Location:

Roanoke, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Literature & Writing

Program Overview

Program Description:

Hollins offers summer M.A. and M.F.A. programs exclusively in the study and writing of children's literature. The courses are offered within a close-knit community of scholars over six-week summer terms. Depending on the number of courses taken per summer and additional courses taken during the academic year, the degree may be completed with as few as three residencies required. Two courses may be taken in transfer from another similar program. Forty credits are required for the M.A.; forty-eight credits are required for the M.F.A. New in 2014, Hollins began offering the MFA in Children's Book Writing and Illustrating - the first of its kind in the country. Students who want to both write and illustrate children's books can receive a master's degree with concentrated training in both disciplines. Runs concurrently with the well established existing programs in children's literature during a six-week summer term annually. Sixty credits are required for the degree. Students will complete degree requirements over the course of four to five summer terms. Offering this program during the summer term allows Hollins to enlist experts in the field of children's literature from other colleges and universities as well as those on the Hollins faculty. Other summer programs in screenwriting and film studies and in playwriting allow for a community of writers to come together over the summer term to create a synergy that is unlike many other campus offerings. Hollins University offers a graduate level certificate in children's book illustration. Closely associated with Hollins' longstanding graduate program in the study and writing of children's books, this new program is taught by noted illustrators, including core faculty Ruth Sanderson and Ashley Wolff. Students undertake four courses over two six-week summer terms. Creating Picture Books for Children and Picture Book Drawing Fundamentals in the first summer are followed by Picture Book Design and Picture Book Media in the second summer. The Illustration Certificate program runs concurrently with the graduate program in children's literature and includes an exceptional array of visiting speakers and the change to participate in the annual student-run Francelia Butler Conference on Children's Literature.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

Hollins University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Financial Aid:

Yes

Requirements:

Applicants to any of the programs must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Undergraduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation, writing samples and/or portfolio of art work (depending on the program to which applicant is applying), the application form, and processing fee are required.

International Requirements:

International students must complete all application requirements necessary for those who are U.S. citizens. Additionally, evaluation of college or university coursework must be done by a foreign credential evaluation service. If their native language is not English, TOEFL test scores are required (minimum of 550 on paper-based test or 79 on internet-based test) along with a proficiency in English form completed by a professional why can attest to the student's ability to understand, read, and write English. International students must also provide certification of their ability to fund their graduate education.