MA Creative Writing

• Develop your confidence and writing skills in an environment supportive of creative work.
• Produce a substantial writing project which you can submit to publishers and agents.
• Benefit from the depth of experience and knowledge shared by our staff, including several award-winning writers, and visiting writers.
• Expand your own writing experience through submitting work to student publications such as Ink, and the University press published literary journal, Short Fiction.
• Increase your critical self-awareness on a programme designed to round you as a writer.
• Enrich your learning experience through workshop-based seminars that allow you to explore the diverse strands of creative writing, from stories to screenplays.

• Programme overview
• You’ll attend four workshop-based seminars, detailed below. Throughout the term you’ll submit your best work in an environment dedicated to writing success. Writing is complemented by the reading of established authors in order to give you that all-important sense of literary context. Experienced tutors lead small seminars exploring the nuances of craft and the compositional process. We believe that all kinds of writing can inform each other, and ensure you study fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and dramatic writing (for stage and screen), before settling down to write your dissertation in a singular mode. Your dissertation will comprise a collection of poems, a stage or screen-play, or 20,000 words of prose from a story collection, novel or creative non-fiction. The ultimate goal is to help you to take your private writings to the public sphere. Full-time students take two modules per term, while part-time students take one module per term.

  Core modules

  • CWMA701 Fiction: Stories and Novels

    This module aims to benefit student fiction writing via workshop methodology (whereby students submit and receive feedback on their fiction from tutor and peers). Weekly reading of published authors will be discussed as a way to further student understanding of the art and craft of fiction writing.

  • CWMA702 Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction

    This module aims to benefit student poetry and creative non-fiction writing via workshop methodology (whereby students submit and receive feedback on their fiction from tutor and peers). Weekly reading of published authors will be discussed as a way to further student understanding of the art and craft of poetry and creative non-fiction.

  • CWMA703 Dramatic Writing: Stage and Screen

    This module aims to benefit student writing via workshop methodology, whereby students submit and receive feedback on their dramatic writing. We will also be reading published authors and viewing productions as a way to further understand the art and craft of dramatic writing.

  • CWMA704 The Business of Writing: Before and After Dissertation

    Students will develop and submit a 'dissertation project' over the course of this module, including a 'description of project', 'research methods', 'research context', 'ethics statement' (if applicable), 'publishing outlets', and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. They will also develop and submit a sample of work-in-progress, i.e. work which will inform or constitute part of their dissertation.

  • CWMA705 Creative Writing Dissertation

    Students will undertake and complete an approved creative writing project such as a collection of poems or stories, a play or film-script, a non-fiction narrative, a section of a novel, a digital project, or an 'artist's book'. Projects requires 15,000 new words; i.e. words which have been previously unassessed, or equivalent if written in form more economical with words (such as poetry).

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest programme structure and may be subject to change:

MA Creative Writing 2810

Applicants are required to attend an informal interview with the Programme Leader. Further details will be communicated once an application has been received.  

Evidence of your writing ability is required. A sample of no more than ten pages of original writing must be submitted with all applications.

For entry to postgraduate level, you should normally possess:

first or upper second (2:1) degree with honours (from a UK university) or professional qualification, recognised as being equivalent to degree standard;

or

an ordinary degree, foundation degree, higher national diploma, or university diploma, accompanied by substantial experience in an appropriate field.

If you have overseas qualifications you can check your comparability with the UK equivalent through NARIC, who provide an advisory service.

English language requirement 

If English is not your first language then evidence of English proficiency is required. The level of proficiency that is required can vary with the type of programme you’re applying for. For further advice on the relevance of overseas qualification and proficiency in English, please contact our International Office.

The minimum IELTS score for acceptable English proficiency for entry is normally 7.

View our English language requirements.

Applying for postgraduate taught study

The University aims to make the application procedure as simple and efficient as possible. Our Postgraduate Admissions and Enquiries team are on hand to offer help and can put you in touch with the appropriate faculty if you wish to discuss any programme in detail. If you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by University of Plymouth, please visit our Disability Services website. Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via our how to apply webpage or email international-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

If you would like any further information please contact the Postgraduate and Enquiries team:

Telephone: +44 (0)1752 585858

Email: admissions@plymouth.ac.uk 

Submitting an application

Apply for postgraduate study using our online postgraduate application form.

Alternatively you can download a copy of the application form to be submitted by hand, by post or via email with accompanying attachments.

Additional guidance information can also be downloaded on how to fill in the postgraduate application form.

Applying for postgraduate research study

The University aims to make the application procedure as simple and efficient as possible. The Doctoral College is available to answer any queries on our postgraduate research degrees.  If  you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by University of Plymouth, please visit our Disability Services website. Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via international-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk

If you would like any further information please contact the Doctoral College:

Telephone: +44 (0)1752 587640

Email: doctoralcollege@plymouth.ac.uk

Submitting an application

Apply for postgraduate study using our online postgraduate application form.

Alternatively you can download a copy of the application form to be submitted by hand, by post or via email with accompanying attachments.

Additional guidance information can also be downloaded on how to fill in the postgraduate application form.