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Creative Writing

Application options include:

Course Overview

The MA Creative Writing at Birkbeck is taught by one of the most diverse and vibrant departments in London. For nearly 20 years we have been enabling dynamic groups of students to improve their creative work and develop as writers. We have a growing list of published and prizewinning authors whose work started life in our seminars.

If you have been writing creatively for a while and feel the need for professional support and feedback and the guidance of published authors and a cohort of like-minded people, then this course is for you.

The course is taught through small seminars and one-to-one tuition. We offer modules in fiction writing - both short story and novel - and work with writers across many prose genres - both fiction and non-fiction. We also offer options in playwriting, poetry, screenwriting and creative non-fiction, and practical opportunities to learn about publishing, producing and editing creative work. 

Entry to the course is based on the submission of a portfolio of creative work, and candidates whose work shows promise will be invited for interview.

Read our blog to keep up to date with our research activities.

Discover the career opportunities available by taking Creative Writing (MA).

Key information and modules

Creative writing ma: 1 year full-time, on campus, starting october 2024.

Central London

Creative Writing MA: 2 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2024

Creative writing: january start ma: 2 years part-time, on campus, starting january 2025, pathways for creative writing (ma).

From 2023-24, we are changing the way we offer our programmes. You can now select the course route that is most suited to your skill set and interests. Apply for this course or select one of our pathways below.

• Creative Writing and Contemporary Studies (MA)

Find another course:

• Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
• In particular, this environment is fostered by close links between the MA and the Centre for Conte mporary Literature at Birkbeck, which runs a wide variety of talks and conferences in this field. In addition to working with the established and award-winning writers who teach the degree, you will have contact with industry professionals, such as publishers and literary agents, who offer a series of platform discussions in the summer term.
• The Mechanics' Institute Review, MIROnline , is a forum for the most exciting new writing in short fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction selected from students on this course and beyond.
• Birkbeck is located in the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group. The building houses our own creative hub which includes the Peltz Gallery , the Gordon Square Cinema and a theatre and performance space .
• We have a range of scholarships available to enable talented students on low incomes to study with us, such as the Sophie Warne Fellowship . Once you have secured a place on the course you will be invited to apply for these awards. We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students .

Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

Entry Requirements

A second-class honours degree (2:2 or above, though this requirement may be waived if you can demonstrate exceptional talent), a personal statement (to be submitted with your application form) and a portfolio of prose writing of no more than 3000 words.

Your portfolio should be a section of a novel with a synopsis, a couple of short stories or a combination of the two. Please note that poetry, children’s fiction, journalism, screen- or playwriting are not appropriate submissions for this MA. Students are selected on the basis of their portfolio and statement, an interview (selected candidates only) and their degree.

Portfolio guidelines:

• Submit application.
• Wait up to 48 hours.
• Submit writing portfolio (Word or PDF) by logging into your MyBirkbeck profile, then going to the ‘Manage my application’ link and attaching the document.

Applications are reviewed on their individual merits, and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now  to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, the requirement for this programme is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.

If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement,  we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes  to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our  English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country .

Visa and funding requirements

If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

• Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
• Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck's part-time courses (with the exception of some modules).

For full information, read our visa information for international students page .

Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country .

Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

If you have studied at university, you may have accumulated credits through the modules you studied. It may be possible to transfer these credits from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

Creative Writing MA: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25

Academic year 2024–25, starting october 2024.

Part-time home students: £5,400 per year Full-time home students: £10,800 per year Part-time international students : £9,915 per year Full-time international students: £19,830 per year

Creative Writing: January start MA: 2 years part-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25

Academic year 2024–25, starting january 2025.

Part-time home students: £5,400 per year Part-time international students : £9,915 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy .

If you’ve studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a discount on the tuition fee of this course.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

International scholarships

We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. Discover if you are eligible for a scholarship .

At Birkbeck, most of our courses are taught in the evening and all of our teaching is designed to support students who are juggling evening study with work and other commitments. We actively encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching, to ensure our students have the best learning experience.

Teaching may include formal lectures, seminars, and practical classes and tutorials. Formal lectures are used in most degree programmes to give an overview of a particular field of study. They aim to provide the stimulus and the starting point for deeper exploration of the subject during your own personal reading. Seminars give you the chance to explore a specific aspect of your subject in depth and to discuss and exchange ideas with fellow students. They typically require preparatory study.

In addition, you will have access to pastoral support via a named Personal Tutor.

Methods of teaching on this course

Teaching is seminar-based. Each session is generally two hours, and there are further regular one-to-one tutorials throughout the year.

Key teaching staff on this course

Staff who may teach on this MA include successful, published authors and practitioners such as:

• David Eldridge
• Richard Hamblyn
• Jonathan Kemp
• Luke Williams

Teaching hours

Our evening hours are normally between 6pm and 9pm (6-7.30pm and 7.30-9pm). Some programmes also offer teaching during the day and this will be clearly signposted to you where it is available.

On our taught courses, you will have scheduled teaching and study sessions each year. Scheduled teaching sessions may include lectures, seminars, workshops or laboratory work. Depending on the modules you take, you may also have additional scheduled academic activities, such as tutorials, dissertation supervision, practical classes, visits and field trips. On our taught courses, the actual amount of time you spend in the classroom and in contact with your lecturers will depend on your course, the option modules you select and when you undertake your final-year project (if applicable).

Alongside your contact hours, you will also undertake assessment activities and independent learning outside of class. The amount of time you need to allocate to study both for taught sessions (this might include online sessions and/or in-person sessions) and personal study will depend on how much you are studying during the year and whether you are studying full time or part time.

Birkbeck’s courses are made up of modules and allocated ‘credit’. One credit is equivalent to ten hours of learning time. Modules are usually in 15, 30 or 60 credit units. A 15-credit module will mean around 150 hours of learning, including taught sessions and independent study or group work. This is spread out over the whole period of that module and includes the time you spend on any assessments, including in examinations, preparing and writing assessments or engaged in practical work as well as any study support sessions to help you in your learning.

On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, discussion, collaboration and interaction with your lecturers and fellow students is encouraged and enabled through various learning technologies.

Timetables are usually available from September onwards and you can access your personalised timetable via your My Birkbeck Profile online (if you have been invited to enrol).

Indicative class size

Class sizes vary, depending on your course, the module you are undertaking, and the method of teaching. For example, lectures are presented to larger groups, whereas seminars usually consist of small, interactive groups led by a tutor.

Independent learning

On our taught courses, much of your time outside of class will be spent on self-directed, independent learning, including preparing for classes and following up afterwards. This will usually include, but is not limited to, reading books and journal articles, undertaking research, working on coursework and assignments, and preparing for presentations and assessments.

Independent learning is absolutely vital to your success as a student. Everyone is different, and the study time required varies topic by topic, but, as a guide, expect to schedule up to five hours of self-study for each hour of teaching.

Study skills and additional support

Birkbeck offers study and learning support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed. Our Learning Development Service can help you in the following areas:

• academic skills (including planning your workload, research, writing, exam preparation and writing a dissertation)
• written English (including structure, punctuation and grammar)
• numerical skills (basic mathematics and statistics).

Our Disability and Dyslexia Service can support you if you have additional learning needs resulting from a disability or from dyslexia.

Our Counselling Service can support you if you are struggling with emotional or psychological difficulties during your studies.

Our Mental Health Advisory Service can support you if you are experiencing short- or long-term mental health difficulties during your studies.

Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and examinations, although this will vary from course to course - on some of our courses, assessment is entirely by coursework. The methods of assessment on this course are specified below under 'Methods of assessment on this course'. You will need to allow time to complete coursework and prepare for exams.

Where a course has unseen written examinations, these may be held termly, but, on the majority of our courses, exams are usually taken in the Summer term, during May to June. Exams may be held at other times of the year as well. In most cases, exams are held during the day on a weekday - if you have daytime commitments, you will need to make arrangements for daytime attendance - but some exams are held in the evening. Exam timetables are published online.

Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.

Methods of assessment on this course

Four short creative pieces with critical essays (67%). A dissertation (15,000 words) in one of the following genres: a novella, novel or collection of short stories, with a preface of 3000 words (33%).

Careers and employability

Graduates can pursue career paths in editing, teaching and writing professionally. Possible professions include:

• creative writer
• magazine or newspaper journalist
• editorial assistant
• academic librarian
• English as a second language (ESOL) teacher
• information officer.

Birkbeck Creative Writing graduates include:

• Niki Aguirre
• Sarah Alexander
• Laura Allsop
• Iphgenia Baal
• Phoebe Blatton
• Mary Lynn Bracht
• Nicole Burstein
• Tray Butler
• Melissa De Villiers
• Liz Fremantle
• AJ Grainger
• Jules Grant
• Emma Henderson
• Sally Hinchcliffe
• Heidi James
• Keith Jarrett
• Olya Knezevic
• Matthew Loukes
• Fiona Melrose
• Suzanne O'Sullivan
• Victoria Richards
• Nadim Safdar
• Karin Salvalaggio
• David Savill
• Stefanie Seddon
• Luke Tredget.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply - read more about suitable forms of identification .

When to apply

You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places on your chosen course and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

You will also receive information about subject-specific induction sessions over the summer.

Help and advice with your application

Get all the information you need about the application, admission and enrolment process at Birkbeck.

Our online personal statement tool will guide you through every step of writing the personal statement part of your application.

Apply for your course

Apply for your course using the apply now button in the key information section .

Course structure

Course structure listing, course structure and modules for creative writing ma: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, on campus, starting october 2024.

You must complete modules worth a total of 180 credits, consisting of:

• two compulsory modules (30 credits each)
• two option modules (30 credits each)
• a 15,000-word dissertation (60 credits).

Compulsory modules

• Creative Non-Fiction
• Writing and Reading Seminar

Option modules

• Contemporary Writing 2: Genre
• Introduction to Playwriting
• Introduction to Screenwriting
• Poetry Workshop
• Writing The Self
• Writing Workshop

MA Creative Writing Dissertation

• Dissertation MA Creative Writing

Course structure and modules for Creative Writing: January start MA: 2 years part-time, on campus, starting January 2025

Global main menu

Creative writing ma.

Part of: English

This programme is ideal if you are keen to explore genres such as fiction, nonfiction and poetry, and the creative and critical connections between them. We will introduce you to a wide variety of approaches to writing and contemporary examples. 

Make an enquiry

• Develop your creative work with the support of internationally renowned, award-winning novelists, poets and nonfiction writers. The Creative Writing team at Queen Mary includes Rachael Allen, Katherine Angel, Brian Dillon, Michael Hughes, Nisha Ramayya, Rivers Solomon, and Isabel Waidner. Guest speakers on the programme have included Alexander Chee, Olivia Laing, Darran Anderson, A.K. Blakemore and more.
• Consider fundamental questions about contemporary writing.
• Complete a substantial independent writing project in your chosen genre, with one-to-one support and supervision.
• Study on the only Creative Writing MA offered by a Russell Group university in London.
• Get involved with our thriving practice and research culture, with special focus on innovative and hybrid writing. The Subtexts event series hosts the most exciting local and international writers in warm, accessible spaces in East London, as well as more intimate work-in-progress events for research students. Our brand-new Centre for Contemporary Writing has strong links to wider literary culture and publishing, and programmes public events, symposia, and interdisciplinary workshops. And  you can join the editorial team or submit to our fabulous literary journal Subtexts, gaining vital experience in publishing from both sides.

Creative Writing at Queen Mary has a diverse and dynamic research culture that welcomes writers who want to experiment, innovate, take risks and push boundaries of form and genre. If you are ready to take your writing to the next level, to find your own distinctive voice and subject, and to be challenged and inspired to produce your best work, we would love to hear from you.

Study options

• Full-time September 2024 | 1 year
• Part-time September 2024 | 2 years

What you'll study

The MA is made up of five modules. Two of these, in the first and second semesters, are devoted to Creative and Critical Writing . W e will explore what it means to take a critical , self-aware approach to your writing, the overlap between creative and critical work, and how these topics can be thought about or demonstrated in fiction, poetry, nonfiction and performance. These modules are taught by staff across the Creative Writing team , and we will also invite other prominent writers to deliver seminars and workshops.  

Alongside this central module, you will take a module on the role of research in creative writing, and another on working collaboratively: here you will have the opportunity to work with staff and other students to produce public-facing work. Starting i n the third semester you will work with an individual supervis or to plan and write your Dissertation: a piece of self-directed work that is the most substantial outcome of your MA.  

Our London location means you’ll also have the wealth of London’s literary culture on your doorstep: our MA makes the most of this advantage, ensuring you explore the city’s galleries, libraries and other cultural institutions.  

• Five assessed modules  
• A 15,000-word dissertation

Compulsory Modules for Full Time Study

• Creative and Critical Writing 1  
• Creative and Critical Writing 2  
• Writing From Research  
• Collaborative Practices  
• Creative Writing Dissertation  

Part-Time Study Breakdown Year 1

Creative and Critical Writing 1

Creative and critical writing 2, writing from research, collaborative practices, creative writing dissertation.

Download our latest module information

Online Masters Open Event

Join us online for our next Masters Open Event on Friday 31 May 2024 where you can find out more about student life and study at Queen Mary

Compulsory/Core modules

This compulsory module for the MA in Creative Writing explores such writing across multiple literary forms, including nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and dramatic and visual writing. The module focuses on the ways in which the co-mingling of criticism and creative forms can produce new expressive and epistemological modes and genres. It introduces students to theoretical, methodological, and practical frameworks for understanding and producing creative and critical texts, and texts operating at the intersection of multiple disciplinary fields. It will combine seminar-style discussion and writing workshops.

This module offers students a range of approaches to the application of research in creative practice, including speculative research as a prompt to creative practice; psychogeographic exploration; direct observation of procedure and expertise; reflective journals examining personal experience; and historical and cultural investigation to inform questions of style, form, structure and subject. Students will receive practical training in the use of archival and library resources, and in techniques of sourcing and recording real-world research, and seminars will examine key ethical questions around eliciting and gathering material, including critical exploration of current cultural debates concerning authenticity and appropriation.

This module invites you to consider collaborative practices as integral to creative and critical writing. Countering notions of writing as solitary pursuit, or individualistic, competitive enterprise within a literary marketplace, the materials and activities on this module will demonstrate how collaboration can enable, support, and expand writers¿ research and practice. Collaboration will be understood in a variety of contexts, including conversation, improvisation, co-writing, cross-genre and interdisciplinary composition, DIY publishing, and event organisation. You will read, view, and listen to a range of texts and artworks produced collaboratively; you will be introduced to and asked to invent processes for making work with others; you will be encouraged to reflect on the aesthetic, intellectual, and political challenges that emerge in these collaborative processes. While collaboration is key to this module, it¿s recognized that students¿ abilities and interests differ: an initial stage of allotting roles and responsibilities will address this, and the nature of individual students' contributions to group work may differ.

The MA Dissertation gives students the opportunity to pursue an independently conceived research and writing project. Working with the support of a supervisor, students will identify a form, or forms, in which they wish to work, conduct in-depth research into their chosen topics, and explore relevant and related creative and critical works. The dissertation will be presented in the form of a substantial piece of written work (maximum 15000 words). Students are encouraged to think carefully about their choice of forms and themes in advance, and to discuss these possibilities with members of academic staff. Formal project supervision typically begins in May for full-time students, and somewhat earlier for part-time students. Dissertation submission is usually scheduled for mid-August.

• Critical and research essays
• Close-reading exercises and critical commentaries
• Written exercises (e.g. blog posts, blurbs, walking journals, creative non-fiction, reviews, imitations, bibliographical exercises)
• Translation exercises
• Presentations (group and individual), posters
• Portfolios (written and e-portfolios), log books and learning journals
• Performance projects (group and individual)
• Multi-media (e.g. podcasts, annotated videos, websites)

Dissertation

In the second semester, students will be asked to submit draft dissertation proposals; at least one seminar/workshop will be set aside for group discussion of these drafts, and a final proposal will be required by the beginning of Semester 3. Students will then work with an assigned supervisor to plan and complete an independent creative project or dissertation. The dissertation could be approached in any of the following ways: 15,000 words of hybrid creative-critical work; at least 10,000 words of creative work plus up to 5,000 words of critical work (which could be a self-reflexive essay on their creative and critical practice, or a research project related to the student's creative work); a single 15,000-word project that incorporates its critical component in a creative work.

“My experience of the C reative W riting modules was of profound growth. The lecturers really invested in the development and success of my writing. Each piece I produced was knowledgeably, usefully and warmly critiqued.”   — Numertha Geisinger, Student on MA Creative Writing module, MA English Literature 2021

Teaching takes a number of forms:

• Seminars, involving a variety of forms of group work
• Creative writing workshops
• Small-group tutorials (normally with advisor)
• Presentations by and discussions with visiting artists and writers
• Field trips, performance and gallery visits
• Individual guidance and feedback on written work (where requested)
• Group discussion of written and practical work
• Individual supervision of dissertations/Research Projects
• Writing retreats, workshops and student-led review sessions.

Professor Brian Dillon

Creative nonfiction; The practice and history of the essay; Autobiography and memoir; Writing and illness; Literature and the visual arts.

Dr Isabel Waidner

Interdisciplinary and innovative forms of creative writing, Queer and trans theory with an emphasis on intersectionality, Creative writing with performance and the visual arts, Creative-critical writing and practice-led research and Innovative fiction.

Dr Michael Hughes

Prose fiction; Historical Fiction; Style and voice; Form and narrative; Ludic Writing.

Dr Nisha Ramayya

BA, MA, DPhil (RHUL)

Contemporary and Experimental Poetry and Poetics; Critical Race Theory and Black Study; Feminist and Queer Theory; Visual, Sound, and Video Poetry, and Performance.

Where you'll learn

• Our Graduate Centre: purpose-built study spaces and a roof-top common room with a terrace

• Access to Queen Mary's libraries on all our campuses

• Access to a wide range of online resources (including journals, books, databases and media)

• University of London’s libraries, including Senate House

We are based in central London at Mile End with good access to London's creative writing scene.

About the School

School of english and drama.

The School of English and Drama brings together two of Queen Mary's outstanding departments: the Department of English and the Department of Drama . We collaborate with high-profile organisations: previous works have included projects with the Barbican, Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).

The Department of English is one of the country's leading centres for literary study. We have an international reputation for our high-quality research and excellence in teaching: we were ranked first in the UK for research intensity in the last national Research Excellence Framework .

We forge collaborations across academia and beyond. Our teaching staff are involved in a number of research centres and projects, including the Centre for Poetry , the Sexual Cultures Research Group and the Raphael Samuel History Centre .

The Department of Drama is one of the country's leading centres for the study of drama. We have an international reputation for our high-quality research and excellence in teaching. Due to the outstanding quality of our research, we were the top-ranked UK drama department in the last National Research Excellence Framework . This means that your degree will be research-driven, engaging with the latest developments and debates in theatre and performance.

• Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 2901
• School of English and Drama Facebook
• School of English and Drama Twitter

Career paths

• Creative Industries

The MA Creative Writing provides a grounding in research methodologies and practices for students who intended to progress to doctoral work, an enhanced understanding of the study of literature relevant to students who intended to follow a teaching career, and improved competence in transferable skills valued more generally in the market place, including the analysis of complex evidence, the oral and written presentation of arguments and information, and effective time-management. Employer feedback has particularly valued the research skills and high level of critical thinking acquired by graduates of similar MA programmes and the contribution these make to the problem-solving abilities required of those who work at senior levels in complex organizations.

Fees and funding

Full-time study.

September 2024 | 1 year

• Home: £11,950
• Overseas: £24,000 EU/EEA/Swiss students

Unconditional deposit

Overseas: £2000 Information about deposits

Part-time study

September 2024 | 2 years

• Home: £6,000
• Overseas: £12,000 EU/EEA/Swiss students

Queen Mary alumni can get a £1000, 10% or 20% discount on their fees depending on the programme of study. Find out more about the Alumni Loyalty Award

There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.

• Scholarships and bursaries
• Postgraduate loans (UK students)
• Country-specific scholarships for international students

Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:

• Advice for UK and EU students
• Advice for international students

Entry requirements

Degree requirements.

Applicants are required to submit a sample of creative writing (between 1,000 and 2,000 words). This sample may include fiction, non-fiction, poetry or unclassifiable/hybrid writing.

Other routes

Promising applicants who do not meet the formal academic criteria but who possess relevant credentials and who can demonstrate their potential to produce written work at Masters level will also be considered. As part of the admissions process we may  interview candidates. Applications from mature and non-traditional candidates are welcomed.

Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.

International

Afghanistan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Master Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90%; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 80%; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 70%; or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Albania We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7 out of 10

Algeria We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licence; Diplome de [subject area]; Diplome d'Etudes Superieures; Diplome de Docteur end Pharmacie; or Diplome de Docteur en Medecine from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Angola We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Grau de Licenciado/a (minimum 4 years) from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 17 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 15 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 13 out of 20

Argentina We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo/ Grado de Licenciado/ Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 7.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 6.5 out of 10

Armenia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Specialist Diploma from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 87 out of 100 UK 2:1 degree: 75 out of 100 UK 2:2 degree: 61 out of 100

Australia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) or Bachelor Honours degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: High Distinction; or First Class with Honours UK 2:1 degree: Distinction; or Upper Second Class with Honours UK 2:2 degree: Credit; or Lower Second Class with Honours

Austria We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 1.5 out of 5.0 UK 2:1 degree: 2.5 out of 5.0 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out of 5.0

The above relates to grading scale where 1 is the highest and 5 is the lowest.

Azerbaijan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Specialist Diploma from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90%; or GPA 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 80%; or GPA 4 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 70%; or GPA 3.5 out of 5

Bahamas We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from the University of West Indies. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours UK 2:1 degree: Upper Second Class Honours UK 2:2 degree: Lower Second Class Honours

Bahrain We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0; or 90 out of 100 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0; or 80 out of 100 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.3 out of 4.0; or 74 out of 100

Bangladesh We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.2 to 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 to 3.3 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.3 to 2.7 out of 4.0

Offer conditions will vary depending on the institution you are applying from.  For some institutions/degrees we will ask for different grades to above, so this is only a guide. 

Barbados We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from the University of West Indies, Cave Hill or Barbados Community College. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours*; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0** UK 2:1 degree: Upper Second Class Honours*; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0** UK 2:2 degree: Lower Second Class Honours*; or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0**

*relates to: the University of West Indies, Cave Hill.

