Programme Specification for the 2025/6 academic year

MA Creative Writing

1. Programme Details

Programme name	MA Creative Writing	Programme code	PTA1EGLEGL09
Study mode(s)	Part Time Full Time	Academic year	2025/6
Campus(es)	Streatham (Exeter)	NQF Level of the Final Award	7 (Masters)

2. Description of the Programme

The MA in Creative Writing is unique in bringing together the following:

Teaching by a strong and diverse group of internationally recognised writers
The rich resources of a world-leading Russell Group university with a top-rated Department of English and Creative Writing
The chance to live and work in a beautiful West Country location that is also a UNESCO City of Literature

Whether you are interested in fiction, non-fiction, poetry or screen writing, Exeter offers you a thriving and supportive writing community. Our team of prize-winning and best-selling authors are highly experienced and will help you develop your writing towards publication. Our strong links with the worlds of publishing, literary journalism and 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.

3. Educational Aims of the Programme

1. provide you with the means to develop a distinctive critical and creative voice, particularly to the extent that a large percentage of Exeter MA students aim to pursue a career in the creative arts, or in academic research
2. enable you to develop advanced imaginative literary skills, drawing on independent critical thinking, judgement and abstract evolution of principles
3. engage you provocatively and productively in the process of writing your own texts, as well as understanding and analysing complex and sophisticated literary, non-literary and filmic texts
4. introduce you to a wide range of creative, critical and theoretical approaches, both classical and experimental, drawing from a broad historical coverage and methodology, and a wide range of contemporary approaches
5. encourage you to acquire critical tools which will both reflect upon the production and reception of literary non-literary, and filmic texts, and enable you to develop your own work
6. develop a range of subject specific, discipline specific, core research and academic skills, including high order conceptual literacy, presentation and communication skills valued in graduate employment
7. provide an intellectually stimulating and satisfying experience of learning, study and research, whilst encouraging a sense of the distinctive social and cultural significance of English language, literature and film
8. provide a basis for further research in English and creative writing, and provide a solid basis for professional independent labour

The programme aims to introduce you to a diverse and intellectually challenging range of topics and materials and to a variety of creative and critical approaches. The programme is primarily focussed on literary texts but also includes, in varying degrees depending on choice of modules, the study of genre and of the market for creative productions. It aims to prepare you for further independent writing by providing you with a range of subject specific, discipline specific, core research and academic skills, as well as creative skills and techniques.

The programme has been structured with different kinds of creative individuals in mind: both 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.

The programme is intended to:

4. Programme Structure

The MA Creative Writing programme is a one-year full-time or two years, part-time programme of study at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 7 (as confirmed against the FHEQ). If the programme is taken part-time, 60 credits are taken in year 1 and 60 credits plus a further 60 credits (dissertation) are taken in year 2.

5. Programme Modules

The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.

Details of the modules currently offered may be obtained from the Faculty website.

https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/

You may take optional modules up to 30 credits from the MA English Literary Studies as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.

Providing you have not taken 30 optional credits from the MA English Literary Studies, you may take elective modules up to 30 credits from another MA programme offered at the University (subject to availability, timetabling and where appropriate, the required prerequisites). This replaces a 30 credit optional module from the Creative Writing MA.

Please note that Creative Writing and English Literary Studies are distinct MA programmes. You must be enrolled on the MA Creative Writing to undertake a dissertation in Creative Writing.

Stage 1

Stage 1: 120 credits of compulsory modules and 60 credits of optional modules (you may take up 30 credits from the MA English Literary Studies)

Compulsory Modules

Code	Module	Credits	Non-condonable?
EASM123	Creative Writing Dissertation	60	Yes
EASM211	Writing Prose I	30	No
EASM212	Writing Prose II	30	No

Optional Modules

Code	Module	Credits	Non-condonable?
MA Creative Writing - option modules 2025-6
EASM198	Text and Image: Creative Writing	30	No
EASM213	Writing Scripts: Stage and Screen(s)	30	No
EASM209	Writing Poetry	30	No
EASM208	Writing Nature	30	No
EASM200	Writing Interactively	30	No
EASM205	The Contemporary Publishing Industry	30	No
MA Creative Writing - English Literary Studies options 2025-6
EASM206	Global Victorians: Making the Modern World, 1837-1914	30	No
EASM109	Bodies Politic: Cultural and Sexual Politics in England, 1603-1679	30	No
EASM151	Modernism and Material Culture	30	No
EASM152	Criticism and Theory: Critical and Literary Theory in a Global Context	30	No
EASM167	World Cinema / World Literature	30	No
EASM171	Expanding Queerness: Critical Debates in Theory, Literature, Film and Television	30	No
EASM174	Writing Women in the English Middle Ages	30	No
EASM179	Translation and Publishing: New Approaches to Literary Activism	30	No
EASM192	Global Voices: Shakespeare and the Early Modern World	30	No
EASM197	Global Romanticisms	30	No
EASM024	Disunited States: Contemporary American Literature, 1970s-Present	30	No
HASM031	Global Classrooms: Health Humanities and Geographies	30	No

