Do You Need An MFA To Be A Writer?
The quick answer: no.
Unless you’re applying for a job within the humanities that require some kind of degree, you do not need an M.F.A. to be a writer. Sitting down, writing stories or poems or essays, and submitting them for publication do not require any kind of educational experience whatsoever. And even if what you’re trying to get published is a book-length manuscript, it is not a pre-requisite to have any degree. What matters, first and foremost, is how polished your writing is, and this is determined not by your degree, but by your dedication to your craft.
There are, however, many benefits for having a degree that you can list in your cover letter. Firstly, and this is true especially for those who are new to sending out their work for publication, if you’ve never been published before, having a degree to list in your cover letter may set you apart from other new writers submitting their work. It shows that you have achieve a specific level of skill in your craft, that you’ve committed to a certain number of hours to improve your writing. Anything that helps you stand out to editors is going to be a good thing.
This does not guarantee publication, though, and truth be told, it will only take you so far. It may pique the editor’s interest, but the really important part is the writing itself. Now, this is another area where a degree may come in handy, because studying writing absolutely demands time, effort, energy, focus, determination, and dedication. The more we write, the better writers we are. The more we read, the better writers we are. And having even a generic understanding of literature and writing definitely contributes to stronger, more polished writing.
Moreover, having a degree can help writers develop their own writing practice, and this is something that may not help specifically with publication, but it can help with completing creative projects. I have an A.S. in English with a focus in Creative Writing, I have a B.A. in English Literature and Writing with a focus in Creative Writing, and I have an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with a focus in Poetry. I can attest that the bulk of my writing experience has come from my education. I learned to take critical feedback of my work, I learned to become critical of my own work, I learned to be a better reader, I spent hours and hours and hours working on my own projects. This was and still is invaluable information for me.
But you do not need a degree to achieve these things. Writing Groups, especially those that workshop each other’s writing, can – and do – achieve the same thing. There are also workshops you can take through colleges and universities that don’t require taking an entire course, that also can contribute to the development of your writing. Really, the point is to write as much as possible and gain feedback on your work, and you do not need to be part of an educational program to achieve this.
Now, one thing that is important to keep in mind is that many other writers who are having their work published will have some kind of college degree, most likely an M.F.A. To stand out among them without a degree will require an enormous amount of effort, study, and dedication. But, it is, by no means, impossible, and in my opinion, won’t be any harder than spending six years or more getting a graduate degree in writing. And you’ll save a shitload of money since college is absurdly expensive.
As someone with an M.F.A., I definitely would never discourage someone from getting one. But I also know the financial costs of getting one, and I would never discourage someone from trying to be a writer, even if they don’t have an M.F.A. In fact, I think it would be incredibly good for the literary industry to start seeing more talented writers without M.F.A.s sending in their work. So I’ll just say this: if you are in any doubt of whether or not to get an M.F.A., don’t do it. It is a grueling process, one that not everyone enjoys. If you know you want an M.F.A., then go for it. But don’t do it if you have doubts.
Keep writing. Keep creating.
