english and creative writing degree scotland

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English with Creative Writing, MA

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Introduction

English with Creative Writing at Aberdeen gives you all the advantages of a highly-rated teaching, research and creative hub, teaching by acclaimed writers and poets at Scotland's top centre for creative writing, and the opportunity to develop your own writing in the wonderful environment of a historic university with an award-winning library and priceless literary treasures, and a vigorous calendar of literary events.

Study Information

At a glance.

Aberdeen is a leading centre for the study of literature, language and creative writing, rated second in the UK for its research output and top in Scotland for creative writing.

You’ll study the craft of writing creative prose, poetry and screenplays under the guidance and support of widely published, award-winning writers including the internationally renowned novelist Alan Warner, poet and critic David Wheatley, short story writers Helen Lynch and Wayne Price, and film-maker Alan Marcus.

Your Creative Writing studies will develop your understanding of - and practical skills in - the writing of original work in any genre you choose to focus on. Through masterclasses, seminars and regular practical workshops you will gain a thorough, practice-based understanding of the creative process and technical challenges involved in developing your own original ideas into completed literary works.

You’ll develop your own folio of creative work in either poetry or prose, exploring and extending your creative ambitions in writing and a practical awareness of some of the key stylistic, formal and expressive possibilities available to the skilled creative writer.

You’ll graduate ideally prepared for a career in creative writing, publishing, journalism, teaching, or in applying your highly-developed skills in core writing, analysis and communication to a wide range of career options.

What You'll Study

Compulsory courses.

This compulsory evaluation is designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve. It is completed on-line via MyAberdeen with clear instructions to guide you through it. If you pass the evaluation at the first assessment it will not take much of your time. If you do not, you will be provided with resources to help you improve. This evaluation does not carry credits but if you do not complete it this will be recorded on your degree transcript.

This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students (and articulating students who are in their first year at the University), is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.

Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

15 Credit Points

This course introduces students to the study of English by exploring the dynamic relationship between author, reader and text in a series of classic works of fiction and poetry. It covers a broad historical range (from Folk Tales and ballads to 21st century postmodernity) and offers a basic grounding in key elements of literary theory, literary history and the varieties of literary form.

Literature can provoke, offend and disturb as well as entertain. This course considers some of the most powerful and controversial works of modern literature. It examines the circumstances of publication, the nature of the controversy, and the cultural and critical impact of each work. The course shows how poems, plays and novels can raise searching questions about national, racial and personal identity, and looks at the methods used by writers to challenge their readers, as well the responses of readers to such challenges.

'Rethinking Reading' complements the module ‘Acts of Reading’. Intended primarily for students with degree intentions in English, this course introduces key areas in critical theory that inform the current work of staff at Aberdeen. It asks students to consider the history of English studies and its relationship to colonialism, and how this impacts on conceptions of literature and authorship, alongside topics such as gender and sexuality, and genre. Through a series of modules, the course introduces each area of theory alongside a literary text used as a case study. The course supports students in learning to read and use critical theory in your work, incorporating reflective learning and a practical focus on the techniques involved in critical writing.

Optional Courses

Select 90 credit points from courses of choice.

30 Credit Points

So you think you know Shakespeare? This course invites you to think again. Studying a range of plays we get behind the mythology of Shakespeare, and rediscover the dynamic inventiveness of the Elizabethan theatre. Shakespeare and his contemporaries were the principal players in a period of literary experimentation that reinvented the possibilities of literature. Encounters with Shakespeare is your chance to find out more.

Select ONE of the courses listed below, plus a further 60 credit points from courses of choice.

This optional course in literature allows students at pre-Honours to learn about the impact of global colonialism through the writings of those who experienced it and its repercussions. It includes theorists of our time and texts like Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Buchi Emecheta’s Second Class Citizen. The texts on this course are necessarily concerned with enslavement and freedom, with how one encounters difference, and what it means to possess or claim territory. In examining these issues students will engage with issues of power and equality over centuries of writing about colonialism and empire.

This course traces the use of key Western myths from antiquity to the present to examine the way knowledge is often presented as both dangerous and compelling. As well as introducing students to a range of historical, social, and formal variations on the theme of knowledge, the course also highlights the role of storytelling and adaptation in the formation of knowledge and understanding.

This course offers students the opportunity, through lectures and interactive workshops, to develop their understanding of, and practical skills in, the writing of prose fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction. Taught by widely published, award-winning writers, it provides a thorough, practice-based understanding of creative process and of the technical challenges involved in developing an original idea into a completed literary artefact, presented to a professional standard. It also contributes to students' future career potential, whether as ‘creative’ or other kinds of professional writers/communicators.

Select ONE course from EACH of the following categories:

Medieval/Renaissance Literature

• EL35EH: Classical Epic
• EL30CP: Page and Stage: Renaissance Writings 1500-1640
• EL35DQ: Knights, Virgins and Viragos: Chaucer and Medieval Writing

Romantic/Victorian Literature

• EL30XR: Romanticism
• EL30SB: Britain and the 19th Century World
• EL35QA: Sympathy for the Devil: Scottish Short Stories

Contemporary/Modern Literature

• EL35KN: Haunted Texts
• EL30FF: Modernism: Make it New
• EL30RD: American Voices: Self and Society,1850-1930
• EL30WC: Queer Times
• EL35UT: Art and Atrocity: Representations of Violence and Trauma

This course explores the poetry, drama and prose of a period often referred to as the golden age of English literature. A period which saw Shakespeare and his contemporaries produce innovative new literary works in which the language of desire took centre stage.

This course is your opportunity to study four of the most influential and gripping texts of world literature. We begin in the oral culture of ancient Greece, with the Iliad's stark meditation on war and death, and the Odyssey's consolatory reflections on divine justice, poetry and love. In imperial Rome, we see the genre transformed into a monument to political power in Virgil's Aeneid, then thrown into disarray by Ovid's irreverent anti-epic, the Metamorphoses. We end by considering some of the ways these texts have been exploited and adapted across the intervening centuries, in poetry and prose, art and film.

Knights, Virgins, and Viragos offers an introduction to the variety of medieval literature and culture. Turning a critical eye on the role misconceptions of the Middle Ages play in present day white supremacy, the course highlights genres from medieval drama to life writing, with attention to the medieval history of race making and modern responses to the work of Chaucer in the poetry of Patience Agbabi.

The Romantic movement swept Europe in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and produced some of the most innovative and exciting literature that has ever been seen. This rule breaking art helped shape the way that we consider art today and underpins many of our ideas about imagination, originality, creativity and self-expression. This course will explore the ways in which the Romantic movement manifested itself across Britain and Ireland and will consider writers such as Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Scott, Austen and Byron.

The Romantic (1782-1832) and Victorian (1832-1901) periods were ones of remarkable activity for British citizens abroad. Imperial expansion, increasing international trade, major conflicts and growing mass migration all drew more British citizens than ever into contact with the wider world. This course explores the footprints left by these interactions in nineteenth-century literature: critically examining how Britain saw the world and how the English-speaking world saw Britain during a century of unprecedented international activity. This course will combine canonical writers of empire and migration with less well-known accounts of the period. Writers covered may include Mary Shelley, Henry Derozio, Fergus Hume, Cornelia Sorabji, Robert Louis Stevenson and Arthur Conan Doyle. The course will apply a range of critical lenses to this material offering students an introduction to key concepts and debates from nation theory, settler studies and postcolonial studies.

While the short story is often said to have developed in America, nineteenth-century Scottish writing is in fact instrumental in the emergence of the form. Often drawing on oral and folk traditions Scottish writers in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries employ the supernatural, or our fear of it, to explore subjects such as guilt, fear, remorse and the extent to which we can control our own destinies. This course will explore the ways in which the short story in Scotland develops from the early nineteenth century until the beginning of the twentieth. It will include writers such as Walter Scott, James Hogg, John Galt, Margaret Oliphant, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle and Jane Findlater.

The early twentieth century was a time of great literary experimentation as literary modernists rose to the challenge to make it new. We will explore modernism’s stylistic experimentation while also considering the social contexts and changes that shaped this literature. The course will examine a range of writers, genres, movements and locations which prompt us to consider what, when and where was modernism.

This course examines an important and diverse period in the development of American literature, lasting from the mid-nineteenth century until the 1930s. During the course we will be analysing works by a variety of American writers from this period in their historical, social and political contexts as well as considering the ways in which they pioneered innovative literary forms and techniques.

This course adopts a cross-period approach, bringing contemporary and premodern texts into conversation in exploring representations of queer experiences and themes in diverse forms. Divided into three sections, queer presents, queer pasts, and queer futures, the course will introduce a selection of theoretical and critical readings in thinking about how representation is shaped by temporal and cultural context. We will consider the relationship between representation of queer experience and formal experimentation, and how queer forms impact on our sense of queer possibilities.

This course offers an overview of a wide range of twentieth-century Scottish literature, focusing on themes of haunting, death, and place. Including novels, short stories, poetry, and drama, the course explores questions of the relationship between self and society, the legacy of the past, and the formation of gendered and regional identities. There are lots of ghosts.

How is the artist to respond when the virtual becomes the real and when words cannot carry the weight of trauma? How can an author avoid the accusations of voyeuristic prurience or crass opportunism when he or she attempts to re-present events of public violence? This multi-disciplinary course examines work from a wide range of modes, including fiction, poetry, film and graphic art, and looks at the difficulties of inscribing trauma and the ethics and praxis of remembrance. Key events covered include the Holocaust, the Sabra and Shatila massacre, 9-11, the Gulf War and the conflict in the Balkans.

This course will provide students with the opportunity to write an extended folio of creative work in either poetry or prose. It will provide students with the opportunity to explore and extend their creative ambitions in writing and, through the reflective commentary element, enable them to contextualise their own creative achievements in relation to works by established writers. Throughout the evolution of the folio, the student will develop a thorough practical awareness of some of the key stylistic, formal and expressive possibilities available to the skilled creative writer.

Select ONE from the following options:

• Screenwriting: The Narrative Within the Frame (EL40TM)
• Brief Encounter (EL40TL)
• The Art of Screenwriting (EL45PG)

Plus select TWO courses from level 4 courses in English (see below).

This course will focus on the ways in which non-standard English is used within anglophone literary texts from the late-eighteenth century to the present day. Classes will cover a wide range of geographical spaces and publishing contexts: different weeks will focus on ballad collecting and linguistic antiquarianism, the use of language in American abolitionist texts, working-class voices in nineteenth-century English novels, postcolonial approaches to English, Scottish post-industrial writing and contemporary African-American literature. Authors covered may include: Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Charles Dickens, Edwin Pugh, Zora Neale Hurston, Chinua Achebe, Jamaica Kincaid, Tom Leonard and Percival Everett.

This course begins by considering the theatre that gave us Marlowe and Shakespeare, among other major dramatists, as an institution actively engaged in the controversies of politics and religion of the age. Part 1 of the course focuses on the plays of Christopher Marlowe, whose controversial life is unusually well documented and whose plays starkly anticipate later tensions in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama . Part 2 considers how those tensions in politics and religion developed in later drama, giving particular attention to the genre of revenge tragedy.

From 1968-1994, Northern Irish writers and visual artists found themselves addressing key questions: what is the role of the artist in a divided society, and must s/he engage with political events? This course considers how the artists framed these dilemmas and how they have been framed by them. Following the outbreak of peace in the province, the role of artists changed: their work now focused on the victims of violence and to demand justice. This course examines the different approaches taken to remembrance by writers/artists and explores the ways in which memory and trauma are framed in their work.

This course focuses on the emphasis on sameness in conceptions of love and friendship within medieval and early modern literature, exploring its implications for the history of sexuality, and its impact on political ideology.

This course explores the relationship between literature and medicine, and asks what kind of ground the two disciplines might share and how they might enrich one another. The use and abuse of literary concepts in medical practice and of medical ideas and history in literature will be considered along with the literary representations of the physician and narratives of illness, focusing on the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The final part of the course explores the representation of psychiatry and psychiatric theory in twentieth- and twenty-first century literature.

What does it mean to inhabit a vulnerable body, or to embrace and celebrate ideas of vulnerability more generally? How can literature help us understand the precarity and uncertainty that seem like an inherent part of contemporary life? This course offers an overview of twenty-first-century women’s fiction from a variety of traditions, and centres on themes of embodiment, community, fragmentation, and environment. Examined together, these texts highlight the generic and thematic diversity of contemporary women’s writing, and the way the self must always be reconstructed through literature in new ways.

This course will explore the work of some of the most influential and innovative voices in 20th century British poetry. Beginning with the Modernist revolution in technique, theory and taste, it will trace some of the main continuities and reactions that stemmed from the first decades of the century and which culminated in a richly diverse and fascinating late 20th century/early 21st century poetic landscape.

Drama was the entertainment phenomenon of the early modern period: a popular art form that developed swiftly and attracted mass audiences. London was both the city that played host to this new cultural form, and the subject of much of its output. The course will examine the relation between life in the early modern city and the great flowering of drama by celebrated authors of the period. Using works by well-known writers such as Middleton, Jonson and Shakespeare, as well as lesser known authors, we will explore how the plays of the period engage with key concerns of urban living.

This course explores the work of women writers with particular emphasis on the role of place (focused mostly, but not exclusively, on modernist women writers from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries). We will look at a number of different environments including urban, rural, domestic and trans-national spaces. We will analyse place in relation to a number of other themes such as gender, sexuality, race, spirituality and creativity. We will read a number of canonical and lesser known women writers, working across various genres, including fiction, poetry and life-writing. Authors may include: Virginia Woolf, Zora Neale Hurston, Jean Rhys, Andrea Levy, Bernadine Evaristo, Elizabeth Bishop. Previous study of modernism is not required.

This course looks at how eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Gothic Fiction confronts themes and concepts which are considered taboo, unpleasant or strictly. Sexuality and mortality are key themes here, as well as the crossing of class, racial and gender boundaries. We explore how the Gothic can be simultaneously deeply conservative and shockingly radical, and speaks to private fears and desires whilst bringing to public light social injustices and inequalities. This course focuses mainly on the Gothic novel, but may also include poetry and short stories.

This course introduces students to contemporary poetry across its many forms and styles. We will investigate the place for poetry in contemporary culture, whether in poetry anthologies, slim volumes of verse, in performance, or on social media. Looking at a wide range of authors active from the turn of the millennium on, we will trace a genealogy for contemporary poetry, as informed by the legacies of modernism, and subsequent waves of poetic schools and movements. The course is strongly recommended for students with an interest in poetry, literary form, contemporary British and Irish writing, and creative writing.

This course will investigate different forms of scriptwriting by writers from a range of historical periods. We will be considering narrative form and content as shaped by subject selection and storytelling devices and structures. The filmic themes will be considered from aesthetic, historical and theoretical perspectives. Through a series of seminars, workshops and screenings, students will develop approaches to visualising film narratives, culminating in a scriptwriting folio of work.

Writing has not always been viewed as self-expression but for long periods of history was perceived as a branch of rhetoric or ‘persuasive speech’. ‘Brief Encounters’ examines some of the implications of this, combining textual analysis from a writerly perspective with creative writing practice in a workshop format.

This course will focus on the theory and the practical techniques of writing screenplays for cinema and for television. It will encourage students to put together the tool kit of skills which they will require to write effective screenplays based on both adapted source material and on original material. The course will survey the established skills of creating effective narrative screenplays across genres, but with an emphasis on contemporary dramatic cinema.

We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints . Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.

Within Subject Area

How you'll study, learning methods.

• Individual Projects

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

• coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course;
• practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and
• written examinations at the end of each course.

The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Why Study English with Creative Writing?

Why english.

• An international profile through major literary projects such as the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen and the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels of Sir Walter Scott.
• The WORD Centre for Creative Writing, promoting creative projects in fiction, non-fiction and collaborative mixed-media in all the languages of northeast Scotland (from Doric to Polish).
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, home to literary treasures collected over 500 years, charting the power of the written word from ancient papyri and medieval manuscripts to contemporary e-books and other media.
• Historic collections including rare printed books, the 12th century Aberdeen Bestiary, MacBean Stuart and Jacobite Collection, the novels of Sir Walter Scott, and an exceptional collection of Charles Dickens' first editions.
• A packed campus programme of student and public events, exhibitions, seminars, invited speakers and the annual May Festival which welcomes internationally acclaimed authors to campus every spring to discuss literature, including European writers.
• Research centres include the nationally recognised Centre for the Novel, the Centre for Modern Thought, and the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies.
• 2nd in Scotland for Creative Writing by The Complete University Guide 2024.
• 8th in the UK for English by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.
• 1st in Scotland for Overall Student Satisfaction in English Studies by The National Student Survey 2023.

Interested in this programme?

Entry requirements, qualifications.

The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.

General Entry Requirements

SQA Highers

Standard: AABB

Applicants who have achieved AABB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.

Minimum: BBB

Applicants who have achieved BBB (or are on course to achieve this by the end of S5) are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will normally be required.

Adjusted: BB

Applicants who achieve BB over S4 and S5 and who meet one of the widening access criteria are guaranteed a conditional offer. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will be required.

More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.

Standard: BBB

Minimum: BBC

Adjusted: CCC

International Baccalaureate

32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.

Irish Leaving Certificate

5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.

Entry from College

Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see  www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation  for more details.

Standard: BBBB

Applicants who have achieved BBBB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.

Foundation Apprenticeship : One FA is equivalent to a Higher at A. It cannot replace any required subjects.

Standard: BBC

Minimum: BCC

The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Arts and Social Sciences degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section .

English Language Requirements

To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:

IELTS Academic:

OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0

OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21

PTE Academic:

OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59

Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:

OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Read more about specific English Language requirements here .

International Applicants

• Information about visa and immigration requirements

Fees and Funding

You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.

Scholarships and Funding

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.

Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen

Additional Fees

• In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses .
• For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.

Our Funding Database

View all funding options in our Funding Database .

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.

• More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen
• More information on the Careers and Employability Service

Our Experts

Information about staff changes.

You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni draws together comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study. You can compare these and other data for different degree programmes in which you are interested.

Get in Touch

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• Enquire Now Using an online form

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Creative writing

Discover your strengths as a writer and develop your own original voice.

At St Andrews, you can specialise in poetry, prose, or drama. You will be mentored by published fiction writers, playwrights and poets who are familiar with the writing process and the creative industry.

Undergraduate

Explore courses.

St Andrews does not offer a single Honours degree in creative writing, but undergraduates studying English may choose some creative writing modules. The  Creative Writing research group offers undergraduate instruction and mentorship in poetry, fiction, and drama.

Joint degree options

You can take the  English MA (Hons)  with another subject as part of a joint degree. Find out more about taking a joint Honours degree .

Supported pathways

These courses provide supported entry into degree-level study for applicants who do not meet the minimum entry grades, but meet contextual criteria.

• Gateway to Arts (pathway to MA Hons)
• FE-HE Pathway to Arts (pathway to MA Hons)

International Foundation programmes

International Foundation programmes enable international students from a wide range of countries to develop the necessary skills to meet the demands of an undergraduate degree programme at the University of St Andrews. 

• Social Sciences and Humanities - January 2024 entry
• Social Sciences and Humanities - September 2024 entry

Postgraduate taught

Postgraduate research.

The School of English offers two  Master of Fine Arts degrees in creative writing and Playwriting & Screenwriting .

The creative writing PhD is recommended only for students who can demonstrate equal ability in both academic research and creative work. If you are interested in taking a PhD in creative writing, you should first  contact the most suitable supervisor  for your project with a draft of your research proposal and a sample of original writing.

