September 2025
All successful applicants who take up their place with us in September will be entered into our competition to have a consultation with Annabel White , an agent at top London literary agency Curtis Brown.
So make sure the creative work you submit with your application is your very best – it might win you a meeting with a literary agent.
As part of Kingston School of Art , students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where collaborative working and critical practice are encouraged.
Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
Many of our graduates are now published authors. Find out what they have to say about how the Creative Writing MA at Kingston helped their careers.
I will always love my time as a Kingston University Creative Writing MA student. The freedom to experiment, the fantastic support from the lecturers, the encouragement to take big, bold swings has helped me create the best work of my career so far. I discovered new interests that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and only wish I could take the course all over again.
In 2018, I began my practice-based creative writing PhD, specialising in life writing around motherhood experience. This was something of a career change for me, and so I did not have a record of published creative or academic writing. That same year I published a piece of life writing, which had developed out of my work for the PhD application, as a chapter in a book entitled Everyday World-Making: Towards an Understanding of Affect and Mothering .
Later that year I presented the early stages of my research at a conference titled Women in Transition , which lead to another publication, this time a hybrid creative/essay piece in a book based on the conference.
Over the next couple of years, I wrote and presented elements of my practice and research at Writers Centre Kingston events, and at a conference organised by the Race/Gender Matters research group at Kingston. Following this conference, I joined the research group and went on to co-organise a Race/Gender Matters symposium entitled Visceral Bodies in 2023.
In 2021, I published a hybrid creative/essay chapter in a book entitled From Band-Aids to Scalpels: Motherhood Experiences in/of Medicine .
Throughout my PhD journey I have also published several pieces in online journals, including Failure: the Ghost and the Mother, Alluvium Journal, 2022, and But Also Flesh and Salt, The Contemporary Journal, 2023.
Recently, I have published poetry on the Dx: Diagnosis and Writing website, and in Motherlore magazine. I am currently co-editing a special issue of Studies in the Maternal journal (with a PhD student from the Philosophy department) based on the Visceral Bodies symposium and featuring my poetry.
The structure, support and networks afforded me by my studies at Kingston have been invaluable in getting my work out into the world.
From the beginning of my doctoral work at Kingston until I submitted my thesis I always felt supported by my supervisors. Their comments on my writing and my meetings with them were very productive. In addition, I received encouragement about my creative work which was a real boost. The University also provided platforms for readings and talks in which I participated – these were wonderful ways to practice for other events in which I have since participated. As I built up and edited my manuscript of poems, they became ready to send out which I did over my years as a PhD student.
Throughout my time at Kingston I published quite a lot of my creative work that came out of my thesis, including poems in various literary journals and a pamphlet of poems, Grief Dialogue (Rack Press). After I submitted my thesis, the manuscript that came out of the critical component was accepted for publication. The book, Boat of Letters , will appear in 2025.
I am quite sure that my publishing journey would have been very difficult were it not for Kingston University MFA.
Tutors like James Miller, Adam Baron, and Jonathan Barnes didn't just give me the nuts and bolts of the craft but also impressed upon me the importance of trusting my own voice, taking responsibility for the story I want to tell and to be flexible in my approach to craft so that I am always learning and growing.
I did the low-res MA in Creative Writing from 2015 to 2017 and it was the perfect fit for someone living outside the UK. The course was excellent on both theoretical and technical aspects, allowing me to figure out how best to write what I wanted to write. I was lucky to have the brilliantly warm and practical Paul Bailey as my dissertation adviser and still apply his insight to everything I write, although I am still guilty of a love of run-on sentences! Course head, Wendy Vaizey, gave me invaluable advice and confidence in my own style at a critical point – advice that saw my first novel subsequently accepted for publication.
Three of us from the class formed our own little writing group when the MA ended and still have a monthly Zoom workshop where we share and discuss our writing and our lives. This fourth novel, Greener , is about friendship and I was so proud to dedicate the book to them both.
The road to publication is paved with blood, coffee and numb fingers; don't let anyone tell you differently. Completing my MA and PhD at Kingston University was a challenging but wholly rewarding experience and one I wouldn't change for the world. The lectures, detailed supervision meetings, and workshopping creative pieces with fellow students were invaluable in taking my writing to the next level. Writing is a lonely profession, so being part of a community that pushes and motivates you to write your best work is special. I honed my skills as a fiction writer and an academic writer throughout my time at Kingston.
For my PhD, I wrote a historical thriller titled Bad Blood , which will be published in 2024 under my pen name, Luke Deckard, by SharpeBooks. This novel is the culmination of my time at Kingston, and not only am I thrilled to see it officially released into the wild, but I know Bad Blood wouldn't be what it is without the support and input I received over the years from my supervisors and colleagues I met and worked with along the way.
Seraphina has published two books: Dodge and Burn and Aurora .
In this video, one of our creative writing alumna and a current student discuss why they chose the course, what they enjoyed about it and why they'd recommend it to future applicants.
You will have the opportunity to develop your creative writing skills in general or specialise in a chosen genre. As well as studying literary criticism and theory, you will also and will look at the professional elements of writing, such as copy-editing and how to get your work published.
Optional placement year.
You'll be expected to pass all four modules and the dissertation to complete the course.
This module focuses on your own creative writing and research into your chosen form or genre, developed in consultation with your supervisor. You learn via one-to-one tutorials with your personal supervisor. You produce two pieces of writing:
Your supervisor must agree in advance the final structure, approximate word length and for presentation conventions of these pieces.
This module offers a regular and intensive review of your writing in one of the following genres: poetry, crime writing, prose fiction, biography, drama, scriptwriting or writing for children. You will be advised on how to strengthen your knowledge of the codes and conventions of your chosen genre to produce a substantial piece or collection of work that will reflect your knowledge of and engagement with your chosen genre. You will apply detailed feedback on your work to your writing as well as using your increased knowledge of your chosen genre to make your writing more effective. These elements will help you improve the key transferable skills of analysis and implementation that will feed forward into your dissertation module and into all analytical/practical tasks you subsequently undertake.
This module provides the opportunity to examine ways in which reading is essential to writing practice and teaches you to apply literary techniques and strategies from contemporary fiction, life writing and poetry texts to your own work. You will develop the concept of 'reading as a writer' in order to explore how contemporary concerns are brought to the fore by artistic strategies, and examine how an understanding of these can provide models for your own creative practice. You will submit work including a reflective reading journal as well as a creative piece in a genre of your choice.
The module is designed to introduce students to some issues of critical and literary theory. The module is also designed to make students more aware of how their work impacts upon wider literary, cultural, political and philosophical issues. Awareness of these theories and of some of the issues surrounding the production and reception of literary texts will stimulate them, encouraging creative and conceptual thinking. The module will explore debates about literature and the practice of creative writing through readings of essays and texts that are relevant to criticism and theory. The academic component of the assessment will support the creative work with the objective that students will also have to demonstrate critical, academic, analytical skills.
In this module you will present and discuss your own and each other's work in a weekly workshop. The draft work presented may include several genres and forms, such as crime writing, fantasy fiction, children's literature, historical fiction, science fiction, romance and autobiography. Practical criticism of student writing will be accompanied by discussion of the scope or constraints of the various genres, as well as the implications of particular forms. Attention will be paid to the transferable components of good writing: appropriate use of language, narrative pace, dialogue, expression, characterisation and mood.
Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.
Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Typical offer.
A 2:2 or above honours degree, or equivalent, in creative writing, English literature, literature and language, drama or theatre studies or a humanities subject.
All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirements. For this course it is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall with 5.5 in all elements. Please make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements , which includes details of other qualifications we'll consider.
Applicants from one of the recognised majority English speaking countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements.
You will find more information on country specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.
Find your country:
Portfolios of exercises, edited and revised creative writing with evidence of extensive drafting, essays, presentations, research projects, substantial pieces of creative writing of publishable standard.
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically involves reading and analysing articles, regulations, policy documents and key texts, documenting individual projects, preparing coursework assignments and completing your PEDRs, etc.
Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the University's online virtual learning platform.
At Kingston University, we know that postgraduate students have particular needs and therefore we have a range of support available to help you during your time here.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 180 credits across a year (typical for a postgraduate course) would equate to 1,800 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
100% coursework.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
Workshops normally have between six and 12 students. To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols 15 to 20 students and lecture sizes are normally 10 to 20. However, this can vary by module and academic year.
This course is delivered by Kingston School of Art. As a student on this course, you will benefit from a lively study environment, thanks to the wide range of postgraduate courses on offer. The combination of academics and practitioners makes it a unique environment in which to further your studies and your career.
The University provides a vibrant and forward-thinking environment for study with:
Postgraduate students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.
Course leader.
Fees for this course, 2025/26 fees for this course, home 2025/26.
Home 2024/25.
This is a two-year full-time course with the published full-time fee payable in each year of study.
If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.
If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.
If you choose to take a placement as part of this course, you will be invoiced for the placement fee in Year 2. Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme and the costs for the placement year.
If you are a UK student, resident in England and are aged under the age of 60, you will be able to apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree. For more information, read the postgraduate loan information on the government's website .
Kingston University offers a range of postgraduate scholarships, including:
If you are an international student, find out more about scholarships and bursaries .
We also offer the following discounts for Kingston University alumni:
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.
Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.
Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks, this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.
There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan . You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.
Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston upon Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.
There is a wide range of facilities at our Penrhyn Road campus , where this course is based. You will have access to a modern environment with the latest equipment, including the Learning Resources Centre. This offers:
Kingston University hosts two major archives relating to Iris Murdoch, a significant philosopher and one of the twentieth century's greatest novelists. These archives currently comprise:
Kingston is just a 30-minute train journey away from central London. Here you can access a wealth of additional libraries and archives, including the British Library.
Some of our departmental graduates have achieved notable successes, having published short stories and novels which were started as part of their degree and attracted good literary agents, for example:
Don't just take our word for it – here's what students say about what it's like to study at Kingston University.
The main reason I've chosen the MA in Creative Writing at Kingston University is the variety of genres you can choose from on the course. I am writing poetry, but I wanted to get involved with people who are writing other things so I could experiment with different genres and learn from them too. The MA in Creative Writing gives me that opportunity and lets me choose workshops that reflect exactly my style of writing.
One of the most useful parts of the course is the Elements of Professional Writing module, which focuses on the practical side of being a writer. It offers advice on everything from how to stay positive to how to present your work to get it published.
Katerina Koulouri
I chose to study at Kingston because unlike many writing courses, it allowed space for both fantasy and children's novels. I especially loved my Children's Literature class.
Another standout was my dissertation tutor, Liz Jensen, who gave me remarkably good and detailed feedback, and the lovely people in my writing workshops. I'm really glad I came to Kingston.
Once I finished my masters I returned to my home country, Ireland, where I write and live by the water. I started writing a fantasy novel for young adults, titled 'The Demon's Lexicon', whilst at Kingston which has since been signed by Simon & Schuster.
Sarah Rees Brennan
This Creative Writing MA course gave me the structure, self-discipline and direction I needed. I've always written poetry – I started when I was just seven – but I have done it in a very unstructured way.
Completing work for the weekly writers' workshops has been very useful. I've attended creative writing evening classes before where we shared our work, but the comments and criticism from other students on the MA is at a much higher level.
Alice Thurling
A range of additional events and lectures will enhance your studies and add an extra perspective to your learning. Activities for this course include:
The literary magazine Ripple is edited by MA students, providing:
Research in English literature and creative writing at Kingston University covers the following areas:
It focuses around the following research initiatives:
We also hold regular seminars and host presentations by visiting speakers.
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained .
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
Kingston University , Holmwood House, Grove Crescent, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE . Tel: +44 (0)20 8417 9000
The browser you are using is no longer supported and for that reason you will not get the best experience when using our website.
You currently have JavaScript disabled in your web browser, please enable JavaScript to view our website as intended.
1-2 years, full- or part-time.
This Masters in creative writing is geared towards studying and experimenting across genres and forms, and will challenge you both intellectually and imaginatively.
Course information.
UK fee £10,700
International fee £19,700
Taught by English
Course enquiries +44 (0)116 252 2620 [email protected]
Course Director Dr Jonathan Taylor [email protected]
English website
The MA in Creative Writing is a challenging course, both intellectually and imaginatively. You will be able to develop your writing skills in a supportive and stimulating environment, taught by experienced and professional writers.
The course offers you the opportunity to become involved in a uniquely vibrant literary scene in Leicester, with connections to the Centre for New Writing , the Creative Writing blog , Everybody's Reviewing and many other events and organisations across the city.
Because of the mixture of forms and genres that the course covers - including poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and script-writing - you will be encouraged to experiment beyond your usual experience. In your final dissertation, you'll be able to specialise in a chosen genre, through a sustained piece of work.
The course is highly innovative, in its mixture of creative and academic work and in its vocational elements, that are designed to enhance your employability prospects. It encompasses traditional forms of publishing, along with performance and emerging technologies. Teaching methods are similarly varied, ranging from seminars, to workshops, individual tutorials, computer labs and guest masterclasses and readings.
The degree can also be taken part-time over two years. If you choose to study part-time you will take one module per semester.
Normally a 2:1 degree in Creative Writing, English Language or Literature, or another relevant subject. We also consider applicants with significant writing experience.
Where appropriate, you may be asked to submit an essay as part of our admissions process. We will contact you if this is the case.
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability . If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Uk students, starting in september 2024.
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
Find out more about fees and funding .
The Waddington Scholarship is an award of £1,000, awarded on the basis of academic merit. It is open to full-time and part-time students from anywhere in the world.
Did you know you can apply for a Government Postgraduate Loan? Find out if you’re eligible.
You will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
From 2022 onwards, EU nationals will pay the International fee. If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
The Waddington Scholarship is an award of £1,000, awarded on the basis of academic merit. It is open to full-time and part-time students from anywhere in the world.
Individual and personal tutorials also address issues of career management and planning. The course team have many connections with external networks, organisations and employers (e.g. publishers, agents, writing organisations, festivals etc.). This aspect of the course is closely connected with the Career Development Service, who offer relevant support, in the form of workshops, mock-interviews and more.
With its focus not only on writing skills, but also on the practical aspects of working in the Creative Writing field, this degree helps you work towards a variety of related fields, from publishing and e-publishing, editing, literary agency, to teaching the subject at school (with a PGCE qualification), or undertaking a PhD. Graduates in Creative Writing might be employed as author, poet, playwright, screenwriter, storyliner, video game creator, journalist, TV producer, publisher or agent, teacher or lecturer, stand-up comedian, academic research, public relations, advertising and marketing, political research and speech-writing, arts management, content provider, tweet writer, web editor, blogger, franchise creator, branding consultant, literary event manager, or intellectual property adviser. Over the last few years, our students and graduates have published novels, non-fiction, poetry collections, reviews and short stories, and have won or been shortlisted for major awards.
