ma creative writing oxford university

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MSt in Creative Writing University of Oxford

Course options

Qualification.

MSt - Master of Studies

University of Oxford

• TUITION FEES
• ENTRY REQUIREMENT
• UNIVERSITY INFO

Course summary

About the course

The MSt in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialisation, and critical and creative breadth.

The emphasis of the course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces their creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community.

The MSt offers a clustered learning format of five residences, two guided retreats and one research placement over two years. The research placement, a distinguishing feature of the course, provides between one and two weeks' in-house experience of writing in the real world.

The first year concentrates equally on prose fiction, poetry, dramatic writing and narrative non-fiction. There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the genres. In your second year you will specialise in one of the following.

• short fiction
• radio drama
• screenwriting
• stage drama
• narrative non-fiction.

The residences in particular offer an intensive workshop- and seminar-based forum for ideas exchange and for the opening up of creative and critical frameworks within which to develop writerly and analytical skills. There is a strong element of one-to-one tutorial teaching. Tutorials take place within residences and retreats, and relate to the on-going work produced for the course.

You will be assigned a supervisor who will work closely with you throughout the development of the year two final project and extended essay. All assessed work throughout the two years of the course is subject to one-to-one feedback and discussion with a tutor. This intensive, one-to-one input, combined with the highly interactive workshop and seminar sessions, is a distinguishing feature of the course.

The MSt is assessed by coursework. In the first year, four assignments (two creative, two critical), one creative writing portfolio and one critical essay are submitted. Work is set during each residence and handed in for assessment before the next meeting. Feedback on work submitted is given during tutorials within the residence or retreat. In the second year, submissions comprise one research placement report, one extended critical essay, and a final project – a substantial body of creative work in the genre of choice.

You will be set specific creative and critical work to be completed between residences and handed in to set deadlines. Creative submissions in the first year must be in more than one genre. In the second year, submitted work focuses around the genre of your choice.

Graduate destinations

Graduate destinations have included doctoral programmes in creative writing

Tuition fees

• Afghanistan
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• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Congo (Democratic Republic)
• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
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• St. Kitts & Nevis
• Switzerland
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Turkmenistan
• United Kingdom
• Vatican City
• Western Samoa

£ 14,155 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 league table, campus address.

University of Oxford, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 2JD, England

Suggested courses

Creative Writing MA or PGDip or PGCert

Oxford Brookes University

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MA Creative Writing

Leeds Trinity University

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• Home »
• University of Oxford »
• University of Oxford Department For Continuing Education »
• Creative Writing

find your perfect postgrad program Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

University of oxford: creative writing, part-time, 2 years starts oct 2024.

**The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2023). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.**

The MSt in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialisation, and critical and creative breadth.

The emphasis of the course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces their creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community.

The MSt offers a clustered learning format of five residences, two guided retreats and one research placement over two years. The research placement, a distinguishing feature of the course, provides between one and two weeks' in-house experience of writing in the real world.

The first year concentrates equally on prose fiction, poetry, dramatic writing and narrative non-fiction. There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the genres. In your second year you will specialise in one of the following:

- the novel

- short fiction

- radio drama

- screenwriting

- stage drama

- narrative non-fiction.

The residences in particular offer an intensive workshop- and seminar-based forum for ideas exchange and for the opening up of creative and critical frameworks within which to develop writerly and analytical skills. There is a strong element of one-to-one tutorial teaching. Tutorials take place within residences and retreats, and relate to the on-going work produced for the course.

You will be assigned a supervisor who will work closely with you throughout the development of the year two final project and extended essay. All assessed work throughout the two years of the course is subject to one-to-one feedback and discussion with a tutor. This intensive, one-to-one input, combined with the highly interactive workshop and seminar sessions, is a distinguishing feature of the course.

