Students choose one creative genre and one practical field, such as public relations and marketing, literary journalism, grant writing, or technical writing. Creative genres include playwriting, screenwriting, and writing for children young adults, in addition to poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Students attend two weeklong residencies each year, in January and August, at the Western Connecticut State University campus in Danbury, Connecticut.

The funding application deadline is March 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester.