Masters Degrees (Poetry)

Our Writing Poetry MA will develop your creative ability through practice, discussion and revision. You'll work with established poets and writers to refine your work. You'll also consider the processes of writing and develop advanced editing skills.

Our flexible course allows you to enhance your writing and develop your practice. You'll receive expert tuition from distinguished and experienced poets and poetry teachers. You'll progress in a structured way, receiving formal recognition for your work.

You can choose to study either in Newcastle or London. Newcastle University leads the North East cohort. The London course is run in collaboration with The Poetry School.

The course is firmly rooted in the publishing, performing and promoting poetry world. You will work with established poets:
-Clare Pollard (London)
-Tamar Yoseloff (London)
-Tara Bergin (Newcastle)
-Bill Herbert (Newcastle)
-Sean O’Brien (Newcastle)
-Jacob Polley (Newcastle, Degree Programme Director)

You will also receive tuition from guest tutors. Our guest tutors are from The Poetry School and Newcastle University's teaching communities.

Both sites offer a wide range of opportunities and experiences, including:
-Digital projects and platforms
-Live events
-Collaborative projects
-Commissioning opportunities
-Competitions

By the end of the course, you will have:
-Advanced your creative ability through practice, discussion and revision
-An advanced awareness of the processes of writing in your own work and that of others
-A range of knowledge on the writing of poetry in English
-Knowledge of the professional world of writing and publishing
-The ability to edit and prepare poetry for submission and publication
-A sensitivity to verbal creativity
-An advanced ability to understand and judge the timing and duration of creative projects

Summer school

Each year both cohorts come together for a one week summer school. The summer school alternates between the two cities each year.

The summer schools will focus on professional skills related to:
-Creative writing teaching techniques
-The publishing industry and literary world
-Residency work
-Reviewing

The summer school also offers huge scope for innovation and working with other partners. This could include galleries, poetry films and the use of digital resources.

Newcastle

The Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts (NCLA) is home to a vibrant writing community. You can get involved with readings and events featuring poets, playwrights and novelists. Past guests include Carol Ann Duffy, Carolyn Forché and Seamus Heaney.

Through our Write Around the Toon project we also have a network of placements and partners. This enables you to collaborate, make new contacts and gain experience in the creative industries.

London

You'll study at the Poetry School in Lambeth, a short walk from Waterloo and the South Bank. The Saison Poetry Library, British libraries and London's central cultural hubs are nearby.

You'll have the opportunity to enrich your practice through The Poetry School's many collaborations. The Poetry School is embedded in the poetry world with links to other poetry and arts organisations. You'll be situated at the centre of a thriving poetry community.

A large and varied short course programme runs alongside the MA. You can choose to access these courses for a supplementary fee.

Delivery

We offer the course part time over 23 months, running from October to September.

You can choose to study in either Newcastle or London. All classes are in the evening if studying at Newcastle and during the day in London.

As well as attending weekly classes, you'll take part in our one week summer schools.

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On our new MA in Poetry and Poetics you will have the opportunity to read widely and deeply in poetry and ideas about poetry from the classical period to the present day. The language of the course, and of many of the poets studied, will be English, but you will also study poetry from a variety of linguistic cultures, and in a wide range of historical contexts. Seminars on the MA will focus on the intensive - and highly-pleasurable - reading of poems and poets, in dialogue with academic staff who have published on many major authors and periods: classical poetics, medieval literature, renaissance poetry, the Romantics and Victorians, and British, Irish and American contemporary writing. There will also be modules on old English poetry, symbolism, medieval poetic inheritances, the matter of British poetry, and poetry and art. You will develop excellent skills in reading poetry and enhance your knowledge of higher level poetics as well as the intricacies of poetic form.

The MA in Poetry and Poetics at York?

-The curriculum is international, placing issues of translation and cultural exchange at the heart of the study of poetry from classical to post-colonial poetics
-Our approach is cross-cultural as well as trans-historical, involving work between European languages, the UK and the USA
-You will focus on the poem and the poet, with an emphasis on theory and form
-You will be taught by research leaders in a wide variety of literary areas
-The wide foundation in poetry and aesthetics which it offers will equip you well for future careers in the culture industry
-It will also prepare you well for further research in this area

Assessment

-Four assessed essays of approximately 4,500 words each
-A 14,000-16,000 word dissertation, written in consultation with a supervisor on an agreed topic

Careers

We have an excellent employment record for our postgraduates who are highly prized by top level employers, both in the UK and on the international stage. A combination of outstanding teaching and a supportive collegiate environment enable our students to develop their creativity, intellectual independence and ability to filter complex information and present it persuasively in person and in writing. These are important transferable skills which will always hold their value at the top end of the jobs market.

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Our taught MA pathway in Studies in Poetry offers choice, flexibility and the opportunity to specialise within this field. You can learn from the rich variety of research expertise in the Department and you also have the chance to concentrate on a particular area of literary study within the field. Our commitment to research-led teaching means that students are able to explore the cutting edge of the discipline - from John Milton to Romantic forms of grief, to the study of modern poetry. We provide an intimate, dynamic and supportive environment for students of all backgrounds and nationalities.

Our programme offers up-to-date training in research methods and skills.

You will choose three modules, at least two of which are from within the pathway, and you will write a dissertation on a subject related to studies in poetry.

An MA in Studies in Poetry is often the platform for further research at PhD level, as well as providing an excellent grounding for jobs in education, the arts and the media.

Course Structure

If you choose to take this named pathway, you will be expected to select at least two modules from those available within the pathway and to write your dissertation in an area related to it. Your third optional module may, if you wish, be chosen from the full list of MA modules on offer in the Department. Students may, with permission, take one module from other modules on offer elsewhere in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. All students must take the core Research Methods and Resources module and the dissertation alongside their three optional modules.

Core Modules

-Research Methods and Resources
-Dissertation

Optional Modules

Typical modules might include:
-Warrior Poets in Heroic Societies
-John Milton: Life, Works and Influence
-Lyric Poetry of the English Renaissance and Reformation
-Romantic Forms of Grief
-Second Generation Romantic Poetry
-Women in Victorian Poetry and Painting
-Modern Poetry
-The Writing of Poetry

Modules are subject to staff availability and normally no more than five of the above will run in any one year.

For more detail on individual modules see https://www.dur.ac.uk/postgraduate.modules/module_search/?search_dept=ENGL&search_level=-1

Please use the 'additional comments' section of the application form to indicate your choice of modules as well as to provide a personal statement.

Learning and Teaching

One of the distinctive features of the Durham MA in Literary Studies is that it permits both a broad-based, eclectic study of literary topics from the earliest periods of literature to the present and the possibility of specialisation through designated pathways in such areas as Medieval and Renaissance Studies or Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Studies. All students take 3 optional modules, taught in small seminar groups of up to 10, with each module generating 18 hours of contact time (9 seminars x 2 hours) over the academic year. A strong emphasis is placed on independent research, and seminars usually involve a considerable amount of preparation, including short presentations and workshop activities. Assessment for these modules is usually by coursework essay.

All students also register for the Research Methods and Resources module, which generates an additional 20 hours of contact time over the academic year. Again, a strong emphasis is given to independent research. Both pieces of assessed written work for the Research Methods and Resources module involve significant preparation for the MA dissertation (and in some cases for doctoral study later on). The MA dissertation is supported by 3.5 hours of dedicated individual supervision time. Drafts of the dissertation are read and commented upon by the supervisor. Each MA student is assigned an Academic Advisor who can guide and support her or his progress during the programme of study.

Throughout the taught MA degree programme, all students are strongly encouraged to participate in a lively series of staff-postgraduate research seminars, usually involving invited guest speakers from the UK and beyond.

International applications

We welcome applications from holders of international qualifications. For advice on the equivalency of international qualifications, please contact our International Office ([email protected])

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This programme enables promising poets to develop the potential of poetry as a tool of inquiry within the humanities.

You will produce a volume of poetry as well as a piece of scholarly research of 30-40,000 words. Given its emphasis on poetic practice as research into the possibilities and potential for contemporary poetry, the programme integrates with the aims and objectives of the Centre for Modern Poetry allowing for joint supervision between the two centres. Cross-faculty work on modern poetry with colleagues in the School of European Culture and Languages is also encouraged. The programme acknowledges the fact that poetry has historically understood itself as an art, consciously informed by research.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/235/poetry-text-practice-research

About the School of English

The School of English has a strong international reputation and global perspective, apparent both in the background of its staff and in the diversity of our teaching and research interests.

Our expertise ranges from the medieval to the postmodern, including British, American and Irish literature, postcolonial writing, 18th-century studies, Shakespeare, early modern literature and culture, Victorian studies, modern poetry, critical theory and cultural history. The international standing of the School ensures that we have a lively, confident research culture, sustained by a vibrant, ambitious intellectual community. We also count a number of distinguished creative writers among our staff, and we actively explore crossovers between critical and creative writing in all our areas of teaching and research.

The Research Excellence Framework 2014 has produced very strong results for the School of English at Kent. With 74% of our work graded as world-leading or internationally excellent, the School is ranked 10th out of 89 English departments in terms of Research Intensity (Times Higher Education). The School also received an outstanding assessment of the quality of its research environment and public impact work.

Study support

You meet regularly with your supervisor, and have the opportunity to take part in informal reading groups and research seminars to which students, staff and visiting speakers contribute papers. You also benefit from a series of research skills seminars that run in the spring term, which gives you a chance to share the research expertise of staff and postdoctoral members of the department.

As a basis for advanced research, you must take the School and Faculty research methods programmes.

- Postgraduate resources

The Templeman Library is well stocked with excellent research resources, as are Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library. There are a number of special collections: the John Crow Collection of Elizabethan and other early printed texts; the Reading/Raynor Collection of theatre history (over 7,000 texts or manuscripts); ECCO (Eighteenth-Century Collections Online); the Melville manuscripts relating to popular culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries; the Pettingell Collection (over 7,500 items) of 19th-century drama; the Eliot Collection; children’s literature; and popular literature. A gift from Mrs Valerie Eliot has increased the Library’s already extensive holdings in modern poetry. The British Library in London is also within easy reach.

Besides the Templeman Library, School resources include photocopying, fax and telephone access, support for attending and organising conferences, and a dedicated postgraduate study space equipped with computer terminals and a printer.

- Conferences and seminars

Our research centres organise many international conferences, symposia and workshops. The School also plays a pivotal role in the Kent Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, of which all graduates are associate members. The Institute hosts interdisciplinary conferences, colloquia, and other events, and establishes international links for all Kent graduates through its network with other advanced institutes worldwide.

School of English postgraduate students are encouraged to organise and participate in a conference which takes place in the summer term. This provides students with the invaluable experience of presenting their work to their peers.

The School runs several series of seminars, lectures and readings throughout the academic year. Our weekly research seminars are organised collaboratively by staff and graduates in the School. Speakers range from our own postgraduate students, to members of staff, to distinguished lecturers who are at the forefront of contemporary research nationally and internationally.

The Centre for Creative Writing hosts a very popular and successful weekly reading series; guests have included poets Katherine Pierpoint, Tony Lopez, Christopher Reid and George Szirtes, and novelists Abdulrazak Gurnah, Ali Smith, Marina Warner and Will Self.

The University of Kent is now in partnership with the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). Benefits from this affiliation include free membership for incoming students; embedded seminar opportunities at the ICA and a small number of internships for our students. The School of English also runs an interdisciplinary MA programme in the Contemporary which offers students an internship at the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

- Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. They also edit several periodicals including: Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities; The Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature: 600-1500; The Dickensian; Literature Compass; Oxford Literary Review; Theatre Notebook and Wasafiri.

- Researcher Development Programme

Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme (http://www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills/programmes/tstindex.html) for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subjectspecific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.

Careers

Many career paths can benefit from the writing and analytical skills that you develop as a postgraduate student in the School of English. Our students have gone on to work in academia, journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching; as well as more general areas such as banking, marketing analysis and project management.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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Our new MA in Poetry provides the unique opportunity to study historical and contemporary poetic practices while studying in London, the heart of the nation’s creative industries. The programme offers a distinctive mix of specialised attention to the genre of poetry, the chance to develop your own poetic practice, and arranged work placements within the cultural and creative sector.

Drawing on the resources and expertise of Queen Mary’s Centre for Poetry, the programme is flexible and genuinely interdisciplinary. You will be able to pursue your own analytical and creative projects, driven by the work you’ll do on an extensive list of optional modules from Schools across the College. Modules allow you to pursue topics as diverse as modernist poetry; sociolinguistics; or art and the geography of the city. The programme’s flexibility prepares you for doctoral study, or allows you to pursue careers in the creative or cultural sectors. You will also have opportunities to deepen your own poetic practice.