Part-Time, 2 years started Oct 2023

**The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (October/November 2022). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas**

Part-Time, 2 years started Oct 2022

**The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (October/November 2021). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas**

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Centre for Creative Writing

Home » Centres » Centre for Creative Writing

The Kellogg College Centre for Creative Writing fosters a vibrant community of writers and researchers whose work crosses traditional boundaries of genre and culture. The Centre hosts both a masterclass and a research seminar series. The twice-termly research seminars focus on topics of contemporary interest to creative writing practitioners and scholars. It complements but is distinct from the  Master of Studies in Creative Writing .

About the Centre

Since it was established the Centre has developed a strong reputation for creative and intellectual excellence. In addition to its regular programme of research activities, the Centre has sponsored, jointly with the Radcliffe Science Library, the Poetry and Science competition, and Oxford Today’s alumni short story competition. The Centre has also co-published with Blackwell, Initiate: An Oxford Anthology of New Writing ,  showcasing emergent writers from the MSt in Creative Writing along with established practitioners in fiction, poetry and drama.

The Centre is directed by Dr Clare Morgan, with the support of an advisory panel. Dr Morgan is a Fellow of Kellogg College and Director of the Master of Studies in Creative Writing. Her most recent publication is  A Book for all and None , published in paperback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2012. She has also published a collection of stories,  An Affair of the Heart . Her book from her cross genre research in business and creative writing, What Poetry Brings to Business , was published by University of Michigan press in 2010.

The Centre’s Advisory Panel includes Dr Chris Davies, former Vice President of Kellogg College, and Dr Anna Beer, Visiting Fellow, and Rose Solari, Visiting Writer and researcher.

Support the Centre

The Centre relies on the generosity of its supporters to help sustain its innovative and dynamic series of programmes.  If you would like to be involved in supporting the Centre, please contact  Dr Clare Morgan .

Master of Studies in Creative Writing

The Kellogg College Centre for Creative Writing is distinct from the Master of Studies in Creative Writing, however many associates of the Centre share a close connection with the MSt programme, including the Centre’s Director Clare Morgan. Watch Clare, and other Centre associates, talking about the Master’s programme and creative writing at Oxford.

Centre Activities

Publications and Papers

LIVING WITH RIVERS Publications include: “Re-connecting with a neglected river through imaginative engagement.”  Ecology and Society 15(3): 18 ; Selman, P., C. Carter, A. Lawrence and C. Morgan “Raising Catchment Consciousness” in  Sustainable communities : skills and learning for place-making , eds. Sadler, Sue, Green, Anne E, Wong, Cecilia and Rogerson, Robert, University of Hertfordshire Press; P Selman, C Carter, C Morgan, A Lawrence. My River Dearne  (anthology); ed. Clare Morgan Papers include: National Association of Writers in Education annual conference: “The use of creative writing in generating imaginative engagement with environmental issues”: Dr Clare Morgan, Kellogg College

The Kellogg College Seminar, Oxford University: “Creative Writing and the Environment”: Prof Paul Selman, University of Sheffield; Dr Clare Morgan, Kellogg College

Research and Seminars

Interdisplinary Research

The Centre for Creative Writing engages in collaborative research projects of an interdisciplinary nature, focusing on questions of contemporary relevance.

The  Living with Rivers  project, conducted jointly between the Centre for Creative Writing, Sheffield University and Forest Research, was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.  The project examined the role of creative writing in the development of imaginative engagement with environmental issues in relation to river basins.  It involved the running of creative writing workshops for a group from the local community of the Dearne Valley in Yorkshire, facilitated by Clare Morgan, who has also edited an anthology of participants’ work, titled  My River Dearne .   Read the anthology here .

If you are interested in learning more about the  Living with Rivers  project, you can read the resulting open access paper Selman, P., C. Carter, A. Lawrence and C. Morgan 2010. “ Re-connecting with a neglected river through imaginative engagement .”  Ecology and Society 15(3): 18 .

The project was later extended into the visual arts, by collaborating with a Workers Educational Association art group. This involved producing an ambitious frieze of the Dearne landscape throughout history. As part of its development,  Clare Morgan led a group of local creative writers who `gave voice´ to characters in the frieze. The work culminated in an exhibition in Goldthorpe Library and was funded by University of Sheffield Knowledge Transfer Rapid Research Fund, and the Royal Society for Protection of Birds.

