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[hollygolightly1105]

I am in my mid-thirties with a BA in English and wondering what my best option is. For the past two years I've thought about getting an MFA in creative writing, a Ph.d. in Literature, a law degree, or certification to be a high school English teacher. I am blessed with a husband who has been very patient with me this whole time and is willing to support me no matter which road I take and where it will lead me. I should mention here that I live in Maine where there is little in the way of job opportunities in any field. And while my husband is willing to do his best to support me financially, it would put a strain on our household if I had no income whatsoever for more than a year.

I see from the majority of articles I've read and forums I've visited that many are dissuading potential English grad students from pursuing a Ph.d. because there are no jobs. This is a big deterrent, though I love literature and enjoy teaching (I train employees at my current job and enjoy this part of my job the most). Since there are no Ph.d. programs in my home state, I am also hesitant to move from my current location because I love living here and would miss my family, friends and the beauty of the changing seasons.

My next thought was to explore the programs that are available to me here, and came up with a low-residency MFA program, a law school and a teacher certification program. The MFA appeals to the writer in me because it would help me structure my time spent doing something I truly love-next to reading of course. But again, there is little chance of gaining employment in that field (teaching writing or writing professionally) with a terminating, creative degree. I feel sure that after I graduated, I would be saddled with loans and no way to pay them. I then looked at law school, running with the idea that English majors make good lawyers. I even took the LSAT, but I scored terribly and took it as a sign that this was not the career for me. Now, in desperation, I am looking at the Masters in Education for high school English (grades 7-12), thinking that at least I could teach what I enjoy, have better job prospects without moving out of state and have time for writing on the side. The problem with this option is that I have little experience with children and am not 100% sure I would be comfortable teaching children, not to mention the horror stories I hear or read about from practicing K-12 teachers.

To this end, I have taken several personality/interest inventory tests and all of them suggest creative and/or teaching careers: fashion designer, artist, editor, writer, professor, teacher, et al. While I enjoy many creative hobbies (sewing, cooking, illustration, writing), I am happy to keep most of them as side interests. What I am worried about is acquiring a useless degree and having mountains of loans to face at the end.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? I'm frustrated because this is a decision that will ultimately cost me both emotionally and financially, and I'm terrified of making the wrong choice. My gut tells me to go for the MFA but that seems to be the worst choice of them all.

 

 

[helpful]

If you like doing training, why not do a degree in Adult Education?

PS I am surprised there is no doctoral programs in Maine in the fields you are interested in. Are you sure? There are plenty of SLACs and universities there!

[hollygolightly1105]

Thank you helpful-I hadn't thought of that so I will have to research and see who offers it around here.

As for the programs in Maine, the only option is for an MA in English at UMO in Orono, while sadly, I am stuck in Portland. If I wanted a Ph.d. the closest option I have is in New Hampshire.

[spectacle]

A PhD in a field like literature is for people who can't live doing anything else, are willing to move anywhere and who are able to risk that it may take years to get a tenure track job (if that's what they ultimately want).  I'd say ditto for the MFA.

Graduate school is a massive emotional and financial commitment.  Taking online personality tests is not the way to figure out what program is right for you.  No offense, but it sounds like you're leaning toward graduate school in English (either literature or writing) because you don't know what else to do with yourself.  

I doubt very, very much that there are "no doctoral programs" in English in Maine.  I'm almost certain that I can think of a few off the top of my head.  

[helpful]

UNH isn't far away and would be easy to commute to. I am not sure it has the doctoral programs you are looking for, but worth a try.

As someone else posted, I rather doubt there are no Ph.D programs in the southern part of your state.

[jacaranda_]

You are right that the MFA is largely a dead-end professionally.  And it seems like you have thoughtfully eliminated law school and the PhD in English.  This leaves the Masters in Ed. as the most practical option, and one that I think you could very well find rewarding.  

If you're willing to consider switching fields entirely, I believe jobs in the health sector are still holding steady in Maine (I live in New England).  

ps:  Holly, I'm going to send you a PM

[systeme_d_]

Just chiming in to confirm that there are very few doctoral programs in Maine, and none in English.

[spectacle]

Just chiming in to confirm that there are very few doctoral programs in Maine, and none in English.