Key transferable skills include:
Our Career Development Service is here to support you, with advice on interviews, CVs, work experience, volunteering and more. From Freshers’ Week to Graduation and beyond, they are here to help you reach your professional goals.
Modern and contemporary literature (and creative writing), english literature, victorian studies, browse all courses, receive email updates, course structure.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Our extensive network of contacts will let you meet professional writers and gain insight into a large array of possible career routes.
The course offers a stimulating and supportive environment in which you can develop your writing skills – with personal support from our teaching staff.
You will be taught by critically acclaimed published authors and academics as well as visiting industry professionals.
You will learn key literary and academic skills as well as relevant vocational and real-world applications.
During the course you will be taught by a wide variety of methods, including:
There will be approximately two hours of contact time per week for each module.
Throughout the course, you will have the chance to talk individually to members of staff, and to blog about your on-going experience on a dedicated course blog.
Assessment methods will include Creative Writing portfolios, reflective commentaries, a research project, an oral presentation, and a final dissertation.
Course | Qualification | Duration | Start Dates | Availability |
---|---|---|---|---|
Course Creative Writing | Qualification MA | Duration 1 year full-time | Start Dates September each year | Availability Our online application system is currently unavailable. . |
Course Creative Writing | Qualification MA | Duration 2 years part-time | Start Dates September each year | Availability Our online application system is currently unavailable. . |
Where are you studying, when would you like to start, how would you like to study.
Oops there was an error.
You are now being forwarded to our online application system!
If you are not forwarded in 5 seconds, please click here or copy the link below in to your browser.
As well as encouraging me to embrace my ideas and have confidence in my writing, the course has improved and strengthened my academic voice. The tutors in the English department are passionate about the subjects that they teach, which always makes our seminars engaging, entertaining and enjoyable.
Reem, MA Modern Literature and Creative Writing
If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
The MA in Creative Writing at Northumbria offers you the opportunity to explore your writing craft at an advanced level. You will gain a solid grounding in the techniques and skills of writing creatively, learn how to critique your own work and experiment with your writing voice.
A combination of core and option modules gives you the chance to develop your critical and analytical thinking. This course builds on your passion for creative writing, enhancing your career prospects as you develop a portfolio that reflects a broad range of genres.
You will graduate as a critical thinker with skills that will help you make a big difference in your chosen area of work and creative practice.
During your course, you’ll be in constant contact with a range of professionals working in the arts and creative industries, helping you to build up networks and gain relevant experience.
All modules play a crucial role in developing the advanced skills and attributes necessary for employment, including effective time and workload management, oral and written communication, teamwork and creative analysis of complex problems. The core module, Professional Practice, is designed to give you insights into the world of literary publishing.
You will graduate with a qualification which may enhance your promotion prospects in professions such as the literary industries, partnerships and agencies, marketing and advertising.
We have developed close links with organisations such as New Writing North and Live Theatre. We are very conscious of developments within regional writing and we aim to help you to understand where your own writing fits into this context as well as the wider literary landscape.
Given the postgraduate nature of this course the tutors (all published writers themselves) will be looking for signs of the ability to write at a professional level.
MA graduates have achieved notable success and we include Dan Smith , Celia Bryce and Helen Laws among our alumni.
There are also opportunities for you to advance your studies further with advice in writing PhD and funding applications available. Additionally, our publishing courses provide valuable insights into the world of literary publishing, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to navigate the intricacies of the publishing industry as you refine your craft.
For hints and tips on compiling your application portfolio, read this helpful article by current student, Nathan.
Level of Study Postgraduate
Mode of Study 1 year Full Time 1 other options available
Department Humanities
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start September 2024
Fees Fee Information
Modules Module Information
Northumbria University chosen as a national hub for festival of humanities
EXCITING NEW CULTURAL PARTNERSHIP
NEW INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE. FIND OUT MORE HERE.
Discover the funding options available to you.
Explore our immersive 360 tours, informative subject videos, inspirational student profiles, ground-breaking research, and a range of life at university blogs videos and articles.
Graduate Degree Showcase
Watch Programme Leader Prof Michael Green tell us about this Masters in a Minute (or so...) and then give a longer introduction to the course in a lot more detail
Northumbria Students showcase poetry, stories, artwork, photography, reviews, interviews, and much more. Publishing creative and literary work throughout the university year.
ON EDGE MAGAZINE
Northumbria University's Online Arts Magazine →
FICTION & POETRY
On Edge Magazine
What Makes A Short Story Publishable
Workshops, seminars, critiquing sessions and small groups led by writers and editors provide an intellectually stimulating environment within which you can develop confidence in literary forms and techniques.
You’ll produce a portfolio of creative writing, including an accompanying commentary for assessment for each module. This is a substantial body of work that demonstrates your ability to develop your own writing voice and edit your own work.
You will build up your skills through core and option modules assessed by formative (non-graded) and summative (graded) assignments. A virtual learning platform (Blackboard) offers you space to share ideas, engage with interactive tasks and access online resources including reading lists.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Our Creative Writing team is made up of award-winning novelist and poets, who are major figures in their field. Furthermore, through our partnership with New Writing North, the foremost literary promotion agency in the north of England, we give you opportunities to meet and learn from agents, publishers, and writers from across the country.
Assistant Professor
Andrew Crumey
Tony Williams
The Humanities department is made up of a community of learners all the way through from first year undergraduate to final year PhD level. All Humanities staff are engaged in research and actively create the knowledge that is taught in the department. Our Creative Writing team are all published and highly acclaimed for their work.
Creative Writing students, as part of Northumbria’s Humanities department, have access to the new Institute for Humanities which houses a range of specialist research resources . You’ll also get the chance to work with a range of cultural partners including New Writing North, who provide unique opportunities for creative writers.
The research of the Institute brings together the disciplines of Art History, American Studies, Creative Writing, English Language and Linguistics, English Literature, History and Media Studies.
Take a virtual tour of our world class campus facilities - including Lipman Building where you'll be based - explore the Institute of Humanities, and discover more about our CSE-accredited University Library.
Explore City Campus
Institute of Humanities
Northumbria's 24/7 University Library
Northumbria is rated in the UK top 15 for the quality of its English Literature, Language and Creative Writing publications. You can explore some of the key themes here.
The Creative Writing team work across a range of genres and their interests encompass everything from identity, displacement and narratives of cultural difference to astronomy and visual perception, and how we represent animals in language.
You will join a lively community that regularly gives public readings and, through our association with the regional writing agency New Writing North, is formally involved with the Durham Book Festival and the Northern Writers' Awards.
Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to engage with the activities of the Institute for Humanities , which is home to five international journals and which regularly hosts an exciting range of seminars, symposia and conferences on topics as varied as Memory, Heritage and Identity; Transnationalism and Societal Change; Digital Humanities; Medical Humanities; and American Studies.
MA graduates have achieved notable publication success. Dan Smith has published four novels, most recently My Friend the Enemy. John Schoneboom’s debut novel, written for his MA, Fontoon was published by Dedalus in 2014. Michelle Fox has set up her own film company ‘Duffel Films’ and is now developing other people’s film scripts as well as writing her own. Helen Laws is now a highly successful TV scriptwriter who originated ‘32 Brinkburn Street’ for BBC TV and has written for ‘Casualty’, ‘Eastenders’, ‘Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps’, ‘Shameless’ and ‘Doctors’. She said ‘the MA taught her the importance of story and gave her the confidence to keep trying’.