Research Seminar Series – selected abstracts and speakers

Rose Solari: : “Navigating Time: Narrative structure and believability in the contemporary multiple time-frame novel” One robust trend in contemporary fiction is the novel that juxtaposes multiple time frames and narratives. Unlike purely historical novels, these works are not linear; the through-line is not chronological but exploratory, and often revolves around a particular character’s quest to solve a historical, spiritual, or personal mystery.  Recent multi-time-frame novels include Marina Warner’s  The Leto Bundle , Barry Unsworth’s  Stone Virgin , Penelope Lively’s  The Photograph , and Don DeLillo’s  Underworld , as well as, of course,  Possession , perhaps the ur-novel of this genre. This seminar explores problems of believability and continuity in the multi-time-frame novel, drawing on the above-mentioned titles, as well as her experience in crafting her own such novel,  A Secret Woman . The author of two previous full-length collections of poetry, Solari will also talk briefly about the ways in which poetic techniques can inform and support fiction.

Professor Susan Sellers: “Writing and Real Life” The seminar explores the interconnections between the real-life object or experience that is often the starting point for writing, and the role of invention and imagination. Drawing on her own experience of fictionalizing two real-life women, Virginia Woolf and her artist sister Vanessa Bell, Professor Sellers addresses such questions as the importance of observation and research, the crucial issue of point of view, the role of the senses in writing, the status of ‘truth’, and the startling and the transformative insights that creatively exploring what is not known may produce.

Contact the Centre

For any enquiries about the work of the Centre please contact Dr Clare Morgan, [email protected]  in the first instance.

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Emma Watson to go back to Oxford University for Master’s degree

Watson has enrolled in ma in creative writing course, article bookmarked.

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Emma Watson is returning to Oxford University this September, 10 years after she completed her first degree .

Previously, Watson attended Oxford during the 2011 to 2012 academic year as part of the Visiting Student Programme.

She took part in the programme while she deferred her degree at Brown University to focus on filming for the Harry Potter franchise, in which she starred as Hermione Granger.

The 33-year-old has now enrolled in MA in Creative Writing course starting in September 2023.

Her decision was revealed during an interview with the Financial Times , as she and her brother, Alex, announced the launch of their new organic, carbon-neutral gin.

• Emma Watson’s Harry Potter body double says star wasn’t actually in major scene
• Emma Watson partners with brother Alex to launch ‘carbon-neutral’ gin brand
• Emma Watson explains four-year acting absence

Watson has reportedly remained closely affiliated with Oxford University through the years.

In 2016, the Beauty and the Beast star became a Visiting Fellow at Oxford’s Lady Margaret Hall. The role involved her being invited to attend debates and speak at the college.

Watson was a Visiting Fellow for three years, after which she was made an Associate Fellow in 2019.

In the FT interview, Watson explained her decision to step back from the world of acting.

“I wasn’t very happy, if I’m being honest,” she said. “I think I felt a bit caged.

“The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn’t have very much control over. To stand in front of a film and have every journalist be able to say, ‘How does this align with your viewpoint?’

“It was very difficult to have to be the face and the spokesperson for things where I didn’t get to be involved in the process.”

Watson went on to lament that she didn’t “have a voice”, when being interviewed.

“I was held accountable in a way that I began to find really frustrating, because I didn’t have a voice, I didn’t have a say,” she said.

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Creative Writing MSt University of Oxford

Key course facts.

• Admission advice for international students

Course Description

The MSt in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialisation, and critical and creative breadth.

The emphasis of the course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces their creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community.

The MSt offers a clustered learning format of five residences, two guided retreats and one research placement over two years. The research placement, a distinguishing feature of the course, provides between one and two weeks' in-house experience of writing in the real world.

