Master of Professional Writing Program

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In 1971, USC changed the word “creative” to “professional” in the name of its MFA in creative writing degree and became the first multidisciplinary program in the nation to offer a specialized degree (M.A.) in professional writing. Today, USC’s Professional Writing Program prepares individuals for careers in writing in all genres.

One of the oldest and most distinguished programs in the nation, the USC Professional Writing Program has a celebrated faculty and a strong curriculum in novel, film, drama, poetry and nonfiction writing. Program faculty, drawn from nationally and internationally known writers, have included playwright William Inge, novelists William Goyen and Richard Yates, Academy Award-winning screenwriters Harry Brown and Edmund North, poets Ann Stanford and Yevgeny Yevtushenko, and feminist author Betty Friedan.

Graduates have published novels, books of poetry and nonfiction books; have received Acadamy Award nominations for their screenplays; and have produced successful Off-Broadway and regional stage productions of their plays. A number of alumni have found careers in the film and publishing industries. Mark Andrus, the 1997 Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for “As Good As It Gets,” is a graduate of the USC Professional Writing Program, as are Pulitzer-nominated novelist Gina Nahai (“Cry of the Peacock”) and NPR commentator Sandra Tsing Loh (“Aliens in America”).

The program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to writing, and focuses on techniques, structures, disciplines and professional marketplaces. Each class is taught in an intimate workshop atmosphere and classes meet in the late afternoon and evening hours for the convenience of working adults.

Program faculty are nationally and internationally distinguished authors.

USC’s Los Angeles location offers a superb climate in an energetic urban community. The program’s strong ties to publishers, agents, and stage and film venues offer many opportunities for talented writers, including professional internships with publishers and film studios, and positions on the staff of “The Southern California Anthology,” published annually by the Master of Professional Writing Program.