It is suggested that everybody has a book within them based on the vast experiences we gain in life. If you are constantly writing or you want the world to know about something, you are a natural poet, novel writer, adventurer or more this programme could be just what you need to give you the confidence and knowledge to go ahead with your career.
Have you ever dreamed about becoming a writer in any capacity? If the answer is yes you have a great opportunity to consolidate and expand your creative writing style at University of Aberdeen. You are guided by professional writers. The world of writing is changing rapidly to allow you to self publish electronically online where you may be picked up by an agent, you can write freelance for any number of magazines, newspapers online and offline or you may decide to write and publish on the internet to improve your own marketing within your chosen area of creativity. You need to get your work visible and there are now many ways to do this.
The MLitt in Creative Writing is a taught postgraduate programme designed to offer you the opportunity to develop your creativity and literary skills in a highly supportive, constructive learning environment. You prepare for the processes and challenges involved in publishing creative written work, whether poetry or prose. There are plenty of courses in which to find your inspiration such as narrative, prose, the role of literature, Irish and Scottish Women's fiction, study of language, Walter Scott, Visual Culture and more.
Many writers continuously perfect their craft whilst honing their skills in areas such as writing for magazines, creating press articles and discussion, developing PR, copy writing to sell wide ranging products and services. This in turn allows a greater range of writing opportunities whilst they feed their creativity and ability towards what they really want to do in this creative industry. You can start your portfolio and knowledge from day one, and after this your determination to succeed will allow you to work in this highly creative industry.
First Semester
Second Semester
Optional
Third Semester
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
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.
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.
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.
Example module listing
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.
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:
As a Master’s level programme, it also aims to instil in students the capacity for carrying out independent research.
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
Poets
Critics
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:
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.
The MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Creative Writing programme at the University of Surrey is a two-year, full-time course of study that offers you a unique opportunity to enhance your creative, critical and professional skills as a writer.
Teaching is research-led, so you will be mentored by passionate, dynamic writers and academics with multidisciplinary expertise, as well as our Distinguished Writer in Residence and Poet in Residence.
Our MFA Creative Writing programme will expose you to the practical skills and challenges involved in a specific branch of creative practice (such as poetry or screenwriting) and offers the option to gain hands-on experience in a creative industry relevant to your own practice, to better prepare you for a wide variety of careers, including writing, publishing, communications, marketing, advertising, journalism, teaching, or to undertake a PhD.
In your first year, you will study alongside students in the MA programmes in Creative Writing and English Literature, where you will hone your research skills to produce critically informed creative work and deepen your practice as a writer.
To prepare for your second year, an academic advisor will offer guidance on choosing an appropriate form of Situated Professional Practice and your summative creative portfolio proposal.
During your second year you will work on producing an extended creative portfolio and critical commentary, as well as complete the Situated Professional Practice of your choice.
This programme is studied full-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules, a professional placement, a critical commentary module and a creative portfolio project.
Example module listing
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.
A Creative Writing MFA degree builds on the work of a traditional MA but distinguishes itself in a number of ways:
For students to achieve an optimum balance between theory, practice and critical reflection, MFAs traditionally last at least two academic years and this is common practice both in the UK and the USA.
The MFA in Creative Writing is designed to assist aspiring writers to:
These educational aims accord neatly with the defining principles of Creative Writing as set out by the QAA’s NAWE Creative Writing Subject Benchmark Statement.
As a student on the MFA Creative Writing, you will benefit from the expertise of a vibrant, multidisciplinary group of academics and published authors.
You will also 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 the novelist Monica Ali and the poet and critic Rod Mengham.
Each year’s cultural activities begin with a 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 – affiliated with the Creative Writing graduate programs at the University of Surrey – aims to engage with writing and creativity in dynamic ways, and involves readings, book signings, performances, panel discussions and talks by writers, thinkers, editors and literary agents.
The year’s activities culminate in the annual Morag Morris Poetry Festival, held in Guildford, which combines readings and performances by prominent, innovative and up-and-coming poets with the opportunity for Creative Writing students to present their own work in public.
This event is organised and hosted by our poet-in-residence – a position that is held by a different poet each year. English at Surrey also has a close relationship with English PEN, the charity dedicated to promoting literature and human rights.
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.
