creative writing oxford masters

We value your privacy

We use cookies to allow this site to work for you, improve your user experience, and to serve you advertising tailored to your interests. Let us know if you agree to all cookies. You can manage your preferences at any time

Your Privacy

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

Personalise what you see on this page.

• United States

LOOKING FOR

• Undergraduate courses
• Postgraduate courses
• CHOOSE ONE OR MORE

Popular universities

• University of Kent
• University of East Anglia UEA
• University of Chester
• Coventry University
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Portmouth
• Nottingham Trent University
• University of Sunderland
• London Metropolitan University
• London South Bank University
• University of East London
• BROWSE ALL UNIVERSITIES

Course search

Popular undergraduate courses.

• Computer Science
• LLB Bachelor of Laws
• Biomedical Sciences
• Physiotherapy
• Sports Science

Open days search

Upcoming open days.

• Falmouth University
• BIMM University
• Arts University Plymouth

Article search

Popular topics.

• League tables
• Choosing what to study
• Financing your studies
• Choosing where to study
• Career prospects

Popular articles

• How to use the league tables
• Helping you decide where and what to study
• Why use our university league tables?
• Types of degrees in the UK
• How to revise for exams: Top tips
• BROWSE ALL ADVICE

MSt in Creative Writing University of Oxford

Course options

Qualification.

MSt - Master of Studies

University of Oxford

• TUITION FEES
• ENTRY REQUIREMENT
• UNIVERSITY INFO

Course summary

About the course

The MSt in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialisation, and critical and creative breadth.

The emphasis of the course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces their creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community.

The MSt offers a clustered learning format of five residences, two guided retreats and one research placement over two years. The research placement, a distinguishing feature of the course, provides between one and two weeks' in-house experience of writing in the real world.

The first year concentrates equally on prose fiction, poetry, dramatic writing and narrative non-fiction. There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the genres. In your second year you will specialise in one of the following.

• short fiction
• radio drama
• screenwriting
• stage drama
• narrative non-fiction.

The residences in particular offer an intensive workshop- and seminar-based forum for ideas exchange and for the opening up of creative and critical frameworks within which to develop writerly and analytical skills. There is a strong element of one-to-one tutorial teaching. Tutorials take place within residences and retreats, and relate to the on-going work produced for the course.

You will be assigned a supervisor who will work closely with you throughout the development of the year two final project and extended essay. All assessed work throughout the two years of the course is subject to one-to-one feedback and discussion with a tutor. This intensive, one-to-one input, combined with the highly interactive workshop and seminar sessions, is a distinguishing feature of the course.

The MSt is assessed by coursework. In the first year, four assignments (two creative, two critical), one creative writing portfolio and one critical essay are submitted. Work is set during each residence and handed in for assessment before the next meeting. Feedback on work submitted is given during tutorials within the residence or retreat. In the second year, submissions comprise one research placement report, one extended critical essay, and a final project – a substantial body of creative work in the genre of choice.

You will be set specific creative and critical work to be completed between residences and handed in to set deadlines. Creative submissions in the first year must be in more than one genre. In the second year, submitted work focuses around the genre of your choice.

Graduate destinations

Graduate destinations have included doctoral programmes in creative writing

Tuition fees

• Afghanistan
• Antigua & Barbuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Congo (Democratic Republic)
• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Ivory Coast
• Korea DPR (North Korea)
• Liechtenstein
• Marshall Islands
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
• Palestinian Authority
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Republic of Ireland
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• South Korea
• South Sudan
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• Switzerland
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Turkmenistan
• United Kingdom
• Vatican City
• Western Samoa

£ 14,155 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

University league table, campus address.

University of Oxford, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 2JD, England

Suggested courses

Creative Writing MA or PGDip or PGCert

Oxford Brookes University

University league table

MA Creative Writing

Leeds Trinity University

Is this page useful?

Sorry about that..., how can we improve it, thanks for your feedback.

Creative Writing

MA or PGDip or PGCert

Find out more by joining a live webinar

Start dates: September 2024 / September 2025

Full time: PGCert: 4 months, PGDip: 8 months, MA: 12 months

Part time: PGCert: 2 semesters, PGDip: 3 semesters, MA: 24 months

Location: Headington

Department(s): School of Education, Humanities and Languages

Find a course

Whether words come easily to you, or you work tirelessly at every sentence, we want to help you bring your writing craft to a professional level. We’re looking for passion, no matter your background or level of experience. Every writer might be different - but every writer can benefit from the insight of our published experts.

Our Creative Writing MA is a well-established course taught by acclaimed professional writers published around the world. You’ll benefit from the input of creative writing fellows and visiting lecturers such as Patience Agbabi, Sally Bayley, and Steven Hall. And you’ll be studying in one of the world’s great literary cities.

You'll gain a better understanding of your craft and how to apply it to different literary genres and forms. You’ll also meet and pitch your work to top literary agents Felicity Bryan Associates and publisher Philip Gwyn Jones. Whether or not you aspire to get published, we’ll support and encourage you all the way to achieving your full writing potential.

Attend an open day or webinar Ask a question Order a prospectus

Why Oxford Brookes University?

Our teaching staff are prize-winning writers who will pass on their experience through seminars and workshops.

We’ll assess your portfolio of work to see how we can best support you to grow as a writer.

Small groups help to build trust among peers and tutors.

Pitch your work to literary agents. Any graduating student who achieves a distinction is guaranteed to have their work read by a publisher.

You’ll learn a lot about yourself and you may find that the full MA isn’t right for you. You can choose to finish with a PGDip or PGCert.

Course details

Course structure, learning and teaching.

You might be considering this course because you want to become better at your craft. Or you may simply want to complete a writing project in a structured environment. Whatever your creative writing aims, we want to help you.

The Writing Studio core module will take you out of your comfort zone and get you thinking critically about your work and your practice. In your optional modules, you’ll learn about the techniques successful writers use to achieve their aims. You’ll also learn about poetry and voice, explore different narratives forms, and sharpen your life-writing skills.

For your final project, you’ll complete an extended piece of your own creative writing, accompanied by a self-evaluating critical commentary.

You’ll join a supportive community and benefit from insightful masterclasses run by our group of creative writing fellows. They’ll also critique your work, helping you increase your chances of getting published if that’s your aim.

You’ll learn creative writing skills through reading, writing and discussing. You’ll learn to create, and to adapt.

You’ll experience a variety of teaching and learning methods that include:

• Collaborative seminars
• Presentations and shared readings
• Group workshops
• Visiting notable speakers
• 1-1 supervision
• Writing and rewriting.

You’ll also work with our Creative Writing Fellows and guest speakers who each lead a class every semester:

• Patience Agbabi FRSL, award-winning poet, international performance poet, and children's author, most recently The Infinite and The Time-Thief
• Sally Bayley, fiction and nonfiction author, most recently Girl With Dove and No Boys Play Here
• Steven Hall, a Granta Best Young British Novelist 2013, author of internationally-acclaimed The Raw Shark Texts , and Maxwell's Demon
• Simon Mason, author of Moon Pie (Guardian Children's Fiction Prize - shortlisted) and YA series Garvie Smith , and leading children's fiction editor

You’ll constantly share and discuss your work with your tutors and your peers. This regular feedback will strengthen your self-assessment skills - helping you develop your craft as a writer.

You’ll be formally assessed via:

• Portfolios of your creative writing, with accompanying critical essays
• A final Writing Project in your chosen form and genre

Study modules

The modules listed below are for the master's award.

All students take the core compulsory module The Writing Studio. In addition:

• MA students choose two elective modules and complete the The Writing Project.
• PGDip students choose two elective modules.
• PGCert students choose one elective module.

Taught modules

Final project, compulsory modules.

The Writing Studio

This is the core module taken by all our students at the beginning of the MA. Through workshops led by our staff and Creative Writing Fellows, it’s designed to lead you out of your comfort zone and get you writing in ways you might never have contemplated. In our virtual space – the studio – you are free to think, write and depart in new directions. It demands a readiness to go out of the “comfort zone” and ask real questions of your own writing.

Optional modules

Bringing a story to life.

You’ll learn about the techniques – the “tricks of the trade”, in a completely positive sense – which highly successful authors use to achieve their aims. You’ll explore how narratives and stories are constructed through elements like plotting, pace, perspective and structure. You’ll be aiming to identify these writerly techniques, to describe them and - most importantly of all – to incorporate them in your own writing.

We’ll look at:

• characterisation through dialogue
• unspoken stories
• the unreliable narrator
• omniscient narrators
• the slow reveal.

Writing Poetry Now

What is poetry? What is it for, and what can it do that prose can’t? You’ll focus on contemporary poetry in terms of its functions, as well as its form. While the emphasis will be on your own writing, we’ll also study the poetry of both contemporary and traditional writers from Britain and further afield, who work or have worked in a variety of forms and using a range of techniques.

You’ll also look at topics like:

• poetry and place
• narrative poetry
• experiments in form.

Writing the Lives of Others

If you’ve ever wanted to write about your own life, or the lives of others, this module is for you. We’ll look at autobiography, biography, hagiography, diaries, fictional recreations of real lives, and fictions taking in individual or family lives. Using the set texts as a basis, each session will consist of a short, tutor-led discussion, focusing on the technical issues. You’ll follow these with intensive attempts to apply these techniques to your own writing.

Topics on this module include:

• Autobiography
• Hagiography
• Fictionalising Lives.  

Writing Voice

You’ll explore methods for writing creatively in relation to voice. We’ll discuss and analyse works by contemporary authors in a range of forms (poems, novels, short stories), to inspire you to explore different voices in your own writing.

We’ll investigate:

• how writers create distinctive voices to control and modulate tone and register in a text
• the interplay of multiple voices (author, narrators, characters)
• interrelated notions of identity, authenticity, social construction, style and aesthetics.

Topics will include:

• Monologue and Dialogue
• Unreliable Voices
• Children’s Voices
• Historicised voices.  

Independent Study

This is a great chance to design your own course of study, allowing you to explore an area of writing that fascinates you. You’ll start by producing a detailed project plan, to be agreed with your supervisor and module leader. You’ll develop high-level research skills, manage your own schedule and produce well-structured, articulate work at master’s level. Examples of independent studies have included: an extended poem developed from the literature and art of ancient Persia, and a pacy novel for young adults set in a militaristic dystopia.

The Writing Project

You’ll complete an extended piece of your own creative writing, in any genre, accompanied by a self-evaluating critical commentary. You’ll develop your work in group sessions, through one-to-one tutorials, and in workshops with Creative Writing Fellows. 

Your writing project will be a maximum of 20,000 words in length, but the minimum word length may vary according to the genre and format. You’ll decide all these factors – genre, format and length – in consultation with your module leader and supervisor.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Our commitment to research-led teaching means that all our teaching staff are recognised experts in their field. They contribute to the canon of published work in their specialist fields influencing debate and discussion. And they value the opportunity to share their ideas with students through their teaching.

We are home to the Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre, which:

• creates a space for discussion and research
• promotes connections between poets, academics, and readers of poetry in the local community
• sponsors readings by poets, such as Simon Armitage, and a regular seminar series.

Research supervision is offered in the following areas:

• English 20th-century poetry – particularly Eliot and Heaney
• Irish writing
• Modernist drama
• Witchcraft in the 19th century
• John Clare and eco-criticism
• Sir Walter Scott
• Shakespeare
• Theatre and science
• Contemporary literature
• Thomas More
• Modernist poetry
• Franz Kafka
• Victorian religion
• Literature and war.

On the MA Creative Writing course, we’ve had a lot of success in producing brilliant writers. However, we’re not a factory for producing writers. That’s why many of our graduates take their newly acquired skills to companies and organisations such as the UK Civil Service, Ralph Trustees Ltd, Hestia Charity and the National Trust. Whether it’s critical thinking, creative problem-solving, or research, you’ll be highly prized in sectors such as:

• PR, marketing and communications
• NGOs and charities
• higher education
• media and journalism.

Student profiles

Sarah Stretton

"I was attracted to the course by the literary fellows and the focus on workshopping and developing as a writer"

Dr Morag Joss

Morag Joss is the award-winning author of the Sara Selkirk novels, Half Broken Things, Puccini’s Ghosts, The Night Following, Among the Missing (Across the Bridge) and Our Picnics in the Sun. She has also written for television, and writes short stories for print and broadcast. Her prizes and shortlistings include the CWA Silver Dagger, the USA Edgar Award for best novel, and a Heinrich Böll residency on the island of Achill, Ireland.

I was attracted to the course by the literary fellows and the focus on workshopping and developing as a writer

Entry requirements

Specific entry requirements.

Applicants should normally hold a good honours degree (2.2 or above), or equivalent, in an appropriate discipline and must be able to demonstrate ability in creative writing.

A portfolio of recent creative work must be submitted consisting of 2000 words prose, or 5 poems, or a proportionate mixture of the two. Applicants may also be interviewed. If it is some time since you completed your undergraduate education and you do not meet the standard requirement, it may be possible to consider your application based on evidence of other relevant personal and professional experience, the support of your referees and your portfolio of written work.

Please also see the University's general entry requirements .

English language requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English should hold one of the following qualifications:

• British Council (IELTS) Test: band 7 overall with at least 6 in each band
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency: grade C or above
• NEAB University Test in English for Speakers of Other Languages: Pass
• JMB Test in English for Overseas Students: grade 1, 2 or 3.

Please also see the University's  standard English language requirements .

Pathways courses for international and EU students

We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.

Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.

If you need to improve your English language, we offer  pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.

English requirements for visas

If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements.  Find out more about English language requirements .

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the  Terms and Conditions of Enrolment . You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply, application process.

All applications for the MA in Creative Writing must be accompanied by a portfolio of recent creative work.

This must consist of 2000 words prose, or 5 poems, or a proportionate mixture of the two.

Tuition fees

Questions about fees.

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

[email protected]

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

• For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
• For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy  page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Optional costs

Funding your studies, financial support and scholarships.

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences believes strongly in the importance of making a difference to the world of our students, and in the ability and potential of our students to make a difference in the world. The Dean's Scholarship is one small way in which we make that belief tangible.

International students can apply for our International Students Scholarship . Please click on the link below to find out more.

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Programme changes : On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.

Back to top

Cookie statement

• Bodleian Libraries
• Oxford LibGuides
• Creative Writing

Creative Writing: Books

• Free Online Resources
• Introduction

The majority of books held by the Bodleian Libraries, in both physical and electronic formats, can be searched via SOLO . On this page you will find recommended books, guidance on how to search for and access print and ebooks, and libraries in the University that might be relevant for your studies and research.

Physical books

• Rewley House Continuing Education Library
• English Faculty Library
• Other Collections

Use the tabs above to explore the key texts and libraries for students of Creative Writing. Access to collections and borrowing privileges are subject to conditions; please check individual library websites for further information.

Help with books

For those wishing to learn more about searching for physical collections in Oxford, we recommend the following:

• SOLO: Search Oxford Libraries Online guide A guide for students and researchers at the University of Oxford, or those visiting, who seek support in using the Bodleian Libraries resource discovery tool, SOLO.
• Bodleian Libraries Special Collections Information about special collections at the Bodleian Libraries and how to access them.
• Bodleian Libraries theses and dissertations Links to information on accessing the Bodleian Libraries collections of Oxford, UK, US and other international theses.

Below you will find key texts for Creative Writing. The links will take you through to SOLO where you can find out how to access the books.

• Rewley House Continuing Education Library The Rewley House Continuing Education Library supports the teaching, learning and research of the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. The library holds books on reading lists for courses taught at the Department, including the Diploma and Masters courses in Creative Writing. Most of these books are available to borrow.

Browsing the library's print collections can help you find relevant resources as the books are shelved in subject order, so you'll find related books shelved together.

In the literature sections, each genre is subdivided by period and then author surname. Critical and biographical works about an author are shelved immediately following works by the author.

• English Faculty Library The primary purpose of the library's collections is to support the teaching and study English language and literature at Oxford, with coverage from medieval to post-colonial literatures in English. Less frequently used books are stored offsite and need to be requested to a reading room via SOLO. See the link below for information on locating books within the EFL.
• Finding English faculty Library items A guide to how books are organised within the English Faculty Library

A number of other libraries may be of relevance to those studying Creative Writing.

• Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library is the University's largest library, and holds the main research collection for English literature and language. Most material is stored off-site and can be called to a reading room via SOLO. There is an open-shelf collection for English held in the Upper Reading Room, consisting largely of standard editions of the works of renowned authors from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards, major bibliographical and reference works and series.
• Radcliffe Camera The Radcliffe Camera is part of the central Bodleian Library complex, and linked to the Old Bodleian Library underground, via the Gladstone Link. There is an open-shelf collection for English in the Upper Camera, in support of teaching.

Electronic books (ebooks)

• Ebook Collections
• Free Resources
• Study skills
• Reference Books

Ebooks are digital versions of written works. Broadly speaking they come in two forms: they are either 'born digital' or are digital reproductions of printed books. See the tabs above for details of different ebook resources relevant to those studying Creative Writing.

Many ebooks have enhanced functionality, such as connectivity with reference management software, the ability to annotate and accessibility features.

Members of Oxford University can use ebooks that the Bodleian Libraries have purchased for free. Search for them on SOLO . They can be read on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, e-reader or mobile phone; you just need your Oxford Single Sign On to access them. Individually purchased ebooks are all searchable on SOLO, but not all purchased ebook collections are, so it is important to visit the websites of ebook collections too. Look at the 'ebook collections' tab above.

Note, some ebooks have restrictive access and usage terms, for example they can only be read by one person at a time.

Some books are acquired via 'electronic Legal Deposit'. These must be read on a library desktop computer in one of the Bodleian Libraries. Further information on how to identify and access electronic Legal Deposit items on SOLO is at the link below.

• Electronic Legal Deposit guide

Help with ebooks

The links below are provided for those wishing to learn more about ebooks.

• Ebooks guide A guide intended for students and staff using, or likely to use, ebooks in the course of their studies and research.
• Online and Remote Access Information on accessing Bodleian Libraries content remotely.
• University of Oxford E-resources Blog The e-resources team use this blog to help keep you informed of news and changes in the world of ejournals and databases.

Below you will find key texts available as ebooks for Creative Writing. 

You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the ebooks if you are not on the University network.