The first year concentrates equally on prose fiction, poetry, dramatic writing and narrative non-fiction. There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the genres. In your second year you will specialise in one of the following:

• short fiction
• radio drama
• screenwriting
• stage drama
• narrative non-fiction.

The residences in particular offer an intensive workshop- and seminar-based forum for ideas exchange and for the opening up of creative and critical frameworks within which to develop writerly and analytical skills. There is a strong element of one-to-one tutorial teaching. Tutorials take place within residences and retreats, and relate to the on-going work produced for the course.

You will be assigned a supervisor who will work closely with you throughout the development of the year two final project and extended essay. All assessed work throughout the two years of the course is subject to one-to-one feedback and discussion with a tutor. This intensive, one-to-one input, combined with the highly interactive workshop and seminar sessions, is a distinguishing feature of the course.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Requirements for international students / english requirements.

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

• Graduate Degrees
• Undergraduate Degrees
• (no subscore less than 6.0)

Average student cost of living in the UK

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

About University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a prestigious research university located in Oxford, England, and is the oldest English language university in the world. It is made up of 39 partly autonomous constituent colleges, six private halls, and a variety of academic departments which are split into four divisions: Humanities, Mathematical, Physical & Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Social Sciences.

List of 389 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Oxford - Course Catalogue

Student composition of University of Oxford

Where is this programme taught.

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• Bodleian Libraries
• Oxford LibGuides
• Creative Writing

Creative Writing: Books

• Free Online Resources
• Introduction

The majority of books held by the Bodleian Libraries, in both physical and electronic formats, can be searched via SOLO . On this page you will find recommended books, guidance on how to search for and access print and ebooks, and libraries in the University that might be relevant for your studies and research.

Physical books

• Rewley House Continuing Education Library
• English Faculty Library
• Other Collections

Use the tabs above to explore the key texts and libraries for students of Creative Writing. Access to collections and borrowing privileges are subject to conditions; please check individual library websites for further information.

Help with books

For those wishing to learn more about searching for physical collections in Oxford, we recommend the following:

• SOLO: Search Oxford Libraries Online guide A guide for students and researchers at the University of Oxford, or those visiting, who seek support in using the Bodleian Libraries resource discovery tool, SOLO.
• Bodleian Libraries Special Collections Information about special collections at the Bodleian Libraries and how to access them.
• Bodleian Libraries theses and dissertations Links to information on accessing the Bodleian Libraries collections of Oxford, UK, US and other international theses.

Below you will find key texts for Creative Writing. The links will take you through to SOLO where you can find out how to access the books.

• Rewley House Continuing Education Library The Rewley House Continuing Education Library supports the teaching, learning and research of the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. The library holds books on reading lists for courses taught at the Department, including the Diploma and Masters courses in Creative Writing. Most of these books are available to borrow.

Browsing the library's print collections can help you find relevant resources as the books are shelved in subject order, so you'll find related books shelved together.

In the literature sections, each genre is subdivided by period and then author surname. Critical and biographical works about an author are shelved immediately following works by the author.

• English Faculty Library The primary purpose of the library's collections is to support the teaching and study English language and literature at Oxford, with coverage from medieval to post-colonial literatures in English. Less frequently used books are stored offsite and need to be requested to a reading room via SOLO. See the link below for information on locating books within the EFL.
• Finding English faculty Library items A guide to how books are organised within the English Faculty Library

A number of other libraries may be of relevance to those studying Creative Writing.

• Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library is the University's largest library, and holds the main research collection for English literature and language. Most material is stored off-site and can be called to a reading room via SOLO. There is an open-shelf collection for English held in the Upper Reading Room, consisting largely of standard editions of the works of renowned authors from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards, major bibliographical and reference works and series.
• Radcliffe Camera The Radcliffe Camera is part of the central Bodleian Library complex, and linked to the Old Bodleian Library underground, via the Gladstone Link. There is an open-shelf collection for English in the Upper Camera, in support of teaching.

