Program start date | Application deadline |
2025-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
MA, PG Cert Creative Writing and Publishing
Introduction
Develop your creativity and publishing industry knowledge with a focus on editorial, imaginative and professional writing, and marketing across print and digital.
Course Options
- 12 months full-time
- 2 years part-time
- Start dates: September
- Location: Cambridge
Key Facts
- Study options: 12 months full-time
- Start dates: September
- Location: Cambridge
- Fees:
- £9,800 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)
- £17,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)
Teaching and Assessment
- Supported by your personal tutor, you’ll design your own path through this Masters course choosing to focus the flexible assignments on areas that are most relevant to you and your future career.
- Each module will give you space for self-directed learning and your choice for project work and individual research.
- The Masters Major Project will be your opportunity to develop a piece of writing in depth on a topic that reflects your academic interest or to work on a publishing project relevant to your career goals.
- MA students complete all core modules. PG Cert students complete one, and can choose to top-up to a full MA by completing the Masters Major Project.
- Modules are subject to change and availability.
- We'll assess you using methods that allow you to demonstrate the learning outcomes essential for your professional development. Depending on the module, these could include traditional essays, creative work (usually accompanied by a critical commentary) or publishing-specific forms such as book proposals and marketing plans.
Core Modules
- Creativity and Content in Publishing
- Patterns of Story: Fiction and its Forms
- The Business of Publishing
- Into ARU
Optional Modules: Choose One Major Project
- Workshop: the Novel
- Special Topic in Creative Writing/English Literature
- Master's Project in Creative Writing
- Major Project Publishing
Entry Requirements
- A good honours degree, typically 2.2 or above (or equivalent), normally in a related subject. Applicants with professional experience are also encouraged to apply.
- If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.5 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.
Fees and Paying for University
- Tuition fees for UK students (2025/26): £9,800 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)
- ARU graduates may be eligible for an Alumni Scholarship and get a 20% fee discount.
- Tuition fees for international students (2025/26): £17,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)
- You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter.
Student Experience
- Hear from our graduates and published writers, including award winners Caroline Ward Vine and Penny Hancock.
- Our creative blog features articles on various topics, including interactive fiction.
- ARU Spotlight features interviews with our graduates and staff, including Jan Casey, Leigh Chambers, Jade Slaughter, and Megan Herdson.
Facilities and Showcase
- As a postgraduate student at ARU you’ll be able to network with agents, publishers and established writers in our talks and masterclasses.
- Get full support from our team of tutors, who are all published authors.
- Seek feedback and advice from our Royal Literary Fellows.
- Take a guided tour and meet our students.
- Our Creative Showcase shines a spotlight on what makes ARU creative and cultural – our spaces, places and people.
Lecturers
- Katharine Reeve, Senior Lecturer Practitioner
- Catherine Coe, Associate Lecturer
- Jon Stone, Lecturer
- Colette Paul, Associate Professor
- Menna van Praag, Royal Literary Fund Fellow
Careers
- Our Masters degree in Creative Writing and Publishing will prepare you for employment in whichever aspect of the writing and publishing industries most interests you.
- You’ll develop transferable academic and professional skills, including self-reflection, critical analysis and working to briefs and deadlines.
- You’ll also gain the research skills needed to produce creative work, professional publishing documents and critical writing.
- MA Creative Writing students with successful writing careers include Costa Short Story Award winner Caroline Ward Vine, Guinevere Glasfurd, Penny Hancock and Natalya Anderson.
- Our publishing graduates also have a track record of success, with most now in careers at companies such as Bloomsbury, Wiley Capstone, Pearson, Cambridge University Press and Macmillan.
- Graduation doesn’t have to be the end of your time with us. You could choose to continue your academic career with a research programme at ARU such as our PhD Creative Writing or PhD Publishing. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and save £400 on your fees.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
Be both a creative writer and a publisher. Customise your studies and prepare yourself for work in these increasingly entwined growth industries.
Outline:
The course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the creative writing and publishing industries. Students will learn how to write and publish their own work, as well as how to work with other writers and publishers. The course is taught by a team of experienced writers and publishers, and students will have the opportunity to work with industry professionals through workshops, guest lectures, and internships.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed through a variety of methods, including essays, creative writing, and presentations.
Teaching:
The course is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, and workshops. Students will also have the opportunity to work with industry professionals through workshops, guest lectures, and internships.
Careers:
Graduates of the course will be prepared for a variety of careers in the creative writing and publishing industries. They may work as writers, editors, publishers, agents, or in other related fields.
Tuition Fees and Payment Information:
UK students starting 2024/25 (full-time, per year)
£9,300
International students starting 2024/25 (full-time, per year)
£16,700
Payment:
Tuition fees for international students (2024/25) You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter Find out about paying your fees. For postgraduate courses, international ARU graduates are automatically considered for an International Alumni Scholarship, worth £3,000 off first-year fees.