First in the UK for English Guardian University Guide 2023

First in Scotland and third in the UK for English The Complete University Guide 2023

91% of research activity rated 3* or 4* The most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021)

School of English

The School of English at the University of St Andrews has a long and distinguished history. Today, the School enjoys an international reputation as a centre for both academic research and literary creativity.

Studying in St Andrews

The University offers a variety of flexible entry options in order to allow all students, regardless of background or personal circumstances, to apply.

Scholarships and funding options are available at every level of study. 

St Andrews has variety of accommodation options to suit all tastes and budgets.

Visit St Andrews

If you’re interested in studying at St Andrews, join us at a visiting day or talk and tour to explore the town, find out about our courses and meet current students. You can also join us for one of our upcoming online events.  

Book a place

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Course type

Qualification, your ucas points 0.

English and Creative Writing MA (Hons)

School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

Combine the study of English literature with our distinctive creative writing course

On this course you can study the history of English literature from the medieval period right up to the present day, and combine this with studies in creative writing.

A range of modules give you the option to study anything from Shakespeare to science fiction, Romantic to contemporary poetry, or Victorian novels to Hollywood films.

Our creative writing modules help you explore and extend your own potential as a writer and engage you in a range of literary activities. Our students write novels, stories, poetry, monologues, as well as exploring creativity in non-fiction, essays, journalism, reviewing, and writing for the theatre.

For English literature we start by covering topics such as how to analyse a poem and how to read a novel as a literary critic, introducing you to key skills in critical-creative ways of reading and writing.

We then move on to historical surveys of literature, before exploring in more detail many of the periods, movements, and topics previously covered.

Kai Durkin, MA (Hons) English and Creative Writing student, 2018/19

National Student Survey 2022

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University of Aberdeen

1 Creative Writing degree

• OVERALL RATING This is the overall rating calculated by averaging all live reviews for this uni on Whatuni. (4.2) 1254 reviews
• Employment rate: 75% Source: UNISTATS , 2019
• CUG ranking : 13th Source: Complete University Guide 2024

English with Creative Writing MA (Hons)

• UCAS points 120-152
• UCAS code 3500
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University of Dundee

• OVERALL RATING This is the overall rating calculated by averaging all live reviews for this uni on Whatuni. (4.2) 907 reviews
• Employment rate: 90% Source: UNISTATS , 2019
• CUG ranking : 36th Source: Complete University Guide 2024

English and Creative Writing MA (Hons)

• UCAS points 102-120
• UCAS code QW38

University of the West of Scotland

• OVERALL RATING This is the overall rating calculated by averaging all live reviews for this uni on Whatuni. (4.1) 610 reviews

Filmmaking and Screen Writing BA (Hons)

• UCAS points 102-128
• UCAS code WW68

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)

2 Creative Writing degrees

• OVERALL RATING This is the overall rating calculated by averaging all live reviews for this uni on Whatuni. (3.4) 13 reviews
• Employment rate: 100% Source: UNISTATS , 2019

Creative Writing in the Highlands and Islands BA (Hons)

• UCAS points 69-72
• UCAS code W830

University of Strathclyde

11 Creative Writing degrees

• OVERALL RATING This is the overall rating calculated by averaging all live reviews for this uni on Whatuni. (4.4) 1840 reviews
• CUG ranking : 2nd Source: Complete University Guide 2024

Education and English and Creative Writing BA (Hons)

• UCAS points 120-132
• UCAS code X3Q3

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Creative Writing

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Creative Writing at Glasgow

Our postgraduate taught and research-led writing courses are among the most challenging and popular in Britain, and have helped launch the career of a number of successful writers including Anne Donovan, Louise Welsh, Rodge Glass, Jen Hadfield, Zoe Strachan, Luke Brown, Laura Marney, Rachel Seiffert, William Letford and many others.

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MA Creative Writing

If you want to make a career in writing, this course is for you. You already have talent and ideas, we'll add the expertise you need to approach your chosen market with confidence, originality and skill. No ambitions are out of bounds: we love commercial genre fiction and literary experiments equally.

We aim to ensure our graduates are equipped to succeed - and to change the culture they choose to enter. We will add expertise to your talent and ideas, while you learn in the company of industry experts on this innovative, inspiring course for emerging writers.

Our unique combination of genres and specialisms encourages and enables you to professionalise your practice as a writer. We put genres like science fiction, fantasy, crime and horror at the heart of our learning journey. Writing for young adult readers and graphic novels are just some of the options available to you as a student on our programme.

We take an innovative approach to the training and support of aspiring writers, driven by intellectual ambition and practical industry experience.

There are four strands to the programme:

• pre-writing skills, concepts and technique for full-length narratives
• writing practice for first person stories and a range of options
• experimental, theoretical and personal development work
• regular one-to-one editorial mentoring

Typical entry point to this course is in September. Please enquire for more information.

To ensure there is sufficient time to process your application, we encourage you to submit your application by 30 June.

Mode of Study:

Full-time (available as Part-time )

Start date:

Katie Griffiths MA Creative Writing graduate

Introducing our Creative Writing tutors - David Bishop, Elizabeth Dearnley, Nicholas Binge and Noelle Harrison. Learn more about their backgrounds and their impressive careers in writing so far.

Course details

Uniquely, the course offers a dynamic range of cross-disciplinary options. Writing for graphic fiction, young adult audiences, screenwriting and interactive media are all available as specialisms, while our pioneering module in genre fiction covers crime, horror, fantasy and science fiction.

We host an exciting array of guest speakers every year, ranging from award-winning authors to high-profile industry experts. Recent visiting speakers have included authors Victoria (V.E.) Schwab, Dhonielle Clayton and James Oswald, comics creators Emma Beeby and Will Morris, Nasty Women anthology editors Laura Jones and Heather McDaid from 404 Ink, agent Jenny Brown, and editor Simon Spanton.

Our approach to full-length narrative development trains you to deploy a range of unique and dynamic pre-writing techniques invented by our programme. This energetic combination of conceptual development and critical self-reflection aims to transform you into a technically adept, purposeful writer ready to make your mark.

Professional development

The MA is a professionalising course that emphasises the publishing industry as a business, and includes sessions on approaching agents, marketing yourself and your work, and understanding publishing contracts. We also offer professional development strands in teaching and learning, community engagement, and publishing on digital platforms.

For students eager to continue working on their major project in a supportive academic environment, we have an articulation agreement with the low residency MFA in Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania. This enables graduates of our programme to join the Seton Hill cohort in year two, attain a MFA qualification and complete a market-ready commercial novel.

How you’ll be taught

This is a one year full-time course starting in September, taught over three trimesters.

The course is taught by a team of award-winning industry professionals:  David Bishop , a successful crime writer and former editor; internationally best-selling science fiction and horror author Nicholas Binge; acclaimed folklorist and weird fiction author Elizabeth Dearnley; and best-selling historical fiction author Noelle Harrison. You can read more about their established academic and professional careers  by viewing our tutors page.

Assessments

Tasks includes crafting original short stories; creating pre-writing materials for full-length narratives; critical self-reflection on your work; keeping a learning journal of progress through one-to-one mentoring; plus developing strategies and content for teaching, public engagement events, and digital self-publishing.

Our students have access to the Writers' Room, a private workspace with wi-fi, available evenings and weekends. It houses an exclusive library of 2,000 hand-picked books, DVDs and graphic novels, and is the venue for reading groups and social events.

Modules that you will study* as part of this course

Creating Narrative - Writer's Toolkit ( CLP11119 )

This module focuses on concepts, skills and techniques for the pre-writing development of a full-length narrative project. Each session examines a particular element of pre-writing, building into a complete process you can use to hone and shape a potential novel, graphic novel, screenplay or interactive project. The first few weeks interrogate the initial stages of your creative process, such as defining the purpose of your work, examining ways to develop ideas into stories, and using contextual reading and research to enhance the authenticity and originality of your project. Next you will explore thematic architecture and linguistic development to enrich your world-building and create a purposeful network of themes and ideas underpinning your narrative. The following weeks are devoted to characterisation and structure, helping you build unique characters and define the most appropriate choice of tone and narrative position(s) for your project. Plot and synopsis writing bring your learning journey to its conclusion, giving you the tools to shape a compelling journey for your project and its characters while embracing the challenges of perfect pacing and elegant exposition.

Further information

Major Project ( CLP11110 )

Major Project is the culmination of all your learning on the MA. Depending on your chosen specialism it’s an opportunity to begin your novel in earnest and plan its path to publication, or to produce a high quality showcase of work in another medium, which can be used to approach agents, publishers, producers or developers. The module begins with a detailed induction session, to help you focus on the challenges ahead. After which, you’ll embark on intensive individual work, supported by three one-to-one supervision sessions of one hour and 20 minutes. A week before each session you’ll send up to 5,000 words of work-in-progress to your supervisor for feedback, problem-solving and discussion. You can also use supervision sessions to discuss your reading, research, critical reflection and personal development planning. Following Major Project marking, you’ll have a final one-to-one tutorial to discuss your Professional Development Plan, where the programme’s tutors will offer detailed advice on the next steps in your career.

Narrative Practice Vocational Skillset ( CLP11118 )

This module shifts the focus from your own writing to work with other creators’ stories and characters. The first few weeks tackle abridgement, learning how to cut stories sympathetically and efficiently. Next you will explore fiction editing, a key vocational skill that can also improve your own practice as a writer. The module looks at working with pre-created characters, and investigates ghost-writing. An entire session is devoted to collaborative working, a crucial ability that does not come naturally to all writers. In the final weeks you’ll learn best practice for introducing yourself and your work to a wider audience, tackling the challenges and professional skills necessary to build a portfolio career as a freelance writer in an ever-evolving marketplace.

Writing Practice First Person Narrative ( CLP11117 )

In this module you’ll focus on the practical application of a range of professional techniques, and on building the vital skills of pre-writing decision making, critical self-reflection and editorial dialogue. The module is a development journey, beginning with the foundational principles of first person writing: condition of narration, device and register. You’ll then begin to practise more complex techniques, such as subtext and counter narrative, the unreliable narrator and positioning an active reader. Through weekly writing challenges and masterclass discussions, you’ll learn how to make fast, purposeful decisions about a story before writing, how to craft short pieces to briefs and deadlines, and how to critically analyse and improve upon early drafts. As well as gaining a detailed understanding of the demands of first person prose, you will develop the core professional practices you’ll need for the Trimester 2 Writing Practice options, Major Project, and the rest of your writing career.

* These are indicative only and reflect the course structure in the current academic year. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer .

Entry requirements

English language, international students, admissions policies.

What are the entry requirements for Creative Writing?

The entry requirements for this course are an Honours Degree at a 2:2 or above in any discipline with relevant writing experience.

Once your application is received, you may be contacted by the Programme Leader with an invitation to submit a sample of writing: this is the second stage in selection. Please do not send writing samples with your initial application, as a detailed brief and deadline will be provided. The final stage in the selection process is an interview: for international applicants, this is conducted by telephone.

Can I get admission into Creative Writing based on my working experience in this sector?

This course has academic entry requirements which are assessed alongside relevant work experience. Full details of any relevant work experience, including references should be submitted with your application and may be considered for entry where the minimum academic entry requirements are below those required. Usually, unrelated work experience is not considered sufficient for entry without meeting the minimum academic entry requirements. Please contact us with your specific circumstances by submitting an enquiry form above and we will be happy to discuss your options.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the postgraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test.  The English Language requirements for this programme are IELTS (Academic) with an overall score of 7.0 with no individual component score of less than 7.0.  For guidance on the acceptability of other English Language tests please contact  [email protected]

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English, or your undergraduate degree was taught and examined in English (within two years of starting your postgraduate course). Check our  country pages  to find out if this applies to you.

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• All Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

See who can apply  for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of  bursaries and scholarships  available to our students.

• Undergraduate student fees and funding information
• Postgraduate student fees and funding information
• International student fees and funding information

Please note:

The discount for Edinburgh Napier alumni can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount.

For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.

Please read our full T&C here

• Representation by literary agents
• International and national competition wins
• Collaborations with comic artists
• Publication in magazines and anthologies
• Edinburgh International Book Festival appearances
• Paid editing and writing commissions
• Performances and teaching
• Working for national literary organisations

15 Best universities for Creative Writing in Scotland

Updated: February 29, 2024

• Art & Design
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
• Mathematics

Below is a list of best universities in Scotland ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 60.2K citations received by 5.59K academic papers made by 15 universities in Scotland was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. University of Edinburgh

For Creative Writing

2. University of Glasgow

3. University of St Andrews

4. University of Strathclyde

5. University of Aberdeen

6. University of Stirling

7. University of Dundee

8. University of the West of Scotland

9. Heriot-Watt University

10. Edinburgh Napier University

11. Glasgow Caledonian University

12. Robert Gordon University

13. Queen Margaret University

14. Abertay University

15. Glasgow School of Art

Closest to Scotland states to learn Creative Writing

Art & design subfields in scotland.

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Literature and Creative Writing BA (Hons)

Course code Q32W

Fees/funding

What is special about this course.

Are you passionate about reading? Do you long to study literary works while developing your own styles of writing? Combine all three as you explore literature in a global context, covering a wide range of authors, in English and translation, from the classical to the contemporary, and looking in-depth at language and literary history within texts and on the international literary stage.

Gain a solid grounding in four of the main areas of creative writing: poetry, prose, playwriting, and the screenplay; examine how these can inform and support other areas of professional writing; and, through the programme's carefully structured blend of research, residentials, and creative projects, become a confident, enthusiastic and highly employable writer, researcher, and reader.

Please see our FAQ sheet for further information on this course.

Special features

• Present your own work using traditional methods as well as new technologies and publishing platforms
• Engage with experienced staff from a variety of literary, creative and professional backgrounds
• There are a number of residential held during the course where you will have the opportunity to meet with fellow-students and staff

Entry requirements

• 3 Scottish Highers at grade BBC or above, OR
• 2 A levels at grade BC or above
• Must include English at grade C or above, plus one from the list of relevant subjects  (Please note: Higher ESOL is not accepted in place of Higher English for this programme)
• Applicants with other qualifications or experience will be considered on an individual basis
• You will be required to submit a portfolio of up to 3,000 words containing three examples of creative writing (preferably in three different styles or genres) and also attend an interview which may be either in person or online

Access routes

SWAP Access courses If you are eligible to undertake Scottish Wider Access Programmes (SWAP) , please visit our SWAP access list for further information on grade profiles and available subjects.  

Year 1 - CertHE

Core modules are:

• Theories of literature (S1)
• Introduction to creative writing skills (S1)
• Travellers in the wilderness: literature and exile (S2)
• Reading as a writer (S2)

You will also choose two option modules which may include: Literature

• Reading fiction: an introduction (S1)
• Reading drama: an introduction (S2)
• Reading poetry: an introduction (S2)

Creative Writing

• Writing for film: introduction to screenplay (S1)
• Creative project: creative journal (S1)
• Writing poetry (S2)
• Creative project: portfolio (S2)

Year 2 - DipHE

Modules may include:

• Introduction to Gaelic poetry (S1)
• Medieval literature: texts and contexts (S1)
• Theatrical powerplay: classical and modern tragedy (S2)
• Heroic literature: epic from classical to contemporary (S2)
• Creative writing
• Writing from the north: context and criticism (S1)
• Developing creative writing skills (S1)
• Creative project: literary competitions (S1)
• Writing for film: writing a screenplay (S2)
• Creative project: peer assessment (S2)
• Introduction to publishing or writing for children and young people (S2)

Year 3 - BA

• Romantic genius: Scottish and European literature, 1750-1830 (S1)
• Literary borrowings: adaptations and appropriations (S1)
• Risk anything! The modernist short story (S1)
• Imagining new worlds: renaissance literature and thought (S2)
• Nature writing and ecology (S2)
• Authors and audiences (S1)
• Creative project: researching your writing (S1)
• Introduction to Orkney and Shetland literature or Scottish writing or creative non-fiction (S1)
• Writing for performance (S2)
• Writing experience placement (S2)
• Creative project: writing what you know (S2)

Year 4 - BA (Hons)

You will choose either:

• Final creative project (literary magazine/anthology) OR
• Dissertation (literature) (runs across both semesters)

You will also study one option module from your choice above, plus three option modules from the other subject.

• Avant-garde literature (S1)
• Apocalyptic fictions (S1)
• Satire: the art of attack (S2)
• Metafiction: self-referential texts (S2)
• Crime pays (S1)
• Publishing practice (S1)
• Writing in the marketplace (S2)
• Social media skills for writers (S2)

How will I study my course?

• Part-time (structured)
• Part-time (unstructured)
• You will learn through a combination of face-to-face and/or video conference seminars, residentials and online study via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE), with support from your tutors. There is a weekly two-hour timetabled video conference lecture for most modules.

How long will my course last?

• Full-time: 4 years @ 40 hours per week
• Part-time (structured): 8 years @ 20 hours per week
• Part-time (unstructured): Variable

Number of hours per week indicates the total number of hours you should dedicate to the course, which includes time spent in lectures and your own time spent on individual study and research.

Where can I study my course?

• North, West and Hebrides

For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

This includes

• EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
• EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
• EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

Rest of UK students

For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland, including Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and with a term time address in Scotland studying this course full time, the following fees apply:

4th year free only for students studying full-time, on continuous study, who have paid for the previous three years at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Part-time (per 20 credit module) - £1,542.

Fees are payable in advance each academic year unless otherwise agreed.

There are a number of funding options available to UK students to help you pay for your studies and your cost of living while studying.

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled or pre-settled status in the UK

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the Scottish Government confirmed that EU/EEA and Swiss nationals, who do not have settled or pre-settled status, will be considered as international for fee purposes. Students will get an automatic scholarship of £3,000 per annum and the 4 th year of study will be free for those studying full-time, on continuous study, who have paid for the previous three years at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

Students will need Student Route visa sponsorship to study on the UK.

International students

For students who do not normally reside in the UK or European Union and with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

Part-time study is not open to international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK.

Further information on international course fees .

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK, EU and international undergraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

UHI has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.

Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant UHI partner.

What can I do on completion of my course?

On completion of this course, you may be interested in pursuing a career in:

• Museums and archives
• Heritage sector
• Advertising

Can I progress into further study?

You can progress from BA (Hons) Literature and Creative Writing to the following UHI postgraduate courses:

• MLitt British Studies
• MLitt Highlands and Islands Literature
• MLitt Orkney and Shetland Studies
• MRes Eco-literature

Is there more information available online?

You can use the above QR code to connect directly to the course details.

My tutors have been supportive and helpful, they really encourage independent, informed thinking. I think my studies will equip me with the knowledge and experience I need to develop as a writer, as well as provide helpful contacts. I’ve also been impressed by the support provided for lectures online; I’ve done online courses before, but the support at UHI is by far the best. Jennifer Mewes is studying Literature at UHI.

Apply for Literature and Creative Writing BA (Hons)

• Apply for FULL TIME through UCAS: Use UHI to search for us in the institution choice list

We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.

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I. Innovations Track

Graduates of the University Honors Program    Innovations track may earn an English/Creative Writing major by completing 45 additional credits, including:

Requirements:

• ENGL 2000 - Literary Studies
• ENGL 2050 - Encountering Creative Writing

3000-4000 level ENGL, 35 credits including:

• ENGL CW courses (20 credits)
• ENGL 3000-level CT course (5 credits)
• ENGL 3000-4000 level (5 credits)
• Senior Synthesis/Capstone (5 credits)

II. Intellectual Traditions Track

Graduates of the University Honors Program    Intellectual Traditions Track who have completed all five of the literature courses in that program may earn an English/Creative Writing major by taking 35 additional credits, including:

• ENGL Creative Writing (25 credits)
• ENGL 3000-4000 level Intercultural/Intersectional Literature (5 credits)

III. Society, Policy, and Citizenship Track

Graduates of the University Honors Program    Society, Policy, and Citizenship track may earn an English/Creative Writing major by completing 40 additional credits, including:

• ENGL 3000-4000 level Creative Writing electives (20 credits)
• 5 credit ENGL 3000-level CT course
• 5 credit Senior Synthesis/Capstone

Graduates of the University Honors Program may earn a minor in English/Creative Writing by completing the requirements below, specified by track:

• ENGL 2050 - Encountering Creative Writing    
• ENGL 3000-4000 level Creative Writing electives (15 credits)

Departmental Honors

English/Creative Writing with Departmental Honors and University Honors Program, BA    

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The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

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The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting  students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

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BA Hons Education & English and Creative Writing

• UCAS Code: X3Q3

Ranked: 3rd for English (Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023) / 2nd for Creative Writing (Complete University Guide 2024)

Study abroad:  available

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Our BA (Hons) Humanities & Social Sciences degree, explained.

Download video transcript

Why this course?

Our approach to the English & Creative writing course is innovative, modern and friendly, giving you a comprehensive understanding of English literature as a core basis for your creative work. You'll have the opportunity to work with award-winning scholars and creative writers.

The emphasis is on helping you develop a range of skills to grow your future career, including textual analysis and interpretation. With us, you can study everything from poetry, the novel and drama (stage, screen, and radio) as you would expect on an English and Creative Writing degree, but in addition, at Strathclyde, we offer the opportunity to use creative writing skills as part of your approach to literary criticism.

Education is essential if you wish to study initial teacher education courses. We offer you the chance to develop knowledge of the education systems of Scotland and beyond, looking at issues including policy, social justice, equity and inclusion.

Combining education with other subjects provides opportunities for those who wish to work in professions associated with education, but who don't wish necessarily to become teachers. We offer a wide range of options, many of them unique in the UK, reflecting our staff interests and expertise.

Please note that this course doesn't allow you to qualify as a teacher, though joint honours Education graduates will be able to explore postgraduate routes into teaching careers (via the PGDE).

Glasgow is Scotland's biggest & most cosmopolitan city

Our campus is based right in the very heart of Glasgow. We're in the city centre, next to the Merchant City, both of which are great locations for sightseeing, shopping and socialising alongside your studies.

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Creative Writing

Creative Writing Short Courses.

We will be offering some in-person courses, as well as a selection of online courses too. 

Courses marked as (Credit) are open to everyone. As a credit student, you will matriculate as a student at the University of Edinburgh as part of the registration process for these courses. For more information, please visit the Studying for Credit pages .

Please note the following regarding feedback:

Credit Creative Writing courses:  Verbal feedback from the Class Teacher will be given on students’ contributions in class. On credit courses, students will be given individualised, written feedback on their final submissions after the end of term. Apart from this, Course Teachers will not be able to provide written feedback on students’ creative writing during the course.

Non-credit Creative Writing courses:  Course Teachers will not be able to provide individualised, written feedback on students’ creative writing as part of this course. On non-credit courses, verbal feedback from the Class Teacher will be given on students’ contributions in class.

Term 1 (September to December 2023)

In-person courses.

Fiction Workshop

• Monday, 25 September (11:10-13:00) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Screenwriting 1: An Introduction to Writing for Film and Television

• Monday, 25 September (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks  *Credit*  (Course fee: £210/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Write That Story 1

• Tuesday, 26 September (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Writing Fiction for New Media

• Wednesday, 27 September (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks   (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Writing Creative Non-Fiction

• Thursday, 28 September (14:10-16:00) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Writing for Publication: Freelance Journalism

• Thursday, 28 September (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks *credit*  (Course fee: £210/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Poetry in Practice

• Thursday, 02 November (18:30-20:20) 5 weeks   (Course fee: £80/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Online courses

Writing Audio Drama for Radio and Podcasts

• Wednesday, 27 September (18:30-20:30) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Term 2 (January to March 2024)

Screenwriting 2: Script Development

• Monday, 15 January (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks *Credit* (Course fee: £210/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Fiction in Progress

• Monday, 15 January (11:10-13:00) 10 weeks   (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Write That Story 2

• Tuesday, 16 January (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks   (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Writing Young Adult Fiction

• Wednesday, 17 January (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks   (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Screenwriting 1: An Introduction to Writing for Film and Television (Online)

• Wednesday, 17 January (11:00-13:00) 10 weeks *Credit* (Course fee: £210/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Shut Up & Write! (Online)

• Wednesday, 17 January (14:00:16:00) 10 weeks   (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Writing Creative Non-Fiction (Online)

• Thursday, 18 January (14:00-16:00) 10 weeks   (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Short Story Writing (Online)

• Thursday, 18 January (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks  *Credit*  (Course fee: £210/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Term 3 (April to June 2024)

Screenwriting 3: From Page to Screen

• Monday, 15 April(18:30-20:20) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Improve Your Fiction

• Tuesday, 16 April(18:30-20:20) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Write a Short Play

• Wednesday, 17 April (18:30-20:20) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Writing Flash Fiction 1

• Wednesday, 17 April(18:30-20:20) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Short Story Writing

• Thursday, 18 April(14:10-16:00) 10 weeks * Credit * (Course fee: £210/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Experimental Writing

• Thursday, 18 April(18:30-20:20) 10 weeks * Credit * (Course fee: £210/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Screenwriting 2: Script Development (Online)

• Wednesday, 17 April(11:00-13:00) 10 weeks *Credit* (Course fee: £210/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

The Art and Craft of Children’s Fiction 1 (Online)

• Monday, 15 April(18:30-20:30) 10 weeks (Course fee: £165/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Masterclass: Preparing for Publication (Online)

• Friday, 10 May (10:00-16:00) One Day Course ( Course fee: £80/ Click here for help with fees and discounts )

Important Information

For enquiries about the content of the courses in this subject area, please contact  Course Organiser, Dr Malgorzata (Gosia) Bugaj by email: [email protected] .

For all general enquiries, please contact us by email [email protected] .

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2024 Doti Awards Honor Graduate Students in Education and English The annual award acknowledges outstanding academic accomplishment, scholarly and creative work and service by graduating master's and doctoral students.

Chapman University has announced the recipients of the 2024 James L. Doti Outstanding Graduate Awards, the university’s highest honor for graduate students.

This year’s honorees are Katelyn Kitchens, a doctoral candidate in education , and Audrey Fong, a candidate for a dual Master of Arts in English and Master of Fine Arts in creative writing .