Celia Bryce is an acclaimed novelist whose latest book Anthem for Jackson is published by Bloomsbury. Valerie Laws, poet and novelist, is best known for painting numbers on sheep and creating ‘Quantum Sheep’. Her latest collection of poetry All that Lives is published by the highly successful Red Squirrel Press, founded by another MA graduate Sheila Wakefield. Marion Husband graduated with a distinction in 2003 and completed her first novel The Boy I Love while on the course. It went on to the top the Independent Publisher chart on Amazon. Since then she has written five more novels.
MA graduate Sheila Wakefield founded Red Squirrel Press in 2006. Since then the press has published over 200 poetry titles, and expanded to publish prose fiction through the Postbox Press imprint. The Press has published new and established names including Andrew McMillan, Claire Askew, James Kirkup, William Bedford, Pippa Little and James McGonigal. It is the publisher partner of the Scottish Writers’ Centre.
Staff Research Interests
Research Activity
Postgraduate Research
Student Successes
All modules play a crucial role in developing the advanced skills and attributes necessary for employment, including effective time and workload management, oral and written communication, teamwork and creative analysis of complex problems. The core module, Professional Practice, is designed to give you insight into the world of literary publishing.
MA graduates have achieved notable success. Dan Smith publishes novels for adults and younger readers, most recently Boy X. Celia Bryce is an acclaimed novelist whose book Anthem for Jackson Dawes was nominated for the Carnegie Medal in 2014.
Helen Laws is a highly successful TV scriptwriter who originated 32 Brinkburn Street for BBC TV and has written for Casualty, Eastenders, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Shameless and Doctors. She says the MA taught her the importance of story and gave her the confidence to keep trying.
There are also opportunities for you to advance your studies further with advice in writing PhD and funding applications available.
Explore our cultural partnership with New Writing North, and get some advice on compiling your application portfolio.
Portfolio hints and tips
By former student Nathan Richards
Standard entry.
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in any subject. Applicants without a degree will be considered.
Applicants will be required to submit examples of their creative writing with their application.
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.
Those without formal qualifications will be considered on the basis of their creative writing.
When applying, prospective students should submit samples of creative work.</p</p</p</p</p</p</p</p</p</p
Full UK Fee: £9,250
Full EU Fee: £18,250
Full International Fee: £18,250
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
How to apply.
Please use the Apply Now button at the top of this page to submit your application. Certain applications may need to be submitted via an external application system, such as UCAS, Lawcabs or DfE Apply. The Apply Now button will redirect you to the relevant website if this is the case. You can find further application advice, such as what to include in your application and what happens after you apply, on our Admissions Hub Admissions | Northumbria University
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
Approaches to Writing (Optional,30 Credits)
On this module you will learn the basic techniques used in the writing of creative text. Through discussion and analysis of examples you will develop an understanding of different kinds of narrative structure and poetic form. This will form the basis for your development in reading as a writer. In the practice of drafting your own creative work, (in workshop exercises and in crafting and drafting your own creative work), you will learn how to research your projects, and also learn about the technical requirements of different forms of text, the creative process required to draft creative work, and the practice-based concepts and terminology involved in reflecting critically on your own creative practice. You will develop a practical understanding of how to offer critical feedback on your peers’ work and how to edit your own.
Creativity (Core,30 Credits)
This module will look at creativity in terms of four main areas: History, Psychology, Culture and Practice. The historical dimension will be a consideration of how creativity grew as a concept, particularly since the 18th-century. The second strand would look at psychological thinking about creativity, e.g. in the light of modern neuroscience. The third looks at ideas of creativity as expressed by practitioners in specific contexts, e.g. visual arts, music and literature, but also non-artistic areas such as science and business. The fourth strand places an emphasis on you exploring your own creativity through exercises and tasks, and ideas generated by themselves.
Experiments in Writing (Optional,30 Credits)
This module will concentrate on the ways in which writers have challenged, extended, and adopted for different purposes many of the more standard literary conventions. You will consider a range of texts in which authors have self-consciously experimented with, parodied, or departed from traditional narrative techniques in overtly ‘metafictional’ works. You will also engage with work that uses features of various literary genres in other modes, such as creative non-fiction, ‘new’ journalism, historiographical novels, the lyrical essay, and fictocriticism. Experimental poetry and script may also be included as you bring these experiments in form to bear on your own work with a view to opening it up to new possibilities. Exploring your writing through such radical play may not result in a commitment to an entirely experimental approach, but it will encourage an increased alertness to the significance of the creative forms in which you work.
Professional Practice: Writing in an Industry Context (Core,30 Credits)
This module focuses on the workings of the writing industry, aiming to provide you with an awareness of the knowledge required of a practitioner working in that industry. On successful completion of the module you will have gained an ability to edit work, write effectively within your chosen genre, and undertake research which allows you to understand the requirements of writing agencies and publishers. Guest speakers will give you an inside view of the writing industry. You will have an opportunity to meet writers, agents, publishers and other industry professionals. This will give you knowledge and insight that you can utilise to develop your own career in the industry.
Reading as a Writer (Optional,30 Credits)
This module introduces you to the interplay of writing and critical reading which is the basis of research in Creative Writing. By examining a series of creative, reflective and critical texts, the module will explore how creative and critical works can inform and underpin each other. It is designed to develop further the kinds of skills introduced in undergraduate Creative Writing as well as preparing you for study at doctoral level work.
Writing Portfolio (Core,60 Credits)
This module allows you to produce a cohesive body of your own work that expresses their own creative voice. The emphasis is on the production of a professionally presented portfolio of writing which demonstrates your awareness of the demands of the writing industry and the positioning of your own work in terms of the contemporary literary landscape. Against this background, teaching methods are designed to ensure that on successful completion of the module you will have had the experience of planning, researching and executing a large, independent project. You are encouraged, as appropriate, to pitch your work professionally. eg pitching to agents and submitting work for competition.
Creative Nonfiction (Optional,30 Credits)
“Tell all the truth, but tell it slant –“ Emily Dickinson Creative nonfiction can be defined as writing that employs elements of creative writing to present a factual, true story. It might take the form of prose, poetry, verbatim theatre, or interview. Because it uses artifice and the techniques of fiction but claims nevertheless to tell a true story, it poses questions about what we mean by ‘true’, and invites readers to reflect on their own knowledge and experience and on what is at stake when any story is told. Creative nonfiction has enormous potential to explore emotion, unlock experience and create knowledge; it is also an increasingly popular genre among readers and editors, making it an attractive choice for aspiring writers. This practice-based module aims to develop your understanding and practice of creative nonfiction across a range of possible forms. These might include memoir / autobiography, travel writing, science writing, biography, eco/nature writing, personal essay, sports writing or auto-fiction, and others. Reading as writers, you will analyse a broad range of texts by creative nonfiction writers, and investigate and discuss the creative and factual limits and possibilities of creative nonfiction. You will consider the ways in which creative nonfiction is similar to other genres, as well as the specific challenges it poses. You will experiment with a range of creative nonfiction forms, workshopping each other’s draft work within the workshop. You will also be encouraged to look for publication opportunities for your work.
Academic Language Skills for Social Sciences & Humanities (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level. The topics you will cover on the module include: • Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions. • Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising. • Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’ • Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations). • Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively. • Listening skills for lectures. • Speaking in seminar presentations. • Presenting your ideas • Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback. • Effective reading techniques. • Developing self-reflection skills. • Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results. • Describing bias and limitations of research.
