Shortest MFA in Creative Writing? Low Distance OK.

I'm doing an MA in English with Northern Arizona University. They do have a professional writing certificate and degree, and there are creative writing courses one can take. For me, the cost was low, and via distance learning was quite doable.

 

Yes. As per my first post, I am interested in teaching. The MA will be of no help with that.

Any other ideas?

 

That's a very strong statement. Are you sure its true? I've seen a respectable number of people whose highest degrees are MAs in English, technical writing/technical communication/rhetoric/composition studies, and journalism, teaching postsecondary courses in and around these fields.

Some doors open to these candidates may not be open to an MA in Creative Writing holder, it's true – but some may not be open to holders of MFAs, either. For instance, I've read that "compositionists" from rhetoric or English programs are sometimes favoured to teach composition over candidates with "creative writing" backgrounds. Still. How do you figure creative writing is the rare field where an MA holds no water for postsecondary teaching?

 

I'm he person who occasionally drops in on this forum and says that it's entirely possible for people with an MA to obtain adjunct positions. Sure, It can be done.It's not that easy, though.

So, since I am seriously interested in obtaining my masters in the field of my first love, writing; I may as well obtain the MFA, which is the terminal degree in creative writing. The MA isn't any shorter.

The MFA will open more doors. I am also decidedly not interested in technical writing. I worked as a Rock journalist at 21 with no degree whatsoever. I don't want to be a reporter at a newspaper. I want to create and to work in an academic environment. So, at least for me, the MFA is the way to go. For someone else, that might not be true.

So, for me, at least; it would seem that the MFA is the way to go. Not an MA, and certainly no an MLS.

Creative writing is one of the few degrees where a masters is the highest degree available.

 

Interesting background!

Well, the MA should be 30-39 semester hours and thus easier to schedule over 1 year. In theory. But in practice, it's certainly possible that there are no online MAs in Creative Writing readily schedulable over 1 year.

Boston University's B&M MFA in Creative Writing "is a small, intensive one-year program." This might be the shortest regular time-to-completion for an MFA in CW.

The Poets & Writers 2012 Rankings of Graduate Programs in Creative Writing ranked 31 U.S. doctoral programs in creative writing. (2012 seems to be the last date available as of this writing. Numbers 16 to 31 are under "Additional Rankings.")

 

The whole one year MFA idea was ill conceived, on my part. There are two and three year programs.

Schools that do not seem terribly cut throat and yet, appear to have some writers with who I'd like to work include -

1. Arcadia University

2. Augsburg College

3. Pine Manor College

4. Southern New Hampshire University

5. Carlow University

Does anyone have any information about these programs?