Course overview

The University of Portsmouth’s Master’s in Creative Writing encourages a lively environment where writers can experiment, be imaginative and ambitious, as well as reflect on their practice. You will have the opportunity to write literary novels, historical fiction, crime, science fiction, children’s stories, as well as screenwriting or short fiction - we encourage and respect all genres.

We aim to recruit students from a diverse background, but with some prior writing experience, and whose ambition is to complete a major project to a high standard. The course is therefore suitable for writers who wish to build confidence, sensitivity and critical understanding of their own work and the work of others. It will also help you understand where your own creative writing fits in with contemporary creative writing, both in terms of the writing itself and in relation to such issues as the market, writing practice and current debates within differing genres.

Why study at Portsmouth?

Portsmouth has a rich literary history being the birthplace of Charles Dickens, the original home of Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), and HG Wells began his career here. Contemporary authors such as crimewriter Graham Hurley built an entire career based in Portsmouth. Staff on the programme are all practising writers and as such encourage contemporary, historical and literary genres.

The city has a lively, creative atmosphere and has undergone significant regeneration in the last ten years, making it one of the most dynamic places on the south coast with excellent links to London. The University Library has also undergone a major expansion adding 200 more study spaces, six rooms for group study, 200 new IT spaces and space for an extra 60,000 volumes.

How do I apply?

You will need to submit a completed postgraduate application form together with undergraduate transcripts, two references, a personal statement (i.e. why you want to undertake the programme - maximum 1,000 words) and a portfolio of writing samples. Please indicate in the personal statement whether you are considering a work of prose fiction, historical fiction or poetry as your major project.

Course content

Writer's Workshop: Exploration: In this unit, you will be encouraged to experiment in differing genres to build confidence in writing and research.

Writer's Workshop: Resolution: During the course of this unit, you will research your chosen genre or idea and write a proposal and first chapters for the major project (dissertation). Your research and writing practice will be led by reading, discussion, debate and some substantial formative work that will eventually lead to the written proposal and/or opening chapters of a novel or pages of a screenplay or poetry.

Critical Reading for Creative Writers: This is an essay-based unit, in which you will explore critical approaches to the written word with oral presentations and researched essays.

Critical Thinking for Creative Writers: This unit allows you to approach a critical theory by relating it to your own creative writing, with reference to your major creative project. This unit is also essay-based.

The Final Project: The Creative Writing Dissertation: This unit will allow you to complete a major work in any genre (prose, poetry or screenplay) of up to 30,000 words (or equivalent). You will receive guidance and support from tutors throughout this unit of study.

Career prospects

Many of our postgraduates continue to write and publish after the course has ended. We encourage students to attend and read at open mic sessions to develop performance skills, and previous students have found this invaluable not only when reading their own work aloud but also in professional practice. An MA in Creative Writing can also lead to opportunities for employment in publishing, editing, journalism and education.

Facilities and features

As a University of Portsmouth student, you will have full access to the University's well equipped library. The library has extensive opening hours (8am to midnight, seven days a week), excellent computer facilities and seminar rooms for group study. There is a dedicated subject librarian who can provide specialist guidance in the use of the facilities. You will have access to thousands of online journals and are eligible to join the 'UK Libraries Plus' scheme, which is a cooperative venture between higher education libraries that makes it easier for you to use academic libraries nearer to your home or work.

A wide range of computer facilities is also available in other University buildings in the daytime and evenings.

You will be invited to specialist guest lectures by agents, publishers and writers throughout the course, and are encouraged to attend and read at 'open mic' evenings.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for MA Creative Writing are shown above, for more detailed information please contact:

Department: School of Creative Arts, Film and Media (SCAFM)
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 2421
Email: create.admissions@port.ac.uk