MAPW Admission Requirements

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Virtual Information Session

Interested in the MAPW program? Join our virtual information session!

When: April (TBA)

Time: TBA

Where: Virtual on Teams

Questions? Contact us at mapw@kennesaw.edu.

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Application Materials

To be considered for admission to the M.A. in Professional Writing program, applicants must submit the following credentials to the KSU Graduate Admissions Office through the online application process.

International applicants have additional requirements. See International Applicant Requirements.

• Bachelor's Degree
  • Submission of transcript(s)

  Have earned or 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. 

• GRE or GRE Alternative

  The General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional.

  • Applicants who opt to take the test must show a total score of 154 (qualitative) and a minimum 4.5 (analytic writing).
  • An applicant who has been previously accepted into or completed a graduate program at an accredited college or university (including previous acceptance in the MAPW), as evidenced by official transcripts is exempt from the GRE and the optional requirements.
  • Applicants who opt not to take the GRE must show evidence in the "Statement of Purpose" of one of the following:
    • having substantially published or produced with an established professional or non-profit venue; or having substantially participated in writing a significant document with an established business, non-profit or government agency; or
    • having had entry-level experiences in the professional fields as a writer, editor, script coordinator, writing teacher, or the like.
• Statement of Purpose

  A "Statement of Purpose" addressing their preparation for and goals for the MAPW program. Applicants should be sure to state their proposed areas of concentration and support and a rationale for these choices; they should address in detail their writing experiences, including any publications, writings for business or non-profit venues, dramatic productions, coursework that involved writing and the like; also, they may address any experiences in the professional fields as a writer, editor, script coordinator, writing teacher, or the like. The “Statement” should be between 1-2 single-spaced pages.

• Writing Sample(s)

  A writing sample comprised of some combination of the following items, not to exceed a total of 25 pages. For example, an applicant who plans to concentrate in creative writing with applied writing as a support area might submit creative writing prose and samples of workplace writing.

  • 15 or more pages of creative writing prose, double-spaced (may include excerpts);
  • A digital portfolio (may send links);
  • 10 or more pages of poetry, single spaced (one poem per page);
  • 15 or more pages of appropriately formatted dramatic writing for stage or screen (may include excerpts);
  • 15 or more pages of academic writing or essays, double-spaced (may include excerpts);
  • 15 or more pages of samples of editorial work with an explanatory preface detailing the applicant’s contribution;
  • 15 or more pages of samples of workplace writing or clips from publications
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

  Submit your most up-to-date résumé or curriculum vitae (CV).

• Letters of Recommendation (optional)

  Applicants may submit up to three (3) optional letters of recommendation.

Submission Guidelines

1. Complete the online Graduate Application for your term and year of interest. Double-check that you are completing the application for the correct year and semester term. * Please note as you consider our program that course modality is predominantly face-to-face for fall and spring semesters with limited online course offerings. Summer semester courses are online with limited face-to-face offerings.

2. Submit the nonrefundable $60.00 application processing fee via the online application.

3. Indicate on the electronic form whether or not you want to submit letters of recommendation and supply the email addresses of your recommenders. The system will contact the recommenders. 

4. Submit the Statement of Purpose and the writing samples through the online portal.

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Transfer Credit

Up to nine (9) credit hours of graduate work from other accredited institutions may be transferred. Students will need to provide course descriptions and syllabi wherever possible, and the amount of credit granted will be at the discretion of the MAPW Director. 

Course Transfer Requirements:

• Must correspond to Kennesaw State University's curriculum
• Minimum grade of “B”  or higher for the course
• Course is no more than five years old

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Grades

Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in every graduate‑level course. They must also achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 before they can advance to candidacy.