Who has an MFA? Or MA?

Hi,

 

I'd like to hear from people who have received either their MFA or MA in photography and to hear opinions on whether going to school for

an advanced degree has helped them.

 

I've been sitting on the fence about whether to go to grad school for years. I'd love to go, but the cost scares me, and the thought of

going into debt for a degree that won't necessarily help me make money right away to help pay off this debt (it's an MFA not an MBA)

has kept me from going.

 

So I thought I'd educate myself by working in the industry, trial and error, that sort of thing. And I won't deny that I've learned tons, and

probably way more about the business that someone who's only been in school, but the desire to go back to school still hasn't gone

away. I've been doing continuing ed at some great photo programs here in New York, but think I need something a bit more intensive.

 

As far as my career goals, I have no intention in the forseeable future of being an academic, but I wouldn't mind teaching a class here or

there at the college level. What I'd like to do mainly is work on documentary projects, some editorial photography, and also build up my

body of fine-art work-which is still documentary in nature, though artsy. I've done commercial, but it's really not for me.

 

The reason I want to go back is because I feel that more schooling will help me become a better visual communicator, and will also help

me focus on my career. For those of you that have gone to grad school, has it helped you to do these things?

 

Are you glad that you went to school, or do you think it was a waste of time and money? Was it worth going into debt for? Has it helped

your career at all? Do you feel that you are treated more seriously because you have an advanced degree or has it made no difference

to the way people see you and your work? Is it true that if you have an advanced degree you have an easier time securing grants to do

work? And most important of all, did it make you a better photographer/visual communicator/artist?

 

I sort of feel like getting a masters in photography is a luxury; I don't really need it, but I feel that I haven't reached my true potential,

and I think school can guide me to reaching it. Or maybe I'll get through a program and realize I just don't really have what it takes to be

an effective visual communicator and story teller, but I figure at least I'll know instead of wondering "if only I had gone back to

school....."

 

So anyone who has gone through a masters photo program and can give me some insight, please do.

 

Or any thoughts how one can become a better visual communicator without going to school? I guess you can gauge success with how

many jobs you get, but what if you want to get better?

 

Thank you so much! Your thoughts are much appreciated.

While I was working on my MFA in Painting and Drawing, I toyed with adding a Photo MFA to the pile... as a learning expereince, an MFA is quite a leap from a BA/BFA... as one of my mentors explained it to me, a Bachelor's degree is intended to be a nurturing learning experience, while an MFA is a critical learning experience. I highly recommend it if you want to go well beyond the next level with your work. But only if you are actually matriculating at a school with a real photo program, not an "also" program.

Perhaps you have read my "essay" on this topic which I posted some time ago.

http://www.photo.net/photography-education-forum/00Qd00

 

I am impressed with your insight. If I read you correctly, you have doubts about the usefulness of an MFA or a

degree in photography. You crave knowledge but don't quite know how to get it. I feel that a background in art

is helpful as "deep background." Courses in art history and graphics design are useful. There are colleges that

specialize in documentary photography if you take that route. I think you are telling yourself that you would be

better off working "on the job." Personally, I agree. There are professional associations that are very helpful

(WPPI and PPA are for portrait/wedding photograhers, for example) and I suggest you find them, attend their

meetings and get what you can from them. Some offer "continuing ed" courses which are probably reasonably

priced. There is much you can do to educate yourself: set a specific goal and work on it. For example, find a

topic to document and do it. Give yourself an assignment, like one project per week, or even one per day. When

you are pretty good at that, set a second goal, like some form of design.

 

Most of the technical side of photography you can learn on your own, also. There's a lot to know, especially

with digital (which has a steep learning curve). You also need to know photoshop well, and that's definitely not

a short-term project.

 

Only you can determine your own best learning style. There is one universal comment, however: "Beware of

for-profit seminars, especially expensive ones."

 

Staying motivated, keeping on-task, and having the discipline to teach yourself are your real challenges. If you

are good at it, spend your education dollars miserly.

 

The topic of Education is so large, and so individual, that it is impossible for anyone to give you personal

advice. Hope this helps! You seem pretty "grounded" to me!

<p>I like school. But I'm a college instructor so keep that in context.<br>

Two years ago, I wrote a letter to the dean of the School of Journalism at Mizzou. I asked about the PhD program and told her my goals. She wrote back, forget the PhD. Get to work.<br>

I found that you need a graduate degree only if you <em>need </em>a graduate degree. For example, I wanted to teach in college. A master's degree is the membership card for teaching in college unless you have a bunch of books published and a National Book Award. Even then, you're classified as a guest lecturer.<br>

Also, if you plan to write about your experiences or publish, that MA or MS or PhD looks good on the back of your name and can double your fees. I made back my entire tuition and more my first year after graduation from commissions, contracts and jobs I couldn't get without a masters.<br>

But here's where I go esoteric. My photography background was news, documentary, for-the-record. However, my real horizons didn't expand until I saw the work of documentary photographer, Frank Noelker, who crusades for animal rights. He came to photography from an art background and I could see it in his work -- all of the elements of art were in his rock-solid documentary photographs. I could compare it to creative nonfiction writing, using fiction elements to tell true stories, like Hiroshima or In Cold Blood.<br>

The one show and one book I saw of his expanded my horizons the moment I saw it. Education often can compress years of learning and expansion into a short period of time. Many of us who did it the hard way have a deep pride in having learned everything one marble at a time -- and rightfully so. Picking it up over a lifetime is like looking for books in a library and seeing so many others, while learning something in a school is like a Google search online where you never see the beautiful contexts surrounding research.<br>

So I guess I'm saying, a masters degree shouldn't be something you want. In that case a body of work is a better epitaph when your day is done.<br>

Look at an MS or MA or MFA like a driver's license on the road you wish to take.<br>

hj</p>