Course summary
Develop your creative writing skills through guided completion of a full length work in your chosen genre while enhancing you career prospects in the field of writing. The MFA Creative Writing offers you the opportunity to consolidate your knowledge and skills in Creative Writing by developing a full-length original and potentially publishable manuscript in your chosen genre (Fiction, Non-Fiction, Genre Fiction). You will gain a deep understanding of your craft and will be able to reflect critically upon your stylistic and formal decisions and situate them in their cultural and literary contexts. You will acquire a detailed knowledge of the aspects of being a professional writer and will develop a comprehensive understanding of the business of writing. You will also complete a module on Creative Writing pedagogy that will provide you with a basis for understanding how Creative Writing functions in different types of educational settings. This combination of creative and practical skills will prepare you for a career as a writer as well as for a broad range of careers that draw upon the programme’s transferable skills. This course will allow you to develop the skills and confidence necessary to plan, research, critically evaluate and execute a substantial full-length manuscript in Creative Writing for potential publication. It will enable you to take a professional approach to editing, revising and critiquing creative work, both your own and that of others You will also gain a broad range of transferable skills appropriate for graduate careers in Creative Writing and a practical understanding of the publishing industry, including how to present and market creative work. The course not only prepares you for a potential career in areas such as professional writing or publishing but also for further MFA/PhD study and research, and to expedite your access to such programmes.
Modules
Year 1: You will complete a total of 120 credits of taught modules, which includes one core elective 60-credit workshop in your chosen genre, two core 15-credit modules, and two 15-credit elective modules in English Literature and/or Publishing. At the end of your first year you will submit a Dissertation, an extended piece of creative writing in your chosen genre. You will also submit a reflective essay in which you discuss the development of your own creative practice and your plan for completion of the Major Project. The detailed feedback you receive in the assessment of the Dissertation and reflective essay will prepare you for completing the Major Project Year 2: In your second year you will complete the Major Project, a substantial piece of creative writing, under the close supervision of an expert in your chosen genre. The Major Project may be a section of a novel, a piece or pieces of creative non-fiction, or several short stories. You will also submit a Critical Essay in which you reflect on how the literary and theoretical issues that inform your chosen genre have shaped and influenced your own creative practice. You will also complete one core 15-credit module on Teaching Creative Writing.
Assessment method
Summative assessment of the programme outcomes occurs across the core and elective modules and in the Dissertation and Major Project. Individual modules deploy a range of assessment methods, and include portfolios of creative writing, analytical essays, assessed group and individual projects (including presentations with supporting research), portfolios of writing and publishing research which demonstrate evidence of skills gained through reflective analysis, and research-based assignments. The Dissertation provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate the skills and understanding you have acquired through the taught provision, whilst the reflective essay provides an opportunity for you to think critically about your development as a writer in the context of your chosen genre. The Major Project allows you to complete a substantial piece of original creative writing to a high professional standard and will be assessed on a set of criteria which establish literary merit, originality and the mastery of established literary conventions and techniques. The Critical Essay provides you with an opportunity to critically evaluate how such conventions and techniques have shaped your development as a creative writer.
Entry requirements
You will normally have an upper second class degree (in any subject) or the overseas equivalent, but successful completion of a certificate course in creative writing, or a professional qualification, or relevant experience may also be acceptable. The prime criteria are proven ability and commitment. For students whose first language is not English, an IELTS score of at least 7.0 is required. When applications open you can apply online and will be expected to submit the following with your application: - A sample of creative writing of 5,000 words. - A 300 word abstract of the longer piece of creative writing you plan to complete. - You may need to attend an interview, in person, or by phone.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| EU | £19378 | Year 1 |
| England | £10400 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £10400 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £10400 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £10400 | Year 1 |
| International | £19378 | Year 1 |
Additional fee information
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Provider information
City, University of London
Northampton Square
City of London
EC1V 0HB