The following is a list of ebook collections applicable to those studying Creative Writing at Oxford. Not all ebook collections are available on SOLO, so it is important to visit ebook collection websites to expand your search. You can browse and search across all ebooks on the provider's website and encounter titles of interest you may not have otherwise found.

The ebook collections have been selected by the Bodleian Libraries and you are able to access them for free because of institutional subscriptions to the content. You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the collections if you are not on the University network.

The Bodleian Libraries have access to over 2,000 e-books on the Bloomsbury Collections platform, including research publications in the following series and subject areas: Ancient Commentators on Aristotle; Ancient Philosophy; Applied Linguistics; Biblical Studies; C.H. Beck · Hart · Nomos; Christian Doctrines; Christology; Classical Literature; Classical Studies & Archaeology; Competition Law; Constitutional and Administrative Law; Continental Philosophy; Criminal Law and Justice; Economics; Education Around the World; Family and Social Law; Hart Publishing; History; History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Landmark Texts; Intellectual Property Law; International Critical Commentary; International Relations; Legal Philosophy; Literary Criticism; Middle East; Pauline Studies; Philosophy; Religious Studies; Second Language Acquisition; Theology; Zed Books Sexuality and Gender Studies Archive; Zed Books Economics Archive; Zed Books Sexuality and Gender Studies 2017-2020.

Please note we do not have access to all books on this platform.

Cambridge Collections Online offers subject or theme based collections of content within a richly functional, fully cross-searchable online environment. The Complete Cambridge Companions is available as a complete collection and as two sub-collections comprising the Cambridge Companions in Literature and Classics and the Cambridge Companions in Philosophy, Religion and Culture. Each collection is updated with new Companions on publication.

• Contemporary World Drama Full text playscripts from playwrights around the world. more... less... This collection examines the richness and diversity of contemporary theatre and drama from a global context. It includes new work from established and up-and-coming contemporary playwrights from around the world. At completion, the collection will include 1,000 contemporary plays, from 2000 to present day. Purchase of this resource was funded by the Drue Heinz Fund.

Alternative names: Arden Shakespeare ; Nick Hern books  

Drama Online provides access to the searchable full-text of thousands of plays, drawn from the Methuen Drama, Arden Shakespeare, Faber, Nick Hern, Aurora Metro and Oberon Books lists to form a collection of the most studied, performed and critically acclaimed plays from Aeschylus to the present day. Over 100 critical and contextual works are also included, as well as biographical and bibliographical information for each playwright. The collection will be regularly updated with the latest works from new and established writers. This resource includes access to video recordings of Shakespeare performances from the Globe, the RSC and the Donmar, and performances from the National Theatre.

Please note: Oxford has access to most but not all content.

Purchase of the National Theatre Collection 1 was partly funded by the Drue Heinz Fund.

Ebsco's ebook collection is a collection of e-books purchased by Oxford librarians. Currently there are over 2,000 purchased books ('Our Collection') as well as over 3000 free e-books.

Access to each e-book is limited to one or, more commonly, two simultaneous users, depending on the individual book licence.

New books are being purchased on a regular basis.

Deatils on accessing the ebooks on this platform are at: http://ox.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=19854712 .

• Oxford Scholarship Online Academic works published by Oxford University Press. Organised by subject including a Literature section. more... less... Alternative name: OSO. Contains scholarly books, published by Oxford University Press, in the humanities, sciences, medicine and social sciences online. The full texts of over 1,000 key Oxford titles in Biology, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Public Health and Epidemiology, Business and Management, Law, Music, Physics, Religion, Classical Studies, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Political Science, Social Work, Economics and Finance, Literature, Palliative Care, Psychology and Sociology are now available - together with specially-commissioned book and chapter abstracts and keywords. At least 200 new books will be added each year as part of the annual subscription.
• ProQuest Ebook Central Ebooks from scholarly sources, including University Presses. Subject categories include Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Literature, and Publishing. more... less... Alternative names: Ebook Central ; Ebook Library (EBL) ; ebrary

Oxford Academic includes over 40,000 academic ebooks from Oxford University Press and other university presses, including:

• American University in Cairo Press
• British Academy
• University of California Press
• University of Chicago Press
• Columbia University Press
• Cornell University Press
• Edinburgh University Press
• University Press of Florida
• Fordham University Press
• University of Hawai‘i Press
• Hong Kong University Press
• University of Illinois Press
• University Press of Kentucky
• Liverpool University Press
• Manchester University Press
• University of Minnesota Press
• University Press of Mississippi
• University of North Carolina Press
• Policy Press
• Princeton University Press
• Stanford University Press
• Yale University Press

Includes medical ebooks previously available through the Oxford Medicine Online platform. To access medicine content, select "Subject" -> "Medicine and Health".

• Very Short Introductions Concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects. Expert authors combine facts, analysis, new insights, and enthusiasm to make often challenging topics highly readable more... less... Very Short Introductions offer concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects.
• What Everyone Needs to Know Concise introductions to current events and issues. more... less... Alternative name: WENTK What Everyone Needs to Know is a series of over 100 books from Oxford University Press that concisely introduce current events, issues, and countries, spanning across popular topics and disciplines including Politics, Economics, Sciences, and Religion. The books are written by experts in their fields in a straight-forward question-and-answer format.

A number of eresources, including ebook collections, are freely available online and listed below.

Some of these resources are listed on SOLO but not all, so it is important to visit the websites to expand your search. You do not need your Oxford Single Sign On to access them. These are different to the ebooks purchased by the Bodleian Libraries for which you need your Single Sign On for access.

• Google Books Full text of many out of copyright books, and selected previews of books which are still in copyright.
• Google Scholar Used to search for scholarly literature including articles, theses, abstracts and books from a variety of publishers.
• Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg provides access to over 60,000 out of copyright books. These will be mainly older publications.
• Digital Book Index Provides links to more than 165,000 full-text digital books from more than 1800 commercial and non-commercial publishers, universities, and various private sites. More than 140,000 of these books, texts, and documents are available free.
• Internet Archive A non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.
• Many Books A library of close to 50,000 free ebooks, with a selection of classic poltical and philosophical texts.
• Open Book Publishers Open Book Publishers is one of the biggest independent open access academic publishers of monographs in the UK.
• Open Textbook Library Supported by the Open Education Network, the Open Textbook Library offers over 800 etextbooks that are licensed by authors and publishers to be freely used and adapted. Download, edit and distribute them at no cost.
• Planet Ebook Classic literature, downloadable in various formats compatible with e-readers.

You will find study skills resources compiled by Bodleian Libraries staff available on Oxford Reading List Online (ORLO).

You will need your Oxford Single Sign On credentials to access the list.

• Study skills resources This list gives a sample of available books, documents and videos on study skills that you may find helpful.

A selection of dictionaries, thesauri and encyclopedias useful to those studying Creative Writing.

You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the collections if you are not on the University network.

Oxford Reference Online brings together over 450 reference works published by Oxford University Press into a single cross-searchable resource. It includes English and bilingual dictionaries, English grammar and usage guides, quotations and subject-specific reference works.

It is updated regularly with new titles, new editions, new entries, full-colour maps and illustrations, timelines, weblinks, and bibliographies.

Green’s Dictionary of Slang is the largest historical dictionary of English slang. Written by Jonathon Green over 17 years from 1993, it reached the printed page in 2010 in a three-volume set containing nearly 100,000 entries supported by over 400,000 citations from c. AD 1000 to the present day. The main focus of the dictionary is the coverage of over 500 years of slang from c. 1500 onwards. On this website the dictionary is now available in updated online form for the first time, complete with advanced search tools enabling search by definition and history, and an expanded bibliography of slang sources from the early modern period to the present day. Since the print edition, nearly 60,000 quotations have been added, supporting 5,000 new senses in 2,500 new entries and sub-entries, of which around half are new slang terms from the last five years.

Note that this is a free version with no access to protected content.

Recommend a book

If the Bodleian Libraries don't have the print or ebook you are looking for, you can make a recommendation by completing the form below ( Oxford Single-Sign On required).

• Recommend a purchase

Inter-library requests

If the Bodleian Libraries don't have the book you are looking for, we may be able to source it through Oxford's inter-library request service.

• Inter-library Requests Online Form Request on SOLO via the 'Need more?' link at the top of the page. You'll need to log in with your Single Sign-On (SSO) or Bodleian Libraries account details. Please check SOLO thoroughly to make sure an Oxford library does not hold the material you need.

Why are some books not available electronically?

There are a number of reasons why the Bodleian Libraries may be unable to provide electronic access to a resource. The ebooks guide explains some of these reasons:

• Why isn't there an ebook?
• << Previous: Home
• Next: Journals >>
• Last Updated: May 16, 2024 3:04 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/creative-writing

Website feedback

Accessibility Statement - https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/accessibility

Google Analytics - Bodleian Libraries use Google Analytics cookies on this web site. Google Analytics anonymously tracks individual visitor behaviour on this web site so that we can see how LibGuides is being used. We only use this information for monitoring and improving our websites and content for the benefit of our users (you). You can opt out of Google Analytics cookies completely (from all websites) by visiting https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

© Bodleian Libraries 2021. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence

• Course search

Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)

Please go to students and applicants to login

• Course search overview

MSt in Creative Writing

• Courses by subject overview
• Archaeology, Landscape History and Classics
• Biological Sciences
• Business and Entrepreneurship
• Creative Writing and English Literature
• Education Studies and Teaching
• Engineering and Technology
• History overview
• Holocaust Studies
• International Relations and Global Studies
• Leadership and Coaching overview
• Coaching FAQs
• Medicine and Health Sciences
• Philosophy, Ethics and Religion
• History of Art and Visual Culture
• Undergraduate Certificates & Diplomas overview
• Postgraduate Certificates & Diplomas overview
• Applying for a Postgraduate Award
• Part-time Master's Degrees overview
• What is a Master's Degree (MSt)?
• How to apply for a Master's Degree (MSt)
• Apprenticeships
• Online Courses
• Career Accelerators overview
• Career Accelerators
• Weekend Courses overview
• Student stories
• Booking terms and conditions
• International Summer Programme overview
• Accommodation overview
• Newnham College
• Queens' College
• Selwyn College
• St Catharine's College
• Tuition and accommodation fees
• Evaluation and academic credit
• Language requirements
• Visa guidance
• Make a Donation
• Register your interest
• Creative Writing Retreats
• Gift vouchers for courses overview
• Terms and conditions
• Financial Support overview
• Concessions
• External Funding
• Ways to Pay
• Information for Students overview
• Student login and resources
• Earn your digital badge with Accredible
• Events overview
• Open Days/Weeks overview
• Master's Open Week 2023
• Postgraduate Open Day 2024
• STEM Open Week 2024
• MSt in English Language Assessment Open Session
• Undergraduate Open Day 2024
• Lectures and Talks
• Cultural events
• In Conversation with...
• International Events
• About Us overview
• Our Mission
• Our anniversary
• Academic staff
• Administrative staff
• Student stories overview
• Advanced Diploma
• Archaeology and Landscape History
• Architecture
• Classical Studies
• Creative Writing
• English Literature
• Leadership and Coaching
• Online courses
• Politics and International Studies
• Visual Culture
• Tell us your student story!
• News overview
• Madingley Hall overview
• Make a donation
• Digital Credentials
• Centre for Creative Writing overview
• Creative Writing Mentoring
• BBC Short Story Awards
• Latest News
• How to find us
• The Director's Welcome

This course is not open for online applications. If you would like to enquire about this course please do so using the 'Ask a question' button.

The Master of Studies (MSt) in Creative Writing is designed for those who wish to develop high-level skills in creative writing both in fiction and non-fiction literatures. The MSt is taught over two years in short, intensive study blocks. It has been designed to be accessible to those in full- or part-time employment and to international students.

Progression for students who have completed this course is provided in a number of ways: some students may use this course as a progression route into a PhD in Creative Writing or in English Literature at other Universities, or they could go on to study the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Creative Writing at ICE. 

To watch the MSt Creative Writing and MSt Writing for Performance Information Session recording from our MSt Open Week 2023, click here .

View our MSt open afternoon held on 13 December 2022

Watch MSt students talk about their experience of the course »

You will be guided in the production of creative work in a range of genres and styles, and also in critical reflection on your own work and that of other writers. The course tutors and guest speakers are all established literary professionals.

Who is the course designed for?

The MSt aims to facilitate students' creative practice, whether for their own personal creative development as writers or because their professional work impinges on these areas.

Aims of the programme

By the end of the course students should have:

• Developed their own writing and self-editing skills in a range of fiction and non-fiction genres
• Developed a solid and substantial understanding of the history (in terms of innovative developments) of fiction and non-fiction writing and of critical, analytical and narrative theory

Teaching and learning

The MSt in Creative Writing is structured around four modules taught during year 1 of the course and a presentation module during year 2, each of which students must attend. In the first year, each of the four modules is preceded by guided preparatory reading and other activities, and followed by two writing assignments: one critical and one creative.

A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) offers learning support to students while they are on the programme, including learning resources, and peer-to-peer and student-to-tutor discussion between modules to build a virtual community of practice.

The first year is characterised by variety. Students will engage and experiment with a wide variety of genres, building on existing strengths and exploring unfamiliar territories.

Module 1: Writing for readers: the art of poetry and the craft of criticism  ( 23 - 26 September 2024 )

This module will combine close critical reading of selected examples of poetry and autobiographical prose with the writing of both by students.

Module 2: Writing fiction: imagined worlds (25 - 28 November 2024)

This module focuses on prose fiction, examining the relationship between memory, imagination and research and exploring the essential concerns of the fiction-writer, including plot and narrative, voice and character and the importance of place.

Module 3: Writing for performance: monologue and polyphonic scripts (3 - 6 February 2025)

This module explores various forms of writing for an audience, encompassing writing for radio, theatre, television, cinema and other forms of scripted public address and performance.

Module 4: Writing life: creative non-fiction (12 - 15 May 2025)

This module explores the concept of creative non-fiction and examines examples drawn from a range of sub-genres. These are likely to include biography, memoir, travel-writing and writing about the environment. Sessions on study and research skills will prepare students for Year 2. Visiting speakers for this module will include those from the world of publishing.

The second year is characterised by focus on a specialist genre. Students will work independently to explore further and develop their own literary and critical skills, resulting in an extended piece or portfolio of writing. They will work under the supervision of an expert in their chosen field with whom they will have regular contact.

Students will have five supervisions in the second year. Supervision dates will be arranged between students and supervisors (these can be face-to-face or remote software). The fifth and final supervision will usually take place at around the time of the only module in the second year, the Presentation and Discussion of Portfolios to be held on 20-21 April 2026. 

It is essential that students attend all modules on the dates given above as their ability to complete the course will be severely compromised by missing any of these.

Find out more

If you have any questions about this course, would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, or would like to know more about the admissions process, please complete this enquiry form with your questions .

Following the first module, students will produce 750 words of poetry and a critical commentary of 3,000 words. For each of the following three modules students will produce 4,000 words of creative prose and a critical commentary of 3,000 words.

Students will produce a portfolio consisting of 15,000 words of creative prose (or an equivalent quantity of poems) and a 3,000-word critical commentary.

Students are given formal written feedback on their assignments and informal feedback throughout the course, including during tutorials and supervisions. Tutors produce a report for each student at the end of Year 1 and supervisors produce termly reports for each student during Year 2.

Expected academic standard

Applicants for this course will normally have achieved a good UK 2.i honours degree or overseas equivalent.

There is provision to accept non-standard applicants who do not satisfy the standard academic criterion. Such applicants must produce evidence of relevant and equivalent experience and their suitability for the course.

Language requirement

• IELTS Academic: Overall band score of 7.5 (with a minimum of 7.0 in each individual component)
• CAE: Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element) plus a language centre assessment
• CPE: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200 in each individual element)
• TOEFL iBT: Overall score of at least 110 with no element below 25

The fees for 2024 will be £8,925.00 per annum for Home students (total Home course fee across the 2 years being £17,850.00) and £15,630.00 per annum for EU/Overseas students (total EU/Overseas course fee across the 2 years being £31,260.00). The combined graduate fee includes college membership. The fee can be paid in eight equal instalments. Students on this course can apply to Downing , Lucy Cavendish , Selwyn , St Edmund's , or Wolfson . Please note there are only a limited number of college places available for this course at Downing and Selwyn Colleges so please indicate a second choice of college on your application form if you are selecting either as your first choice.   

Students will be expected to cover the application fee (£50 online), accommodation whilst in Cambridge and any costs of travel to Cambridge.   Please note that, although you will be a member of a college, you will not be entitled to college accommodation.

ICE fees and refunds policy

For information on a loan from Student Finance England for course fees and a contribution towards living costs, please see https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/info/student-loans

The Institute of Continuing Education offers the Joy Brandon bursary. Find out more  here . 

Applications will be accepted online until Wednesday 17th January 2024 . Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held in late February/early March either in person or by remote software if candidates are unable to attend in person.  Candidates will be contacted to arrange convenient times during the previous week.

You are required to provide supporting documents as part of your application.  

Please ensure that you have your CV, writing sample, research proposal and personal statement ready before you start your application, as they will be submitted as part of the application form and cannot be submitted later.

Apply online when you are ready to start the application process. Please read the attached file "Supporting documents required for application" which gives more details about the supporting documents required as part of your application. Please note that one of the writing sample requirements has changed from the last application round. 

Visa requirements 

Student visa sponsorship is not offered for this course. International students who do not already hold a UK visa or immigration status that permits study may enter the UK as a visitor in order to attend teaching sessions. 

The visitor immigration route is used to support students on part-time courses longer than 6 months where the majority of time is spent outside the UK and attendance in Cambridge is only required for short teaching sessions. To meet the requirements of holding this immigration status for study purposes, students are expected not to remain in the UK for extended periods of time. It is not possible as a visitor on a course of more than 6 months to make the UK your main study location or residence or make frequent or successive visits to stay in the UK for extended periods.   

Please read the information about Visas for International Students

How often do the MSt courses run? All of the MSt programmes in the Creative Writing portfolio currently have an annual intake.

Is the course taught online, or is it possible to complete the course by distance-learning? The MSt is not a distance-learning course. You will be required to attend teaching sessions in Cambridge.

Can I complete the course on a full-time basis in one year? No, the MSt is only available as a two-year, part-time course.

