Creative Writing

Program Overview

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Creative Writing

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Course Details

Our MA in Creative Writing is an exciting and rewarding course, taught with academic rigour by award-winning writers. It will help sharpen your practical knowledge of writing poetry and prose fiction and develop your knowledge and understanding of twentieth and twenty-first century literature.

The teaching and research provided offers a combination of conceptual and theoretical reflection, analysis of historical and cultural contexts, pays close attention to literary texts and primary sources, and enables the imaginative creation of new writing.

You will be supported with writing workshops and one-to-one tutorials where you will be encouraged to express and develop your own ideas. You will be based in an environment where your curiosity and imagination as well as your intellectual discipline and the individual nature of your responses is respected and valued.

Alongside the teaching modules you will have access to an extensive events programme, which includes the sharing of work and expertise by leading researchers and writers.

We are one of the most well-regarded English departments in the country. We are, in addition, one of few English departments in the world to teach and research in literature produced in Britain from the early medieval period to the present day as well as in anglophone literature from across the globe.

Consequently, with the learning opportunities provided by the department’s world-leading scholars, our course will give you the freedom to study broadly or to specialise, but always within a support structure where you will always be able to develop your own creative writing ideas.

Course Structure

Year 1 Modules

Core Modules:

• Research Project (60 credits) is an extended critical essay on a subject of your own choosing and a portfolio of creative work, consisting of new works written after you have completed the workshop-style modules.
• You will also be required to choose one from the following two core modules below:
  • Creative Writing Poetry (30 credits)
  • Creative Writing Prose Fiction (30 credits)

Optional Modules:

Finally, you will choose 90 credits of elective modules from across the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, so that your total number of credits adds up to exactly 180.

Learning

The course can be taken in one year on a full-time basis or over two years in a part-time format within a structure that is varied and effective and able to nurture creative and imaginative work.

Learning is carried out in small group tutorials, lectures, seminars and one-to-one sessions when you will gain a thorough grounding in the genres, forms, histories and cultures of literature in English, with opportunities to specialise.

You will choose one of two core creative writing modules, in which you will be required to write longer pieces within your chosen literary discipline and share your work.

You will also undertake a major research project, which will provide you with the opportunity to produce an extended essay that you identify and research yourself.

You will receive feedback and listen to suggestions about your work, and you will also be expected to contribute to the small group sessions by giving your own feedback.

Assessment

Assessment on the course is rigorous and very much focused, as you would expect, on your written work.

You will be expected to produce essays, a portfolio of poetry or prose fiction as well as an extended essay for your research project.

We also want to understand how you see yourself and your own work so there will also be an assessment based on a self-critique.

Entry Requirements

Students are usually required to have an Honours Degree at 2:1 level or higher or overseas equivalent from a recognised national or international university.

Students should submit a sample of 4-6 poems or 2,000 words of fiction.

A 500-word personal statement which should include the following:

• An outline of your interest in studying Creative Writing at Master's level
• Your experiences of writing and editing your work prior to the course
• Any important literary influences and aspirations for your work
• What you hope to achieve during the course of the MA

Fees and Funding

Full Time Fees

Tuition fees

• Home students: £12,500 per year
• EU students: £27,500 per year
• Island students: £12,500 per year
• International students: £27,500 per year

Part Time Fees

Tuition fees

• Home students: £6,900 per year
• EU students: £15,200 per year
• Island students: £6,900 per year
• International students: £15,200 per year

Career Opportunities

The Department’s reputation for the quality and intellectual rigour of its teaching means students are in possession of skills and experience that are much sought after by potential employers around the world.

Our postgraduates are equipped with highly transferable skills and the ability to analyse, assess and communicate knowledge effectively. Many choose to take these newly acquired abilities into professional roles in sectors including arts and theatre management, broadcasting, publishing and journalism, business, accounting, marketing and advertising, teaching, higher education, law, third sector and government positions. Others choose to continue their academic study at a higher level.

The University’s career service offers comprehensive support and we hold regular lectures and workshops that focus on personal development and key employability skills.

Department Information

The Department of English Studies is one of the largest in the UK, respected for the range and intellectual rigour of our Masters courses. We offer a series of literary journeys from creative writing to Romantic and Victorian literature and nurture a love of the written word.

The Department of English Studies is one of Europe’s leading centres for research in literary studies. We carry out important and influential research into a wide range of literary topics with compelling historical and cultural themes.

We are one of the few departments in the world who teach and research in literature produced in Britain from the early medieval period to the present day as well as in anglophone literature from across the globe.

Courses are taught by leading subject experts and include MAs in Creative Writing and English Literary Studies.

The Department offers valuable partnerships with interdisciplinary research institutes and centres within the University. These include the Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, the Centre for Poetry and Poetics, the Centre for Modern Conflicts and Cultures, and the Institute for Medical Humanities.

