MA
Thinking of doing your MA in Creative Writing?
Here at the University of Gloucestershire, our 1-year Master’s programme acts as both a follow-up to our undergraduate degree and a standalone course. It is a taught master’s, which means, as one of our students, you’ll receive regular contact time with your lecturers. The class sizes are smaller than on our undergrad modules, so within your weekly writing workshops you’ll have plenty of space to flex your creative muscles. All our lecturers are accomplished writers who work professionally in their respective fields, from poetry and playwriting through to various genres of prose. To learn a bit more about our teaching staff, please visit the profiles link above.
Of course, producing a brilliant text is only part of the challenge facing new writers. That’s why we also deliver a module on the publishing industry, with tips for working with publishers and literary agents. You’ll have the chance to gain experience editing our university anthology, and we’ll encourage you to submit to our annual novel-writing competition.
In addition to the creative and professional aspects of the course, our MA offers you the chance to study the craft from a critical viewpoint. Through the study of key texts and writers, you’ll learn about theoretical, historical, and stylistic developments within the field. We know that some students undertake the MA in preparation for a PhD, and potentially a career in teaching and lecturing. At the University of Gloucestershire, we’ve tailored our course to suit those needs, and offer a dedicated teaching module in which you’ll have the opportunity to hone your skills in the classroom environment by running workshops on our undergraduate modules – while at the same time studying teaching theory and learning from professionals.
Generally the MA classes contain a good mix of younger writers and more mature students, which always makes for an interesting classroom environment. We offer evening writing workshops as well as the option of undertaking the course part-time, for those with additional commitments.
Whether a part-time or full-time student, while undertaking the combination of creative and critical modules offered on our programme, you’ll also be developing your MA thesis project – which is a substantial body of work proposed, outlined, and composed over the duration of your degree. These dissertations are supervised by individual members of staff, who will act as your mentor and meet with you regularly in one-to-one tutorials, and the projects have in some cases led to professional publication. They are excellent preparation for going on to undertake a PhD, and in some cases have resulted in professional publication.
Find out more about postgraduate study at the University of Gloucestershire or contact the Creative Writing Course Leader, Mike D.D. Johnston, at onlinewritingtips [at] yahoo.com.