In the United States, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a graduate degree typically requiring two to three years of study beyond the bachelor's degree level and usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, or theater/performing arts. Coursework is primarily of an applied or performing nature with the program often culminating in a major work or performance. Several MFA programs were established in the 1930's

MFA programs have generally required a bachelor's degree prior to admission, but many have not required that the undergraduate major be the same as the MFA field of study. The most important admissions requirement has often been a sample portfolio or a performance audition.

The MFA differs from the Master of Arts in that the MFA, while an academic program, centers around practice in the particular field, programs leading to the MA are usually centered on the scholarly, academic, or critical study of the field.

The MFA has traditionally been seen as a terminal degree, meaning that it is considered to be the highest degree in its field. In the interest of further developing the connection between creative production and continued academic research, however, some universities have established competing Ph.D programs in fields such as creative writing, visual arts, and theater. Similar PhD programs were abandoned in the 1960's and 1970's.