Professional Writing MA

Program Overview

The Professional Writing MA at Falmouth University is a one-year program that equips graduates with the skills and experience for a successful career in professional writing. The program combines a foundation in creative writing with practical skills such as pitching, editing, and writing for diverse audiences and contexts. Graduates have found success in various roles, including novelists, copy and content writers, scriptwriters, editors, and editorial managers. The program offers opportunities to connect with guest speakers and boasts facilities such as digital labs, lecture theaters, and a dedicated writers' room.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Professional Writing MA at Falmouth University is a one-year, full-time program designed to equip graduates with the skills and experience necessary for a successful career in professional writing. The program combines a foundation in creative writing with practical skills such as pitching, editing, and writing for diverse audiences and contexts.

Objectives:

• Develop core writing skills across various genres and contexts.
• Prepare graduates for a career in professional writing.
• Master the ability to pitch and present work effectively.
• Understand diverse writing disciplines and contemporary writing and publishing industries.
• Develop independent working skills and critical judgement.

Outline:

The program is divided into three study blocks, encompassing a blend of seminars, workshops, and self-managed practice. Students collaborate in teams and individually, developing projects, exploring business ideas, and providing peer feedback.

Modules:

• Telling Good Stories: Explores the structure of storytelling, develops core writing skills, analyzes literary forms, and applies techniques to original writing.
• Making a Living 1: Professional Contexts: Introduces skills for navigating the professional writing industry, discussing portfolio careers, and practicing skills like interviewing, reviewing, pitching, and using social media.
• Creative Writing Careers: Building a Portfolio: Develops a substantial idea for publication, producing industry-standard portfolio materials like a synopsis, market analysis, chapter outlines, script treatment, cover letter, and introduction.
• Making a Living 2: Writing for Business: Explores research, writing, and editing skills for business, non-profit organizations, and editorial publications like newspapers, magazines, and websites.
Creates a portfolio spanning various formats and contexts.
• Final Project: An individual project building upon previous modules, supervised by a specialist in the chosen field.
An essay contextualizes the work within current writing practices and theories.

Assessment:

Assessments are coursework-based, focusing on portfolios, reviews, creative and practical work, presentations, and pitches. Formative feedback is given throughout modules, and summative feedback is delivered post-assessment.

Teaching:

The program brings together seminars, workshops, and individual practice. Students collaborate, develop projects, and receive feedback in a supportive environment. Learning is facilitated by award-winning authors, publishers, and writers encompassing novelists, poets, journalists, editors, and copywriters.

Careers:

Graduates have found success in various roles, including novelists, copy and content writers, scriptwriters, editors, and editorial managers. They have worked freelance and for agencies, including branding agencies and streaming services.

Other:

• The program welcomes applications from those with relevant Level 6 qualifications, including undergraduate degrees with a minimum 2:2 classification.
• Entry requirements consider formal qualifications, certified learning, and experience.
• Falmouth University boasts facilities such as digital labs, lecture theaters, seminar rooms, libraries, a dedicated writers' room, a podcasting facility, and professional-grade equipment.
• Typical course costs beyond books are not specified.

Tuition fees 2024-25 £9,200 per year - full-time UK (£250 acceptance fee payable. This is deducted from tuition fees.) £17,950 - full-time EU/international (£500-£2,500 acceptance fee payable depending upon your status. This is deducted from tuition fees) Tuition fees for September 2025 will be confirmed in summer 2024. Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible. The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs