Is getting an MFA worth the debt?
Allen Cochran of Cincinnati sent me an email the other day in which he asked an interesting question. Here’s what he wrote:
“I applied to and was accepted to the The Ohio State University’s graduate school for Visual Communication and Design Development. I have worked as a freelance graphic designer since I was 15 but have never had the validation of a ‘degree’ to aid me that sacred search for a ‘design’ job.
So, I pose the question: Is getting an MFA in design worth the debt?”
With Allen’s permission, I now pose that question to you, loyal readers. Should Allen pursue an MFA? Offer your answers in the Comments section below.
Absolutely not, unless he intends to teach. In design, as with most businesses, it’s who you know (ie: networking) and HOW you do business that brings success. My company will survive or collapse in this economy based on the work I deliver and how I interact with clients. No one has ever inquired about my college training which saddens me as I continue to pay on my student loans.
A BFA in Communication, Arts and Design is well worth the debt. It provides a fine foundation of your skills to your already inherent talent. I wouldn’t waste the time or finances on an MFA just to practice design when you have already been freelancing from the time you were 15. I suggest you put together a knockout portfolio and write your resume to focus on your outstanding work experience and let the degree information take a back seat. As an AD, I’ve hired an exceptional designer with a BFA degree in Painting and Printmaking. He has an amazing sense of color and composition. In addition, one of my current junior designers has a BA but took a two year design certificate program at a local community college as a supplement to his degree. I wouldn’t have considered him even if he had an MFA and his work didn’t rate. It’s not the degree, it’s the portfolio. Best of luck in your pursuits.
A Design Management degree is more than worth it. I think MFAs are overrated and are only going to help you with networking, or like Sile said: it really only helps economically if you are planning to teach straight away. For more info on Design Management and particularly one from Pratt Institute see http://bit.ly/o77u0
Depends on his personal objectives, and his age.
Age – there’s no indication of his age, other than starting with design at 15. If he’s in his early 20s, without much history, a post-grad degree can add a level of credibility and help the candidate stand out. But that’s generally at the larger firms with bureaucracy in hiring.
Objectives – Does he want to work for a large firm? Then an MFA might figure into the equation down the road. Smaller firms or freelance are much less focused on “points earned” than the big shops.
Bottom line – no degree will mitigate a mediocre portfolio. If you have the chops you can make it happen, it not – you go as far as you can.
I choose the “career” route in my personal Game of Life and although my progress has been slower, now in my 50s I am very comfortable with where my abilities have taken me. I would probably be in about the same place with a degree only I wouldn’t have had the variety of life experiences that led me here.
Good question – looking forward to more answers and perspectives.
I’d say yes, definitely. It could add new dimensions and perspectives and enhance the skills he already has. It’d be an accomplishment for himself, a validation of his own skills. On the flip side I can see the other readers’ perspectives especially in this current economy.
All the best!
I should preface this with admitting my bias as Associate Director of Account Planning at Academy of Art University; so I work in MFA education.
I think the above comments are all good and show how much education is a personal decision about an individual’s strengths & needs and what the department offers. However, I do think there is too much emphasis on “the work” and people as a “networking” resource only.
Education is obvious changing rapidly, like almost everything. (I think Jeff Jarvis provides one of the many excellent discussions on “hacking education” http://www.buzzmachine.com/2009/03/06/hacking-education-google-u/) I think we’ll see less emphasis on the information (as libraries move to Google and places like Stanford and MIT are offering their course materials online open to all) and more focus on the instruction and inspiration of the people involved with the program.
When most people think back to their education experiences, the things that stand out the most are related to instructors and fellow students who provided insight or inspiration, not the specific material or even skill set gained. The educational environment offers this great context of learning, where no one is concerned about “what is this person trying to get from me” that can be overwhelmingly experienced in the career world. I think educational institutions allow for intimate exchange which lead to many of the things Dan discusses in both WNM and Johnny Bunko.
When I am stuck on an idea I still reach out to the friends I met in school to help. That sharing bond doesn’t seem to go away. So, my MA was worth the investment without a doubt. However, there is no promise that it will be there for everyone.
