MFA, Narrative Media Writing

Degree Program Summary:

In just two years, write a publishable nonfiction manuscript or a marketable screenplay and earn your MFA from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, home of the Peabody Awards and one of the top journalism schools in the country. This two-year low-residency program is designed to train writers who will be published and produced. The program offers students an unparalleled opportunity to develop narrative journalism and screenwriting skills that will equip them for long and varied careers. The program features a committed and diverse roster of accomplished authors, screenwriters, literary agents and other industry professionals who work closely with students to inspire and support each writer’s emerging craft and voice.

UGA’s unique low-residency MFA program allows students to complete most of the degree requirements off campus while developing their skills and talents under the guidance of experienced faculty writing mentors. Students begin each semester by visiting campus for an intensive 8-day residency, followed by a four-month online writing period, during which each student works closely with a professional faculty mentor. Over the course of the program, students build a substantive portfolio of narrative nonfiction or screenwriting, reflecting their individual styles and interests. Students receive individualized instruction from assigned mentors who help them to develop and hone crucial career skills, ultimately completing a marketable screenplay or full-length manuscript of publishable quality.

Students may choose to concentrate in one of two focused genres:

Narrative Nonfiction
Screenwriting
In both genres, the programs’ co-directors — award-winning author and journalist Valerie Boyd and award-winning producer Nate Kohn — have assembled a diverse group of writing mentors who will challenge students to do their best work, to explore the role of the writer in society, and to use their writing to make a difference in the diverse communities in which they live.