Ph.D. and MFA programs generally educate students in the humanities and arts.
Students who wish to continue their studies after graduating from college have many educational routes to choose from. A Ph.D., or Doctor of Philosophy, is awarded to doctoral students who have completed a Ph.D. program and defended a thesis. An MFA, or Master of Fine Arts, is awarded to students involved in the arts, including writing, painting and drawing. The University of Iowa, University of California at Berkeley and Rhode Island School of Design offer three of the best Ph.D. and MFA programs in the country.
MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa
The University of Iowa offers the best MFA program in the country in fiction, poetry and nonfiction, according to The Suburban Ecstasies, an MFA ranking and information website. This university offers the prestigious Writer's Workshop for fiction and poetry MFA candidates; famous graduates include Rita Dove, Paul Harding, Philip Schultz, Marilynn Robinson and John Cheever. The university also offers the Nonfiction Writing Program, ranked the No. 1 program in the country for nonfiction writin by Poets & Writers magazine.
MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa
102 Dey House
Iowa City, IA 52242
319-335-0416
uiowa.edu
Ph.D. in English Literature at the University of California Berkeley
The University of California at Berkeley offers the best English Ph.D. program in the country, according to a 2009 ranking by U.S. News & World Report. This program emphasizes literature from several countries and all historic periods. According to the program's website, Ph.D. students enrolled in this program study Anglophone literature (English literature written outside the U.S. and U.K.), critical theory and cultural theory, and work to shape and defend arguments. Courses center on medieval texts, film studies, and the role gender and sexuality may play in literature.
University of California Berkeley
322 Wheeler Hall #1030
Berkeley, CA 94720
510-642-4005
english.berkeley.edu/graduate
MFA in Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design
Although there is no official ranking system for the best MFA program in fine arts, the Rhode Island School of Design, or RISD, offers several exceptional and prestigious MFA programs. The school offers an MFA program in graphic design, ceramics, digital media, jewelry-making, printmaking, sculpture, art history, architecture, glass and more, according to the school's website. Students are also encouraged to enroll in interdisciplinary lectures and seminars, and work hands-on with artists in the community.
Rhode Island School of Design
Two College St.
Providence, RI 02903
401-454-6100
risd.edu
Tags: California Berkeley, Island School, Island School Design, Rhode Island, Rhode Island School, School Design, University California