If you love reading and writers and the periods they wrote their works in, this programme gives you a deep understanding of literature in the UK across time. with the opportunity to create prose yourself. We love literature and there is plenty here to choose from in a University which has collected and studied literature since the Middle Ages with some very exciting periods and texts for you to enjoy. Not only do you gain an understanding of why writers decided to write about specific periods of time but their motivations and influences in society of that time. You study people like Sir Walter Scott, contemporary writers like A.L. Kennedy and others, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the image of 'Scotland' or 'England.' and others. From here you may decide to study for PhD or work in writing, journalism, publications, as an agent, author or critic. There are many references to known authors at University of Aberdeen within special collections, museums and its library. The 'Age of Enlightenment' was discovered at the university, a major period of transformation, collaboration and cultural growth.
The MLitt in English Literary Studies is primarily intended to provide a basis for undertaking research in English literature including the literature of Scotland and Ireland. Research 'training' involves the acquisition of practical skills and knowledge, and of specialised knowledge and understanding of literary periods and literary issues which will be directly relevant to each candidate's proposed field of research.
If you want to study literature further or develop life-long learning and expertise this programme will give you intensive research skills and enjoyment to re-experience reading from all periods, genres, countries in the UK and writers who made a difference to our cultural experience of life in the past and who travel globally in their works and further interpretations on film or radio. There are wide ranging creative industry career opportunities to choose from. You can go into Journalism, PR, become a Researcher, Teacher, writer and more. You can study for ISS or MLitt depending upon what you want to study.
Aberdeen has had its own fair share of writers and whilst you study you can visit museums such as J.M Barrie's birthplace in Kirriemuir, experience the place where Lord Byron was brought up and enjoy centres to celebrate Lewis Grassic Gibbon, plus join a range of writer's groups off campus. If you want to go further afield you can enjoy Abbotsford near Galashiels, home to Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Burns birthplace in Alloway - Ayrshire.
First Semester
Second Semester
Semester 3
Qualification: MLitt
Find out about fees
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Creative Writing at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA in Creative Writing is a unique programme that offers integrated training in the writing of literary and media text. The MA in Creative Writing is taught by prize-winning writers of fiction, poetry and drama who provide core training and individual pathways in the major genres of contemporary literary and media writing. Modules on the Creative Writing programme are taught through workshop sessions, group work and one-to-one mentoring between students and a tutor. Courses include the writing of prose fiction, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative nonfiction. Writers and representatives from the arts world and the publishing industry are invited to address the MA Creative Writing group about creative work and publishing. We have strong links with Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre, which offers a lively programme of events throughout the year.
- The MA in Creative Writing is taught by experienced writers and offers a wide range of writing genres including fiction, short story, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative non-fiction.
- Drama writing is a particular strength, including the relatively new and unexplored field of Dramaturgy.
- Regular play readings and students' dramatic writing is often performed by professional actors in the Rough Diamonds mini-festival in the summer.
- Creative Writers have a close relationship with National Theatre Wales and also open-mic poetry events at local venues such as the Dylan Thomas Centre and Howl.
- There is scope for work experience with local publishers.
- The writing programme has an online journal, The Swansea Review, and students write for The Siren, a student-run online journal, and The Waterfront student newspaper.
- Creative Writing students have free membership of Literature Wales, the national literature promotion agency.
- Students are involved in the annual Writers’ Day at the Dylan Thomas Centre, where they meet editors, agents, publishers and writers to discuss the ins and outs of publication and the craft of writing.
- Students are part of a vibrant community of writers and artists – Swansea, the birthplace of Dylan Thomas, having a fair claim to being Wales’s city of culture.
- The programme has connection with and experience of the unique literary culture of Wales, home to possibly the oldest (but still vibrant) bardic tradition in Europe.
Modules on the MA in Creative Writing typically include:
• Writing Fiction
• Writing Poetry
• Genre: Writing for Stage
• Creative Non-Fiction and Travel Writing
• Nature Writing
• Screenwriting
• Writing Radio Drama
• The Art of Short Story
• Writing the Self
• International Dramaturgy
Students or Professionals interested in Creative and Professional Writing. Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD.
- To offer students the chance to belong to a warmly supportive community of writers, passionate about their art.
- To give students the opportunity to discuss literary matters with agents, editors and publishers.
- To provide active participation in Swansea’s burgeoning literary scene and have students’ dramatic writing performed by professional actors at the Dylan Thomas Literature Centre.
