An MFA is a university degree you take after a first degree, in a making-art subject: painting, drawing, sculpture, writing stories, theatre, and the like. The letters stand for Master of Fine Arts. People say them as “em-eff-ay.” It is more about making work than about writing long papers, though programs differ. In the US it is a common path for people who want to work as artists or teach art at a university. Though actually, an MFA is not the same as an MA (Master of Arts), which is often more about study. And in computer talk MFA can mean something else entirely (a kind of extra password step); this entry is only the art degree.