MA Creative Writing

at University of Plymouth

Programme overview

You’ll attend four workshop-based seminars, detailed below. Throughout the term you’ll submit your best work in an environment dedicated to writing success. Writing is complemented by the reading of established authors in order to give you that all-important sense of literary context. Experienced tutors lead small seminars exploring the nuances of craft and the compositional process. We believe that all kinds of writing can inform each other, and ensure you study fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and dramatic writing (for stage and screen), before settling down to write your dissertation in a singular mode. Your dissertation will comprise a collection of poems, a stage or screen-play, or 20,000 words of prose from a story collection, novel or creative non-fiction. The ultimate goal is to help you to take your private writings to the public sphere. Full-time students take two modules per term, while part-time students take one module per term.

Core modules

Fiction: Stories and Novels (CWMA701)
This module aims to benefit student fiction writing via workshop methodology (whereby students submit and receive feedback on their fiction from tutor and peers). Weekly reading of published authors will be discussed as a way to further student understanding of the art and craft of fiction writing.
 

Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction (CWMA702)
This module aims to benefit student poetry and creative non-fiction writing via workshop methodology (whereby students submit and receive feedback on their fiction from tutor and peers). Weekly reading of published authors will be discussed as a way to further student understanding of the art and craft of poetry and creative non-fiction.
 

Dramatic Writing: Stage and Screen (CWMA703)
This module aims to benefit student writing via workshop methodology, whereby students submit and receive feedback on their dramatic writing. We will also be reading published authors and viewing productions as a way to further understand the art and craft of dramatic writing.
 

The Business of Writing: Before and After Dissertation (CWMA704)
Students will develop and submit a 'dissertation project' over the course of this module, including a 'description of project', 'research methods', 'research context', 'ethics statement' (if applicable), 'publishing outlets', and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. They will also develop and submit a sample of work-in-progress, i.e. work which will inform or constitute part of their dissertation.
 

Creative Writing Dissertation (CWMA705)
Students will undertake and complete an approved creative writing project such as a collection of poems or stories, a play or film-script, a non-fiction narrative, a section of a novel, a digital project, or an 'artist's book'. Projects requires 15,000 new words; i.e. words which have been previously unassessed, or equivalent if written in form more economical with words (such as poetry).
 

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

Applicants are required to attend an informal interview with the Programme Leader. Further details will be communicated once an application has been received.  
 

Evidence of your writing ability is required. A sample of no more than ten pages of original writing must be submitted with all applications.
 

For entry to postgraduate level, you should normally possess:
 

first or upper second (2:1) degree with honours or professional qualification, recognised as being equivalent to degree standard;

or

an ordinary degree, foundation degree, higher national diploma, or university diploma, accompanied by substantial experience in an appropriate field.
 

If you have overseas qualifications you can check your comparability with Ecctis, who provide an advisory service.

The minimum IELTS score for acceptable English proficiency for entry is normally 7.

International - £15,700