- To offer research seminars presented by eminent creative writers and academics.
- To develop study and research skills in Creative Writing research and practice methodologies.
Career expectations are excellent for Creative Writing graduates. MA degree holders enter careers in professional and creative writing, publishing, education, global marketing and advertising, media, business, heritage and tourism, and performing arts. Some graduates go on to pursue further postgraduate study leading to a PhD and a career in Academia.
"Since graduating with an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing from Swansea University, I have published three collections of poetry, founded Grievous Jones Press, and begun lecturing in Creative Writing. In the near future I will finish my PhD in Creative Writing and have books forthcoming with Blackheath Books and Seren Books. The training, experience, and rigour of the Swansea MA in Creative Writing was invaluable for launching my career as a writer and publisher. Without the inspiration, guidance, and critique of the excellent faculty and peers, my own writing would not have grown and my flame for creation might have faltered."
David Oprava, Creative Writing, MA
This programme enables you to engage in both creative and critical writing while focusing on the larger critical question of identity. You'll be able to develop a theoretically informed understanding of the relationship between writing and the self while exploring a range of literary genres as a critical reader and as a practitioner. You will study a wide variety of genres, such as memoir and autobiography, lyric poetry, prose fiction, and drama.
You’ll develop your knowledge of research methods in critical and creative studies and choose from a range of options to explore genres that suit your own interests.
With the support of active researchers, publishers and writers you'll have access to wide-ranging research resources in our library as well as workshop opportunities to develop expertise in a range of different kinds of writing skills which will be valuable not just in the creative sphere, but in a variety of careers.
You’ll learn in a stimulating environment with access to excellent resources for your research. The world-class Brotherton Library has extensive holdings to support both critical and creative writing. Our Special Collections are full of archive and manuscript material, including the extensive archives of contemporary poets, including Tony Harrison, Geoffrey Hill, and Simon Armitage. The University Library offers full training to help you make the most of them, equipping you with valuable skills in the process. The School of English also hosts readings and workshops by contemporary writers, including the [email protected] series of readings run by the Poetry Centre; and there are creative writers on its staff, including the Douglas Caster Poetry Fellow.
This degree is also available to study part-time over 24 months.
Two core modules in your first semester will develop your understanding of research methods in the study of English, build your research skills and provide an introduction to critical and creative writing practices. In the following semester, you’ll choose at least one of the optional modules related to critical and/or creative writing, with the option to choose one final module from the full range of English modules or from outside the School of English.
Throughout the programme, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the complex relationships between writing and identity through critical and theoretical reflection while also working as a writer within your chosen genres. You'll also have the opportunity of specializing in either critical or creative work in your research project, though you may continue to combine the two sides of the programme if you wish. If you choose to focus on the creative side, this will entail a critical reflection on your own work to accompany the portfolio.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll take fewer modules in each year and study over a longer period.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
You’ll generally have two-hour weekly seminars in each module where you discuss the themes and issues arising from your reading, and you’ll be able to enhance your learning by attending the wide range of research seminars and talks by visiting speakers that we arrange throughout the year. You’ll also have a series of foundational workshops in the first semester to develop your creative writing skills. Further workshops will feature depending on your option module choices in semester 2 and you will benefit from supervisions throughout semester 2 with an allocated dissertation supervisor.
Independent study is a vital part of the degree as it allows you to build your skills and explore your own ideas.
Most of our modules are assessed by a single essay of around 4,000 words, which you submit at the end of the semester in which you studied the module. You may also be expected to submit unassessed essays to gain feedback on your work, or give presentations in your seminars. The research project/dissertation is 12,000-15,000 words in length.
This programme will equip you with advanced transferable skills which are valuable in a wide range of careers.
You’ll be a confident researcher who can work independently as well as within a team. You’ll be a strong communicator, both verbally and in writing, and be able to think critically and analytically. In addition, you’ll have a strong level of cultural and critical awareness, and you’ll be able to look at a situation from different points of view.
All of these qualities are attractive to employers across sectors, and you’ll be well equipped to pursue a career in a wide range of fields depending on your interests. These could include teaching, journalism, publishing, advertising, broadcasting and law. Many of our graduates also progress to PhD-level study and you’ll be in a good position to develop a career in academia.
Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Creative Writing (Extended) at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA in Creative Writing is a unique programme that offers integrated training in the writing of literary and media text. The MA in Creative Writing is taught by prize-winning writers of fiction, poetry and drama who provide core training and individual pathways in the major genres of contemporary literary and media writing. Modules on the Creative Writing programme are taught through workshop sessions, group work and one-to-one mentoring between students and a tutor. Courses include the writing of prose fiction, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative nonfiction. Writers and representatives from the arts world and the publishing industry are invited to address the MA Creative Writing group about creative work and publishing. We have strong links with Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre, which offers a lively programme of events throughout the year.
The Extended MA (EMA) in Creative Writing is a 240-credit postgraduate qualification that is equivalent to 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) and is thus a recognised Masters qualification throughout the European Union. The EMA is a standard UK MA plus an additional 60 credits (30 ECTS) and this additional coursework is undertaken in one semester at a partner institution overseas. The EMA is therefore not only an EU recognised postgraduate qualification it also adds a study abroad experience thus enhancing the qualification’s employability credentials.
- The MA in Creative Writing is taught by experienced writers and offers a wide range of writing genres including fiction, short story, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative non-fiction.
- Drama writing is a particular strength, including the relatively new and unexplored field of Dramaturgy.
- Regular play readings and students' dramatic writing is often performed by professional actors in the Rough Diamonds mini-festival in the summer.
- Creative Writers have a close relationship with National Theatre Wales and also open-mic poetry events at local venues such as the Dylan Thomas Centre and Howl.
- There is scope for work experience with local publishers.
- The writing programme has an online journal, The Swansea Review, and students write for The Siren, a student-run online journal, and The Waterfront student newspaper.
- Creative Writing students have free membership of Literature Wales, the national literature promotion agency.
- Students are involved in the annual Writers’ Day at the Dylan Thomas Centre, where they meet editors, agents, publishers and writers to discuss the ins and outs of publication and the craft of writing.
- Students are part of a vibrant community of writers and artists – Swansea, the birthplace of Dylan Thomas, having a fair claim to being Wales’s city of culture.
- The programme has connection with and experience of the unique literary culture of Wales, home to possibly the oldest (but still vibrant) bardic tradition in Europe.
Modules on the MA in Creative Writing typically include:
• Writing Fiction
• Writing Poetry
• Genre: Writing for Stage
• Creative Non-Fiction and Travel Writing
• Nature Writing
• Screenwriting
• Writing Radio Drama
• The Art of Short Story
• Writing the Self
• International Dramaturgy
Students or Professionals interested in Creative and Professional Writing. Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD.
- To offer students the chance to belong to a warmly supportive community of writers, passionate about their art.
- To give students the opportunity to discuss literary matters with agents, editors and publishers.
- To provide active participation in Swansea’s burgeoning literary scene and have students’ dramatic writing performed by professional actors at the Dylan Thomas Literature Centre.
- To offer research seminars presented by eminent creative writers and academics.
- To develop study and research skills in Creative Writing research and practice methodologies.
Career expectations are excellent for Creative Writing graduates. MA degree holders enter careers in professional and creative writing, publishing, education, global marketing and advertising, media, business, heritage and tourism, and performing arts. Some graduates go on to pursue further postgraduate study leading to a PhD and a career in Academia.
"Since graduating with an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing from Swansea University, I have published three collections of poetry, founded Grievous Jones Press, and begun lecturing in Creative Writing. In the near future I will finish my PhD in Creative Writing and have books forthcoming with Blackheath Books and Seren Books. The training, experience, and rigour of the Swansea MA in Creative Writing was invaluable for launching my career as a writer and publisher. Without the inspiration, guidance, and critique of the excellent faculty and peers, my own writing would not have grown and my flame for creation might have faltered."
David Oprava, Creative Writing, MA
Our MA courses emphasise the importance of creative practitioners and are enhanced by regular visits from contemporary writers. Visiting writers have included York-born award-winning novelist Kate Atkinson; poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan; novelist and poet Michèle Roberts; novelist Joe Dunthorne; graphic novelist and illustrator Graham Rawle; and award-winning poets Simon Armitage and Daljit Nagra. York St John University maintains links with the regional literary community through events such as York Literature Festival. Modules are supplemented by visiting industry professionals, agents and publishers.