Are there any sources of funding available? The Institute of Continuing Education offers the Joy Brandon bursary. Find out more  here . 

How many applications do you receive in relation to places available per year? This varies between programmes and depending on the year. For the 2021 cohort of the MSt in Creative Writing there were roughly 6 applications for each place being offered. 

How many references are required? We require two references. References need to be submitted from professional e-mail addresses, so please ensure that you enter the relevant details into the online application form.

What kind of references should I provide? We prefer academic references from people who, if at all possible, are able to comment on your writing skills and experience, and your ability to study at Master’s level. 

What happens if I am not able to provide academic references? We can accept professional references.

Can I nominate an ICE tutor as my referee? Yes, you may nominate an ICE tutor to act as your referee. 

How long should the Personal Statement be? As a guide, we suggest that the Personal Statement is 500-1000 words long. We would ask you not to exceed 1000 words. An ability to write to a specific word count is an important part of studying at Master’s level as it is in the life of a professional writer!

Is there an advantage to submitting my application early? No, all applications will be considered together after the closing date of the course. While there is no advantage to submitting your application early, we would recommend you do not leave submission until the last minute to avoid any technical difficulties.

What is the time commitment outside of the teaching modules? The teaching teams can provide more specific guidance about what is expected but there is a difference in focus between year 1 and year 2 of each course. Year 1 is based around blocks of teaching and shorter assignments whilst year 2 is the dissertation year where students work on their dissertations with regular individual supervisions. 

Can I attend modules on one of the other MSt in creative writing programmes? No, you will only be able to access the teaching sessions that form part of the MSt course onto which you are admitted.

What happens outside of the taught modules? You will be reading extensively and working on assignments, the details of which will be given to you at the end of each module. You will also be encouraged to engage with tutors and fellow students via the course’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platform.

Can I apply for multiple courses? Yes, you are welcome to submit applications for more than one course, although you would not normally be permitted to undertake more than one MSt at the same time. You are recommended to apply for the course that is most suited to your interests and skills.

Can I use the same referees and writing samples for each separate application? Yes, providing they meet the criteria set out for each application within the Supporting documents file (available on the website).

Can I complete more than one MSt? Although you are welcome to apply for and complete a second MSt course in a subsequent year, it should be noted that you cannot be awarded more than one MSt from the University of Cambridge.

Do I need to have studied creative writing beforehand? You do not need to have previously studied creative writing; however, you would be expected to demonstrate an interest in creative writing and you will be required to provide recent samples of writing as part of your application.

Will I become a College member and do I need to pay College fees? Yes, all of our MSt programmes are matriculated courses meaning that College membership is a requirement. At the time of applying, you will be asked to specify your College preference from a list provided. College places are limited and we liaise with Colleges on your behalf. College fees are included in your course fees.

Will I meet publishers and agents? Yes, there will be opportunity to meet with publishers and agents. During each of the intensive 4-day modules you will have opportunity to hear from numerous guest speakers on a variety of topics and from a variety of genres. 

Course dates

Course duration.

Academic Directors, Course Directors and Tutors are subject to change, when necessary.

Qualifications / Credits

Course code.

Institute of Continuing Education Madingley Hall Madingley Cambridge CB23 8AQ

Find us Contact us

Useful information

• Jobs and other opportunities
• Gift vouchers
• Student policies
• Privacy policy
• Data protection policy
• General terms and conditions

Connect with us

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• University A-Z
• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information

Study at Cambridge

• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education

About the University

• How the University and Colleges work
• Visiting the University
• Giving to Cambridge

Research at Cambridge

• Spotlight on...
• About research at Cambridge

Emma Watson to study at Oxford next academic year

The actor is taking on the new role of creative writing student

Emma Watson is to start an MA in creative writing at the University of Oxford in September.

In a recent Financial Times interview , the Harry Potter star also revealed that she began writing poetry and a series of essays on love, friendship, and relationships during lockdown.

Watson studied English Literature at Brown University where she came to Oxford on a junior year abroad (JYA) at Worcester College . She graduated in 2014.

Watson has long standing links to Oxford, having moved to Oxfordshire when she was 5. She attended the Dragon School, where fees are currently more than £11,000 per term , and Headington School where she took her GCSEs and A levels.

In 2016, her privacy was allegedly breached when a student took a photo of her on a visit to LMH, where she was reportedly discussing becoming a visiting fellow of the college.

Other famous names due to join Oxford in September include Ruby Granger, the studytuber, who will be studying for an MA in English literature.

Image description: photo of Emma Watson

Image credits: HDWallpapers.net (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Liked this article? Why not share it?

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Creative Writing Program Marks Three Decades of Growth, Diversity

By Luisa A. Igloria

2024: a milestone year which marks the 30 th  anniversary of Old Dominion University’s MFA Creative Writing Program. Its origins can be said to go back to April 1978, when the English Department’s (now Professor Emeritus, retired) Phil Raisor organized the first “Poetry Jam,” in collaboration with Pulitzer prize-winning poet W.D. Snodgrass (then a visiting poet at ODU). Raisor describes this period as “ a heady time .” Not many realize that from 1978 to 1994, ODU was also the home of AWP (the Association of Writers and Writing Programs) until it moved to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

The two-day celebration that was “Poetry Jam” has evolved into the annual ODU Literary Festival, a week-long affair at the beginning of October bringing writers of local, national, and international reputation to campus. The ODU Literary Festival is among the longest continuously running literary festivals nationwide. It has featured Rita Dove, Maxine Hong Kingston, Susan Sontag, Edward Albee, John McPhee, Tim O’Brien, Joy Harjo, Dorothy Allison, Billy Collins, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sabina Murray, Jane Hirshfield, Brian Turner, S.A. Cosby, Nicole Sealey, Franny Choi, Ross Gay, Adrian Matejka, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Ilya Kaminsky, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Jose Olivarez, and Ocean Vuong, among a roster of other luminaries. MFA alumni who have gone on to publish books have also regularly been invited to read.

From an initial cohort of 12 students and three creative writing professors, ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program has grown to anywhere between 25 to 33 talented students per year. Currently they work with a five-member core faculty (Kent Wascom, John McManus, and Jane Alberdeston in fiction; and Luisa A. Igloria and Marianne L. Chan in poetry). Award-winning writers who made up part of original teaching faculty along with Raisor (but are now also either retired or relocated) are legends in their own right—Toi Derricotte, Tony Ardizzone, Janet Peery, Scott Cairns, Sheri Reynolds, Tim Seibles, and Michael Pearson. Other faculty that ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program was privileged to briefly have in its ranks include Molly McCully Brown and Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley.

"What we’ve also found to be consistently true is how collegial this program is — with a lively and supportive cohort, and friendships that last beyond time spent here." — Luisa A. Igloria, Louis I. Jaffe Endowed Professor & University Professor of English and Creative Writing at Old Dominion University

Our student body is diverse — from all over the country as well as from closer by. Over the last ten years, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of international students who are drawn to what our program has to offer: an exciting three-year curriculum of workshops, literature, literary publishing, and critical studies; as well as opportunities to teach in the classroom, tutor in the University’s Writing Center, coordinate the student reading series and the Writers in Community outreach program, and produce the student-led literary journal  Barely South Review . The third year gives our students more time to immerse themselves in the completion of a book-ready creative thesis. And our students’ successes have been nothing but amazing. They’ve published with some of the best (many while still in the program), won important prizes, moved into tenured academic positions, and been published in global languages. What we’ve also found to be consistently true is how collegial this program is — with a lively and supportive cohort, and friendships that last beyond time spent here.

Our themed studio workshops are now offered as hybrid/cross genre experiences. My colleagues teach workshops in horror, speculative and experimental fiction, poetry of place, poetry and the archive — these give our students so many more options for honing their skills. And we continue to explore ways to collaborate with other programs and units of the university. One of my cornerstone projects during my term as 20 th  Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth was the creation of a Virginia Poets Database, which is not only supported by the University through the Perry Library’s Digital Commons, but also by the MFA Program in the form of an assistantship for one of our students. With the awareness of ODU’s new integration with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and its impact on other programs, I was inspired to design and pilot a new 700-level seminar on “Writing the Body Fantastic: Exploring Metaphors of Human Corporeality.” In the fall of 2024, I look forward to a themed graduate workshop on “Writing (in) the Anthropocene,” where my students and I will explore the subject of climate precarity and how we can respond in our own work.

Even as the University and wider community go through shifts and change through time, the MFA program has grown with resilience and grace. Once, during the six years (2009-15) that I directed the MFA Program, a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) university-wide review amended the guidelines for what kind of graduate student would be allowed to teach classes (only those who had  already  earned 18 or more graduate credits). Thus, two of our first-year MFA students at that time had to be given another assignment for their Teaching Assistantships. I thought of  AWP’s hallmarks of an effective MFA program , which lists the provision of editorial and publishing experience to its students through an affiliated magazine or press — and immediately sought department and upper administration support for creating a literary journal. This is what led to the creation of our biannual  Barely South Review  in 2009.

In 2010,  HuffPost  and  Poets & Writers  listed us among “ The Top 25 Underrated Creative Writing MFA Programs ” (better underrated than overrated, right?) — and while our MFA Creative Writing Program might be smaller than others, we do grow good writers here. When I joined the faculty in 1998, I was excited by the high caliber of both faculty and students. Twenty-five years later, I remain just as if not more excited, and look forward to all the that awaits us in our continued growth.