The Doti Awards are bestowed annually to an outstanding graduating master’s and doctoral student with a distinguished record of academic accomplishment, scholarly/creative activity and/or service. The award recipients’ names are permanently inscribed on the Doti Award trophy, which incorporates artist Nick Hernandez’s sculpture Emergence, on display in Argyros Forum. The recipients receive a desk-size copy of the trophy with a cash award of $1,000 and are recognized at their college’s commencement ceremony.

Katelyn Kitchens, Ph.D. Education, Attallah College of Educational Studies

Attallah’s faculty say Kitchens is a brilliant and exceptionally outstanding doctoral student. The faculty describes them as a highly ethical, committed and intellectually rigorous scholar-activist and teacher.

Kitchens successfully defended their Ph.D. dissertation in March 2024 on “New Ways of Being White: White Families Striving to Cultivate Antiracist Familial Cultures,” an expansive work based on a critical ethnographic study of white families committed to raising anti-racist children. The work is important, theoretically grounded and methodologically rigorous. Their chosen dissertation topic reflects their long-standing commitment to anti-racism. As a white person, Kitchens has personal experience with whiteness studies and engaging with others in anti-racist work.

Within the doctoral program, they developed a strong foundation in the theories that frame their work, including Marxist humanism, critical pedagogies and theories of whiteness. Kitchens also has strong instincts toward decolonizing and humanizing praxis. They are well recognized among faculty and peers as highly ethical and collaborative and evidence a commitment to the growth and learning of all those around them. Kitchens is especially committed to equity for racialized students and to the preservation and restoration of the cultural strengths, epistemologies and resources of historically oppressed communities.

These strengths, along with their excellent writing skills, have led to a significant record of emerging scholarship, research and teaching pursuits. Currently, Kitchens is co-authoring several research manuscripts. Kitchens has already published an impressive six publications (one is in press) and is planning a book based on their dissertation. Their scholarship is highly collaborative with Indigenous colleagues and other people of color, evidencing allyship with these communities. Kitchens’ numerous presentations at conferences and community settings exemplify a keen awareness and commitment to engage with the community beyond the academy.

Kitchens is also a gifted educator of children and adults. They have taught numerous courses in higher education, and faculty are certain that this has included challenging coursework, high expectations and humanizing pedagogy. A faculty mentor shared that conversations with Kitchens revealed their tremendous love and empathy for all peoples.

It’s notable that in a world where Indigenous communities are often wary of the dominant group, Kitchens has been invited to teach and work at an Indigenous tribal school. They recognize and value the opportunity that has been given to them and are continuously reflecting on their responsibility as a white person to that community and its peoples. Kitchens’ previous work in Montessori schools has also provided important insights into humanizing, democratic and life-giving pedagogies that inform their development. Furthermore, Kitchens has a strong social justice background. They served on the Montessori for Social Justice Board of Directors for five years.

At Chapman, Kitchens has been an active member of the Paulo Freire Democratic Project, supported guest talks and co-led teach-ins during the Black Lives Matter protests. Attallah faculty believe Kitchens is an outstanding student with a brilliant future ahead.

Audrey Fong, MA/MFA English and Creative Writing, Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Wilkinson’s faculty say Fong’s academic excellence and professional leadership are exceptional. She has used the dual program to set her own ambitious professional path. Importantly, Fong has used her own ongoing learning growth to contribute to the university and to the larger literary culture. She is the only graduate student who has taught Asian American Studies at Chapman University, and she’s also a graduate student instructor in English. She continues to open students to new ideas and texts and also works with Stephanie Takaragawa, associate professor of sociology, across disciplines on a variety of projects and programming.

Fong’s creative and scholarly achievements are unusually strong for a graduate student. She has presented at the Asian American Studies Conference and the College English Association Conference, in addition to others. She will present again this spring at the Asian American Studies Conference and is making a name for herself in that field. She also has a chapter forthcoming in an anthology about food and memory, an essay published in the literary journal South Dakota Review, and she’s placed several interviews with Asian American writers in Adroit Journal.

This important cultural work and her entrepreneurial spirit led Fong to found her own journal, Soapberry Review. Anna Leahy, director of the MFA in creative writing program, shared that she is awestruck by Fong’s ability to launch this project while excelling at all the other work we expect of graduate students and instructors. This project focuses on reviews of books and interviews with Asian American writers, filling a void in literary culture rather than replicating existing projects. Fong has encouraged other MFA students and alumni to read Asian American books and submit reviews for publication at Soapberry Review.

Faculty point to Fong’s mature understanding of a scholar-writer’s practice. She has a keen ability to turn conference presentations into journal publications, a professional practice that few graduate students in the humanities recognize and embrace. Also, she turns practical experience — the marketing internship with Red Hen Press and the social media work at UCI — into original intellectual and cultural production. She recognizes that her accomplishments as a scholar-writer have the power to change culture.

To continue honing her craft, Fong is entering the Ph.D. program at the University of Southern California, another program that combines creative writing and literature. Wilkinson’s faculty is convinced that will lead to even more achievement.

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Writers' Workshop

Jayne anne phillips wins 2024 pulitzer prize for fiction.

Written by Sara Epstein Moninger

University of Iowa alumna Jayne Anne Phillips has won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and three other Iowa Writers' Workshop graduates were named finalists for Pulitzer literary awards, which were announced May 6.

Phillips, who earned an MFA in 1978, was recognized for her novel Night Watch . The Pulitzer judges described the book as “a beautifully rendered novel set in West Virginia’s Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in the aftermath of the Civil War where a severely wounded Union veteran, a 12-year-old girl, and her mother, long abused by a Confederate soldier, struggle to heal.”

Yiyun Li, who graduated with a Master of Science in 2000 and two MFAs (fiction and nonfiction) in 2005, was a finalist in fiction for her book of short stories Wednesday’s Child . Li’s short stories and novels have won numerous awards, including the PEN/Hemingway Award for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for The Book of Goose . She currently serves as director of Princeton University’s creative writing program.

Additionally, two alumnae were recognized as finalists for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry:

Jorie Graham, who graduated with an MFA in 1978 and won a Pulitzer in 1996 for The Dream of the Unified Field , was named a finalist for To 2040 . Graham, one of the most celebrated poets of her generation, is a former longtime faculty member in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Among her poetry collections are The End of Beauty , Place , and Sea Change . She currently is the Boylston Professor of Oratory and Rhetoric at Harvard University.

Robyn Schiff, who graduated with an MFA in 1999, was named a finalist for Information Desk: An Epic , a book-length poem in three parts set in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Schiff, who has been a visiting faculty member in the UI Department of English, also is the author of Worth , Revolver , and A Woman of Property , which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She teaches at the University of Chicago and co-edits Canarium Books.

Pulitzer Prizes are awarded annually to honor achievements in journalism, literature, and music. See the full list of 2024 Pulitzer winners .