/programs/detail
Master of Arts in English Professional Writing (MA)
Fully Accredited
Marywood University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSHE). / ADDRESS / 3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West, Philadelphia, PA 19104. | Phone: (267) 284-5000 / VIEW ALL ACCREDITATIONS »
Increase Your Career Options in Less Time with a Master's Degree in Professional Writing
With an Master's degree in Professional Writing, you will learn to write at an advanced level in a variety of professional settings, no matter your career interests--from business offices to courtrooms to political rallies to online media--and you will earn your graduate degree in less time than you might think! Create responsibly researched and innovative content, think critically, analyze language thoughtfully, and communicate effectively. Use your enhanced skills ethically as a global citizen, understanding how writing can be a force in society.
Marywood offers two tracks to earn a Master of Professional Writing:
4+1 Program for Traditional Undergraduates: Marywood's 4+1 program in Professional Writing is distinctive in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Traditional undergraduates in qualifying programs have the opportunity and flexibility to earn the M.A. degree in one year. Marywood students from the following programs, majors, and minors, with a minimum of a 3.5 GPA in the major or minor and 3.33 overall GPA, are eligible to apply for the 4+1 program:
- Programs: Communication Arts and English
- Majors: Advertising and Public Relations; Broadcast Journalism; Digital Media; Literature; Writing
- Minors: Advertising, Broadcast Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, English, Writing
Traditional Graduate Program: The traditional Masters in Professional Writing consists of three full-time semesters or two years of part-time study.
- Earn your M.A. in two years or less
- Evening classes offered
Each degree path features hands-on learning in professional situations, classroom discussions, and writer workshops that hone students' writing and give graduates a thorough understanding of techniques of writing and persuasion across a variety of media appropriate to a range of professional settings.
- Earn your master's degree in two years or less
- Evening Classes and Writer Workshops
- Wide variety of career opportunities
- Hands-on learning in professional situations
My Marywood experience has been incredible. I knew from the first time I stepped on this campus that I was in a community of people that I already loved, I just needed to meet them all! I have met some of the most important people in my life here, and learned the most important lessons. I learned about living on my own, about independence, and about being myself 24/7. I learned how to speak and listen to God. I learned how to love and to be loved by people who really saw me.
Emily Bubel '22 Read All Testimonials
Outcomes & Opportunities
Top Employers
- Consulting Firms/ Recruitment
- Universities
- Motion Picture/Video Industries
- Online Service Providers
Top Career Paths
- Communications Director
- Writing Professor
- Grant Writer
- Public Relations Manager
Dig Deeper Into the Program Details
If you have any questions about this program, we're here to help.
Graduate Admissions Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- “B” average during undergraduate study or demonstrated potential for graduate work
- Completed application
- Official, sealed transcripts
- Two or three letters of recommendation
Specific Program Requirements
-
Submit an essay that meets the following criteria:
- A statement of purpose (two pages)
- An academic or professional writing sample (6 to 10 pages, can be excerpted from a longer work).
- Choose one of the two following prompts and write approximately 500-600 words in response:
- Write an op-ed piece for a local newspaper (local to you) persuading its readers of the importance of learning a second language. Please identify the name of the paper to which you have chosen to write in the header. Give your essay a title that could be used as a headline.
- Write a professional letter that could be sent to a real local business or a real local nonprofit agency arguing that their services to customers should be offered in both English and Spanish. Please identify the name of the business or agency.
English
Liberal Arts Center
102 Morgan RoadMap & Directions
The Liberal Arts Center contains classrooms utilized by several programs, as well as the Office of Admissions and a variety of other administrative offices. It is also home to the iconic Rotunda and the NativityMiguel School of Scranton.
Learn More | Take a Virtual Tour
McGowan Center for Graduate and Professional Studies
1201 University AvenueMap & Directions
The McGowan Center for Graduate and Professional Studies, located on the corner of University and North Washington Avenues, contains classrooms and related clinical/professional space for Communication Sciences and Disorders, Psychology and Counseling, Education, and Business students. Market Marywood is also located here.
Learn More | Take a Virtual Tour
Scholarships
Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's scholarship programs are designed to encourage and support outstanding students who work hard, demonstrate a strong will to succeed, and have financial need. Our scholarships provide financial assistance and academic support to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.
Tuition
View Tuition RatesMarywood University faculty are prepared to provide students with the best learning experience possible.
- Program Coordinator (English and Modern Languages)
- Director, Center for Transformational Teaching and Learning
- Associate Professor
- bittel@marywood.edu
- 570-348-6211 x2237
80+ opportunities for you to find the right fit with 50+ undergraduate degrees and 30+ graduate and certificate courses.
Professional Writing, Master of Arts
(30 credits)
This program is comprised of twenty-four credits of coursework and a six-credit capstone achieved either through an internship and portfolio or a Masters thesis. Undergraduates who major or minor in English or Multimedia Communication or related field may apply for the 4+1 degree option in their third year and begin taking graduate work in the fourth year. Students who have already earned a Bachelors degree who attend the program full-time can complete the Master of Arts degree in one calendar year; students may opt for part-time attendance if continuing to work full-time.Requirements
Students take 24 credits of coursework followed by a 6-credit capstone experience.
The following 4 courses are required:
| ENGL 520 | Editing and Style | 3 |
| ENGL 525 | Rhetoric and Persuasion | 3 |
| ENGL 540 | Creating Digital Content | 3 |
| ENGL 600 | Professional Writing Theory and Praxis | 3 |
Students must also take 12 credits of electives at the 500- or 600-level. At least one of them must be taken from courses categorized as “Workplace” and one from those categorized as “Social Justice.”
Capstone Experience
Students may choose 1 of 2 capstone experiences. In both cases they will work with a primary adviser in the department, and the work must be approved by a committee of 3 faculty, at least 2 of whom must be faculty from Communication, Language, and Literature Students must outline a proposal approved by their advisers at the start and must hold a public defense of their work at its conclusion.
Option One: ENGL 698A Internship (3 credits)/ ENGL 698B Portfolio (3 credits)
Internships will be done after 12 credits of program work in a professional writing setting approved by the Graduate Program Director. Over the course of the internship, students are expected to create and revise written, digital, or multimedia materials for that workplace and to demonstrate the skills they have learned in their coursework. They will keep logs and samples of their work, report to their department adviser regularly, and reflect on what they are learning.
After completing the internship and all other coursework, students will put together a substantive professional portfolio of materials gathered from their internship experience and coursework, revised to its best quality, together with commentary on the work submitted that is grounded in disciplinary scholarship. This option is designed for students who intend to seek immediate employment.
Option Two: ENGL 699A / ENGL 699B M.A. Thesis (6 credits)
Students will complete an original thesis project on a discipline-specific topic of their choosing. This option is designed for students who intend to seek a doctorate in professional writing. Thesis length may vary depending on print or multimodal format but should be roughly the equivalent of 50-60 pages of reasoned and researched argument.
Substitutions may be granted with permission of the Graduate Director and Program Coordinator/Department Chair.
4+1 Program
Students interested in this program should consult the Director for appropriate advising about which courses to take at the undergraduate level and which to reserve for graduate study. Applications for the Master of Arts will be done in the student’s third year. It is recommended that students accepted to the 5-year program complete their undergraduate capstone (ENGL 495) in spring of the third year. Note: if students take ENGL 420, 425, or 440 as part of their undergraduate coursework, they may opt to substitute 500- or 600-level elective courses in place of 520, 525, or 540 to complete the required 24 credits. They must receive approval of the Graduate Director and Program Coordinator/Department Chair.
Year 4:
In the fourth year, students will take 12 credits of 500-level work towards the Master of Arts degree. We encourage students to take at least two to three of the required courses (520, 525, or 540) and one to two electives.
Sample Year 5:
Summer II
| ENGL 698A: Internship (if doing Capstone Option 1) | (3) |
Fall
| ENGL 600: Professional Writing Theory and Praxis | |
| ENGL 540: Research Methods for Content Creators | |
| One 500-level elective | (9) |
Spring
| One 500-level elective | |
| ENGL 698B: Portfolio (Capstone Option 1) | |
| OR | |
| ENGL 699A: Thesis (Capstone Option 2) | (6) |
Summer I
| ENGL 699B: Thesis (Capstone Option 2) | (3) |
~ENGL-520~,
~ENGL-525~,
~ENGL-540~,
~ENGL-600~,
~ENGL-~,
~ENGL-~,
~ENGL-~,
~ENGL-~,END
From #DayOne, Marywood is here for you each step of the way.
Request Information
Loading...
Latest Program News & Events
Graduate Student Events
Fully Accredited
Marywood University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSHE). / ADDRESS / 3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West, Philadelphia, PA 19104. | Phone: (267) 284-5000 / VIEW ALL ACCREDITATIONS »