On this pathway you will:
- Explore historic and contemporary theoretical and critical approaches to the study of poetry
- Pursue interdisciplinary approaches to poetry through choosing from a wide selection of modules offered in English, Languages, Linguistics, Film, Geography, and History
- Undertake a placement with a literary or cultural organisation, a publisher, an educational institution, or a community group
- Work alongside leading academics and contemporary poets
- Develop advanced skills in argumentation, analysis, and independent inquiry.

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Humber’s Creative Writing – Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Poetry graduate certificate program is a distance studio program offering aspiring writers the exceptional opportunity to work at home. There are no formal classes on site. Individual courses are offered in a non-traditional way with a distinguished faculty member critiquing your work of creative non-fiction, fiction, book of short stories or volume of poetry. The program is intended for students working on book-length projects. The program is customized to address the particular needs of your manuscript and may include assessments of your handling of plot, story, character, dialogue, pace and style, or may focus on the particular needs of the manuscript as determined by the writing advisor. Graduates have the satisfaction of completing a large body of work which may include all or parts of a novel, volume of short stories or a book of poetry. Students are also referred to writing competitions.

Humber is noted for its exceptional faculty including authors of world stature. This faculty list has included Edward Albee, Martin Amis, Peter Carey, Miriam Toews, David Mitchell, Nino Ricci, David Adams Richards, the late Timothy Findley, Paul Quarrington, the late Carol Shields and Alistair MacLeod. Forthcoming international authors include Samantha Harvey and Tim O’Brien.

A virtual café exists through Blackboard, Humber’s online learning system, to encourage writing students to interact and build a sense of community.

Course detail

Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Analyze personal and recognized works of fiction and creative non-fiction for form and structure and delineate story features such as conflict, crisis and resolution. Students should be able to differentiate between story and plot and compare various types of conflict used in story writing. Students will explore various methods of plotting a work of fiction such as working backward from the climax, working forward from the initial interaction or borrowing from tradition.

• Distinguish the qualities of short stories versus novels.

• Evaluate personal and recognized works of fiction for the inclusion of techniques used in creative writing for making narrative an emotional experience. These techniques include the use of significant detail, active voice, and strategies for establishing cadence, rhythm and prose. In addition, students will be expected to be masters of the mechanics of writing and demonstrate the correct use of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

• Assess personal and recognized works of fiction for characterization and the techniques used for establishing character credibility and complexity. Students will explore how character motivation is revealed and how characters are presented both directly and indirectly.
• Outline and compare personal and recognized methods for establishing setting and atmosphere in stories as well as techniques used for adjusting narrative time.

• Critique and manipulate the point of view in personal and recognized stories. In their development of point of view, students will develop strategies for deciding who is speaking in their stories and whom they are addressing. In addition, they will determine which techniques best convey the story and determine the best distance between the reader, author and characters. An analysis of point of view also includes the use of spatial and temporal distance and how to include unreliable speakers in the story.

• Evaluate the methods used for developing the theme in personal and recognized stories. They will explore how theme helps dictate the selection and organization of details, style, voice and other elements of the work.

• Evaluate personal and recognized works of fiction and creative non-fiction for unity of effect.

• Recognize and revise weak spots in their writing. They will explore common errors and the technical questions writers should ask themselves as they review and revise their work and apply them to an analysis of plot, characterization, style, setting, narration, dialogue, point of view, structure, clarity, length and originality.

• Conduct the required research to authenticate their story and make it come alive. They will be able to select and use a variety of research methods such as the internet, the library, interviews and site visits.

• Evaluate personal and recognized works of poetry for the poetic tools used to shape and focus ideas and feelings and to create texture and vividness in a poem. These techniques include: devise for rhythm; devices for sound; stanza and poem forms; and imagery and figures of speech.

• Develop a plan for marketing their creative writing and handling the business requirements of being a writer. This will include researching the needs and demands of the market, preparing query letters and/or book proposals, identifying suitable publishers for their work, finding and working with agents, negotiating a contract, submitting their work in suitable formats, setting fees where appropriate, and keeping appropriate records. In addition, they will explore some of the legal aspects of being a writer such as copyright and libel. Students will also develop an awareness of writing awards and competitions as well as writer support programs.

• Identify opportunities to publish freelance works of fiction and creative non-fiction to local, national and international magazines, newspapers, television, film, textbooks, and the Internet. This will include the analysis of the research and publication requirements of a variety of publishers, strategies for introducing ideas and personal works to various media and a thorough understanding of the features of freelance contracts. Students will prepare, review and submit works for freelance submissions.

• Evaluate the elements of successful professional writing careers and develop methods for promoting personal works and developing personal relationships with media contacts. This will include exploring ways to make public appearances and provide public readings of personal works. How to manage interviews and participate in a variety of media events will be examined. Public appearances and public speaking.

Modules

Semester 1
• WRIT 5001: Narrative Styles 1
• WRIT 5003: Character, Plot and Stylistic Development
• WRIT 5005: Editing for Publication 1
• WRIT 5007: Issues In Contemporary Writing
• WRIT 5009: Freelance Writing

Semester 2
• WRIT 5500: Narrative Styles 2
• WRIT 5501: Advance Character, Plot and Stylistic Development
• WRIT 5502: Editing for Publication 2
• WRIT 5503: The Business Of Writing
• WRIT 5504: The Writer and The Media

Your Career

Canadians still love a good read. They spend 14 percent of their leisure time reading, half of which is spent reading books. The main goal of the program is to improve your writing and publication is a possibility for some. Graduates of this program may use their writing and editing skills in a wide variety of careers and professions in addition to writing books. Some of our graduates write for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. More than 300 Humber School for Writers alumni have published books of fiction or poetry and Dr. Vincent Lam, who won the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his literary debut Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, is just one of our distinguished former students. Other alumni have also been on the bestseller lists in Canada: Suzanne Desrochers for Bride of New France, Cathy Marie Buchanan for The Painted Girls and Eva Stachniak for Empress of the Night.

How to apply

Click here to apply: http://humber.ca/admissions/how-apply.html

Funding

For information on funding, please use the following link: http://humber.ca/admissions/financial-aid.html

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Summary

This MA in Creative Writing degree is designed for ambitious, committed writers who are developing their independent writing practice. You'll be supported throughout your postgraduate studies by academic staff engaged in world-leading research.

Taught by published, working writers including acclaimed poets, novelists, journalists and screenwriters, this programme will focus on four main forms of writing: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry and Fiction for Young Readers.

You will be supported to develop your personal writing style, learn how to make your writing more effective, how to break bad habits and how to professionally assess your work. You will graduate with the skills needed for professional practice in the creative writing industry, and with an understanding of the professional context in which those skills are marketed.

