Writing for Children (MFA)
Faculty
Kelly Hager, Associate Professor, English
Megan Lambert, Senior Lecturer
Cathryn Mercier, Professor, Children's Literature
Description
Nurture your creativity with engaged critical study and analysis of literature for children and young adults. Transformative works from folklore, fantasy, nonfiction, poetry, and realism set rich contexts to your developing vision and voice. Small group critiques, individualized mentorships, and grounding in the publishing industry fortify your developing career as a writer.
Explore genre and audience. Engage with picturebooks, young adult realism, beginning and middle-grade readers, graphic novels. Dare to discover new audiences and forms all your own.
Learn from colleagues from across professions. Core classes will include teachers, librarians, editors, illustrators, academics. Join experienced authors and illustrators in unique events such as the summer institute at the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons, Horn Book at Simmons Symposium, and Boston's annual literary events. From P.E.N. New England Discovery Night to the Boston Book Festival, participate in today’s literary heritage as you create tomorrow’s.
Learning Outcomes
Students leave Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children with an extensive theoretical context and a broad knowledge of contemporary literature for children and young adults. In graduating, they have
- Developed a critical voice and demonstrated the capacity for original argument;
- Analyzed literature for children and young adults;
- Assessed and interpreted scholarship in the field of children’s and young adult literature;
- Applied critical perspectives across genres in children’s and young adult literature;
- Understood historical works, contexts, and influences in the field;
- Valued the diversities of human experiences (re)presented in literature for children and young adults and in the scholarship in the field;
- Demonstrated individual and collaborative leadership;
- Experimented with writing across genres;
- Evaluated and provided meaningful feedback on manuscripts-in-development; and
- Completed two original creative projects.
Requirements for entry into program
Admission to the MFA program requires a baccalaureate degree preferably with a major in English and American and/or comparative literature from an accredited institution. However, the program is also open to students with majors in elementary or secondary education, fine arts, or social sciences who have done substantial work in English. The application should include official transcripts of all degree work, two letters of recommendation, and, for international students, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants must submit a writing portfolio not to exceed 20 pages as well as a statement of purpose that reflects on their writing process. This statement should address the applicant’s goals as a writer, his/her publishing history and/or any works in progress. An interview, though not required, is strongly recommended.
Transferring Credit from Domestic External Institutions to the MFA (CHL) Degree:
Students in the MFA (Writing for Children) degree program may petition to transfer up to four (4) credits earned in an external degree program to their Simmons degree. This petition to transfer credit must be made at the time of a student’s application to the degree program. Students interested in transferring credit must complete the Transfer of Credit form and submit the completed form and relevant documentation to the Children’s Literature Graduate Program Director as part of their application process.
Course Waivers
Petitions to waive course requirements in the MFA (Writing for Children) degree program are not typically entertained. If a student believes they have already completed equivalent coursework, they should consult with the MA and MFA Program Director.
Costs
Including financing and fellowships / assistantships
$1020 per credit hour
Activity Fee $52 per semester
Delivery Mode or Modes Available (full-time, part-time, locations, technologies, etc.)
In collaboration with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Simmons offers all four graduate programs in Children's Literature onsite at The Carle. This includes our M.A. in Children's Literature, M.F.A. in Writing for Children, M.A. in Children's Literature/M.F.A. dual degree, and M.A. in Children's Literature/M.S. in Library Science dual degree offered in collaboration with Simmons's School of Library and Information Science program at Mount Holyoke.
Degree requirements
Thirty-two credits are required for the MFA degree.
Graduate students in the Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children degree program typically carry between eight and ten (8 - 10) credits in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Because courses coded with the CHL prefix may represent two (2) or four (4) credit courses, a student may register for up to five individual two-credit courses (for a total of ten [10] credits) during any semester. Students considering registering for more than 10 credits per term must consult with the graduate program director.
Weekend Courses:
Two (2) credit courses may be scheduled to occur during a weekend, during which students may meet up to eight hours daily to engage in coursework. MFA (Writing for Children) students may enroll in as many weekend courses as their schedules allow.
Core, Pre-requisite, and elective course requirements and progression, etc.
MFA (Writing for Children) students must complete 32 credits of graduate coursework to qualify for the MFA degree:
4 credits of coursework in the history of children’s literature, selected from courses with a chronological focus
(note: students may earn 4 history credits by choosing one (1) 4 credit course or two (2) 2 credit courses)
4 credits of coursework in children’s literary genres
(note: students may earn 4 genre credits by choosing one (1) 4 credit course or two (2) 2 credit courses)
Time to Degree
Students in the MA (CHL) and MFA (Writing for Children) degree programs must complete degree requirements within six (6) years of their initial matriculation. In exceptional circumstances, students may petition the Children’s Literature Program Director to extend the five-year time limit up to one academic year.
Capstone, placement, internship, practicum, etc.
The final requirement is a two-course sequence in which the student works closely with a mentor to develop a manuscript from conception to submission.
Licensure, certification, etc.
N/A
Dual (and other) degree options (With what other degree programs may this program be combined?)
Children's Literature (MA)/Writing For Children (MFA)
Children's Literature (MA)/Library Services To Children (MS)
Children's Literature (MA)/Teaching (MAT)
Applying for Entry to a Dual Degree Program as a Single Degree Student:
Students currently matriculated in the MFA (Writing for Children) degree program may apply for entry to the MA/MFA (Children’s Literature and Writing for Children), dual degree program. To be admitted to a dual degree program, students must apply for admission to both degree programs. Those students who have been admitted to and matriculated in one degree program must apply for admission and be admitted to the second degree program to be considered a dual degree student.
Because of the highly structured nature of this dual degree program’s curriculum, students must apply to be considered for the dual degree before they have completed 12 credit hours in a single degree program. Applications for the dual degree program from students who have completed more than 12 credit hours of coursework in a single degree program may not be considered.
To apply for acceptance to the dual degree program, students who are currently matriculated in a single degree program must meet with the relevant dual degree Program Directors to discuss their entry into the dual degree program and then complete the relevant application form for the program for which they are requesting entry. The application fee will be waived for these students. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis by the Admissions staff and the degree program directors.
Other program information