audience while working closely with an experienced faculty advisor
The MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults offers a post-graduate residency and semester for writers who have completed a graduate degree in creative writing (i.e., an MFA, MA, or a PhD) at an accredited college or university. Post-graduate students may use the time to focus on a particular writing project or element(s) of the craft. Students with an MFA from Hamline will have a shortened admissions procedure. All other students should follow the same application procedure as applicants for the low-residency program. The fees for the post-graduate residency and semester will be the same as the fees for all MFA students.
NOTE: Application deadlines vary slightly from those for full admittance. Apply by June 1st for summer residency/fall term; December 1st for winter residency/spring term. Online Application information here.
> back to top
Our Distinguished F
aculty
The members of our faculty are all widely published authors in the fields of children and young adult writing. Among the honors they have earned are the Newbery Medal, the Newbery Honor Award, the Dorothy Canfield Award, the Caldecott Medal, the Oklahoma Sequoya Award, the Boston Globe Horn Book Award, the Kerlan Award, the Minnesota Book Award, and the Parent’s Choice Award. Several authors have been National Book Award finalists. Their books have been cited in listings such as the American Library Association’s Best Book of the Year, the New York Public Library’s Best Book for the Teen Age, Booklist’s Book of the Decade, Bank Street College of Education’s Best Book of the Year, and many more.
The Cosmopolitan Saint Paul-Minneapolis Setting
The beautiful and culturally diverse “Twin Cities” of Saint Paul and Minneapolis form an exciting urban backdrop to the Children and Young Adults Program.
Hamline University, with its beautifully landscaped campus, is located in Saint Paul, the Minnesota state capital. It is only a short drive from Hamline to the historic Saint Paul downtown which features the Fitzgerald Theater, home to Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion,” the Minnesota Children’s Museum, and the Minnesota Historical Society History Center.
Downtown Minneapolis is also nearby, with its famed Nicollet Mall, its newly designed, state-of-the-art Walker Art Center and Guthrie Theater, the Loft Literary Center, and shops and restaurants to suit every taste.
Both Saint Paul and Minneapolis are laden with lakes and parks and cultural attractions. The Twin Cities are also home to a number of nationally prominent children’s and young adult writers – some of whom are either on our faculty or our visiting writers list. Given the wealth of publishers in the Twin Cities area, the on-campus residencies will include visits from editors and other professionals working in the field.
> back to top
Tuition and Fees
In order to confirm acceptance, newly-admitted students are required to pay a non-refundable, $350 tuition deposit, which is credited toward tuition. Tuition is $549 per credit (effective summer 2009), which includes all workshops and program-related events during the residency, as well as five months of one-on-one study with a faculty member following the residency. Each residency and the following one-on-one study period equals 12 credits. Optional field trips may include additional costs. Residency Reception/Meals Fee: This fee includes the opening and closing banquets as well as our mid-week receptions.
Admission
Applicants for admission to the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required. Students are admitted twice a year. The application deadline for January admission is November 1; for July admission, May 1. The program reviews applications as they are received, so you may submit your application whenever it is ready. Please allow 2-4 weeks for review.
Click here for the most current admission information >
Transfer Student Information
Students may transfer a maximum of two residencies and two semesters from other low-residency MFA programs in writing for children and young adults. Students may transfer a maximum of one residency and one semester from other low-residency programs in writing. Students may transfer in a maximum of eight graduate-level credits from traditional residency MFA programs. The final decision on transfer credit will depend on review by Hamline University MFA faculty and staff.
Apply Today!
Click here for link to online application >
> back to top