Every module on our MA Creative Writing degree has a strong focus on the writing industry, which means that it will prepare you for working in this competitive sector or for further academic study. Topics include the specifics of manuscript preparation; editing and redrafting; getting published and performance opportunities.

The department has thriving partnerships with Wimbledon Bookfest, Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, as well as with local schools, providing you with the chance to volunteer or undertake paid work experience during your time at Roehampton. Our in-house publishing imprint, Fincham Press, means you could see your work published or be involved in publishing other people’s work.

You’ll be part of a department that combines tradition and innovation, excellent teaching and world-class research - 80% of our research publications are ranked as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” for their impact. Plus, we are home to the National Centre for Research in Children’s Literature, which is regarded as the premier institution for children’s literature research in the UK. We also house the Roehampton Poetry Centre, which places the department at the forefront of the UK poetry scene.

The department also offers this MA Creative Writing programme with a specialist pathway, allowing you to specialise in one of the following: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry or Fiction for Young Readers.

Content

This MA focuses on four main forms of writing: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry or Fiction for Young Readers.

In Fiction, you will explore two primary forms: the short story and the novel. Emphasis will be placed on structure and craft, and you will have the opportunity to engage with a variety of storytelling tools and models.

In Creative Nonfiction, you will consider a wide range of nonfiction forms including travel writing, biography, memoir, the personal essay and the more ambitious narrative forms of journalism such as reportage. You will develop an understanding of story structure, writing craft and a sense of audience, and become familiar with the professional criteria and standards.

In Poetry, you will have the opportunity to explore the contemporary context of poetry and poetics, with a special focus on writing formally innovative work. You will question assumptions about language and the function of poetry and engage with diverse topics, including poetry as process; the materiality of language; literary affiliations and schools of poetry; intertextuality and found text; the contemporary long poem and non-narrative poetry.

In Fiction for Young Readers, you will explore a wide range of theoretical texts exploring definitions and concepts of children’s literature, from picture-books, fiction for young readers (6-12 years old) to texts for Young Adults (YAs), enabling you to contextualise and extend your own creative practice.

The compulsory module, Creative Contexts, introduces you to theoretical and research-based issues faced by creative writers, investigates “critical” writing as a form in its own right, and provides guidance on study skills.

Your seminars, workshops and tutorials will be complemented by guest lectures from industry specialists and off-site visits. Recent guest lectures have been given by Hellie Ogden at Literary Agency Janklow and Nesbitt, and trips have been organised to Tate Modern, the London Bookfair and Apiary Studios.

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Summary

This MA Creative Writing (specialist pathway) provides an intensive opportunity for you to focus on a single writing form: Fiction, Fiction for Young Readers or Poetry.

This programme is designed for ambitious, committed writers who are developing their independent writing practice. Taught by published, working writers including acclaimed poets, novelists, journalists and screenwriters, this programme provides you with the opportunity to focus on your passion, whether that’s Fiction, Poetry or Fiction for Young Readers.

Every module on this course has a strong focus on the writing industry, which means that it will prepare you for working in this competitive sector or for further academic study. Topics include the specifics of manuscript preparation; editing and redrafting; getting published and performance opportunities. Our strong links with the writing industry give you the chance to attend events and seminars with agents, editors and publishers from across the field of writing. These provide opportunities to network and get your work in front of the people who matter in the literary world.

The department has thriving partnerships with Wimbledon Bookfest, Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, and local schools, giving you the chance to volunteer or undertake paid work experience during your time at Roehampton. Our in-house publishing imprint, Fincham Press, means you could see your work published or be involved in publishing other people’s work.

You’ll be part of a department that combines tradition and innovation, excellent teaching and world-class research - 80% of our research publications are ranked as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” for their impact. Plus, we are home to the National Centre for Research in Children’s Literature, which is regarded as the premier institution for children’s literature research in the UK. We also house the Roehampton Poetry Centre, which places the department at the forefront of the UK poetry scene.

The department also offers an MA in Creative Writing, which is suitable for individuals who wish to try two different forms of writing before specialising in one for the dissertation.

Content

Fiction pathway

This pathway is ideal for people who are committed to producing fiction of the highest professional calibre. You will examine two primary forms: the short story and the novel to produce a portfolio of fiction. The emphasis is on craft, technique and practical guidance, and you will engage with a variety of storytelling tools and models. You will learn how to make your writing practice more effective, how to break bad habits and how to professionally assess your work in progress.

Fiction for Young Readers pathway

On the Fiction for Young Readers pathway, you will focus on the practice and theory of writing fiction for children. You will read a wide range of theoretical texts exploring definitions and concepts of children’s literature concerning picture-books, fiction for young readers (6-12 years old) and texts for Young Adults (YAs), enabling you to contextualise your own creative practice.

Poetry pathway

On the Poetry pathway, you will explore the contemporary context of poetry and poetics, with a special focus on writing formally innovative work. You will have the opportunity to engage with topics including poetry as process; the materiality of language; literary affiliations and schools of poetry; intertextuality and found text; the contemporary long poem; non-narrative poetry.

The compulsory module, Creative Contexts, introduces you to theoretical and research-based issues faced by creative writers, investigates “critical” writing as a form in its own right, and provides guidance on study skills.

Your seminars, workshops and tutorials will be complemented by guest lectures from industry specialists and off-site visits. Recent guest lectures have been given by Hellie Ogden at Literary Agency Janklow and Nesbitt, and trips have been organised to Tate Modern, the London Bookfair and Apiary Studios. Each pathway will prepare you for writing your extended portfolio and self-critical analysis, which you will undertake during the final section of the programme year.

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Oxford University's Master of Studies in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialization, and critical and creative breadth.

The emphasis of this postgraduate creative writing course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces his or her creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community. The master's degree in creative writing offers a clustered learning format of five Residences, two Guided Retreats and one Placement over two years. The research Placement, a distinguishing feature of the course, offers between one and two weeks' hands-on experience of writing in the real world. Students may undertake their placement in a literary agency, a publishing house, the offices of a literary periodical, a theatre company, a screen production company, or other relevant organization. Placement organisations have included Macmillan, Initialise Films, Random House, the BBC, the Literary Review, AM Heath, Pegasus Theatre, the Poetry Society, and Carcanet.

