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Starting an MFA
This week I finished my last course towards my Masters in Jewish Studies. Although I’ve actually signed on to do a Ph.D. in the subject, it was not without some considerable relief that I turned in my final exam. I have still got to do a masters thesis, but I suspect that’s going to be rather more fun. After all, when you’re writing a thesis, you get to pick the topic!
This month, though, I am going to get started on an MFA in Creative Writing. It took me a while to decide to do this degree. Full disclosure, I have a Ph.D. in English and I am a college professor. I also teach creative writing, so this degree is squarely in an area that I am already working in. However, I decided to go ahead and pursue an MFA because I very much want to write a book. Okay, honestly, I have written a book…a novel. But I want help writing another one and perhaps getting the first one out there into the world.
Last year, I applied and was accepted to Lindenwood University, which has an online MFA program with pretty good reviews. Why online? Well, I don’t really have the time to go and do another degree in person. I like online asynchronous learning because it is just about the most flexible format out there. You don’t get out of doing the work - it’s the same if not more coursework than if you were in person. But you do get to fit the work into your schedule however it works for you, and that is very much what I need. I thought about applying to the writing program at Hunter or even the one at City College, both of which are free. These, however, require in person classes and being completely free, they are decidedly competitive. Not getting is not just a reflection of the quality of your application given their level of popularity. It is very much about numbers and limited funding within the humanities.
Anyway, the Lindenwood MFA starts on Monday, and I am excited. My first class is basically an intro to Lindenwood’s MFA. I may also sign up for a second class - perhaps a course on monsters in fiction? More on this next week when I have decided on this.