Study options.
The following alternative study options are available for this course:
2 years Part Time / Sep start
Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form .
Northumbria University is committed to developing an inclusive, diverse and accessible campus and wider University community and are determined to ensure that opportunities we provide are open to all.
We are proud to work in partnership with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to our buildings and facilities across our City, Coach Lane and London Campuses. A Detailed Access Guide lets you know what access will be like when you visit somewhere. It looks at the route you will use getting in and what is available inside. All guides have Accessibility Symbols that give you a quick overview of what is available, and photographs to show you what to expect. The guides are produced by trained surveyors who visit our campuses annually to ensure you have trusted and accurate information.
You can use Northumbria’s AccessAble Guides anytime to check the accessibility of a building or facility and to plan your routes and journeys. Search by location, building or accessibility feature to find the information you need.
We are dedicated to helping students who may require additional support during their student journey and offer 1-1 advice and guidance appropriate to individual requirements. If you feel you may need additional support you can find out more about what we offer here where you can also contact us with any questions you may have:
Accessibility support
Student Inclusion support
Easy flexible payments
Self funding PG students can now benefit from our flexible easy payment scheme
Alumni Discounts
Graduates of the University are entitled to a 20% alumni discount on Masters study at Northumbria (T&C’s apply).
Masters Programmes
If you want to give your career an extra edge, change direction or simply want to love what you do, have a look at our full range of Masters Programmes
Back to top
Alternatively, use our A–Z index
Attend an open day
Download our course brochure
Discover more about this subject area
Year of entry: 2025
Study on our MA Creative Writing master's course and you'll be part of the prestigious Centre for New Writing, where we bring together world-famous writers to teach people how to produce novels, short stories, creative non-fiction, poems and screenplays.
It's a place where talented writers and critics can meet to exchange ideas and opinions. The Centre is founded on the simple but important principle that good writing and good reading go together.
The course will see you study literary technique through reading and discussing the work of other contemporary writers in seminars, and you will have the opportunity to develop your own work via regular workshops and individual tutorials. Writers may choose to work on writing a novel and/or short stories and/or creative non-fiction and/or poems.
You'll benefit from seminars with Jeanette Winterson, workshops in fiction and poetry writing led by published, award-winning writers, and intensive, one-to-one instruction from writers-in-residence.
You will also have access to Literature Live, a fortnightly reading series bringing the best contemporary novelists and poets to Manchester, skills-related sessions delivered by professionals in the publishing industry, and regular visits from literary agents and editors.
We work with talented, committed students - whatever their style or genre - and we pride ourselves on giving students detailed, individual feedback both in writing and face-to-face.
Literature events
Manchester Literature Festival holds literary events across Manchester throughout the year, many in partnership with the University. The Centre for New Writing also hosts a regular public event series, Literature Live, which brings contemporary novelists and poets to the University to read and engage in conversation.
Find out more about literature in Manchester .
The Manchester Anthology
As an MA student at the Centre for New Writing, you will get the opportunity to have a piece of fiction or poetry published in The Manchester Anthology when you graduate.
Learn from experts
You will have the opportunity to engage in masterclasses and regular events with world-renowned Professor of Creative Writing, Jeanette Winterson. We also host a series of talks by visiting agents from the publishing industry.
Find out more about our people .
You will learn through a variety of teaching methods depending on the units you choose, including seminars, lectures and independent study.
Please note that both the full and part-time options are taught between 9am to 5pm. We do not offer evening classes.
All writing workshops meet for two to three hours per week, and are worth 30 credits. You will also be offered three individual half-hour tutorials per semester to discuss the progress of your writing. Each workshop is assessed by a portfolio of poetry or fiction.
Seminars meet for three hours per week and are also worth 30 credits. They will usually be assessed by one 6,000-word essay or the equivalent.
Over the summer, you will complete a 'dissertation' of 12,000 to 15,000 words of fiction or 15-20 poems. This is worth 60 credits.
You will undertake units totalling 180 credits. Core units combine to make 120 credits, with the remaining 60 credits allocated to the dissertation.
There are no mandatory units as part of this course. Students are required to choose a combination of workshops and seminars based on their individual focus, either poetry or fiction writing.
You may choose to take two workshops - one in fiction writing and one in poetry - or you may take one workshop and one seminar. Typical seminars will be The Art of Short Fiction and Poetics.
Students wishing to focus on poetry writing will take a poetry workshop and a seminar on Contemporary Poetry.
Students wishing to focus on fiction writing will take a fiction writing workshop and a seminar in Contemporary Fiction.
Dissertation
Your dissertation will comprise 15,000 words of your own fiction writing, or 16 to 25 poems.
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
ENGL60010 | 60 | Mandatory | |
ENGL70041 | 30 | Optional | |
ENGL71212 | 30 | Optional | |
ENGL71411 | 30 | Optional | |
ENGL71512 | 30 | Optional | |
ENGL71611 | 30 | Optional | |
ENGL71721 | 30 | Optional | |
ENGL71732 | 30 | Optional | |
ENGL71742 | 30 | Optional | |
ENGL71831 | 30 | Optional |
Take your inspiration from one of the best university libraries in the country, as well as the Whitworth Art Gallery, the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama and the special collections at the John Rylands Library, which include Shakespeare folios, a Gutenberg Bible and extensive modern literary archives.
Attend lectures and exhibitions at the internationally renowned Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies, as well as cutting-edge research talks at the English Research Seminar and Critical MASS: the American Studies research seminar.
Away from campus, the city of Manchester is home to an excellent network of public libraries , as well as a wealth of literary and arts institutions, venues and attractions such as the Portico Library , the International Anthony Burgess Foundation , Elizabeth Gaskell's House , HOME and Chetham's Library .
You will also find independent publishers such as Carcanet Press, Comma Press, Cillian Press and Saraband in Manchester, along with bookshops such as Blackwell's (which is located on campus), Waterstones, Chorlton Bookshop and Chapter 1 Books.
Manchester Literature Festival holds events featuring an array of authors each year, while other literary events also take place around Manchester throughout the year, including talks and spoken word events.
Learn more about our facilities .
Explore this course:.
Applications for 2024 entry closed at 5pm on Friday 6 September. Applications for 2025 entry open on Monday 16 September.
School of English, Faculty of Arts and Humanities
You’ll study contemporary creative writing methods and practices and develop your skills in different genres, cross-genres and a wide range of formal and genre experimentations. You’ll also develop and explore your own creative and critical writing through practical workshops and the critical reading of contemporary creative and theoretical texts.
You’ll be encouraged to take all four creative writing core modules, with a minimum of three, which are designed to interact with each other theoretically, thematically and methodologically, to allow for experimentation between literary practices and productive genre crossovers.
The course culminates in a dissertation. You’ll be producing portfolios of both creative and critical work for each module and for your dissertation, all of which may take the form of poetry, prose poetry, short stories, a novel extract, poetic prose, hybrid texts and other genres, as well as formal or cross-media experimentations.
This MA will help you develop your creative writing to a publishable quality, providing a positive, friendly, nurturing, intellectual and creative environment for confident, bold and imaginative development of contemporary creative writing forms and practices. You’ll explore your own writing through practical workshops and learn how to creatively and constructively critique your own and other students' work.
You’ll benefit from the buzzing literary culture at Sheffield and get involved in public and university readings, publications and festivals throughout your time with us. You're encouraged to publish your work and to participate in student-led, peer-feedback editorial sessions.