This essay was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of Barely South Review , ODU’s student-led literary journal. The University’s growing MFA in Creative Writing program connects students with a seven-member creative writing faculty in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

Enhance your college career by gaining relevant experience with the skills and knowledge needed for your future career. Discover our experiential learning opportunities.

Picture yourself in the classroom, speak with professors in your major, and meet current students.

From sports games to concerts and lectures, join the ODU community at a variety of campus events. 

Cities [ edit ]

• 52.283333 104.3 1 Irkutsk — the attractive capital and largest city; one of the principal stops on the Trans-Siberian Railway and the gateway to Lake Baikal
• 52.566667 103.916667 2 Angarsk — the second largest regional city is home to the Museum of Clocks
• 56.152 101.633 3 Bratsk — a relatively large city on the Baikal-Amur Mainline
• 51.853611 104.869167 4 Listvyanka — located on the shores of Lake Baikal
• 51.659444 103.706111 5 Slyudyanka - southernmost point of the Baikal, famous for its marble railway station and smoked omul
• 54.9 99.016667 6 Nizhneudinsk — a small city on the Trans-Siberian with a pretty church; located near some interesting caves and a waterfall along the Uda River
• 55.933333 98.016667 7 Tayshet — nothing much to see, but many stop at this important rail junction to begin the Baikal-Amur Mainline

Other destinations [ edit ]

• 53.302778 108.004722 2 Lake Baikal — located between Buryatia and Irkutsk Oblast , is the deepest and oldest lake in the world and also the planet's largest body of freshwater.
• 51.72865 103.72159 3 Circum-Baikal Railway
• 53.15 107.4 4 Olkhon — the largest island in lake Baikal is a real jewel, and worthy of the effort it takes to reach it.
• 51.8531 104.882 5 Pribaikalsky National Park

Understand [ edit ]

Irkutsk Oblast, in particular the capital Irkutsk and the shores of Lake Baikal , is likely Siberia 's top travel destination.

Talk [ edit ]

Russian is understood and spoken by all; some members of ethnic minorities (especially the Buryat) are bilingual and speak their native languages with one another.

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ].

Irkutsk Airport ( IKT  IATA ) is one of Russia 's most important and receives international flights from Mongolia , China , South Korea , Thailand , and Uzbekistan . Domestic flights are available from most major Russian airports, including: Saint Petersburg , Moscow , Khabarovsk , Yekaterinburg , Vladivostok , and many others.

By train [ edit ]

Despite the importance of Irkutsk Airport, most travellers still arrive via the Trans-Siberian Railway , which stops at (from west to east): Taishet (junction with the Baikal-Amur Mainline ), Nizhneudinsk , Usolye-Sibirskoe , Angarsk , Irkutsk , among other less frequented settlements.

By car [ edit ]

Baikal Highway crosses the region from west to east. A bus from Ulan-Ude connects Irkutsk with Buryatia.

Get around [ edit ]

Bratsk and Ust-Orda are accessible via the Baikal-Amur Mainline from the Trans-Siberian Railway junction at Taishet.

Do [ edit ]

• Camping out on one of Lake Baikal 's islands
• Fishing galore
• Rafting on Irkut river. Whitewater grade is 1-3 in some places of 150 km river.

Read [ edit ]

• Michel Strogoff by Jules Verne.
• Plays by Alexander Vampilov.
• Writings by Valentin Rasputin.

Stay safe [ edit ]

• While being in woods, beware of snakes that are commonly warming in the sun on the stones. There is not many of them but some may be vipers.
• The other problem of this (and other regions of the North Hemisphere) is ticks. Their bites may be infectious. Usually vaccinations are taken beforehand.

Go next [ edit ]

Irkutsk Airport is a useful hub to jump off to different parts of the country.

For closer destinations, most will travel by the Trans-Siberian Railway , which leads to Kansk and further Krasnoyarsk in the west and to Ulan Ude in the east.

The Baikal-Amur Mainline , which runs on a parallel track to north of the Trans-Siberian, begins at Taishet in western Irkutsk Oblast and on to Severobaikalsk .

• Has custom banner
• Has mapframe
• Has map markers
• Eastern Siberia
• All destination articles
• Outline regions
• Outline articles
• Region articles
• Bottom-level regions
• Has Geo parameter
• Pages with maps

Navigation menu

Now Available: Ancestral Futures Arts & Literary Magazine

The inaugural issue of ancestral futures is now available.

Ancestral Futures is an arts & literary magazine published by Special Collections & University Archives that invited contributors to reimagine the archive through artistic lenses such as poetry, creative writing, photography, and collage.

This year’s theme was on inclusive speculative fields such as Afrofuturism, Latinx/Chicanx Futurisms, and Indigenous Futurisms. Each piece is inspired by archives, including those held at UCR and on Calisphere .

We invite you to dive in and explore these fantastic re-imaginings of the archive by viewing the digital zine , available here: https://scalar.usc.edu/works/ancestral-futures/index

In addition, free print copies of Ancestral Futures will be available for pick-up at UCR Special Collections & University Archives while supplies last (one per person) until Friday, June 14 at 4 p.m. 

To get your copy, visit Special Collections on the fourth floor of Rivera Library during open hours (10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday) until Friday, June 14. No need to register in advance, walk-ins are welcome. 

If you have questions, please reach out to project organizer and librarian, Sandy Enriquez, at [email protected] .

New Scholarship Supports Western’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing

The Mari Sandoz Emerging Writer Scholarship will be awarded every year.

Students with a passion for writing about the people and landscapes of the West will have a new scholarship opportunity when they enter Western Colorado University’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing (GPCW), thanks to the generosity of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society.

The Mari Sandoz Emerging Writer Scholarship will be available to one qualified first-year graduate student in the GPCW’s Nature Writing concentration starting in the summer of 2024. The scholarship will be granted each academic year, awarding the winner $3,000 each semester for a total of $6,000.

According to Mari Sandoz Heritage Society board member and director of the GPCW Nature Writing Concentration, Laura Pritchett, the scholarship aims to memorialize Mari Sandoz’s legacy as someone who had a passion for writing and loved the landscapes and peoples of the West. Through the scholarship, the board hopes to support significant writing about the West in the contemporary literary landscape.

“Sandoz’s writing emphasized the environmental and human landscape of the West and was recognized for her no-nonsense yet deeply evocative style,” Pritchett said. “She was passionate about sharing her hard-earned and well-honed writing skills. We’re fortunate to have the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society support this scholarship.”

Applying to the GPCW’s Nature Writing program will also serve as an application for the scholarship.

Author credit: Seth Mensing

Photo credit: Courtesy

Related Stories

Western’s Clark School wins grant to help add value to internships

Students get renewed access to Mango Languages learning platform

Western Skimo Athlete Brianna Rickert Aims for Olympic Gold

Take the next step.

Apply to Western

We understand that applying to a university can be daunting, which is why we make our admission process as simple and straightforward as possible. Learn more about applying to your program of choice at Western.

Visit Western

The best way to find out what makes Western such a special place is to experience it for yourself. Our student-led tours give you an insider’s perspective on everything from academics to student life.

Alumni Community

We keep the Mountaineer spirit going strong within our alumni community. Whether getting together with friends at an annual event, making a donation or mentoring a student, graduates continue to play an important role in the Western community.

Request Information

Want to discover more about Western? Request information today to get in touch with the admissions team.

Select your Undergraduate Student Type

The Practical Value of Studying Philosophy

Posted in: Why Study Philosophy?

Transferable Skills

By studying philosophy, students develop cognitive transferable skills that pay off in a variety of professions—transferable skills such as Logical Reasoning • Analysis • Abstract Conceptualization • Problem-Solving • Creative Thinking • Clear and Persuasive Writing • Mental Dexterity • An Ability to Assess Different Perspectives and Frameworks • Information Management.

Earning Potential

The national median salary of Philosophy graduates is higher than nearly every other major in the social sciences, humanities, and higher than many other majors—higher than Psychology, Criminology, Communication, Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Business Management, Political Science, History, English, and so on (data source:  payscale.com ).

Which professions do philosophy graduates pursue? • Technology • Business • Law • Publishing • Government • Advertising • Journalism • Teaching • Sales • Human Resources • Public Relations • Activism • Public Policy, and so on.

Read about the practical value of studying philosophy

• Forbes  (2017) – “ A Case For Majoring In Philosophy ”

“Every year, college students choose their majors with an eye toward the return on investment. Among the usual lucrative suspects like finance and engineering, one liberal arts field stands out: philosophy. It turns out that philosophy majors earn significantly more than most majors, especially over the long term.”

“The surprisingly robust ROI [return on investment] for philosophy majors can be traced to its intellectual rigor. Philosophers are taught to seek out the pressure points in arguments and to reason for themselves. They dive into highly technical conversations, construct their own positions and arguments, and analyze relevant problems from multiple perspectives.”

“Beyond finances, the study of philosophy can also help students learn for themselves how they define the good life and how to go about living it.”

• U.S. News & World Report  (2020) – “ What You Can Do With a Philosophy Degree ”

“Philosophy students learn how to question conventional thinking, which is a marketable skill.”

