I am considering getting an MFA in Creative Writing. Is this a waste of time? I want to be a novelist but I also want to be able to get a good job in case I do not get published in the foreseeable future. Will the Creative Writing degree be worth the time it takes to get and make me a much better writer or will it just be a waste of my time?

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A writing degree is unfortunately a waste of time. If you don't have the drive to write, or the life experiences to draw from to bring your stories to life, it is likely that you wont become published as a novelist. I would recommend rather than seeking a Creative writing degree, seek some other, like a MBA or something, then get a job as a merchant marine, or trucker, and travel for a bit, see the world, it will stimulate your writing and make it shine. Also, both jobs pay VERY well, and will allow you to stuff your pay checks in to the stock market, probably netting you a tidy sum once you are ready to write your novel, and giving you the leisure needed to write perfectly.

If you are passionate about creative writing than it is not a waste of time. Nothing is ever a waste of time if you are enjoying it and it is something you are passionate about!

I would recommend doing a double major or doing it as a minor. You can get your creative writing degree as well as getting a degree in something a little more substantial. Nowadays, it's much more important that you actually have a degree rather than what major you pursued, but some majors, like creative writing, and drama as I wanted, are better left as minors or with a second major.