FAQ
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What is the format for the application essays and writing sample?
Can the application or application materials be submitted online or emailed?
How much study time is involved?
What is the spring-stretch semester?
May I study in more than one concentration area?
How difficult is it for someone out of school for "decades" to adjust to the rigors of the MFA in Writing Program?
How flexible is attendance at scheduled events?
Do I have to "live" at the residency?
How much does the program cost?
Do you admit unpublished writers?
Do you accept students working at unrelated jobs?
Do I need to complete the degree in four consecutive semesters?
How do I know what I will be studying?
How is my mentor chosen?
What do the packets mailed during the semester contain?
What about the semester reading list?
What is the format for the essay and writing sample?
The essay and prose writing sample should be double-spaced and legibly printed; poetry may be single-spaced; screenwriting and playwriting may use conventional scriptwriting format. Use an easy-to-read serifed font, such as Times New Roman (12 point), and have 1" margins all around. Include your name only on the cover sheet, as the samples are read masked; also, include your area of concentration on the cover sheet: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, screenwriting, or playwriting. Number the pages in the upper right hand corner. If you are mailing the materials, staple or paper clip the pages together. If you are emailing the materials, send them in a .doc or .rtf or .pdf format (for scriptwriters, Final Draft is acceptable) to mfa@spalding.edu with the subject line "Documents 
for application of (applicant’s full name)" See the admissions page for more details.
Can the application or application materials be submitted online or emailed?
The application may be filled out online. See the MFA page (www.spalding.edu/mfa) for a link to the online application. Emailed letters of recommendation are acceptable if the from email address is identifiable as belonging to the sender. For example, a letter from Susan Sanders emailed from ssanders@xxxx.edu (or ssanders@xxxx.com) is acceptable, while an email from an anonymous address, such as from writersnest@yahoo.com, is not. Any application materials that are emailed should include the subject line "Documents for application of (applicant’s full name)." Letters of recommendation are accepted with or without a letter of recommendation form. See the admissions page for more details. Top
How much study time is involved?
The fall and spring semesters are about six months long. During the at-home part of the semester, packets are exchanged about every 3½ weeks. Students should expect to spend about 25 hours each week on their writing and reading for the program. The summer semester is about nine months long, and packets are exchanged about every 6 weeks. Students should expect to spend about 15 hours each week on their writing and reading. Top
What is the spring-stretch semester?
Students who prefer the longer packet mailing schedule but do not wish to travel abroad may combine the spring Louisville residency with the 9-month summer at-home semester schedule. Students enroll in the summer semester but come to the spring residency.
May I study in more than one concentration area?
For fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwritng students: You may study in two areas—one for at least three semesters. To study in a second area, you must apply for admission and be accepted in that area. You may submit writing samples in more than one area with your application. Indicate on the application checklist the areas in which you are applying and include a writing sample for each area. Or you may apply in a second area by midsemester of your first semester.
If accepted for a second area, you study that area during your first or second semester. Faculty availability may determine the order of study. By midsemester of the second semester, students determine which area they wish to continue studying with the help of their mentor and the approval of the Program Director. Students may take ENG650 as an opportunity to study a second or even third area. Again, students must apply and be accepted in any area to be studied.
For writing for children and young adults: Spalding offers a unique opportunity for students who write for children and young adults. They may study any of the areas of concentration and may study in 2-3 without additional admissions requirements. See our writing for children brochure for a full explanation.
How difficult is it for someone out of school for "decades" to adjust to the rigors of the MFA in Writing Program?
We have had students from ages 22 to 82. We highly value having a diverse community of writers in the program. How 
easy it is to adjust to the rigors of graduate study is a highly individual matter. If you have been out of school for some time, you might first consider attending a summer writing conference in your area. Consider whether it is difficult to hear your work discussed objectively. Do you enjoy group discussions? Are you open to new ideas? We intend for the workshop experience and all of the experiences of the program to be supportive. Workshop sessions are intended to be intellectually stimulating and emotionally supportive, not sessions where your work is "ripped apart." Top
How flexible is attendance at scheduled events?
Attendance at residency events is required; however, there is some flexibility in the attendance expectations. Students are asked to use discretion in pacing themselves to take full advantage of the offerings of the residency. Workshop sessions may not be missed. Please keep in mind that you may have a couple of brief writing assignments during the residency, so you need to find some writing time during the week, too.
Do I have to "live" at the residency?
The accommodation package offered by Spalding University is not required. You may make your own room arrangements. Our days begin early and end late, so commuting would be very difficult.
How much does the program cost?
$7,000 Tuition for each semester* (fall 2009, spring/summer 2010)
$30 Application fee (due with application)
$400-500 Books/postage (estimate per semester)
$15 Technology fee, per semester
$180-825 Optional housing package for Louisville residency
$2,900-3,900 Estimated summer residency expenses for travel, housing, and food
Other university fees, such as a graduation fee and creative thesis fee, are included in the tuition. A $500 deposit is required within thirty days of the date of your official acceptance letter to hold your place in the program. This deposit is nonrefundable and is applied to your tuition.
