Spalding University offers a four-semester, brief-residency Master of Fine Arts in Writing with concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, screenwriting, and playwriting. Each semester begins with a 10-day residency away from home, after which students return home to study one on one by correspondence with a faculty mentor. The program offers more than one option to successfully complete the program. Students may customize the location, season, and pace of their studies. The fall (November) and spring (May) semesters begin with 10-day residencies in Louisville followed by a 6-month semester of study at home by correspondence with a faculty mentor. Students may expect to spend about 25 hours a week in writing and reading. Students send 5 packets of writing at 3 1/2-week intervals. The summer semester begins with a 10-day residency abroad followed by a 9-month semester of study at home by correspondence with a faculty mentor. The abroad residencies take place in a different international location each year, such as Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Italy, Paris, Ireland, London. . . . Students may expect to spend about 12-15 hours a week in writing and reading. Students send 5 packets of writing at 6-week intervals. (Students who prefer the longer semester but do not wish to travel abroad may combine the spring Louisville residency with the 9-month summer at-home semester schedule.) The program takes four-semesters and five residencies (the fifth and graduating residency occurs after the fourth semester) to complete and is a 64-credit hour degree. Students take from 2-10 years to complete the program. Applicants may apply at any time; however, the deadline for spring is January 15, for summer, February 1, and for fall July 1. See the website for a list of faculty and for tuition information. For more information email mfa@spalding.edu.