Hello to everyone - and belatedly to Bill Lewis.
This comes late, but having been through it, I'll add my bit.  In my
experience with MAs MFAs and MAAs - The more letters, the more credits
needed to complete the degree.  In the stone age in Montana U of M (State
University in one town) offered and MFA so the legislature stipulated that
MSU (State University in another town) could not offer the same degree so
MSU called theirs an MAA.  MFA and MAA were regarded as two year degrees
(and in studio art terminal).  I believe they later changed them to be three
year degrees but they remained "terminal."  ("Terminal" you finished grad.
school and don't have to do any more to be recognized by academia - it's
only while you're actively enrolled that it feels like death.)   MA was
considered non-terminal but a good thing for teaching credentials at less
than the university level.
Audra


----- Original Message -----
From: Deb Fuller <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2000 5:43 AM
Subject: Re: What is a MFA? No really what is a MFA?


> In a message dated Mon, 21 Aug 2000  5:11:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
Andrew Renaut <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>
> << Hi, everyone, for those of us not in Northern America - is a MFA a
Master of
> Fine Arts? Is it 5th year level like a MA?
>
> An MFA is on the same level as any other "master's" degrees like an MA, MS
or MBA except that it is usually in a fine or performing arts discipline. My
undergrad degree is in theater and while some profs had PhDs in theater,
many had MFAs. Same with the music and studio arts faculty. To get an MFA,
you have to have some sort of performance-based thesis like a recital or
major exibition. MFAs concentrate more on perfecting your skills in your
field rather than research and theory. I think it is also assumed that if
you have an MFA, you will continue to work in your discipline either as a
professional or in academia. For example, all the theater profs worked on at
least one major show a year and were expected to. Same with the music profs;
they all had at least one recital per year and usually did something else
like conduct, write music or perform with one of the music groups.
>
> There are also BFA degrees, Bachelor's of Fine Arts which work along the
same lines. BAs usually require 2 years of a language, BSs require extra
math and science and BFAs have more studio or performance classes. I think
also because studio classes are usually not worth as much as "academic
classes", it takes a bit longer to finish the degree. (My orchestra class
that met for as long as any other 3-credit class was worth only 1 credit. I
called it the 3-credit class that I got for the bargain low-price of a 1
credit class. Really annoying if you need 10 credits of performance classes
for your BFA.) The music degree at my university was at minimum, 4 years and
a summer with most people taking 5 years to complete it. All other degrees
were 4 years and could be done in less if you had credits from HS or took
the maximum load each semester.
>
> Clear as mud?
>
> Deb
>
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