ma creative writing university of essex

Our cookies

We use cookies for three reasons: to give you the best experience on PGS, to make sure the PGS ads you see on other sites are relevant , and to measure website usage. Some of these cookies are necessary to help the site work properly and can’t be switched off. Cookies also support us to provide our services for free, and by click on “Accept” below, you are agreeing to our use of cookies .You can manage your preferences now or at any time.

Privacy overview

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

Functional cookies

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

Performance cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

Marketing cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

MA Creative Writing

University of essex, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, university information, similar courses at this uni, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Creative Writing

Course type

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

To help you hone your craft, we also host two Royal Literary Fund Fellows, professional writers on-hand to help you develop your writing on a one-to-one basis, and regularly host talks and readings by visiting writers.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

A 2:2 degree in one of the following subjects: Art History; Creative Writing; History; Journalism; Literature; Media Studies; Music; Performing Arts; Philosophy; Politics; Sociology; Theatre/Drama Studies.

The University of Essex prides itself on being at the forefront of change. It is an institution with a culture of boldness where creativity and curiosity in learning are both encouraged and expected. It’s a UK university, placing 36th and 32nd according to the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023 and the 2024 Complete University Guide rankings, respectively. At the University of Essex, students are taught by world-leading academics in a... more

PhD Theatre Studies (Playwriting)

Full time | 4 years | OCT-24

PhD Creative Writing

Phd film studies (creative practice), mphil creative writing.

Full time | 3 years | 03-OCT-24

MPhil Theatre Studies (Playwriting)

MA Creative Writing

Want to know what it's like to study this course at uni? We've got all the key info, from entry requirements to the modules on offer. If that all sounds good, why not check out reviews from real students or even book onto an upcoming open days ?

Different course options

MA - Master of Arts

Colchester Campus

Select a course option

Select a subject

Select a an exam type

Select student location

Course info

Entry requirements, tuition fees, latest reviews.

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

To help you hone your craft, we also host two Royal Literary Fund Fellows, professional writers on-hand to help you develop your writing on a one-to-one basis, and regularly host talks and readings by visiting writers.

What students say

It's a really great place and beautiful university but the town has nothing to do so it's boring sometimes outside of.. Read more

Great.. Read more

Modules (Year 1)

A 2:2 degree in one of the following subjects: Art History; Creative Writing; History; Journalism; Literature; Media Studies; Music; Performing Arts; Philosophy; Politics; Sociology; Theatre/Drama Studies.

Students living in

£10,000 per year

Students from Domestic

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

£21,700 per year

Students from EU

Students from International

Latest Creative Writing reviews

Review breakdown, how all students rated:, university of essex , colchester.

The University of Essex prides itself on being at the forefront of change....

Student rating

Cug ranking.

University of Essex Wivenhoe Park Colchester Essex CO4 3SQ

University of Essex

Similar courses at this uni, find a course.

• Undergraduate
• Foundation degree
• Access & foundation
• Postgraduate

YOUR UCAS POINTS 0

Please wait

Unable to find any suggestions for your query...

The Essex website uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are consenting to their use. Please visit our cookie policy to find out which cookies we use and why. View cookie policy.

MA Creative Writing

• Ask a question
• Get a prospectus

Entry requirements

Fees and funding.

• What's next?

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:

To help you hone your craft, we also host a Royal Literary Fund Fellow, professional writers on-hand to help you develop your writing on a one-to-one basis, and regularly host talks and readings by visiting writers.

Essex has nurtured a long tradition of distinguished authors whose work has shaped literature as we know it today, from past giants such as the American poets Robert Lowell and Ted Berrigan, to contemporary writers such as mythographer and novelist Dame Marina Warner, and Booker Prize winner Ben Okri.

Students would usually attend a two-hour seminar for each module each week. Seminar groups would usually have about 10-15 students.

We're 7th in the UK for Creative Writing in the Guardian University Guide 2024

This course is also available on a part-time basis.

• 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

Your future.

Many of our students have gone on to successfully publish their work, notable recent alumni including:

We also offer supervision for PhD, MPhil and MA by Dissertation in different literatures and various approaches to literature, covering most aspects of early modern and modern writing in English, plus a number of other languages.

