Frequently Asked Questions

How is a low-residency MFA different from a traditional MFA?

It’s the same two-year terminal degree, but two different experiences. In the traditional MFA you would live in the area and attend weekly workshops. In the low-residency MFA you would keep your current job and home, and travel to the host school once or twice a year for residencies. (In our case, you would spend a week in Denver twice a year, or you would have the option of spending a summer residency in Ireland for our remote residency experience.)  You attend workshops (and craft seminars, and readings) every day for eight days, establish a study plan with your faculty mentor, then work one-on-one from home with that mentor during the semester instead of attending a semester-long workshop with other students.

Would a low-residency degree be good for me?

Obviously, this would depend on who you are and where you are in your life. A low-residency MFA allows you to attain your graduate degree without relocating or giving up your job, and while traveling twice a year to a beautiful setting in Colorado. 

Could I choose my own faculty mentor?

Before each residency we will ask you for your top three preferences for faculty mentors you’d like to work with. We will then match you with one of those mentors, giving priority to students in their final (thesis) semesters. At your residency you will then meet with your mentor to map out a study plan for the upcoming semester.

How does the “Writing in the World” requirement work?

No matter where you live, you will design a plan in which, upon graduating our program, you will use your writing talents to contribute to your community. Examples of such work will be presented during the residencies.

What if I am unable to finish a semester, or need to take time off?

We would prefer that you devote yourself to the program, bond with your classmates, and finish in two years, but we also know “life happens”—so yes, if you need to, you would be able to take a semester off. But the degree must be completed in a maximum of four years. 

How selective is your program?

Our faculty mentors are some of the best writers in the country, so we are seeking the best writing students in the country. At present, we accept roughly one-half of our applicants, a percentage that will drop in the near future, in proportion to the growth in our application numbers and in our reputation. 

What should I bring to a residency?

Comfortable clothing (there are no formal events, except for graduation), layers for January residencies (when the weather in Denver could be sunny and 60 degrees or below zero) along with ski gear if you plan on taking advantage of “ski day,” and sunscreen for the July residencies. Bring whatever you need to write, because even though the residency schedules are packed, we do encourage you to find quiet writing time for yourself. Regis University has computer labs (Mac and PC) available, along with a library stocked with books and movies. Bring also “prompts” for your writing—photos, objects, journals . . . anything that will help you to write. 
  
If you’re staying in the dorms (for the July residency), linens are provided, but bring toiletries. 


Where will I stay for the residences?

If you live in the Denver area, you may simply commute to campus (located at 50th Ave and Lowell Blvd) every day. If you are traveling to Denver, then for the January residencies we will provide discounted hotel rooms at a local hotel, and provide a shuttle service to and from campus. For the July residencies you have the option of staying in a campus residence hall (with a kitchenette) or in a hotel.


Will I have access to ITS services both at residencies and during semesters?

Yes, as a matriculated Regis University student you will have constant access to our wonderful ITS crew at its@regis.edu or 303.458.4040.


Is this program accredited?

Yes. Regis University and all its programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a member of the North Central Association.

Does Regis provide career and job services?

Yes. The Career Services Department is available year-round, and the MFA will be posting and recommending writing-related job opportunities by personal email and Facebook group posts.

Can I work full-time while earning my degree?

Yes! That’s the beauty of a low-residency program. However, know that the demands of our program are intense. You will need to devote at least twenty-five hours a week to your studies for each 16-week semester, and each day of the residencies run from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Can I go part-time?

Yes, but we discourage it. An MFA student may attend just one residency and one semester per year and take a maximum of four years to complete their degree. The disadvantage of doing so is that the student would lose the special bonding experience of entering, attending, and graduating with the same cohort of students.

Is there funding available for travel or scholarship? Can I get financial aid?

We currently offer a partial funding scholarship, and are working to build endowments so that we may offer additional funding in the future. FAFSA loans are available for all who qualify, and since allocations for graduate study are greater than for undergraduate study, it’s possible to fully fund your MFA studies. 

What is the city of Denver like?

Denver is a mid-sized city (roughly the size of Pittsburgh or Rochester, NY), with a pedestrian-friendly downtown area, a booming restaurant scene (many of which feature locally-grown food), and rampant sports fanaticism. Blocks from the Regis campus are three “hot” neighborhoods (Highlands, Lo-Hi, and Berkeley), and the very popular “Lodo” (Lower Downtown) is just ten minutes away. About twenty minutes west of the city begins the upslope to the Rocky Mountains, and there are many quaint mountain towns within an hour’s drive south or west.

