Master of Fine Arts
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- For other uses, see MFA.
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a graduate degree in an area of applied or performing arts typically requiring two to three years of study beyond the bachelor level. Coursework is primarily of an applied or performing nature (versus research and academic inquiry) with the program often culminating in a major work or performance.
Common fields of study include Theater, Creative Writing, Filmmaking, and Visual Arts. The MFA is generally considered a terminal degree because there are very few doctoral degrees in applied arts, although this is beginning to change as the DFA, or Doctor of Fine Arts, is still an earned degree at some schools, like the Yale School of Drama, for dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, or conferred by many schools as an honorary degree for those who have distinguished themselves in the arts. Also PhDs are beginning to be developed in fields such as Creative Writing. The rigor of this program in the Visual Arts does not necessitate, neither can it envision, a doctorally tagged program in visual studies. The origins of the MFA can be traced to ancient guilds where "master"--"maestro," as opposed to "magister"--really meant the apogee of disciplinary immersion and required extended periods of apprenticeship. The MFA is commonly required for permanent or full-time positions teaching at the college level.
Programs generally require a bachelor's degree prior to admission, but many do not require that the undergraduate major be the same as the MFA field of study. The most important admissions requirement is often a sample portfolio or a performing audition.
The MFA differs from the MA in that it is more concerned with practical application in the field, while the latter is interested in the academic study of the field. In the discipline of art specifically, the College Art Association has written guidelines[1] setting MFA standards.
[edit] MFA Programs in Creative Writing
- MFA Program for Poets & Writers at UMASS.
- Iowa Writers Workshop
- Indiana University Creative Writing Program
- The University of Houston Creative Writing Program
- The University of Colorado Creative Writing Program
- The University of Alabama Creative Writing Program
- The University of Minnesota Creative Writing Program
- University of British Columbia Creative Writing Program
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