6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods

Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:	Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...
...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):	...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:
1. Students will develop an advanced grasp of issues concerning language, form and aesthetics. 2. Students will develop the skills to distinguish between the requirements of the various genres and media. 3. Students will develop sophisticated critical grasp of the historical and political background to material explored in the various modules	The Department uses a variety of learning and teaching methods including seminars, student study groups, and web and IT resources to deliver ILOs 1-3. The precise method of teaching varies according to each module. Modules are typically taught in seminar groups or workshop format, with lots of time for discussion and interaction. ILOs 1 and 2 will be particularly delivered in the core modules Writing Nature and Writing for the Planet. Students must prepare for classes by reading recommended essays / book chapters to be discussed each week. In seminars and workshops you will be expected to share your work and critique your own and your peers’ creative work. Seminars and workshops will be supported, where relevant, by film screenings, field trips and archival trips. Seminars and workshops offer the opportunity for feedback on draft materials before submission of work to be assessed. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop.	Assessment in each of the Creative Writing modules generally comprises of a joint submission of original work produced with the context of the course, and of a critical essay reflecting on the creative process as it applies to each subject area. This is the case with both the end of term essay and the end of year dissertation. Methods of assessment on the MA Creative Writing include: Portfolio comprising creative work (e.g. prose fiction or nonfiction, poetry, screenplay) Self-reflexive essay Dissertation, comprising both creative and critical work. ILOs 1 and 2 are typically assessed through the creative element while ILO 3 is assessed through the critical component. Seminars and workshops offer the opportunity for feedback on draft materials before submission of work to be assessed. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...

...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):

...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:

1. Students will develop an advanced grasp of issues concerning language, form and aesthetics.
2. Students will develop the skills to distinguish between the requirements of the various genres and media.
3. Students will develop sophisticated critical grasp of the historical and political background to material explored in the various modules

The Department uses a variety of learning and teaching methods including seminars, student study groups, and web and IT resources to deliver ILOs 1-3. The precise method of teaching varies according to each module.

Modules are typically taught in seminar groups or workshop format, with lots of time for discussion and interaction. ILOs 1 and 2 will be particularly delivered in the core modules Writing Nature and Writing for the Planet.

Students must prepare for classes by reading recommended essays / book chapters to be discussed each week. In seminars and workshops you will be expected to share your work and critique your own and your peers’ creative work. Seminars and workshops will be supported, where relevant, by film screenings, field trips and archival trips.

Seminars and workshops offer the opportunity for feedback on draft materials before submission of work to be assessed. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop.

Assessment in each of the Creative Writing modules generally comprises of a joint submission of original work produced with the context of the course, and of a critical essay reflecting on the creative process as it applies to each subject area. This is the case with both the end of term essay and the end of year dissertation.

Methods of assessment on the MA Creative Writing include:

Portfolio comprising creative work (e.g. prose fiction or nonfiction, poetry, screenplay)
Self-reflexive essay
Dissertation, comprising both creative and critical work.

ILOs 1 and 2 are typically assessed through the creative element while ILO 3 is assessed through the critical component.

Seminars and workshops offer the opportunity for feedback on draft materials before submission of work to be assessed. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop.

Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:	Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...
...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):	...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:
4. Students will gain the ability to engage in an intellectually sophisticated and confident manner with advanced critical and theoretical approaches to textual study and creative practice 5. They will further develop bibliographic and research skills through their individual written assignments, and engage in structured 'research group' work towards enhanced appreciation of the productive values of collective work 6. Students will acquire the ability to judge critically the range of methodologies available for their own research and creative work, and develop their research and creative prospectuses with close attention to their own scholarly profiles.	4. This ILO is delivered through discussion and interaction in the module seminar or workshop format. 5. The “structured ‘research group’ element is delivered by the fact that students share their work and critique their own and peers’ creative work in the seminar or workshop setting. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop. 6. Through the regular feedback students receive in the seminar or workshop setting on their own draft work, students will achieve ILO 6.	Assessment in each of the Creative Writing modules generally comprises of a joint submission of original work produced with the context of the course, and of a critical essay reflecting on the creative process as it applies to each subject area. This is the case with both the end of term essay and the end of year dissertation. Methods of assessment addressing ILOs 4-6 on the MA Creative Writing include: Portfolio comprising creative work (e.g. prose fiction or nonfiction, poetry, screenplay) Self-reflexive essay Dissertation, comprising both creative and critical work. Seminars and workshops offer the opportunity for feedback on draft materials before submission of work to be assessed. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop (ILO 5).

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...

...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):

...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:

4. Students will gain the ability to engage in an intellectually sophisticated and confident manner with advanced critical and theoretical approaches to textual study and creative practice
5. They will further develop bibliographic and research skills through their individual written assignments, and engage in structured 'research group' work towards enhanced appreciation of the productive values of collective work
6. Students will acquire the ability to judge critically the range of methodologies available for their own research and creative work, and develop their research and creative prospectuses with close attention to their own scholarly profiles.