**relates to: Barbados Community College.

Belarus We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Specialist Diploma (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9 out of 10; or 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 7 out of 10; or 4 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 5 out of 10; or 3.5 out of 5

Belgium We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 80% or 16/20*; or 78%** UK 2:1 degree: 70% or 14/20*; or 72%** UK 2:2 degree: 60% or 12/20*; or 65%**

*Flanders (Dutch-speaking)/ Wallonia (French-speaking) **German-speaking

Belize We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from the University of West Indies. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours UK 2:1 degree: Upper Second Class Honours UK 2:2 degree: Lower Second Class Honours

Benin We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Maitrise or Masters from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Bolivia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo de Bachiller Universitario or Licenciado / Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 85%* or 80%** UK 2:1 degree: 75%* or 70%** UK 2:2 degree: 65%* or 60%**

*relates to: Titulo de Bachiller Universitario

**relates to: Licenciado / Titulo de [subject area] 

Bosnia and Herzegovina We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7.5 out of 10

Botswana We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 5 years) or Master Degree from the University of Botswana. UK 1st class degree: 80% UK 2:1 degree: 70% UK 2:2 degree: 60%

Brazil We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Título de Bacharel / Título de [subject area] or Título de Licenciado/a (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 8.25 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 7.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 6.5 out of 10

The above grades assumes that the grading scale has a pass mark of 5.

Brunei We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Honours degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours UK 2:1 degree: Upper Second Class Honours UK 2:2 degree: Lower Second Class Honours

Bulgaria We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 5.75 out of 6.0 UK 2:1 degree: 4.75 out of 6.0 UK 2:2 degree: 4.0 out of 6.0

Burundi We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 85%; or 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 75%; or 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 60%; or 12 out of 20

Cambodia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 80%; or GPA 3.5 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 70%; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 60%; or GPA 2.35 out of 4.0

Cameroon We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree; Licence; Diplome d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce; Diplome d'Ingenieur de Conception/ Travaux; Doctorat en Medecine/ Pharmacie; or Maitrise or Master 1 from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20; or GPA 3.6 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20; or GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Canada We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Honours Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.6 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.2 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Chile We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Grado de Licenciado en [subject area] or Titulo (Professional) de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 6.5 out of 7 UK 2:1 degree: 5.5 out of 7 UK 2:2 degree: 5 out of 7

China We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 85 to 95% UK 2:1 degree: 75 to 85% UK 2:2 degree: 70 to 80%

Offer conditions will vary depending on the institution you are applying from.  

Colombia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licenciado en [subject area] or Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.60 out of 5.00 UK 2:1 degree: 4.00 out of 5.00 UK 2:2 degree: 3.50 out of 5.00

Congo, Dem. Rep. of We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies or Diplome d'Etudes Speciales from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20; or 90% UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20; or 80% UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20; or 70%

Congo, Rep. of We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Diplome d'Etudes Superieures or Maitrise from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Costa Rica We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachiller or Licenciado from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7.5 out of 10

Croatia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Advanced Diploma of Higher Education Level VII/1 (Diploma - Visoko obrazovanje) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.5 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 4 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 3 out of 5

Cuba We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo de Licenciado/ Arquitecto/ Doctor/ Ingeniero from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 4 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out of 5

Cyprus We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 8 out of 10; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 7.0 out of 10; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 6.0 out of 10; or GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Czech Republic We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 1.2 out of 4 UK 2:1 degree: 1.5 out of 4 UK 2:2 degree: 2.5 out of 4

The above relates to grading scale where 1 is the highest and 4 is the lowest.

Denmark We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 12 out of 12 (2007 onwards); or 11 out of 13 (before 2007) UK 2:1 degree: 7 out of 12 (2007 onwards); or 8 out of 13 (before 2007) UK 2:2 degree: 4 out of 12 (2007 onwards); or 7 out of 13 (before 2007)

Dominican Republic We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licenciado/ Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 95/100 UK 2:1 degree: 85/100 UK 2:2 degree: 78/100

Ecuador We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo de Licenciado / Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90%; or 9/10; or 19/20; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 80%; or 8/10; or 18/20; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 70%; or 7/10; or 14/20; or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Egypt We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 85%; or GPA 3.7 out of 4 UK 2:1 degree: 75%; or GPA 3.0 out of 4 UK 2:2 degree: 65%; or GPA 2.5 out of 4

El Salvador We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licenciado/ Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 5 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 8.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 7.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 6.5 out of 10

Eritrea We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Estonia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree; University Specialist's Diploma; or Professional Higher Education Diploma from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.5 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 3.5 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 2 out of 5

The above grades assumes that 1 is the pass mark. 

Eswatini We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 80% UK 2:1 degree: 70% UK 2:2 degree: 60%

Ethiopia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Fiji We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from one of the following institutions: Fiji National University, the University of Fiji, or the University of South Pacific, Fiji. UK 1st class degree: GPA 4.0 out of 5.0*; or overall grade A with High Distinction pass**; or GPA 4.0 out of 4.5*** UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.33 out of 5.0*; or overall grade B with Credit pass**; or GPA 3.5 out of 4.5*** UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.33 out of 5.0*; or overall grade S (Satisfactory)**; or GPA 2.5 out of 4.5***

*relates to Fiji National University

**relate to the University of Fiji

***relates to the University of South Pacific, Fiji

Finland We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree/ Kandidaatti/ Kandidat (minimum 180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution; or Bachelor degree (Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto/ Yrkeshögskoleexamen) from a recognised University of Applied Sciences. UK 1st class degree: 4.5 out of 5; or 2.8 out of 3 UK 2:1 degree: 3.5 out of 5; or 2 out of 3 UK 2:2 degree: 2.5 out of 5; or 1.4 out of 3

France We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licence; Grade de Licence; Diplome d'Ingenieur; or Maitrise from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 12 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 11 out of 20

Gambia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 80%; or GPA 4.0 out of 4.3 UK 2:1 degree: 67%; or GPA 3.3 out of 4.3 UK 2:2 degree: 60%; or GPA 2.7 out of 4.3

Georgia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Specialist Diploma (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 91 out of 100; or 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 81 out of 100; or 4 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 71 out of 100; or 3.5 out of 5

Germany We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 1.5 out of 5.0 UK 2:1 degree: 2.5 out of 5.0 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out of 5.0

Ghana We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: First Class UK 2:1 degree: Second Class (Upper Division) UK 2:2 degree: Second Class (Lower Division)

Greece We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Degrees from recognised selected institutions in the University sector or Degrees (awarded after 2003) from recognised Technological Educational Institutes. UK 1st class degree: 8 out of 10*; or 9 out of 10** UK 2:1 degree: 7 out of 10*; or 7.5 out of 10** UK 2:2 degree: 6 out of 10*; or 6.8 out of 10**

*Relates to degrees from the University Sector. **Relates to degrees from Technological Educational Institutes.

Grenada We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from the University of West Indies. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours UK 2:1 degree: Upper Second Class Honours UK 2:2 degree: Lower Second Class Honours

Guatemala We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licenciado / Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90% UK 2:1 degree: 80% UK 2:2 degree: 70%

The above grades assumes that the pass mark is 61% or less.

Guinea We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Master; Maitrise; Diplome d'Etudes Superieures; or Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Guyana We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Graduate Diploma (Postgraduate) or Masters degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Honduras We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo de Licenciado/a / Grado Academico de Licenciatura (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90%; or 4.7 out of 5; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 80%; or 4.0 out of 5; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 70%; or 3.5 out of 5; or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Hong Kong We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Honours Degree from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours UK 2:1 degree: Upper Second Class Honours UK 2:2 degree: Lower Second Class Honours

Hungary We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor degree (Alapfokozat) or University Diploma (Egyetemi Oklevel) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.75 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 4 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out of 5

Iceland We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor degree (Baccalaureus or Bakkalarprof) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 8.25 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 7.25 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 6.5 out of 10

India We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 75% to 80% UK 2:1 degree: 60% to 70% UK 2:2 degree: 50% to 60%

Offer conditions will vary depending on the institution you are applying from.  For some institutions/degrees we will ask for different grades to above, so this is only a guide.  

For India, offers may be made on the GPA scale.

We do not consider the Bachelor of Vocation (B. Voc.) for Masters entry.

Indonesia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Sarjna I (S1) Bachelor Degree or Diploma IV (D4) (minimum 4 years) from selected degree programmes and institutions. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.6 to 3.8 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 to 3.2 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.67 to 2.8 out of 4.0

Offer conditions will vary depending on the institution you are applying from and the degree that you study.

Iran We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 17.5 to 18.5 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 15 to 16 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 13.5 to 14 out of 20

Iraq We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 85 out of 100 UK 2:1 degree: 75 out of 100 UK 2:2 degree: 60 out of 100

Ireland We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Honours Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours UK 2:1 degree: Second Class Honours Grade I UK 2:2 degree: Second Class Honours Grade II

Israel We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90% UK 2:1 degree: 80% UK 2:2 degree: 65%

Italy We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Laurea (180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 110 out of 110 UK 2:1 degree: 105 out of 110 UK 2:2 degree: 94 out of 110

Cote D’ivoire (Ivory Coast) We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Diplome d'Ingenieur; Doctorat en Medicine; Maitrise; Master; Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies; or Diplome d'Etudes Superieures Specialisees from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Jamaica We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from the University of West Indies (UWI) or a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0; or First Class Honours from the UWI UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0; or Upper Second Class Honours from the UWI UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.4 out of 4.0; or Lower Second Class Honours from the UWI

Japan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: S overall* or A overall**; or 90%; or GPA 3.70 out of 4.00 UK 2:1 degree: A overall* or B overall**; or 80%; or GPA 3.00 out of 4.00 UK 2:2 degree: B overall* or C overall**; or 70%; or GPA 2.3 out of 4.00

*Overall mark is from the grading scale: S, A, B, C (S is highest mark) **Overall mark is from the grading scale: A, B, C, D (A is highest mark)

Jordan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 85%; or GPA of 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 75%; or GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 70%; or GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0

Kazakhstan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Specialist Diploma from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 3.8 out of 4.0/4.33; or 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 3.33 out of 4.0/4.33; or 4.0 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 2.67 out of 4.0/4.33; or 3.5 out of 5

Kenya We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours; or GPA 3.6 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: Second Class Honours Upper Division; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: Second Class Honours Lower Division; or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Kosovo We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7.5 out of 10

Kuwait We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.67 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.67 out of 4.0

Kyrgyzstan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Specialist Diploma (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.7 out of 5; or GPA 3.7 out of 4 UK 2:1 degree: 4.0 out of 5; or GPA 3.0 out of 4 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out of 5; or GPA 2.4 out of 4

Laos We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Latvia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (awarded after 2002) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 7.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 6 out of 10

Lebanon We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree; Licence; or Maitrise from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90% or Grade A; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0; or 16 out of 20 (French system) UK 2:1 degree: 80% or Grade B; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0; or 13 out of 20 (French system) UK 2:2 degree: 70% or Grade C; or GPA 2.5 out of 4.0; or 12 out of 20 (French system)

Lesotho We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Honours Degree (minimum 5 years total HE study); Masters Degree or Postgraduate Diploma from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 80% UK 2:1 degree: 70% UK 2:2 degree: 60%

Liberia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90% or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 80% or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 70% or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Libya We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 85%; or 3.7 out of 4.0 GPA UK 2:1 degree: 75%; or 3.0 out of 4.0 GPA UK 2:2 degree: 65%; or 2.6 out of 4.0 GPA

Liechtenstein We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 5.6 out of 6.0 UK 2:1 degree: 5.0 out of 6.0 UK 2:2 degree: 4.4 out of 6.0

Lithuania We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7 out of 10

Luxembourg We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Macau We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (Licenciatura) (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Macedonia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Diploma of Completed Higher Education - Level VII/1 or Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7 out of 10

Madagascar We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Maîtrise; Diplome d'Ingenieur; Diplôme d'Etat de Docteur en Médecine; Diplôme d’Etat de Docteur en Chirurgie Dentaire; Diplôme d'Études Approfondies; Diplôme de Magistère (Première Partie) – also known as Master 1; or Diplôme de Master – also known as Master 2 from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Malawi We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 80% or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 70% or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 60% or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Malaysia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: Class 1; or 3.7 out of 4.0 CGPA UK 2:1 degree: Class 2 division 1; or 3.0 out of 4.0 CGPA UK 2:2 degree: Class 2 division 2; or 2.6 out of 4.0 CGPA

Maldives We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (awarded from 2000) from the Maldives National University. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Malta We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Honours Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: First Class Honours; or Category I UK 2:1 degree: Upper Second Class Honours; or Category IIA UK 2:2 degree: Lower Second Class Honours; or Category IIB

Mauritius We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: Class I; or 70% UK 2:1 degree: Class II division I; or 60% UK 2:2 degree: Class II division II; or 50%

Offer conditions will vary depending on the grading scale used by your institution.

Mexico We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo de Licenciado/ Titulo (Profesional) de [subject area] from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.0 to 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8.0 to 8.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7.0 to 7.5 out of 10

Offer conditions will vary depending on the grading scale your institution uses.

Moldova We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (Diploma de Licenta) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 6.5 out of 10

Monaco We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Mongolia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.6 out of 4.0; or 90%; or grade A UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.2 out of 4.0; or 80%; or grade B UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.8 out of 4.0; or 70%; or grade C

Montenegro We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Diploma of Completed Academic Undergraduate Studies; Diploma of Professional Undergraduate Studies; or Advanced Diploma of Higher Education from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8.5 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7 out of 10

Morocco We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Diplome d'Ecoles Nationales de Commerce et de Gestion; Diplome de Docteur Veterinaire; Doctorat en Medecine; Docteur en Medecine Dentaire; Licence; Diplome d'Inegeniuer d'Etat; Diplome de Doctorat en Pharmacie; or Maitrise from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 13 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 11 out of 20

Mozambique We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Grau de Licenciado (minimum 4 years) or Grau de Mestre from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Myanmar We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 80% or GPA of 4.7 out of 5.0 UK 2:1 degree: 70% or GPA of 4.0 out of 5.0 UK 2:2 degree: 60% or GPA of 3.5 out of 5.0

Namibia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Honours Degree or Professional Bachelor Degree (NQF level 8 qualifications) - these to be awarded after 2008 from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 80% UK 2:1 degree: 70% UK 2:2 degree: 60%

Nepal We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 80%; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 65%; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 55%; or GPA of 2.4 out of 4.0

Bachelor in Nursing Science are not considered equivalent to UK Bachelor degrees.

Netherlands We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 8 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 7 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 6 out of 10

New Zealand We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) or Bachelor Honours Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: A-*; or First Class Honours** UK 2:1 degree: B*; or Second Class (Division 1) Honours** UK 2:2 degree: C+*; or Second Class (Division 2) Honours**

*from a Bachelor degree **from a Bachelor Honours degree

Nigeria We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: GPA 4.50 out of 5.00; or GPA 6.0 out of 7.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.50 out of 5.00; or GPA 4.6 out of 7.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.80 out of 5.00; or GPA 3.0 out of 7.0

Norway We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: Overall B grade with at least 75 ECTS (of 180 ECTS min overall) at grade A or above. UK 2:1 degree: Overall B grade UK 2:2 degree: Overall C grade

Oman We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Pakistan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.0 to 3.8 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 2.6 to 3.6 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.0 to 3.0 out of 4.0

Palestine, State of We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90% or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 80% or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 70% or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Panama We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licenciado / Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 91% UK 2:1 degree: 81% UK 2:2 degree: 71%

Papua New Guinea We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Honours Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: Class I UK 2:1 degree: Class II, division A UK 2:2 degree: Class II, division B

Paraguay We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo de Licenciado / Titulo de [professional title] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 4 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out fo 5

Peru We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Grado Academico de Bachiller or Titulo de Licenciado/ Titulo (Professional) de [subject area] from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 17 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Philippines We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from selected institutions or Juris Doctor; Bachelor of Laws; Doctor of Medicine; Doctor of Dentistry/ Optometry/ Veterinary Medicine; or Masters Degree from recognised institutions. UK 1st class degree: 3.6 out of 4.0; or 94%; or 1.25 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 3.0 out of 4.0; or 86%; or 1.75 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 2.5 out of 4.0; or 80%; or 2.5 out of 5

The above 'out of 5' scale assumes  1 is highest mark and 3 is the pass mark.

Poland We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licencjat or Inzynier (minimum 3 years) - these must be awarded after 2001 from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.8 out of 5.0 UK 2:1 degree: 4.5 out of 5.0 UK 2:2 degree: 3.8 out of 5.0

The above grades are based on the 2 to 5 scale, where 3 is the pass mark and 5 is the highest mark.

Portugal We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licenciado (minimum 180 ECTS credits) or Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 14 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 12 out of 20

Puerto Rico We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90/100 or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 80/100 or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 70/100 or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Qatar We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0; or GPA 4.4 out of 5.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0; or GPA 3.6 out of 5.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.4 out of 4.0; or GPA 2.8 out of 5.0

Romania We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.75 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8.0 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7.0 out of 10

Russia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Specialist Diploma from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 4.0 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out of 5

Rwanda We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Honours Degree (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 85%; or 17 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 70%; or 15 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 60%; or 13 out of 20

Saudi Arabia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 4.75 out of 5.0; or GPA 3.75 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.75 out of 5.0; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 5.0; or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Senegal We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Maîtrise; Master II; Diplôme d'Études Approfondies (DEA); Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Specialisées (DESS); Diplôme d'État de Docteur en Médecine; Diplôme d'Ingénieur; Diplôme de Docteur en Chirurgie Dentaire; or Diplôme de Pharmacien from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16/20 UK 2:1 degree: 14/20 UK 2:2 degree: 12/20

Serbia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Advanced Diploma of Higher Education from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7 out of 10

Sierra Leone We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (Honours) or a Masters degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: First Class honours; or GPA 4.7 out of 5; or GPA 3.75 out of 4 UK 2:1 degree: Upper Second Class honours; or GPA 4 out of 5; or GPA 3.25 out of 4 UK 2:2 degree: Lower Second Class Honours; or GPA 3.4 out of 5; or GPA 2.75 out of 4

Singapore We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) or Bachelor Honours degree from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: GPA 4.3 out of 5.0; or GPA 3.6 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.8 out of 5.0; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 3.3 out of 5.0; or GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Slovakia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (180 ECTS credits) (minimum 3 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 93%; or 1 overall (on 1 to 4 scale, where 1 is highest mark) UK 2:1 degree: 86%; or 1.5 overall (on 1 to 4 scale, where 1 is highest mark) UK 2:2 degree: 72%; or 2.5 overall (on 1 to 4 scale, where 1 is highest mark)

Slovenia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Univerzitetni Diplomant (180 ECTS credits) (minimum 3 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 9.5 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 8 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 7 out of 10

Somalia Bachelor degrees from Somalia are not considered for direct entry to our postgraduate taught programmes. Holders of Bachelor degrees from Somali National University can be considered for our Pre-Masters programmes on a case by case basis.

South Africa We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: NQF Level 8 qualifications such as Bachelor Honours degrees or Professional Bachelor degrees from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 75% UK 2:1 degree: 70% UK 2:2 degree: 60%

South Korea We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 4.2 out of 4.5; or GPA 4.0 out of 4.3; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.5 out of 4.5; or GPA 3.3 out of 4.3; or GPA 3.2 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.5; or GPA 2.8 out of 4.3; or GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Spain We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo Universitario Oficial de Graduado en [subject area] (Grado) or Titulo Universitario Oficial de Licenciado en [subject area] (Licenciatura) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 8.0 out of 10; or 2.5 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 7.0 out of 10; or 2.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 6.0 out of 10; or 1.5 out of 4.0

Sri Lanka We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (Special or Honours) or Bachelor Degree (Professional) (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.5 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Sudan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Honours degree from a recognised institution or Bachelor degree in one of the following Professional subjects: Architecture; Dentistry; Engineering; Medicine/Surgery from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 80% UK 2:1 degree: 65% UK 2:2 degree: 60%

Sweden We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (Kandidatexamen) or Professional Bachelor Degree (Yrkesexamenfrom) (180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: Overall B grade with at least 75 ECTS at grade A or above (180 ECTS minimum overall); or at least 65% of credits graded at VG overall UK 2:1 degree: Overall B grade (180 ECTS minimum overall); or at least 50% of credits graded at VG overall UK 2:2 degree: Overall C grade (180 ECTS minimum overall); or at least 20% of credits graded at VG overall.

Switzerland We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor degree (180 ECTS credits) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 5.5 out of 6; or 9 out of 10 UK 2:1 degree: 5 out of 6; or 8 out of 10 UK 2:2 degree: 4.25 out of 6; or 7 out of 10

Syria We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 85% UK 2:1 degree: 75% UK 2:2 degree: 65%

Taiwan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from selected institutions. UK 1st class degree: 85 to 90% UK 2:1 degree: 70 to 75% UK 2:2 degree: 65 to 70%

Tajikistan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Specialist Diploma or Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 4.0 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out of 5

Tanzania We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 4.4 out of 5.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.5 out of 5.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.7 out of 5.0

Thailand We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.40 to 3.60 out of 4.00 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.00 to 3.20 out of 4.00 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.40 to 2.60 out of 4.00

Offer conditions will vary depending on the institution you are applying from.

Trinidad and Tobago We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0; or First Class Honours from the University of West Indies UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0; or Upper Second Class Honours from the University of West Indies UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.4 out of 4.0; or Lower Second Class Honours from the University of West Indies

Tunisia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Licence; Diplome National d'Architecture; Maitrise; Diplome National d'Ingeniuer; or Doctorat en Medecine / Veterinaire from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 16 out of 20 UK 2:1 degree: 13 out of 20 UK 2:2 degree: 11 out of 20

Turkey We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.40 to 3.60 out of 4.00 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 2.80 to 3.00 out of 4.00 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.30 to 2.50 out of 4.00

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.60 out of 4.00 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.00 out of 4.00 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.50 out of 4.00

Turkmenistan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Diploma of Higher Education (awarded after 2007) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 4.0 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 3.5 out of 5

Turks and Caicos Islands We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (accredited by the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0; or 80% UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.3 out of 4.0; or 75% UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.7 out of 4.0; or 65%

Uganda We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 3 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 4.4 out of 5.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 4.0 out of 5.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 5.0

Ukraine We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree or Specialist Diploma from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 10 out of 12; or 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 8 out of 12; or 4.0 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 6 out of 12; or 3.5 out of 5

United Arab Emirates We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

United States of America We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: GPA 3.2 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: GPA 2.5 out of 4.0

Uruguay We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo de Licenciado/ Titulo de [subject area] (minimum 4 years) from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 10 to 11 out of 12 UK 2:1 degree: 7 to 9 out of 12 UK 2:2 degree: 6 to 7 out of 12

Uzbekistan We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) or Specialist Diploma from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90%; or 4.7 out of 5 UK 2:1 degree: 80%; or 4.0 out of 5 UK 2:2 degree: 71%; or 3.5 out of 5

Venezuela We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Titulo de Licenciado/ Titulo de [subject area] from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 81% UK 2:1 degree: 71% UK 2:2 degree: 61%

Non-percentage grading scales, for example scales out of 20, 10, 9 or 5, will have different requirements. 