“A Wall Street Journal analysis of the long-term earning potential of people with various college majors revealed that philosophy majors tend to get raises and promotions more quickly than individuals with other majors, and a result of this rapid career progression is that philosophy majors’ mid-career earnings are usually double the size of their starting salaries.”

• CNBC  (2018) – “ Mark Cuban says studying philosophy may soon be worth more than computer science—here’s why ”

“’I’m going to make a prediction’, Cuban told AOL in 2017. ‘In 10 years, a liberal arts degree in philosophy will be worth more than a traditional programming degree’…He views previously lucrative jobs in industries like accounting and computer programming as subject to the powers of automation. To remain competitive, Cuban advises ditching degrees that teach specific skills or professions and opting for degrees that teach you to think in a big picture way, like philosophy.”

• Times Higher Education  (2019) – “ What Can You Do with a Philosophy Degree? ”

“Philosophy graduates have highly transferable skills that are valuable to employers.”

“Graduates secure work in a variety of disciplines after their degree, such as teaching, PR or politics. Communications, publishing, HR and advertising can be attractive options for philosophy graduates, as well as law, banking, the civil service, business and science. Others go on to further study, research, academia and/or lecturing in philosophy or a related field.”

• Entrepreneur Magazine  (2017) – “ 5 Reasons Why Philosophy Majors Make Great Entrepreneurs ”

“When accomplished entrepreneurs like Reid Hoffman, Peter Thiel and Carly Fiorina credit their philosophy backgrounds for their success, you have to wonder if they’re on to something.”

• New York Times  (2018) – “ A Wall Street Giant Makes a $75 Million Bet on Academic Philosophy ”

“Philosophy, he [Bill Miller] added, ‘has made a huge difference both to my life outside business, in terms of adding a great degree of richness and knowledge, and to the actual decisions I’ve made in investing’.”

“Mr. Miller, 67, is not the only old-guard Wall Street figure with a background in philosophy. George Soros was heavily influenced by the Austrian philosopher Karl Popper. Carl Icahn was a philosophy major at Princeton . . . (On the watchdog side of the street, Sheila Bair, the former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, was also a philosophy major.)”

• Harvard Business Review  (2014) – “ How Philosophy Makes You a Better Leader ”

“A CEO client . . . found that contemplating the teachings of an ancient philosopher (Socrates) and a 20th century philosopher (Habermas) empowered him to implement an enhanced process of dialogue, consensus building, and ‘communicative rationality’ with his leadership team.”

• National Bureau Of Economic Research  (2017) – “ The Costs Of And Net Returns To College Major ”

“Health and Engineering majors, where earnings returns are large on a per graduate basis, have per-dollar returns similar to those observed in education, math, philosophy , and language degrees. .  .”

Graduate Study

Some philosophy majors go on to graduate studies in philosophy in order to pursue an academic career. The philosophy major is also exceptional training for many other post-graduate paths, such as law school. In fact, statistics indicate that philosophy majors perform very well on standardized tests for post-graduate and professional study.

• The GRE (“the SAT for graduate school”) – Philosophy majors come out on top.

“When students are compared by major on how far above average they do on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), a standardized test used in many disciplines to assess applicants to graduate programs, philosophy majors come out on top , according to a new look at test score data over the past few years.” (Daily Nous)

• Our philosophy department and Montclair State’s Feliciano School of Business have partnered for a “4 + 1” Philosophy BA/MBA program .
• The LSAT (the entrance exam for law school admissions) – Philosophy majors tie for first place with Economics majors.
• Medical School – The Philosophy major is a solid path to medical school. Consider the data and facts as explained by Paul Jung, M.D: “ If you think biochemistry is your ticket into medical school, think again. “

Duration: 2 years part-time

Starts: October 2024

​Applications will close at 7pm BST on:

• Thursday 6 June 2024, or when all places have been filled (whichever is sooner).

Please read the  application guidance notes  before applying.

Course Director:  Dr John Ballam ​

Sign up to receive news and updates about the course.

Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing

Course details.

With expert tuition and small class sizes, this course gives keen writers the opportunity to explore and develop their craft.

Our two-year, part-time Diploma allows you to strengthen your ability in four major areas of literary activity — prose, poetry, drama and analytical reading — as well as the chance to specialise in the genre of your choice.

There are two ways to study. The in-person pathway ( Option 1 ) takes place on weekends in Oxford and offers a rich combination of seminars, one-to-one tutorials and group discussions. The online pathway ( Option 2 ) with a summer school in Oxford, replicates the in-person structure exactly, using a variety of media to offer a stimulating and challenging learning environment.

For both study options, the chance to have your work read and analysed by a supportive, suitably skilled peer group is one of the great benefits of the course, offering fresh perspectives and insights on your writing. At the same time, we emphasise the importance of individual voice and vision, and there will be ample time for one-to-one, in-depth discussion of your work.

Many of our former students have had work accepted for publication during or after their time with us. A significant number have progressed to Creative Writing MAs and MFA programmes at a range of universities, including Oxford University’s  Master's in Creative Writing.

Watch our recent webinar

During this webinar our Course Director, Dr John Ballam, provided an overview of the course, including the different study options, outlined what to include in your application, and answered a range of questions from those who attended. Watch a recording of the event below.

• 0:00 Welcome
• 2:20 Course overview and content
• 16:44 Study options explained
• 27:07 How you will be assessed
• 28:55 Benefits of studying with Oxford University
• 31:27 How to apply
• 35:55 Contact details and how to get in touch
• 36:46 Q&A session

To stay informed of future events,  sign up to receive course news .

Quick links

Who is this course for, how you will study.

• Course content and assessment
• IT requirements and study skills
• Teaching staff and contact information
• Application details  – how to apply, fees, award and credit transfer

English language requirements

Pathways and other levels of study

We are looking for enthusiastic writers with a strong commitment to improving their craft, an awareness of literary areas and a degree of articulacy in discussing them, and the capacity for intellectual and imaginative development. This is an intensive and challenging course, and you will need to consider carefully whether you can offer the high level of commitment required. You will want to devote at least 12 hours a week to your writing outside of timetabled classes.

You don’t need formal qualifications. You must already be active as a writer, but it is not essential to have been published. Our students come from many backgrounds, and typically range in age from their 18 to 80. Some have previous experience of literary study, but again, this is not essential.

If you apply, we will ask you to submit a small portfolio of your work. Admission is selective and would be based on your portfolio and an interview.

There are two study options for the Diploma in Creative Writing.

Option 1: 

Most terms you will attend four Saturday day schools, four per term in terms 1-5, two in term 6, which usually run from 9am - 5pm at Ewert House in Summertown, Oxford. Should circumstances dictate, the teaching can be moved online (either fully or partly).

In the day schools you will take part in:

• seminars, involving practical writing activities and lively group discussions;
• group discussions of each other’s work. This is because the value of group activity as a catalyst for the creative imagination is a central tenet of the course.

You will also attend one Sunday day school each term, which is paired with one of the Saturday schools. At the Sunday sessions, visiting writers, speakers and tutors provide a wide range of voices to counterpoint and amplify the insights and opinions of the Diploma’s regular teaching team. You can hear readings by well-known writers from all genres, and engage in discussions with them, as well as enjoying related workshop sessions.

There is a seven-day summer school (residence possible) at the end of the first year of study, in June, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to concentrate on living and working your craft. The summer school is a vibrant culmination to your first year, allowing dedicated time and space for your writing. Sessions for the whole group are balanced by individual sessions which allow you to focus on areas of your choice. There is time set aside for uninterrupted writing, and guidance will be given, as a group and individually, about how best to focus your efforts during the summer vacation so that you can get the most out of your second year.

The summer school is an integral part of the course and included in the course fee. It usually starts at lunchtime on a Saturday in June and finishes at lunchtime on the Friday. From Sunday, each day begins at 9.30 am and continues to 7pm, with breaks for tea/coffee and lunch.

Accommodation, should you require it for the summer school, is not included in your tuition fee but it may be possible to book accommodation for that period subject to availability.

Due to UK immigration and visa rules, Option 1 is normally more suitable for UK nationals and others who do not need a student visa or immigration permission to study in the UK, whereas Option 2 is normally suitable for all nationals. Please see  www.ox.ac.uk/students/visa  for more visa and immigration information.

Option 2: 

The online study option repeats the course structure exactly as outlined above, but instead of in-person day schools in Oxford, nearly all of the work you do will be through online media and resources. Each of the first five terms is comprised of ten weekly units focusing on individual aspects of the writer’s craft. Term 6 has five units instead of ten, mirroring the in-person option above. Each weekly unit has:

• experiments and exercises in reading, critiquing and practical writing activities as well as lively group discussions in focused study forums wherein your tutor is an active participant;
• group discussions in forums centred on each other’s work. This is because the value of group activity as a catalyst for the creative imagination is a central tenet of the course.

There is a two-week residential summer school at the end of the first year of study, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to concentrate on living and working your craft. This is an integral part of the course. Please note accommodation is not included in the course fee.