I do think it is a great question, but impossible to answer in general terms. What are Allen’s specific needs and does the program match them? Are the instructors going to provide him the inspiration he needs to take his work to a place he didn’t know existed? Will he build friendships that continue to spark his creativity beyond his expectations? Who knows?
I remember thinking I had wasted money on my education after graduating, but now I look back and realize that the value I gained continues to grow, while student loans shrink.
I applaud him for seeking out Dan’s opinion. I hope Allen is putting 500 times the effort to gain the opinion of current students, faculty and alumni. His entrepreneurial spirit will do him good in whichever path he chooses.
Best of luck Allen. Thanks Dan for the discussion.
It depends on his relative level of expertise and quality.
Degrees meant a lot more in a pre-networked world. When you didn’t have any way of validating a claim of expertise, the degree provided you with an institutional blessing and credential.
Now, however, Allan can have a website that shows his entire portfolio, recommendations on LinkedIn from 15 years of satisfied clients, a set of Delicious tags and blog posts that shows his mastery of the subject area, and a Twitter feed that continually shares out interesting links for his audience.
What’s more, his LinkedIn network or Twitter followers can demonstrate to anyone who thinks that Allan is important/knowledgeable.
A potential employer or client can easily validate (or discredit) his claims by doing a bit of research.
I don’t maintain a resume anymore for this same reason. Between my LinkedIn profile and my blog, I can demonstrate commitment to a craft more than an analog resume ever could.
I’d rather have this credibility than a degree that says he passed some classes.
So, if he’s really good, the MFA isn’t worth it. If he’s mediocre, he’ll need the degree.
The cold economic reality of making a living from creative work is this: people should only get MFAs 1) if it’s fully funded 2) if they’re independently wealthy.
The cartoonist Lynda Barry said it best: “Happiness is low overhead and no debt.”
More here.
As others have said, the “right” decision depends on his personal goals and reasons for wanting to further his education. If he is going into this simply looking for some kind of official “validation” of what he already knows and can do, then I’d say it may not be worth it. If he is approaching this as a way to expand his own knowledge and practice along with adding some more traditional validation to his credentials, then this may be a good choice for him. Like so many things in life, it is the journey that matters more than the destination. You don’t get a degree because you want “the degree,” you get it because of what you learn and how you grow in the process. The degree is (or should be) only a symbol of that learning and growth.
My personal experience is that I worked in the field of education and professional development for over 15 years with a BFA before I chose to go back and earn an MA in education/educational technology. I made the choice both for my own edification and for the “validation” that I suspected a degree would offer. It was the best decision I ever made because it broadened my own knowledge; deepened and broadened my connections to both the academic and the corporate world; increased and validated my confidence in my own experience, what I know, and what I have to offer; and, most importantly, provided a context and structure for me to deeply examine my own practice and make the connections between what I knew from that practice and the more theoretical research and information. Ultimately, my MA did help open professional doors (to senior and leadership positions). My practice, my experience, and what I learned while earning the MA (learnings that I continue to apply) keeps me in those positions. The conundrum is that if you seek an advanced degree simply for the “piece of paper,” then you are probably missing the real value that continued education can offer. So whether he should do this or not is dependant on what his personal goals and intentions are, not on what the business will or won’t do for him based on some piece of paper.
I once read that an MFA is the new MBA?? 😉 Hmm… Going on the few crumbs I have let me offer this… If getting your MFA is a check the box, got a key, now they will speak to me step in your career… Don’t do it. Groucho Marx was the authority on this!
If, on the other hand, you are doing it because it will add to your passion and provide skills to something you are already intrinsically motivated to do (btw, if you started at 15 you’ve found your calling early!!)… Go for it! The Pink/Bunko communities weighed in on this a while back (http://www.johnnybunko.com/bunko-blog/to-plan-or-not-to-plan/) so check that discussion out. In the end, only you will know what will give you the greatest satisfaction in your life and career so take it all in and whatever you decide… do something with it… don’t just sail along in someone else’s current. I saw Lebron James on “60 minutes” last night and he touched on a theme I’ve heard often from successful people, I’m paraphrasing here… “If you never fail, then you aren’t trying hard enough or risking enough”. Good luck Allen Cochran!