Vietnam We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 8.0 out of 10; or GPA 3.7 out of 4 UK 2:1 degree: 7.0 out of 10; or GPA 3.0 out of 4 UK 2:2 degree: 5.7 out of 10; or GPA 2.4 out of 4

Yemen We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters (Majister) degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 90% UK 2:1 degree: 80% UK 2:2 degree: 65%

Bachelor Degrees from Lebanese International University (in Yemen) can be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes - please see Lebanon for guidance on grade requirements for this.

Zambia We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Masters Degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 75%; or GPA 3.7 out of 4.0 UK 2:1 degree: 65%; or GPA 3.0 out of 4.0 UK 2:2 degree: 55%; or GPA 2.4 out of 4.0

Zimbabwe We normally consider the following qualifications for entry to our postgraduate taught programmes: Bachelor Degree (minimum 4 years) or Bachelor Honours degree from a recognised institution. UK 1st class degree: 75% UK 2:1 degree: 65% UK 2:2 degree: 60%

English language requirements

If you got your degree in an English speaking country or if it was taught in English, and you studied within the last five years, you might not need an English language qualification - find out more .

The minimum English Language requirements for entry to postgraduate degree programmes within the School of English and Drama are:

7.0 overall including 7.0 in Writing, Reading, Listening and Speaking. 

100 overall including 27 in Writing, 24 in Reading, 22 in Listening and 25 in Speaking.

76 overall including 76 in Writing, Reading, Listening and Speaking.

Trinity College London, Integrated Skills in English (ISE) III with Merit in Writing, Reading, Listening and Speaking.

185 overall including 185 in Writing, and 185 in Reading, Listening and Speaking.

185 overall including 185 in Writing, and 185 in Reading, Listening and Speaking. 

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Discover more about this subject area

MA Creative Writing / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

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We normally expect students to have a First or Upper Second class honours degree or its overseas equivalent in a humanities-based subject area.

Full entry requirements

Course options

Course overview.

• Engage with writers, editors and agents.
• Become part of a network of esteemed alumni .
• Learn from a distinguished team that includes novelists Jeanette Winterson CBE, Ian McGuire, Kamila Shamsie, Beth Underdown, Honor Gavin and Luke Brown; poets John McAuliffe, Frances Leviston, Vona Groarke and Michael Schmidt; and non-fiction writers Ellah Wakatama and Horatio Clare.
• Discover the rich literary fabric of Manchester, a UNESCO City of Literature, through Literature Live, Manchester Literature Festival, The Manchester Review, the International Anthony Burgess Foundation and Manchester-based publishers.

Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MA (full-time) UK students (per annum): £12,500 International, including EU, students (per annum): £26,000
• MA (part-time) UK students (per annum): £6,250 International, including EU, students (per annum): £13,000

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Each year the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures offer a number of  School awards and  Subject-specific bursaries  (the values of which are usually set at Home/EU fees level), open to both Home/EU and international students. The deadline for these is early February each year. Details of all funding opportunities, including deadlines, eligibility and how to apply, can be found on the School's funding page  where you can also find details of the Government Postgraduate Loan Scheme.

See also the University's postgraduate funding database  to see if you are eligible for any other funding opportunities.

For University of Manchester graduates, the Manchester Alumni Bursary  offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a 1st within the last three years and are progressing to a postgraduate taught masters course.

The Manchester Master's Bursary  is a University-wide scheme that offers 100 bursaries worth £3,000 in funding for students from underrepresented groups.

Contact details

See: About us

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing

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You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

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• MA Creative Writing

Creative Writing

Join our community of internationally renowned, award-winning writers at the Manchester Writing School, where collaboration and experimentation are at the heart of what we do.

Course overview

At the heart of the Manchester Writing School are our masters programmes in Creative Writing, available to study on campus in Manchester and also from anywhere in the world via online distance learning. 

On our Master of Arts (MA) Creative Writing programme, you will explore and practice techniques and styles of modern and contemporary writing and apply these through the development of your own creative work. You will undertake a taught element blending writing workshops with reading units and option units, and then complete your studies through submission of an extended piece of writing from a proposed full-length book or script. 

You will specialise in one of the following routes: Novel (including Short Fiction), Poetry, Writing for Children & Young Adults, Scriptwriting ...

What you need to know

• When does the course start? September 2024 January 2025

1 year full-time (campus) 2 years part-time (campus or online)

Students can begin studying in January or September.

• Where will I study this course? Manchester , Online

Features and benefits

"One of the greatest pleasures of my working life continues to be the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, a department with a real sense of family, achievement and celebration, and an ethos of nurturing and innovation." Professor Carol Ann Duffy DBE – Creative Director of the Manchester Writing School

Course Information

At the heart of the Manchester Writing School are our masters programmes in creative writing, available to study on campus in Manchester, and also from anywhere in the world via online distance learning.

MA Creative Writing can be tailored to suit your writing preferences by following a specialist route in novel (including short fiction), poetry, writing for children & young adults, scriptwriting (for stage, screen or radio) or creative non-fiction. Watch our playlist to find out more about each route.

This MA blends writing workshops, where you produce and develop your own work-in-progress with regular feedback from tutors and fellow students, with reading courses, which look at the techniques, forms and styles used by a range of writers in modern and contemporary literature. All students also take 30 credits of optional units and can choose from a range of creative writing units or options from courses across arts and humanities subjects. The final piece of work for the MA is the dissertation – an extended piece of creative writing from a proposed full-length book or script. 

The MA is available to complete in one year full-time or two years part-time. The novel and poetry routes are available to study on campus (full-time or part-time) or online (part-time only). The writing for children and creative non-fiction routes are online (part-time) only. The scriptwriting route is available to study on campus only.  We have intakes to the programme in September and January each year. 

Visit the Manchester Writing School website for more information, including profiles of staff and published students, news, events and projects.

Please visit our scholarships page for information on funding opportunities .

The programme leader for this course is James Draper . 

Classes for core Workshop and Reading units take place in the evenings (6-8pm UK time) during the autumn and spring semesters. Full-time students take all of their units in a single year and usually have classes two evenings per week. Part-time students spread these units over two years (study pattern may vary depending on specialist route) and usually have classes one evening per week. All students also take 30 credits of optional units and can choose from a range of creative writing units or options from courses across arts and humanities subjects. The MA concludes with the submission of the Creative Dissertation, completed through independent study with one-to-one support from a Dissertation Supervisor.

Creative Dissertation

This unit will build on and progress material produced during the Workshop units. You will compile and edit your creative writing into a substantial, continuous extract from a proposed longer work-in-progress and provide a Genesis Document: an account of the origins of and inspirations for your writing.

Reading Unit 1

This route-specific unit looks at the forms, themes, styles and techniques used by a range of writers in literature. Outstanding writing is considered in terms of composition, process and presentation, and its relevance to your own work-in-progress. 

The Workshop

Workshops are led by established practitioners in the specialist literary field (Novel, Poetry, Writing for Children/Young Adults, Scriptwriting or Creative Non-Fiction), giving you a committed editorial readership of professionals and peers, and generating and developing material for a proposed full-length book or script. It is expected that the creative work generated will eventually contribute to your Creative Dissertation.

Option units

Creative project.

On this unit, you will be asked to devise, scope, plan, conduct, report and reflect on a creative project of your own choosing. The project should involve a significant stretch from your core work on the programme and explore a new practice. This can be either working in a writing discipline different to your main route through the course, or by adapting or applying your work in a new context.

Green Writing

This unit will explore how creative writers can engage with ecological emergency during a time of crisis. The unit will examine different approaches to writing about nature, ecology and the environment, and demonstrate ways to respond creatively to contemporary climate science. You will study key texts in the field and produce your own original creative work using techniques drawn from those materials, learning how to bring traditionally ‘non-fiction’ perspectives into the realm of fiction.

Reading Unit 2 (30 credits)

Remaking games: creativity, play and communication.

This unit explores the theory and practice of hacking and making games as a research method and mode of creative practice. It considers the intersection between creative writing and game design. In the unit we introduce students to reading and making games as a new methodology that combines creative and critical thinking with public engagement and impact at the point of research. For creative writers, the unit helps develop new ways to explore narrative and storytelling through interactive fiction, videogames and analogue games. You will develop new communication skills as part of the research process, creating games to share with other students and wider audiences as a way of engaging the public with your research.  

Teaching Creative Writing

This unit introduces techniques for developing and delivering creative writing workshops in a range of settings and considers how to encourage would-be participants to produce original writing in a variety of styles and genres. Consideration of key pedagogic theories and analyses of demonstrations will offer background context and enable critical reflection on workshop practice.

The Industry (30 credits)

You will learn and acquire practical information about various aspects of the publishing, literary, arts and related industries through seminars and Q&A sessions with guest speakers. These may include agents, editors, publishers, publicists, booksellers, directors, producers, broadcasters, filmmakers, freelancers, performers, artists and illustrators. This unit is designed to give you a broad overview of the state of the industry, as well as some specialist knowledge about opportunities available for those working in your specialist area, as you complete your manuscript.

Writing About Relationships

This course unit explores writing about love and partnership and is designed to help you gain confidence, avoid cliché and improve the quality of your prose style as you write about human relationships and intimacy. 

Study and assessment breakdown

10 credits equates to 100 hours of study, which is a combination of lectures, seminars and practical sessions, and independent study. A masters qualification typically comprises of 180 credits, a PGDip 120 credits, a PGCert 60 credits and an MFA 300 credits. The exact composition of your study time and assessments for the course will vary according to your option choices and style of learning, but it could be:

• Full-time 34% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 66% independent study
• Part-time 34% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 66% independent study
• Full-time 100% coursework; 0% practical; 0% examination
• Part-time 100% coursework; 0% practical; 0% examination

Placement options

The Manchester Writing School is one of the UK's leading schools of creative writing. It is also home to ground-breaking outreach activities, international writing competitions, a series of city-wide literary events, innovative publishing projects, the Manchester Children's Book Festival , and Manchester Poetry Library . These activities provide you with many opportunities to get involved and develop your experience in a number of exciting directions.

Whether you've already made your decision about what you want to study, or you're just considering whether postgraduate study is right for you, there are lots of ways you can meet us and find out more about postgraduate student life at Manchester Met.

• a virtual experience campus tour
• chats with current students

Taught by Experts

Your studies are supported by a department of committed and enthusiastic teachers and researchers, experts in their chosen field.

We often link up with external professionals too, helping to enhance your learning and build valuable connections to the working world.

Entry Requirements

Application is by submission of an online form including a personal statement, and a sample of your own creative work. Your application should be tailored to one of our specialist routes: Novel, Poetry, Writing for Children & YA, Scriptwriting or Creative Non-Fiction. You can apply online here: mmu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/postgraduate-taught-course.

Please indicate at the top of your personal statement which specialist route you are applying for. You should use the rest of the statement to tell us a bit about yourself, give a good overview of your reading and writing interests, and a sense of what has led you to apply for our course and any ideas you have for what you’d like to write with us. Personal statements should be approximately 500 words long.

For the creative sample , applicants to the Novel, Children's & YA and Creative Non-Fiction routes should submit up to 2,000 words of prose; poetry applicants should submit up to 15 poems; and scriptwriting applicants should submit up to 15 minutes running time of script. The work submitted can be a complete piece, or an extract, or a number of extracts from a longer work or works, but must all be within the chosen specialist route.

We have intakes into the programme in September and January each year. For application deadlines, please see the 'How to Apply section'. 

In each application assessed we will be looking for evidence of:

A very high standard of written English; 

Control of form, style and technique; 

• Substantial reading of contemporary work within the relevant field; 

Commitment to the craft of writing and willingness to engage with the editorial process of receiving feedback and redrafting work-in-progress;  

Experience of the development of writing skills through workshops, supervision, mentoring or previous study.

Applicants whose first language is not English are required to produce evidence of English Language proficiency. Overseas applicants will require IELTS with an overall score of 6.5, with no sub-component below 5.5, or an equivalent accepted English qualification. Accepted English qualifications can be viewed  here .

If your application meets these criteria, a tutor may contact you to arrange a telephone or face-to-face interview at a mutually convenient time.

Fees and Funding

Uk and channel island students.

Full-time fee: £9,500 per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Part-time fee: £1584 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Distance learning fee: £1584 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

EU and Non-EU International Students

Full-time fee: £18,500 per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Part-time fee: £3084 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Distance learning fee: £3084 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Additional Information

A masters qualification typically comprises 180 credits, a PGDip 120 credits, a PGCert 60 credits, and an MFA 300 credits. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of study provided the course is completed in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Additional Costs

Specialist costs.

Compulsory estimate : £300

Optional estimate : £2200

Books (novels, poetry collections, children/young adult books, scripts in print, or books of creative non-fiction depending on the specialist route of study) for study on Reading units (up to 10 books per unit for two units). Costs spread across years one and two for part-time students. There is also a list of additional, optional recommended reading for each unit. Students can access much of this via the Manchester Met library (either by loaning books or via the e-book system). All students will require access to a computer in order to undertake their studies (accessing online resources, forums and communication systems). Students can loan laptops on campus. Students will also need access to broadband internet. While most students choose to purchase these for home use, computers with internet access are available to use on campus. While most assessed work will be submitted and completed electronically, students taking the dissertation or manuscript units will be asked to submit printed and bound copies of their work.

placement Costs

Compulsory estimate : £100

There is an optional summer school each year, where students are invited to spend two full days on campus for a suite of masterclass workshops, talks and social activities. Attendance at the school is free of charge, but students are asked to make their own arrangements for travel, accommodation and food. Students undertaking units which involve creating artwork, producing objects, or travelling to conduct research or interviews etc. will need to cover the costs of any materials used and also make arrangements for accommodation, travel and food. Students based outside of Manchester, including distance learners, who wish to attend on-campus or in-person events, activities, or classes are asked to cover the costs of accommodation, food, travel and tuition for these.

other Costs

Optional estimate : £500

Students may be invited to take part in optional public events (e.g. reading from their own work), or attend meetings for extra-curricular projects (e.g. the Rosamond Prize) and are expected to cover the costs of travel, accommodation and food.

Career Prospects

More than 100 of our students and graduates have embarked upon publishing careers, launching first books, with many more achieving publication in journals and magazines, winning writing awards and prizes, and setting up small presses and anthologies. Our alumni include winners of the Costa First Novel Award, Forward Poetry Prize and Yale Windham-Campell Prize, and a long-listing for the Man Booker Prize. 

Our School plays a leading role in establishing Manchester as a city of writers with a commitment to finding diverse new voices and creating opportunities for writer development, enabling new writing and building audiences for the next generation of talent. Manchester has been designated a UNESCO City of Literature in recognition of its thriving live literature scene, with a year-round programme of author events, writers’ forums, networking opportunities and open mic nights. 

We are home to a suite of ground-breaking outreach projects including the Manchester Children’s Book Festival and Mother Tongue Other Tongue , an international multilingual poetry competition that celebrates cultural diversity and the many languages spoken in schools in the UK. Our Manchester Poetry Library holds over 12,000 books and recordings that can be explored through our online catalogue, in person and through our annual events programme. Our School has a strong Manchester presence, with links to many of the city’s major cultural and arts organisations, and also a global reach with students and alumni based across the UK and continental Europe, and in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia.

Our strong partnerships and innovative projects mean that you will have plenty of opportunities to develop your industry experience and network.  

On completion of this course you may decide to pursue PhD study, or to develop a career in bookselling, agenting, publishing, editing, the media, or in teaching creative writing. You will have access to the Careers and Employability Hub located in the Business School at Manchester Met, offering a host of information resources, one-to-one careers support, and employability events throughout the year. This service is also available for up to three years after you graduate. 

The Power of Words Led by Professor Carol Ann Duffy DBE (UK Poet Laureate 2009-2019), the Manchester Writing School is the beating literary heart of a city alive with culture. Find out more about its prestigious past, present and future by watching our video, 'The Power of Words'.   Watch the video Manchester Writing School

Want to know more

Register your interest, got a question.

Please contact our course enquiries team.

Please remember to tailor your application to one of our specialist routes (Novel, Poetry, Writing for Children, Scriptwriting or Creative Non-Fiction) and to include a creative sample relevant to that chosen route.

Please upload your creative sample under the 'Degree Transcript' section of the application portal. 

The novel and poetry routes are available to study on campus (full-time or part-time) or online (part-time only). The writing for children and creative non-fiction routes are online (part-time) only. The scriptwriting route is available to study on campus only.

Get advice and support on making a successful application.

You can review our current Terms and Conditions before you make your application. If you are successful with your application, we will send you up to date information alongside your offer letter.

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Programme Review Our programmes undergo an annual review and major review (normally at 6 year intervals) to ensure an up-to-date curriculum supported by the latest online learning technology. For further information on when we may make changes to our programmes, please see the changes section of our Terms and Conditions .

Important Notice This online prospectus provides an overview of our programmes of study and the University. We regularly update our online prospectus so that our published course information is accurate. Please check back to the online prospectus before making an application to us to access the most up to date information for your chosen course of study.

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Postgraduate Taught

MA Creative Writing

• Postgraduate Taught home
• Creative Writing MA

Masters applications for 2023 entry are now closed.

Applications for September 2024 will open on Monday 25 September. Applications are now open for programmes with a January 2024 start. View our programmes »

• At the University of Exeter, we don’t just teach you how to write to get published. Our team of internationally acclaimed authors understand that your ambitions, and powers of creative writing, are far greater than that
• Our modules are designed to enable you to write for better futures, to: promote social justice, protect our planet, support child wellbeing, comfort and entertain, and inspire others to action
• Experiment in new literary genres, and study and respond to diverse contemporary writers
• Excellent links with the worlds of publishing, literary journalism and broadcasting, book festivals and prizes providing insights into the workings of the literary marketplace
• Establish the contacts necessary for successful publication
• Whether you like writing poetry, prose fiction, short stories, film scripts, game narratives, children’s books or young adult (YA) novels, we invite you to join us on our mission to write to make a difference

Apply online

View 2024 Entry

Fast Track (current Exeter students)

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Get a prospectus

Programme Director: Professor Andy Brown

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Discover MA Creative Writing at the University of Exeter.

88% of our English research is internationally excellent

Based on research rated 4* + 3* in REF 2021, submitted to UoA27 English Language and Literature

Top 100 in the world for English Language and Literature

61 st in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2023

A thriving and supportive writing community - our team of prize-winning and best-selling authors will help you develop your creative writing skills.

Top 10 in the UK for English

9th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024

Entry requirements

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree with 53% or above in their first degree in a relevant subject area. While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.

Applicants will be asked to submit a sample of creative writing which can be roughly 2,000 words of prose or 3-4 poems.

Entry requirements for international students

English language requirements.

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile E . Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

Course content

The MA in Creative Writing is designed for students to develop a longer piece of work during the MA, or find out what their strengths are in the different forms. It is for people, of any age, whether recent graduates or older, who wish to grow their talent quickly by acquiring knowledge and practice in the art of fiction, poetry, life-writing, nature writing or the writing of screenplays.

Our Creative Writing staff are well-published, practicing writers who take great pride in designing and delivering modules in their specialist areas.

Full time students take two modules in term 1, two modules in term 2, and write their dissertations in term 3. Each module has one two-hour seminar per week, with homework set that involves intensive, self-motivated practice and research.

The modules we outline 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.

2024/25 entry

Uk fees per year:.

£12,000 full-time; £6,000 part-time

International fees per year:

£24,300 full-time; £12,150 part-time

Scholarships

For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.

Find out more about tuition fees and funding »

Teaching and research

Learning and teaching.

Whether you already know what kind of books or screenplays you wish to write or are still searching for the best form in which to express your creativity, we offer the chance to try your hand in a range of genres, and to benefit from feedback tailored to your writing needs.

A programme of visiting speakers takes place throughout the academic year with writers, publishers and agents coming to talk to students about the next steps in their careers. The roll call changes every year to reflect both our students’ interests and new trends. Recent guest lecturers have included the Booker prize winning novelist Hilary Mantel; the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize-winning novelist Hisham Matar; the Pulitzer Prize winning US Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey; the writer, editor and publisher Richard Cohen, and many others.

Our MA can be taken over one-year full time, or two years part time. During your study, you will build a portfolio of creative work for possible publication, including a dissertation in your chosen genre. You will also be able to take a range of optional modules and explore literary genres and forms with a mutually supportive, like-minded group of fellow writers.

Research areas

Exeter’s creative writing staff practise and publish in a range of literary genres. Their experience of the literary world is not limited to writing and teaching. They also worked – and continue to work - as editors, publishers, agents, radio producers, and journalists. This wealth of experience is reflected in the vibrancy and diversity of our workshops and tutorials.

As a creative writing student, you will also benefit from the academic expertise of the many world-leading scholars working in the English Department at our Exeter Campus, a lively community of doctoral students, and the activities of four dedicated research centres: the Medieval and Renaissance Research Group; the 18th-Century Narrative Consortium; the Victorian Studies Research Group; and the 20th and 21st Century Literature, Creative Writing and Film Research Group.

John Wedgwood Clarke

Vesna Goldsworthy

Wendy O’Shea-Meddour

Ellen Wiles

Andy has a notable national reputation as a poet, poetry commentator and poetry tutor. He is the author of 10 poetry collections and editor of several anthologies, including A Body of Work: Poetry & Medical Writing , for Bloomsbury. He has interests in Ecopoetics, and the Medical Humanities, and often collaborates with scientists. He is also a musician who performs regularly around the region.

Profile page

John is an award-winning poet, prose nonfiction writer and broadcaster. His full poetry collections include Ghost Pot (2013) and Landfill (2017) both of which explore place, ecology and the relationship between science and poetry. He regularly works across disciplines and has led major Arts Council-funded arts projects including Dictionary of Stone and Sea Swim. He presented The Books that Made Britain (2016) & Through the Lens of Larkin (2017), both for BBC4.

A prize-winning poet, memoirist, novelist and broadcaster. Vensa’s books have been translated into twenty languages and serialised by the BBC. Before becoming an academic in English Literature and Creative Writing, Vesna spent fifteen years in publishing and as a producer at the BBC.

Sam has written eight novels, two books on the craft of writing, and two films. In 2010 he won an Eric Gregory Award; in 2004 his novel The Unnumbered was long-listed for the Man-Booker prize. His first novel won the Somerset Maugham Award.

An internationally successful children’s writer, as well as an academic with nearly twenty years lecturing experience. Since her debut in 2012, Wendy has published 15 children’s books and her work has been translated into 16 languages. Award-winning titles include: A Hen in the Wardrobe (2012), the Wendy Quill series (2013-2015), and How the Library (not the Prince) Saved Rapunzel (2015).

Ellen’s first novel, The Invisible Crowd (Harper Collins, 2017) was awarded a Victor Turner Prize. Her first book, Saffron Shadows and Salvaged Scripts: Literary Life in Myanmar Under Censorship and in Transition (Columbia University Press, 2015) was the first to explore this literary culture through interviews and translations. Her new book, Live Literature: The Experience and Cultural Value of Literary Performance Events from Salons to Festivals (Palgrave, 2021), uses literary ethnography to explore participant experience, and has been described as ‘groundbreaking’, ‘stylish’, and ‘compelling’.

Nazneen Ahmed Pathak

Ben’s debut novel Doggerland uses the lens of speculative fiction to engage with pressing contemporary issues such as renewable energy, ocean waste, climate change and the scale-effects of the Anthropocene. It was selected as a Guardian Book of the Year 2019.

Nazneen writes fiction for children and poetry for adults. Her first book, City of Stolen Magic , a historical fantasy for middle-grade readers, comes out with Puffin in summer 2023. She is represented by Louise Lamont at LBA Books, and currently holds the post of Hampshire Poet for 2022-23.

Whether your ambition is to become a full-time writer, a teacher of writing, or to develop a creative career which includes writing in one of its many forms, we have a strong track record of supporting our students through to publication and doctoral level work.

While at Exeter, our MA students publish their creative work in   RIPTIDE   and in the new postgraduate journal   EXCLAMATION . The Creative Writing Society also run a journal called Enigma.

Former University of Exeter students who have gone on to develop a writing career include poets such as Luke Kennard, Abi Curtis, Eleanor Rees, Izzy Galleymore, Jaime Robles, Jos Smith, Sally Flint, and Samuel Tongue; novelists Virginia Baily, Lucy Wood, and Ruth Gilligan; and non-fiction writers such as Miriam Darlington.

Many of our former students now work in film, broadcasting, advertising, journalism, PR, publishing, teaching – including the teaching of creative writing – as well as other careers in the growing number of fields where good writing is an asset.

Careers and employment support

While studying at Exeter you can also access a range of activities, advice and practical help to give you the best chance of following your chosen career path. For more information visit  Careers pages .

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Creative Writing MA, PGCert

Our PGCert and MA in Creative Writing provide a unique opportunity to explore and develop your creative writing skills through practice, revision and discussion.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:

Start date(s):

• September 2024

Our Creative Writing MA develops your understanding of your own writing and your technical writing skills.

You'll further your awareness of:

• writing processes
• professional writing

This PGCert and MA in Creative Writing provide a unique opportunity to explore and develop your creative writing skills. We teach creative writing in three areas:

• prose writing, with an emphasis on short fiction, creative non-fiction and the essay
• poetry with an emphasis on the practice and study of a variety of poetic traditions and contemporary techniques
• scriptwriting, which includes writing for the theatre and screenwriting

Through these areas, we'll introduce you to a wide range of subjects and opportunities with which writers are working professionally.

Members of  our Creative Writing staff  have received national and international recognition for their writing. You'll work with them to prepare your own writing for submission.

If you complete the Creative Writing PGCert, you can choose to transfer to the second year of our part-time MA.

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our  Academic experience page , which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our  terms and conditions and student complaints information , which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Related courses

Qualifications explained.

Find out about the different qualification options for this course.

An MA is a taught Master’s degree. It usually involves the study of social sciences, art and humanities, and business, consulting and management. It typically includes:

• subject-specific taught modules
• a dissertation or research project of approximately 15,000 – 18,000 words

You'll usually study an MA full-time over 12 months.

A Master of Arts is awarded for the successful completion of 120 credits of taught modules and a 60 credit dissertation or research project.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications .

A PGCert is awarded if you successfully complete half of the taught modules (60 credits).

What you'll learn

Through this Creative Writing Master's you'll be inducted into the habits and inventive strategies of writers in a module dedicated to this process. You'll also begin to concentrate on skills specific to different fields of the writing craft.

You'll go on to test your own writing in one of three workshops dedicated to poetry, prose or script. You'll also take the opportunity to focus on areas of imaginative writing that are specialisms of our staff. Examples of our specialisms include:

• dramatic monologue
• poetry and translation
• life writing
• screenwriting

Our Profession of Writing module explores the roles and importance of:

• professional opportunities for creative writers

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions .

The range of modules will be different if you're studying part-time.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules

• Craft: Prose
• Craft: Poetry
• Craft: Theatre Script
• Screenwriting
• Poetry and Translation
• Life Writing Masterclass

How you'll learn

You’ll be taught using a range of methods, typically including:

• taught sessions
• guided reading
• individual consultations

The portfolio will see you finely develop your work through one-to-one supervision. Our small seminar groups and one-to-one supervision mean you'll work closely with your tutors, who are all writing practitioners.

All our classes take place in the early evening.

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Your development

Our PGCert and MA in Creative Writing allow you to advance your creative ability through:

You will further your awareness of:

• writing craft

Your future

Our careers service.

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Follow in their footsteps

• Name: Oisín
• Nationality: British
• Graduated: 2020
• Now working as: Software developer, writer and filmmaker

"I was inspired by the talent and creativity of my peers, and many of them have gone on to be published and recognised. We still support one another, sharing our successes and challenges along the way."

Find out what Oisín liked the most about studying Creative Writing MA at Newcastle University and how this degree helped him in his career as a software developer.

Read about Oisín's journey .

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information .

The School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics is a lively and diverse community with over 700 undergraduates and 200 postgraduates. We're based in the Percy Building. Our purpose-built postgraduate suite includes:

• several dedicated computer clusters
• meeting rooms
• a kitchen and lounge area

Our award-winning Phillip Robinson Library has an extensive audio-visual collection.

The Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts (NCLA) is a world-class centre of excellence in the field of creative writing which contributes to the cultural life of the North East via:

The NCLA offers you the opportunity to get involved in our writing community through readings and events that feature:

• scriptwriters
• non-fiction writers

Past speakers include:

• Kazuo Ishiguro
• Paul Muldoon
• Val McDermid
• Peter Straughan
• Claudia Rankine
• David Almond

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year).

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here .

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See  our   searchable postgraduate funding page  for more information.  

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section .

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English language requirements, admissions policy.

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB) Other policies related to admissions

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

• How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages .

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

• Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

Melanie Birch Events, Marketing and Postgraduate Administrator School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 7619 Email:  [email protected]

For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.

You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

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We regularly send email updates and extra information about the University.

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Chat online with current students with our Unibuddy platform.

• What You'll Learn
• How You'll Learn
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• Quality and Ranking
• Fees and Funding
• Entry Requirements
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• Writing Tips

The 6 Best UK Universities for Creative Writing Degrees

• 13-minute read
• 24th February 2023

A creative writing degree can unlock your potential and give you access to a world of career and writing opportunities. So if you’re an avid writer looking to develop your skills , a university-level degree might be the perfect next step.

But with so many options for studying creative writing in the UK, you might be wondering where (and how) to start. Your course and university choice could impact the skills you develop, the connections you make, and the direction in which your career takes off.

That’s why, in this post, we break down what a creative writing degree is, explain what you need to look out for when choosing a university, and finally, offer an overview of some of the best UK universities for creative writing degrees.

When you’re done reading, we hope you’ll be one step closer to starting your ideal creative writing degree.

What Is a Creative Writing Degree?

A creative writing degree is an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification in creative writing. The degree may focus on creative writing alone, or an institution may combine creative writing with related subjects, such as English language and literature, film studies, or journalism.

The purpose of a creative writing degree is to help students develop their writing skills, establish their authorial voice, and equip themselves with an understanding of different writing styles and techniques. Degree material may also cover practical concerns, such as how the publishing industry works.

Entry requirements for a creative writing course vary, but most institutions will ask for an A-level or the equivalent in English language and/or literature. Creative writing programs cover many forms of writing and can include modules in:

●  Prose

●  Nonfiction

●  Poetry

●  Scriptwriting

●  Writing for an online audience

●  Narrative theory

●  The creative process

●  Getting published

●  Teaching creative writing

As they progress through the course, creative writing students will produce essays alongside a portfolio of creative work, which they will then submit for assessment.

The Benefits of a Creative Writing Degree

While you don’t need a creative writing degree to publish your work, having one can provide you with unique benefits and career opportunities. Creative writing students can expect to:

●  Work with published authors and literary professionals

●  Develop contacts within the publishing industry

●  Experience dealing with and responding to feedback

●  Encounter opportunities to publish their work and establish a reputation as a writer

●  Explore the theory behind writing in depth

You will also develop transferable talents such as time management, communication skills, and self-discipline. These will help you develop your career and stand out to potential employers.

Career Opportunities for Creative Writing Graduates

Becoming an author might be the most obvious career path for creative writing graduates, but you can access plenty of other career choices with your degree. Potential careers include:

●  Editorial assistant

●  Copy editor

●  Publisher

●  Literary agent

●  Copywriter

●  Marketing assistant

●  Journalist

●  Teacher

●  English or creative writing lecturer

Things to Consider When Choosing a University

When you choose a creative writing degree, you’re also choosing the university where you will study. Each institution has its own benefits and approaches, so to make sure you select the right university for you, consider the following factors.

Location and Campus Culture

Some universities are campus-based; that is, lecture halls, accommodations, entertainment, and other facilities are all located in one place. Other institutions are spread across the town or city where they are based.

Each location will have its own atmosphere, so visiting for an open day will help you get a better idea of what attending that university would be like. You should also consider how far away from home you want to study and how easily you can travel between your university and your hometown.

The faculty members of different universities will have their own specialist subjects, research interests, and writing experience. Look for a university where the faculty members specialize in areas of writing you’re interested in. Doing so is especially important if you’re pursuing a PhD in creative writing, as you’ll need to find an appropriate PhD supervisor .

Available Resources and Facilities

While most universities are equipped with a well-stocked library, some may be more suited than others to your subject. A university library that specializes in the humanities, for example, will complement a creative writing degree well.

A university publishing press can also be a useful resource that provides work and publishing opportunities for creative writing students. University publications and magazines are good places to submit writing as well.

Professional Connections and Internships

Some universities incorporate internships into their creative writing degrees. The internships are work placements that will provide you with on-the-job skills and experience and can help you develop professional connections within the publishing industry.

1. University of East Anglia

The University of East Anglia (or UEA) was the first university in the UK to offer degree-level courses in creative writing, introducing an MA in creative writing in 1970, then following suit with the first creative writing PhD in 1987.

UEA’s courses combine creative writing with the study of literature or drama at an undergraduate level. Each of the university’s postgraduate courses focuses on a particular form of writing, such as fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.

Based in Norwich, a UNESCO City of Literature , UEA is able to provide a variety of resources and opportunities for creative writing students, including:

●  The National Centre for Writing and the British Archive for Contemporary Writing

●  The UEA Publishing Project , which runs three publishing presses and publishes student writing in an annual anthology

●  The UEA Award , which helps employers recognize students’ achievements

●  A variety of writing fellowships

●  Year-round literary events and festivals for students and published authors, such as UEA Live and the Norwich Crime Fiction Festival

Notable UEA alumni include Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro and Booker Prize winner Anne Enright .

2. University of Leeds

The University of Leeds is one of the UK’s largest universities and belongs to the Russell Group . Leeds is a campus university, but it’s close to the center of the city.

Leeds offers an interdisciplinary BA in English Literature with Creative Writing , an MA in Creative Writing or Writing for Performance and Digital Media , and research degrees within the School of English or the School of Performance and Cultural Industries.

At the undergraduate level, Leeds offers a diverse range of creative writing modules (including science fiction, crime fiction, nature writing, and travel writing). Published writers and expert researchers teach all these modules.

The university has connections with a variety of creative writing projects, institutions, and festivals, including:

●  Ilkley Literature Festival

●  Leeds Playhouse

●  Leeds Grand Theatre

●  Leeds Poetry Centre

●  The School of Night , a fortnightly poetry seminar

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●  Brotherton Library, which features extensive archives and a collection of period printing presses

Leeds also has its own theater space, stage@leeds , and publishes the literary magazine Stand , both of which showcase students’ creative work. Notable Leeds alumni include playwright Wole Syonka and poet Geoffrey Hill . The university was also home to author J.R.R. Tolkien, who was a professor in the School of English and contributed poetry to the university’s newsletter.

3. University of Birmingham

Established in the West Midlands in 1900, the University of Birmingham is another campus-based Russell Group university.

Birmingham ranked first for creative writing in the Guardian University Guide 2023 . The university offers a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing or in Film and Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing.

The university’s creative writing modules and courses focus on exposing students to a broad range of writing styles and genres while offering workshops and professional skills training aimed at preparing students for the publishing industry.

The university also works closely with the local creative community to provide students with a range of opportunities, including:

●  The Cultural Intern Scheme

●  The Birmingham Project

●  Publishing opportunities with Nine Arches Press and Tindal Street Press

In addition, Birmingham runs the world-renowned Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, where students can experience unique writing workshops and a residential trip featuring seminars, theater visits, and other events.

For graduating students, the university currently boasts a 90% employment rate within 15 months. Birmingham is the UK’s fourth-most targeted university among the top employers of graduates.

4. University of Warwick

The University of Warwick is a slightly newer university, first offering courses in 1965. Based just outside the city of Coventry, the University of Warwick is a campus university. It is home to the Warwick Arts Centre , a purpose-built facility for cinema, theater, and the visual arts.

The Warwick Writing Program provides the creative writing courses at Warwick. Established in 1996, the project aims to inspire and develop writers internationally. Published authors, poets, and literary translators make up the staff.

Within the program, students can pursue a BA in English and Creative Writing or an MA in Writing . Students can pursue the MA as either a taught degree or a long project, with the aim of producing a long-form piece of writing.

The University of Warwick provides opportunities for students and graduates, such as:

●  The Warwick Prize for Women in Translation

●  The Sunday Times Young Writer Award

●  Workshops at the Warwick Arts Centre

●  Warwick Thursdays (weekly events hosted by publishing industry experts)

●  The option to study abroad for one year

Warwick’s alumni include novelist Sophie Mackintosh , as well as Gboyega Odubanjo and Michael Askew, winners of the Eric Gregory Award.

5. University of Reading

The University of Reading is a 100-year-old institution spread across multiple campuses. It ranks in the top 30 British universities.

Reading offers one of the most diverse and flexible ranges of undergraduate creative writing degrees in the UK. Prospective students can choose to pursue the following BAs:

●  English Literature with Creative Writing

●  Creative Writing and Film

●  Creative Writing and Theatre

●  Creative Writing and Film & Theatre

●  Art and Creative Writing

An MA in Creative Writing is also available and includes modules in the publishing industry and persuasive writing to help students find careers in publishing and journalism.

Reading is home to the Archive of British Publishing and Printing and provides access to collections of rare books and manuscripts that enable students to explore the creative process of famous authors, such as Thomas Hardy. Students also have the opportunity to publish their work in The Canvas , Reading’s online magazine.

6. University of Strathclyde

Based in the center of Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, the University of Strathclyde is a multi-award-winning university. And when it comes to creative writing, Strathclyde offers some unique areas of study for undergraduates , including Scottish literature and the Glasgow novel.

Strathclyde also offers postgraduate courses. As the university is Scottish, it offers a Master of Letters ( MLitt ) and a Master of Research ( M. Res .) in place of the more common MA in creative writing. MLitt creative writing students can choose to specialize in a research area and placement of their choice or take a module from other subjects within the School of Humanities.

The University of Strathclyde offers students numerous resources, opportunities, and connections across Glasgow. These include:

●  The Aye Right! Book Festival

●  Blaze , the university’s online creative writing classes

●  Creative Scotland

Strathclyde’s alumni include authors Ali Smith and Andrew O’Hagan . Among the current faculty members are screenwriter Andrew Meehan and poet David Kinloch .

To recap the main points of this post:

●  A creative writing degree will help you develop your writing skills, often in tandem with cultivating critical reading skills.

●  Creative writing degrees offer a variety of modules and allow you to specialize in a particular form or genre.

●  A creative writing degree can open many potential career paths.

●  The most important things to consider when choosing a university at which to study creative writing are location, staff, resources, and professional opportunities.

●  Six of the best universities for creative writing degrees in the UK are the University of East Anglia, the University of Leeds, the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick, the University of Reading, and the University of Strathclyde.

●  Many of these universities offer lectures, workshops, and seminars delivered by published authors.

Whichever university you decide to attend, make sure it’s the right one for you. Look for modules you’re interested in, writing forms you’d like to explore, opportunities you want to make the most of, and a university atmosphere you’ll thrive in.

And if you’re looking for more options, take a look at the Complete University Guide’s 2023 rankings for creative writing .

What types of degrees can I receive in creative writing?

As an undergraduate, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in creative writing. As a postgraduate, you can earn a Master of Arts (MA) degree or a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD).

If you’re studying in Scotland, the types of degrees may differ slightly.

How do I know whether I have what it takes to pursue a degree in creative writing?

Before accepting you for a creative writing degree, most universities will require that you have certain A-level or equivalent grades. But academic achievements aren’t everything. If you’re looking to pursue a degree in creative writing, it’s helpful to have:

●  An avid interest in reading (and, of course, writing!)

●  A portfolio to demonstrate your writing

●  The ability to meet deadlines

Be prepared to work hard, but remember, the point of a creative writing degree is to help develop your writing skills and style. You don’t have to be a perfect, polished writer to be a creative writing student!

Can I pursue a creative writing degree online?

Yes, many universities now offer online versions of creative writing degrees. This means you will be able to earn the same qualification by studying online as you would if you studied in person.

However, be careful to choose a properly accredited online creative writing degree.

Where can I get feedback on my university application?

A professional proofreader or editor is the best choice for getting feedback on your application .

Our team here at Proofed can help make sure your university application is clear and correct and meets the appropriate academic standards so that you can focus on preparing for university life.

We can even proofread the first 500 words for free – so why not submit a document ?

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Home > Postgraduate study > Postgraduate courses > Creative Writing MA

Creative Writing MA

Why choose this course.

With a full programme of workshops and critical study, this Creative Writing MA offers you the chance to work on your own writing in different genres with the support of published practitioners.

You will learn in workshops, one-to-one or in small groups, with support from practising and published writers and fellow students. Our award-winning former creative writing students include Booker-shortlisted Oyinkan Braithwaite, Joe Pierson, who won the Bridport Prize, Stefan Mohammed, awarded the Dylan Thomas Prize, Bafta-winner, Sarah Woolner, the acclaimed poet Dom Bury and celebrated novelist Faiqa Mansab.

The Writers' Workshop module will encourage you to develop your writing 'voice' through engagement with fellow students across a range of genres (in fiction or creative non-fiction), while the Special Study module enables you to specialise in one genre, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry or drama.

This Creative Writing MA will give you the knowledge and confidence to enter the cultural debate and to begin to identify outlets for your own writing.

Our external examiner has rated it highly:

• 'The Kingston MA is very lively, energised and relevant in its outlook.'
• 'You are more experimental, adventurous and original than other creative writing MAs in the UK.'

Curtis Brown Agent's Choice competition

All successful applicants who take up their place with us in September will be entered into our competition to have a consultation with Annabel White , an agent at top London literary agency Curtis Brown.

So make sure the creative work you submit with your application is your very best - it might win you a meeting with a literary agent.

Reasons to choose Kingston

• The Creative Writing MA helps you to develop the craft of creative writing, either on a general level or through specialising in your chosen genre.
• You will become part of Kingston's thriving community, with events such as readings, lectures from published authors, editors and agents, masterclasses and enriching discussions.
• The creative dissertation and critical essay give you the chance to further specialise. You also explore writing in a range of forms and styles and take a module exploring critical theory and experimental/avant-garde writing.
• You will have the opportunity to contribute to Kingston University's publication, Ripple, which includes fiction, poetry, reviews and creative non-fiction and is edited by students on the course.
• appointed staff - many are published authors or active researchers, which keeps your learning dynamic.
• peer review - giving you the chance to discuss your own and other students' work in a mutually supportive environment.

The Art School Experience

As part of  Kingston School of Art , students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where collaborative working and critical practice are encouraged.

Our  workshops and studios  are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.

What our students say

In this video, one of our creative writing alumna and a current student discuss why they chose the course, what they enjoyed about it and why they'd recommend it to future applicants.

What you will study

You will have the opportunity to develop your creative writing skills in general or specialise in a chosen genre. As well as studying literary criticism and theory, you will also and will look at the professional elements of writing, such as copy-editing and how to get your work published.

Core modules

Optional placement year.

You'll be expected to pass all four modules and the dissertation to complete the course.

Creative Writing Dissertation

This module focuses on your own creative writing and research into your chosen form or genre, developed in consultation with your supervisor. You learn via one-to-one tutorials with your personal supervisor. You produce two pieces of writing:

• a creative dissertation – a portion of a novel, a body of poetry, a play screenplay or other creative form of no more than 15,000 words; and
• a critical essay of approximately 3,000 words – considering the relationships between your own writing and the literary contexts/theoretical concerns that inform published writing in your chosen genre or form.

Your supervisor must agree in advance the final structure, approximate word length and for presentation conventions of these pieces.

Special Study: Workshop in Popular Genre Writing

This module offers a regular and intensive review of your writing in one of the following genres: poetry, crime writing, prose fiction, biography, drama, scriptwriting or writing for children. You will be advised on how to strengthen your knowledge of the codes and conventions of your chosen genre to produce a substantial piece or collection of work that will reflect your knowledge of and engagement with your chosen genre. You will apply detailed feedback on your work to your writing as well as using your increased knowledge of your chosen genre to make your writing more effective. These elements will help you improve the key transferable skills of analysis and implementation that will feed forward into your dissertation module and into all analytical/practical tasks you subsequently undertake.

Writing the Contemporary

This module provides the opportunity to examine ways in which reading is essential to writing practice and teaches you to apply literary techniques and strategies from contemporary fiction, life writing and poetry texts to your own work. You will develop the concept of 'reading as a writer' in order to explore how contemporary concerns are brought to the fore by artistic strategies, and examine how an understanding of these can provide models for your own creative practice. You will submit work including a reflective reading journal as well as a creative piece in a genre of your choice.

Ten Critical Challenges for Creative Writers

The module is designed to introduce students to some issues of critical and literary theory. The module is also designed to make students more aware of how their work impacts upon wider literary, cultural, political and philosophical issues. Awareness of these theories and of some of the issues surrounding the production and reception of literary texts will stimulate them, encouraging creative and conceptual thinking.  The module will explore debates about literature and the practice of creative writing through readings of essays and texts that are relevant to criticism and theory.  The academic component of the assessment will support the creative work with the objective that students will also have to demonstrate critical, academic, analytical skills.

Writers' Workshop

In this module you will present and discuss your own and each other's work in a weekly workshop. The draft work presented may include several genres and forms, such as crime writing, fantasy fiction, children's literature, historical fiction, science fiction, romance and autobiography. Practical criticism of student writing will be accompanied by discussion of the scope or constraints of the various genres, as well as the implications of particular forms. Attention will be paid to the transferable components of good writing: appropriate use of language, narrative pace, dialogue, expression, characterisation and mood.

Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa. 

Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.

Entry requirements

Typical offer.

