Master of Arts in Professional Writing, MAPW

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. Since the graduate program’s founding in 1995, its students and alumni have found success in numerous writing-intensive fields.

What is a Professional Writing Degree?

KSU’s Master of Arts in Professional Writing is a broad-based, interdisciplinary graduate program which offers instruction in:

Applied Writing: public service writing, grant & proposal writing, technical writing, feature writing, social media writing, multimodal editing, web design
Composition & Rhetoric: teaching writing, rhetoric studies, work-place writing, multimodal writing, computers & writing
Creative Writing: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, and screen & TV writing.

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. You’ll become a writing professional who can move in many directions during your career; you’ll become a flexible writer who can tune into the writing conventions of a given genre, adapting your writing style to the requirements of various rhetorical contexts in today's print, electronic and multimodal environments.

MAPW Spotlights

KSU's MAPW is a diverse program that offers many different experiences! Below, you'll find pages spotlighting some of the areas of study in our program that include student perspectives, core faculty biographies, and course information.

Composition and Rhetoric Concentration
Prose and Poetry Concentration
Professional Editing and Publishing
Writing for Screen, TV, and Theatre
The Headlight Review, a literary magazine by MAPW students and faculty

Non-degree Certificates and Double Owl Pathways

If you are a community writer who does not wish to seek a full graduate degree, you may wish to study in our Creative Writing Certificate program (CWC). MAPW also offers certificate programs in Professional Editing and Publication (PEP), Writing for International Audiences (WIA) and Writing for Screen & TV (STV). If you are a KSU undergraduate, you might want to gain graduate level credit through the Double Owl Pathway program.

Why is KSU’s MAPW the Best Writing Program in Georgia? Why is KSU the Best College for Writers?

KSU is the best Georgia college for writers for six very important reasons:

1. Expert Professors Foster Creative Excellence, Share Writing Expertise

Your professors are published authors and credited screen writers, who will share their expertise and mentor you. You’ll also benefit from their innovative research and professional connections.
2. Supportive, Discussion-based Atmosphere

Most MAPW students are 25-35 years old and work full-time. The small classes, 20 students or less, and supportive atmosphere foster creativity and lively discussion. Author's readings, guest lectures, events, conferences, and internships complement course content.
3. Convenient Schedule for Working People

You can choose to enroll full-time or part-time. Most classes meet one night per week, Monday through Thursday. Most courses are face to face, though a few are online or hybrid. Expect to spend 10-20 hours a week on assignments. Most students complete the program in 2-3 years.
4. Teaching or Research Opportunities

If your goals include teaching or research, you can apply to be a Graduate Assistant and receive a tuition waiver and annual stipend. February 1 is the priority application deadline for those interested in Graduate Assistantships.
5. Affordable Costs

KSU’s professional writing program costs are lower than many of its competitors. Be sure to explore tuition reimbursement, scholarship and financial aid opportunities, including a graduate assistantship.
6. Proven Program with Decades of Successful Graduates

Since 1995, Atlanta writers, as well as writers from across the state, region, and beyond, have come to this master’s program for instruction, camaraderie and encouragement, and they have found success, both as students and alumni. The program has added courses to stay relevant in the ever-changing world of communications.

Still Have Questions? Check our FAQ page or contact us.

Application Deadlines