| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year full time 2 years part time |
| Entry year | September 2024 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | English |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | 2:2 Honours degree |
|---|---|
Overview
- Develop a distinctive creative voice and advanced imaginative literary skills through critical thinking, judgement and abstract evolution of principles
- Experience a wide range of creative, critical and theoretical approaches, both classical and experimental, and learn to analyse complex literary and non-literary work
- Based in a beautiful West Country location that is also a UNESCO City of Literature
- You will be taught by a strong and diverse group of internationally recognised writers, with particular strengths in nature writing and the literature of the environment and climate change, who will help you develop your own writing towards publication
- Our strong industry links within publishing, literary journalism, broadcasting, book festivals and prizes will provide valuable insights into the workings of the literary marketplace and open many opportunities to establish the contacts necessary for successful publication
88% of our English research is internationally excellent
Based on research rated 4* + 3* in REF 2021, submitted to UoA27 English Language and Literature
Top 100 in the world for English Language and Literature
61st in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2023
A thriving and supportive writing community - our team of prize-winning and best-selling authors will help you develop your creative writing skills
Top 10 in the UK for English
9th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
Entry requirements
We are looking for graduates with a 2:2 Honours degree with 53% or above in their first degree in a relevant subject area. While we normally only accept applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.
Applicants will be asked to submit a sample of creative writing which can be roughly 2,000 words of prose or 3-4 poems.
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile E. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
This MA will introduce you to a diverse and intellectually challenging range of topics and materials as well as a variety of creative and critical approaches, particularly the role that Creative Writing can play in tackling major environmental and social issues.
We primarily focus on literary texts but also include, depending on your choice of modules, the study of genre and of the market for creative productions. You will gain a range of subject specific, discipline specific, core research and academic skills, as well as creative skills and techniques, to enhance your independent writing.
The programme has been structured with different kinds of creative individuals in mind: those who wish to experiment with a wide variety of modes of writing and those who are determined to follow a particular project in their own chosen field or medium, i.e. fiction, verse, or screenplay; those seeking high level training prior to embarking on doctoral research; recent graduates who wish to extend and enhance their studies by a year before embarking on a career; individuals already in employment who are interested in career development.
Please note that this course requires you to read and analyse complex English literary texts, but we do not teach English language skills on these modules. You will need a near-native level of English to participate fully in classes and complete assessments successfully.
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
120 credits of compulsory modules and 60 credits of optional modules
Compulsory modules
Students must take EASM123 Dissertation plus EASM156 and EASM196
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EASM123 | Creative Writing Dissertation | 60 |
| EASM156 | Writing Nature: Ecology, Place, Memoir (Creative Writing) | 30 |
| EASM196 | Writing for the Planet: Creative Writing as Climate and Ecological Activism | 30 |
Optional modules
Students must choose 60 credits of option modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MA Nature Writing - Creative Writing options 2024-5 | ||
| EASM121 | The Poetry of Events - Building a Plot | 30 |
| EASM122 | Writing for the Screen | 30 |
| EASM133 | The Structures of Realism | 30 |
| EASM166 | Prose Writing Workshop | 30 |
| EASM169 | Publishing and Power: Black and Asian Literary Networks in the UK | 30 |
| EASM185 | Story Machines: Interactive Texts and Narrative Games | 30 |
| MA Nature Writing - English Literary Studies options 2024-5 | ||
| EASM169 | Publishing and Power: Black and Asian Literary Networks in the UK | 30 |
| EASM180 | Crossing Medieval Boundaries | 30 |
| EASM184 | World Literature and Postcolonial Studies | 30 |
| EASM192 | Global Voices: Shakespeare and the Early Modern World | 30 |
| EASM109 | Bodies Politic: Cultural and Sexual Politics in England, 1603-1679 | 30 |
| EASM152 | Criticism and Theory: Critical and Literary Theory in a Global Context | 30 |
| EASM167 | World Cinema / World Literature | 30 |
| EASM171 | Expanding Queerness: Critical Debates in Theory, Literature, Film and Television | 30 |
| EASM174 | Writing Women in the English Middle Ages | 30 |
| EASM191 | Environments of Early Modern Drama | 30 |
Fees
2024/25 entry
UK fees per year:
£12,000 full-time; £6,000 part-time
International fees per year:
£24,300 full-time; £12,150 part-time
Scholarships
We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This includes over £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*.
For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.
Teaching and research
Learning and teaching
Whether you already know what kind of books or screenplays you wish to write or are still searching for the best form in which to express your creativity, we offer the chance to try your hand in a range of genres, and to benefit from feedback tailored to your writing needs.
A programme of visiting speakers takes place throughout the academic year with writers, publishers and agents coming to talk to students about the next steps in their careers. The roll call changes every year to reflect both our students’ interests and new trends. Recent guest lecturers have included the Booker prize winning novelist Hilary Mantel; the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize-winning novelist Hisham Matar; the Pulitzer Prize winning US Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey; the writer, editor and publisher Richard Cohen, and many others.
Portfolio
Our MA can be taken over one-year full time, or two years part time. During your studies, you will build a portfolio of creative work for possible publication, including a dissertation in your chosen genre. You will also be able to take a range of optional modules and explore literary genres and forms with a mutually supportive, like-minded group of fellow writers.
Research areas
Exeter’s Creative Writing staff practise and publish in a range of literary genres. Their experience of the literary world is not limited to writing and teaching. They also worked – and continue to work - as editors, publishers, agents, radio producers, and journalists. This wealth of experience is reflected in the vibrancy and diversity of our workshops and tutorials.
Research Centres
Dedicated research centres and groupings within our department include:
- Centre for Intermedia and Creative Technology
- Centre for Literature and Archives
- Centre for Victorian Studies
- Exeter Screen Studies Research Centre
- Centre for Early Modern Studies
Research Groups
- Medieval and Renaissance
- Twentieth and Twenty-First Century
- North American and Atlantic
- World and Postcolonial
- Creative Industries and Technologies
- Creative Writing
Community
You will join a vibrant postgraduate and research community. All our staff belong to one or more research group which plan and develop research initiatives across the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Careers
Whether your ambition is to become a full-time writer, a teacher of writing, or to develop a creative career which includes writing in one of its many forms, we have a strong track record of supporting our students through to publication and doctoral level work.
While at Exeter, our MA students publish their creative work in RIPTIDE and in the postgraduate journal EXCLAMATION. The Creative Writing Society also run a journal called Enigma.
In addition, our industry connections within publishing, literary journalism and broadcasting, book festivals and prizes open many opportunities to establish the contacts necessary for successful publication.
Alumni
Former University of Exeter students who have gone on to develop a writing career include poets such as Luke Kennard, Abi Curtis, Eleanor Rees, Izzy Galleymore, Jaime Robles, Jos Smith, Sally Flint, and Samuel Tongue; novelists Virginia Baily, Lucy Wood, and Ruth Gilligan; and non-fiction writers such as Miriam Darlington.
Many of our former students now work in film, broadcasting, advertising, journalism, PR, publishing, teaching – including the teaching of creative writing – as well as other careers in the growing number of fields where good writing is an asset.
Careers and employment support
While studying at Exeter you can also access a range of activities, advice and practical help to give you the best chance of following your chosen career path. For more information visit our Careers pages.