Go for it!! My spouse is doing a diploma in Graphic Design in Toronto. I always wanted her to go for a Degree.. but cost is prohibitive for me..
Anyways, good luck!! A degree is definitely worth pursuing
A great portfolio and years of quality work experience trumps any degree eventually. But if you don’t have those two things then a design education can help you get them.
MFAs are really not necessary for a successful design career, unless you want to teach. I’d recommend an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree instead. Our clients are usually expect a professional design education, but will overlook that for fantastic work and experience.
So Allen will have to ask himself if he has a fantastic, and I mean fantastic, portfolio with raving clients and recommendations. If not, get some training or it will be hard to get a staff position in the industry. And get into interactive design now, everything is going that direction and you’ll be behind without it. Have fun, it’s a great industry to be a part of!
This is an interesting discussion as I am also facing a similar situation as Allen. I have a BS in Journalism/Computer Publishing and have been working for a non-profit company for 5 years. I’ve been mainly working on print/web projects in that time but have received all sorts of project management, government, and small business experiences.
I’ve been accepted into the IU Herron School of Art MFA design program and within a few weeks I have to let them know if I will attend. The program focuses on design thinking and design leadership. Becoming an educator is part of the program, and a goal of mine for later in life, but its focus is on bringing design and innovation into business, government, and other organizations to solve problems or improve the way they function, rather than furthering an “artistic” career. As we all know, a large group of people is set to retire in 10 years and I hope that my MFA will work like an MBA and help me move into an even more interesting career.
In looking to advance my career through education I stayed away from traditional graphic design programs because I feel that it is another job that generally can/will be outsourced in time and because it is not my strength. Like many of you said, I also feel it’s something that you show your talents through in the work you’ve done, rather than with a diploma. Taking courses to improve your skills or learn new ones is good but paying a load to get an MFA, without the goal of teaching, seems wasteful.
I’ll keep it brief.
Any degree is worth the money if you have an intent(purpose), especially an MFA. With an intent to gain knowledge and access to information you would otherwise not have. Building an idea in the safe haven of a school, using every resource, has been the formula with a countless number of business leaders. But, you have to have the since of self and purpose in order to take full advantage of the education opportunity.
My advice would be to start thinking now about what it is you want to do with your career. If have an entrepreneurial mind, then before your first class on your first day, brainstorm your 30 year future and draft out a course. Think as big and ostentatious as possible. Then, use every class, every project and every teacher; every scrap of paper and every theory, to bring to fruition your big idea.
That’s the best way to take advantage of higher education. Formulaic goals and projects in a class maybe beneficial but they are certainly not optimal.
Allen —
This is a difficult decision. I would like to discuss this with you as an interested individual who has explored many different paths.
I am an art broker, educator and artist. I studied Art History undergrad (in Europe), have a Masters in Art Education and portfolio in Art Direction. I have studied in many countries & worked in several art industries. I may be able to give you some insight.
All the best,
[email protected]
We don’t need people with more credentials. We need more people who produce results.
So, does he produce results worth paying for? If so, no need for the degree. If not, the degree may not help – credentials and results are not the same thing. If it will help achieve results, by all means, do it.
BTW, does anyone think it’s important that Steve Jobs finishes his degree before returning to Apple?
But Shawn, “results” are what got us into the global mess we’re in right now. “Results” are usually big on short-term and short on responsibility. But I would argue that the purpose of a graduate degree is to gain wisdom, not (just) acquire more information or more skills. If Allen is full of intellectual curiosity, and he decides to take the time to do the MFA, then the wisdom will find him.
I’m biased, I have an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I don’t earn a living from my art. I pay my bills as a technical writer and I have no student loans.
Would I go to SAIC again, even if I didn’t receive a diploma? You bet. I was exposed to other working artists, culture, and different points of view that isn’t available any other way. I didn’t go because it helped me get a particular credential or job. That part is up to you and how you apply yourself. An MFA is not a ticket for a job, and especially not a good job.
