Program Overview

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MSt in Creative Writing

The MSt in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialisation, and critical and creative breadth. The emphasis of the course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces their creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community.

Course Structure

An overview of the course structure is provided below. Details of the compulsory and optional elements of the course are provided in the Course components section.

• The first year focuses across genres and includes:
  • Prose fiction
  • Narrative non-fiction
  • Poetry
  • Writing for stage and screen
• There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the genres.
• In the second year, you will specialise in one option area from the following:
  • The novel
  • Short fiction
  • Radio drama
  • TV drama
  • Screenwriting
  • Stage drama
  • Poetry
  • Narrative non-fiction

Attendance

This course is part-time and you will be required to attend residences and a research placement in Oxford across both years of the course. The MSt offers a clustered learning format of five residences, two guided retreats, and one research placement over two years.

Resources

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources, including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources, and IT services. The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK, including the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department for Continuing Education. You will be assigned a supervisor who will work closely with you throughout the development of the year two final project and extended essay.

Assessment

The MSt is assessed by coursework. In the first year, four assignments (two creative, two critical), one creative writing portfolio, and one critical essay are submitted. In the second year, submissions comprise one research placement report, one extended critical essay, and a final project a substantial body of creative work in the genre of choice.

Graduate Destinations

Graduate destinations have included publishing creative work in a chosen field, careers in arts/media, and doctoral programmes in creative writing.

Entry Requirements

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown.

• Degree-level qualifications: As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
  • A first-class or upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a related field.
• GRE General Test scores: No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
• Other qualifications, evidence of excellence, and relevant experience: Assessors are looking for writers with a proven record of commitment to their craft, whose work demonstrates significant creative promise.
• English language proficiency: This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level.

Funding

For entry in the academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,100 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.

Costs

Annual Course Fees

The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis.

• Fees for the academic year at the University of Oxford:
  • Home: ú10,210
  • Overseas: ú16,010
• What do course fees cover?: Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies.

Additional Costs

This course has residential sessions (residences and retreats) in Oxford. You will need to meet your travel costs in attending these sessions.

Living Costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

College Preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. The following colleges accept students on the MSt in Creative Writing:

• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Harris Manchester College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Oriel College
• Regent's Park College
• St Catherine's College
• Somerville College
• Wadham College
• Wycliffe Hall

How to Apply

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.

• Referees: Three overall, academic and/or professional
• Official transcript(s): Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date.
• CV/rÚsumÚ: A CV/rÚsumÚ is compulsory for all applications.
• Personal statement: A maximum of 750 words
• Written work: A maximum of 2,000 words of prose fiction or narrative non-fiction or 10 short poems or 15 minutes of dramatic writing (stage, screen, radio, or TV)

Admission Status

Open to applications for entry in

Deadlines

• 12:00 midday UK time on:
  • Wednesday, 28 January 2026: Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships
  • Tuesday, 3 March 2026: Applications may remain open after this deadline if places are still available

Key Facts

• Course code: TS_NV9P1
• Expected length: 2 years
• Places in: c. 30
• Applications/year: 373
• Expected start: 19 September 2026
• English language: Higher level required