Our University is one of only 11 AHRC-accredited Doctoral Training Centres in the UK. This means that we offer funded PhD studentships which also provide a range of research and training opportunities.

A number of our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies graduates have gone on to undertake successful careers as writers, and others are now established as scholars, university lecturers, teachers, publishers, publishers' editors, journalists, arts administrators, theatre artistic directors, drama advisers, and translators.

We work with the university's Careers Services to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

"The facilities were fantastic while the lecturers were very supportive and still continue to offer help, even though I have now graduated! There was always a good atmosphere and I know I’ll never have writer’s block again! I am working towards a career as a playwright, so of course my degree has been invaluable to me, and I have recently been approached to do a Channel 4 TV show called The Audience ." Janine Hornsby, MA Creative Writing, 2012

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 degree in one of the following subjects:.

• Art History
• Creative Writing
• Media Studies
• Performing Arts
• Theatre/Drama Studies

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at [email protected]  to request the entry requirements for this country.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum component score of 6.5 in writing and 5.5 in all other components.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

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 and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

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.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

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:

COMPONENT 01: CORE

Your dissertation is the culmination of your time at Essex. Focusing on one particular topic in great depth, you formulate an urgent research question to be subsequently addressed, either critically or creatively. Your dedicated supervisor will be on-hand to guide you through the process, and our pre-requisite module on research methods will ensure you are fully prepared for the task at hand.

View Dissertation on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY

Are you ready for your dissertation? Examine a variety of research methods and methodologies, building the research skills and understanding needed to complete your postgraduate-level research project.

View Dissertation Preparation: Postgraduate Research and Writing Skills on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: COMPULSORY

Editing and redrafting is a crucial part of the writing process, but can often feel like the most difficult phase. This participatory workshop is your opportunity to receive peer-to-peer feedback on your work, in a mutually supportive and friendly environment. You work alongside colleagues to develop creative best practice, and learn how to provide constructive comments on features such as form, voice, and distance.

View Creative Writing Workshop on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 04: OPTIONAL

COMPONENT 05: OPTIONAL

COMPONENT 06: OPTIONAL

Dissertation

Home/uk fee.

£10,000

International fee

£21,700

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:

• tour our campus and accommodation
• find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
• meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing [email protected] and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.

2024 Open Days (Colchester Campus)

• Saturday 15 June 2024 - June Open Day
• Saturday 21 September 2024 - September Open Day
• Saturday 26 October 2024 - October Open Day

You can apply for this postgraduate course online . Before you apply, please check our information about necessary documents that we'll ask you to provide as part of your application.

We aim to respond to applications within two weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.

For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our ‘ how to apply ' information.

Visit Colchester Campus

Set within 200 acres of  award-winning  parkland - Wivenhoe Park  and located two miles from the  historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.

Virtual tours

If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tour allows you to explore the Colchester Campus from the comfort of your home. Check out our accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications . The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Want to quiz us about your course? Got a question that just needs answering? Get in touch with us on live chat!

• Course Finder
• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate study
• Short courses and CPD
• International students
• Study online
• Apprenticeships
• Summer Schools
• Essex living
• Essex Sport
• Colchester Campus
• Southend Campus
• Loughton Campus
• Student facilities
• Student services
• Research excellence
• Research showcase
• Media requests
• Research Excellence Framework (REF)
• Research institutes and centres
• Departments
• How to pay your fees
• General - [email protected]
• Undergraduate - [email protected]
• Postgraduate - [email protected]
• +44 (0) 1206 873333
• University of Essex
• Wivenhoe Park
• Colchester CO4 3SQ

• Accessibility
• Our privacy statements
• Our transparency return
• Modern slavery and human trafficking

We value your privacy

We use cookies to allow this site to work for you, improve your user experience, and to serve you advertising tailored to your interests. Let us know if you agree to all cookies. You can manage your preferences at any time

Your Privacy

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

Personalise what you see on this page.

Looking for.

• Undergraduate courses
• Postgraduate courses
• CHOOSE ONE OR MORE

Popular universities

• University of Kent
• University of East Anglia UEA
• University of Chester
• Coventry University
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Portmouth
• Nottingham Trent University
• University of Sunderland
• London Metropolitan University
• London South Bank University
• University of East London
• BROWSE ALL UNIVERSITIES

Course search

Popular undergraduate courses.

