Capstone Portfolio

A portfolio is a compilation of a student's best work that includes self-assessment and reflection and that is gathered according to some plan or argument for use by an identified reader or readers for specific needs or purposes. A portfolio may be used to demonstrate a student's writing competence or versatility. In addition to assembling the portfolio and revising the pieces to be included, the student is required in the introductory essay to reflect on and make a case for his or her development as a writer.

After completing twenty-seven credit hours and at least four courses in the concentration, the student who chooses the portfolio option to complete the MAPW degree requirements may register for at least 6 hours of PRWR 7960: The Professional Portfolio. We recommend that students register for three hours of PRWR 7960 in two successive semesters.

Content and Length

The portfolio should be 50 to 100 pages in length, include a number of pieces of revised writing from a variety of genres, and begin with an introductory essay approximately 10 pages long that introduces the reader to the works in the portfolio, reflects on their relation to the MAPW course work, and makes an argument about some aspect of professional writing. Students will also write intertexts or interchapters that will reinforce the thread and progress of the argument that holds the portfolio together. In addition, students may include an assessment of a piece of writing rather than a revision. The portfolio may include work that has been accepted for publication while the writer has been a student in the MAPW program. It should be kept in mind that the portfolio is a substantive project and should reflect the highest quality of writing the student has produced. Ideally, a student finishing the portfolio will have several pieces that may be submitted for publication and/or that may be used to provide evidence of the student's expertise in professional writing to prospective employers.

The total length of the portfolio may vary depending on the field and genres in which the writer is working. The final length should result from consultation with the student's portfolio committee, as this committee will ultimately approve or reject the project; however, for students in all concentrations, the portfolio should be about 50 to 100 pages long. For creative writers, guidelines of lengths of various genres are as follows:

• Prose: A minimum of 75 pages. This may include 3 or more short stories, 3 or more creative nonfiction essays, or a combination of these. As an alternative, it may include several chapters or a section of a novel. Writers of short-short fiction may include fewer pages, contingent upon approval of the portfolio committee.
• Poetry: A minimum of 15 poems. Writers of very long poems may be allowed to include fewer poems, writers of very short poems may be required to include more, contingent upon consultation with the portfolio committee.
• Playscripts or Screenplays: A minimum of 60 pages (minutes). This may be one full-length script or several shorter scripts.
• Mixed genres: Writers may compile work from several genres. The length of the manuscript may vary depending on the weight given to any particular genre and should result from consultation with the portfolio committee.