MA Creative Writing

The MA in Creative Writing at Birmingham City University is aimed at emerging writers and can be taken over one year full-time or two years part-time.

Key features of the course include:

* The opportunity to learn from distinguished practitioners, with tuition from Ian Marchant, Gregory Leadbetter, Anthony Mellors, Andy Conway, and the Fellows of the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing (http://www.bcu.ac.uk/iccw), including Helen Cross, Caroline Jester, Sally Read, Patrick McGuinness and David Morley.

* A flexible modular structure, with options in Fiction, Screenwriting, Creative Non-fiction and Poetry, taken together with the compulsory module Reading into Writing and a Final Project.

* Direct contact with guest authors, literary agents, publishers, editors, and development agencies through the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing programme of seminars, readings and public events.

* Our masterclass system, offering a detailed critique of your work by an established author – and the benefit of hearing other students’ work receive the same attention.

* The opportunity for publication in our annual anthology of new writing, and to present your work in public at the end of year show in Birmingham city centre.

* Online support through the Moodle e-learning interface.

* We also offer Distance Learning modules in Fiction and Screenwriting, enabling you to study these options entirely from home, should you wish.

We believe that the study of creative writing has an inherent personal and cultural value – but we also support those who wish to pursue a professional career as a writer, by preparing our students for the literary marketplace.

For more course details visit the website: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/ma-in-creative-writing

Assessments

Assessment of a portfolio that demonstrates continuous professional development. Portfolios will vary, depending on your individual aims and aspirations, but may include: work with radio journalists / filmmakers, involvement in publication of the Birmingham City University anthology or magazine, evidence of contact with agents / publishers, building websites for aspiring writers.

Each module will result in a piece of writing that will be assessed. Your work will be critiqued by staff but you will also be asked to critique the work of colleagues and vice versa.

Admission to the course is based on talent. Applicants are asked to submit writing, published or unpublished. Students are selected on the basis of their work.

Visit the MA Creative Writing page on the Birmingham City University website for more details!