A Master Degree Isn’t Always About More Money.

Most people get a masters degree because they want to advance in their career and earn more money. More money is probably their first motivator because no one wants to pay money for another degree just to continue getting paid their current salary. But, I’m contemplating on going back to school online to get my MFA in English: Creative Writing. I know an MFA in Creative Writing won’t earn me a significant pay raise. In fact, I’m not even working in my field with my bachelor degree in English: Creative Writing. I want an MFA because I want to master my craft.

Countless articles are stating that Fine Art degrees do not have many jobs. A few college websites predict the job market for English only to rise 3% by 2022. You’re probably wondering why would I want a MFA in a subject if I can’t even get a job in that field with my bachelor, and even if I do, I’ll probably start off with $30,000 to $40,000 annually. Well, not all degrees have to be earned with the end goal to have an instant job and to make more money.

That probably doesn’t make much sense to you. Why spend $30,000 for a degree just to struggle to find a job in that field, or get some entry level position that has a salary of $30,000 annually? I want my MFA to become a master of my craft. When I was an undergraduate I knew that my English degree wouldn’t offer many jobs. I wish I could major in Computer Science or Business Administration, but I know I don’t have the skill set for either of those subjects.

I chose English because I enjoyed studying the craft. I was pretty damn good at studying English. You know that saying when you do what you love you’ll never work another day in your life because what you do for a living doesn’t feel like work. I had that same feeling when I studied English. I didn’t feel like I was working towards a bachelor degree. I felt like I was perfecting my craft.

During finals, many people looked stressed out while I was enjoying myself writing papers on subjects that interested me. I kept the majority of my textbooks because I found them useful rather than just buying books because the class required them and only reading them when the professor required me to.

Surely there are plenty of accomplished writers without English degrees and I can better my craft without an MFA. But, I don’t want to attend writing workshops and read writing magazines to perfect my craft. I want an educational institution to recognize me that I have mastered Creative Writing. An MFA won’t guarantee a job at the New York Times or make me a bestselling author and that is the beauty of being an English major. Your degrees do not prove that you mastered the craft of English and writing, it solely shows that you were taught the techniques to learn the art which gives you endless opportunities to show the world how you master creative writing.