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Fine Arts

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  • Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog›
  • Academic Programs›
  • Fine Arts
  • Overview
  • Programmatic Student Learning Outcomes
  • Programs
  • Courses

Program Director:
Jen McClanaghan, Ph.D.
(401) 341-3182

This vibrant, highly personalized two-year program confers a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in one of the world's most beautiful settings. The Newport MFA is a program in one of the world's most beautiful settings. Newport, Rhode Island is a coastal community steeped in cultural and literary history — home to novelists and to novels by Henry James, Thornton Wilder and Edith Wharton.

Our low-residency program will immerse you in the creative life through intensive study of the craft of writing, guided by dedicated faculty. Students can choose to specialize in fiction, historical fiction, poetry or nonfiction. Residencies consist of daily workshops, craft lectures, manuscript consultations, and keynote readings, initiating students into the writing life as well as the business of publishing and editing. Each student spends the months between residencies working on their writing one-on-one with a faculty member. 

Creative Writing, Low Residency MFA Student Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the program, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a proficiency in one of the following genres: fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction, including techniques of intensive revision.
  2. Engage in critical reading, writing, and analytic skills required of a literary artist.
  3. Assume the working life of a professional writer, whether in academia, commercial or independent publishing, or within one's community.

(Source: Assessment Report 2022)

Master's

  • Creative Writing, Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts
ENG-600:  Residency in Creative Writing I  (6 Credits)  

During these intensive community experiences on campus, students will participate in genre-specific workshops, seminars and lectures as well as panel discussions and public readings. The first residency introduces students to mentors and to the expectations of long-distance learning. Students may present the work submitted in their application or new work.

ENG-601:  Residency in Creative Writing II  (6 Credits)  
Pre-requisite(s): ENG-600 and ENG-610 are required.  

During these intensive community experiences on campus, students will participate in genre-specific workshops, seminars and lectures as well as panel discussions and public readings. In the second residency, students will continue strengthening their ongoing body of work. This work should show an evolution of skill from the first residency.

ENG-602:  Residency in Creative Writing III  (6 Credits)  
Pre-requisite(s): ENG-600, ENG-601, ENG-610 and ENG-611 are required.  

During these intensive community experiences on campus, students will participate in genre-specific workshops, seminars and lectures as well as panel discussions and public readings. In the third residency, students will continue to deepen and build on previous work, diligently revising based on the accumulation of feedback from peers and mentors received over the first year.

ENG-603:  Residency in Creative Writing IV  (6 Credits)  
Pre-requisite(s): ENG-600, ENG-601, ENG-602, ENG-610, ENG-611 and ENG-612 are required.  

During these intensive community experiences on campus, students will participate in genre-specific workshops, seminars and lectures as well as panel discussions and public readings. During the last regular residency, students will continue to deepen and build on their growing body of work, taking full advantage of the final residency to edit, test, and push their own creative limits.

ENG-610:  Mentorship in Creative Writing I  (6 Credits)  
Pre-requisite(s): ENG-600 is required.  

During the intervening months between residencies, students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor who guides the production of creative work and the study of craft. Mentors provide written and oral commentary on writing submitted over the term. Four packets of writing should be turned in over the intervening months (roughly a packet a month). Each packet contains a letter to the mentor, reflecting on the work being turned in, and two critical annotations on books from the assigned reading list. Each student has a reading list created with the mentor before the course begins.

ENG-611:  Mentorship in Creative Writing II  (6 Credits)  
Pre-requisite(s): ENG-600, ENG-601 and ENG-610 are required.  

During the intervening months between residencies, students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor who guides the production of creative work and the study of craft. Mentors provide written and oral commentary on writing submitted over the term. Four packets of new writing should be turned in over the intervening months (roughly a packet a month). This should not be revised work from ENG-610, unless the revision is significant enough as to seem new. Each packet contains a letter to the mentor, reflecting on the work being turned in, and two critical annotations on books from the assigned reading list. Each student has a reading list created with the mentor before the course begins.

