kingston university drama and creative writing

BA in Drama and Creative Writing

Kingston University

Introduction

Program tuition fee, career opportunities, about the school.

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Key Information

Campus location

Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom

Study format

3 - 4 years

Tuition fees

GBP 9,250 / per year **

Application deadline

Request info *

Earliest start date

Request info

* only for home students. We will continue to accept applications from international students after the 25th of January

** UK students: £9,250 per year | international: £15,800 for the first year

Why choose this course?

Are you interested in theatre and performance? Are you keen to explore creative writing, such as scriptwriting, poetry, prose and fiction?

If so, this course is ideal. It combines two subjects which naturally overlap and will prepare you for a career in writing or in theatre, or for careers that combine both, such as scriptwriting.

Energising seminars and workshops will explore how writing works in the theatre industry. You'll develop texts with performers, rehearse readings and participate in full theatre productions. Practical knowledge is shared through guest masterclasses from playwrights such as Laura Wade, Roy Williams and award-winner, Winsome Pinnock.

Reasons to choose Kingston University

• We have connections to The Rose Theatre, the largest producing theatre in southwest London.
• You'll develop your skills as a writer and theatre-maker in professional facilities such as the Reg Bailey Theatre, The Rose Studio, and two new theatres in the Town House Building.
• You can take part in Kingston's annual International Youth Arts Festival and the Camden Fringe Festival, gaining professional experience to prepare you for your future career.

What you will study

You'll explore the history, theory, criticism and practice of theatre-making and writing for performance.

All theatre productions are 'authored' in one way or another, and the course allows you to consider this authorship in its widest sense: you can study playwriting alongside directing, for instance, or alongside acting and devising.

As well as acquiring practical knowledge through masterclasses from literary managers and playwrights, you'll also join our literary community, Writers' Centre Kingston, which hosts an annual programme of events from talks to workshops and festivals.

Each level is made up of four modules each worth 30 credit points. Typically, a student must complete 120 credits at each level.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.

The main themes of the course: the history, theory, criticism and practice of theatre-making and writing for performance, are introduced in the first year, enabling you to identify and understand the focus that will characterise your learning throughout. You'll be encouraged to make links between these strands from an early stage in one of the core modules, Culture and Performance.

Core modules

• Introduction to Creative Writing I: The Writer's Toolkit
• Writing that Works
• The Actor and the Text
• Culture and Performance

In Year 2, you'll develop an understanding of the relationships between various practices of writing and authorship, and the theatre in its myriad contexts.

You'll be encouraged to read widely, through exposure to a wide range of writers and their works.

• The Play Today
• Write Action: Introduction to Dramatic Writing

Optional modules

• The Craft of Poetry and Prose
• Independent Creative Writing
• Shakespeare: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
• An Actor Prepares
• The Theatre Director: crafting productions for the stage
• Popular Performance I: Mask and Clown

In Year 3, core modules bring the course themes together by requiring you to demonstrate how historical, contextual and theoretical research underpins and feeds into dramatic writing for the stage.

You'll also work on a substantial project and demonstrate how you can work independently. The range of optional modules also allows you to focus on and develop other areas of interest.

• Creative Writing Dissertation Project
• Beyond Text: Advanced Dramatic Writing
• Drama Production Projects
• Experiments with Form
• Special Study: Narrative Techniques in Popular Fiction
• Special study: Staging the Nation Identity Politics in Contemporary Drama
• Popular Performance II: Cabaret and Variety
• Special Study: Scriptwriting
• Special Study: Tragedy, Catastrophe, Trauma

Please note

Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.

After you graduate

Kingston's drama and creative writing graduates work in the creative industries as actors, writers, directors, stand-up comedians, outreach workers, technicians, producers and events managers. In addition to pursuing careers as writers, they work in publishing, journalism, advertising and marketing, arts management, new media, education, community arts, the public relations industry, business, and therapeutic fields.

A number of graduates go on to postgraduate study in theatre, creative writing, media or teacher training.

Our alumni have published novels in a variety of countries as well as gained employment in a range of industries where accurate and imaginative writing is valued.

We have industry links with publishers, theatre professionals and literary agents, as well as working writers in a variety of fields.

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Creative Writing BA (Hons) Kingston University

Course options

Qualification.

