Fashion Design - Master's or Second Bachelor's?

ghost00
Mon, 12 May 2008 22:54:03 +0000

Hi everyone, I’m new here, I wanted to get some info about getting a fashion design degree.

I currently have a BA in Graphic Design, and after 2 years of working in the field, I decided to pursue my career in fashion. I applied to a private art school, and now debating between a 2nd BFA and MFA. I think everyone who studies in the creative field knows that a Master’s degree isn’t really necessary unless you want to teach in the future. Originally I didn’t even plan about getting a master’s but the advisor suggested me to do that since it’s a more prestigious degree (I guess part of the reason of why she recommended it is because the tuition is higher for an MFA). She said both degrees would take about the same time, however, I need to turn in my portfolio for evaluation in order to know exactly how many classes I need to take to get a MFA (I need to take classes on the basics of fashion design prior to beginning my MFA study because I have no knowledge in fashion). With that said, I’m assuming I’ll need 1-2 semesters of foundation classes. So it’s going to take one more year in addition to the 2 years I was told the time a master’s degree would take. She also said some people can jump right into the MFA after applying, but I don’t know about my case (no previous knowledge in fashion), I’m guessing I will at least need to take some classes. A lot of people think I should get an MFA instead of a 2nd bachelor’s since if I have to spend almost the same time on a degree, it would definitely look better if I have a master’s.

In addition, the reason why I also wanted to get a BFA is because I want to learn from the ground up, since I have no previous knowledge at all. I think there are actually more scholarships/internships or exchange programs for BFA students, which is sth I think I will need, and they are pretty important. And of course, BFA would be cheaper!

So my question is, is it worth it to get an MFA or it’s actually more rewarding to get a BFA in fashion (because I get to learn more about fashion)?

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks in advance!!