The B.A. in English degree provides a general survey of English study. University options allow you to customize your degree through various electives. You will cover a range of literature studies as well as a strong formal foundation in professional writing, which includes research writing, academic writing and technical writing. The B.A. is considered a liberal arts education, which means that it is both general and focused on teaching you the skills needed within a professional atmosphere such as project organization, critical thinking and professional writing, says the All Art Schools website.
The B.F.A degree is an artistic degree, which allows you to focus on specific artistic talents; some B.F.A. programs allow you to specialize in creative writing. A student is required to take English classes which focus his writing skills and provide a foundation of literature study, says the Chatham University website. Advanced classes teach writing theory, literary theory and genre theory. You are also required to produce original creative writing pieces and demonstrate your skill in specific classes.
The M.A. in English degree expands upon a your B.A. degree with an intensive focus upon specific literary theories. Your study of professional and technical writing increases in sophistication and moves into the field of educational rhetorical pedagogy, where you learn educational theories that prepare you to teach. You are required to produce work of a much higher difficulty level; this includes comprehensive tests, known as Comps, in which you are responsible for becoming familiar with a long list of literature. Additionally, you are required to produce a thesis, which is an original academic paper. Your thesis focuses your attention on a particular area of literature and shows mastery of the subject.
The M.F.A. in Creative Writing degree is granted by an advanced creative writing program that focuses on enhancing your understanding of various styles and structures of creative writing. Professors work with you to find weaknesses in your writing with the goal of helping you produce quality work. Similar to the M.A. programs, an M.F.A. requires you to produce a thesis; however, the M.F.A. thesis is either a large collection of poems or a substantial portion of a working novel, says the Northwestern University website.