Why is the optional-residency MFA more expensive than the regular MFA?
This is due to two factors: the program must operate on a cost-recovery basis, so its tuition fees have to cover all its expenses solely from tuition revenue; secondly, there are technical and organizational costs which are higher than in a residential program in order to provide effective, high-quality online course delivery. This expense is, however, offest by the student’s ability to take classes on a part-time basis, spreading the cost over a longer timeframe, as well as the absence of many of the hidden costs of taking a residential program, such as relocating to Vancouver and having to attend classes full-time (UBC currently estimates the cost of attending a full-time program of studies at $12,000 per year for a domestic student, not including tuition or student fees). Most optional-residency students continue to work during the course of their degree. In comparison, other low-residency programs in the USA and the UK have costs which often exceed $18,000 CDN per year.