Wow - I was just going to bicker with you about this, and then I double-checked and you're right.  I'll just give a perplexed, "huh."  Huh.

[hollygolightly1105]

I would say that everyone who has posted here is right in terms of how I've been looking at this.

To jacaranda: I am thinking that the Masters in Education is the most practical and believe that it could very well be rewarding. I am in the process of contacting a current English teacher who recently went through the program at the local university to see what his take on the program and his experience teaching is.

To helpful: true, UNH is not far and I could commute. I have considered it though the funding seems competitive and the program is seven years.

To smithfieldmuse: I think you are right-I don't quite know what to do with myself so I'm grasping. The only jobs I can get around here are as an accounting clerk, and that's only because I was able to get experience at a previous job before going back to school.

As for doctoral English programs in Maine, the proof was on the UNH website where they stated that they offered discounted tuition rates for Maine students because there are no doctoral English programs available in Maine.

[yellowtractor]

What an MFA program provides is 1 to 3 years (most are 2) of (a) time to write, (b) hopefully under the guidance of some good, or at least useful, mentors, (c) hopefully in a community of supportive individuals who feel as passionately about literature and art as you do.

Residential MFA programs often provide fellowships which enable some individuals to buy that writing time, i.e. eat ramen noodles for two years while teaching part-time and working on poems or stories or a novel.  The problem with most low-res programs is that they have little or no funding.  They assume that you have another job or life, which is why you can't relocate for the sake of graduate study, which is why you are resorting to the low-res option.

An MFA degree on its own is worth zero, professionally.  Nada.  Zip.  An MFA with some publication credits in journals and some demonstrated college-level teaching experience (which a low-res program would not provide) might earn you a community college or adjunct berth somewhere, or perhaps a teaching gig at a good private secondary school.  What few tenure-track jobs in creative writing are open right now are going mostly to people with MFA's and a book or two, or a Ph.D. and a book.

In other words, if you want to write, write.  You can start right now.  If what you want is to write and make your way into college-level teaching as a writer, that's another aim entirely.  It requires planning, study, publishing, teaching, and immense professional risk.

The same is more or less true in literature, except that it takes 4-8 years to earn that Ph.D. (whilst eating ramen noodles) and you might land a tenure-track job before your first monograph is complete (most likely in Idaho).

Given your location and your options, trying to get a master's in education and get certified as a secondary school teacher sounds best to me.  I still think you'd have more options (and better pay, possibly) in health care.

Sorry to join into the negativity chorus.  It is simply not a good season for finding oneself via higher education.  Good luck.

[daurousseau]

Get a MLS, i.e. a library degree. You can use all the skills and pursue all the interests you have. It helps to have a masters in some subject area, if you are game to do both. Or go whole hog and get a JD plus a MLS so you can work in a decent law library.

[ideagirl]

Get a MLS, i.e. a library degree. You can use all the skills and pursue all the interests you have. It helps to have a masters in some subject area, if you are game to do both. Or go whole hog and get a JD plus a MLS so you can work in a decent law library.

That sounds like a great idea (the MLS, not the JD/MLS--not if she scored badly on the LSAT)--but only if there are jobs in that field in her area, or she's willing to move. If she doesn't want to move, my money is on the MEd and teacher certification. There are a lot more public schools (thus, a lot more jobs) than there are academic libraries requiring the MLS degree.

[sciencephd]

Given the limitations, why not try to explore options that have the potential to pay ?  There are plenty of options for creativity outside of these academic and quasi-academic settings.

[mar768]

The MFA faces the same problem as the M.Arch in architecture...they are only recognized as a "terminal" degrees within their respective fields.  So if you ever try and teach a course outside of an English program with your MFA, you'll find you'll be up againat others with the PhD.  It is a nomenclature problem that needs to be rectified.  In my case, I have the M.Arch.  There are architecture and design related courses at several schools that are offered in programs other than architecture...these other programs have no respect for the M.Arch.  MFA's in art have also faced similar issues.  So if your going to invest the time, go for the PhD.

[daurousseau]

My words of wisdom: Don't ask other people what you want to do. The third person view is fine for some things, such as describing other people's decision-making, but not for deciding what to do next.