• Computer Science
• LLB Bachelor of Laws
• Biomedical Sciences
• Physiotherapy
• Sports Science

Open days search

Upcoming open days.

• Liverpool John Moores University
• University of Winchester
• University of the Arts London
• Kingston University
• Arts University Plymouth

Article search

Popular topics.

• League tables
• Choosing what to study
• Financing your studies
• Choosing where to study
• Career prospects

Popular articles

• How to use the league tables
• Helping you decide where and what to study
• Why use our university league tables?
• Types of degrees in the UK
• How to revise for exams: Top tips
• BROWSE ALL ADVICE

MA Literature and Creative Writing University of Essex

Course options

Qualification.

MA - Master of Arts

Colchester Campus

• TUITION FEES
• ENTRY REQUIREMENT
• UNIVERSITY INFO

Course summary

With the expertise of our scholars and creative practitioners, you’ll gain a distinctively unique degree which blends together the highly complementary disciplines of literature and creative writing. You will study a broad range of writing, from lyric poetry to contemporary fiction, whilst the flexible nature of our MA Literature and Creative Writing degree allows you to choose a creative-practice pathway or a theoretical pathway. Studying literature and creative writing at Essex means that you can build your degree around your interests.

Explore literature across time, geography and genre, while challenging yourself with our practice-based creative writing modules. Such modules, like our Creative Writing workshop, helps to hone your literary craft and technique, emphasising innovation and experimentation.

You study an eclectic range of topics such as:

• European Avant-Gardes of the Early Twentieth Century
• Global Writing and Literature in English
• Lyric Poetry
• Psychogeography
• Writing Audio and Digital Drama

Modules (Year 1)

Tuition fees.

• Afghanistan
• Antigua & Barbuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Congo (Democratic Republic)
• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Ivory Coast
• Korea DPR (North Korea)
• Liechtenstein
• Marshall Islands
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
• Palestinian Authority
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Republic of Ireland
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• South Korea
• South Sudan
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• Switzerland
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Turkmenistan
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Vatican City
• Western Samoa

£ 21,700 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

University of essex, university league table, campus address.

University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, England

Subject rankings

Subject ranking.

• Creative Writing

69th out of 96 4

24th out of 50 3

Entry standards

Graduate prospects

Student satisfaction

Is this page useful?

Sorry about that..., how can we improve it, thanks for your feedback.

• Log in
• Site search

Creative Writing

Entry requirements

We will consider all applicants with 2:2 or above, or equivalent international qualifications. For some courses, there may be additional requirements which can be found on our website.

Months of entry

Course content.

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 To help you hone your craft, we also host a Royal Literary Fund Fellow, professional writers on-hand to help you develop your writing on a one-to-one basis, and regularly host talks and readings by visiting writers. Essex has nurtured a long tradition of distinguished authors whose work has shaped literature as we know it today, from past giants such as the American poets Robert Lowell and Ted Berrigan, to contemporary writers such as mythographer and novelist Dame Marina Warner, and Booker Prize winner Ben Okri.

This course is also available on a part-time basis.

Information for international students

You can find international entry requirements for most countries on our webpage www.essex.ac.uk/international . If your country is not listed, please contact Postgraduate Admissions at [email protected] .

Pre-sessional English Language courses

If you need to improve your English language skills before joining your main degree course, we offer pre-sessional English courses on our campuses in partnership with Kaplan International Pathways. To learn more, please visit www.essex.ac.uk/international/pre-sessional

You can explore scholarship opportunities for your country at www.essex.ac.uk/international or view our university-wide scholarships at www.essex.ac.uk/scholarships .

Fees and funding

There are a wide range of funding options for postgraduate study, including scholarships, bursaries and alumni discounts. You can check your eligibility at https://www.essex.ac.uk/postgraduate/masters/fees-and-funding.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

• Campus-based learning is available for this qualification

Course contact details

• FindAMasters
• Masters Programmes
• Search Masters Degrees

  MA Creative Writing

University of essex     department of literature, film, and theatre studies, findamasters summary.

Unleash your creative potential with the MA Creative Writing programme at Essex. Dive into a practice-based course that prioritises innovation and experimentation, guiding you to explore diverse literary traditions and genres to enhance your expressive writing skills. Develop your craft through modules like novel planning, experimental language play, psychogeography, and poetic practice. Benefit from one-to-one guidance from professional writers and engaging talks by visiting authors. With a team of experienced writers including Philip Terry and Holly Pester, you'll receive expert mentorship across various literary forms. Plus, access specialist facilities like the Lakeside Theatre and Rebel magazine to showcase your work. The programme boasts a strong track record of alumni success, with graduates like Ida Løka°s and Alexia Casale making waves in the literary world. Join this esteemed programme with a 2.2 degree in a relevant field or submit a creative writing sample to unlock your potential in the world of literature.

About the course

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.

Entry Requirements

A 2.2 degree in Creative Writing, Theatre/Drama Studies, Literature, Media Studies, Art History, Music, Philosophy, History, Performing Arts, Journalism, Politics and Sociology. You may be asked to provide a piece of creative writing if you do not hold a degree in a relevant field. We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Please see the university website for further information on fees for this course.

  Course Content

Register your interest for this programme

The university will respond to you directly. You will have a FindAMasters account to view your sent enquiries and receive email alerts with new Masters opportunities and guidance to help you choose the right programme.

It looks like you alredy have a FindAMasters Account

Log in to save time sending your enquiry and view previously sent enquiries

What would you like more information about? Optional

Which subjects are you interested in studying, which age group are you optional.

The information you submit to University of Essex will only be used by them or their data partners to deal with your enquiry, according to their privacy notice . For more information on how we use and store your data, please read our privacy statement .

Please correct the errors indicated below to send your enquiry

Where will i study.

University of Essex

Impatient to master your craft? Pursue your passion at one of the top 30 UK universities (The Complete University Guide 2022).

Where is University of Essex

Student Profiles

Wendy mcmahon.

“I have always had a passion for literature which led me to doing my Phd in LIterature. was I really enjoyed my time at Essex when I was completing my undergraduate degree and I chose to return to complete my PhD study because of the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies’ comparative and interdisciplinary nature. What I enjoyed most was the independence I had whilst completing my research. The Department houses a wide range of expertise and provides a lively intellectual space within which to engender your own research. The University of Essex has such a strong sense of community. Whilst at Essex I took every opportunity that the Department offered, whether it be training, the opportunity to present work, or social engagements. I would always advise others to do the same as I gained so much from these experiences. My best memory of my time at Essex has to be when I presented my first research paper at a departmental seminar, it gave me a real sense of achievement. Since completing my PhD I have been appointed as a Lecturer in American Studies within the School of American Studies at the University of East Anglia. My PhD study provided me with the fundamental training required for me to forge and pursue my desired academic career.

Janine Hornsby

"The facilities were fantastic while the lecturers were very supportive and still continue to offer help, even though I have now graduated! There was always a good atmosphere and I know I’ll never have writer’s block again! I am working towards a career as a playwright, so of course my degree has been invaluable to me, and I have recently been approached to do a Channel 4 TV show called The Audience."

Based on your current searches we recommend the following search filters

Check out our other Masters Courses in Colchester , United Kingdom

Check out our other Masters Courses in Creative Arts & Design

Start a new search with our database of over 23,000 Masters Courses

Based on your current search criteria we thought you might be interested in these

Creative Writing for Marketing MSc Brunel University London

Creative Writing - Masters by Research University of Hertfordshire

Creative Writing (MFA) The New School

FindAMasters. Copyright 2005-2024 All rights reserved.

Unknown    ( change )

Have you got time to answer some quick questions about Masters study?

Select your nearest city

• Aberystwyth
• Beaconsfield
• Bishop Burton
• Bournemouth
• Bridlington
• Chatham Maritime
• Cirencester
• East Malling
• Hemel Hempstead
• High Wycombe
• Huddersfield
• Isle of Man
• Jordanstown
• London Central
• London East
• London South
• London West
• Londonderry
• Loughborough
• Middlesbrough
• Milton Keynes
• Musselburgh
• Northampton
• Potters Bar
• Saffron Waldon
• Scarborough
• Southampton
• St Leonards on Sea
• Stoke on Trent
• Wolverhampton

You haven’t completed your profile yet. To get the most out of FindAMasters, finish your profile and receive these benefits:

• Monthly chance to win one of ten £10 Amazon vouchers ; winners will be notified every month.*
• Access to our £6,000 scholarship competition
• Weekly newsletter with funding opportunities, application tips and much more
• Early access to our physical and virtual postgraduate study fairs

Or begin browsing FindAMasters.com

or begin browsing FindAMasters.com

*Offer only available for the duration of your active subscription, and subject to change. You MUST claim your prize within 72 hours, if not we will redraw.