Electronic books (ebooks)

• Ebook Collections
• Free Resources
• Study skills
• Reference Books

Ebooks are digital versions of written works. Broadly speaking they come in two forms: they are either 'born digital' or are digital reproductions of printed books. See the tabs above for details of different ebook resources relevant to those studying Creative Writing.

Many ebooks have enhanced functionality, such as connectivity with reference management software, the ability to annotate and accessibility features.

Members of Oxford University can use ebooks that the Bodleian Libraries have purchased for free. Search for them on SOLO . They can be read on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, e-reader or mobile phone; you just need your Oxford Single Sign On to access them. Individually purchased ebooks are all searchable on SOLO, but not all purchased ebook collections are, so it is important to visit the websites of ebook collections too. Look at the 'ebook collections' tab above.

Note, some ebooks have restrictive access and usage terms, for example they can only be read by one person at a time.

Some books are acquired via 'electronic Legal Deposit'. These must be read on a library desktop computer in one of the Bodleian Libraries. Further information on how to identify and access electronic Legal Deposit items on SOLO is at the link below.

• Electronic Legal Deposit guide

Help with ebooks

The links below are provided for those wishing to learn more about ebooks.

• Ebooks guide A guide intended for students and staff using, or likely to use, ebooks in the course of their studies and research.
• Online and Remote Access Information on accessing Bodleian Libraries content remotely.
• University of Oxford E-resources Blog The e-resources team use this blog to help keep you informed of news and changes in the world of ejournals and databases.

Below you will find key texts available as ebooks for Creative Writing. 

You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the ebooks if you are not on the University network.

The following is a list of ebook collections applicable to those studying Creative Writing at Oxford. Not all ebook collections are available on SOLO, so it is important to visit ebook collection websites to expand your search. You can browse and search across all ebooks on the provider's website and encounter titles of interest you may not have otherwise found.

The ebook collections have been selected by the Bodleian Libraries and you are able to access them for free because of institutional subscriptions to the content. You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the collections if you are not on the University network.

The Bodleian Libraries have access to over 2,000 e-books on the Bloomsbury Collections platform, including research publications in the following series and subject areas: Ancient Commentators on Aristotle; Ancient Philosophy; Applied Linguistics; Biblical Studies; C.H. Beck · Hart · Nomos; Christian Doctrines; Christology; Classical Literature; Classical Studies & Archaeology; Competition Law; Constitutional and Administrative Law; Continental Philosophy; Criminal Law and Justice; Economics; Education Around the World; Family and Social Law; Hart Publishing; History; History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Landmark Texts; Intellectual Property Law; International Critical Commentary; International Relations; Legal Philosophy; Literary Criticism; Middle East; Pauline Studies; Philosophy; Religious Studies; Second Language Acquisition; Theology; Zed Books Sexuality and Gender Studies Archive; Zed Books Economics Archive; Zed Books Sexuality and Gender Studies 2017-2020.

Please note we do not have access to all books on this platform.

Cambridge Collections Online offers subject or theme based collections of content within a richly functional, fully cross-searchable online environment. The Complete Cambridge Companions is available as a complete collection and as two sub-collections comprising the Cambridge Companions in Literature and Classics and the Cambridge Companions in Philosophy, Religion and Culture. Each collection is updated with new Companions on publication.

• Contemporary World Drama Full text playscripts from playwrights around the world. more... less... This collection examines the richness and diversity of contemporary theatre and drama from a global context. It includes new work from established and up-and-coming contemporary playwrights from around the world. At completion, the collection will include 1,000 contemporary plays, from 2000 to present day. Purchase of this resource was funded by the Drue Heinz Fund.

Alternative names: Arden Shakespeare ; Nick Hern books  

Drama Online provides access to the searchable full-text of thousands of plays, drawn from the Methuen Drama, Arden Shakespeare, Faber, Nick Hern, Aurora Metro and Oberon Books lists to form a collection of the most studied, performed and critically acclaimed plays from Aeschylus to the present day. Over 100 critical and contextual works are also included, as well as biographical and bibliographical information for each playwright. The collection will be regularly updated with the latest works from new and established writers. This resource includes access to video recordings of Shakespeare performances from the Globe, the RSC and the Donmar, and performances from the National Theatre.