The summer school is a vibrant culmination to your first year, allowing dedicated time and space for your writing. Sessions for the whole group are balanced by individual sessions shortly before or during the summer school  which allow you to focus on areas of your choice. There is time set aside for uninterrupted writing, and guidance will be given, as a group and individually, about how best to focus your efforts during the summer vacation so that you can get the most out of your second year. Every day begins with a plenary lecture by a visiting speaker – most often these are professional writers in various media. There are eight two-hour in-person classes with your tutors one week, and seven in the other week. As well as your classes, you can spend your free time getting to know the world's most famous university city, visit Oxford’s outstanding museums and art galleries, gardens and enjoy tours of ‘literary/historical’ sites, concerts and theatre trips and so on in the evenings.

Throughout the course, whichever study option you take, you will be producing your own work (see below for more details). For each assignment, there is usually a one-to-one tutorial with a specialist in this type of writing, making an unrivalled opportunity for focused, developmental discussion of your own work in progress. Remember that you will need to devote a considerable amount of time to your writing outside the timetabled sessions — you should plan for at least 12 hours each week.

Course content

Year 1 teaching.

The first term provides an introduction to the three main genres: prose, poetry and drama. From the outset you will be able to engage in practical activity and wide-ranging group discussions of aims, techniques and issues.

All good writers must first be skilled readers. Developing your strengths as a critical, intelligent reader allows you to consider and articulate the ways in which various kinds of writing work. In the second term, you can refine and develop your analytical skills with three weeks of Reading for Writers, followed by seven weeks of close attention to the structures and approaches of prose fiction.

The third term concentrates on how to address the challenges of writing poetry and stage drama.

Year 2 teaching

Year 2 allows you to consolidate and broaden the advances in skill, confidence and analytical ability you will have made in Year 1.

Term 4 provides in-depth concentration on short and long fiction, while Term 5 focuses on advanced Reading for Writers (three weeks) and further high-level consideration of the craft of poetry. Term 6 gives students up-to-the-minute experience of how to write broadcast drama.

Each term you will have two tutorials of around 45 minutes each. These one-to-one sessions allow time for concentrated appraisal of your work in progress, giving you feedback on the strengths of your work as well as those areas which may need improvement. The tutorials focus on work you have produced in relation to the genres studied during that term. This means that as early as Term 1 you have considerable freedom of choice to engage with prose, poetry or drama (though you should expect to engage with more than one category in that term). For those students pursuing Option 1 (in person) tutorials can be arranged in person or online; for those pursing Option 2 (online) all tutorials are online except for those at or around the summer school, where some will be online and others in-person, as circumstances permit.

Space for specialisation

At the end of both years you will be able to work more extensively in your own area of interest, producing a portfolio of around 6,000 words in the case of prose, or 30pp of drama, or around 300 lines of poetry. Your second-year portfolio is allocated four term weeks for concentrated attention, guided by a preliminary tutorial discussion of the content you are proposing, and a review tutorial on completion of the project.

You will be assessed on:

• Two pieces of writing submitted each term. These are tied to that term’s seminar activities and are each expected to be about 2,000 words of prose, 15 pages of drama, or about 100 lines of poetry. 
• The end-of-year portfolio submission, which will be around three times this length for prose and poetry, double this length for drama.

If you have not recently been involved in assessment of this kind, do not regard it as a barrier. Tutors and other specialist staff will be happy to offer advice and guidance at any time during the course.

IT requirements

To study at this level you are expected to have some IT skills, access to a computer and the internet. Your course requires you to engage with the Virtual Learning Environment for course materials and uses the Department’s online assignment submission system. Students need to have regular access to a computer and the internet, and some level of experience and skill including the use of Microsoft Word or similar word-processing package, email and internet browser such as Firefox or Google Chrome .

The computer you use should meet our  recommended minimum computer specification .

Study skills

The course team will provide both academic and pastoral support, including guidance on the development of effective study skills for students returning to study after a break. Additional support is available at a Departmental level by the Widening Access Assistant, who can be contacted on +44 (0)1865 280355 or via email at  [email protected] .

Before the start of the Michaelmas (autumn) term, we offer an Award-Bearing Course Preparation Study Day focusing on Academic Reading and Writing, which is free for students enrolled on our award-bearing courses. This can help students gain the confidence to read and follow academic assignment instructions and to respond to essay questions; and it discusses how to manage your time effectively, and how to locate and cite sources.

The Department also runs a programme of Study Skills workshops and weekly classes (available at a reduced rate to current students), designed to enable you to develop and improve the skills needed for effective study. If you have any questions about ‘Award-Bearing Course Preparation Study Day’ or any Study Skills course, please email  [email protected]  or telephone +44 (0)1865 270286.

Teaching staff

Course director.

John Ballam  is the author of two collections of poems, six stage plays, four screenplays, two novels and numerous reviews, articles and academic works. His best-known title is his memoir  The Road to Harmony  (1999; newest edn. 2013). He has been a script consultant/screenwriter for several major film producers in Hollywood, London and Mumbai. His latest work is a novel entitled  The Mary House , published in NYC in 2019.

Potential tutors

Contact information

Course Director, Dr John Ballam +44 (0)1865 280885  [email protected]

For queries on applications and admissions: +44 (0)1865 270286  [email protected]

For general guidance and advice, credit transfer, special needs provision and sources of funding: +44 (0)1865 280355  [email protected]

For information about Study Skills courses: +44 (0)1865 280892  [email protected]

How to apply

Please click on the ‘Apply’ button which will automatically notify us that you want a link to the online application form. We will email you that link together with a code to waive the application fee, and guidance on completing and submitting your application.

You will need to upload the following documents as part of your application:

• a sample of your work: approximately 2000 words of prose fiction or dramatic dialogue, or about half a dozen poems
• a statement of between 300 and 400 words explaining why you wish to enrol on the course, and stating which pathway you are applying for.
• proof of English language ability if a non-native English speaker. Further information on English language requirements can be found here . Please note that candidates are required to have the higher-level score.
• contact details for one referee

If possible, your referee should be someone who can comment on your academic ability and background, but where this is not appropriate, please choose a referee who can vouch for your motivation, commitment and potential. A reference from a family member is not acceptable.

Admissions decisions will be based on an assessment of knowledge, relevant experience, academic ability, potential and suitability for a course of study. We welcome applicants without traditional qualifications, including those with relevant career or life skills.

Selection criteria

Even if a course has no specific academic entry requirements then: (a) assessment of an applicant’s academic ability and suitability for the course of study will still take place and (b) since applications for many courses often significantly exceed places available, each application will be judged against the gathered field of applicants for each course each year.

The University is committed to promoting diversity, equality, inclusion, and widening access, including during the admissions process. We fully endorse the Equality Policy and our admissions procedures are kept under regular review to ensure compliance with this policy.

Short-listed applicants will be invited for interview.

The final decision on admission to the course rests with the Department.

Award and credit transfer

An Undergraduate Diploma will be awarded on completion of the course. You will be invited to receive your Diploma at the annual Awards Ceremony of the Department for Continuing Education, held at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre.

Students who successfully complete this two-year course will be awarded an Oxford University Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing. The Diploma carries a Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) rating of 120 points at FHEQ Level 5. Outstanding performance will qualify for a Distinction. These credit points are widely recognised in terms of credit for transfer to other higher education institutions, including the Open University and modular universities such as Oxford Brookes University. 

Opportunities vary for the transfer of credit, so students who are considering taking this course in order to transfer credit are advised to discuss the possibilities with the Course Administrator on  [email protected]  or  [email protected] . 

Learn more about the  Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS points) .

The fee for Option 1 in 2024-25 is £3,620 (Home, Islands, and Republic of Ireland students) or £6,210 (Overseas students). An option to pay the fee in instalments may be available.

The fee for Option 2 in 2024-25 is £3,620 (Home, Islands, and Republic of Ireland students) or £6,210 (Overseas students). An option to pay the fee in instalments may be available.

Please be aware that fees will usually increase annually.

Information for applicants from the EU, EEA and Switzerland

On 11 May 2021 the UK Council for International Student Affairs published  new regulations and guidance  to be used in assessing the fee status of students commencing courses in August 2021 and later. We will be using this guidance to carry out fee status assessments for students commencing courses in 2021/22 and later, including students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland. 

If you are an EU national and do not live in the UK then you are likely to be charged Overseas fees. Students with settled and pre-settled status in the UK and some other categories of students who work in the UK can qualify for Home fee status as long as they meet the residence criteria.

Students from outside the UK/Republic of Ireland

If you are from outside the UK/Republic of Ireland, you will be classed either as an ‘Overseas’ or 'Islands' student.

Information on financial support can be found on  our website here .

Please check the information on the specific  English language requirements  for this course.  Applicants are required to have the higher level scores.

The Department for Continuing Education offers  day and weekend  courses, weekly learning programmes and  summer schools  in English literature, creative writing and film studies.

In the undergraduate programme, as well as the Diploma in Creative Writing, we offer the  Certificate in English Literature  and the  Certificate of Higher Education . At postgraduate level we offer an  MSt in Creative Writing  and  MSt in Literature and Arts , along with the  DPhil in Literature and Arts .

If you are planning on embarking on a new career as a result of your studies, or hope to progress in your current field, you can access help and advice through the  University Careers Service .

 Return to top

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support

Stay in touch with the Diploma in Creative Writing

Diploma in creative writing info session, tahmina maula, daisy mcnally, roger bannister's fourth challenge, literature, creative writing and film studies, mst in creative writing.