We run monthly public readings within the Centre for Poetry and Poetics with established writers and have an annually published creative writing journal, Route 57 , which is edited and assembled by our own creative writing students. Each year we also run various creative writing projects, student readings and hubs which will give you a variety of opportunities to meet fellow writers within our well established Postgraduate Creative Writing community which comprises current and alumni students of the MA and PhD.
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.
You may also be able to pre-book a department/school visit as part of a campus tour. Open days and campus tours
For the four core creative writing modules, you’ll meet for a two-hour workshop each week. These workshops are held in the late afternoons or early evenings.
A workshop is an informal, creative and critical environment that allows you to receive feedback on your writing from both the tutor and your fellow students.
You’ll have the opportunity to discuss creative and theoretical practices, drawing on a wide range of selected contemporary reading material. You'll be encouraged to produce new writing on a weekly basis, which we discuss in the workshops.
Modules from MA English Literature are taught in seminars, which can vary from 1.5 to 2.5 hours long. These are held weekly or fortnightly depending on the module. Many of these seminars are held during the day.
Our current staff are active and internationally-recognised authors, academics and creative forces in their fields:
Former teaching staff have included Dr Vahni Capildeo, Professor Simon Armitage, Dr Honor Gavin, Professor Denise Riley, Dr Laura Joyce and Dr Rachel Genn.
You'll be assessed at the end of each term on creative writing portfolios which will include your creative work and a critical essay as well as your dissertation project which will consist of both creative and critical components.
The dissertation is 80% creative and 20% critical reflection on your own work, genre or relevant literary tradition. You'll prepare for it through work you've done in both creative writing modules. The word count for fiction is:
For poetry, the word count is:
Mixed portfolios are welcome. For work previously submitted, we would like you to submit drafts to show changes and developments made to the material.
Our alumni have gone on to publish creative work and pursue research paths in various sectors. View a list of publications by our current students and alumni who have published work during and since completing our degree programme in Creative Writing.
Alumni and student publications
Your career - the School of English
School of English
We're a research-intensive school with an international perspective on English studies. Students can specialise in their chosen subject, while taking modules from other programmes, forging interdisciplinary connections. We encourage you to get involved and to apply your academic learning, working in partnership with external organisations both within the city of Sheffield and beyond.
Our staff are researchers, critics, and writers. They're also passionate, dedicated teachers who work tirelessly to ensure their students are inspired.
We keep seminar groups small because we believe that's the best way to stimulate discussion and debate. Our modules use a range of innovative assessments and can include designing websites, writing blog posts, and working with publishing software, in addition to writing essays and delivering presentations.
We're committed to providing you with the pastoral support you need in order to thrive on your degree. You'll be assigned a personal tutor with whom you'll have regular meetings. You're welcome to see any of our academic staff in their regular student consultations if there's anything you want to ask.
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in a relevant subject.
We accept degrees in the following subject areas:
Your degree should be in an Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences subject.
View an indicative list of degree titles we would consider
IELTS 7.5 (with 7 in each component) or University equivalent
If you're an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for a pre-masters programme in Business, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Sheffield International College . This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department .
There are a number of studentships and fee bursaries available, funded by the University. Deadlines for funding applications are usually in winter/early spring.
Applications for 2024 entry closed at 5pm on Friday 6 September. Applications for 2025 open on Monday 16 September.
[email protected] +44 114 222 0220
MA Creative Writing
The MA in Creative Writing at Bristol is designed for writers who would like to begin publishing their work. In warm, supportive workshops, you will be helped to improve your writing and in lectures and seminars you will increase your understanding of the industrial and critical contexts of contemporary literature.
You will be taught industry-focused content by experienced published writers. A special unit will introduce you to issues in contemporary publishing. Guest writers and experts from industry will speak, bringing up-to-date knowledge and expertise to the course. We also work closely with local writing groups and writing initiatives. You will work with a professional writer one-on-one as your manuscript develops.
Welcomed into the University's prestigious Department of English , you will be taught by groundbreaking researchers about contemporary critical issues in literature. You will be encouraged to read widely and books will be suggested for you by faculty. At the end of the course, you should be able to speak confidently and intelligently about your work and your reading.
Twilight teaching allows people with working or caring responsibilities to study - as do the part-time options. A strong writing portfolio will allow access without a first degree in a related subject - or indeed without a first degree. Times of classes will be announced well in advance, so that students can accommodate study in their busy lives.
Hear directly from an academic giving you a deeper insight into this programme.
For full-time students, in the first term:
In the second term:
This is followed by the Creative Dissertation (60 Credits) over the summer period.
Two years part-time study requires attendance at one seminar in the first teaching block (TB1) and one seminar in the second teaching block (TB2). In the second year, the two years part-time study option requires attendance at one seminar in TB1, one seminar in TB2, and tutorials over the summer period.
Three years part-time study requires attendance at one seminar in TB1 and one seminar in TB2 in the first year. In the second year, it again requires attendance at one seminar in TB1 and one seminar in TB2. The third year of study requires the student to attend tutorials only.
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MA Creative Writing.
The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK ( Times Higher Education ).
94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Places are offered on the basis of a portfolio of writing. We are looking for writers with potential to soon begin publishing their work. It is helpful, but not essential, for the applicant to have some idea of the project they hope to undertake during the course of the degree. Evidence of prior study in the area, a long-standing writing practice, workshop experience, and extensive reading can also strengthen the application. However, the most essential element of the application is the writing itself. We are currently only accepting submissions for fiction, creative non fiction (for example, memoir) and poetry. The portfolio should be no longer than 20 pages of fiction or creative non-fiction (double spaced, 12-point font) or 8-10 pages of poetry.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level A.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels .
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support .
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
MyWorld Scholarships: UK offer holders for this programme may be eligible for a scholarship of up to £5,000 towards their tuition fees. Information about eligibility and the application process can be found on the MyWorld website .
Creative Writing is among the subjects eligible for funding from the Postgraduate Master's Loan . The Faculty of Arts also offers funding opportunities for taught and research programmes.
International students are encouraged to apply for the Think Big Postgraduate Scholarship .
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Graduates of the MA in Creative Writing often enter portfolio careers, where creative writing becomes only one element of their income. Other elements may include:
The close-reading skills developed on a master's in Creative Writing can also prepare graduates for careers in publishing. Advanced skills in understanding nuance and tone have helped graduates secure work in business communications, marketing and corporate social media.
Apply via our online application system. For further information, please see the guidance for how to apply on our webpages.
Overseas applicants: 10 July 2024. Home applicants: 26 July 2024.
Please note that due to high demand, some programmes may close earlier than advertised. Early applications are advised to avoid disappointment. Places are limited and allocated on a continuous basis from September 2023 until all places are filled.
Faculty of Arts
School of Humanities
Department of English
Explore events, take a virtual tour, make an enquiry.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Read our cookie policy
We work together with students to shape their academic journey, creating unique opportunities and building a foundation for their future.
Suffolk is a county of choices, with space to explore and enjoy new experiences.
At the University of Suffolk you will become part of our global network and your journey will be both exciting and challenging.
We are a university shaped by research excellence. Our academics and students are a community embracing innovation and change, making Suffolk an exciting place to be.
We work closely with the business community to find the right opportunities to support your academic journey and build the foundation for your career.
The University of Suffolk is all about transformation – transforming individuals, our community, our region and beyond.
Ma creative and critical writing.