Money-wise, apply for financial aid. I didn’t expect anything but I received a grant for half of my tuition. I was a returning student, but it turns out FAFSA doesn’t count your 401k as an asset (at least a few years ago). Another school I applied to offered me a full scholarship plus a teaching position. Unexpected money might influence your decision. I also worked part-time during college.
The individual who pointed out that an MFA is a teaching credential is correct. That doesn’t mean you have to teach in a university. Most artists I know do some amount of teaching, whether in their studio, at a community college, or a local crafts center. I think of it as a back up career.
My perspective: Don’t go because you think it will help you get a better job. I don’t believe it will. Imagine yourself in old age and ask yourself, “Do I regret not having gone?” That should help you decide.
Is an MFA the new MBA ?
This statement needs to be taken in context. Over time, the corporate business world has considered an MBA as entrance to the big time and it was. However, in execution, it has demonstrated narrowness and limitation in innovation. Business executives tend to be linear left brain thinkers which has become a repeatable skill by others. By itself, it is a deficit in the global economy. It made the US wealthy but is not enough anymore given that the rest of the world can duplicate procedures and processes. The ability to differentiate through innovation and creativity is key to success. This is where the “is an MFA the new MBA” is coming from. Creativity and innovation are right brain skills which are already becoming and will be even more so highly prized as organizations look to try to re-establish competitive advantage in a way that cannot be duplicated by machines and repetitive procedures. Read Dan’s book “A Whole New Mind”, it’s all in there. Try to look downboard and predict what you can’t see yet. Imagine yourself in a world where creative skills are highly prized and sought after. So now the question becomes, are you ok being a little fish in a little pond or do you want to be a big fish in a big pond? Degrees open doors and education can facilitate a higher degree of excellence. Most people are not so outstandingly talented and overwhelming motivated that success happens based only on talent and sheer will; usually both experience and education help the average person attain success. It’s no secret that the people at the top generally have all four (degree, experience, motivation and talent). All that you can do now is the next right thing. I’m not sure what a wait and see tactic will do for you. A different action has to occur in order to effect a change to break a stalemate so that an answer becomes clear. As they say, you can’t keep doing the same things and expect a different result as nothing will change or become clear. Perhaps attend college for one semester and see what you see. I bet you’ll discover that you start to know what you didn’t know and it will become clear just how much you don’t know. The truth (cost vs benefit) will reveal itself but only if you become a sponge, fully engage, listen carefully, be watchful and don’t overlook the obvious as you go, else junk in, junk out. Wish I had a crystal ball myself. Good Luck.
In grad school, I read a quote from the Dean who explained that graduate school is really about leadership; service to your company, customers, and people you work with.
Although, many people who earn grad degrees in other fields find it difficult to distinguish themselves or push past the corporate structure and politics. That’s why even MBAs should find ways to artistically treat their work, or they are simply commodities. And that’s the point Dan addresses in his book – A Whole New Mind.
Now I don’t have a design background, however I imagine an MFA would improve your skills to the point you can create remarkable designs that make people stop and say, “Wow, that’s amazing.” If the process of earning an MFA takes your design talent to a whole new level, would it be worth it?
My best,
Steve
At this point in Allen’s career I would say that an MFA is THE opportunity to turn his plethora of tacit knowledge into an external body of work that distinguishes knowing and doing from understanding what you know. While an MFA might help his job prospects in larger organizations that tie degree programs into pay schedules, this is not an apt justification for the time and financial commitment that an MFA demands. In our design management program at SCAD we see numerous graduate students suddenly grow into their intellectual boots at the end of their first year. This is when they discover their potential to create a relevant body of work that would not occur otherwise. You can see the oscillation from confident realization to the uncertainty that accompanies too much new information almost every day. An MFA is not about skills development, nor is it about design thinking as the process of thinking about design, although both of these contribute to the student’s growth. It is, rather, the acquisition and practice of a new way of thinking in which the visual and empathic parts of the brain become reoriented in the process of creative logic. If Allen’s corpus callosum is not in good shape he should think twice. Personally, however, I feel that he would love the OSU environment.