ENG-612:  Mentorship in Creative Writing III  (6 Credits)  
Pre-requisite(s): ENG-600, ENG-601, ENG-602, ENG-610 and ENG-611 are required.  

During the intervening months between residencies, students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor who guides the production of creative work and the study of craft. Mentors provide written and oral commentary on writing submitted over the term in a virtual studio environment by using electronic classroom and other communication tools. Four packets of writing should be turned in over the intervening months (roughly a packet a month). Additionally, a reflective essay on an assigned reading list of books (supplied by each mentor) is required in the final packet.

ENG-613:  Mentorship in Creative Writing IV  (6 Credits)  
Pre-requisite(s): ENG-600, ENG-601, ENG-602, ENG-603, ENG-610, ENG-611 and ENG-612 are required.  

During the intervening months between residencies, students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor who guides the production of creative work and the study of craft. Mentors provide written and oral commentary on writing submitted over the term. Four packets of writing should be turned in over the intervening months (roughly a packet a month). In this final mentorship, the creative work is rigorously revised and brought to a polished, publishable stage. In addition to revising creative work, students prepare a craft talk to be delivered during their final residency based on their thesis essay.

ENG-620:  Final Residency and Graduation  (0 Credits)  

During a required fifth semester, which takes place at the residency following a student's fourth semester, the student will present a lecture based on the thesis craft essay for approval and attend craft lectures by their peers. The student will also give a reading from the creative thesis. The final night of the residency there will be an MFA graduation ceremony with a reception to follow.

