Lydia Said:

What Universities offer a Masters Degree in English (and or) Creative Writing (and or) Publishing?

We Answered:

You have a BA already, I assume?

Anyway, if you want a master's degree in creative writing, you typically need to look for MFA programs. UVA has one, as do lots of other schools in Pennsylvania and Virginia (and Maryland and DC); I don't know what type of writing you do, or I'd try to give more specific guidance. Degrees in publishing are much harder to find - and frankly, not necessarily your best route into a career that doesn't pay very well at the entry level. If you need something to spruce up your resume, try looking for certificate programs in editing instead. And I'd forget about English altogether; advanced degrees there mostly involve analyzing long-completed work, not trying to improve it.

Tonya Said:

What kind of career would some one pursue with a master's degree in creative writing?

We Answered:

The most common would be to teach and write on the side. That is the most stable way to go by far.

Steven Said:

Is a Master's Degree in Creative Writing really useful for a fiction writer?

We Answered:

It's certainly not necessary, but I took a lot of creative writing classes in college and they were fun and provided useful feedback.

The poetry classes were particularly useful because I learned a lot about formal structures and types of poetry I had never heard of before. A short story class I took provided less technical work, but the required critiques gave me some incredible feedback on everything I wrote.

The question "Can creative writing be taught?" is a little trickier. I think that there is a natural spark, desire, and creativity that is inherent in people and cannot be taught from the classroom. However, like anything, practice makes perfect. Classes can give help in the technical aspects of writing and help students learn other techniques that they can later incorporate into their natural style.

Personally, I learned just as much from reading as I did from classes. I am an addict to books about writing (and books in general)!

Glenda Said:

What are your views of the Creative Writing major?

We Answered:

I can't speak to the difference between a BFA and a BA in terms of job seeking, but having a BA in either subject gives you the exact same career prospects. You won't be able to teach at the college level without at least an MFA, but it doesn't matter which track you choose for the purposes of applying to a program: the question is whether you want to build up your portfolio now or avoid overloading yourself with workshops too soon. If you're unsure, you may want to go along with what many schools do at the undergraduate level and minor or take a concentration in writing rather than a full major.