MA in Creative Writing as teaching credential

Would an MA in Creative Writing consisting of a creative work plus a mini-dissertation serve as an adequate credential for teaching English at the 2- and 4-year college level?

I'll appreciate all responses.

 

Yes - if, in the U.S., it is regionally accredited.

However, you imply that the M.A. would simply consist of one creative work and a dissertation. Any credible M.A. would consist of far more work than that. (Minor point - a master's involves a thesis, a doctorate involves a dissertation.)

A creative writing master's can be an M.A. or M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts). There is no teacher certification required to teach at the college level, only at the secondary school level and below. Therefore, don't concern yourself with certification per se, just with the degree as credential. But do make it a credible degree.

For a good example of an M.F.A. in creative writing, check out Vermont College's web page - you can surf to it through tui.edu.
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Usual disclosure statement: I did my M.A. at Vermont College when it was part of Norwich University. V.C. is now part of Union Institute & University.

 

Dr. Levicoff~~

Dr. Levicoff~~~

Do you think someone who has an MA in Creative Writing or an MFA in such (eg. english) has as good of a chance at getting hired as someone who has an MA in Literature or Literary studies at a 2 or 4 year college?

Chris

 

Re: Dr. Levicoff~~

Yes and no. Yes, because community colleges require only a master's degree for teachers at all levels. So the big question becomes what the competition is like, keeping in mind that a doctor is likely to be hired faster than someone with a master's.

It also depends on the job description of the position that is open. An M.F.A. in creative writing will prepare one to teach writing (in which there are lots of community college courses), but not necessarily to teach a course in Shakespeare. Thus, an M.A. in, say, English or English Lit. is a broader degree that will prepare someone to teacher a wider array of courses.

Incidentally, this is a key issue with many people who do nontraditional degrees - they tend to want to declare a degree major (or actual degree title) that is too focused, one which will end up limiting their marketability.

When I did my M.A., there was a guy who did his thesis - an oral history - on a group of rural women with a rich tradition of story telling. When someone woyuld ask him what he was majoring in, he would always answer, "The Weathered Women Project." Fortunately, by the time he graduated, he had become hip enough to simply call his major - and his degree - an M.A. in Women's Studies.

The same temptation exists in many fields. A person may want to earn an M.A. in Neuro Linguistic Programming, when they will be able to market themselves better by simply calling their degree an M.A. in Psychology. An M.A. in Creative Writing is a legitimate, and common, degere title, but an M.A. in English may be more marketable - again, it all depends on how the want ad reads.

Finally, remember that community colleges, just like four-year colleges and comprehensive universities, look for experience as well as education. And the best way to get experience, if you don't have it, is to make sure you do a teaching internship during your M.A. or M.F.A. program.. Do something that will set you apart from - and put you a step above - the other applicants who don't have experience. When you graduate, you may only be able to find work as an adjunct - most fresh grads do not walk into a full-time teaching gig, regardless of their degree title or the school from which they graduated. (The old adage, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" is very much alive in the wacky world of higher education.) The time to get teaching experience is while you are still in school yourself (notwithstanding that it's also the best time to develop your own pedagogical skills). You may, indeed, be a good creative writer, but if you don't know how to impart that knowledge to others, it doesn't mean squat to a community (or any other type of) college.

 

Thank you Steve

Thank you for the lengthy response, Steve.

As you are well aware, there are very few MA's in English Lit available via DL. However, MFAs are frequently being born.

I have the desire to do an MA simply for the purpose of teaching composition (and perhaps Literature) on the junior college level.

My second question, should you choose to accept it: why is an MA in English better prep., or a "broader degree" than an MFA in creative writing?

What confuses me about this whole thing with "creative writing" and "english" is that the degrees in "english" (even UCIrvine) are basically only degrees in Lit. It may be true, however, that a Lit. degree may not prepare one to teach composition. Composition, as you point out, is essentially what is usually taught at the junior college level. The lit classes, however, are mostly only "plums" that a teacher might pick when he/she can. From my naive point of view, an MFA in creative writing would be better. And what's more is~they are more available.

What am I missing? I'm definitely considering your alma mater after I finish at Excelsior.

Chris

 

It all comes down to a matter of (1) personal preference, (2) your goals, and (3) the methodology through which you learn best. Thus, in considering what specific degree to pursue, you should also consider the learning methodology ued by the particular program in which you enroll.

Frankly, with a B.A. in Lit, I would have no problem with the notion of your going for an M.A. or M.F.A. in Creative Writing.

You can, incidentally, do an M.A. in English (with or without the Lit thrown into the title) at any of the master's programs that allow you to self-design your curriculum. The short list: Antioch, Goddard, Lesley, Prescott, and Vermont. Ditto with several of the M.L.S. programs available (although I would avoid the M.L.S. at Excelsior since that is the school from which you will have received your bachelor's).

My ultimate take: If creative writing is what turns you on, than that is ultimately the program that is best for you.