Do you want hassle-free information and advice?

Create your FindAMasters account and sign up to our newsletter:

• Find out about funding opportunities and application tips
• Receive weekly advice, student stories and the latest Masters news
• Hear about our upcoming study fairs
• Save your favourite programmes, track enquiries and get personalised subject updates

Create your account

Looking to list your Masters programmes? Log in here .

Let us help you find a Masters

Never miss a course

Enter our ambassador competition

Get funding news, tips and advice

Hear about upcoming events

Sign up to our newsletter today

We've been helping students find the right postgraduate course for over a decade.

Login to your account

Enter your username below to login to your account.

Apply to Creative Writing at University of Essex

• Creative Writing

On the MA Creative Writing at the University of Essex, you deepen your knowledge of literary tradition, exploring different modes and genres in order to develop your own creative and expressive written skills. 

Important facts of Creative Writing

Courses include:

• Dissertation
• Research for Creative Practice
• The New Nature Writing
• Writing the Novel
• Oulipian Practice
• Creative Writing Workshop
• Dramatic Structure

Fulltime duration: 12 months

Study start date: 2024-10-03 (Every year in October)

Application deadline: 2024-07-01 (Every year in July)

• GBP 21700 /year (international)
• GBP 10000 /year (national)

Disciplines:

University of Essex

Home to the curious, brave, and bold. We’re a university where curiosity prevails, and where exploring new ways of thinking and pushing boundaries, isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected. We’re about people who love to learn how, but want to challenge why. 

Admissions - MFA in Creative Writing

The 2023-2024 Graduate Admissions Application is now OPEN! https://grad.ucdavis.edu/apply  

The deadline to apply to our program is January 5, 2024

Graduate Studies'  Applications Page  covers most campus-level admissions questions, but feel free to contact our graduate program staff for more details and specific guidance. Applications are reviewed once all supporting materials have been received. For more information about your application status, please check online or contact our graduate program staff.

Application Requirements:

• Writing sample
• Statement of Purpose
• Personal History & Diversity Statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• TOEFL or IELTS scores, if applicable
• Copies of transcripts
• Application Fee (2023-2024 cycle): $135 for U.S. and $155 for international applicants
• Admissions Requirements and Eligibility  as set by UC Davis Graduate Studies
• Writing sample in your preferred genre 

Either ten to twelve poems or up to thirty pages (double-spaced) of prose. Hybrid-form work must not exceed thirty pages.

To apply for admission to our Creative Writing MFA program, you are encouraged to include, as a writing sample, your very best creative writing.  Typically, two—or at the most three—genres exist in a graduate Creative Writing program: Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction.  At UCD, we think of genre as a useful thing to consider… but we do not think of the various genres—however many you would like to list—as necessarily unmixable modes.    

For us, the value of a piece of writing is better gauged directly—by what it says to its readers, and by what that saying does to those readers—rather than by its successful or unsuccessful identification with one or another of the historically certified genres.  This is not to say that we don't believe in genre, or in the usefulness of plumbing each purported genre's history; it is to say, rather, or  to notice…  that the border between one genre and another is not so much a Great Wall as a small fence.

• Please highlight your academic preparation and motivation; interests, specialization and career goals; and fit for pursuing graduate study at UC Davis.
• Personal History and Diversity Statement

The University of California Davis, a public institution, is committed to supporting the diversity of the graduate student body and promoting equal opportunity in higher education. This commitment furthers the educational mission to serve the increasingly diverse population and educational needs of California and the nation. Both the Vice Provost of Graduate Education/Dean of Graduate Studies and the University of California affirm that diversity is critical to promoting lively intellectual exchange and the variety of ideas and perspectives essential to advancing higher education and research. Our graduate students contribute to the global pool of future scholars and academic leaders, thus high value is placed on achieving a diverse graduate student body to support the University of California’s academic excellence. We invite you to include in this statement how you may contribute to the diversification of graduate education and the UC Davis community.