2024-2025 Edition

  • Undergraduate Catalog
    • Introduction
    • Admissions
    • Financial Information
    • Financial Aid
    • FERPA and Student Records
    • Student Affairs
    • Academic Policies
    • Academic Resources
    • The Curriculum and Degree Programs
    • Academic Programs
      • Art and Art History
        • Art History (B.A.)
        • Art History Minor
        • Studio Art (B.A.)
        • Studio Art Minor
      • Biology
        • Biology (B.A.)
        • Biology (B.S.)
        • Biology (B.S.) Leading to Pharm.D.
        • Biology and Secondary Education (B.A.S.)
        • Biology Minor
        • Medical Laboratory Sciences (B.S.) (3+1)
        • Medical Laboratory Sciences (B.S.) (4+1)
        • Neuroscience Minor
      • Business and Economics
        • Accounting (B.S.)
        • Accounting Minor
        • Business Administration (B.S.)
        • Business Administration Minor
        • Economics (B.A.)
        • Economics (B.S.)
        • Economics Minor
        • Entrepreneurship Minor
        • Finance (B.S.)
        • Finance Minor
        • Global Business and Economics (B.S.)
        • Global Business and Economics Minor
        • Healthcare Administration (B.S.)
        • Healthcare Administration Minor
        • Hospitality and Tourism Management Minor
        • Marketing (B.S.)
        • Marketing Minor
        • Mathematical Finance Minor
        • Sports Management Minor
      • Chemistry
        • Biochemistry (B.A.)
        • Biochemistry (B.A.) Leading to Pharm.D.
        • Biochemistry (B.S.)
        • Chemistry &​ Secondary Education (B.A.S.)
        • Chemistry (B.A.)
        • Chemistry (B.A.) Leading to Biomedical Engineering (B.S.) at UMass Dartmouth
        • Chemistry (B.A.) Leading to Chemical or Biomedical Engineering (B.S.) at Washington University
        • Chemistry (B.S.)
        • Chemistry Minor
      • Criminal Justice and Criminology
        • Criminal Justice and Criminology (B.A.)
        • Criminal Justice and Criminology Minor
        • Cybersecurity Minor
        • Psychology of Crime Minor
      • Cultural and Historic Preservation
        • Cultural and Historic Preservation (B.A.)
        • Cultural and Historic Preservation Minor
      • Cultural, Environmental and Global Studies
        • Environmental Studies (B.A.)
        • Environmental Studies Minor
        • Food Studies Minor
        • Global Studies (B.A.)
        • Global Studies Minor
        • Sociology and Anthropology (B.A.)
        • Sociology and Anthropology Minor
        • Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Minor
      • Education
        • Secondary Education (B.A.S.)
        • Early Childhood and Special Education (B.S.)
        • Early Childhood Education (B.S.)
        • Elementary Education (B.S.)
        • Elementary Education and Special Education (B.S.)
        • Music Education (B.A.S.)
        • Secondary Education Minor
        • Special Education Minor
      • Engineering (3+2 Dual Degree)
      • English for Academic Purposes
      • English, Communications and Media
        • Communications (B.A.)
        • Communications Minor
        • Creative Writing and Publishing (B.A.)
        • Creative Writing Minor
        • Film Minor (Interdisciplinary)
        • Literature (B.A.)
        • Literature and Secondary Education (B.A.S.)
        • Literature Minor
      • General Studies
      • History
        • American History (B.A.)
        • European History (B.A.)
        • History and Secondary Education (B.A.S.)
        • History Minor
      • Liberal Studies
      • Mathematical Sciences
        • Data Analytics Minor
        • Dual Degree Mathematics (B.A.) and Data Science (M.S.)
        • Mathematical Finance Minor
        • Mathematics (B.A.)
        • Mathematics (B.A.) leading to Electrical, Mechanical, or Systems Science and Engineering (B.S.)
        • Mathematics and Secondary Education (B.A.S.)
        • Mathematics Minor
      • Modern Languages
        • French and Francophone Studies (B.A.)
        • French and Francophone Studies Minor
        • Hispanic Studies (B.A.)
        • Hispanic Studies Minor
        • Italian Studies Minor
        • World Languages Education -​ French (B.A.S.)
        • World Languages Education -​ Spanish (B.A.S.)
      • Music, Theatre and Dance
        • Dance (B.A.)
        • Dance Minor
        • Music (B.A.)
        • Music Education (B.A.S.)
        • Music Minor
        • Theatre Arts (B.A.)
        • Theatre Arts Minor
      • Nursing
        • Nursing (B.S.)
      • Pell Honors Program
      • Pharmacy (3+3 Dual Degree)
      • Philosophy
        • Philosophy (B.A.)
        • Philosophy Minor
      • Political Science and International Relations
        • Political Science (B.A.)
        • Political Science Minor
      • Psychology
        • ABA Minor
        • Psychology (B.A.)
        • Psychology Minor
      • Religious and Theological Studies
        • Religious and Theological Studies (B.A.)
        • Religious and Theological Studies Minor
      • Social Work
        • Human Services Minor
        • Social Work (B.S.)
    • Course Descriptions
      • Accounting (ACC)
      • Applied Technology (APT)
      • Arabic (ARA)
      • Art (ART)
      • Biochemistry (BCH)
      • Biology (BIO)
      • Chemistry (CHM)
      • Chinese (CHN)