Add to course compare
Institution code: | S82 |
---|---|
UCAS code: | N/A |
Start date: | September 2024 |
Duration: | One year full-time Two years part-time |
Location: | Ipswich |
Typical Offer: | Minimum second class honours degree in relevant, cognate discipline. Relevant work and life experience will be considered. |
Institution code: | S82 |
---|---|
UCAS code: | N/A |
Start date: | September 2024 |
Duration: | One year full-time Two years part-time |
---|---|
Location: | Ipswich |
Typical Offer: | Minimum second class honours degree in relevant, cognate discipline. Relevant work and life experience will be considered. |
The MA in Creative and Critical Writing invites you to focus on your passion for creative writing whilst engaging with the most up-to-date debates in critical theory. On the course, you will develop skills as a creative writer, reader and researcher, broadening your knowledge of the production and reception of literature under the supervision of award-winning authors and lecturers. You will experience an integrated approach to creative writing and contemporary developments in critical and cultural theories while exploring a range of established and evolving literary genres, such as historical fiction, memoir, and children’s literature.
Studying the MA in Creative and Critical Writing is an inclusive, student-centred experience. Our taught modules connect with and reflect on each other, fostering intellectual curiosity and inviting you to enhance your creative and critical writing skills, both separately and as a blended form. In seminars and intensive writing workshops, you will develop your ideas, voice, listening skills, writing techniques and craft, honing practice through sharing and critiquing work in progress. You will be introduced to the industry through guest lectures and workshops delivered by publishers, editors, and literary agents. You will also learn how to nourish your ideas in the production of a substantial body of professional-standard work and publications such as our MA course anthology, available to buy in all national bookstores.
The MA in Creative and Critical Writing reflects the research interests and expertise of staff teaching English within the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. Building on the success of our undergraduate programme ranked 1 st in the UK for Student Satisfaction in the Complete University Guide 2021, the course brings together the study of English literature, critical theory, and creative writing in a holistic and engaging postgraduate curriculum. Teaching is underpinned by our shared ethos that all writing is critically reflective and creative, opening up new possibilities for creative fusion, innovative fiction, and original insights in academic writing.
The University of Suffolk is world-class and committed to our region. We are proudly modern and innovative and we believe in transformative education. We are on the rise with a focus on student satisfaction, graduate prospects, spending on academic services and student facilities.
for Creative Writing
for Postgraduate Study
in the East of England for Graduate Prospects
The course is delivered as a flexible programme, accommodating full-time (1 year) and part-time (2-3 years) study routes, as well as CPD opportunities. Full-time students complete the two mandatory modules (Creative and Critical Writing Workshops and Dissertation Project) alongside three optional modules. Part-time students typically complete Creative and Critical Writing Workshops in year one and the Dissertation Project in year two/three and can negotiate the completion of their optional modules. Children’s Literature, Historical Fiction, Adaptation, and Writers in Residence can also be completed as standalone CPD modules.
Downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record .
This module provides students with the main theoretical approaches and methodological frameworks that underpin the MA programme. In interactive seminars, students will be encouraged to reflect on the interconnected fields of creative writing and critical thinking and to develop their writing practice through the discussion of key concepts in critical theory. The module runs in semester 1 and semester 2 with alternating seminars in creative and critical writing respectively. The seminars in creative writing will be devoted to the study of specific fields and genres of contemporary writing, explicitly contextualising the themes and topics taught in the critical writing workshops.
This module supports students in the preparation and submission of their Masters Project in Creative and Critical Writing. This assessment comprises of a 12,000-word writing project and a 3000-word reflective commentary. Students may use a multi-focussed approach to fiction/non-fiction or creative/critical writing. This might be either part of a longer project, such as a novel or screenplay, or a collection of shorter pieces, such as short stories or poems, critical essays, creative responses to critical thought or a combination of both. Students will develop rigorous editorial skills and work with established writers and supervisors to edit, draft and polish their work.
Historical fiction is concerned with creative representations of the past, encompassing storytelling and history while engaging with questions of public and private memory, the role of the imagination, textual representations of experience, historiography and the nature of historical truth. In this module, students will consider ways of writing historical fiction, between what is known through experience, what can be known of the past, and what can be imaginatively created. Through close reading and discussion, the module aims to support students in their own historical fiction writing, providing individual consultation and expert guidance for creative projects.
Children’s literature is a vibrant and rapidly growing field of academic study, bringing together scholarly perspectives from a diverse range of subjects and discipline backgrounds. On this module, students will be invited to explore a selection of children’s literature across the genre’s development, from the ‘golden age’ of nineteenth-century classics to contemporary examples from the twenty-first century. By focusing on the criticism and practice of writing prose for children in the areas of middle-grade ( 8 -12 yrs ) and young-adult fiction (12-18 yrs ), students will expand their knowledge of current debates and have the opportunity to develop their own creative work in progress.
Adaptations of literature have appeared on screens since the birth of cinema, but the practice has expanded considerably in twenty-first-century culture, with many adaptations also engaging with a variety of critical and theoretical perspectives to appropriate literary and non-literary source texts. This interdisciplinary module invites students to reflect on these critical and creative developments through a series of twenty-first-century case studies. As well as engaging with textual examples and scholarly approaches, students will have the opportunity to write their own critical and creative response to a selection of academic and literary source texts.
Writing residences are increasingly becoming part of the writer’s professional working practice and occur in diverse settings including libraries, book festivals, county archives, schools, hospitals, prisons, and wildlife trusts. Residences offer exciting opportunities for writers to produce new work, respond creatively to and with communities, and build profile, audiences, and networks for further outreach work in the community. As a means to further knowledge and creative confidence in professional writing practice, this module aims to support students in the initiation and organisation of a writer residency of their own.
2nd in the UK for Career Prospects
3rd in the UK for spend on academic services
4th in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction
An undergraduate degree with a minimum of 2:2 in a relevant subject.
Other qualifications, relevant work and life experience may be taken into account.
Please select your country of permanent residence from the list below, specific requirements for your country will then be shown.
If you have previously studied at higher education level before you may be able to transfer credits to a related course at the University of Suffolk and reduce the period of study time necessary to achieve your degree.
The MA in Creative and Critical Writing is designed to support you in a number of professional contexts such as teaching, publishing, editing, and professional writing, as well as enhancing life skills and providing access to doctoral-level study. The course addresses the needs of regional professionals in the creative industries, seeking the next generation of writers in Suffolk, and responds to an increasingly complex job market which prioritises creative approaches.
The English team has established partnerships with a number of festivals and organisations including The Hold and Suffolk Archives, Christchurch Mansion, New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich Institute, Suffolk Book League, INK Festival, Primadonna Festival, High Tide Theatre, and our local National Trust sites. The Hold, based on our campus, enables students to access Suffolk’s nationally and internationally significant archives and collaborate on exciting initiatives such as the British Library’s travelling exhibition, ‘Marvellous and Mischievous: Literature’s Young Rebels’. Our partnerships aim to be mutually beneficial, always ensuring a greater quality of experience for our students while supporting local organisations and giving back to the community.
Dr lindsey scott.
Lindsey is Course Leader for MA Creative and Critical Writing and award-winning lecturer specialising in children’s literature and adaptation.
Darragh is Course Leader, BA (Hons) English and writes novels, plays, and stories for children.
Andrea is Lecturer in English and Creative Writing. Her career prior to joining the University included working for two Suffolk newspapers and the BBC.
Amanda is an award-winning internationally published novelist, journalist and writer.