The purpose of this essay is to get to know you as an individual and potential graduate student. Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. You may include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, community service, outreach activities, residency and citizenship, first-generation college status, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity within a campus community and your chosen field; or how you might serve educationally underrepresented and underserved segments of society with your graduate education.  

This essay should complement but not duplicate the content in the Statement of Purpose. Your Personal History and Diversity Statement must be entered directly into a text box in the application, and has a 4,000 character limit including spaces.

• Three letters of recommendations
• Letters should be from professors or other persons situated to speak about your potential for graduate Creative Writing study. You might also think of potential letter-writers in terms of their ability to speak to your participation in a dedicated community.
• Applicants must submit TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo scores unless they have earned or will be earning a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from either a regionally accredited or foreign college/university which provides instruction solely in English. See the  English Language Requirement  section for details. 
• Transcripts
• Transcripts are required from each post-secondary institution you have attended.   Copies or unofficial transcripts are allowed. If admitted, you’ll be required to send official transcripts for every institution listed on your application.
• Application fee
• The application fee is set by the UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies. The application fee for the 2023-2024 cycle is $135 for domestic students and $155 for international students, payable online. Waivers of this fee are only available to participants in  one of several graduate preparatory programs .  The MFA program has no ability to grant application fee waivers. 

Application FAQs :  https://grad.ucdavis.edu/admissions-process-overview

We aim for a class of 10 to 12 writers, hoping for a balance between genres. The writing sample is the most important part of your application; the committee is looking for high quality work in the applicant’s genre of choice.  All students in the MFA program at UC Davis take at least one workshop outside their primary genre, so you need not apply to a second genre in order to have access to it as a student.

The committee makes admissions and financial aid decisions simultaneously.  We offer a limited number of first-year funding packages; all second year students have access to full funding.

For the Fall 2021 cohort, we received 137 applications, admitted 16 (13 initial applicants and 3 waitlisted applicants), and 11 of those students will be joining us in the Fall.

• Funding your MFA

At UC Davis, we offer you the ability to fund your MFA. In fact, all students admitted to the program are guaranteed full funding in the second year of study, when students serve as teachers of Introduction to Creative Writing (English 5) and receive, in exchange, tuition and health insurance remission as well as a monthly stipend (second year students who come to Davis from out of state are expected to establish residency during their first year). We have a more limited amount of resources – teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and out of state tuition wavers – allocated to us for first year students, but in recent years, we’ve had excellent luck funding our accepted first years. We help students who do not receive English department funding help themselves by posting job announcements from other departments during the spring and summer leading up to their arrival. We are proud to say that over the course of the last twenty years, nearly every incoming student has wound up with at least partial funding (including a tuition waiver and health insurance coverage) by the time classes begin in the fall.

We have other resources for students, too – like the Miller Fund, which supports attendance for our writers at any single writer’s workshop or conference. Students have used these funds to attend well-known conferences like AWP, Writing By Writers, and the Tin House Conference. The Davis Humanities Institute offers a fellowship that first year students can apply for to fund their writing projects. Admitted students are also considered for University-wide fellowships

For additional information, please contact:

Sarah Yunus [email protected] Department of English Graduate Program Coordinator for the MFA Program in Creative Writing (530) 752-2281

Unable to find any suggestions for your query...

The Essex website uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are consenting to their use. Please visit our cookie policy to find out which cookies we use and why. View cookie policy.

Arts celebrated at campus launch of literary festival

Wed 5 Jun 24

Essex Chancellor, Dr Sarah Perry, has hailed the launch of the 2024 Essex Book Festival as an “incredibly exciting” opportunity to celebrate the rich culture of our county and the importance of the arts and humanities.

The launch, which took place on our Colchester Campus, offered something for everyone, with a variety of discussions and workshops including opportunities to try creative writing, print making and calligraphy.

The event kicked off with a procession of silk pennants, created for the Beach of Dreams installation by arts organisation Kinetika . The flags, which were created by communities around Essex, were carried by volunteers from St Leonard’s Church on Hythe Hill and planted in the ground outside the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall.

