Professional Writing

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Contact: Dr. Jim Elledge, Program Director
Office: (770) 499-3335
Fax: (770) 423-6524
email: jelledg1@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://ksu-mapw.com

MAPW Program Description

The Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW) degree is a professional graduate degree program that prepares candidates for a wide variety of writing‑related positions in business, education, publishing, and the arts. Course work in three concentrations—applied writing, composition and rhetoric, and creative writing—allows students to gain theoretical and practical knowledge in various fields of professional writing. As students become experienced in producing and analyzing the business, technical, journalistic, and creative texts in these three concentrations, they develop a sophisticated understanding of style, structure, and audience. MAPW students will become writing professionals who can move in many directions during their careers; they will become flexible writers who can tune in to the writing conventions of a given genre,  adapting their writing style to the requirements of various rhetorical contexts in today’s print and electronic environments.

Housed in the Department of English, the MAPW Program works in cooperation with other departments such as Communication and Visual Arts. Additional resources of special importance to the program faculty and students are the Kennesaw State University Writing Center and the Kennesaw Mountain National Writing Project.

General Requirements for Admissions to the MAPW Program

To be considered for MAPW admission, applicants must submit the following credentials to the KSU Admission Office:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale;
2. A minimum total score of 800 (verbal and quantitative) and a minimum 3.5 (analytic writing) on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The GRE requirement is waived for applicants who have earned an advanced degree.

The following items should be submitted to:
MAPW Graduate Director, English Department,
Mailbox Drop 2701, Kennesaw State University,
1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591.

3. An application letter that states the applicant’s goals for the MAPW program and a rationale for the choice of concentration and support areas;
4. One copy of representative writing samples from both the concentration and the support area, not to exceed 25 pages;
5. A letter of recommendation is optional.

Provisional standing and non-degree status are not available for applicants to the MAPW program.

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

Transfer Credit

Up to nine hours of graduate work from other accredited institutions may be transferred. To be transferred, course work from other institutions must correspond to Kennesaw State’s MAPW curriculum. Students will need to provide course descriptions and syllabi wherever possible, and the amount of credit granted will be at the discretion of the program director. A minimum grade of “B” is required for any course transferred. Such course work may be no more than five years old.

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.

Petition to Graduate

MAPW candidates must petition to graduate at least one semester prior to completion of program requirements. Before MAPW students can petition to graduate, they must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. The student should contact the MAPW office and request a petition be mailed to their home address, or they may print the form located on the MAPW web site at: www.ksu-mapw.com.

The student must obtain the MAPW graduate director’s signature before submitting the petition to the business office and registrar.

Contact: Dr. Jim Elledge, Program Director
Office: (770) 499-3335
Fax (770) 423-6524
email: jelledg1@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://www.ksu-mapw.com

Admission Requirements

1. A completed KSU application form, indicating application to the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing Program
2. An application fee
3. Official undergraduate transcripts
4. Official graduate transcripts, if applicable
5. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a minimum graduate grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
6. Immunization requirement (see Graduate Admission section of catalog)
7. A statement of purpose that explains: the genre of concentration; what the student wishes to achieve from the program; any experience the student already has in writing (i.e., workshops or literature classes, reading and writing habits, membership in writers’ organizations, awards, publications, and the like)
8. A writing sample in the genre of concentration:
   • Prose Fiction and Creative Nonfiction: 25 double-spaced pages (excerpts are acceptable)
   • Poetry: 10 poems or 10 pages
   • Play writing and Screenplay Writing: 25 pages of script
9. Optional: A letter of reference from someone who can evaluate the student’s: creative writing skills commitment to creative writing and academic work

Contact: Dr. Jim Elledge, Program Director
Office: (770) 499-3335
Fax: (770) 423-6524
Web address: http://www.ksu-mapw.com

Professional Writing for International Audiences Certificate Admission Requirements

Applicants will be admitted to the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing for International Audiences when they have satisfied the KSU non-degree admission requirements.

1. A bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution accredited in a manner accepted by KSU;
2. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and a minimum graduate grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

The application documentation for this certificate consists of:

1. A completed KSU application form, indicating application to the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing for International Audiences
2. An application fee
3. Official undergraduate transcripts
4. Official graduate transcripts, if applicable
5. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a minimum graduate grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
6. Immunization requirement (see Graduate Admission section of catalog)
7. A statement of purpose that explains: what the student wishes to achieve from the program; any experience the student already has in writing, i.e., workshops, reading and writing habits, membership in writers’ organizations, awards, publications;
8. A writing sample
9. Optional: A letter of reference from someone who can evaluate the applicant’s writing skills

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