A 2:2 or above honours degree, or equivalent, in creative writing, English literature, literature and language, drama or theatre studies or a humanities subject.

International

All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirements. For this course it is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall with 5.5 in all elements. Please make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements , which includes details of other qualifications we'll consider.

Applicants from one of the recognised majority English speaking countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements.

Country-specific information

You will find more information on country specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.

Find your country:

• Middle East

Teaching and assessment

Portfolios of exercises, edited and revised creative writing with evidence of extensive drafting, essays, presentations, research projects, substantial pieces of creative writing of publishable standard.

Guided independent study (self-managed time)

When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically involves reading and analysing articles, regulations, policy documents and key texts, documenting individual projects, preparing coursework assignments and completing your PEDRs, etc.

Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the University's online virtual learning platform.

Support for postgraduate students

At Kingston University, we know that postgraduate students have particular needs and therefore we have a range of support available to help you during your time here.

Your workload

Year 1: 5% of your time is spent in timetabled learning and teaching activity.

• Scheduled learning and teaching: 93 hours
• Guided independent study (self-managed time): 1,707 hours

Contact hours may vary depending on your modules.

Writers Workshop - Module CW7001

• 22 hours timetabled activity
• 278 hours guided independent study (self-managed time)

Critical Challenges - Module CW700

• 22 hours timetabled study

Structure and Style - Module CW7003

Special study in genre - module cw7003, dissertation - module cw7000.

• 5 supervisions
• 255 hours independent study (self-managed time)

How you will be assessed

100% coursework.

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.

Class sizes

Workshops normally have between six and 12 students. To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols 15 to 20 students and lecture sizes are normally 10 to 20. However, this can vary by module and academic year.

Who teaches this course?

This course is delivered by Kingston School of Art. As a student on this course, you will benefit from a lively study environment, thanks to the wide range of postgraduate courses on offer. The combination of academics and practitioners makes it a unique environment in which to further your studies and your career.

The University provides a vibrant and forward-thinking environment for study with:

• courses designed in collaboration with industry professionals  –  keeping you up to date with the latest developments;
• established connections with the London arts and media scene  –  with a range of guest speakers, professors and lecturers visiting the University; and
• committed and enthusiastic staff  –  many of whom are expert practitioners as well as leading academics and researchers.

Postgraduate students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

Dr James Miller

Course leader.

Mr Oludiran Adebayo

Dr Adam Baron

Dr Martin Dines

Mr Steven J. Fowler

Dr Meg Jensen

Anna Johnson

Dr Marina Lambrou

Dr Wendy Vaizey

Fees for this course, 2024/25 fees for this course, home 2024/25.

• full time £9,900
• part time £5,445

International 2024/25

• full time £16,900
• part time £9,295

2023/24 fees for this course

Home 2023/24.

• full time £9,860
• part time £5,423

International 2023/24

• full time £16,200
• part time £8,910

Tuition fee information for future course years

This is a two-year full-time course with the published full-time fee payable in each year of study.

If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.

If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.

Fees for the optional placement year

If you choose to take a placement as part of this course, you will be invoiced for the placement fee in Year 2. Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme and the costs for the placement year.

Postgraduate loans

If you are a UK student, resident in England and are aged under the age of 60, you will be able to apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree. For more information, read the postgraduate loan information on the government's website .

Scholarships and bursaries

Kingston University offers a range of postgraduate scholarships, including:

• Inspire the Future scholarship
• Postgraduate scholarships for international students

If you are an international student, find out more about  scholarships and bursaries .

We also offer the following discounts for Kingston University alumni:

• Alumni discount
• Progression Scholarship

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks, this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan . You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston upon Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.

There is a wide range of facilities at our Penrhyn Road campus , where this course is based. You will have access to a modern environment with the latest equipment, including the Learning Resources Centre. This offers:

• subject libraries, plus a free inter-library loan scheme to other libraries in the Greater London area;
• online database subscriptions; and
• a growing selection of resource materials.

The Iris Murdoch Archives

Kingston University hosts two major archives relating to Iris Murdoch, a significant philosopher and one of the twentieth century's greatest novelists. These archives currently comprise:

• Iris Murdoch's Oxford library (more than 1,000 volumes, many of them heavily annotated by Murdoch);
• the papers, tapes, interviews and manuscripts collected by Peter Conradi, Iris Murdoch's official biographer and Murdoch scholar; and
• various letter runs and documents donated by well-wishers.

Resources in London

Kingston is just a 30-minute train journey away from central London. Here you can access a wealth of additional libraries and archives, including the British Library.

After you graduate

Some of our departmental graduates have achieved notable successes, having published short stories and novels which were started as part of their degree and attracted good literary agents, for example:

• Oyinkan Braithwaite's novel, My Sister the Serial Killer , reviewed by The New Yorker and BBC Radio 4's Open Book and Front Row, has won the Crime and Thriller book of the year at the British Book Awards; Oyinkan is the first black woman to do so.
• Grainne Murphy has recently signed a two-book deal with Legend Press. Her debut novel, Where the Edge Is , was published in September 2020, with The Ghostlights to be published in 2021.
• Ben Halls' debut The Quarry was book of the day in The Guardian in March 2020.
• Amy Clarke has signed a two-book deal. Like Clockwork is a psychological suspense novel about a true crime podcast host who is obsessively trying to solve the decades-old cold case of a notorious Minnesotan serial killer whose victims were each one year younger than the last. It is due to be published in March/April 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, with a second book to follow.
• A story Seraphina Madsen wrote for the MA Critical Challenges module was published in the UK's pre-eminent literary journal, The White Review, and secured her an agent and a book deal.
• Stevan Alcock is another MA student whose debut novel – workshopped on our MA – was published by 4th Estate.
• Hannah Vincent is a former MFA student with novels out with Myriad Editions and Salt.
• Myriad Editions also run a writing competition each year aimed at finding new writers, with MFA student Karly Stilling winning in 2015. This year the award was won by another current Kingston student, Sylvia Carr. Former MA (now PhD student) Joseph Pierson was a recent runner up.
• Julia Lewis is a former MFA student and experimental poet who has gone on to publish a wide range of work. She also rewrote MA tutor James Miller's novel Lost Boys as a collection of experimental poetry.
• Stefan Mohamed won the Dylan Thomas Prize and has gone to have a successful career as a writer of YA fiction.
• MA student Vicky Newham signed a two book deal for her crime series. Vicky is on the Daggers longlist for the best crime novel by a first-time author.
• Faiqa Mansab published her debut novel This House of Clay and Water in Pakistan and India to great acclaim and it has been optioned by the talented Sheherzade Sheikh for screen adaptation.
• Other successes include Susie Lynes and Lauren Forry.
• Other former students have gone on to work in editorial posts in the publishing industry.

Why I chose Kingston

Don't just take our word for it – here's what students say about what it's like to study at Kingston University.

What our students and graduates say

The main reason I've chosen the MA in Creative Writing at Kingston University is the variety of genres you can choose from on the course. I am writing poetry, but I wanted to get involved with people who are writing other things so I could experiment with different genres and learn from them too. The MA in Creative Writing gives me that opportunity and lets me choose workshops that reflect exactly my style of writing.

One of the most useful parts of the course is the Elements of Professional Writing module, which focuses on the practical side of being a writer. It offers advice on everything from how to stay positive to how to present your work to get it published.

Katerina Koulouri

I chose to study at Kingston because unlike many writing courses, it allowed space for both fantasy and children's novels. I especially loved my Children's Literature class.

Another standout was my dissertation tutor, Liz Jensen, who gave me remarkably good and detailed feedback, and the lovely people in my writing workshops. I'm really glad I came to Kingston.

Once I finished my masters I returned to my home country, Ireland, where I write and live by the water. I started writing a fantasy novel for young adults, titled 'The Demon's Lexicon', whilst at Kingston which has since been signed by Simon & Schuster.

Sarah Rees Brennan

This Creative Writing MA course gave me the structure, self-discipline and direction I needed. I've always written poetry  –  I started when I was just seven  –  but I have done it in a very unstructured way.

Completing work for the weekly writers' workshops has been very useful. I've attended creative writing evening classes before where we shared our work, but the comments and criticism from other students on the MA is at a much higher level.

Alice Thurling

Links with business and industry

A range of additional events and lectures will enhance your studies and add an extra perspective to your learning. Activities for this course include:

• a series of masterclasses with publishing specialists and professionals;
• weekly guest lectures by leading journalists including Samira Ahmed, an award-winning journalist with 20 years' experience in print and broadcast; David Jenkins, editor of Little White Lies, a bi-monthly movie magazine powered by illustration; Richard Moynihan, Head of digital journalism, The Telegraph and Alex Stedman, fashion blogger at The Frugality and former style editor at Red magazine;
• regular readings through Writers' Centre Kingston, which offers an annual programme of events from talks to workshops and festivals, hosted and curated in partnership with institutions local to Kingston University and in London, from The Rose Theatre to the Rich Mix Cultural Foundation, from the Museum of Futures to Kingston First; and
• regular philosophy lunchtime lectures which focus on a major figure in the history of Western philosophy, introducing students to that thinker's work, usually through the discussion of one of her or his emblematic works.

The literary magazine Ripple is edited by MA students, providing:

• a platform for the publication of creative work; and
• a chance to get hands-on experience of the publishing process.

Research areas

Research in English literature and creative writing at Kingston University covers the following areas:

• 19th and 20th century British and American fiction;
• fictions of globalisation;
• gothic writing;
• travel writing;
• narratives of slavery;
• women's writing from the 18th century to the present;
• New Woman and fin de siècle fictions;
• Shakespeare;
• literature of the English Reformation period;
• English women's religious poetry during the seventeenth century; and
• postcolonial studies.

It focuses around the following research initiatives:

• Iris Murdoch Archive – established in 2004 to oversee research on the Iris Murdoch archives acquired by Kingston University in 2003/04).
• Life Narratives Research Group (LNR) – bringing together best practice from all genres of life narrative work.
• Cultural Histories @ Kingston – centred around the concept of the 'cultural text', the group includes scholars from the fields of literature, film, media, history, music, dance, performance, and journalism.
• Writers' Centre Kingston – a literary cultural centre dedicated to creative writing in all its forms, with an annual programme of events, talks, workshops and festivals.
• Race/Gender Matters – captures and concentrates research on theoretical, critical and creative engagements with the materiality of race, gender and language.

We also hold regular seminars and host presentations by visiting speakers.

Course changes and regulations

The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course.  Course changes explained .

Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.

Regulations governing this course  can be found on our website.

Related courses

Creative Writing and Publishing MA

Creative Writing Distance Learning MA

Creative Writing MFA

Journalism PgDip/MA

Magazine Journalism MA

Secondary Teaching leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) PGCE English

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Postgraduate applications

The initial application deadline for this course is 1 June 2024. Further detail here .

Key information

Duration: 1 year full time or 2 years part time

Institution code: R72

Campus: Central London

UK fees * : £10,600

International/EU fees ** : £21,700

Creative Writing (MA)

This course allows you to develop your work as a writer to a professional level, going beyond the personal to write with an engaged sense of literary culture, its social role and contemporary practices. The MA is designed for students with an established writing practice who are intending to develop their creative writing beyond first-degree level. It is also designed for those students wishing to proceed to MPhil or PhD. This MA is taught at our central London location, in the heart of literary Bloomsbury, putting you within walking distance of publishing houses, bookshops, major UK libraries and all of the other cultural attractions of central London.

You will take one of four distinct pathways:

• New Prose Narratives
• Poetic Practice

While the pathways share a similar structure, they are taught separately so as to ensure you can work to a consistently high level. Please see the Course structure section below for more details on each of these.

The MA ranks among the top creative-writing courses in the country and is taught by leading writers whose work encompasses a wide range of approaches and styles.

• Sean Borodale’s Bee Journal was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize and Costa Book Award.
• Lavinia Greenlaw has received a Forward Prize for Poem of the Year, the Prix du Premier Roman, a Wellcome Engagement Fellowship and the Ted Hughes Award.
• Nikita Lalwani won the Desmond Elliot Award, and was shortlisted for the Costa Prize and longlisted for the Man Booker prize.
• Redell Olsen has been Judith E. Wilson Fellow in Poetry at Cambridge.
• Anna Whitwham’s novel Boxer Handsome was a New Statesman and Guardian Book of the Year.
• Eley Williams’s Attrib. and other stories won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Prize.
• Matt Thorne has been longlisted for the Man Booker prize and is a winner of the Royal Society of Literature's Encore prize. 
• Dr James Wilkes published his first collection of poetry with Penned in the Margins and his interdisciplinary projects have included collaborations with the Wellcome Trust and BBC Radio 4. 

Our prizewinning, internationally successful alumni include the novelists Sarah Perry, Tahmima Anam, Jenni Fagan and Barney Norris; short-story writer and poet Eley Williams; and the poets Liz Berry, Kayo Chingonyi, Sam Riviere and Sophie Robinson. You can see the work of some of our recent alumni by visiting  www.bedfordsquarereview , our online showcase.

From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Course structure

Core modules.

• Supplementary Discourses This weekly one-and-a-half hour seminar is taught within pathway groups and focuses on a broad range of critical texts by practising writers among others. It aims to provide you with the appropriate critical and theoretical skills for discussing your creative work. The course also aims to prepare you for you dissertation. You will acquire a range of critical concepts and vocabulary, a range of critical and theoretical approaches, and the necessary skills to undertake sophisticated reflection and discourse.
• Reading as a Writer This seminar is taught within pathway groups. Students propose texts (and non-textual works) for this syllabus, which is then devised by your tutor. You will make a short presentation on one of your chosen works during the term. The seminar encourages you to think about what it means to read as a writer, how the writer constructs the reader’s experience, and how this insight might inform your own literary composition. It considers different approaches to reading, and the relationship between practice and theory. You will learn how to demonstrate the ways in which reading contributes to your own developing practice as a writer.
• You will undertake a major extended fiction, non-fiction, poetry or poetic practice project under supervision. This will be either 15,000 words of prose, 24 pages of poetry or textual equivalent (to be agreed with the supervisor).
• The Creative Writing Project arises out of work developed in the workshop. In all cases, this should be new work not included in previous coursework submissions however much it has been revised. It can be a different part, or parts, of the same body of work, such as a novel. An important dimension of the MA is to give you the opportunity to begin serious work on a major project that would prepare you for the submission of this work to a publisher or the basis for an application for a practice-based research of a PhD as applicable to you. The Creative Writing Project is a crucial element in this preparation. It will be researched and written mainly in the summer term and during the summer vacation. You should draw on and develop the skills, and the critical and creative contexts, acquired in the first two terms. You should also seek to demonstrate independence, self-direction and originality in your approach to the project’s completion.
• Poetry does not have to have a collective theme or be a sequence, though these are acceptable.
• Poetic Practice - digital, bookworks and other formats of submission are acceptable but should be agreed in advance with the supervisor.

An important dimension of the MA is to give you the opportunity to begin serious work on a major research project that relates to your practice. This could prepare you for an application for the practice-based PhD.

The Extended Essay (Creative Writing) is a crucial element in this preparation. It will be researched and written mainly in the summer term and during the summer vacation. The principle aim of the Extended Essay (Creative Writing) is to enable you to demonstrate your ability to reflect critically and theoretically, and to locate your practice in relation to contemporary writing practices. You should draw on and develop skills acquired in the first two terms. The subject of the extended essay is to be agreed with the supervisor.

This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.

You will choose one of the following pathways:

You will learn how to structure and edit your prose to a publishable standard while also developing an expert sense of how best to draw on the personal, the actual and the imagination. We have no house style, and encourage both experiment and rigour. In developing your analytical and editorial skills, you will sharpen your self-criticism.

The content of the workshops will be dictated by the presentations of work in progress by the members of the group, and by the critical dialogue that develops from these presentations. Your tutor will draw up a schedule for this and work will be circulated in advance. You will read and annotate this work and come to class ready to discuss it. Reading of literary exempla and extracts will also feed into workshop discussions. Your tutor may set exercises or additional advance reading, and you will receive intensive feedback supported by individual tutorials.

This pathway is for writers of all kinds of poetry, who are focused on publication on the page. You will learn how to locate and refine your personal poetics, and how to develop a poem to its fullest potential. You will be taught how to revise and edit a poem, how to sustain a writing practice, and how to locate your poetry within a broader literary context.

The workshop welcomes all styles and approaches to poetry focused on publication on the page. The content of the workshops will be dictated by the presentations of work in progress by the members of the group, and by the critical dialogue that develops from these presentations. Your tutor will draw up a schedule for this and work will be circulated in advance. You will read and annotate this work and come to class ready to discuss it. Reading of literary exempla and extracts will also feed into workshop discussions. Your tutor may set exercises or additional advance reading, and you will receive intensive feedback supported by individual tutorials.

This pathway foregrounds the writing in an expanded field of contemporary poetic practice. It offers a consideration of contemporary trends in innovative and experimental poetry: redefinitions of lyric writing, bookworks, visual poetics, performance, sound, conceptual writing, digital poetics and site-specific work.

You will develop, and reflect on, your own practice in the context of an understanding of contemporary experimental practice in poetry from the UK and North America, and consider how contemporary poetry and poetics intersect with such fields as conceptual art writing, sound art, live art, digital poetics, book arts, installed texts and writing in relation to site.

You will explore the broad range of possibilities that literary non-fiction has to offer from memoir to manifesto, from the essay to the hybrid form. You can experiment with the interface between fiction and memoir, and discover how to write out of the self without a form in mind. You will be taught how to activate and deploy your research. You will learn how to draw on these to develop original work of your own to publishable standard.

The workshop will include an exploration of the full range of approaches that non-fiction has to offer. We will encourage you to explore them all, and to draw freely on them in your own work, taking an interdisciplinary approach. We will also teach you how to use the tools and devices of fiction and poetry in the writing of non-fiction. The workshop is also where you present work in progress, and you will receive intensive feedback supported by individual tutorials.

In the autumn term, you will have the opportunity to explore a range of literary non- fiction practices. Working with exempla, which will be read in advance and discussed in class, you will undertake writing exercises, imitation and invention. In the spring term, you will be presenting and critiquing your own creative work-in-progress while continuing to discuss other texts that cast light on the issues that arise.

Optional Modules

• All modules are core

Teaching & assessment

You will work in small groups and with extensive individual attention. We are looking for people who will flourish from working intensively within a rigorous and experimental but supportive environment.  In addition to workshops, you will take modules in Supplementary Discourses and Reading as a Writer, seminars designed to enhance your understanding of your own practice as well as the broader literary context in which you will be situating your work.

You will submit creative and critical coursework, and will undertake a final practical project and dissertation on practice.

In the summer term, you will receive individual supervision and will be offered a programme of events and masterclasses introducing you to leading writers, editors and agents who can advise on next steps. Enhancing the experience, there are regular readings and talks given by students, staff and visiting writers.

Creative coursework (Full-time students and first-year part-time students)

The first portfolio of fiction or non-fiction or poetry (5,000 words prose, 12 pp poetry or equivalent agreed with your tutor) will be submitted for feedback at the beginning of the Spring Term. This is a formative submission which means that it is not formally graded. You will receive feedback and an indicative grade. Under the guidance of your tutor, you then revise this work and resubmit it at the beginning of the Summer Term. It is then a summative submission and is formally assessed.

The second portfolio (identical requirements) will be submitted for formal assessment, along with a revised first portfolio, at the beginning of the Summer Term.

Essays (Full-time students and second-year part-time students)

The essay for Supplementary Discourses will be submitted for feedback at the beginning of the Spring Term. This submission is summative and is formally assessed.

The essay for Reading as a Writer will be submitted for summative assessment at the beginning of the of Summer Term.

Creative Writing Project and Dissertation on Practice (Full-time students and second-year part-time students)

Students receive individual supervisions in the summer term towards the completion of these two submissions, which are made in September.

Entry requirements

UK or equivalent degree in single or combined honours English.

Applicant will be required to provide a writing sample, prose of up to 5,000 words or at least 12 pages of poetry reflecting their chosen pathway: Fiction, New Prose Narratives, Poetry, Poetic Practice.  

Additionally, a sample of critical writing of up to 1,000 words showing your ability to critically engage with a text. 

International & EU requirements

English language requirements.

• IELTS: 7.0 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
• Pearson Test of English: 69 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
• Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE IV.
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
• TOEFL iBT: 97 overall, with Reading 18 Listening 17 Speaking 20 Writing 26.
• Duolingo: 130 overall, 135 in Literacy, 135 in Production and no sub-score below 100.

A significant number of our Creative Writing students have become published authors or found work in publishing, the media and agencies.

We have an impressive record for placing graduates in academic jobs.

This course will give you a distinctive, creative edge in careers such as publishing, teaching, writing and journalism, administration and marketing.

Fees, funding & scholarships

Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £10,600

EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £21,700

Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.

How do I pay for it? Find out more about  funding options,  including loans, grants,  scholarships  and bursaries.

* and ** These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2024/25. Students studying on the standard part-time course structure over two years are charged 50% of the full-time applicable fee for each study year.

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase all postgraduate tuition fees annually, based on the UK’s Retail Price Index (RPI). Please therefore be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year. For further information, please see our  terms and conditions .

** This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2024/25.  Find out more  

*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.

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MA Creative Writing

Annual tuition fee for 2024 entry: UK: £10,530 full-time International: £24,120 full-time More detail .

• Visit an Open Day
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• Course details
• Entry Requirements
• Teaching and assessment
• Employability

Short fiction, the novel, poetry, plays and screenplays: define and refine your chosen genre at the University of Birmingham, and explore genres that are new to your writing experience.

If you are a graduate with considerable experience in writing creatively and wish to proceed to a career or further study in this area, then our innovative MA in Creative Writing is for you.

The programme will allow you to develop your own work, your own voice and your own ideas with dedicated workshop time and opportunities to give and receive feedback to and from your peers. You will also benefit from professional skills training to prepare you for your encounters with the writing industry, with insights from industry professional such as editors and publishers.

The programme brings together students who work across different genres so that you can engage collaboratively across genres before specialising in screenwriting, playwriting, prose fiction or poetry for your dissertation.

Please note : There are specific application deadlines for this programme.  Please see 'How to apply' in course details for more information .

Birmingham Masters Scholarships

We are offering over 400 awards of £2,000 to support the brightest and best applicants wishing to undertake Masters study at the University during 2023-24. The deadline for applications is 23:59 (UK Time) on Sunday 2 July 2023.

Find out more and apply now.

Scholarships for 2024 entry

The University of Birmingham is proud to offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate programmes. With a scholarship pot worth over £2 million, we are committed to alleviating financial barriers to support you in taking your next steps.

Each scholarship has its own specific deadlines and eligibility criteria. Please familiarise yourself with the information on individual scholarship webpages prior to submitting an application.