The virtual open event for this programme is available to watch at http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/cwopenday. The open event features acting Course Director Jane Draycott and course administrator Rebecca Rue, who discuss the programme, its requirements and the student experience. Participants' questions were texted in and answered during the event. A FAQ of all the questions and their answers is available at the top of this section.

The MSt has a blog, a resource for Oxford events, calls for submission, competitions, news, interviews and more, which is available at http://blogs.conted.ox.ac.uk/mstcw/.

"The Oxford MSt enables you to fast-track your career in writing."
- Fortuna Burke

"… the freedom to explore and experiment… has been fundamental to my development as a writer."
- Clare Tetley

"The range and variety of the group … offers truly exciting opportunities for the kind of exchanges that really accelerate your development as a writer."
- Michael Schuller

"What does the course offer? Self-discipline, professionalism and confidence."
- Abigail Green-Dove

"My life has been so enriched and expanded. My writing evolves daily through the tools that you gave me. Not to mention the wonderful friendships formed throughout our two years together."
- Lindsay Moore

"The Masters in Oxford, while encouraging creativity, raised the bar on the quality of the finished work and gave me the discipline to be a professional."
- Bette Adriaanse

"I doubt there’s a more suitable MSt in the United Kingdom for work which challenges boundaries and takes risks."
- Jennifer Thorp

Students and alumni have won a wide range of prizes. These successes include winning the Gregory O’Donoghue Prize, the Writers’ Village International Short Fiction Award 2014, the Parallel Universe Poetry Competition, the Martin Starkie Prize, the International Jane Martin Poetry Prize, the Heritage Arts Radio play competition, the Cascade Pictures Writer’s Couch pitching competition, first prize in the Poetry Book Society Student Poetry Competition, the Miracle Poetry Competition, Best Photography Book Award from POYi (Pictures of the Year international), and the Yeovil Literary Prize for Poetry. Two alumni have won the Oxford University’s DL Chapman Memorial Prize, another was a finalist in the 2013 Writers at Work Fellowship Competition, and another won the London Fringe Festival’s Short Fiction Award. Alumni have been awarded a Toshiba Studentship, a Hawthornden Fellowship, and funded residencies at the Banff Centre, Canada, and at the Expansionists Project, Whitstable.

Students and alumni have had their work shortlisted across the genres for, among others, the Asham Award, the Bridport Prize, the Bridport Prize for Flash Fiction, the Fish Flash Fiction prize, the Yeoville Literary Prize, the Oxonian poetry prize, the Fish Short Story Prize 2013, the Big Issue in the North’s New Writing Award, the Oxonian review, and the Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition. A 2010 graduate was short-listed for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger award 2011. Two alumni were longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, and one was shortlisted. An alumnus’ debut novel also made the longlist for the Not the Booker Prize.

Visit the website https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/mst-in-creative-writing

Destinations

Many of our graduate students have signed with agents, and each year a number go on to undertake doctoral study in creative writing or English Literature. Our graduates have obtained positions in publishing, media and the creative arts industries, as well as teaching positions in tertiary education.

The MSt has enjoyed a very strong application field since its inception, attracting record interest in recent years from a global constituency of writers. The course`s emphasis on critical analysis as well as on writerly and creative excellence attracts students of commensurately strong academic potential as well as of significant creative promise. This combination of academic rigour and creativity is a central distinctive feature of the course. The resulting emphasis on exploration and the development of an individual writerly voice serve to attract particularly talented students from around the world as well as a strongly diverse group of UK students of varied backgrounds and ethnicity.

Continuing education and life-long learning in Oxford have been formally linked to the collegiate system of the University since 1990, when Kellogg College, the University’s 36th college, was established. Please consult http://www.kellogg.ox.ac.uk/.

Who should apply?

We are looking for writers with a proven record of commitment to their craft. You should be a keen reader, and bring an open-minded, questioning approach to both reading and writing. You will not necessarily have yet achieved publication, but you will have written regularly and read widely over a sustained period. You will be keen to dedicate time and energy and staying-power to harnessing your talent, enlarging your skills, and aiming your writerly production at consistently professional standards. It is likely you will have a first degree, or equivalent, although in some cases other evidence of suitability may be acceptable.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA we normally seek is 3.6 out of 4.0. We do not seek a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT score. Although a GRE or GMAT score is not a formal requirement, if one is available it should be supplied.

The high number of contact hours are concentrated into Residences and Retreats. Students should be at a stage in their writing where, with appropriate guidance, they can undertake agreed assignments, projects and essays between meetings. There is a dedicated Course Website for provision of up-to-date information; contact and exchange between students; and contact between students and tutors. The course, however, is not a ‘distance-learning’ course, and tutors, while being happy to help with questions or problems, do not offer regular weekly ‘office hours’.

The M.St is unlikely to be suitable for those who are just starting out on their writerly and critical development.

If you have any doubts about whether the M.St is right for your stage of development, please consult the website for information on our Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/dipcw

What does the course cover?

The first year concentrates equally on prose (fiction and narrative non-fiction), poetry and drama. There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the three genres. Students are expected to engage fully with all three genres, in a spirit of exploration and with the aim of discovering what impact and relevance unaccustomed genres have for the development of their individual writerly voice. This necessarily involves undertaking assignments and exercises in areas that are new to students, and do not relate directly to any work they may have in progress. Students may be able to continue with their own longer term pieces-in-progress but the concentration of year 1 teaching is on producing new work, and the exercises and assignments, which should take priority, reflect this emphasis.

The second year offers specialisation in a single genre, again accompanied by a significant critical element focused around issues of interest to the individual student and related to the genre of choice.

Your specialisation choices are as follows:

- The novel
- Short fiction
- Radio drama
- TV drama
- Screenwriting
- Stage drama
- Poetry
- Narrative non-fiction

In year 2, the specialisation in the genre of students’ choice provides an opportunity for significant concentration on either new work, or, subject to consultation with supervisor, on existing work-in-progress.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/applying-to-oxford

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The MA in Creative Writing is an exciting new programme at Durham University. Taught by award-winning writers Dr Paul Batchelor and Dr Vidyan Ravinthiran, this is an academically rigorous programme that will develop students’ practical knowledge of writing poetry and prose fiction. Students will receive structured support through writing workshops and one-to-one tutorials in order to develop their own ideas. Students will also study a broad range of literature from the 20th and 21st centuries, and produce new work in response.

