Master of Arts in Professional Writing

Georgia’s Premier Professional Writing Degree

The Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW) will prepare you for a writing career in television, film, education, publishing, business, and the literary arts.

This graduate degree addresses creative writing, screenwriting, scriptwriting, novels, poetry, technical writing, web writing, social media messaging, and much more. Hone your craft as you gain valuable writing and publishing experience and knowledge.

Choose two from three concentrations to align with your career goals:

  • Applied Writing: public service writing, grant & proposal writing, technical writing, feature writing, social media writing, multi-modal editing, web design
  • Composition & Rhetoric: teaching writing, rhetoric studies, workplace writing, multi-modal writing, computers & writing
  • Creative Writing: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, and TV & screenwriting

By selecting your concentration and support areas and your capstone topic and format, you can target your classes, writings, and projects to address your professional and creative goals. As you become experienced in producing and analyzing business, technical, journalistic, and creative texts, you’ll develop a sophisticated understanding of style, structure, and audience.

As a graduate, you’ll have the skills in writing that can move in many directions during your career; you will become a flexible writer who can tune in to the writing conventions of a given genre, adapting your writing style to the requirements of various rhetorical contexts in today’s print, electronic and multi-modal environments.

Additional resources of particular 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.

REQUEST INFO

 

KSU Master of Arts in Professional Writing students in the classroom

Program Snapshot

Program Format: Face-to-Face

Number of Credit Hours: 36 Total Hours

Entry Terms: Fall, Spring

Time to Complete: Two-year Program

Application Deadlines:

  • Fall, July 1st
  • Spring, November 1st
Curriculum Apply Now

Admissions Requirements

To be considered for MAPW admission, applicants must submit the following credentials to the KSU Admission Office in addition to the general Graduate Admissions requirements:

  •  Bachelor's Degree: Have earned or are in the process of completing a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale;
  • Statement of Purpose: A short narrative essay (1-2 pages) addressing preparation for and goals for the MAPW program and a rationale for the choice of concentration and support areas;
  • Resume or CV: Submit your most up-to-date resume;
  • Writing Sample(s): Representative writing samples from both the concentration and the support area, not to exceed 25 pages;
  • GRE (optional): The General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional.
  • Letters of Recommendation (optional): Applicants may submit up to 3 optional letters of recommendation.


*International applicants have additional requirements. See Graduate Admission section of this catalog.

Apply now

Professional Writing Degree Benefits at Kennesaw State

  • Expertise - Your professors are prize-winning authors and credited screenwriters who will share their knowledge and mentor you. You'll also benefit from their research and community connections.

  • Creativity - The small, supportive classes, often 20 students or less, lively foster discussion.

  • Convenience - You can choose to enroll full-time or part-time. Most courses face and meet one night per week, though a few are online or hybrid.

  • Focus - Address your specific interests and career goals as you choose your concentration - Creative Writing, Applied Writing, or Composition and Rhetoric - and your capstone topic and format.

  • Experience - You can apply to be a graduate assistant, receive a tuition waiver and annual stipend, and gain experience in teaching or research.

What can you do with a Professional Writing degree?

With the KSU professional writing degree, you can choose from a range of careers, including:

  • Technical Writer/Editor
  • Playwright
  • Communications Coordinator/Manager/Director
  • Podcaster
  • Professor/Academic
  • Editor
  • Public Relations Professional
  • Journalist
  • Columnist
  • Grants Specialist

Professional Writing Salary and Career Information

A career in professional writing offers many paths that can easily align with your current and future goals. Below are just a few jobs achievable with a master’s degree in professional writing from KSU.

Department of English

Kennesaw State University
Department of English
M.A. in Professional Writing
440 Bartow Ave., MD 2701
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Phone: 470.578.4377

Email Visit Site

REQUEST INFO

 

Stay Connected