VERRRRY interesting discussion!
I especially like the point that academia will have to market itself as a haven (if that’s the right word) rather than a font of information. It’s absolutely true: the best classes are those where one is surrounded by good people.
If you’re considering it for the artistic growth, definitely. Any other reason might disappoint. I
have a BFA from RISD and consider it a serious benchmark;
and will always be sorry I didn’t continue further. I know several people with MFAs, and they’re a mixed group; but the one overriding sense is a total saturation in their skill.
Yes, you can advance on your own, but will you? The
years will still go by if you don’t dare.
I am currently applying to schools to earn an MFA (Design).
I have a BFA (Industrial Design) from RISD and have always wanted to go back to school to do further exploration in product design and interactive design (and where they intersect).
I have had many design positions since graduating in’94.
Fifteen years after my BFA I hope to get back into academia and immerse myself in my own projects. I will always relish the time I was able to spend in school reading, listening, interacting with other designers, and making my ideas come to life.
I think having a decade + of professional work under one’s belt will make going back to school that much more fun for me. Yes, money is an issue, but through grants, scholarships, and the money I have saved over the years for this occasion, I will make it happen. I want to earn my MFA for one reason: because it will make me happy.
Do not listen to the people on here who tell you its not worth it, it is worth it.
The problem is, most people look at a degree or an education solely one way; to get a “better job”
If you are getting an education solely for a better job, then forget the MFA and go to law school.
If on the other hand your are getting an education because you a have passion to grow and learn, then go for it, and the better jobs will come
With networking you can get almost any job as long as there are not government strings dictating that you must have a specific degree. That said, the downside of not having a degree– assuming he is good enough to be hired– is that his employer may stiff him on how much he can earn. In other words, with an MFA he may be able to demand more pay– and without one the employer make take advantage of that fact in order to get work for cheap.
There are other downsides to not having a degree in a field like that. For example, and it may be petty, others working on a project who have earned an MFA may ‘look down’ at him no matter how good he is. It is sure to spark debate among the team.
Also, at the rate that the value of a degree is falling I’m certain that at some point the government will step in to further validate degree holders. Something has to be done to throw some carrots to those who spend time dedicated to formal study– the success of the country depends upon it in many ways. There are already talks about benefits for college degree holders as far as insurance is concerned as well as other breaks.
I would only get the MFA if you want to teach. In the field of graphic design it is your work and (like every job) who you know that gets you jobs. Also, in graphic arts being self-taught is actually a very marketable job skill and something you should talk/brag about in interviews. It is highly desirable to an employer to hire someone that can take initiative and learn on their own to keep pace with the rate of software development in this field. Most large firms subscribe to tutorial sites and you are expected to learn the latest techniques on the job. You can learn so much on youtube alone it’s ridiculous & FREE! If it is the business world you seek, you would be better off pursuing an MBA with emphasis in marketing/advertising to go along with your design skills. I just wonder what your Bachelor’s is in? If you majored in business already than I wouldn’t waste any more time and money on degrees at all. Having a Bachelor’s in fine art myself, I too have struggled with whether or not I should pursue an advanced degree. To MFA or MBA that is the question? I have been teaching myself graphic design since I left school and am now employed in marketing for a high-end boutique real estate firm from which I get freelance graphic design work as well. I still consider my self to be a beginner at graphic design but am an advanced fine artist. I have been really discouraged at the job prospects for graphic artists. Designers seem to be a dime a dozen and no one seems willing to pay you very much. I know it is partly a sign of the times but I look at job ads for more advanced designers which list a dozen qualifications that I do not have yet and then at the bottom of the ad it says $14/hr and have to wonder if this skills are worth attaining. I have ultimately decided that I would be happiest and most inspired teaching art w/ more time to create art so I am looking to pursue an MFA mainly for the teaching credential aspect. I am realistic and realize that teaching art is a “dream on” scenario and know that I would be happy teaching pretty much anything from pre-school (which is basically art with nap times) to university level art classes. So, ofcourse, I know to get a multiple subject teaching credential for better job prospects. Just my thoughts…