Core Modules

Creative Writing Poetry OR Creative Writing Prose Fiction
Each student will take one of these writing-workshop modules. In these modules students will write longer pieces within their chosen literary discipline, sharing their work and giving and receiving feedback and suggestions from the module convenor and the other students. There are few if any writing exercises. Each student can expect to have their work scrutinised closely in a workshop setting several times. These modules are assessed via a portfolio of ten pages of poetry plus 2,000-word self-critique, OR a 6,000-word portfolio of prose fiction plus 2,000-word self-critique.

Reading as a Writer
This seminar module brings poets and prose writers together, and (unlike any of the other core modules for Creative Writing) is also open to English Studies students. Each week we discuss some key poetry and prose from across the twentieth century, focusing on the technical innovations introduced by the writers studied, and the ways in which writers learn from one another, both within their medium and beyond it. The module combines breadth and depth of coverage, offering students an advanced understanding of a range of writers, schools, and styles in order to broaden their research interests, and help them to identify and research a topic of their own choosing with guidance from a subject specialist in the extended essay part of the Research Project. It is assessed via two 3,000-word essays.

Reading as a Writer: the Workshop
This is very much a companion module to Reading as a Writer, and is a writing-workshop module focussing on short, directed writing assignments and their discussion. The focus will be on formal and technical experiments, stretching students’ technical facility via assignments inspired by the texts studied on Reading as a Writer. Prose writers and poetry students will once again work side by side, sharing work and ideas, learning to appreciate literary conventions and their subversion. Each student can expect to have their work workshopped several times, though these engagements will not be as formal or thorough as those in Creative Writing Prose Fiction or Creative Writing Poetry. Assignments might include adapting syntactical techniques; investigative creative non-fiction; experimenting with poetic forms; creative translation; writing an opening paragraph; or trying out editing methods. It is assessed via a portfolio of EITHER ten pages of poetry OR 6,000 words of prose fiction, plus 2,000-word self-critique.

Research Project
The Research Project provides students with the opportunity to produce a 6-8,000-word extended critical essay on a subject of their choosing. Students choose their own extended essay titles, with guidance from the module convenor and subject to the approval of the English Studies Board of Examiners. Focusing on depth rather than breadth, the essay is independently researched and builds on the work covered in the taught elements of the programme. Students will be expected to choose a research topic with particular bearing on their own creative practice, and to reflect on how their critical and creative work have informed one another, either in the main body of the essay, the introduction, or chapter dedicated to integrative reflection. Students may wish to refer to specific aspects of their own writing when writing this part of the essay. The Research Project also provides the opportunity for students to to produce a final portfolio of creative work: poets will be asked to produce ten pages of poetry; prose writers produce 6-8,000 words of fiction. The portfolio will consist of new work, produced after the completion of the structured workshop-oriented modules. The module is assessed via an extended essay of 6,000-8,000 words and a creative writing portfolio of EITHER ten pages of poetry OR 6,000-8,000 words of prose fiction.

Optional Modules

Creative Writing students would take one module of their own choosing, either from the English Studies MA modules or taking this new optional module:
The Word in the World
This module focuses on the ways in which the students’ writing can be made available to the public. It would take the form of a series of lectures and seminars covering topics such as: how writers make a living; the possibilities and challenges presented by collaborating with other artists; how to adjust teaching methods according to the setting and audience; how to write a pitch letter; how to get a literary agent; submitting work to poetry journals; how to make the most of web resources; how to communicate with an editor; book design, blurbs, jackets; writing copy; formats; sales and distribution channels; publicity and promotion; book reviewing, etc. This part of the module will be taught both in-house at Durham and via visiting speakers such as editors, industry experts. Students would also be invited to either collaborate with a student in another medium (most likely music or the visual arts) or go on a teaching or literary-industry placement that would take place in July. This module is assessed via one 3,000-word essay and one 3,000-word report on the industry placement, teaching placement, or collaborative project.

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Suitable for both poets and critics alike, the programme provides workshops and training for poets, alongside a critical grounding that facilitates further study of creative writing (poetry) at PhD level. It also provides specialist academic study for graduate students who wish to focus on poetry criticism at MA level and beyond, introducing them to the major poetry traditions of Ireland, Britain, and the US in terms of their formal properties and their critical, social, intellectual, and political contexts.

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The MA in Poetry is for anyone who has been writing poetry for long enough to know that it is a vital part of his or her life, and who now wants to develop further, through expert guidance and in a committed group of like-minded peers.

A key part of UEA's world-renowned Creative Writing provision, the MA is taught by widely published and award-winning poets Tiffany Atkinson, Sophie Robinson and Denise Riley, and is closely linked with the innovative UEA Poetics Project.

At its core is the weekly workshop, a supportive but rigorous environment in which to test and refine your poetic technique. There's also a module on Describing Poetry and a diverse range of relevant options. You will have regular individual tutorials and receive detailed written feedback on your work, meet distinguished poets, editors and publishers, and develop a body of work close in length to a first collection.

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About the course

The Aberystwyth MA in Creative Writing will help you develop your creative vision and writing abilities through a balanced programme of reading, analysis and writing workshops. You will be exposed to a range of contemporary writers of both prose and poetry, so that your own creative approach may be stimulated and develop in confidence and maturity. You will also engage in discussions about technique and undertake an exploration of the wider issues related to the practice of writing, such as the significance of genre and the mechanics of publication.

You will receive individual tuition from the excellent Departmental staff, all of whom are published creative writers. Under their guidance, you will produce a substantial portfolio in the form of a collection of poetry or an extended piece of prose fiction. In addition, you will develop a host of key transferrable skills that will benefit you in a range of academic or employment contexts.

This degree will suit you:

- If you want comprehensive training in advanced methods of creative writing
- If you want to develop your creative vision and writing skills to the highest levels
- If you are looking for a detailed and constructive critique of your work
- If you want to work within a dynamic and supportive environment while producing a portfolio of creative writing

Course content and structure

You will study two core modules together with four option modules from the Department’s portfolio of MA provision or other relevant study areas, including Literary Studies. The core modules will equip you with the research skills and subject-specific knowledge required to master a range of practical and theoretical approaches to writing; and the option modules will enable you to direct your study into areas of specific interest. Each module comprises ten weeks of study with a weekly two-hour group meeting and provision for tutorial consultation. This framework for learning will inspire you to widen your artistic horizons and push you to develop your abilities within a constructive critical environment.

The centrally important component of the course is your Writing Portfolio. This piece, to comprise either prose or poetry, will be accompanied by a critical commentary explaining the work in its context and in appropriate analytical terms. We will take great care in assigning a supervisor to guide you whose interests will be as closely matched to your own as possible.

