MA in Creative Writing
Birmingham, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
29 Aug 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 10,900 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* £10,900: full time | £5,450: part time | international: £26,180 full-time
Introduction
Everyone has a novel in them - or a screenplay - or a sonnet - but if you want to refine your writing and prepare it for publication, our Creative Writing MA offers you the chance to dedicate time to your craft and learn from acclaimed authors.
At Birmingham, you'll elevate your writing abilities and build on your experience writing creatively. You’ll explore how different forms of writing intersect and you’ll experiment with your writing style. You'll learn how to think like a writer and editor, increasing your confidence by analysing contemporary writing and reflecting on your own work. Our writing workshops are complemented by professional skills training plus real-world insights from published authors, editors and publishers.
- Take your writing beyond the classroom and participate in departmental readings and creative writing competitions.
- Experiment and enhance your writing, testing out different forms in the taught modules. You can choose screenwriting, playwriting, prose fiction or poetry for your dissertation.
- Understand the craft of writing so you can critique your work to professional standards.
- Join a diverse writing community - we welcome writers of all ages and backgrounds. Whether you’re starting your writing journey or have lots of experience already, we’ll help you nurture your craft.
Admissions
Gallery
Scholarships and Funding
To help you afford your studies, we’ve put more than £33 million into student support and scholarships. We also offer a range of advice on searching for funding and managing your finances.
Explore scholarships and funding on our school website
125th Anniversary Scholarships for International Students
We have a proud heritage of removing barriers to education. In 2025, we celebrate our 125th anniversary as a University. To mark this milestone, we’re offering £5,000 scholarships to students from a select number of countries.
Find out if you're eligible on our scool website
Scholarships for international students
At Birmingham, we believe in removing all barriers to education, so all of our talented students can achieve their full potential. As an international student you can take advantage of our wide range of University run scholarships as well as the many scholarships and bursaries from external funding organizations.
Curriculum
The programme comprises 120 credits of taught modules and a 60-credit dissertation. Modules run for one term, and each module involves a weekly seminar or workshop which you’ll need to attend.
The modules listed below are an indication only and may be subject to change. Occasionally, it may be necessary to make changes to modules, for example, to ensure they remain current and relevant.
As a research-intensive University, our teaching is informed by the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
2025/26 session
The following must be taken:
Module title
- Creative Writing Masterclass: From Workshop to Bookshop - 40 Credits
- Dissertation (Creative Writing) - 60 Credits
- Intertextuality: Story, Genre, Craft - 20 Credits
- Poem as Story - Story as Poem - 20 Credits
- The Writer's Workshop - 40 Credits
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
By studying a postgraduate degree in Film or Creative Writing at Birmingham, you’ll develop transferable skills suited to a range of career paths. These skills include critical thinking skills, the ability to think creatively and generate new ideas and teamworking skills.
Our Film and Creative Writing graduates enter many roles, including:
- Online Content Editor
- Video Editor
- Editorial Assistant
Employers our Film and Creative Writing graduates have worked for include:
- Threewise Entertainment
- BBC
- Fremantle Media
Program delivery
At Birmingham, research and teaching go hand-in-hand. You'll have the opportunity to learn from published authors, offering valuable expertise in Creative Writing.
You'll study four core modules plus your dissertation. The dissertation is made up of a creative portfolio, worth 75%, and a critical essay, worth 25%. The 10,000 word portfolio of creative work can be a screenplay, excerpt from a novel or collection of short fiction or poetry (600 lines for poetry).
- Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation.
- Seminars and workshops – modules are mainly taught by small group teaching with practical writing opportunities.
- Dissertation - you’ll undertake a 10,000-word creative portfolio and produce a critical essay.