Master of Arts in Professional Writing

The Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW) degree is an interdisciplinary professional graduate degree program that prepares candidates for a wide variety of writing‑related positions in academia, business, publishing, screenwriting and the literary arts. Course work in three concentrations–applied writing, composition and rhetoric, and creative writing–allows students to gain theoretical and practical knowledge in various fields of professional writing. As students become experienced in producing and analyzing the business, technical, journalistic, and creative texts in these three concentrations, they develop a sophisticated understanding of style, structure, and audience. MAPW students will become writing professionals who can move in many directions during their careers; they will become flexible writers who can tune into the writing conventions of a given genre, adapting their writing style to the requirements of various rhetorical contexts in today’s print, electronic and multimodal environments.

Additional resources of special importance to the program faculty and students are the Kennesaw State University Writing Center, the Kennesaw Mountain National Writing Project and the Georgia Writers Association.

Admission Requirements

The following are program-specific requirements beyond the general Graduate Admissions requirements. To be considered for admission to this program, the following application materials must be submitted to the KSU Graduate Admissions Office:

• “Statement of Purpose” addressing their preparation for and goals for the MAPW program and a rationale for the choice of concentration and support areas;

• One copy of representative writing samples from both the concentration and the support area, not to exceed 25 pages;

• Have earned or be in the process of completing a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale;

• The General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional. Applicants who opt to take the test must show a total score of 154 (qualitative) and a minimum 4.5 (analytic writing). Applicants who opt not to take the GRE must show evidence in the “Statement of Purpose” of one of the following:

  • having substantially published or produced with an established professional or non-profit venue; or having substantially participated in writing a significant document with an established business, non-profit or government agency; or

  • having had entry-level experiences in the professional fields as a writer, editor, script coordinator, writing teacher, or the like; or

  • having received a recommendation after either a face to face, telephone or tele-conference interview with a panel of three outside reviewers who are MAPW alumni or MAPW Community Board members or a combination of these selected by the program director;

An applicant who has been previously accepted into or completed a graduate program at an accredited college or university (including previous acceptance in the MAPW), as evidenced by official transcripts is exempt from the GRE and the optional requirements.

• Applicants may submit up to 3 optional letters of recommendation.

Admission Criteria for Unique Cases

Currently, there are no exceptions to the admission requirements.

Transfer Credit

Up to nine hours of graduate work from other accredited institutions may be transferred. To be transferred, course work from other institutions must correspond to Kennesaw State’s MAPW curriculum. Students will need to provide course descriptions and syllabi wherever possible, and the amount of credit granted will be at the discretion of the program director. A minimum grade of “B” is required for any course transferred. Such course work may be no more than five years old.

Not all programs are available to residents in all states. Please check the institution's State Authorization and Professional Licensure website(s) to ensure you reside in an authorized state.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges