Note: This review is for the Master's in Professional Writing (MSPW) program. This is a…read morefully-remote (in the sense that the classes are asynchronous) program. Hypothetically, if you're based in NYC, you could take full advantage of all student amenities (library, dining hall, events). Otherwise, this program is ideal for anyone living anywhere around the country (or globe) who wants access to the prestige associated with NYU without the commitment of being in NYC full time.
If you are a: working professional looking to pivot fields, advance your career by adding on an impressive degree, or want a challenging yet low-commitment (sans relocation) program, this is for you.
The MSPW program focuses on giving young professionals the tools they need to hone their writing skills in a professional setting. This is not for creative writers nor academic writers-- you will be learning how to write from the POV of a business. You may have an inherent 'talent' or 'voice' as a writer, but this program asks you to hone that style to where it both sounds like 'you' and communicates your message the most effectively. From corporate comms to social media writing, grant writing, writing for finance, graphic design for writers, technical writing, and more, this program
is a 'choose your own adventure' style; you can specialize in a style of writing or broaden your horizons. The effort you put in is the reward you get out of it.
This program allows you to be as much or as little involved as you please; want to join SCRIBE (the writer's society) or any other 'council'? Sure. Apply to special grants, opportunities, or scholarships that allow you to work more closely with professors? Great! Work a low stress job and want to focus all of your time on this program? Amazing. Juggling a million different responsibilities with less time to dedicate? Take it at your pace and expect a supportive faculty.
The application process involves an essay and a letter of recommendation. Once you get in, classes are small (~15 people), as each cohort is typically only 30-40 writers. Although it's rarer to meet your classmates, I truly did bond with a few students and liked the small-scale feel of the program. I got along with another student so well that we ended up meeting at graduation and hitting it off (as I knew we would, since we'd been in constant communication for the past 2 years).
There were a few classes that I absolutely LOVED and truly changed my life. Style & Rhetoric with Raul Sanchez. It teaches you though intense exercises and valuable feedback how to best communicate in a concise and globally-conscious way, and has made me incredibly nit-picky about my phrasing/word choice/paragraph and sentence structure. This course allowed me to unlock a whole new 'writer's voice' and I can't recommend it enough!
Additionally, for anyone looking to work in Comms, Business & Organizational Writing is a must. It teaches you the ins and outs of corporate comms, and introduces you to the world of B-Corps, too. Writing for Digital Media is fantastic for those who want to work in social media/marketing in a writing capacity!
You are able to finish the program in 2 years with 3 classes/semester (or some variant of that). I strongly recommend front loading your course load before the final semester, in which you write your thesis.
The thesis has to be 40-50 pages long and is due in your final semester.
They strongly recommend getting an internship while in the program, which counts towards course credit if you time it correctly. My enrollment in this program and the courses I selected landed me a year+-long internship with Yelp that completely changed the course of my life! That social media job landed me my current Marketing role, effectively "pivoting" my career from Nonprofit Development (do not recommend) to For-Profit Marketing and Comms.
With the NYU brand name comes the NYU price tag; while they are generous with loans, the amount I had to pay per semester is truly, utterly ludicrous, especially considering that the program is remote. You're paying for the professors and for the ability to put NYU on your resume, plus an alumni network and job opportunities, but I believe that the program should be discounted given its fully-remote status.
Additionally, the graduation ceremony (Convocation) at Radio City Hall was rushed, impersonal, and disorganized; no one shook my hand or handed me a diploma--bleh.
However, the faculty (and select professors) are great-- super friendly, organized, and do their best to make this remote program feel like an in-person one. Dr. Rodriguez-Kerr specifically is an amazing mentor!
This program was exactly what I needed, and truly changed my life (obscene loans and all). Highly recommend to those interested in comms, marketing, and copywriting!!