Please note: Oxford has access to most but not all content.

Purchase of the National Theatre Collection 1 was partly funded by the Drue Heinz Fund.

Ebsco's ebook collection is a collection of e-books purchased by Oxford librarians. Currently there are over 2,000 purchased books ('Our Collection') as well as over 3000 free e-books.

Access to each e-book is limited to one or, more commonly, two simultaneous users, depending on the individual book licence.

New books are being purchased on a regular basis.

Deatils on accessing the ebooks on this platform are at: http://ox.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=19854712 .

• Oxford Scholarship Online Academic works published by Oxford University Press. Organised by subject including a Literature section. more... less... Alternative name: OSO. Contains scholarly books, published by Oxford University Press, in the humanities, sciences, medicine and social sciences online. The full texts of over 1,000 key Oxford titles in Biology, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Public Health and Epidemiology, Business and Management, Law, Music, Physics, Religion, Classical Studies, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Political Science, Social Work, Economics and Finance, Literature, Palliative Care, Psychology and Sociology are now available - together with specially-commissioned book and chapter abstracts and keywords. At least 200 new books will be added each year as part of the annual subscription.
• ProQuest Ebook Central Ebooks from scholarly sources, including University Presses. Subject categories include Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Literature, and Publishing. more... less... Alternative names: Ebook Central ; Ebook Library (EBL) ; ebrary

Oxford Academic includes over 40,000 academic ebooks from Oxford University Press and other university presses, including:

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A selection of dictionaries, thesauri and encyclopedias useful to those studying Creative Writing.

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Literature, creative writing and film studies

Develop your own creativity and examine that of others

Join us for a short course – in oxford or online.

Start (or finish) your own novel, poem or play; produce critical analyses of classic and contemporary literature; or explore the cinematic works of a country, genre or director.

• View all short courses in literature, creative writing and film
• Ways to study: how our short courses work

Gain credit from short courses

Many of our short courses, including weekly learning programmes (both in Oxford and online) and some summer schools, can be studied for  credit , which means they can count towards a recognised qualification such as our  Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education .

Part-time Oxford University qualifications

From undergraduate level study to advanced postgraduate courses.

• Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education  (gain credit from short courses)
• Undergraduate Certificate in English Literature  (choose from two study options including one mostly online)
• Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing  (choose from two study options including one mostly online)
• MSt in Creative Writing  (formed of short residencies and a research placement)
• MSt in Literature and Arts  (formed of online modules and short residencies)
• DPhil in Literature and Arts

Upcoming courses

Trollope, eliot, dickens and hardy: reading victorian fiction (online).

• Wed 17 Apr 2024 – 28 Jun 2024

Reading and Writing Poetry

• Mon 22 Apr 2024 – Mon 08 Jul 2024
• 10 meetings
• 7:00 – 9:00pm

Logos: A Theory of Everything

• Tue 23 Apr 2024 – 28 May 2024
• 2:00 – 3:15pm

The Sleep of Reason: Popular Science Fiction Cinema since 'Blade Runner' (1982)

• Tue 23 Apr 2024 – Tue 25 Jun 2024

Thomas Hardy

• 2:00 – 4:00pm

Part-time qualifications

Part-time undergraduate and postgradute programmes.

Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education

Undergraduate certificate in english literature, undergraduate diploma in creative writing, mst in creative writing, mst in literature and arts (mla), student spotlights.

Emma Watson to study at Oxford next academic year

The actor is taking on the new role of creative writing student

Emma Watson is to start an MA in creative writing at the University of Oxford in September.

In a recent Financial Times interview , the Harry Potter star also revealed that she began writing poetry and a series of essays on love, friendship, and relationships during lockdown.

Watson studied English Literature at Brown University where she came to Oxford on a junior year abroad (JYA) at Worcester College . She graduated in 2014.