During my non-residencies how can I stay connected to my peers?

At the Mile-High MFA, we are making community a priority. You will have access to an online class shell (similar to Blackboard), your own small Facebook group (for each entering class), a Yammer account, and a Google+ account so you can have writing sessions, via Google Hangout, with any (or many!) of your new writing friends.


How long are the residencies? When do they occur?

The nine-day winter and summer residences occur the first or second week of January and the third week of July respectively.


What can I expect from my mentor each semester?

During each residency, you will meet with your writing semester mentor and develop an individualized plan based on your previous reading and writing. After you have submitted work, the mentor will respond with a four-page (12 pages over the course the semester) holistic critique, including suggestions for new and revised work, marginalia, writing experiments, and suggestions for further reading. 

How many credits is each course? How many courses do I take each semester?

In the spring and fall, you take one nine-credit writing semester course. In the winter and summer you take one three-credit residency course.

Students typically choose one genre to study, but they may apply for a dual-genre study, at any point before the second residency, which will entail an additional semester and an additional residency.


How many credits is each course? How many courses do I take each semester?

Packets contain 4500-7500 words of double-spaced prose (fiction, creative nonfiction, YA fiction, graphic novel, writing for performance), or 10-15 pages of poetry or flash fiction, along with annotations on four-eight books (depending on the semester course) on their reading list (to be listed in their MFA Annotated Bibliography), with each packet prefaced by a letter addressing the contents of the packet and reflecting on any revisions they made according to the faculty mentor’s suggestions. Nine-credit courses require four packets (one each month).  Packet deadlines will be determined by you and your faculty mentor.



How long is a typical reading list/bibliography?

You read 4-8 books each semester, depending on the course. In later writing semesters, when additional assignments, such as the critical essay are due, the reading list is shorter.  

How many low-residency students are there?

Typically, there are 10-20 low-res students in each cohort with an approximate 3:1 student-faculty ratio.

I’m interested in a writing community? How does your program foster that?

While the program aims to teach you skills vital to the writer’s life, such as devising goals for your reading and writing and creating strategies for achieving your artistic vision, we know that these skills do not develop in a vacuum. Just as community offers a writer support and opportunities for networking, it is also vital to the writer’s sense of what is artistically possible. The MFA in Creative Writing fosters a writing community through the two yearly residencies, where students attend workshops, events, and meals with one another and their mentors. This camaraderie is extended into the mentorships where students go online to share their creative work, discuss their revision processes, and reflect on their artistic visions. Finally, besides your mentor, the Program Directors and Program Coordinator are available to advise you and connect you to the University and to offer you to practical support you need on this journey. 

What does an MFA creative thesis entail? How long are they? What genres are available?

The MFA in Creative Writing offers six genres: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, young adult fiction, and writing for performance, and the graphic novel. Students must declare a genre major when applying to the program. Double majors in two genres are also available and require an additional semester of nine credits. The creative thesis is a book-length manuscript: approximately 150 pages of prose or 50 pages of poetry.

How long do I have to write my MFA Creative Thesis?

The final semester, four months, will be spent on the MFA Thesis, which is the culmination of the student’s work during the four residencies and four semesters of the Mile-High MFA program. While you may generate some new work, you’ll spend the majority of the time revising and arranging previously-written work into a publishable manuscript.

What happens with my manuscript once it’s finished?

During the residencies, you and other graduating students have the opportunity to read or perform your work in an event open to your peers and the public.

Do you help me to publish my manuscript? What kind of professional development is provided?

In the final mentorship course, you will further your professional development by composing a professional C.V. and manuscript query letter and by working with a mentor to identify short- and long-term professional and creative goals (such as submitting to literary journals, writing book reviews, publishing your critical essay, and applying to internships). Following a successful thesis defense, the MFA student will receive advice from a guest editor or agent on how to turn the thesis into a marketable book.

Do I have the same mentor for the duration of the program?

You may only work with each mentor for a maximum of three semesters and are encouraged to work with a different mentor for your first and second semester (in order to have options for your thesis mentor), so this could mean that you work with a minimum of 2 mentors and a maximum of 3 mentors. 

Who are the guest writers? How are they selected? What do they do?

The guest writers are award-winning innovative writers who give a lecture and/or writers chat and a reading. Students are invited to suggest guest writers on their residency evaluation forms.