Alma College has established its first graduate degree program, offering a master of fine arts degree in creative writing.
The new “low residency” program is designed for students who want to continue working while earning a degree, according to director Sophfronia Scott.
It’s the only one of its kind being offered by a Michigan college or university.
“In a low residency program, students are required to be in person only twice a year for 10-day intensive residencies that take place in the summer and winter,” she explained.
“The rest of the semester they work one-on-one remotely with a faculty mentor in an independent study that features extensive reading and submission of packets of crucial creative writing.
“The format of the program makes it accessible for adults who would like to pursue a degree but cannot upend their lives and move to a school to study full time.”
Scott, a native of Lorain, Ohio who now lives in Sandy Hook, Conn., is the author of multiple novels, memoirs and collections of essays, as well as fiction and creative works published in journals throughout the U.S.
She is a graduate of Harvard University and earned her master’s at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Scott previously helped create a similar MFA program at Regis University in Colorado.
Students will have to come together only four times during the two-year curriculum during which time they will take part in intensive lectures, workshops, readings and one-on-one time with a team of visiting faculty members.
“In a short period, we have managed to create powerful experiences for our students including a craft talk and reading by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, sessions with editors and literary agents for professional development, and high-level lectures on writing and literature from a world class faculty,” Scott said.
The program’s first winter residency was recently held at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center in Roscommon.
“Students heard lectures on writing about race, participated in an improv class focused on creativity, and learned to cross country ski in a snowy pine forest,” Scott said.
The program’s summer residency is set to take place June 16-26 on campus, she noted.
“We plan to continue our exploration of Michigan’s natural environment as inspiration for writing,” Scott said.
It will also feature a slate of visiting writers, including the editorial director of Audible, along with community events planned for the public.
Scott first became acquainted with Alma College when she served as a guest writer in 2017, and her books have been used to teach English courses at the college.
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February 01, 2022 at 03:17AM
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Alma College offering first graduate degree - The Morning Sun
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