tutorials_helpMaster of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW)

The MAPW program has been designed for a variety of graduate students including teachers, aspiring authors, communication specialists, editors, publishers, and others. It allows students to concentrate in one genre of writing, but also to study in at least one, but perhaps both, of the other genres.

The following is a brief description of the MAPW Program. Please visit other pages on this site to learn more about each topic.

  • Applicants to the Program, must have a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in their undergraduate studies and must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout their coursework.
  • All students begin their course work in the Fall semester.
  • All requirements for the master's degree must be completed within six years. An extension of one semester beyond the six years may be granted but only because of conditions beyond the student's control. Only courses for which students have earned credit during that six year period will be counted for degree credit.
  • Students select a concentration (like a major) and a support area (like a minor) from three areas: applied writing, composition/rhetoric, or creative writing. Broadly-speaking, applied writing includes writing for businesses and for the web, composition/rhetoric focuses on the teaching of writing in universities, and creative writing encompasses the writing of fiction, poetry, TV or film scripts, plays, and creative non-fiction.
  • Classes are scheduled one night a week for sixteen weeks from 6:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. in both the Fall and Spring semesters. During the Summer semester, classes are scheduled one night a week for eight weeks from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
  • Students may apply for Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs), which include tuition waivers and stipends, for the Fall and Spring semesters. GRA positions allow students to work side-by-side with one of the Program's faculty members and are only open to the Master's degree students, not Graduate Certificate students. Students with GRAs must have had  a 3.0 GPA in their Bachelor's degree to apply for one. For more information,  please visit www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/research_assistantships.shtml.
  • Students may apply for Teaching Assistantships (TAs), which also include tuition waivers and stipends. A 3.0 GPA in a Bachelor's or Master's degree is required. When successful applicants receive their acceptances into the Program, they also receive information on how to apply for a TA and the deadline for submitting their applications. Graduate Certificate students may not apply for a TA. Students who are awarded a TA must maintain a 3.0 GPA.
  • Students may decide to take on the challenging opportunities of internships at either KSU or throughout the metro Atlanta area for up to six semester hours' credit.

Application Process

  • The application deadline is February 1st of each year. Students who are accepted begin attending classes the following Fall semester.
  • Students must apply online at: http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/forms.shtml. Application materials, such as writing samples, should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road #9109, Kennesaw GA 30144 (770-420-4377)

 


Course Load

  • Students may enroll in one course each semester, and many, especially especially those who are employed full-time, often do. But other students enroll in two or three courses each semester.
  • After taking nine courses (27 semester hours), students can begin the capstone project.

 


Beyond the Graduate Degree

  • Because creative writing demands continuous and intensive practice, students who hold the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from Kennesaw State University or students who hold an MAPW degree with a concentration or support area in creative writing may want to continue to enroll in the advanced creative writing workshop in the appropriate genre, which is repeatable for an unlimited number of times.
  • Students who hold a graduate degree in creative writing from another university who wish to continue workshopping their work might likewise enroll in advanced creative writing courses, contingent upon being accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing program.