There are many good reasons to obtain a degree related to writing: you'll learn skills to make you a better writer; a degree will open up employment opportunities; you can benefit from the community of faculty and fellow students; you'll develop knowledge, confidence, and professionalism. The one thing a diploma will not guarantee is that you will succeed in your goals to be published. While having a degree will certainly aid in your quest, do not expect editors, agents, and publishers to come knocking on your door pleading for material to publish.

One of the most important factors in deciding whether you want to pursue a degree and which program to choose should be how you intend to apply it to your vocation. In other words, it should either be related to your current “day job” or provide entry into a new field while at the same time complementing your skills and experience as a writer. This is particularly true of undergraduate programs.

Undergraduate Programs

There was a time when choosing a major best suited to foster a writing career was simple; if you want to write nonfiction, become a journalist (although many journalists like Hemingway wrote fiction), and if it's fiction you want to write, major in English. From a practical standpoint, you made your living working for newspapers and magazines or taught English, allowing you to pursue other writing activities. While these still remain viable options, it's no longer a simple matter, with many newspapers downsizing or closing and teaching English requiring a degree in education or an advanced degree. To complicate matters further, there are now numerous undergraduate majors pertaining to writing but these programs, though perfecting writing skills, do not always lead to many job opportunities.

Finally, in deciding upon an undergraduate major, think about how it will qualify you to obtain an advanced degree. On the graduate level, you will find many more programs designed almost exclusively to writing.

Graduate Degrees

Thirty years ago, you could easily count the institutions offering advanced degrees in writing, with the University of Iowa leading the list. Today, there are hundreds of graduate programs around the country designed to develop writing skills. However, it essentially comes down to two options; pursue an MFA (masters in fine arts) or an MA in English.

MFA programs usually consist of thirty credits while MA programs typically require the completion of sixty credits. MFA programs may focus on creative writing, poetry, plays, or writing in general. MA degrees are commonly obtainable in English with an emphasis on a number of subcategories. Several institutions offer an MA in English and publishing.

You really need to investigate the respective programs you are considering and in many ways this is similar to choosing an undergraduate degree. Once again, keep in mind that despite the value of an advanced degree, it does not provide a straight path to having your work published.