The abbreviation MFA stands for Master of Fine Arts, which is a graduate-level degree that focuses on creative studies. MFA degrees are available in a variety of fields, including creative writing, art, drama, and photography. MFA programs are usually two years long, but they can be three years long depending on the school.
An MFA is a terminal degree that allows a graduate to apply for jobs as a professor of the subject in which he or she holds the MFA. A student may choose to obtain an MFA simply to pursue advanced education in the subject of choice; however, an MFA is also a terminal degree that allows the graduate to apply for jobs as a professor of the subject in which he or she holds the MFA. The majority of MFA programs combine practical and theoretical study. In a creative writing MFA program, for example, students would be required to take classes that are equivalent to graduate level English courses, with a heavy emphasis on theory and academic work.
The student would also take part in workshops, where each student brings in their own work and shares it with the other students. The students then conduct a thorough critique, in which they offer suggestions for how to improve the work and explain why it is or is not successful. In the United States, there are a number of well-known MFA programs. The Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, where Kurt Vonnegut and John Cheever once taught, is the most well-known and prestigious creative writing program in the country. Flannery O’Connor, John Irving, Ann Patchett, and a slew of other notables are among the program’s alumni.
Although most MFA programs require students to attend all classes on campus, many academic institutions have recently introduced low-residency creative writing MFA programs, which require students to attend classes on campus for only one or two weeks per year. The student works on his or her project at home the rest of the time and sends it to an instructor for regular feedback. These programs are especially beneficial for older students who may have family or work obligations that prevent them from relocating.