An MFA is a graduate-level degree that focuses on creative studies, such as creative writing, fine art, theater, and photography. It usually lasts two to three years and can lead to teaching jobs. MFA programs focus on practical and theoretical study, including workshops and critiques. Some programs are low-residence, allowing students to work on their projects at home. Famous MFA programs include the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.
An MFA is short for Master of Fine Arts, a graduate-level degree that focuses on creative studies. There are several types of MFA including creative writing, fine art, theater and photography. MFAs usually last two years, but can sometimes be three years, depending on the school.
A student may decide to obtain an MFA simply to engage in advanced education in the subject of their choice; however, an MFA is also a terminal degree, which allows the graduate to apply for jobs teaching a particular subject in which he holds an MFA degree. Most MFA programs focus on practical and theoretical study. For example, in an MFA program for creative writing, the student should take classes equivalent to graduate-level English courses, which focus heavily on theory and academic work.
In addition, the student would participate in workshops, in which each student brings their own work and shares it with the other students. Students then engage in a full critique session; that is, they offer advice on how to improve the work and explain why it is successful or not. There are several famous MFA programs in the United States. The most famous and prestigious creative writing program is the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, where Kurt Vonnegut and John Cheever taught. Program graduates include writers Flannery O’Connor, John Irving, Ann Patchett and many other notables.
While most MFA programs teach all courses on campus, recently, many academic institutions have introduced low-residence creative writing MFA programs, in which students must attend classes on the school’s campus for only one or two weeks per year. . The rest of the time, the student works on their project at home and sends them to an instructor for regular feedback. Such programs are especially good for older students, who may have family and work obligations that would not allow them to move.
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