# Low-residency program

A low-residency program (or limited residency program) is a form of education, normally at the university level, which involves some amount of distance education and brief on-campus or specific-site residencies—residencies may be one weekend or several weeks. These programs are most frequently offered by colleges and universities that also teach standard full-time courses on campus. There are numerous master's degree programs in a wide range of content areas; one of the most popular limited residency degree programs is the Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. The first such program was developed by Evalyn Bates and launched in 1963 at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.
There are low-residency MFA programs in creative writing, visual arts, photography, and painting. Other graduate programs that can earn a student a degree include Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Accounting. A few schools offer limited residency undergraduate options, such as Prescott College and Lesley University.

## Structure

Programs vary, but an intensive, low-residency model requires students to come to campus every six months for 1-2 weeks, during which time students engage in a variety of activities and lectures during the day, and create detailed study plans. During the non-residency semester periods, students study independently, sending in "packets" to their faculty mentors every month or so. The content of the packets varies with each individual, but focuses on research, writing, and reflection related to each student's individualized study plan. A few schools, such as Western State Colorado University, actually conduct live online classes via Skype each week during the non-residency periods as well as having instructors reading students' work and provide written feedback weekly.

## List of colleges with low-residency programs
### United States

* Alma College, MFA in creative writing
* Antioch University Los Angeles, MFA in creative writing, MA in Clinical Psychology]
* Antioch University, Ph.D. in leadership and change
* Antioch University Seattle,
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
* Arcadia University, MFA in creative writing
* Ashland University
** MFA poetry
** MFA creative nonfiction
** MFA fiction
** MFA interdisciplinary
* Augsburg University, MFA in creative writing
* Bastyr University MS in Midwifery
* Belmont University, MFA in Visual Arts
* Bennington College
** MFA in writing
** MA in teaching a second language (MATSL)
* Boston Architectural College
** Master of Architecture, DIstance
** Master of Architecture, Sustainable Design
** Master of Design Studies, Historic Preservation
** Master of Design Studies, Design for Human Health
* Burlington College, independent degree program
* California College of the Arts, MFA in comics
* Carlow University, MFA in creative writing
* Chatham University, MFA creative writing
* College of Saint Elizabeth (Morristown, New Jersey), M.A. in theology
* Converse College (Spartanburg, South Carolina) MFA in creative writing
* Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa), MFA in creative writing
* Drew University (Madison, New Jersey), MFA in poetry
* Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, Kentucky) MFA in creative writing
* Fairleigh Dickinson University, MFA in creative writing
* Fairfield University, MFA in creative writing
* Goddard College
** MFA creative writing
** MFA interdisciplinary arts
** BFA creative writing
** MA & BA individualized studies
** MA & BA education
** MA & BA psychology & counseling
** BA & MA health arts & sciences
** BA in sustainability
* Goucher College
** MFA in Creative Nonfiction
** Master of Arts in Cultural Sustainability (MACS)
** Master of Arts in Historic Preservation
** Master of Arts in Arts Administration
* Hamline University, MFA in writing for children and young adults
* Institute of American Indian Arts
** MFA in studio arts
* Jacksonville University
** MFA in choreography
** MFA in visual arts
* Lesley University
** Master of Science ecological teaching and learning
** Master of Arts expressive therapies
** MFA in creative writing
** MFA in Visual Arts
* Maine College of Art, MFA in studio arts
* Marylhurst University (Portland, Oregon), B.A. in English literature & new media
* Marywood University, MFA in graphic design or illustration
* Massachusetts College of Art and Design, MFA in studio arts
* Mills College, MFA in Translation
* Miami University,
** MFA in fiction
** MFA in creative nonfiction
** MFA in poetry
* Montclair State University, MFA in dance
* Murray State University, MFA in creative writing
* Naropa University, MFA in creative writing
