What is a Low Residency Degree Program?

December 22, 2011 ↓ Comments (0)

A low residency degree program means that students are not required to live in the same place as where the college is located. For example, if you attend a low residency program at the University of Island Park, you don’t have to reside in Island Park to attend the program. Most low-res programs have a residency requirement, which means that you must visit the campus or meet together with a cohort of fellow students for a period of time each semester. A typical residency is a week to several weeks in length. Requirements vary per program.

Another aspect of low residency degree programs is that they tend to favor experiential based learning over course work. That means students design and carry out their own course of action with guidance and approval from the college or university. For instance, rather than a student taking a class in community planning, the student would instead work with or develop their own planning committee and actually affect a community.

Low residency degree programs are especially attractive to artists and students who are independent, self directed learners. Often the people who attend low residency programs are non-trads (non-traditional students) meaning that they are older individuals with established personal and professional lives. However, anyone suited to this kind of education can do very well in a low residency setting.