Publishing and Writing MA Admission Requirements

The following items are required for your application to the Publishing and Writing MA program:

  • Online Application
    • After submitting your application, you will receive an email with your Admission ID. Please use your username and password to log in and check the status of your application.
  • Official Transcripts
  • 2 Letters of Recommendation
  • Admission Essay
    • How does the focus and curriculum of the program to which you are applying align with your experience and goals? What particular aspects of your current and/or future work do you hope to develop while in graduate school? 500 words.
    • Drawing on your personal, professional, creative, and/or academic experience, please share an example of a time that you overcame an individual or collective challenge and the approach you took to address that challenge. 250–500 words.
    • The mission of Emerson College is the betterment of society through communication and the arts. With this in mind, what impact do you want your work to have? 500 words.
  • Sample of Work: Choose one of the following options:
    • Writing Samples: 5 pages maximum, double-spaced, nonfiction prose. This may be published or unpublished material. The sample could include work done for student publications or writing classes, but should not include academic papers.
    • Portfolio: 5 pages maximum, plus a cover page explaining the applicant’s contribution to the work shown. Portfolios may include, for example, editing work, design, layout, or social media content and strategy.
    • Essay Question: 5 pages maximum, double-spaced. You may submit a response to one of the essay questions below:
      • Tell us about a magazine, a nonfiction book, or an online publication you admire. What makes this work a publishing success?
      • Tell us about a magazine or book publisher (publishing company) you admire. What is it about its publications that constitute “success?”
  • Resume
  • English Proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not English must provide evidence of English proficiency by submitting official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or Pearson test results.