Explore our scholarships

Virtual Open Day: Postgraduate opportunities in Creative Writing - 7 March 2020, 14:00-15:00

Join us online to watch a range of staff and student videos, and take part in our online chat where Dr Daniel Vyleta will be answering your questions about postgraduate study.

Find out more and register

At Birmingham, Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research students also have the opportunity to learn graduate academic languages free of charge, to support your studies.

• Graduate School Language Skills

The best thing the course has taught me is to not re-invent the wheel every time you want to write a new piece, and how to tactically draw from the works of other writers to give structural integrity or strong philosophical underpinnings to any new text I write. Cameron Smith, MA Creative Writing

Why study this course?

• Breadth and depth of study  – at Birmingham we focus on the craft of writing and editing, combining academic with creative skills, and an artistic focus with industry insights.
• Learn from our permanent staff of published authors -  Anna Metcalfe , a short story writer and novelist, who has been named among Granta’s 2023 cohort for the Best of Young British Novelists;  Elsa Braekkan Payne , an expert in the short story who also has particular interests in editing; Luke Kennard , a poet and novelist whose criticism appears in Poetry London and the Times Literary Supplement; Richard House , fiction and screenwriter, long-listed for the Man Booker Prize;   Dan Vyleta , an award winning, bestselling novelist; Isabel Galleymore , an award-winning poet; and the best-selling novelist Ruth Gilligan .
• Opportunities for experimentation  – the course combines focused modules with the opportunity to develop your own work through independent study.
• Join a lively and supportive writing community – we encourage our students to be active within the university and the broader community, and to participate in readings, festivals, and events, both regionally and nationally. For example the Creative Writing Societies provide an energetic and talented scene in which to write. There are regular events, readings, poetry slams and student publications.
• Links within the West Midlands – the Department has links to the award winning local press Tindal Street and the boutique poetry pamphlet publishers Nine Arches Press. Each year there are visiting lectures from writers, publishers and editors.

The postgraduate experience

The College of Arts and Law offers excellent support to its postgraduates, from libraries and research spaces, to careers support and funding opportunities. Learn more about your postgraduate experience .

You will learn among a community of writers and scholars, taking a series of structured modules across the discipline. You will study four core taught modules plus a dissertation.

Core modules

The writer’s workshop.

The module provides an introduction to technical and conceptual issues encountered by the creative writer, along with research training to facilitate the critical work you will have to complete as part of your studies. The module introduces you to creative writing techniques and genres by analysing other people’s writing and through hands-on practice, as well as introducing you to the procedures and challenges of the creative writing workshop environment. The module also provides guidelines on how to approach agents/editors, along with a grounding in research practices. 

Assessment : A 5,000-word portfolio of creative writing, and a 3,000-word portfolio of critical writing

Creative Writing Masterclass: From Workshop to Bookshop

This module builds on the research and professional skills developed in The Writer’s Workshop. It provides a venue for in-depth editorial discussion of your own work, while also providing systematic training in editing and in providing detailed, constructive critiques of other writers’ works. The module will help you to articulate your personal artistic vision in both formal and conceptual terms by studying a range of artistic manifestos and writerly positions. Assessment : A 5,000-word portfolio of creative writing, and a 3,000-word portfolio of critical/professional writing

Poem as Story – Story as Poem

This module allows for a simultaneous focus on poetry and fiction, allowing you to work in both forms rather than choosing to be a “poet” or “prose writer” at this stage in your development as a writer. There will be weekly writing exercises and the opportunity to critique the work of your peers as well as a weekly set text exploring contemporary poetry and fiction. Assessment : A 3,000-word poetry and/or short fiction portfolio and a 2,000-word essay

Intertextuality: Story, Genre, Craft

This module encourages you to explore notions of intertextuality, viewed as an integral part of all creative writing, and representing a broad continuum, from one-off textual allusions or verbal echoes on the one hand, to full-length adaptations on the other. 'Story' and 'story-telling’ will be used as a focus for identifying both generic and genre-specific, popular and literary, narrative techniques and conventions (to include a focus on language, character, plot, time and vision). In addition, you will explore ways in which 'reading' in the broadest possible sense can generate ideas, strategies and structures for the developing writer. This will entail an engagement with narratology and with aspects of genre theory and translation theory, key principles of which will be illustrated through case studies of texts that form part of intertextual clusters. Assessment : A 3,000-word piece of creative writing in any genre, and a 2,000-word analysis of the intertextual relationships between two or more of the literary texts studied, with reference to your own creative writing

Dissertation

In addition to your taught modules, you will complete a dissertation. This will be 75% creative portfolio and 25% critical essay. You will write a 10,000-word portfolio of creative work in the form of a screenplay, excerpt of a novel, a collection of short fiction or a collection of poetry (600 lines). This will be accompanied by a 2,000-word essay placing your work in a critical and creative context, with reference to your development as a writer over the course of the MA. You will receive feedback on dissertation work in progress during one-to-one tutorials and/or in small group work-sharing seminars with peers (groups divided along the lines of genre/form and led by a specialist in this field).

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2024 entry are as follows:

• UK: £10,530 full-time; £5,265 part-time
• International: £24,120 full-time

The above fees quoted are for one year only; for those studying over two or more years, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

Eligibility for UK or international fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students .

Paying your fees

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding .

How To Apply

Please review our Entry Requirements before making your application.

How to Apply for a Postgraduate Degree - Taught programmes

Application deadlines

The deadline for International students (requiring a VISA) to apply is 7 May 2024. The deadline for UK students is 30 August 2024.

Making your application

• How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the taught programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page . Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Our Standard Requirements

We ask for a 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent, preferably in English and/or Creative Writing, but other disciplines will be considered. Applicants should also have considerable experience of writing creatively. 

All prospective students must also submit a sample of written work as part of the online application process.  Your sample should be in the form of a portfolio of creative writing of c. 3,000 words. This may be a prose sample (e.g. one or more short stories; part of a novel); a play or film script; or a selection of poems (in which case a line of poetry equates c. 20 words of prose; a portfolio focusing on poetry would be c. 150 lines in total). We encourage applicants to submit more than a single piece of work where possible (e.g. one short story and a novel opening, rather than a longer excerpt of a novel) though this is not strictly required.

Learn more about entry requirements

International students

Academic requirements: we accept a range of qualifications - our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

English language requirements : for this course we ask for IELTS 6.5 overall with no less 7.0 in writing and 6 in all other bands. If you are made an offer of a place to study and you do not meet the language requirement, you have the option to enrol on our English for Academic Purposes Presessional course – if you successfully complete the course, you will be able to fulfil the language requirement without retaking a language qualification.

IELTS 6.5 with no less than 7.0 writing and 6.0 in the other bands is equivalent to:

• TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 Listening, 22 Speaking and 23 in Writing
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic 67 with no less than 76 in writing and 64 in all other bands
• Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced - minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 185 in Writing and no less than 169 in any other component.

Learn more about international entry requirements.

International Requirements

Holders of a Licence, Diplome, Diplome d'Etudes Superieures, Diplome d'Ingenieur or a Diplome d'Architecte from a recognised university in Algeria will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of one of these qualifications will normally be expected to have achieved a score of 15/20 for 2:1 equivalency or 13/20 for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent

A Bachelors (Honours) degree from an accredited Australian higher education institution may be considered for admission to a Masters degree.   Applicants with 3 year Bachelors with distinction from a recognised university, can be considered for admission to a Masters degree.

Holders of a Diplom, a Diplomstudium/Magister or a three-year Bachelors degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 for 2:1 equivalency or 3.0 for 2:2 equivalency, or a high-scoring Fachhochschuldiplom (FH) from a recognised Austrian Fachhochschule, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.

For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.

 Holders of a bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Bahrain will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a Bachelors (Honours) degree of three years duration, followed by a Masters degree of one or two years duration from a recognised university in Bangladesh will be considered for postgraduate taught study. Students with a Bachelors degree of at least four years duration may also be considered for postgraduate study. Degrees must be from a recognised institution in Bangladesh.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or 65% or above for 2:1 equivalency, or a GPA of 2.6-3.1/4.0 or 60% or above for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.

Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:

• A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
• A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement

Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma za Zavarsheno Visshe Obrazovanie (‘Diploma of Completed Higher Education’), a pre-2001 Masters degree or a post-2001 Bachelors degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 5 out of 6, mnogo dobur/’very good’ for 2:1 equivalence; or 4 out of 6, dobur/’good’ for 2:2 equivalence; will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.

Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.  Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2022 (full table)  ,  Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2023 .

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。 请注意，中国院校名单参考 软科中国大学排名2022（总榜） ，  软科中国大学排名2023（总榜） ，以及 软科中国艺术类高校名单2023 。  

Business School    - MSc programmes (excluding MBA)  

商学院硕士课程（MBA除外）入学要求

School of Computer Science – all MSc programmes 计算机学院硕士课程入学要求

College of Social Sciences – courses listed below 社会科学 学院部分硕士课程入学要求 MA Education  (including all pathways) MSc TESOL Education MSc Public Management MA Global Public Policy MA Social Policy MA Sociology Department of Political Science and International Studies  全部硕士课程 International Development Department  全部硕士课程

  All other programmes (including MBA)   所有其他 硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求

Please note:

• Borderline cases: We may consider students with lower average score (within 5%) on a case-by-case basis if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 如申请人均分低于相应录取要求（5%以内），但具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，部分课程将有可能单独酌情考虑。
• Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室   [email protected]

Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.

Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma Visoko Obrazovanje (Advanced Diploma of Education) or Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, for 2:1 equivalence or 3.0 out of 5.0, dobar ‘good’, for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.

Holders of a good four-year government-accredited Bachelors degree from a recognised Higher Education college with a minimum overall GPA of 3 out of 4 for 2:1 equivalency, or a GPA of 2.75 out of 4 for 2:2 equivalency; or a good four-year Bachelors degree (Ptychio) from a recognised University, with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 5.5 for 2:2 equivalency; will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a good Bakalár, or a good pre-2002 Magistr, from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), for 2:1 equivalence, or 2.5, C, dobre ‘good’ (post-2004) or 3, dobre ‘pass’ (pre-2004) for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good Bachelors degree/Candidatus Philosophiae, Professionbachelor or Eksamensbevis from a recognised Danish university, with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence, or 4-7 out of 12 (or 7 out of 13) for 2:2 equivalence depending on the awarding institution will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Egypt will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4 for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8 for 2:2 equivalency. Applicants holding a Bachelors degree with alternative grading systems, will normally be expected to have achieved a 75% (Very Good) for 2:1 equivalency or 65% (Good) for 2:2 equivalency. For applicants with a grading system different to those mentioned here, please contact [email protected] for advice on what the requirements will be for you.

Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university or Applied Higher Education Institution with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B for 2:1 equivalency or 3/5 or C for 2:2 equivalency, or a good Rakenduskõrgharidusõppe Diplom (Professional Higher Education Diploma), will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Holders of a good Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto (AMK) (new system), an Yrkeshögskoleexamen (YHS) (new system), a Kandidaatti / Kandidat (new system), an Oikeustieteen Notaari or a Rättsnotarie, a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 3-4/5 for 2:1 equivalence or 1-2/3 or 2.5-3/5 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good three-year Licence, License Professionnelle, Diplôme d'Ingénieur/Architecte Diplômé d'État, Diplôme from an Ecole Superieure de Commerce / Gestion / Politique, or Diplome d'Etat Maitrise of three years duration or a Maîtrise from a recognised French university or Grande École will be considered for postgraduate taught study.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, bien, for 2:1 equivalency, or 11 out of 20, assez bien, for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Holders of a good three-year Bachelor degree, a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university, or a good Fachhochschuldiplom from a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences), with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 for 2:1 equivalency, or 3.0 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students from Germany who have completed three years of the Erstes Staatsexamen qualification with a grade point average (GPA) of 10 from the first six semesters of study within the Juristische Universitätsprüfung programme would be considered for entry onto LLM programmes.  Students from Germany who have completed the five year Erstes Staatsexamen qualification with a grade point average (GPA) of 6.5 would be considered for entry onto LLM programmes. 

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) from a recognised Greek university (AEI) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 5.5 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalency, or a good four-year Ptychio from a recognised Technical Higher Education institution (TEI) with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 6.5 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2.  Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés (Bachelors degree) or Egyetemi Oklevel (university diploma) from a recognised Hungarian university, or a Foiskola Oklevel (college diploma) from a recognised college of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 3.5 for 2:1 equivalency, or 3 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a Bachelors degree of three or four years in duration from a recognised university in India will be considered for postgraduate taught study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved 55% - 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency, or 50% - 55% for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Either: A four-year Bachelors degree (first class or very good upper second class)

Or: A three-year Bachelors degree (first class) from recognised institutions in India.

For MSc programmes, the Business School will consider holders of three-year degree programmes (first class or very good upper second class) from recognised institutions in India.

For entry to LLM programmes, Birmingham is happy to accept applications from 3 or 5 year LLB holders from India from prestigious institutions.

Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Iran with a minimum of 14/20 or 70% will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate taught programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Iraq will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency, or 2.8/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Israel will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 80% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a good Diploma di Laurea, Licenza di Accademia di Belle Arti, Diploma di Mediatore Linguistico or Diploma Accademico di Primo Livello from a recognised Italian university with a minimum overall grade of 100 out of 110 for 2:1 equivalence, or 92 out of 110 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.

Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Jordan will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees.  Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of  2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/50

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Kuwait will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a good pre-2000 Magistrs or post-2000 Bakalaurs from a recognised university, or a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 6.5 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Lebanon will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a score of 16/20 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency, or 14/20 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.

Holders of a good Bakalauras (post 2001), Profesinis Bakalauras (post 2001) or pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 7 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good Bachelors degree or Diplôme d'Ingénieur Industriel from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20 for 2:1 equivalence, or 14 out of 20 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Higher Education Institution with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons) for UK 2:1 equivalency, or 2:2 (Hons) for UK 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).

Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise from a recognised university in Morocco will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a score of 15/20 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency, or 13/20 for 2:2 equivalency.

Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors (Honours) degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Nepal will be considered for postgraduate taught study. Students with a Bachelors degree of at least three years duration plus a Masters degree may also be considered for postgraduate study. Degrees must be from a recognised institution in Nepal.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.2/4.0 or 65%-79% average or higher for 2:1 equivalency, or a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 60%-65% for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Dutch university, or Bachelors degree from a recognised Hogeschool (University of Professional Education), or a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university, with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalence, or 6 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0

Holders of a good three-six-year Bachelorgrad, Candidatus Magisterii, Sivilingeniø (siv. Ing. - Engineering), "Siviløkonom" (siv. Øk. - Economics) degree from a recognised Norwegian education institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, or a GPA of C/Good or 2.6-3.2 for a 2.2 equivalency; will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Oman will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years in duration from a recognised university in Pakistan will be considered for postgraduate taught study. Students with a Bachelors degree of at least three years duration followed by a Masters degree of one or two years duration, or holders of a two year Bachelors degree and a two year Masters degree in the same subject, may also be considered for postgraduate study.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 2.8-3.0/4.0 or 65% or above for 2:1 equivalency, or a GPA of 2.6/4.0 or 60% or above for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

A two-year degree followed by a three-year LLB will count as a full Bachelors degree.

All qualifications must be from recognised institutions. For further details on recognised institutions, please refer to Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.    

Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of the Licenciado, with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. The Grado de Bachiller is equivalent to an ordinary degree, so grades of 15+/20 are required.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.

Holders of a good post-2001 Licencjat / Inzynier (Bachelors degree), or a pre-2001 Magister, from a recognised Polish university, with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus ‘better than good’ for 2:1 equivalence, or 4 out of 5, dobry 'good' for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, bom com distinção ‘good with distinction’, for 2:1 equivalence, or 14 out of 20, bom ‘good’, for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Qatar will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a good Diplomă de Licenţă, Diplomă de Inginer, Diplomă de Urbanist Diplomat, Diplomă de Arhitect, Diplomă de Farmacist or Diplomã de Doctor-Medic Arhitect (Bachelors degree) from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalence, or 7 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a good Диплом Бакалавра (Bakalavr) degree with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 from recognised universities in Russia may be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/MPhil degrees. 

Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in the Saudi Arabia will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2

Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.

Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’ for 2:1 equivalence, or 2, C, Dobrý ‘good’ for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalence, or 7.0 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).

Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Título de Licenciado / Título Universitario Oficial de Graduado (Grado) /Título de Ingeniero / Título de Arquitecto from a recognised Spanish university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalence, or 6 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a Special or Professional Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Sri Lanka will be considered for postgraduate taught study.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or B+ for 2:1 equivalency, or 55-59% or a CGPA 3.0/4.0 or B for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd) for 2:1 equivalency, or G (godkänd) for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good " Baccalauréat universitaire/ Diplom / Diplôme; Lizentiat / Licence; Staatsdiplom / Diplôme d'Etat" degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Syria will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70%, or ‘very good’ for 2:1 equivalency or 60%, or ‘good’ for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level. Holders of Bachelors degree from prestigious institutions (see list below) will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4.0 for 2:1 equivalency or 2.7 for 2:2 equivalency. Applicants with grades slightly below these requirements may also be considered for an offer if they have a relevant Bachelors degree, good scores in relevant modules, or relevant work experience.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from all other institutions will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.2/4.0 for 2:1 equivalency, or 2.8 for 2:2 equivalency.

Prestigious institutions: Assumption University Chiang Mai University Chulalongkorn University Kasetsart University Khon Kaen University King Mongkut University of Technology - Thonburi (known as KMUTT or KMUT) Mahidol University Prince of Songla University Srinakharinwirot University Thammasat University

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Caribbean and West Indies university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. 

Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:

• Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
• De La Salle University - Manila
• University of Santo Tomas
• University of the Philippines - Diliman

Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.

Grading Schemes

1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25 

Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5

Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%

Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.  Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.

Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in the UAE will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0

Holders of a good four-year Bachelors degree/ Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised institution, with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence, or a GPA of 3.5/5.0, 3.0/4, 6/12 or 70% for 2:2 equivalence, depending on the awarding institution, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:

• 2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement 
• 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement 

Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.

Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study.  Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.  Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Most modules include a substantial workshop element, directly focussing on student work. 

Course delivery

We have three terms per year, the autumn, spring and summer terms semester. Term dates can be found on our website.

The programme is made up of two 40-credit modules (Writer's Workshop, Creative Writing Masterclass) and two 20-credit modules (Intertextuality; Poem as Story). As a full-time student, you will take one 20-credit module and one 40-credit module in the first two terms, followed by your dissertation. You can typically expect six hours of classroom time per week, two for a 20-credit module and four for a 40-credit module. If you are a part-time student, we advise that you complete the 40-credit modules in your first year and the 20-credit modules in your second year, allowing you more time to focus on your dissertation in year two.

Each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation.

Support with academic writing

As a postgraduate student in the College of Arts and Law, you have access to the  Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS)  which aims to help your transition from undergraduate to taught Masters level, or back into academia after time away. The service offers guidance on writing assignments and dissertations for your MA/MSc programme with individual support from an academic writing advisor via tutorials, email and the provision of online materials.

International students can access support for English Language development and skills through the  Birmingham International Academy (BIA) .

Teaching year

We have three teaching terms per year, the autumn, spring and summer terms. Term dates can be found on our website .

As a full-time student, you will typically take three modules in each of the first two terms, followed by your dissertation. If you are a part-time student, you will typically take three modules across each year, followed by your dissertation.

As a postgraduate student in the College of Arts and Law, you have access to the Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) which aims to help your transition from undergraduate to taught Masters level, or back into academia after time away. The service offers guidance on writing assignments and dissertations for your MA/MSc programme with individual support from an academic writing advisor via tutorials, email and the provision of online materials.

International students can access support for English Language development and skills through the Birmingham International Academy (BIA) .

Your degree will provide excellent preparation for your future career, but this can also be enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University and the College of Arts and Law.

The University's Careers Network  provides expert guidance and activities especially for postgraduates, which will help you achieve your career goals. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated  careers and employability team  who offer tailored advice and a programme of College-specific careers events.

You will be encouraged to make the most of your postgraduate experience and will have the opportunity to:

• Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique, whether you are looking for a career inside or outside of academia
• Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations
• Attend an annual programme of careers fairs, skills workshops and conferences, including bespoke events for postgraduates in the College of Arts and Law
• Take part in a range of activities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers and enhance your CV

What’s more, you will be able to access our full range of careers support for up to 2 years after graduation.

Postgraduate employability: Film and Creative Writing

Postgraduates in the Department of Film and Creative Writing develop a range of skills including the ability to lead and participate in discussions; critical thinking, and an appreciation of different theoretical contexts; the ability to develop opinions and new ideas; and an aptitude for thinking and working creatively with others. While some graduates go on to careers in related industries, such as writing, media and television, others have used their transferable skills to pursue roles such as advertising, teaching, and in the heritage and cultural sectors.

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Creative Writing MA

• Full-time: 12 months
• Part-time: 24 to 36 months
• Start date: September 2024
• UK fees: £9,250
• International fees: £22,600
• Entry requirements: 2:1

Course overview

Would you love to see your name in print? Are you curious about the creative industries? Or maybe there’s a poem or novel in you that's waiting to come out?

You will be supported to develop your creative work, and learn about the process of writing and publishing from expert staff who are published poets and authors themselves.

We will explore contemporary poetry, fiction and hybrid forms of writing (which cross genres), as well as building on your own critical writing skills. This broad analysis of technique and form will put you in a strong position to pursue a career in writing and the creative arts.

We also offer placements and internships to enhance your professional experience in sectors including publishing, marketing, charity, journalism, theatre, teaching, museums and heritage, events and libraries. Placements are flexible; you choose the duration and number of hours that best fit around your studies and other commitments.

Why choose this course?

Get ‘off the page’.

With Nottingham’s culture and activities , including Writing East Midlands , Nottingham Writers’ Studio , and Five Leaves Bookshop

Explore opportunities

in a  UNESCO City of Literature

Practice your skills

write for  Impact Magazine , the  Nottingham Poetry Exchange , or  The Letters Page  journal

Ranked 10th

for grade point average among 92 universities, and 7th in the Russell Group.

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Course content

Pre-arrival reading lists will be sent out with registration information before you join your course, where available.

This course is made up of 180 credits. 

Full-time students complete six modules across the year, before completing the dissertation over the summer.

Part-time students complete three taught modules in the first year of study, then three in their second, before turning to the dissertation.

All classes take place during weekdays.

• Core modules
• Optional modules
• Dissertation

There are five core creative writing modules, worth 20 credits each:

Develop your fiction through exercises and analysis of point of view, narrative voice, dialogue, and plot, among other techniques.

Expand your poetic range by playing with different approaches to form, exploring a range of creative techniques and sharpening your interpretive skills.

You will be encouraged to reflect on your writing output and incorporate the critiques of others when editing and developing your work.

This module is worth 20 credits. 

One of the key things you need to be able to do as a writer is critique and contextualise your own work.

This not only involves being able to edit and draft your work, it also includes understanding the wider influences from other literary and non-literary works.

