Tuition Fee
USD 25,875
Per course
Start Date
Medium of studying
On campus
Duration
12 months
Program Facts
Program Details
Degree
Masters
Major
Creative Writing
Area of study
Arts
Education type
On campus
Timing
Full time
Course Language
English
Tuition Fee
Average International Tuition Fee
USD 25,875
Intakes
Program start date | Application deadline |
2023-10-06 | - |
2024-01-15 | - |
About Program
Program Overview
Our challenging, practice-based course offers you a unique approach to the practice of writing, emphasising innovation and experimentation in your work. On our MA Creative Writing, you deepen your knowledge of literary tradition, exploring different modes and genres in order to develop your own creative and expressive written skills. You expand your use of creative writing techniques and improve your critical judgement of your own work. Our course encourages you to develop your writing by stepping outside your comfort zone and discovering the different approaches to verbal art that are possible today. This will invigorate your own practice, whether you are writing psychogeography, plays, novels, stories or something else. You will choose from a variety of modules, covering topics such as:
- Development of a novel plan, from research and concept-development, to plotting, character, and structure
- Experimental language play of the Oulipo group across the short story, autobiography, cartoons, cookery and theatre
- Psychogeography, writing about walking, place, landscape, history and the psychic environment
- Poetic practice across experimental writing in poetry from the performative to the visual
- Learn from the professionals as part of our innovative Writers at Essex series
- Join a diverse network of distinguished alumni and award-winning teaching staff who have shaped the world of literature
- Publish your own work in our annual creative writing journal, Creel
Our expert staff
Our teaching staff are experienced and established writers who have a breadth of experience across literary genres, from novels, prose and plays, to poetry and song. Our creative writing teaching team has a breadth of experience in the literatures of different cultures and different forms. Our current teaching staff include poet and short story writer Philip Terry , non-fiction and wild writer James Canton , novelist and camper Matthew de Abaitua, poet and performance-writer Holly Pester, poet, fisherman and memoirist Chris McCully, and award-winning playwrights Elizabeth Kuti and Jonathan Lichtenstein . Our Centre for Creative Writing is part of a unique literary conservatoire that offers students the skills, support and confidence to respond artistically and critically to the study of writing with the guidance of experts.Specialist facilities
- Write for our student magazine Rebel or host a Rebel radio show
- View classic films at weekly film screenings in our dedicated 120-seat film theatre
- Hear writers talk about their craft and learn from leading literature specialists at regular talks and readings
- Our on-campus Lakeside Theatre has been established as a major venue for good drama, staging both productions by professional touring companies and a wealth of new work written, produced and directed by our own staff and students
- Improve your playwriting skills at our Lakeside Theatre Writers workshops
- Our Research Laboratory allows you to collaborate with professionals, improvising and experimenting with new work which is being tried and tested
- Contribute some of your work to our annual publication 'Creel', an anthology of creative writing produced by our postgraduate students and published by Muscaliet Press, founded by PhD Creative Writing alumni Simon Everett.
Your future
Many of our students have gone on to successfully publish their work, notable recent alumni including:- Ida Løkås, who won a literary prize in Norway for The Beauty That Flows Past , securing a book deal
- Alexia Casale, whose novel Bone Dragon was published by Faber & Faber and subsequently featured on both the Young Adult Books of the Year 2013 list for The Financial Times , and The Independent’s Books of the year 2013: Children
- Elaine Ewart, graduate from our MA Wild Writing and PhD Creative Writing courses, placed second in the New Welsh Writing Awards 2015
- Patricia Borlenghi, the founder of Patrician Press , which has published works by a number of our alumni
- Petra McQueen, who has written for The Guardian and runs creative writing courses and is studying PhD Creative Writing in the Department
Program Outline
Course structure
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, or in response to COVID-19, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.Components
Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose. Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.Status | What this means |
Core | You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted. |
Core with Options | You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted. |
Compulsory | You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
Compulsory with Options | You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
Optional | You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
Modules
Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits. In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available. Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code . For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:HR | 100 | 4 | FY |
---|---|---|---|
The department or school the module will be taught by. In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History. | The module number. | The UK academic level of the module. A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course. A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules. A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification. |
The term the module will be taught in.
|
Teaching
- Five modules are followed over the autumn and spring terms, and generally consist of ten two-hour seminars
- An emphasis on practice, experimenting with different techniques to produce work of your own
- Seminars may include introductions by your tutor, presentations by you, and discussion based on a programme of reading
- Visiting scholars are invited to speak about their research
Assessment
- Four essays of 4,000-5,000 words, usually combining a creative piece and critical commentary
- There is normally considerable freedom for you to choose the topics of your essays
- A reflective piece on research methods
Dissertation
- You produce a dissertation consisting of a creative component up to 10,000 words plus critical commentary of 6,000 words excluding bibliography and footnotes written between April and September.
- This takes the form of a creative piece and a critical commentary
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