The post graduate dual degree, Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing and Master of Arts (MA) in English,  enables you to earn two degrees at the same time. These complementary courses of study differ in that an MFA focuses on developing artistic skills in the fields of writing and art, while an MA focuses on fields in a theoretical or teaching context. Pairing these two degrees allows you to improve your artistic skills and conduct in-depth research and study and prepares you for a career teaching creative writing, literature, and/or composition at the university or secondary-school level. Graduates who earn an MFA/ MA have also gone on to an extensive range of career fields including publishing, marketing, and pursuing a PhD.

At Arcadia University, you earn your dual degree — an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in English — in a full time, three-year program. For the first two years, you’ll take MFA and MA courses concurrently. Once you have completed the MFA coursework in your second year, you will focus on the remainder of the required MA courses. Our innovative three-year program combines the practice and study of creative writing with literary scholarship. Our exciting course options include literary and critical studies, creative writing, journalism, rhetoric and composition, cultural studies, and linguistics. 

As a full-time MFA/ MA dual degree student, you are eligible to be a Graduate Assistant (GA) for each year you’re enrolled.