The staff team of award-winning writers have an exciting and diverse approach to creative writing and are able to supervise a huge range of proposed projects. Current full-time staff members include:
Discover some of our student success stories on our Beyond the Walls: The Creative Writing blog
Find out more about York St John's thriving and inspiring literary community at the York Centre for Writing
This programme provides you with the opportunity to gain a higher degree through a combination of taught modules, independent study, writing and research. The MA in Creative Writing offers the opportunity to develop your skills as a writer and to explore the theory and practice of writing in the contemporary world.
Study is normally part-time over two years, but there is also provision for full-time study over one year. A range of teaching methods are used including seminars, lectures and occasional day schools. You will be encouraged wherever possible to practise independent learning strategies.
Modules on the MA programme are normally taught in the evening between 6.30pm - 8.30pm on a weekly basis over a ten-week term. Full-time students take two taught classes in Term 1 and one taught class plus dissertation supervision in terms 2 and 3. Part-time students take one taught module per term (terms 1,2,3) in their first year of study; in their second year of study they take one taught module in term 4 and dissertation supervision in terms 5 and 6.
This flexible programme is designed to allow you to combine study with full or part-time employment.
The degree normally consists of four taught modules and a portfolio. All modules are normally assessed by essay or portfolio.
Study is normally part-time over two years, but there is also provision for full-time study over one year. A range of teaching methods are used including seminars, lectures and occasional day schools. You will be encouraged wherever possible to practise independent learning strategies.
Modules on the MA programme are normally taught in the evening between 6.30pm - 8.30pm on a weekly basis over a ten-week term. Full-time students take two taught classes in Term 1 and one taught class plus dissertation supervision in terms 2 and 3. Part-time students take one taught module per term (terms 1,2,3) in their first year of study; in their second year of study they take one taught module in term 4 and dissertation supervision in terms 5 and 6.
This flexible programme is designed to allow you to combine study with full or part-time employment.
Further information on this course is available in the programme specification. Please note that the programme specification relates to course content that is currently being studied by students at the University. For new programmes, the programme specification will be made available online prior to the start of the course.
York St John University works hard to create an inclusive environment for all our students. We offer a range of learning support services to assist students throughout their studies.
"O this learning, what a thing it is!"
The Taming of the Shrew (1.2.130)
If you have a passion for the works of William Shakespeare, this MA gives you the space to study the full range of Shakespeare’s works more closely and comprehensively than you could as an undergraduate – approaching Shakespeare as a maker of theatre on page and stage. The course focuses closely on the works themselves, looking at what they say about our world today, as well as what they reveal about Shakespeare’s. We've designed the course so that you'll discover the critical, historical and theoretical issues in his plays and poetry as you encounter them, rather than providing you with prescribed routes to take.
The MA is designed to provide you with both breadth of coverage and depth of focus, and the course is ideal whether you wish to pursue research at PhD level or simply wish to develop your knowledge of Shakespeare and your critical skills. You will be taught by the people creating and animating current critical debates on manuscript, print and performance.
Join a department that's joint 2nd in the UK for outstanding and world-leading research environments. You'll benefit from our incredible research: over two thirds of our research was judged ‘world leading and internationally excellent’ in REF 2014. All staff in the department are highly regarded scholars, writers and critics who are engaged in research, writing ground-breaking books, talking to or writing in the national media, and providing expert advice to organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Department for Education and other national and international bodies.
Designed to be flexible, this course can be studied full-time for one year or part-time over two years.
Core modules
The Works - Plays and Poetry
This module spans Shakespeare’s entire career as a playwright and poet, analysing in detail his nineteen major plays – including histories, comedies, tragedies, romances and problem plays – and the Sonnets. The theatrical, historical and theoretical issues raised by the works will be addressed as they emerge out of individual response and class discussion.
King Lear and The Tempest - Critical Debate and Creative Response
This course aims to engage you in a sustained, intensive study of Shakespeare’s supreme tragic masterpiece, the controversies it has provoked, and the diverse ways in which it has been adapted and transformed by poets, dramatists, novelists, and by film and theatre directors, since Shakespeare’s time. You will begin with detailed discussion of the play itself before turning to critical debate and then exploring the creative impact of King Lear on later poetry, drama and fiction. The second term is devoted to studying the creative response to King Lear in the theatre and the cinema, tracking its performance history on stage and screen through in-depth analysis of landmark productions and film adaptations.
