Spalding Adds a New Virtual Residency Option

Spalding University is home to one of the nation’s most respected low-residency MFA in Writing programs. Beginning in 2024, priceless MFA experiences are available with in-person residencies on campus—or with virtual residencies you can attend from anywhere.

Attend residency in person . . .

Residencies take place in May and November on Spalding’s campus in downtown Louisville, a top destination for arts, dining, parks, and historic neighborhoods. Each residency includes a theatre performance, museum visit, or other arts experience. Friendships form at our “dormitory,” the elegant 1920s-era Brown Hotel, a short walk from campus.

. . . or virtually . . .

If an in-person residency doesn’t work for you, you can attend a virtual residency in June. You’ll engage with the same immersive curriculum, taught live in real time by our outstanding MFA faculty. Small workshops create a close-knit learning environment. Tuition is the same for both residency types, but virtual residencies cut out travel time and costs.

. . . or mix and match.

No matter which residency type you attend—perhaps a mix of both—you’ll earn a highly respected Spalding degree. And you’ll become a part of an active alumni community that will support your writing career long after graduation.

What makes Spalding special?

You’ll write more at Spalding and receive more one-on-one faculty feedback than in most other MFA programs. This extra attention and our encouraging, non-competitive ethos will help you thrive. You’ll hone your craft as you work closely with our outstanding faculty of publishing and producing writers. You’ll learn about the business of writing as you build a lifelong writing community. Cross-genre study (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, and writing for TV, screen, and stage), flexible scheduling, and abundant alumni opportunities create an MFA experience like no other.

Publish, produce, and find professional success.

Our alums publish creative work with top presses, write for television and film, and have plays produced regionally and nationally. They have careers as editors, professors, nonprofit administrators, media professionals, and more.

A range of programs, affordable tuition, and a special $2,500 scholarship.

At the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing, we also offer an MA in Writing and a graduate certificate. You can roll those credits into the MFA program, earning two credentials for about the cost of one. If you already have your MFA or MA with creative thesis, our Post-master’s Certificate in Writing Enrichment is for you.

Our tuition is among the most affordable of any top-tier low-residency MFA. Thanks to a generous grant from the Renau Foundation, we’re awarding a limited number of $2,500 scholarships to incoming students who complete the FAFSA and demonstrate need. Other scholarships are available, too.

Apply by our early-decision deadline of February 1 or shortly after. Begin your studies with our spring residency on campus, May 25 – June 1, or summer virtual residency, June 22 – 29. Learn more at our website, or request and application fee waiver code to save $30 when you apply.