For Louisville residencies, most meals are included in tuition. If students choose to make their own housing arrangements, a list of additional accommodations is available upon request. For students who bring cars, there may be parking fees.
For summer residencies abroad, student expenses include transportation, housing, and food.
Tuition, fees, and housing fees, if applicable, are due before the beginning of the semester and must be sent by check or money order; paid by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover by phone before arrival at the residency. However, for the Louisville residencies, fees may also be paid at the Enrollment Services Center on the first Friday of the residency.
*Tuition includes the graduation and graduating residency fees. Tuition and other costs may change. Expect annual tuition increases of 3-5 percent in the fall. Top
Do you admit unpublished writers?
Publication is not a prerequisite to admission in our program. Our main consideration for acceptance is the writing sample. The sample needs to demonstrate that the applicant is ready to write at a graduate level. Other factors considered include the essay and letters of recommendation, which demonstrate the applicant's level of interest in literature, motivation to work independently, ability to receive criticism, and willingness to learn how to critique others' work. We do ask that applicants list any prizes and publications with the application, but having none does not reduce your chances of acceptance to the program. Top
Do you accept students working at unrelated jobs?
Yes. It is typical in this type of program for students to have a variety of professions and careers. Many of our students have full- or part-time jobs. Though entering into this program is a commitment of about 25 hours a week (spring/fall semesters) or 15 hours a week (summer semester) and may require a juggling of schedules and other sacrifices, many are willing to take on the extra work to pursue their interest in writing.
Do I need to complete the degree in four consecutive semesters?
No. Once a student begins the program, he or she has ten years to complete the course of study. For example, a person may be able to come only to the fall residency and not the spring. Others may need to stay out a semester for personal or financial reasons. Top
How do I know what I will be studying?
Every student develops a Semester Study Plan with his or her mentor at the residency. The study plan includes a list of 8-10 books, which are books written in the student's area of concentration and/or books on the craft of writing. Some of the books are required by the Program, such as the Book in Common and Faculty/Guest Book in Common. The study plan also includes a list of the writing projects the student intends to work on during the semester and/or a more general statement regarding a student's writing goals. The book list may be modified during the semester after student-mentor discussions. A mentor may suggest reading or writing assignments that are designed to further the student's writing goals.
How is my mentor chosen?
During the first few days of the residency you have a chance to hear 
readings or lectures by the faculty members in your area of concentration. You receive a handout titled Faculty Teaching Philosophies and Statements, which gives information about the teaching practices of each mentor. Time is set aside at the residency to ask questions of each faculty member who teaches in your area of concentration. A preference form listing your top several mentor preferences is filled out and turned into the MFA Office. Every effort is made to give everyone one of his or her choices. Mentors are assigned to upper-level students first, then to students with less seniority. Students who have not worked with a particular mentor have priority over students who wish to repeat working with that mentor. (Students must work with at least three different mentors during the program.) However, in the end the Program Director and Administrative Director look at the overall picture of the entire body of students and faculty and make the best possible assignments for everyone; therefore, changes cannot be made after the mentor-student assignments have been posted. Top
What do the packets mailed during the semester contain?
Over the course of the semester, students mail five packets to their mentors according to a schedule handed out at the residency. Mentors return the packets within seven days of their arrival. The total packet, including cover letter, original writing, and critical essays, should not exceed 50 pages (the total is less for poetry), unless the student has received specific permission from the instructor to send more work.The packets from the students consist of
- a cover letter discussing the enclosed material and asking questions about specific parts of the material.
- original creative writing consisting of some new material and some revisions: 35-45 pages of prose; 35-45 pages of screenwriting or playwriting; 5-7 poems; text for 3-4 picture books, or 35-45 pages for middle grade readers, or 35-45 pages for young adult readers. ENG630 and ENG640 students have somewhat different requirements.
- short essays in MLA format, each based on a book from the reading list
- the student's cumulative bibliography (for the semester) in standard MLA format.
- a cumulative list of titles of original creative writing included in the current semester's packets.
- a self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage to cover the weight of the packet material and mentor's response (unless an electronic exchange has been arranged). Top
What about the reading list?
Included in the semester plan is a reading list of 8-10 books. The reading list is largely determined by the student with input from the faculty mentor; however, the Program suggests a few books that may be part of the reading list. The list consists of books about the craft of writing or books written in the area of concentration the student is studying. Students write short critical essays about the books on their reading list. The essays are short 2-4 page analyses of a few aspects of the text; each essay focuses on an aspect of the subject, structure, or style of the material read that is of technical interest to the student. “How does reading this material contribute to my education as a writer?” is the question the student should address in the essay. Top
last updated 06/29/09, information subject to chance without notice
Spalding University
851 South Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40203
MFA Office: (502) 585-9911, ext. 2423 or (800) 896-8941, ext. 2423
mfa@spalding.edu
FAX: (502) 585-7158