The Master of Arts in Professional Writing Degree Program consists of 36 hours of course work. The MAPW Program is organized in three distinct parts:
1. The Writing Core (3 Hrs) gives MAPW students the necessary tools to acquire both practical and theoretical knowledge about writing, writers, and graduate-level study skills.
| Students must complete this core course within their first two terms in the MAPW program: | ||
| PRWR 6000: | Issues and Research in Professional Writing | |
2a. The Major Concentration and
Support Area (24 Hrs) allows candidates to concentrate on two areas
of interest. In the Major (15 Hrs), each student selects one
concentration from the three offered below and takes five courses from this
concentration, and, in the Support Area (9 Hrs), each student also
selects one of the remaining two concentrations as the support area. The
student must take three courses from this second concentration to satisfy the
support area requirement.
In addition, the student will take one elective (3 Hrs): any MAPW
course or a course in a related graduate program.
Or
2b. Major Concentration (15 hours) and two courses from each of
the other two concentrations (12 hours) allow students to study all three
areas of professional writing offered in the MAPW program.
| A: Applied Writing: | ||
| PRWR 6250: | Corporate Communication | |
| PRWR 6280: | Business and Technical Editing | |
| PRWR 6290: | Public Service Writing | |
| PRWR 6410: | Feature Writing | |
| PRWR 6440: | Professional and Academic Editing | |
| PRWR 6550: | Document Design and Desktop Publishing | |
| PRWR 6700: | Computer Technology in Professional Writing | |
| PRWR 6850: | Writing for the Web | |
| PRWR 6860: | Intercultural Communication in Contexts | |
| PRWR 7600: | MAPW Practical Internship | |
| PRWR 7900: | Special Topics | |
| PRWR 7950: | MAPW Directed Study | |
| B: Composition and Rhetoric: | ||
| PRWR 6150: | Context, Style, and Audience in Professional Writing | |
| PRWR 6300: | Understanding Writing as Process | |
| PRWR 6500: | Teaching Writing in High Schools and Colleges | |
| PRWR 6650: | Introduction to Literacy Theory | |
| PRWR 6750: | Teaching Writing to Speakers of Other Languages | |
| PRWR 6760: | World Englishes | |
| PRWR 7600: | MAPW Practical Internship | |
| PRWR 7900: | Special Topics | |
| PRWR 7950: | MAPW Directed Study | |
| C: Creative Writing: | ||
| PRWR 6100: | Readings for Writers | |
| PRWR 6450: | Creative Writing in the Schools | |
| PRWR 6460: | Fiction Writing | |
| PRWR 6470: | Poetry Writing | |
| PRWR 6480: | Play Writing | |
| PRWR 6490: | Screen and Television Writing | |
| PRWR 6520: | Creative Nonfiction | |
| PRWR 6800: | Careers in the Literary Arts | |
| PRWR 7500: | Advanced Creative Writing | |
| PRWR 7600: | MAPW Practical Internship | |
| PRWR 7900: | Special Topics | |
| PRWR 7950: | MAPW Directed Study | |
3. The Professional Portfolio, The Thesis, or The Practicum (6 Hrs) allows candidates to explore more fully an area of interest by producing a traditional academic thesis or a portfolio of written pieces and projects.
| A: The Professional Portfolio (6 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 7980: | A collection of various original writing samples which demonstrate the candidate's expertise in professional writing or the teaching of writing. After submitting an approved proposal, the candidate works under the direction and advice of two faculty members to produce the project. The candidate must submit the portfolio at least two weeks before either 1) a discussion about the portfolio with the faculty committee; or 2) a public presentation about the project for an audience of faculty and peers. The candidate will consult with the portfolio committee chair and committee member about which option to choose. | |
| B: The Thesis (6 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 7990: | A critical investigation of writing theory, pedagogy, or practice leading from work examined in any part of Part One and Two, or, for creative writers, production of a book-length manuscript. After submitting an approved proposal, the candidate works under the direction and advice of two faculty members to produce the project. The candidate must submit the thesis at least two weeks before either 1) a discussion about the thesis with the faculty committee; or 2) a public presentation about the project for an audience of faculty and peers. The candidate will consult with the thesis committee chair and committee member about which option to choose. | |
| C: The Practicum (6 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 7970: | A project, accompanied by a rationale for its purpose and design, that involves electronic and/or print media and is relevant to the student's concentration in professional writing. After submitting an approved proposal, the candidate works under the direction and advice of two faculty members to produce the project. The candidate must submit the practicum at least two weeks before either 1) a discussion about the practicum with the faculty committee; or 2) a public presentation about the project for an audience of faculty and peers. The candidate will consult with the practicum committee chair and committee member about which option to choose. | |
Three Sample Programs of Study
A. To prepare for professional writing positions in publishing, editing, corporate communications, public relations, or the arts, MAPW students could choose a major concentration in Applied Writing and a support area in Creative Writing and take the following courses:
| Writing Core (3 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6000: | Issues and Research in Professional Writing | |
| Major Concentration - Applied Writing (15 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6250: | Corporate Communication | |
| PRWR 6410: | Feature Writing | |
| PRWR 6440: | Professional and Academic Editing | |
| PRWR 6550: | Document Design and Desktop Publishing | |
| PRWR 7600: | MAPW Practical Internship | |
| Support Area - Creative Writing (9 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6460: | Fiction Writing | |
| PRWR 6150: | Play Writing | |
| PRWR 6300: | Screen and Television Writing | |
| Elective (3 Hrs): | ||
| Individual Writing Concentration (6 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 7980: | The Professional Portfolio | |
B. To enhance their understanding of how to teach writing at the secondary and college levels and to move into professional writing positions in government, curriculum development, and education, teachers returning for a master's degree could choose a major concentration in Composition and Rhetoric and a support area in Applied Writing and take the following courses:
| Writing Core (3 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6000: | Issues and Research in Professional Writing | |
| Major Concentration - Composition and Rhetoric (15 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6150: | Context, Style, and Audience in Professional Writing | |
| PRWR 6300: | Understanding Writing as Process | |
| PRWR 6500: | Teaching Writing in High Schools and Colleges | |
| PRWR 6650: | Introduction to Literacy Studies | |
| PRWR 6750: | Teaching Writing to Speakers of Other Languages | |
| Support Area - Applied Writing (9 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6460: | Corporate Communication | |
| PRWR 6150: | Professional and Academic Editing | |
| PRWR 6300: | Document Design and Desktop Publishing | |
| Elective (3 Hrs): | ||
| Individual Writing Concentration (6 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 7990: | The Thesis | |
C. To develop their expertise as creative writers, their knowledge of publishing, and their journalistic abilities, students could choose a Major Concentration in Creative Writing and a support area in Applied Writing and take the following courses:
| Writing Core (3 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6000: | Issues and Research in Professional Writing | |
| Major Concentration - Creative Writing (15 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6460: | Fiction Writing | |
| PRWR 6480: | Play Writing | |
| PRWR 6490: | Screen and Television Writing | |
| PRWR 7500: | Advanced Fiction Writing | |
| PRWR 7950: | Directed Study | |
| Support Area - Applied Writing (9 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 6550: | Document Design and Desktop Publishing | |
| PRWR 6250: | Corporate Communication | |
| Elective (3 Hrs): | ||
| Individual Writing Concentration (6 Hrs): | ||
| PRWR 7980: | The Professional Portfolio | |