Core modules:

Research Skills
The Writing Portfolio
Writing and Publication

Optional modules:

Writing Fiction: Methods and Techniques
Writing Poetry: Rhymes and Reasons
Understanding Creativity
Writing Fiction: Wider Explorations
Writing Poetry: Modes in Contemporary Poetry

Assessment

Assessment takes the form of: portfolios of prose and poetry, including critical commentaries and annotated bibliographies; a case study of a research project; and a study of a particular publisher of creative writing or type of publication. In the third semester, each student will complete a Writing Portfolio of creative writing with a critical commentary. The Portfolio can be in the form of poetry (30 pages plus 6,000 words) or prose fiction (14,000 plus 6000 words), but not a combination of the two.

Employability

Every MA course at Aberystwyth University is specifically designed to enhance your employability. In addition to developing your writing and research abilities. This course will help you to master key skills that are required in wide variety of workplaces. You will be pushed to improve your approaches to planning, analysis and presentation so that you can tackle complex projects thoroughly and with professional independence, and confidently present robust projects to the scrutiny of a group. Your MA in Creative Writing will place you in the jobs marketplace as a professional writer with highly desirable skills suitable for a career in the arts, literature, journalism or many other fields.

Key Skills and Competencies

Upon graduating from this MA in Creative Writing, you will have mastered an array of technical and creative skills relating to writing. You will be highly competent in factual research, evaluative writing and problem-solving through the process of writing. You will understand genre and register, narrative viewpoint and voice, and be able to justify your creative choices within your chosen form. You will possess an awareness of your intended readership and identify your place in the wider context of literary fiction and/or poetry. You will also have experience in giving and receiving stringent but supportive criticism within a positive group setting.

Self-Motivation and Discipline

Studying at MA level requires high levels of discipline and self-motivation from every candidate. Though you will have access to the expertise and helpful guidance of Departmental staff, you are ultimately responsible for devising and completing a sustained programme of scholarly research in pursuit of your MA degree. This process will strengthen your skills in planning, executing and analysing work projects in ways that reflect standard practice in the world of employed work.

Transferable Skills

The MA is designed to give you a range of transferable skills that you can apply in a variety of academic and employment contexts. A significant proportion of postgraduate jobs demand both particular expertise and strength in breadth. Therefore, as a trained writer with proven creative abilities, you will be desirable to any employer seeking individuals who can balance creative flair and artistic vision with a dependable work ethic and highly adaptable writing skills.

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The Creative Writing MA course offers you the chance to follow one of three pathways, all distinct but all containing common elements: Fiction Writing; Poetry Writing; and Poetic Practice.

The first two of these options are designed to encourage you to develop and reflect on your work as a creative writer, in the context of contemporary and well-established literatures. Whether you choose the Fiction or the Poetry strand, you will be expected to make the most of your existing experience, but also to discover ways of going beyond the merely personal, and writing with an engaged sense of society. At the same time as you learn to stretch your imagination, you will also be encouraged to develop your technical and analytic skills, and in the process to sharpen you self-criticism. The pathway in Poetry focuses on innovative forms of expressions across many media, including sound, film installation and architecture.

All three Creative Writing pathways are taught in Bedford Square, in the heart of London’s Bloomsbury, in a building which is adjacent to the facilities of the University of London. The Fiction and Poetry pathways have now been running for nearly a decade, and have achieved an extremely high reputation. Many of our graduates have gone on to publish collections of poems, novels and short stories, and also to win awards. In 2012 alone, four of our graduates published their first novels, and one of our poets her first full collection.

It is unfortunately not possible to switch from one pathway to another in mid-course, or to mix and match. However, the MA may be studied full-time or part-time.

See the website https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/english/coursefinder/macreativewriting.aspx

Why choose this course?

- Distinguished writers, including Giles Foden, Susanna Jones, Ben Markovits and Jo Shapcott, contribute to teaching on this course.

- You will benefit from small workshops in poetry and fiction writing of no more than ten people.

- Since launching in 2004 the course has produced many successfully published authors including Tahmima Anam, Adam O'Riordan, Sam Riviere and Kate Williams.

- You will make important contacts through guest lectures by leading figures in the industry.

- All teaching is done in central London, at premises in Bedford Square and Gower Street.

Department research and industry highlights

In the most recent RAE (2008), 90% of the work submitted by the department was judged to be of international standard with 30% assessed as world-leading (4*), 35% as internationally excellent (3*) and 25% as internationally recognised (2*). The department’s performance, in terms of 4* and 3* results, was ranked 11th equal. Overall, the department was ranked one of the top three English departments in London.

We have particular strengths in the following research areas:
- Medieval Studies
- Shakespeare and the Renaissance
- 17th and 18th Century Literature and Culture
- 19th Century Literature
- 20th Century Literature and Theory
- Postcolonialism
- Creative Writing and Practice-based Research.

Course content and structure

In the Autumn and Spring terms, you will meet for a three-hour workshop and a one-and-a-half-hour critical class each week.

Core course units:
- Fiction or Poetry
This is a weekly three-hour workshop,in either fiction or poetry writing, in which your work is discussed, and critical skills are developed. You will be involved in the regular production of new work for this unit.

- Practical Work Project
You will undertake a major writing project (under supervision) and produce a critical and/or theoretical piece of writing reflecting on your work.

- Supplementary Discourses: Core Course
This is a weekly seminar in the Autumn Term. It involves critical and theoretical reading designed to supply you with appropriate critical and theoretical discourse for discussing your own work and others.

- Reading as a Writer
This is a weekly seminar in the Spring Term. You will read a selection of contemporary fiction and poetry from the perspective of a writer.

- Dissertation
You are required to produce a major critical and/or theoretical dissertation relating to your literary interests and your Practical Work Project, under supervision.

On completion of the course graduates will have:

- developed the ability to experiment in their writing and discover new things
- become more ambitious and perceptive about their own work
- broadened their appreciation of traditional and contemporary work, and extended their powers of communication
- a greater knowledge of shaping their work for publication.

Assessment

At the beginning of the Spring term fiction writers will submit a 5,000-word piece of work and poets a portfolio of 12 pages. In addition, they will submit a 3,000-4,000 word essay arising from their work in Supplementary Discourses. They will be given feedback and then, at the beginning of the Summer term, resubmit improved versions together with a second piece of creative work, and a second essay in relation to Reading as a Writer. Part-time students hand their work in at the end of the relevant term instead of the beginning.