These skills are really important when it comes to writing the critical essay – something you have to do alongside the creative work on the course. Yet, this module also explores how criticality itself offers new kinds of creative forms and approaches too, breaking down the traditional divide between prose, poetry and creative non-fiction.

You will explore:

• How to critically examine your own creative work
• How to write a critical essay
• New hybridic forms of writing that cross traditional boundaries (for example, prose, poetry and non-fiction) such as autofiction and autotheory
• New writers of creative, critical and hybridic work

This module is worth 20 credits

Investigate the complex relationships between writer, genre and creative industries.

In considering the production of prose and poetry, we will study the role of:

• booksellers
• literary events

Your assessment consists of a portfolio of either prose or poetry, or a combination of the two, as well as a critical essay.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Explore in depth how to write effective and compelling fiction.

Through in-class discussion and weekly readings and exercises, this module pushes and extends your own craft and technique.

Along the way, you’ll explore how to approach short story, flash fiction and novel writing. You’ll also be introduced to a range of secondary and critical texts that will help you deepen your own understanding of form, genre and style.

You will discover:

• key prose-writing techniques, including point of view, characterisation, dialogue and setting
• a range of form and genre, and the techniques and approaches that are relevant to them
• a range of critical texts that deepen and extend your understanding of prose writing technique

Explore a range of poetic conventions, and the contexts in which poetry is produced, whilst developing your own poetic style. 

Through the ‘practitioner’ approach, you are not only supported in your craft but encouraged to work towards submitting your work for publication. 

The reading list for this module includes: 

• poetry magazines
• new writers’ anthologies
• debut poetry collections
• poetry in performance 

You will select one 20-credit optional module (chosen during enrolment). Examples include:

This module represents a course in cognitive poetics. It aims to understand the meanings, emotions and effects of literary reading based on our current best understanding of language and mind. This means drawing on insights developed in cognitive science, especially in psychology and linguistics. You will also develop skills in stylistics and critical theory.

Cognitive poetics attempts to find answers to the following questions:

• How is it that different readers interpret the same literary work differently?
• How can we care emotionally about fictional people in books?
• How do some literary works make you cry, or laugh, or be fearful or joyous?
• How do we understand the minds of other people, real and imaginary?
• How do literary works create atmosphere, tone, and ambience?
• Does reality and fictionality matter?
• How does language create worlds?

You do not need to have a background in both linguistics and literary studies – either area will be perfect preparation for your exploration of cognitive poetics. You will be taught in a small-group two-hour tutorial discussion.

This module studies the representation of fictional consciousness.

Character consciousness has become so fundamental to any narrative, that we hardly think about the problems involved in representing another person's mind.

On this module, you will:

• explore in depth techniques for the presentation of consciousness in novels and other fictional texts
• learn about the linguistic indices associated with the point of view of characters and the various modes available to a writer for the presentation of characters' thoughts and perceptions
• examine the style of narrative texts that portray consciousness and study the theories that explain their methods
• consider the historical development of consciousness presentation techniques

The module is worth 20 credits.

Gain a practical introduction to the world of contemporary publishing, including:

• small presses
• online writing
• digital narratives
• social media

You will explore the landscape of contemporary publishing, both offline and online, and study the practical skills needed to research, write, edit, and publish writing across a range of forms and platforms.

The module is structured around practical writing tasks, working towards a real-world publication project which will form the basis for your assessment. You will be taught through a mixture of lecture-style content on relevant topics and practice-based workshops.

Alongside the module, you also have the opportunity to take up a work placement with The Letters Page , the School of English's own literary journal.

It has often been suggested that the idea of literary history – a narrative that understands, classifies and explains the English literary past – is an impossibility.

The relationship between literature and the history of the time of its creation is an equally vexed and productive question. We will look at various ways in which literature has combined with the study of history and also how histories of literature have been constructed.

Topics explored include:

• The development of the literary canon
• Periodicity
• Inclusions and exclusions
• Rediscoveries
• Representation

You will also look at the ways in which literary biography relates to the creation of literary histories. We will introduce key topics in the area and apply them to a variety of types of literature, and the myriad critical ways in which such literature has been viewed, both in its immediate moment and retrospectively.

Explore the use of linguistic frameworks to investigate literary texts.

Through a series of practical analyses, you will be introduced to a range of linguistic explorations of poetry, prose, and drama from a wide range of historical periods.

The module will invite you to use the analyses as an occasion for the critical evaluation of the various approaches to language and literature, to investigate the notions of literariness and interpretation, and to consider the scope and validity of stylistics in relation to literature and literary studies.

This module considers a major English literary genre and its critical heritage. It also demonstrates that medieval English romance narratives can be set in complex and profound critical relationship to each other and to other artistic media.

You are encouraged to explore how reading Middle English romance texts can:

• equip us with vocabulary and concepts to discuss the cultural specificities of the literary representations of romance, love and chivalry in this period
• represent public and private identities
• ask questions regarding individuality and selfhood that arise in literature produced in a volatile period of religious and social uncertainty and dissent

These are all issues that now define the Middle Ages for modern scholars.

Study key work in narratology from literary, stylistic and sociolinguistic perspectives.

 We will explore narrative texts in terms of:

• temporal organisation
• characterisation
• point of view

You will examine both literary and non-literary narratives and gain an understanding of the historical development of narrative techniques.

Explore how writers of the modernist period responded to an age of dramatic change, and new formations in society, politics and art.

This was an an age in which revolutionary developments in science, technology, philosophy and psychology prompted the formation of radically new understandings of the self and the world.

Studying a range of literary, dramatic, cultural and critical texts, we consider the individual and collective nature of the formulation of radical aesthetics. We will be discussing modernist and avant-garde approaches to such subjects as:

• Subjectivity and consciousness
• Community and identity: gender, race, nation
• Experimental form and the literary marketplace

We will study these texts in relation to the many relevant contexts of the period, as well as by the light of more recent critical and theoretical approaches that continue to make new the work of the moderns.

This module looks at various authors, movements, and genres in the history of English poetry, from 1500 to the present.

You will gain an overview of certain key chronological areas, and case studies of more specific movements or ideas. Themes and areas of focus may include:

• late medieval
• religious verse
• poetry and science
• Epicureanism
• verse epistles
• gender and recovery
• 'minor' poets and failure
• Empire and Romanticism
• the dramatic monologue
• modernist poetics

Explore a range of modern drama, all themed around the idea of riot.

We will explore the phenomenon of the riot, examining how it is defined and how it might relate to other kinds of western performance event.

• Analyse the way that riots have both been triggered by, and represented in, an assortment of other performances
• Compare and contrast material from a range of different chronological periods and across a range of different genres

Although this module is largely focused on dramatic texts, it gives you the opportunity to consider an assortment of other performance events. For example, we will analyse the drama of Synge and O’Casey, the ballet of Stravinsky and Nijinsky, and the performance poetry of Linton Kwesi Johnson.

Explore the changing meanings of Shakespeare’s plays across text, stage and screen.

The module examines three plays in depth, looking at their literary interest (from textual history and sources to thematic concerns and characterisation) and their performative possibilities on stage and in film. The module is redesigned each year to take advantage of what theatres are currently staging.

By approaching the plays from multiple angles, you will discover the varied potential for reinterpretation and recreation that each text offers.

You will build on seminar discussions to develop your own project question about:

• the interpretive possibilities that the plays offer
• the choices made by specific interpreters of the text

Your project will be developed in consultation with tutors to consider the interplay of performance and text.

Every published document that we read, be it a novel, poetry anthology, or magazine article, has been through a complex process of evolution and editing. This module introduces you to how texts are transmitted from ‘author’ to audience.

We will consider:

• modes of transmission, both manuscript and print
• modes of representation, including scholarly editions and anthologies, both print and digital
• editorial theory and practice, including ‘best text’, genetic editing and single witness

You are encouraged to apply questions of editing to your own areas of interest, and work through the practicalities of producing an edition yourselves.

The book, handwritten or printed, was as innovative and pervasive a technology in the Middle Ages as electronic technologies are in our own time.

This module introduces the study of the book as physical ‘artefact’ and world-changing technology.

We will cover:

• methods of construction and compilation
• handwriting and early printing techniques
• reading marginalia as well as text

You will also be introduced to the benefits and applications, as well as the problems, of applying an understanding of the artefact to the texts contained within.

During the summer, you will complete a 14,000-word creative writing dissertation. This is a major piece of independent research, and you will be allocated a supervisor who is a specialist in your chosen area.

You could choose to do a series of poems or short stories, a piece of non-fiction, or an excerpt from a novel. Your supervisor will guide you through the writing of your project through to completion.

This module is worth 60-credits.

Learning and assessment

How you will learn.

• Group study
• Guest speakers

Teaching consists of workshops in poetry and fiction led by prize-winning writers  Professor Jon McGregor ,  Matthew Welton ,  Thomas Legendre ,  Dr Lila Matsumoto  and  Dr Spencer Jordan .

Students are taught in small seminar groups, so there is plenty of opportunity for discussion of ideas and development of our students as researchers.

MA Dissertation Preparation Day

This is an opportunity for students to learn more about the challenges of a larger-scale research project, about supervision and support, and about the resources available to Masters researchers. It is also a social occasion, bringing together our postgraduate students as an academic community. 

More about the Dissertation Preparation Day

Peer mentoring

All new postgraduate taught students can opt into our peer mentoring scheme. Your peer mentor will help you settle into life at Nottingham and access support if needed. 

More about peer mentoring

How you will be assessed

• Creative writing

Most modules are assessed by written work of varying lengths, corresponding with the content and weighting of the module.

Your course tutors provide detailed comments on assignments.

For your creative writing assessment, this will consist of a portfolio. Depending on the module, this could include poetry, a short story or stories, an excerpt from a novel, or something more experimental that crosses genre or form.

Towards the end of your studies, you will complete a 14,000-word dissertation. This is a major piece of independent research, and you will be allocated a supervisor who is a specialist in your chosen area. You will produce an original piece of work in a medium of your choosing: you could produce a set of poems, a piece of fiction, or a series of short stories, for instance. You will also write a critical essay.

Your dissertation supervisor will provide advice and guidance to help you select your area of study, and offer close supervision and support as you complete your research.

Contact time and study hours

During the autumn semester, there will be approximately six hours of workshops per week for full-time students. Part-time students can expect around half of this contact time per week.

You may also arrange one-to-one tutorials with your tutors. Outside of this time, you will be expected to conduct independent study, whether reading, researching, or writing.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

• Home / UK students
• EU / International students

Alternative qualifications

Applicants will be asked to submit an example of their written work. You will be contacted by the university with full details of how to submit this.

The School of English welcomes writers of poetry, fiction, or a combination of the two. In reading the writing samples, we are looking for work that indicates that its author would be able to succeed on the course. There is no restriction on the subject matter of the writing sample. We only require that it is your own work.

You will be asked for either:

• no more than 3,000 words of prose fiction (this could be one story, a group of stories, or an extract from a longer piece)

Meeting our English language requirements

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a presessional English course. Presessional courses teach you academic skills in addition to English language. Our  Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

For on-campus presessional English courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations. For online presessional courses, see our CELE webpages for guidance

Visa restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

We recognise that applicants have a variety of experiences and follow different pathways to postgraduate study.

We treat all applicants with alternative qualifications on an individual basis. We may also consider relevant work experience.

If you are unsure whether your qualifications or work experience are relevant, contact us .

Our step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about applying.

Where you will learn

Library facilities - school of english.

• manuscripts from the 12th-15th centuries and books in Old and Middle English, Old Icelandic, Viking Studies, and runology
• the  English Place-Name Society  library and archive
• Hallward Library's  DH Lawrence archive (containing Lawrence family papers, manuscripts, first editions, and books owned by Lawrence)
• the Cambridge Drama Collection (over 1,500 items including plays and works about the British theatre from 1750-1850)

Social Science and Arts Graduate Centre

The Graduate Centre for postgraduate students in the Arts and Social Sciences is available on the first floor of Highfield House, next to the Trent Building. Accessible 24/7, this space provides computer stations, a social area with informal seating and areas where students can work individually or in groups. 

The Centre also offers support for students interested in developing their own ideas in the form of seminars, conferences, events, and socials.

University Park Campus

University Park Campus  covers 300 acres, with green spaces, wildlife, period buildings and modern facilities. It is one of the UK's most beautiful and sustainable campuses, winning a national Green Flag award every year since 2003.

Most schools and departments are based here. You will have access to libraries, shops, cafes, the Students’ Union, sports village and a health centre.

You can walk or cycle around campus. Free hopper buses connect you to our other campuses. Nottingham city centre is 15 minutes away by public bus or tram.

Digital Transformations Hub

As a researcher you have full access to the  Digital Transformations Hub  and can use our equipment and software for free.

Additional information for international students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Additional costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice .

You'll be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to buy your own copies of core texts. The Blackwell's bookshop on campus offers a year-round price match against any of the main retailers (i.e. Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith).

There are many ways to fund your postgraduate course, from scholarships to government loans.

We also offer a range of international masters scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

• Careers advice
• Job prospects

We offer individual careers support for all postgraduate students .

Expert staff can help you research career options and job vacancies, build your CV or résumé, develop your interview skills and meet employers.

Each year 1,100 employers advertise graduate jobs and internships through our online vacancy service. We host regular careers fairs, including specialist fairs for different sectors.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route . Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Graduate destinations

This course is designed to develop a range of transferable professional skills, including:

• Analytical reasoning
• Communication
• Self-motivation
• Time-management
• Developing and presenting complex ideas

Our graduates have moved into a diverse range of careers, working as:

• Teachers and lecturers
• Copywriters
• Journalists
• Communications officers
• Digital marketers
• Proofreaders

"I loved my time at Nottingham, and the high quality tuition I received definitely lifted my writing to a level that got it noticed by agents and editors, and was the stepping off point for my career as a published author. The MA really did what it said on the tin: it made me understand the internal workings of fiction and, without doubt, made me a better writer."

- Clare Harvey, Creative Writing MA graduate and professional author

Career progression

75% of postgraduates from the School of English secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average starting salary was £20,796*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2020. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

There are a range of public engagement opportunities open to students in the School of English.

You may also apply to gain editing experience through The Letters Page online journal.

"I’ve always had the aspirations and dreams to work within the publishing industry. I was never sure what specific role I would want or how it would happen. But working with The Letters Page definitely cemented my desire to be a part of that industry…And now I am!"

- Mandy Baker , Creative Writing MA graduate, completed a placement with The Letters Page

Related courses

English literature ma, english studies ma.

The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national grading system, introduced by the government in England. It assesses the quality of undergraduate teaching at universities and how well they ensure excellent outcomes for their students in terms of graduate-level employment or further study.

This content was last updated on Thursday 27 July 2023. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur given the interval between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.

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MA Creative Writing

Develop your passion for the craft of writing

• Specialist network events to introduce you to agents and editors and help kickstart your writing career

in the UK for English and Creative Writing courses

Guardian University Guide 2023

for teaching quality in Creative Writing

Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

for student satisfaction

National Student Survey 2022

Join us for a virtual Open Evening

Be the first to know about upcoming postgraduate open evening dates., teaching and assessment, industry insight, graduate success, course costs, entry requirements, gain confidence in your skills within a community of fellow writers.

Focus on the craft of writing on a postgraduate course designed help you develop your skills, experiment with form and explore a variety of genres.

Our MA Creative Writing course has a long and proud history of graduate success, with many of our students continuing on to careers as published writers.

You will learn from one of the most established and experienced Creative Writing teams in the UK, comprised of practising and published poets, short story writers, novelists, non-fiction writers and screenwriters.

We believe in creating a community of writers who can support and learn from one another. Our specialist workshopping sessions give you the confidence to discuss you work, receive feedback, and reflect on your own work by helping others.

On this course you will:

• Develop your writing skills in your chosen genre or genres.
• Learn from our expert staff, who are all practicing and published writers.
• Gain the confidence to share and discuss you own work with peers and tutors.
• Experience regular readings from guest writers.
• Meet and talk with agents and editors at our annual publishing panel.

Learn the craft of creative writing from practicing and published writers

Our MA Creative Writing course focuses on writing as a craft.  It provides you a strong platform to develop your writing, as you experiment with the wide range of possibilities available to the contemporary writer.

You will have the opportunity to develop your skills in writing prose fiction (the novel or short story), poetry, creative non-fiction (biography, autobiography, memoir, travel), film scripts or drama for the stage or radio.

You may want to work on one project, such as a novel, throughout the course, or you may wish to explore different genres; the course allows for both options.

This list is indicative and subject to change.

Launching the Manuscript

Metaphor and the imagination, sources and transformations, the dissertation, the writing studio.

In this module, you will explore the role of autonomy in the creative writing process, sustaining the longer project, and learning about the publishing industry. You will also be able to learn more about the publishing industry from guest readers and the Agents and Editors’ Panel.

This module encourages innovation and experimentation, pushing you beyond your usual boundaries.

This module provides you with the essential skills of transforming both outer research and inner biographical concerns into fiction.

In this module, you will complete a substantial piece of original writing in the genre of your choice to act as a culmination of your learning throughout the course. As part of this process, you will complete an extensive commentary that charts the development of your work and which places it within its literary context.

This module serves as induction to the MA and to the distinctive methods of the ‘Chichester workshop’ and enables you to experiment in any genre prose, poetry or drama, while exploring key features of those genres.

Feel the support of one of the most experienced teaching teams in the UK

You will learn through a combination of seminar discussion, writing exercises and workshops.

In the intensive MA workshops, you will typically discuss good writing practice and workshop your own writing.

Our commitment to smaller class sizes allows you to feel more confident to discuss your ideas in a supportive environment. It also allows your tutors get to know you and how best to aid your development.

In addition to taught sessions by MA staff and talks by visiting writers, students will also benefit from two master classes a year by our visiting Professors, novelist Kate Mosse and novelist and short story writer Alison MacLeod.

Whilst subject to change, typically lectures and classes run at the following times:

Modules are assessed at every stage of the course, allowing you to clearly see your academic progress at all stages of the course.

To gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing, students need to complete four modules. Each module is assessed by an assignment of approximately 6,000 words or equivalent.

To gain an MA in Creative Writing, students need to complete all four modules and a dissertation of 20,000 words (or poetry/drama equivalents).

Find facilities and research centres that support your creative processes

Bishop otter campus.

Click to watch our virtual tour of our historic Bishop Otter campus in the heart of Chichester.

Learning Resource Centre

The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms, and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).

Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.

Expert staff

You will learn from one the countries most experienced creative writing teams.

Subject specific librarians

If you have difficulty finding material for an essay, seminar or project, subject librarians will be happy to provide assistance.

South Coast Creative Writing Hub

The University is home to this community of staff, graduates, and current students who host events with local authors.

Chichester Centre for Fairy Tales, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction

Our forum for research and debate into beyond realist literature.

Guest speakers

The University regularly welcomes renowned creative writers to speak on their work and industry.

Iris Murdoch Research Centre

The Iris Murdoch Research Centre supports and develops work into this major twentieth century writer.

Local cultural links

The University is placed within the reach of the beautiful South Downs area of the UK.

Gain unique insight into the creative writing industry

Publishing panel.

We also offer advice on publishing and the market place through our annual Agents and Editors’ Panel.

We welcome experts from the publishing industry come to Chichester to talk about getting published and to make contacts with our students.

A number of our students have met their agents and/or editors at one of these panels.

The University boasts a blossoming writing culture and community, with regular book launches and conferences.

In addition, we welcome guest authors to discuss their work, their process, and their careers, providing an in-depth insight into the publishing world.

Some renowned authors to have visited the University in recent years include:

• Carol Ann Duffy
• Michele Roberts
• Vicki Feaver

Bethan Roberts

• Jo Shapcott
• Robert Shearman
• Sarah Hall.

Join our community of successful alumni

The last few years have shown a fabulous flowering of our MA Creative Writing students’ work. Many students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level have continued on to become published writers and win prizes.

In recent years, students have gone on to publish novels, poetry collections, win prizes in major competitions such as the Bridport Prize. Some have also had poems and stories published in magazines such as The Paris Review and Staple .

Multi-award winning writer Bethan Roberts has published five novels and writes drama for BBC Radio 4.

Her novel, My Policeman, follows the story of a 1950s policeman, his wife, and his male lover, and was released in 2012. A film adaptation starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin was released by Amazon Studios in 2022.

Her fourth novel, Mother Island, was the recipient of a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered prize. Her new novel, Graceland, tells the story of Elvis Presley and his mother.

Isabel Ashdown

While on the MA, Isabel worked on her first novel, Glasshopper, which was published by Myriad Editions.

Glasshopper went on to be named among the best books of the year by both the Observer and The Evening Standard. Since then she has published four more novels.

The latest, Little Sister, is a psychological thriller published by Trapeze, an imprint of Orion publishing.

Glen James Brown

Glen James Brown's Ironopolis was nominated for the Orwell Prize for political fiction, as well as the 2020 Portico Prize.

The book follows the stories of multiple characters within a declining estate in the heart of Middlesbrough.

Gabrielle Kimm

Gabrielle has published three novels with Sphere: The Last Duchess, The Courtesan’s Lover and The Girl With The Painted Face to positive reviews and her work has been published in nine countries.

Gabrielle met her agent, Judith Murray, at one of the English and Creative Writing Department annual Agents and Editors’ panels.

Vashti Hardy

Vashti Hardy’s Brightstorm was published in March 2018 by Scholastic UK and is a middle grade fantasy with sky-ship explorers, sapient creatures and twin heroes.

Brightstorm was selected by Independent Booksellers as the Book of the Season Spring 2018 and was been shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Award, The Awesome Book Awards, Leeds Book Awards, Stockton Book Awards, and was also listed for the Blue Peter Book Awards.

Course Fees 2024/25

International fee.

University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.

For further details about fees, please see our  Tuition Fees  page.

For further details about international scholarships, please see our  Scholarships  page.

• An honours degree at 2:2 or higher in a related discipline
• You will be required to attend an interview and provide a portfolio of work
• If English is not your first language then English language proficiency required is IELTS 6.5 (with no element less than 5.5) – or equivalent qualification

Entry Portfolio

For entry to our MA Creative Writing course, you will be required to send in a portfolio of creative writing. This portfolio should represent some of your best work to date, so please select carefully and present accurately.

A portfolio might consist of any but not all of the following:

• Three short stories
• Three chapters from a novel or non-fiction book
• A radio play
• Two or three scenes of a stage play
• Or a combination of the above, e.g. a short story and five poems.

Please remember to select your writing that you consider to be your best work so far and in a form that suits you.

To apply for the full-time route for this course, please click the button below. Apply for the full-time route

To apply for the part-time route for this course, please click the button below. Apply for the part-time route

Frequently asked questions

Can i choose part time or full time study.

Yes, when you apply you can state which level of study you would like to undertake.

