The World Is Our Classroom
Dublin/Galway 2013
Paris 2012
Rome/Tuscany 2011
Buenos Aires 2010
Barcelona 2009
London and Bath 2008

At Spalding, we believe that the best writing springs not just from talent and drive but from a rich accumulation of life experiences. Spalding’s innovative summer semester allows students to explore a different international locale each summer, extending their understanding of the customs, people, and literature of diverse cultures the world over. The 2013 summer residency visits Dublin and Galway in Ireland.

In July 2013, the Spalding MFA in Writing Program travels to Ireland for its summer residency abroad.

Curriculum

As in the fall and spring semesters, the Summer 2013 semester focuses on the serious study of creative writing. Students attend workshops in their area of concentration—fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, screenwriting, or playwriting—offering peer and faculty feedback on workshop members’ writing. Students attend lectures on the craft of writing, plan future writing and reading in consultation with their mentor, attend panel discussions about publishing and other topics, and attend plenary lectures about principles that apply to all forms of creative writing. The entire student body reads a Program Book in Common; students also read a book by a faculty member in their area of concentration as well as a book in their area by an Irish author. Faculty and student readings round out the curriculum.

Following the Ireland residency, a nine-month semester gives students ample time for their writing and reading. From home, students work with their expert teachers in an intense, individually tailored course of independent study. Students may complete the MFA degree by attending only the summer semesters, or they may mix summer semesters with those beginning with residency in Louisville. The Ireland residency builds on our experience conducting residencies in Paris (2007, 2012) London and Bath (2008), Barcelona (2009), Buenos Aires (2010), and Italy (2011).

 Events and Exploration

The Ireland residency takes place in Dublin and Galway, two of Ireland’s richest cities in literary and artistic heritage.

Our focus on the sister arts includes a special emphasis on playwriting and screenwriting. In Dublin, we will attend a performance at the Abbey Theatre. Founded in 1904 by W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, the Abbey Theatre is Ireland’s national theatre.

While in Galway, we’ll spend a day screening films at the Galway Film Fleadh, the city’s annual international film festival.

A day in Dublin is set aside for students to visit museums and important literary sites on their own. Students receive entrance to the Book of Kells, housed on Trinity College’s campus; the Dublin Writers Museum; the Shaw Birthplace; and numerous other museums and cultural attractions.  

Students may choose to take an optional guided excursion to the Wicklow Mountains, with visits to the formal gardens at Powercourt House and the sixth-century monastery at Glendalough. A separate optional excursion includes a visit to the prehistoric passage tombs at Newgrange.

At the midpoint of the residency, we leave Dublin for the arts capital of Galway. On the way, we’ll stop on the bank of the River Shannon to visit the early Christian site of Clonmacnoise, where we’ll view high crosses, cathedral ruins, churches, towers, and the largest collection of early Christian graveslabs in Western Europe.

The MFA group dines together at an opening meal on arrival day and at a closing meal. Free evenings and long lunchtimes provide additional time for students to explore Dublin and Galway as they wish.

 Housing and Guests

In Dublin, we’ll stay in student housing on or adjacent to historic Trinity College. Founded in 1592, Trinity is Ireland’s oldest university; its alumni include Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and Bram Stoker. Student housing has been recently renovated. In Galway, we’ll stay at a family-run lodge a short bus ride from the city center. Breakfast is included at both locations.

Students may invite family or friends to Ireland according to the policy explained in the document titled “FAQ – Traveling with EF Tours – the Essentials.” Guests may participate in off-campus activities and meals described above. Guests are at their leisure while students are in class—normally 9 a.m. until 6 or 7 p.m., with a break for lunch.

See EF Tours Enrollment Booklet.

Costs

Tuition for the Summer 2013 semester is $7,900, the same as for Fall 2012 and Spring 2013, and includes the curriculum described above. Travel arrangements are split between EF College Study Tours and Spalding. The EF College Study Tours travel package includes air travel, ground transportation, Galway housing and breakfasts, bus passes in Dublin and Galway, optional excursions, and two dinners. The Spalding-arranged portion includes Dublin housing and breakfasts, tickets to the Abbey Theatre and Galway Film Fleadh, and a Dublin Pass for free admission to numerous Dublin cultural attractions. Students may opt to purchase a land-only package from EF, which excludes air travel and transportation to/from the airport. Additional meals, tips, optional excursions, and free-time activities are not included in the trip price.

See Ireland Pricing Sheet for cost of trip, including Dublin housing.

 Enrollment and Deadline

Students may sign up for the Ireland residency anytime before February 1 (for current students) or March 30 (for incoming students). The earlier a student signs up with EF College Study Tours, the lower the monthly payment.

To sign up, visit efcollegestudytours.com/enroll (enter the trip number, 1181233) or call toll-free, 1-877-485-4184. Participants flying from airports other than Louisville should call the toll-free number for pricing from their home airport.

Registration for the Summer 2013 semester opens October 22, 2012, via WebAdvisor, which is accessible through the Spalding MFA portal page. Deadline to register is February 1 for current students, March 30 for incoming students.

  Contact Katy at kyocom@spalding.edu for more information.

 Passport Information

If you do not have a passport, or if your passport is damaged, or if it expires before October 15, 2011, you must apply for a new or renewed passport. The length of time it takes to receive a new or renewed passport can be unpredictable. We recommend you check the status of your passport now and, if needed, apply for a new or renewed passport immediately. For more information, visit http://travel.state.gov

For more information about travel to Ireland, visit the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Information Sheet for Ireland site.

For information on travel tips to destinations abroad, visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html

How to Obtain a Spalding Student Identification Card

Spalding students participating in the Paris residency must carry their Spalding Student ID with them. Students who have not attended a residency in Louisville can arrange to have an ID card sent to them through the Admissions Office. Check with Katy at kyocom@spalding.edu for information about how to email a picture for the ID. (top)

last updated 08-17-2011

Spalding University
851 S. Fourth St.
Louisville, KY 40203

MFA Office: (502) 873-4400 or (800) 896-8941, ext. 4400

Fax: 502-992-2409