At the end of the course fiction students will submit a 15,000 word piece of work and poets a portfolio of 24 pages. In addition, students will write a dissertation of 10-12,000 words, relating to their creative work and to their wider literary interests, to be submitted with the portfolio. Part-time students will make these final submissions at the end of their second year.

Employability & career opportunities

A number of our Creative Writing students have become published authors or found work in publishing and allied professions. In addition, the Department has an impressive record for placing graduates in academic jobs; recently they have secured positions at the Universities of Edinburgh, Sussex and Leeds, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the National University of Ireland.

The course also prepares graduates for successful careers in a variety of other fields, such as publishing, teaching, writing and journalism, administration and marketing.

How to apply

Applications for entry to all our full-time postgraduate degrees can be made online https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/postgraduate/applying/howtoapply.aspx .

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Our programme will build your confidence and technical ability in composing creative prose and/or poetry, while deepening your critical awareness of the cultural, literary and theoretical history of text production.

Teaching is research-led, so you benefit from the individual expertise and passion of a vibrant, multidisciplinary group of published authors and academics, including our Poet in Residence and Distinguished Writer in Residence.

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

The MA Creative Writing programme will hone your research and writing skills to produce critically informed prose or poetry, and creative criticism. We will help you to locate your work in its literary and cultural context, and you will have the chance to reflect on your creative process and the finished work.

You will have access to a yearly calendar of events hosted at the University created to broaden your thinking, and develop your writing skills such as the Morag Morris Poetry Lecture, the annual Surrey New Writers’ Festival and the Surrey Poetry Festival.

The MA in Creative Writing provides a strong foundation to embark upon a career in writing, communications, publishing, marketing, advertising, journalism or teaching, or to undertake a PhD.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and an extended portfolio.

The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand
-Research and Writing Skills I
-Research and Writing Skills II
-Literary Scholarship and Creativity I
-Literary Scholarship and Creativity II
-Creative Writing Workshop I
-Creative Writing Workshop II
-Extended Portfolio
-Open Essay I
-Open Essay II
-Special Author I
-Special Author II
-Open Creative Piece I
-Open Creative Piece II
-Beat Writing
-Realism and Its Critics
-Found Materials: Poetry and Practice
-Advanced Studies in 19th Century Literature
-Advanced Studies in 20th and 21st Century Literature
-Literature and Science
-Issues in Literary Translation
-Identity: Communication in Practice
-Organisations and Written Communications
-Children’s Literature
-Screenwriting

EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME

The MA Programme in Creative Writing will prepare graduates to undertake a PhD programme in the relevant field.

It will also provide students with the transferable skills of creative writing, critical thinking, textual analysis and communication that are attractive to a wide range of employers, from the cultural industries to marketing and advertising to tourism and leisure to the civil service and public/private partnerships.

It is designed to build confidence and technical ability in a variety of modes of imaginative writing, and to provide students with a clear-eyed grounding in contemporary and historical contexts of text production and circulation, including practical advice on the workings of the publishing industry.

Devoted to assisting students to understand and meet the challenges of producing high quality creative writing in poetry and prose, the programme also provides advanced understanding of the contexts, theoretical paradigms, methodologies and modes of interpretation that are vital in a full understanding of literary production.

The main aims are to:
-Produce work that reflects a high level of technical ability and engages productively with its historical, cultural and literary contexts
-Acquire sound knowledge of the major principles of literary criticism
-Reflect on their own practice as literary critics and how this can help to improve their own creative practice

As a Master’s level programme, it also aims to instil in students the capacity for carrying out independent research.

PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:

Knowledge and understanding
-Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the main principles and challenges of creative writing
-Relate developments in the field of literary studies to the social, political and historical contexts of their own creative work
-Distinguish different approaches to literary studies and reflect upon these in their own
-Develop a critical engagement with various theoretical approaches and methods
-Recognize the critical language required in advanced literary studies
-Identify and explain relevant techniques and strategies for producing high quality creative writing

Intellectual / cognitive skills
-Able to critically appraise scholarly and creative writing
-Able to strategically develop research skills for retrieving information crucial for understanding the context of textual production
-Able to conduct conceptual and advanced research related to specific creative projects
-Able to formulate and address research questions relating to creative and research projects

Professional practical skills
-Able to produce high-quality creative work in and analysis of a variety of literary genres
-Able to verbally present abstract ideas and concepts in a clear and appropriate fashion
-Able to confidently deal with reading complex texts
-Able to acquire a sound knowledge of the key debates in literary studies
-Able to acquire review/evaluation skills for textual analyses at M-level
-Able to combine an understanding of text and context within and between periods

Key / transferable skills
-Display competence in a range of skills at postgraduate level, including creative writing, advanced analysis and synthesis of arguments, presentation, the conducting of independent research, and the efficient processing of complex ideas and arguments
-Collaborate by working in small groups to exchange ideas and engage in debates
-Develop knowledge in a specialized subject, area or period and command of terminology
-Organize, research and deliver a sustained piece of work to a high standard
-Create and carry out a research project of significant complexity
-Reflect upon the knowledge gained and incorporate this into independent learning strategies
-Manage learning self-critically
-Exercise initiative and personal responsibility

ACADEMICS AND EVENTS

As a student on this Masters, you will benefit from the expertise of a vibrant, multidisciplinary group of published academics and authors.

You will have access to a number of conferences, seminars and workshops hosted throughout the year. These events cover a range of topics to broaden your thinking in the fields of literature, language and linguistics, cultural studies and creative writing.

Writers to have recently visited the University of Surrey include:

Novelists
-Iain Sinclair
-Monica Ali
-Jaspreet Singh
-Nikita Lalwani

Poets
-J.H. Prynne
-Robert Fitterman
-Allen Fisher
-Gilbert Adair

Critics
-Rod Mengham
-Bernard O’Donoghue
-Barbara Hardy

Each year’s cultural activities begin with the Morag Morris Poetry Lecture on campus by a visiting speaker and feature readings by students at the Guildford School of Acting.

The annual Surrey New Writers’ Festival and Surrey Poetry Festival – both affiliated with the Creative Writing programmes at the University of Surrey – aim to engage with writing and creativity in dynamic ways, and involve readings, book signings, performances, panel discussions and more.

This graduate program is delivered by the University's Creative Writing team, all of whom are published authors and poets:
-Dr Paul Vlitos, Lecturer in Creative Writing
-Dr Holly Luhning, Lecturer in Creative Writing
-Dr Stephen Mooney, Lecturer in Creative Writing and former Poet in Residence
-Dr Angela Szczepaniak, Lecturer in Creative Writing

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.

In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.

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