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

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Course summary

- Many of our graduates have had their work published. Recently, Oyinkan Braithwaite's multi-award winning debut novel My Sister, The Serial Killer, was longlisted for the Booker Prize 2019.- This course covers a range of formats, including digital writing, fiction and creative non-fiction, poetry, and screenwriting.- Workshops will allow you to hone your writing craft, while lectures and seminars will give you the tools you need to develop your own creativity.- To help you master the kinds of writing that interest you most, you can choose to study works of literature or film.- Our commitment to high quality teaching has been recognised with a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold rating. The University has received an overall rating of Gold, as well as securing a Gold award in the framework's two new student experience and student outcomes categories.

This course is intellectually stimulating and exciting, designed to provide you with opportunities for creative writing across a variety of genres and media, embracing poetry, prose fiction and non-fiction, professional writing, and writing for radio and screen.You'll work with published writers, academics and industry professionals on writing for digital media, pitches, exhibitions, reviews, and articles.You will be able to take modules that allow you to explore a variety of literary topics and texts in depth. If your main interests lie in writing for and about film and television, you can elect to take the degree’s film pathway, on which you’ll study film in depth.

Embedded within every course curriculum and throughout the whole Kingston experience, Future Skills will play a role in shaping you to become a future-proof graduate, providing you with the skills most valued by employers such as problem-solving, digital competency, and adaptability. As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills, learning to demonstrate and articulate to employers how future skills give you the edge. At Kingston University, we're not just keeping up with change, we're creating it.

Graduates from this course go on to work in creative writing, digital media, curation, public relations, journalism, publishing, communications, teaching and the civil service. Some of our alumni have become published authors.

Application deadline

Modules (Year 1)

Modules (year 2), modules (year 3), tuition fees.

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16,200 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

Entry requirements

Choose a qualification.

QUALIFICATION TYPE

• UCAS Points
• Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

A level : BBC - ABB

Or A Levels at equivalent to 112 - 128 UCAS points.

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University information

Kingston university, university league table, campus address.

Kingston University, River House, 53-57 High Street, Kingston upon Thames, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 1LQ, England

Subject rankings

Subject ranking.

• Business & Management Studies
• Creative Writing

92nd out of 121 15

31st out of 56 15

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Creative Writing (Distance Learning)

Entry requirements.

We normally expect applicants to have:

• a second class degree or above, or equivalent, in creative writing, English literature, literature and language, drama or theatre studies or a similar subject; and/or
• a demonstrable interest in creative writing.

Months of entry

Course content.

The MA in Creative Writing (Distance Learning) at Kingston University provides the opportunity to work with a wide range of well-established and award-winning writers in the most dynamic writing environment in the UK without having to relocate or give up your current job.

Developed to complement the University's growing and acclaimed suite of courses in creative writing, the course allows you to complete your credits through distance learning. Taught in our virtual forums and classrooms, modules can be accessed at a time of the week to suit your schedule.The Creative Writing MA (Distance Learning) offers you the chance to study with a range of well-established and award-winning writers in a dynamic writing environment, but without having to relocate or give up current commitments. 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. Taught in our virtual forums and classrooms, modules can be accessed at a time of the week to suit your schedule. The non-compulsory campus days give you a chance to visit the campus and attend a relevant lecture, as well as to meet fellow workshop students. Those travelling longer distances who wish to stay longer and explore the cultural opportunities that London offers, or simply to write, are also welcome to attend events taking place on campus for the rest of the week, featuring staff, writers in residences, students and guests. Reasons to choose Kingston University:

• Delivered by Distance Learning, this Creative Writing MA helps you to develop the craft of creative writing, either on a general level or through specialising in your chosen genre. Taught in virtual forums and classrooms, your studies can suit your schedule, and you will not have to relocate or give up your job.
• 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'll study in workshops, learning one-on-one or in small groups with experts in your chosen area. The course is taught by a combination of:
• 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.

What you will study:

The Creative Writing MA (Distance Learning) follows the same course structure as the successful and popular Creative Writing MA. You'll be taught through individual tutorials, streamed lectures and readings held at or sponsored by the University. 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. You will learn the elements of fiction, poetry and drama as well as studying relevant critical theory and trying out your own fictional experiments in the Critical Challenges module. You'll take part in online masterclasses and put all you have learned into practice in the dissertation module. It is possible to use both workshop modules and the dissertation together to work towards a substantial part of a longer piece such as a novel. 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.