Katie teaches on the BA (Hons) English course, and the MA Creative and Critical Writing course, at University of Suffolk.
£1,010*, £14,625.
*Please contact the Student Centre for further details
Postgraduate Loans are available for this course, we also offer University of Suffolk Alumni a 25% reduction on fees, find out more below.
The Ipswich campus offers an ideal location for studying creative and critical writing, with its state-of-the-art facilities including the Waterfront Building, a dedicated teaching, learning and social space at the heart of Neptune Quay, and The Hold, a unique and bespoke research centre for Suffolk’s nationally and internationally significant archives.
Study Creative and Critical Writing at the University of Suffolk and you will be adding your voice to a thriving literary and cultural community.
Applying for a postgraduate programme is simple, you can apply using the link below. You can also find out more about what to include on your application and how to contact us for support during the process on the Postgraduate Study link.
"The application process was straightforward and the staff were welcoming and so encouraging throughout. With their support, I have gained confidence and motivation."
Our BA (Hons) English course provides a foundation in literature, creative writing, and linguistics, working with professional published authors, active researchers, and HEA-accredited lecturers.
Connect with us.
@UniOfSuffolk
Now you know more about the course, we can guide you through the next steps.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 7.0, and a minimum of 6.5 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications. Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email [email protected].
Embracing Hull's global-facing outlook, MA Professor and accomplished author Martin Goodman describes the University's MA Creative Writing as an inspiring and collegial environment for online students who want to develop their distinctive voice as a creative writer. There is also the option to attend face-to-face events, as you seek public ...
A second class degree or above, or equivalent, in creative writing, English literature, literature and language, drama or theatre studies or a humanities subject. Applicants with academic qualifications in other subjects, or relevant work experience, will be considered on an individual basis. A demonstrable interest in creative writing.
This supportive and non-residency online creative writing course is your opportunity to develop your writing practice at the times that work for you, wherever you are in the world. Jenna Clake, course leader for our MA Creative Writing (Online) course, talks about working with authors and academics to develop your writing in a timeframe you ...
Course overview. Develop an array of transferable skills on our MA Creative Writing course. Throughout your studies, we'll encourage you to reflect on your own practice, explore the fundamental duty of the writer, and guide you in honing your creative identity. Unlike other courses, we place a special emphasis on the ethical and environmental ...
The final piece of work for the MA is the dissertation - an extended piece of creative writing from a proposed full-length book or script. The MA is available to complete in one year full-time or two years part-time. The novel and poetry routes are available to study on campus (full-time or part-time) or online (part-time only).
Our celebrated online Creative Writing Masters is perfect for talented and aspiring writers looking to gain creative and critical skills., If you're a talented and ambitious writer looking to develop your craft and take your writing to the next level, Glasgow's renowned Creative Writing MLitt is ideal. Develop your writing practice wherever you are in the world by gaining creative and critical ...
Manchester Metropolitan University. (4.1) At the heart of the Manchester Writing School are our masters programmes in Creative Writing, available to study on campus in Manchester Read more... 1 year Full time degree: £9,000 per year (UK) 2 years Online degree: £4,500 per year (UK) 2 years Part time degree: £4,500 per year (UK) Apply now ...
Course highlights. Our teaching team are all experienced creative writing lecturers as well as being novelists - they include novelist, critic and TV director/producer Dr Adam Lively and fantasy novelist/critic Dr Adam Dalton. You'll be learning with state-of-the-art distance learning tools and 24-hour web support through our innovative ...
The Open University's two-year MA in Creative Writing has been designed by a team of practising writers. The MA is taught online, meaning that wherever you are you will have access to teaching materials, workshops and forums. One of the most exciting aspects of the MA is its flexibility, offering four distinct strands - fiction, poetry ...
This page shows a selection of the available Online Courses Programmes in United Kingdom. If you're interested in studying a Creative Writing degree in United Kingdom you can view all 32 Online Courses Programmes. You can also read more about Creative Writing degrees in general, or about studying in United Kingdom. Many universities and ...
The course consists of four 30-credit taught modules, delivered online. The Writing and Wellbeing Specialism module allows you to explore your interests through your own creative practice in the emerging field of creative writing and wellbeing. The Creative Writing and Wellbeing Project is an opportunity for you to create a final portfolio of ...
MA in Creative Writing. Course code: F71. This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities.
Creative Writing MA, PGCert. Our PGCert and MA in Creative Writing provide a unique opportunity to explore and develop your creative writing skills through practice, revision and discussion. You are currently viewing course information for entry year: 2025-26. Start date (s): September 2025. View course information for 2024-25. Fees and funding.
Fees for entry in 2025 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2024 were as follows: MA (full-time) UK students (per annum): £12,500. International, including EU, students (per annum): £26,000. MA (part-time) UK students (per annum): £6,250. International, including EU, students (per annum ...
The MA in Creative Writing covers a range of literary forms, including poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction genres. ... UK: £12,500 (Total) International: £27,000 (Total) For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees. Read more about paying fees and charges. Part-time fees
During this Creative Writing Master's degree, you will learn how to read and think as a writer and explore the choices faced and decisions taken by writers. Regular workshops and bespoke reading lists will serve to inform and enrich your own work. You will also gain an understanding of the business of writing in all its forms, from print and ...
The Creative Writing MA helps you to develop the craft of creative writing, either on a general level or through specialising in your chosen genre. You will become part of Kingston's thriving community, with events such as readings, lectures from published authors, editors and agents, masterclasses and enriching discussions.
This Masters in creative writing is geared towards studying and experimenting across genres and forms, and will challenge you both intellectually and imaginatively. Submit course enquiry. Start date: UK fee £10,700. International fee £19,700. Taught by English. 20% alumni discount. International student information. Course enquiries.
The MA in Creative Writing at Northumbria offers you the opportunity to explore your writing craft at an advanced level. You will gain a solid grounding in the techniques and skills of writing fiction, learn how to critique your own work and experiment with your writing voice. ... Full UK Fee: £9,250 Full EU Fee: £18,250 ...
Study on our MA Creative Writing master's course and you'll be part of the prestigious Centre for New Writing, where we bring together world-famous writers to teach people how to produce novels, short stories, creative non-fiction, poems and screenplays. It's a place where talented writers and critics can meet to exchange ideas and opinions.
The Dissertation is an independent research essay equivalent to around 15,000 words on a topic chosen by you, relating to your programme of study on either the MA in English Literature, MA in Creative Writing or the MA English Studies.
Overview. The MA in Creative Writing at Bristol is designed for writers who would like to begin publishing their work. In warm, supportive workshops, you will be helped to improve your writing and in lectures and seminars you will increase your understanding of the industrial and critical contexts of contemporary literature.
Queen's is ranked 2nd in the UK for Creative Writing in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022. English - Creative Writing highlights Student Experience. Students have access to workshops with visiting authors, publishers, editors and agents, and have a wide range of opportunities to present their work in print and performance.
Studying the MA in Creative and Critical Writing is an inclusive, student-centred experience. Our taught modules connect with and reflect on each other, fostering intellectual curiosity and inviting you to enhance your creative and critical writing skills, both separately and as a blended form. In seminars and intensive writing workshops, you ...
MA Creative Writing (Online) 2024/5 Structure; MA Creative Writing and Well-being; MA Creative Writing and Wellbeing (Online) 2024/5 Structure; MA Digital Media and Communications (Online) ... Middlesbrough Tees Valley TS1 3BA UK. T: +44 (0) 1642 218121 E: [email protected] Travel directions