The launch closed with an ‘in conversation’ interview with Dr Sarah Perry, talking about her latest book, Enlightenment.

Speaking about the day, Dr Perry picked planting her flag in the ground and making ink from oak gall as her biggest highlights.

The on-campus launch, which jointly celebrated the 60th anniversary of the University and 25th anniversary of the Festival, offered communities across Essex the opportunity to celebrate the arts and culture of our county.

Dr Perry said: “As Chancellor, and patron of the Festival and Essex girl and Essex author, it’s incredibly exciting to see the University and the community coming together to affirm the rich history and tradition of Essex as a county, the importance of the arts and humanities in university education, and all the richness and wonderful things that the arts in Essex has to offer.”

The launch kicks off more than a month of Festival events, across the county, including author’s talks, exclusive film screenings and exhibitions. Open from 3 to 16 June is an exhibition of poetry and art , inspired by the people and places of Essex, created by creative writing PhD student Lelia Ferro.

Find out what’s on near you and how to get involved.

Related news

Lecturer honoured for commitment to diversity

Tue 1 Feb 22

Inspiring leader recognised for 'key developments'

• Course Finder
• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate study
• Short courses and CPD
• International students
• Study online
• Apprenticeships
• Summer Schools
• Essex living
• Essex Sport
• Colchester Campus
• Southend Campus
• Loughton Campus
• Student facilities
• Student services
• Research excellence
• Research showcase
• Media requests
• Research Excellence Framework (REF)
• Research institutes and centres
• Departments
• How to pay your fees
• General - [email protected]
• Undergraduate - [email protected]
• Postgraduate - [email protected]
• +44 (0) 1206 873333
• University of Essex
• Wivenhoe Park
• Colchester CO4 3SQ

• Accessibility
• Our privacy statements
• Our transparency return
• Modern slavery and human trafficking

Programme Specifications

• Creative Writing

Staff member? Login here

Professional accreditation

Admission criteria, a 2:2 degree in one of the following subjects:.

• Art History
• Media Studies
• Performing Arts
• Theatre/Drama Studies

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum component score of 6.5 in writing and 5.5 in all other components.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Course qualifiers

A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).

Rules of assessment

Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.

Additional notes

External Examiners for research degrees are appointed student by student due to the highly specialised nature of the awards. The names and institutions of External Examiners for research degrees are therefore not published on the programme specification. Supervisors discuss with students appropriate External Examiners and nominees are appointed in accordance with the University’s Ordinances. More information can be found in the Principal Regulations for Research Degrees and the accompanying Code of Practice.

External examiners

External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment. External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course. They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards. External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.

eNROL , the module enrolment system, is now open until Monday 21 October 2024 8:59AM , for students wishing to make changes to their module options.

Year 1 - 2024/25

Exit awards

A module is given one of the following statuses: 'core' – meaning it must be taken and passed; 'compulsory' – meaning it must be taken; or 'optional' – meaning that students can choose the module from a designated list. The rules of assessment may allow for limited condonement of fails in 'compulsory' or 'optional' modules, but 'core' modules cannot be failed. The status of the module may be different in any exit awards which are available for the course. Exam Boards will consider students' eligibility for an exit award if they fail the main award or do not complete their studies.

Programme aims

Due to the individualised nature of Postgraduate Research Degree’s, project aims and outcomes are usually determined during the research proposal stage, and adapted as necessary throughout the research period. Students will be supported through discussions with their supervisory teams and during Supervisory Panels, using the published milestones as a framework for their research journey.

Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods

On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:

A: Knowledge and understanding

Learning methods, assessment methods, b: intellectual and cognitive skills, c: practical skills, d: key skills.

The University reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University.

The full procedures, rules and regulations of the University are set out in the Charter, Statues and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures .

If you are thinking of studying at Essex and have questions about the course, please contact Undergraduate Admissions by emailing [email protected] , or Postgraduate Admissions by emailing [email protected] .

If you're a current student and have questions about your course or specific modules, please contact your department .

If you think there might be an error on this page, please contact the Course Records Team by emailing [email protected] .

• For enquiries contact the Course Records Team
• University of Essex
• Wivenhoe Park
• Colchester CO4 3SQ
• Privacy and Cookie Policy