Program Overview

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Overview of the Creative Writing (M.Phil.) Program

The Creative Writing (M.Phil.) program at Trinity College Dublin is a one-year, full-time course designed for students who are seriously committed to writing and wish to develop their writing within the framework of a university course and in the context of an Irish literary milieu.

Course Details

• NFQ Level: 9
• Duration: 1 year full-time
• Number of Places: 16
• Next Intake: September 2025
• Course Director: Dr. Kevin Power
• Closing Date: 31st March 2025

Admission Requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a university degree or equivalent qualification (at least an upper second or equivalent, GPA of at least 3.3). In addition, applicants must submit a portfolio of selected recent creative work. The portfolio of sample work should include no more than 3000 words of prose (short stories, excerpt/s from a novel or drama) or 6-8 poems; genres may be combined but this is not a requirement.

English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Course Structure

The M.Phil. in Creative Writing is designed as a one-year, full-time course. Teaching is delivered through lectures, group workshops, and personal tuition. Much of this takes place in the Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing, which offers a supportive and sociable working environment for the School of English’s creative writers. Students are expected to continue developing their own individual work throughout the year. The course is assessed by means of various essays and portfolios, culminating in working towards a final dissertation portfolio of 15-16,000 words.

Course Content

The centrepiece of the Creative Writing M.Phil. is the three-hour weekly workshop. This is where students bring work and get to listen to others. The idea of it is daunting, but reality is hardworking, inclusive, and dynamic. For the first term, students are encouraged to range across form and genre, to break habits and open new vistas. This is where students start to see the core of their portfolio emerge, although most don't see the portfolio taking shape until the following Spring. The Structure in Fiction and Poetry module works through the shapes and uses, the interior dynamics of writing. Writing for a Living addresses the demands of reviewing and essay writing. Both modules are structured and intellectually rigorous but at heart involve writers talking about writing and bringing the class into the orbit of their own experience.

Career Opportunities

Graduates have pursued careers in a range of areas including journalism, scriptwriting, copywriting, advertising, publishing, editing, the arts and culture sector, broadcasting, librarianship, education, and research. Many alumni have also gone on to become successful writers.

Course Fees

For a full list of postgraduate fees, please refer to the relevant section of the university's website.

Related Courses

• Children's Literature (M.Phil. / P.Grad.Dip.)
• Irish Writing (M.Phil. / P.Grad.Dip.)
• Modern and Contemporary Literary Studies (M.Phil. / P.Grad.Dip.)