The non-compulsory campus days in mid-October and early January give you a chance to visit the campus and attend a relevant lecture, as well as to meet fellow workshop students. Those travelling longer distances who wish to stay longer and explore the cultural opportunities that London offers, or simply to write, are also welcome to attend events taking place on campus for the rest of the week by colleagues, writers in residence, students and guests.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

• Distance learning is available for this qualification

Course contact details

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Kingston university: creative writing, full-time, 1 years starts sep 2024.

**Reasons to choose Kingston**

- 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.

- You will have the opportunity to contribute to Kingston University’s publication, Ripple, which includes fiction, poetry, reviews and creative nonfiction and is edited by students on the course.

- You can study via distance learning in virtual forums and classrooms to suit your schedule, meaning you will not have to relocate or give up your job.

**About this course**

These courses focus on the craft of creative writing. 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.

**Example modules**

- Workshop in Popular Genre Writing

- Writing the Contemporary

- Ten Critical Challenges for Creative Writers

For a full list of modules please visit the Kingston University course webpage.

Part-Time, 2 years starts Sep 2024

Full-time, 1 years started sep 2023, part-time, 2 years started sep 2023, full-time, 1 years started sep 2022.

Reasons to choose Kingston: – 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. – 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. – You can study via distance learning in virtual forums and classrooms to suit your schedule, meaning you will not have to relocate or give up your job.

About this course:

These courses are ideal if you have a personal or professional interest in the craft of creative writing. You will learn in workshops, one-to-one or in small groups, with support from practising and published writers, and fellow students. If you choose to study for an MFA, your second year of study will focus on a dissertation of approximately 40,000 words in which you will pursue an area of interest in-depth.

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.

Part-Time, 2 years started Sep 2022

Master of fine arts - mfa (pg), full-time, 2 years starts sep 2024, part-time, 4 years starts sep 2024, full-time, 2 years started sep 2023, part-time, 4 years started sep 2023, full-time, 2 years started sep 2022.

– You can study these courses via distance learning, meaning you will not have to relocate or give up your job. Taught in virtual forums and classrooms, your studies can suit your schedule. – Writers’ Centre Kingston offers a programme of events such as talks, workshops and festivals. Kingston University is also in partnerships with the Rose Theatre and the Rich Mix Cultural Foundation. – You will have the opportunity to contribute to Kingston University’s publications, Persist, Pages and Ripple. They include fiction, poetry, reviews and creative non-fiction and are edited by postgraduate creative writing students.

In addition to a possible career as a writer or translator, particular careers may include work in publishing, journalism, advertising and marketing, film, television, radio, arts management, new media, business, teaching, and therapeutic fields.

Part-Time, 4 years started Sep 2022

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Creative Writing and Publishing MA

Kingston university, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, university information, similar courses at this uni, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Creative Writing Publishing

Course type

Why choose this course?

This course examines not only the craft of writing, but also how the publishing industry works. You will develop a creative writing portfolio alongside studying trends in the industry. The creative writing element of this course is workshop-led, with opportunity to specialise in the genre of your choice. The publishing element focuses on marketing-led commercial and trade publishing, industry structure and core skills. For your final assessment, you may choose a creative writing dissertation, a publishing dissertation or undertake a practical publishing project.

What you will study

The publishing element focuses on marketing-led commercial and trade publishing, and the modules you study will help you to understand the structure of the industry and the core skills required to enter. You'll take two 30-credit modules from Publishing (one must be 'Create' but you can choose the other, and two 30-credit modules from Creative Writing. You can then choose whether to pursue a dissertation or practical project within either Publishing or Creative Writing, worth 60 credits.

Teaching and assessment

You'll be taught and assessed through essays, reports, presentations, briefs, research projects, and portfolios.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

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.

Kingston University is superbly placed for students to take advantage of London’s many activities and attractions, as well as being close to one of the largest employment centres in the world. Students at Kingston will be able to benefit from award-winning teaching quality during their studies and go onto join a global network of alumni across different industries and sectors upon graduation. There’s always a lot happening at Kingston... more

Creative Writing MFA

Full time | 2 years | 16-SEP-24

Creative Writing MA

Full time | 1 year | 16-SEP-24

Creative Writing MA (Distance Learning)

Distance with attendance | 1 year | 16-SEP-24