Methods and Materials of Research
This module is designed to introduce you to a number of key topics related to the methods of postgraduate research, and to some of the resources and materials that will be useful to your studies.
Dissertation
This will be a piece of original written work, of between 12,000 and 15,000 words. The topic of the dissertation will be agreed between you and whichever member of staff is allotted as supervisor and is normally required to be submitted by the beginning of September in the year of the completion of the programme.
This course comprises of 120 units:
You will attend seminars and be expected to read texts, conduct achival research on the internet or in libraries, and attend performances.
You will be assessed through essays and your final Dissertation.
Our postgraduates have gone into academic roles at the Universities of Edinburgh, Sussex and Leeds, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the National University of Ireland.
We will prepare you for careers in other areas too, such as teaching, librarianship, marketing, and theatre administration.
Our MA in Creative Writing is unique in bringing together the following:
Whether you are interested in fiction, non-fiction, poetry or screen writing, Exeter offers you a thriving and supportive writing community. Our team of prize-winning and best-selling authors are highly experienced and will help you develop your writing towards publication. Our strong links with the worlds of publishing, literary journalism and broadcasting, book festivals and prizes will provide valuable insights into the workings of the literary marketplace and open many opportunities to establish the contacts necessary for successful publication.
The taught components of the MA Creative Writing are delivered in the first two terms, leaving the third for your dissertation. Modules are taught in seminar groups, with lots of time for discussion and interaction. In seminars you will be expected to take part in debate and present your work.
Creative Writing Dissertation is compulsory
Some examples of the optional modules are as follows;
The modules listed here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand
All members of staff are active researchers and their interests as a whole encompass all the varieties of Anglophone culture not only in Britain, but in the US and elsewhere. This variety is reflected in the range of topics currently being studied by students, from poetry to drama, novels to films, medieval manuscripts to the internet, and from creative and life writing to the study of panoramas and magic lantern shows. It is also reflected in the number of research and reading groups organised by students and staff and by the number of conferences, talks and guest lectures that take place each year.
This Creative Writing: Writing the City Masters course is the first to focus entirely on the city of London. It will allow you to explore the city as subject matter from a range of perspectives and across all genres. It will also give you a theoretical and practical platform from which to develop your understanding, and become part of the London writing scene.
Taught by professional writers and researchers, the course offers plenty of opportunities to network with other writers, agents, TV producers and performance poets. You will be based in the University's headquarters building at 309 Regent Street, which means you will be writing about the city in the heart of London, with ready access to the capital's excellent academic, social and cultural opportunities, including the vibrant West End theatre scene.
If studying full-time, you will normally take three modules in Semester One and tree modules in Semester Two. You can begin in January or in September. Part-time students take two modules in each semester. The availability of option modules will depend on overall demand and staff availability, but you will normally be told which options are on offer at the beginning of your course. You can choose one 'free choice' option module from other Master courses at Westminster, subject to timetabling constraints and the approval of the project during the first semester an submit it after all other modules have been attempted.
To receive your Masters award, you will need to complete taught modules for a total of 120 credits, and the 60-credit Writing Project (giving a total of 180 credits). If you do not meet the requirements for a Masters award, you will be eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma or a Postgraduate Certificate.
The workshop-based structure of the course will allow you to learn through interactive practice. Modules are taught by one two-hour or tree-hour seminar/workshop per week, depending on your subject. Teaching will also include visits to selected London institution to support certain aspects of writing, and you will be encourage to use various archives, theatres and galleries. Assessment methods include coursework portfolios (allowing you to experiment in a variety of genres, reflective logs, essays, and workshop leadership) as well as the 10-12,000-word writing project. There are no formal examinations.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
You can choose either one of the below option modules or a further core module.
Core modules
Option modules
The course will enable you to develop sophisticated critical and creative skills and a widely applicable knowledge base that can be adapted to various fields of creative practice and writing business.
This course is intended to move you to a new level in your career as a writer by developing your skills as a sophisticated critical practitioner, and your knowledge of literature about the city as well as the writing business.
You will be encouraged to network with other writers and identify useful opportunities for career development, partly through a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including writers’ events and talks.
The critical and practical skills you will acquire by the end of the course will make you a strong candidate in many areas, including arts management, copy editing, education, freelance writing, journalism, media, publishing, theatre and performance-based writing, and research and academia.