* New England College
** MFA program in poetry
** Ms in Sport & Recreation Management
* New Hampshire Institute of Art
** MFA in photography
** MFA in visual arts
** MFA in creative writing
** MFA in writing for stage and screen
* Newport MFA (Newport, Rhode Island), MFA in creative writing
* Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, program now terminated
* Oklahoma City University, Red Earth MFA in creative writing
* Oregon State University Cascades, MFA in creative writing
* Pacific Lutheran University, Rainier Writing Workshop
* Pacific Northwest College of Art, MFA in visual studies
* Pacific University, MFA in creative writing
* Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
* Pine Manor College, Solstice Low-Residency MFA Program
** MFA in fiction writing
** MFA in creative nonfiction
** MFA in poetry
** MFA in writing for children & young adults
** MFA in comics & graphic narratives
** Applied Track in pedagogy
* Prescott College
** Ph.D. in sustainability education
** Master of Arts in humanities
** Master of Arts in environmental studies
** Master of Arts in adventure education
** Master of Arts in counseling psychology
** Master of Arts in education
** Bachelor of Arts in education
** Bachelor of Arts in human development
** Bachelor of Arts in arts and culture
** Bachelor of Arts in sustainability and environmental studies
* Queens University of Charlotte
* Reinhardt University, MFA in creative writing
* School of the Art Institute of Chicago
** MFA in studio
** MFA in writing
* School of Visual Arts
** MFA in Art Practice
* Seattle Pacific University, MFA in creative writing
* Seton Hill University, MFA in writing of popular fiction
* Sierra Nevada University
** MFA in creative writing
** MFA in interdisciplinary arts
* Skidmore College, Master of Arts in liberal studies (MALS)
* Sofia University (formerly the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology)
** MA in spiritual guidance
** MA in women's spirituality
** MA in counseling psychology
* Southern New Hampshire University, Low-Residency MFA in fiction and nonfiction
* Spalding University, MFA in creative writing
* SIT Graduate Institute, Master's in international education
* St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas
** The Bill Munday School of Business
*** Master of Business Administration
*** Master of Science in leadership and change
* Stephens College
** MFA TV and screenwriting
* Transart Institute
** MFA in creative practice (studio)
** PhD in studio art (practice-based PhD)
* University of Alaska Anchorage, MFA in creative writing
* University of California, Riverside: Palm Desert Graduate Center, MFA in creative writing
* University of Hartford
** MFA photography
** MFA illustration
** MFA interdisciplinary
* University of Illinois: MS in library and information science
* University of Nebraska, MFA in creative writing
* University of New Orleans, creative writing
* University of Nevada, Reno, MFA in interdisciplinary arts
* University of Pennsylvania, MA in applied positive psychology
* University of Southern Maine, Stonecoast MFA Program in creative writing
* University of Tampa, MFA in creative writing
* University of Texas-El Paso, MFA in creative writing
* Vermont College of Fine Arts
** MFA in writing
** MFA in writing for children and young adults
** MFA in visual arts
** MFA in graphic design
** MFA in music composition
* Western New England University, MFA in creative writing
* Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, MFA in creative writing
* West Virginia Wesleyan College, MFA in creative writing
* Western Connecticut State University, MFA in creative and professional writing
* Western State Colorado University
** MFA in genre fiction
** MFA in poetry
** MFA in screen and television writing
** MFA in publishing
* Wilkes University, MFA in creative writing

### Canada

* Emily Carr University of Art and Design, MFA
* University of British Columbia, MFA creative writing

### Europe

* ArtEZ University of Arts (Arnhem, Netherlands) MA Performance Practices (English speaking Master's Degree, including Choreography, Theatre Practices, Performance Art, Digital Performance, and Dedisciplined Body in Performance)
* Bath Spa University (Bath, England) PhD in creative writing
* European Graduate School (Saas-Fee, Switzerland, and Valletta, Malta), MA and PhD
* European Humanities University (Lithuania)
* Free University of Berlin (Berlin, Germany) MA in Visual and Media Anthropology
* Kingston University, London (Kingston upon Thames, England), MFA/MA Low Residency in creative writing
* University of Oxford (Oxford, England) MSt in creative writing

### Asia

* City University of Hong Kong MFA Creative Writing