      • Communications (COM)
      • Computer Science (CSC)
      • Creative Writing &​ Publishing (CWP)
      • Criminal Justice and Criminology (CJC)
      • Cultural &​ Historic Preservation (CHP)
      • Cultural, Environmental and Global Studies (CEG)
      • Dance (DNC)
      • Data Science Analytics (DSA)
      • Early Childhood Education (ELC)
      • Economics (ECN)
      • Elementary Education (EDC)
      • English (ENG)
      • English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
      • Environmental Studies (ENV)
      • Film Studies (FLM)
      • First Year Transitions (FYT)
      • French (FRN)
      • General Studies (GST)
      • German (GRM)
      • Global Studies (GLO)
      • Health Care Administration (HCA)
      • History (HIS)
      • Italian (ITL)
      • Latin (LAT)
      • Linguistics (LIN)
      • Management &​ Business Admin (MGT)
      • Mathematics (MTH)
      • Medical Laboratory Sciences (MED)
      • Military Science &​ Leadership (MSL)
      • Music History &​ Theory (MSC)
      • Music Instruction (Individual) (MSI)
      • Music Performance (MSP)
      • Nursing (NUR)
      • Pell Honors Program (PEL)
      • Philosophy (PHL)
      • Physics (PHY)
      • Political Science (POL)
      • Portuguese (PTG)
      • Psychology (PSY)
      • Religious &​ Theolog Studies (RTS)
      • Science (SCI)
      • Secondary Education (SCD)
      • Social Work (SWK)
      • Sociology and Anthropology (SOA)
      • Spanish (SPA)
      • Special Education (SED)
      • Statistics (STA)
      • Theatre Arts (THE)
      • University Seminar (UNV)
      • Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGS)
    • Course Search
    • Board of Trustees
    • Administration
    • Full Time Faculty
    • Professional Librarians
  • Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog
    • Introduction
    • Admissions
    • Financial Information
    • FERPA and Student Records
    • Academic Policies
    • University Services
    • Academic Facilities
    • Academic Programs
      • Business and Economics
        • Business Intelligence for Organizational Progress Certificate
        • Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
        • Organizational Culture Transformation Certificate
        • Organizational Transformation and Leadership (M.S.)
        • Strategic Transformation and Sustainable Management Certificate
      • Counselor Education and Expressive Arts
        • Clinical Counseling (M.A.)
        • Clinical Mental Health;​ Concentration in Holistic Counseling Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies
        • Mental Health: Rehabilitation Counseling Concentration Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies
        • Professional Applications of the Expressive and Creative Arts Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies
        • Professional Applications of the Expressive and Creative Arts Certificate of Graduate Studies
      • Criminal Justice and Cybersecurity
        • Criminal Justice and Cybersecurity (M.S.)
        • Cyberthreat Management and Response Certificate of Graduate Studies
        • Intelligence and Analysis Tradecraft Certificate of Graduate Studies
        • Leadership in Justice Certificate of Graduate Studies
      • Fine Arts
        • Creative Writing, Low-​Residency Master of Fine Arts
      • Healthcare Administration
        • Cybersecurity in Healthcare Administration Certificate
        • Healthcare Administration Certificate of Graduate Studies
        • Healthcare Administration Master of Science (M.S.)
        • Healthcare Leadership Certificate of Graduate Studies
      • Humanities
        • Humanities Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
      • International Relations
        • International Relations Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
        • International Relations Master of Arts (M.A.)
      • Nursing
        • Nursing (M.S.) with a FNP concentration
        • Nursing (M.S.) with a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration
        • Post-​MSN Certificate -​ Family Nurse Practitioner
        • Post-​MSN Certificate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
        • Post-​MSN Doctorate of Nursing Practice
      • Psychology: Behavior Analysis
        • Behavior Analysis (M.S.)
        • Behavior Analysis (Ph.D)
      • RN-​BS Nursing Program (Professional Studies)
        • Nursing Professional Studies (RN-​BS)
    • Course Descriptions
      • Biology (BIO)
      • Counseling (COU)
      • Criminal Justice and Cybersecurity (CJC)
      • English (ENG)
      • Health Care Administration (HCA)
      • History (HIS)
      • Holistic Counseling (HLC)
      • Humanities (HUM)
      • International Relations (INR)
      • Management &​ Business Admin (MGT)
      • Nursing (NUR)
      • Philosophy (PHL)
      • Psychology (PSY)
      • Rehabilitation Counseling (RHB)
      • Religious &​ Theological Studies (RTS)
      • Sociology and Anthropology (SOA)
      • Statistics (STA)
      • University Seminar (UNV)
    • Course Search
    • Board of Trustees
    • Administration
    • Full Time Faculty
    • Professional Librarians
  • Archived Catalogs

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 2024-2025 Salve Regina University

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