US News: Despite the less-than-terrific earnings potential, graduate programs in artistic fields are enjoying relatively healthy growth. More than 17,000 master's degrees in the visual and performing arts were awarded in 2012 – the most recent data available – for example, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That's 2.5 times more than were earned in 1970.
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Although I am a sophomore in college, graduate school has crossed my mind recently and I think that this is a good perspective on it based on the data. I think that a great point made in this article is that “the worst thing you can do is get an MFA because you don’t know what else to do”. I think in my current grasp of why I would want to go is because I don’t know if I would be ready to start working yet. And I think the same thing can be said for grad school that is often said about the School of Drama, it can be great, but it’s not great for everyone. After spending almost 2 years in this program, and knowing what there is to come, I think I will be ready for the professional world upon undergrad graduation.
I certainly was hoping I wouldn’t have to go to grad school after this program and so far it seems like that is still a pretty achievable goal unless I decide I want to teach. I never thought about teaching theatre really and I still don’t really like the idea of teaching at a highschool level but some of the college level teaching positions seem to offer a chance to really help people do some awesome stuff. It’s not my first career goal and I think I’d like to work on my own career but cutting out grad school entirely is a little less important to me now that I think teaching later on in life could be a really cool thing. Who knows though, life has certainly taken some interesting turns over the last four years how could I predict what will happen over the next forty.
Graduate school seems like something that is so far away that I've never given it that much though at all. I do know that after my undergraduate education I couldn't imagine jumping directly into three or more years of even more education, but maybe after being out in the professional world for a while my opinion on that will change. As of right now I can't see myself teaching, which is the only reason that I would go to grad school in the first place but all that could ultimately change. One thing that I think is important to note is that Carnegie Mellon always says we are in an undergraduate program that rivals any other graduate program, which is pretty clear consider we work on productions and are in classes with graduate students. Personally I don't know if I would need grad school for an educational reason, but it would be nice to have to option to teach if I change my mind. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that at this point I have no idea if it would be the right option for me, but this article does a great job of weighing the costs and benefits of it. It would be a great opportunity to work with the best of the best, but the high price and high time commitment might just be too much for me.
It is often worrisome and discouraging to look at the price tags associated with some of the best art institutes, schools, and universities in the world. With the steady uptick in tuition prices, it is starting to feel as though art at times is being reserved for the elite and monetarily privileged. I know at CMU at least there have been substantial steps made towards ensuring that there is ample funding and grant money available to those studying above the undergraduate level. But the fact remains that many graduate programs come with a hefty price tag, likely alienating many talented and deserving individuals.
The article also raises some interesting points about why one should consider attending a MFA program. I know many friends (outside the School of Drama) who are searching for post-undergraduate institutions for lack of another seemingly viable plan for their lives post-graduation. The time, and effort, and monetary investment in post-undergraduate schooling is substantial and should be carefully considered.
I always thought going to grad school was something I might want to do. Back when I didn't know anything about anything, I thought going to grad school was the only way to get a job, make a lot of money, and be successful. After being introduced to the "where are they now" boards in the hall at Purnell, my wanting to go to grad school has slowly been diminishing. It's funny because the joke is always, "you have to go to Yale to be big." And although it may be true for some people, I just don't see it that way. Most of my professors tell me that I am already part of a program that trains you like a graduate student. So of course I now see no need to go to Grad School. The only thing really holding me back from NOT APPLYING in the future, is the fact that I may want to teach my craft once I retire or later on in life. I can't really do that with just a Bachelors degree. But then I think to myself, I hate teaching. So we'll see what happens. That is a long time from now. And I do believe that a Bachelors from Carnegie Mellon weighs a lot more that certain Master degrees at other schools.
When applying to college (as a senior in high school) you have to indicate what level of education you intend (or might) continue on to. So that means they basically are asking “Any chance you’re going to grad school?” I really don’t understand why that’s useful or helpful or in any way not just another way that the college application process is toxic and unhealthy, but that’s a discussion for another day. I bring this up because that is partially why I have even thought to consider if I’d want to go to grad school. Our education system is so forward-looking (you’re always focused on how what you’re doing now will get you to the next step, instead of focusing on your education in the present) that when applying to schools for undergrad, I was thinking about grad school, something 4 years down the road, IF I decide to attend. The nice thing about CMU is that it’s School of Drama programs aim to give undergrads an education similar to that of its grad students. This of course is different to varying degrees between the different areas of design and production, but I know that in many ares after you declare you are in classes with first year grad students.
While it used to be the case that people would primarily get an MFA in order to qualify for teaching, this is slowly being morphed into just another tier in the system. Now many consider grad school just to further their education and get further in the industry. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it definitely does leave me a little concerned, because 4 years of college is expensive enough, and grad school can leave students with even more debt. It just feels like another way that the education system would be sorting out people who can afford an MFA and those who can’t.
This program at the underground level advertises as an institution that prepares you for the "real world." After only being here a year I feel that in four years, I will be prepared to take on some sort of job in the professional field, however, the level at which I will begin working is worrisome, and for how long. There is nothing wrong with working as an assistant, or associate for a long period of time as both positions are viable jobs, but for me, that is not my end goal. As I see more theatre, and read more playbills I cannot help but see that more and more designers who have graduate degrees are working more. The article brings up a good point of not going to grad school because you don't know what to do next, but I wonder if going to grad school to secure a stronger career path in the future is a viable enough reason. When studying different art forms, I feel a lot of the times we are supposed to be focused on further developing our art, however, we also need to focus on our next steps upon graduation.
This article speaks very closely to me. A lot of what this article has to say are things that I had to determine and figure out in my decision to go to grad school. Many of the things that I am learning now, in grad school, I’m sure I could have learned practically by working in the industry. Learning the theories, math, and physics behind it probably requires more formal training. For me, a big part of getting the MFA is the ability to teach at the university level as most faculty positions require it. Beyond the reasons why to go to grad school, one has to figure out how to pay for it. Even if all of tuition is covered, you still have to pay for housing, food, transportation, and other expenses and bills. In the end, in this industry, there is always something to learn and going to grad school gives the opportunity to do that.
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