Is the course the same whether I study part time or full time?

Yes, the course will be the same for both part time and full time study.

Can I still attend the Agents and Editor's Panel if I study part time?

Yes, you will still be able to attend all course events if you study part time.

How do I apply?

Apply here to be taken through to our online application form. As part of that process, you will be asked to submit a portfolio of your best current work as outlined in the section above this one.

Related courses

Ba (hons) creative writing and english, ba (hons) creative writing, our address.

University of Chichester, College Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6PE View Map

(+44) 01243 816000 [email protected]

(+44) 01243 816000

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Open Days & Applicant Days  [email protected]

Study Postgraduate

Writing (ma) (2024 entry).

Course code

P-Q3P7  

30 September 2024

1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

Qualification

Warwick Writing Programme , SCAPVC

University of Warwick

Download a prospectus

Virtual tour

Explore our taught Master's degree in Writing.

Writing is a profession and a passion; it is also an act of community. Warwick’s MA in Writing introduces you to the real world of writing, surrounded and supported by writing staff and students who share your ambition. It will show you how to make your way in the world as a writer.

The Warwick Writing Programme, founded in 1996, is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Europe and was ranked first by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021.

Course overview

Our flexible MA in Writing is open to students from around the world.

Four taught modules (Fiction Workshop 1, Non-Fiction Workshop, or Writing Poetry), plus three other taught modules of your choice.

Across the Autumn and Spring term s , you will take f our taught modules (Fiction Workshop 1 or Non- F iction Workshop plus three other taught modules of your choice ) . In the summer term, you will work with a supervisor on your Long Project , for which you write a long piece of creative work in any genre that the Programme is able to supervise. This creative piece is accompanied by a shorter critical reflection.  

If you study Part Time, you will take either Fiction Workshop 1 or Non-Fiction Workshop in your first Autumn term, and take one optional module in the Spring term. In your second year, you will take two optional modules (one in the Autumn and one in the Spring term) and then do your Long Project in the Summer term.  

Warwick Writing Programme

The acclaimed Warwick Writing Programme is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Europe. You will be working alongside practising, award-winning novelists, poets and literary translators. Our teaching staff includes: A.L. Kennedy, Tim Leach, Nell Stevens, Maureen Freely (Chair of the International Booker Prize 2019), Gonzalo C. Garcia and David Morley (winner of the Ted Hughes Award 2015). We are closely involved with The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Each year the winner of the award – which has in the past included Sally Rooney and Raymond Antrobus – spends a period of time as writer-in-residence at Warwick, working with students.

Further information about the MA in Writing is available on the  Warwick Writing Programme website Link opens in a new window .

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements.

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

In addition to the usual application materials, candidates will be selected on the basis of a personal statement and a portfolio of their written work. The portfolio should be a maximum of 20 pages of poetry or 5,000 words of fiction/non-fiction, or a combination of the two. You must upload this with your online application form.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirements Link opens in a new window . This course requires the following:

• IELTS overall score of 7.5, minimum component scores of two at 6.5/7.0 and the rest at 7.5 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements page Link opens in a new window .

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Core modules

There are no fixed core modules for this programme, but all students take an Optional Core module in writing, normally either Fiction Workshop 1 or Non-Fiction Workshop, though other modules (Fiction Workshop 2 and Writing Poetry) are possible.

Fiction Workshop 1

In this introductory prose workshop you will develop your expressive and technical skills in writing prose fiction, improve your skills as an editor and critic of your own and others’ work, gain a critical understanding of literary craft and technique, develop an understanding of the relationship between your work and the work of classic and contemporary authors.

Non-Fiction Workshop

This module will investigate the presence/absence of the author in nonfiction writing. We will address the limitations and the possibilities, and how creative nonfiction writing relates to all forms of self-expression we have today, from memoirs to social networks.  

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

• Warwick Fiction Workshop 1 and 2
• Writing Poetry
• Writing about Human Rights and Injustice
• Historical Fictions, Fictional Histories
• The Practice of Literary Translation
• Brave New Worlds: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy

We teach in writing workshops, seminars and one-to-one supervisions.

Each year, the MA group produce an anthology of new writing derived from work done during their time at Warwick. You will get the chance to be involved in the production, editing, writing, and promotion of a new anthology, seeing your work in print and gaining some invaluable hands-on experience along the way.

Class sizes

6 to 15 students.

Typical contact hours

8 hours per week.

Most modules are assessed by portfolios of writing in the relevant genre, sometimes with an accompanying essay. Space for reading, thinking and writing matters almost as much as teaching. Our campus is a good place for writers, with a wide range of creative spaces and events open throughout the year.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

A career in writing

Our staff have excellent links not only with other writers but also with publishing houses, literary journals and agencies, with national and regional organizations such as PEN and the Society of Authors, and with other creative writing programmes both in Britain and in the USA. We are also the home of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Many of our alumni have forged highly successful writing careers and picked up major national and international prizes: recent examples include Cynthia Miller being shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Poetry Collection 2021, Sophie Mackintosh's novel The Water Cure , Katy Whitehead winning the 2017 Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize, Michael Askew winning a 2021 Eric Gregory Award for The Association Game , and Sohini Basak's debut collection   We Live in the Newness of Small Differences winning the 2016 Beverly Series.

At Warwick Thursdays, our weekly literary and cultural salon, you will encounter creative practitioners (typically including writers, filmmakers, literary translators, visual artists) and industry guests (typically including publishers, agents, journalists), gaining an insight into a range of possible careers in the creative industries.

Welcome to the Warwick Writing Programme, an internationally acclaimed writing programme that attracts writers and literary translators from across the globe. If you join us you will immerse yourself in contemporary and experimental narratives, including screenwriting, literary translation, gaming, spoken word and fieldwork.

We foster and maintain excellent creative industry links and networks to enable our students to achieve their career ambitions. We are closely involved with The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, whose recent winners have included Raymond Antrobus, Adam Weymouth and Sally Rooney. We are also the home of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Our teaching staff of novelists, poets, non-fiction writers, screenwriters and literary translators includes A.L. Kennedy, Tim Leach, Nell Stevens, Maureen Freely, Gonzalo C. Garcia , David Morley , Lucy Brydon, Dragan Todorovic , and Jodie Kim .  

Find out more about us on our website. Link opens in a new window

Our courses

• Literary Practice (PhD)
• Literary Translation Studies (MA)
• Literary Translation Studies (PhD)
• Writing (MA)

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees  

Fee Status Guidance

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.  

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.  

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website .

Additional course costs

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

How to apply.

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

Applications will close on 2 August 2024 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

How to apply for a postgraduate taught course  

After you’ve applied

Find out how we process your application.

Applicant Portal

Track your application and update your details.

Admissions statement

See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.

Join a live chat

Ask questions and engage with Warwick.

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Postgraduate fairs.

Throughout the year we attend exhibitions and fairs online and in-person around the UK. These events give you the chance to explore our range of postgraduate courses, and find out what it’s like studying at Warwick. You’ll also be able to speak directly with our student recruitment team, who will be able to help answer your questions.

Join a live chat with our staff and students, who are here to answer your questions and help you learn more about postgraduate life at Warwick. You can join our general drop-in sessions or talk to your prospective department and student services.

Departmental events

Some academic departments hold events for specific postgraduate programmes, these are fantastic opportunities to learn more about Warwick and your chosen department and course.

See our online departmental events

Warwick Talk and Tours

A Warwick talk and tour lasts around two hours and consists of an overview presentation from one of our Recruitment Officers covering the key features, facilities and activities that make Warwick a leading institution. The talk is followed by a campus tour which is the perfect way to view campus, with a current student guiding you around the key areas on campus.

Connect with us

Learn more about Postgraduate study at the University of Warwick.

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We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history .

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

9th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2024) Link opens in a new window

67th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024) Link opens in a new window

6th most targeted university by the UK's top 100 graduate employers Link opens in a new window

(The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd. Link opens in a new window )

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2024 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

MA Creative Writing

The MA in Creative Writing at Bristol is designed for writers who would like to begin publishing their work. In warm, supportive workshops, you will be helped to improve your writing and in lectures and seminars you will increase your understanding of the industrial and critical contexts of contemporary literature.

You will be taught industry-focused content by experienced published writers. A special unit will introduce you to issues in contemporary publishing. Guest writers and experts from industry will speak, bringing up-to-date knowledge and expertise to the course. We also work closely with local writing groups and writing initiatives. You will work with a professional writer one-on-one as your manuscript develops.

Welcomed into the University's prestigious Department of English , you will be taught by groundbreaking researchers about contemporary critical issues in literature. You will be encouraged to read widely and books will be suggested for you by faculty. At the end of the course, you should be able to speak confidently and intelligently about your work and your reading.

Twilight teaching allows people with working or caring responsibilities to study - as do the part-time options. A strong writing portfolio will allow access without a first degree in a related subject - or indeed without a first degree. Times of classes will be announced well in advance, so that students can accommodate study in their busy lives.

On demand academic talks

Hear directly from an academic giving you a deeper insight into this programme.

Programme structure

For full-time students, in the first term:

• Workshop One (20 credits)
• Critical Issues in Contemporary Literature (20 credits)
• Exploration for Creative Dissertations (20 credits).

In the second term:

• Workshop Two (20 credits)
• Critical Issues in Contemporary Publishing (20 credits)
• Planning a Creative Dissertation (20 Credits).

This is followed by the Creative Dissertation (60 Credits) over the summer period.

Two years part-time study requires attendance at one seminar in the first teaching block (TB1) and one seminar in the second teaching block (TB2). In the second year, the two years part-time study option requires attendance at one seminar in TB1, one seminar in TB2, and tutorials over the summer period.

Three years part-time study requires attendance at one seminar in TB1 and one seminar in TB2 in the first year. In the second year, it again requires attendance at one seminar in TB1 and one seminar in TB2. The third year of study requires the student to attend tutorials only.

Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MA Creative Writing.

World-leading research

The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK ( Times Higher Education ).

94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Entry requirements

Places are offered on the basis of a portfolio of writing. We are looking for writers with potential to soon begin publishing their work. It is helpful, but not essential, for the applicant to have some idea of the project they hope to undertake during the course of the degree. Evidence of prior study in the area, a long-standing writing practice, workshop experience, and extensive reading can also strengthen the application. However, the most essential element of the application is the writing itself. We are currently only accepting submissions for fiction, creative non fiction (for example, memoir) and poetry. The portfolio should be no longer than 20 pages of fiction or creative non-fiction (double spaced, 12-point font) or 8-10 pages of poetry.

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.

Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.

If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our  profile level A.

Further information about  English language requirements and profile levels .

Fees and funding

Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.

More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support .

Alumni discount

University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study.  Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.

Funding for 2024/25

MyWorld Scholarships: UK offer holders for this programme may be eligible for a scholarship of up to £5,000 towards their tuition fees. Information about eligibility and the application process can be found on the MyWorld website . 

Creative Writing is among the subjects eligible for funding from the Postgraduate Master's Loan . The Faculty of Arts also offers funding opportunities for taught and research programmes.

International students are encouraged to apply for the Think Big Postgraduate Scholarship .

Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.

Career prospects

Graduates of the MA in Creative Writing often enter portfolio careers, where creative writing becomes only one element of their income. Other elements may include:

• workshop delivery
• proofreading

The close-reading skills developed on a master's in Creative Writing can also prepare graduates for careers in publishing. Advanced skills in understanding nuance and tone have helped graduates secure work in business communications, marketing and corporate social media.

How to apply

Apply via our online application system. For further information, please see the guidance for how to apply on our webpages.

Overseas applicants: 24 July 2024. Home applicants: 9 August 2024.

Please note that due to high demand, some programmes may close earlier than advertised. Early applications are advised to avoid disappointment. Places are limited and allocated on a continuous basis from September 2023 until all places are filled.

Faculty of Arts

School of Humanities

Department of English

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MA in Creative Writing (Online)

Transform your passion for reading into the ability to produce prose worthy of public recognition . 

• WHAT YOU LEARN
• COURSE MODULES
• HOW YOU'RE ASSESSED
• ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
• CAREER PROSPECTS

Course details

Additional costs:   due to the nature of the subject, and copyright restrictions placed on institutional libraries by some publishers, students will need to purchase some core texts.

Support with your application:   Contact our course adviser team today for application advice.

Why this MA in Creative Writing?

It was Hull where Philip Larkin lived and worked at the University's Brynmor Jones Library for 30 years, writing most of his best work. A seafaring city that connected outwards and brought some of the exotic back to northern England.

Embracing Hull's global-facing outlook, MA Professor and accomplished author Martin Goodman describes the University's MA Creative Writing as an inspiring and collegial environment for online students who want to develop their distinctive voice as a creative writer.

There is also the option to attend face-to-face events , as you seek public recognition and become a valued, active member of a vibrant international creative writing community.

What you learn

Transform your passion for reading into the ability to produce prose worthy of public recognition. Whatever your genre of preference, be it literary fiction, nonfiction, or the likes of fantasy, mystery or romance – you will have the opportunity to hone your creative writing skills and discover the techniques seminal writers have used to significant effect:

push your creative boundaries and give shape to a strong and original creative voice

expand your knowledge of the literary canon and acquire the art of reading as a literary writer 

gain an in-depth knowledge of structure which will help you towards a deeper understanding of your writing process 

become conversant with a range of textual elements such as the use of dialogue, point of view, perspective and sensory detail and apply learned technique to your preferred writing genre 

take your place within the international creative writing community. Critique the work of others and engender the view of published writers as colleagues from who you can learn 

• develop your practice as a creative writer, understand the editing and re-drafting process necessary to produce prose of a publishable standard.

Your questions answered Programme Director Dr Chris Westoby answers some key questions about the course, including which modules you'll study, how you'll learn online, and the entry requirements.

[upbeat music plays throughout]

Dr Chris Westoby: So there are five modules over the course of two years. You're introduced to the programme with The Writer's Craft, which is designed by our programme founder, Martin Goodman. The Writer's Craft teaches you key writing concepts at MA level, how to analyze the work of exemplary authors and locate what makes their writing successful, so that you may apply such skills within your own practice, and you work upon and strengthen your unique writing voice.

This acts as your your foundation, your springboard, from which you launch into the central three genre specific modules. So you have Writing the Short Story, Writing from Life and Writing the Novel where you study and practice specific modes of writing in-depth.

By the end of these four taught modules, you'll be well equipped and raring to embark upon The Writer's Portfolio. This double length and double weighted module sees you liftoff into an extended writing project of your own design.

With the support of a supervisor chosen to help bring out the very best in your work. You learn through a a combination of writing exercises, lectures, guided critical reading, discussion, forums, workshops and webinars.

Well, this is hard to quantify because everyone works at different speeds, which is absolutely fine and part of what we're proud to accommodate. There are also extra elements to each model, which some students may wish to engage in such as further recommended reading.

Our standard entry requirements are a 2:2 BA honours degree or international equivalent.

However, we also recognize other forms of prior experience and therefore encourage anyone who is interested in the programme to get in touch.

Your application may discuss where your career has taken you so far and why this equips you with the skills designed to join this program. You might discuss other writing courses you've attended, which have provided a strong foundation. You might discuss inroads you have made into publication, all of which shows that you are ready to start sharing your work and have practiced polishing it.

Or you may simply demonstrate the strength of your potential as a writer through your creative writing sample.

Even without the standard entry requirements, you may be the ideal candidate for this programme. There are a number of non standard ways in which you may be considered, so please do get in touch.

Your assigned course advisor will help you form an application that lets your unique strengths shine.

Student work

Dear Isobel

Bedtime Stories for Kids

The Watcher Of The Night Sky (Book 1)

Post-Midnight Blues

Festa: A Year of Italian Celebrations - Recipes and Recollections

Mental Health Home Group Material

Into Your Blues

Pack of Lies

The Twinkling Of An Eye

Distant Voices: An anthology of stories

Course modules.

This masters degree allows you to develop your confidence and craft as a writer within a supportive, creative environment.

You study the following compulsory modules.

Because writing takes fire in the readers' mind, in this module, you will examine a wide range of literary works. Focusing primarily on textual elements including; sentence length and flow, perspective, choices of tense you will develop an understanding of how writers achieve their effects. Presented with sections of exemplary writing, you will move from your own visceral responses (e.g., excitement, intrigue, fear) to tracking how the writer deploys elements of craft to trigger desired emotions and atmosphere.

Short stories allow emerging writers to complete narrative arcs and establish a reputation through published works before tackling the longer form of a novel. In this module not only will you develop an appreciation of short stories from a range of international writers, but you will take the short story form and make it your own. Note that this module will also cover two sub-genres within the form; micro-fiction and flash fiction.

This module will introduce you to a wide range of nonfiction prose with a particular focus on travel writing, the essay, memoir, nature writing, and true-crime. You will produce your portfolio of work while practising a range of narrative nonfiction forms within a supportive, peer-driven environment.

What is it about an opening chapter of a novel that makes it virtually impossible to put it down? Throughout this module, you will improve upon your novel writing skills. The critique of your writing in a workshop setting will help you develop a keen awareness of narrative and narration along with a deep understanding of archetypes as an essential part of storytelling. As you develop plot and structure, you will employ editing and redrafting techniques to produce work you are proud to publish.

Creative writing is a rewarding process which requires immense personal discipline. In this module, you will receive guidance on how to structure your writing practice in this respect. Your prose portfolio (up to 15,000 words) represents the culmination of your MA Creative Writing programme. Here you will demonstrate your originality of ideas, grasp of technique and craft, presenting a unique and accomplished body of work to a publishable or near publishable standard.

Hear from our Alumni

Hear their stories, discover their motivations and the obstacles they overcame, and gain valuable insider perspectives.

Join us in May 24

What are the entry requirements.

A minimum 2.2 Bachelor Honours degree  or international equivalent . Applicants who do not meet this requirement may still be considered, but will need to present examples of relevant published work with their application

A creative writing sample (fiction or non-fiction) of 1,500 to 2,000 words

• A personal statement of around 300-500 words. Click here for details of what should be included

An IELTS 6.0 score (with minimum 5.5 in each skill) if your first language isn’t English (or other English language proficiency qualifications accepted by the University of Hull )

One professional or academic reference

If you're unsure whether you're eligible to apply, please get in touch with our friendly course adviser team for advice:

“I chose Hull because I wanted to study somewhere where I would be pushed to break free from my comfort zone."

How you're assessed.

All assessments for the course are based on coursework and submitted online. There are no exams. 

Assessment methods

Your performance on the course will be assessed through a range of methods including:

ongoing tutor and peer feedback

practical work, including group projects and discussion forums

Written assessments

You’ll also be asked to complete a variety of written assessments including:

Critical and creative responses, where you provide examples of crafting skills in work that interests you, and then provide short writing samples that utilise those techniques in your own work

Prose portfolios, comprising one or two pieces of original work

Commentary pieces, describing your ambitions and intent for your prose portfolios

Get more detailed information on the course assessment methods page:

Teaching team

Professor Martin Goodman

Dr Christopher Westoby

Dr Karina Lickorish Quinn

Dr Mick Jackson

Dr Kate Horsley

Barbara Henderson

Tim Hannigan

Dr Megan Hayes

Dr Elizabeth Watkinson

KR Moorhead

Maggie Hamand

Broaden your horizons with face-to-face events.

At the University of Hull, we believe it’s important for students to feel a sense of connectedness, whether they’re studying on campus or online. This is why we hold up to two face-to-face events per year with creative workshops, talks from visionary academics, and a glance into the UK’s thriving creative writing community. Students from previous events have:  

• Formed lasting friendships with fellow creatives  
• Refined their creative writing style on the back of discussion and constructive criticism  
• Drawn inspiration from new perspectives and literary genres  
• Picked up insider knowledge on how to get their work published   

Want to flex your creative muscles, meet your tutors in-person, or form a rapport with like-minded people? You can do all this and more, while exploring topics outside of your course modules. Stay tuned for updates on our face-to-face events – we’d love to have you join us!  

What makes this course stand out? Hear from Programme Founder Professor Martin Goodman about what sets this Creative Writing masters degree apart.

[inspirational music plays throughout]

Hello I'm Martin Goodman, Professor of Creative Writing here at the University of Hull. I'm Director of this MA Online Creative Writing program. And I'm a writer like you. So part of our program here is to welcome fellow writers and encourage you to be the best writer you can be. This course for anybody who wants to take their creative writing seriously, for whom it's something very important. It's probably been very private 'til now, but you're ready to share it, and you're ready to share it, ideally in this online environment. This suits you. Writing is quite a private thing that happens on paper. But we know we have to share it at some times if we're going to reach other readers. So this is what we aim to do with you. The way this course works is to bring you through several different modules. The first one is writer's craft, where we will examine other writers and exemplary pieces of writing and their techniques, how they make their writing work and other readers' minds. And then you build up these skills as you're going through modules about writing the story of writing the novel, writing from life, and then you're released into an extended piece of writing, and that is where you're following the form that most appeals to you. We designed this course to help you build yourself into being the complete prose writer. For me, it's actually been very important to try out all of these fields. So I write novels, I write short stories. I also write non-fiction, I write biographies, I write travel pieces, I write reviews. All of these things are part of what makes a writer able to sustain a living in the world. And you don't have to always be working from your imagination. There's always something you can go to. And in each of these, you're also building up your own skills. So if your main desire in life is to be a novelist, the skills that you can find from learning how to write the creative nonfiction, writing from life, or how to build a little character arc within a short story. These are all essential to you. Every little piece of skill that you develop in writing any form will go into the form of your choosing. It's very important to me that we create a protected space around you. So you're not writing according to what some publisher takes as being that fits my box. You're writing the best work that can emerge from yourself inside this protected space, so it's not judgmental at all. We're completely free. We're saying, begin to yourself and write from that hidden space inside of you. I know that a lot of students are really bursting with their creative writing and looking for feedback, but they find it very hard to get into the classroom. Sometimes it's not good if you're a quiet person to have to face the bustle of a classroom, to have to put out your writing at this particular moment. It's much simpler to do that in your own time, to sort of breathe in. You post it online, and then other people can review it in their own time. That's really what this online course is doing. It is connecting the world through brilliant writers. 

Career prospects

By studying this course, you should gain the confidence and practical skills necessary to produce creative writing of a publishable or near-publishable standard, in your genre of choice.

Want to get published?

Programme Director Dr Chris Westoby discusses how studying creative writing at Hull led to his first book:

You'll also gain valuable transferrable skills which are in-demand across the creative industries and beyond.

MA Creative Writing graduates often go into successful careers in a broad range of industries, such as

professional writing/authorship

marketing and PR

heritage and tourism

journalism and broadcasting

museum curating

Ready to apply?

Our step-by-step application process is easy to follow.

The University of Hull and its digital courses provider, Hull Online Limited, delivered in partnership with Cambridge Education Group Digital (CEGD), will only use your personal data to contact you in relation to our courses. For further information, please see the privacy policy .