oh just one more thing to add. I have a friend who is an awesome graphic designer and has a great job and he has no formal training he just took software classes at local junior college and was already an artist. He is also super outgoing and chatty cathy which really gets you the jobs. I know that there are people on here that say “get an education because you a have passion to grow and learn, then go for it, and the better jobs will come” and while I don’t argue that to be false I just have to put this out there from the artist perspective. You do not need to dump 50,000 in a degree program to grow & learn as an artist. Being an artist is a lifelong journey of the tried and true method of practice makes perfect. While I wouldn’t trade my undergrad degree experience I can’t tell you how often I had wished while sitting in my 4 hour studio classes that the teacher would stop talking so we could actually get some work time in. Also, there are so many ways to take classes for next to nothing (at least here in california) if growing & learning is your only goal. Free Multi-media classes at the EDD, junior college, online tutorials, photoshop mags, library, etc… College teaches you how to learn and it is up to you to utilize those skills for the rest of your life. I think the time for pursuing a degree simply for passions is as an undergrad and that to invest a large sum of money in an advanced degree better yield a return on your investment.
Something to really consider is that this discussion is so heated because the monetary cost of higher education is so outrageous in this country. This is not the case all over the world, where returning to school does not imply a massive financial sacrifice that can alter the quality one’s quality of life for years to come due to student loan payments. Mr. Cochran will either have to go into a significant amount of debt or use a good chunk of his savings to pay for tuition, fees, books, not too mention living expenses. Although in other countries with great educational systems like the UK and Canada students do go into educational debt, the average amount is considerably below that of the US. Thankfully Mr. Cochran he has chosen a state school which is considerably less expensive than a private design school. Will he benefit from an MFA? Most likely yes, he’ll get a new perspective on his field and meet like-minded individuals that can become collaborators, friends and professional resources. Will it be a significant money investment? Undoubtedly yes, unless you get good financial assistance, otherwise years of student loan payments. I am very curious to know what Daniel Pink thinks about the accelerating costs of college tuition and the student loan crisis in this country.
It was recently brought to my attention that this had been posted. I’ve read all the comments. There are a lot of great thoughts here.
Nearing the end of my graduate career, I think that graduate school has been an all-star experience. It gave me the opportunity to completely change my career direction, meet a tremendous amount of influential people, and learn things (both in theory and practice) that I would have otherwise never learned.
My own thesis surrounds the idea of Service Design and systems thinking. It is heavily rooted in interaction design (interaction between people and between people and machines) and how services can be better offered to their end users. Through my research I have been able to sit as the Vice President of the Graduate Student Body and actually apply my service design research to an organization on campus. Again, this is an opportunity that would have never came about if I did not attend graduate school.
I have been pretty careful to document my research on my website: http://www.allenjcochran.com. I also repurposed some of your comments there in conjunction with a blog post about Graduate School.
Thanks Mr. Pink and thanks to everyone for their comments. It was so helpful!
All of the comments here are ridiculous. If you do not have an MFA, then how can you speak about it? I have an MFA, and it has been one of the best decisions of my life. It has opened up higher-level jobs to me. Sure, networking is always a good thing. But, we are talking about compensation and who is going to get the art director position. I guarantee (from experience) a talented MFA will have precedence over a BFA who has talent as well. I love all of the back and forth on these comment sections between those who really don’t know anything about the subject.
well said.
Let’s also not forget that any degree from Ohio State is worthless even if it was given to you.
Love,
Wolverine Nation
I was in the MFA program at Ohio State with Allen, and I’d like to point out something that hasn’t been addressed here: it’s not always necessary to go into debt to pursue an MFA.
Many programs allow (and sometimes encourage) graduate students to be research or teaching assistants during their time at the university, which often includes a full tuition waiver and a monthly stipend. How far that stipend stretches depends on the university, location, family size, etc., but it can definitely be adequate for a single person.