Our overriding aim is to enable you to develop the skills and abilities to produce research built on evidence-based argument, rigorous analysis, verbal accuracy and independent and creative thinking. We provide a vibrant learning community that is supportive and inclusive.

Facilities

The Department of English Studies is mainly situated in two buildings that are close to the historic city and centre with its glorious cathedral and UNESCO World Heritage status. Hallgarth House is a Georgian-listed building and Elvet Riverside stands beside the picturesque River Wear.

Our community of around 60 taught postgraduates and 60 PhD researchers have wide-ranging access to the extensive general collections in literary studies which are housed in the University library as well as to a number of specialist collections and archives in nearby Palace Green.

Similar Courses

• English Literary Studies - MA (Program Code: Q3K107)
• Languages, Literatures and Cultures - MA (Program Code: R9T207)
• Medical Humanities - MA (Program Code: Q3KG07)
• Visual Culture - MA (Program Code: R9T307)

Program Outline

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Degree Overview

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Overview:

The MA in Creative Writing is a one-year full-time or two-year part-time program that develops your skills in writing poetry and fiction, while enhancing your knowledge of 20th and 21st-century literature. The course is taught by award-winning writers and offers a rigorous academic environment for both individual and collaborative learning.

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Objectives:

The program aims to:

• Sharpen your practical knowledge of writing poetry and prose fiction.
• Develop your knowledge and understanding of 20th and 21st-century literature.
• Offer a supportive environment for your individual creative writing journey.

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Description:

The program combines theoretical and practical elements, including:

• Conceptual and theoretical reflection: Engaging with different critical approaches to literature.
• Analysis of historical and cultural contexts: Exploring the historical and cultural forces shaping literature.
• Close attention to literary texts and primary sources: Developing your analytical skills through close reading and textual analysis.
• Imaginative creation of new writing: Encouraging you to develop your own creative writing practice in workshops and individual tutorials.

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Key Features:

• Taught by award-winning writers.
• Focuses on both poetry and prose fiction.
• Offers a balance of individual and collaborative learning.
• Provides opportunities for specialization and interdisciplinary exploration.

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Outline

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Program Structure:

• Major Research Project (60 credits): An extended critical essay on a topic of your choice and a portfolio of new creative work.
• Core Modules (30 credits): Choose one from Creative Writing Poetry or Creative Writing Prose Fiction.
• Elective Modules (90 credits): Choose from a wide range of modules offered by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities.

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Course Schedule:

• The program can be taken full-time (one year) or part-time (two years).
• The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, and individual tutorials.
• The schedule is designed to provide a balance of individual and collaborative learning.

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Individual Modules:

• Creative Writing Poetry: Focuses on developing your skills in writing and analyzing poetry.

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Assessment

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Assessment Methods:

• Essays
• Portfolios of creative work
• Extended critical essay for the research project
• Self-critique

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Assessment Criteria:

• Originality and creativity of your writing.
• Critical analysis and engagement with literary texts.
• Quality of your research and argumentation.
• Effective communication and presentation of your ideas.

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Teaching

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Teaching Methods:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Individual tutorials

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Faculty:

• Award-winning writers and experienced academics.
• Experts in their respective fields of literature and creative writing.

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Unique Approaches:

• The program emphasizes individual attention and support.
• It provides opportunities for collaboration and peer feedback.
• It encourages you to develop your own creative voice and style.

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Careers

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Potential Career Paths:

• Writer
• Editor
• Publisher
• Teacher
• Journalist
• Arts administrator
• Researcher

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Career Opportunities:

• The program prepares you for a wide range of careers in the creative industries and beyond.
• The skills you develop are highly transferable and valued by employers in various sectors.

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Career Outcomes:

• Graduates have gone on to successful careers in writing, publishing, education, and other fields.
• The program provides you with the knowledge and skills to pursue a fulfilling career in your chosen field.

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Other

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Department:

English Studies

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University:

Durham University

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Location:

Durham, UK

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Start Dates:

September 2024

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Duration:

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

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Tuition Fees:

• UK/EU students: £11,750 per year (full-time), £6,500 per year (part-time)
• International students: £24,750 per year (full-time), £13,700 per year (part-time)

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Entry Requirements:

• Honours degree at 2:1 or higher (or equivalent)
• Sample of creative writing (4-6 poems or 2,000 words of fiction)

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Scholarships and Bursaries:

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Full Time Fees

• Tuition fees
• Home students: £11,750 per year
• EU students: £24,750 per year
• Island students: £11,750 per year
• International students: £24,750 per year

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Part Time Fees

• Tuition fees
• Home students: £6,500 per year
• EU students: £13,700 per year
• Island students: £6,500 per year
• International students: £13,700 per year