Watson has long standing links to Oxford, having moved to Oxfordshire when she was 5. She attended the Dragon School, where fees are currently more than £11,000 per term , and Headington School where she took her GCSEs and A levels.

In 2016, her privacy was allegedly breached when a student took a photo of her on a visit to LMH, where she was reportedly discussing becoming a visiting fellow of the college.

Other famous names due to join Oxford in September include Ruby Granger, the studytuber, who will be studying for an MA in English literature.

Image description: photo of Emma Watson

Image credits: HDWallpapers.net (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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• Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
• One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
• You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
• For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
• MA in Creative Writing

This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. You'll also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing of your peers in online forums. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

• Develop writing skills and awareness of approaches to writing
• Progress and hone sophisticated writing skills in at least one genre
• Gain a sound knowledge of, and ability in, a secondary genre
• Engage in sharing, critiquing and reviewing a variety of writing by your peers.

Study for free We’ve a limited number of scholarships available to UK students for the 2023/24 academic year. If you’re passionate about creative writing, you could be eligible for an Open Futures Scholarship. To apply, visit our Creative Writing Scholarship page. Applications close on 24 July 2023.

How to register

Select the module you will study first, read the full description, and follow the instructions to register.

To gain the 180 credits you require for this qualification, you must study the modules in the order shown below and pass part 1 before progressing to part 2:

Please note that MA Creative Writing part 2 (A803) is worth 120 credits. Module fees for postgraduate modules are based on the number of credits you study. Therefore the fee for this 120-credit postgraduate module will be double that for the 60-credit module MA Creative Writing part 1 (A802).

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

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The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills

If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study. You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer  website.

On completion

On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded the Master of Arts in Creative Writing, entitling you to use the letters MA (CW) (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity of being presented at a degree ceremony. If you leave the programme before you qualify for a degree you can qualify for a  Postgraduate Certificate in Humanities (C20)  after successfully completing 60 credits.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations  website. 

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us . This description was last updated on 19 March 2024.

You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification. Although your degree does not need to be in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, you will need some knowledge of the subject to successfully complete this qualification, as the MA in Creative Writing assumes all candidates have the knowledge and skills usually acquired by pursuing the subject at undergraduate level. Please note that this is not a qualification for those who are just starting to write creatively

If your degree is not in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, we strongly recommend that you read the preparatory work indicated on the MA Creative Writing part 1 . Alternatively, you could undertake our open-access creative writing courses on OpenLearn  and FutureLearn to ensure your skills (writing, reading, editorial, reflective, analytical) are at an appropriate standard. If you don’t have a Creative Writing degree, please also make sure that you provide evidence of your experience of writing when you apply – whether through short courses, workshops, or publications.

How long it takes

You will be able to complete this masters qualification within two years by studying one module each year. If you do not study the modules consecutively, you must complete them in a maximum of 10 years to qualify for the degree.

Career relevance

If you wish to pursue a freelance writing career this Masters degree will equip you with necessary writing and editorial skills, as well as equipping you with a raft of highly valued transferable communication and collaborative skills necessary to the modern writer’s usual portfolio of occupations.

If you are aiming for an academic career in higher education, this qualification will provide a route towards a higher level research or writing practice degree (e.g. PhD), which is essential for such a career. A Masters degree can help to enhance your career prospects as a teacher in secondary and higher education (HE); most HE creative writing teaching now demands an MA in the subject.

If your aim is to enter professions associated with the media, culture, creative or knowledge industries, or if you already have a career in one of these areas and are seeking a further qualification as a means of career development, then a Masters degree, supplemented by relevant skills and experience, can prove invaluable. This degree is pertinent to those careers that directly call upon knowledge of the craft of writing, editing and critiquing (for instance, journalism, publishing, copywriting). It may also be relevant for careers that demand skills in the creative use and analysis of texts of various sorts, critical thinking and organisation, and understanding of culture in a broad sense.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.

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