4. This ILO is delivered through discussion and interaction in the module seminar or workshop format.

5. The “structured ‘research group’ element is delivered by the fact that students share their work and critique their own and peers’ creative work in the seminar or workshop setting. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop.

6. Through the regular feedback students receive in the seminar or workshop setting on their own draft work, students will achieve ILO 6.

Portfolio comprising creative work (e.g. prose fiction or nonfiction, poetry, screenplay)
Self-reflexive essay
Dissertation, comprising both creative and critical work.

Seminars and workshops offer the opportunity for feedback on draft materials before submission of work to be assessed. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop (ILO 5).

Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:	Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...
...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):	...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:
7. Demonstrate initiative and originality in problem solving, act autonomously at a professional level, and make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations 8. Work effectively in a group, clarifying tasks and making professional use of personal resources to negotiate and manage conflict, to achieve advanced research or creative tasks. 9. Engage confidently in academic and professional discourse.	7. This ILO is delivered through discussion and interaction in the module seminar or workshop format. In particular, students need to respond to the feedback they receive on their work from peers and from the tutor, which can be complex and unpredictable. They need to respond both “in the moment” and in a more long-term fashion, when revising their work for submission for assessment. 8. Students share their work and critique their own and peers’ creative work in the seminar or workshop setting. 9. Through the seminar or workshop format, students engage in respectful discussion with others. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop.	Methods of assessment addressing ILOs 7-9 on the MA Creative Writing include the following. ILO 7 is particularly addressed through the Dissertation. Portfolio comprising creative work (e.g. prose fiction or nonfiction, poetry, screenplay) Self-reflexive essay Dissertation, comprising both creative and critical work.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...

...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):

...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:

7. Demonstrate initiative and originality in problem solving, act autonomously at a professional level, and make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations
8. Work effectively in a group, clarifying tasks and making professional use of personal resources to negotiate and manage conflict, to achieve advanced research or creative tasks.
9. Engage confidently in academic and professional discourse.

7. This ILO is delivered through discussion and interaction in the module seminar or workshop format. In particular, students need to respond to the feedback they receive on their work from peers and from the tutor, which can be complex and unpredictable. They need to respond both “in the moment” and in a more long-term fashion, when revising their work for submission for assessment.

8. Students share their work and critique their own and peers’ creative work in the seminar or workshop setting.

9. Through the seminar or workshop format, students engage in respectful discussion with others. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines and to produce well-presented work for each seminar or workshop.

Methods of assessment addressing ILOs 7-9 on the MA Creative Writing include the following. ILO 7 is particularly addressed through the Dissertation.

Portfolio comprising creative work (e.g. prose fiction or nonfiction, poetry, screenplay)
Self-reflexive essay
Dissertation, comprising both creative and critical work.

7. Programme Regulations

Classification

Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.

8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning

We have a number of specialist research resources and projects available to postgraduates: the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum is the largest film-related archive in the UK outside the British Film Institute; the Chris Brooks Collection is a major resource for scholars of Romanticism and 19th-century fiction and culture; and the Global Circulation Project on cultures in contact is based in Exeter. Our unique collections of writings and correspondence by authors connected with the South West such as Daphne du Maurier, RD Blackmore, Agatha Christie, William Golding and Ted Hughes supplement research resources held in the University library. The University library holds a number of resources important for our research, including the Hypatia Collection of women’s literature and history as well as online resources.

Students at both campuses have access to a wealth of online information including: over 400 online journal titles; Early English Books Online (which contains facsimile texts of virtually all books printed in England, 1475-1700); the extensive Gale Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) research archive; search tools such as FirstSearch; the digital journal repository JSTOR; and other similar databases providing access to full text articles. For further information about research in our English Department, please see the English Research webpages.

9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning

Please refer to the University Academic Policy and Standards guidelines regarding support for students and students' learning.

10. Admissions Criteria

Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.

Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.

Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.

11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards

Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.

The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice. See the University's TQA Manual for details.

(Quality Review Framework.

14. Awarding Institution

University of Exeter

15. Lead College / Teaching Institution

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)

16. Partner College / Institution

Partner College(s)

Not applicable to this programme

Partner Institution

Not applicable to this programme.

17. Programme Accredited / Validated by

18. Final Award

MA Creative Writing

19. UCAS Code

C772

20. NQF Level of Final Award

7 (Masters)

21. Credit

CATS credits		ECTS credits

22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group

23. Dates

Origin Date	01/12/2009	Date of last revision	04/04/2025

Programme Specification for the 2025/6 academic year

MA Creative Writing

1. Programme Details

2. Description of the Programme

3. Educational Aims of the Programme

4. Programme Structure

5. Programme Modules

Stage 1

Compulsory Modules

Optional Modules

6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods

Intended Learning Outcomes A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge

7. Programme Regulations

8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning

9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning

10. Admissions Criteria

11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards

14. Awarding Institution

15. Lead College / Teaching Institution

16. Partner College / Institution

Partner College(s)

Partner Institution

17. Programme Accredited / Validated by

18. Final Award

19. UCAS Code

20. NQF Level of Final Award

21. Credit

22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group

23. Dates

Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge