Just to continue from my previous thread.... I found out that Fort Hays State may accept up to 15 transfer credits, which would leave me with 16 to finish their MLS. I would also save about $2500 over Lindenwood, where I have 24 credit hours left. But I don't believe a MLS would do as much for me as a MFA.
Not sure what you intend to do with either degree, but my initial reaction would be to do the MFA. The MFA is a terminal degree which would enable one to teach at the undergrad level and potentially beyond. MLS would not. Having said that, it depends what you want to do and where your interests lie. Good luck.
Thank you for your thoughts! At this point, I want a master's to qualify me for an online teaching position after I retire from public school teaching in a couple of years. Time and cost are factors for me, but so is utility.
The utility of an MLS (liberal arts) will be very limited. Find out if you could transfer to another writing degree, i.e. Professional writing, technical writing and so on. You could also look for an MA in English as it will give you greater utility than an MLS degree. Chatham University (my alma mater) has an online MA in Professional Writing degree with concentration in technical writing, should you desire to do so. Here is the link: Chatham. Contact the school, speak with an admission's rep, and they will guide you. I believe Chatham will accept transfer credits, however, I'm not sure so your best bet is to contact them. Chatham also offers senior citizen discount (if you are at least 60), they did offer such discount when I was attending there, never hurts to ask. Also gather a list of five or so schools/programs that you are interested in and call them, tell them your situation and take it from there. Who knows? You might end up being surprised. If it is one thing that I've learned from Rich, Dr. Bear and all the members of this board is to contact the schools and ask away.
Michael, I think the MLS is a better bet for teaching. Lindwood's IMF writing credits aren't always going to work for teaching college English. There aren't that many writing programs and most undergraduates don't need writing courses other than core English courses. My bet is that the MFA's terminal degree status won't matter if you don't have enough English credits. Tony
Yes, that is a concern and something I have considered. But I've taken eight courses already, and I'd hate to "waste" those. And yet I still am weighing time, cost, and utility.
TonyM brought up a good point about Lindenwood's MFA in writing. The course prefixes are 'IMF'. Would this be a hindrance to teaching English courses?
