MA English - Creative Writing Queen's University Belfast

If you have a commitment to imaginative writing, if you would like to develop your artistic practice, build your professional skills as an author and engage with the vibrant creative community of the Seamus Heaney Centre, then the MA in English (Creative Writing) is for you. The programme includes prose writing (fiction and creative non-fiction) and script writing (screen and stage), and invites you to explore all these modes of writing before choosing a specialism.

You will be challenged to explore many different types of writing, to entertain new ideas, to read adventurously and to respond with rigour and generosity to the work of your fellow writers. You will develop your practice as an independent writer and a self-reflective lifelong learner, and build your understanding of the literary marketplace and of the commercial aspects of literary production.

You will be taught by experienced novelists, playwrights and screenwriters, attend workshops with visiting authors, publishers, editors and agents, and contribute to the rich tradition of literary creativity at Queen's University, Belfast.

English - Creative Writing Highlights

Queen's is ranked 2nd in the UK for Creative Writing in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.

World-Class Facilities

• The Seamus Heaney Centre is an internationally-recognised hub of excellence for literature and a central part of Northern Ireland's literary community.

Internationally Renowned Experts

• Creative Writing students are taught by experienced, acclaimed authors, playwrights and screenwriters and many distinguished visiting fellows and associates.

Student Experience

• Students have access to workshops with visiting authors, publishers, editors and agents, and have a wide range of opportunities to present their work in print and performance.

Graduates from these programmes have a good employment record. Professions including publishing, journalism, public relations, teaching, advertising, the Civil Service, business, industry and the media all recruit from our pool of graduates. Some students choose to continue their studies to PhD level on a chosen, specialised topic in Creative Writing.

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.

Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) or part-time (3 years) basis. Individual modules may be studied as a short course. Part-time students typically complete one or two modules per semester. Full-time students typically complete three modules per semester.

The MA is awarded to students who successfully complete six taught modules (120 CATS points) and a 13,000-13,500 word prose or script dissertation (60 CATS points).

Exit qualifications are available: students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma by successfully completing 120 CATS points from taught modules or a Postgraduate Certificate by successfully completing 60 CATS points from taught modules.

Compulsory Modules

• Semester 1
  • Craft and Technique (ENG7093) (20 CATS; compulsory)
  • Creative Writing Workshop 1: Drama (ENG7097) (20 CATS; compulsory)
  • Creative Writing Workshop 1: Prose (ENG7292) (20 CATS; compulsory)
• Semester 2
  • Creative Writing Workshop 2 (ENG7095 / 7096) (40 CATS; compulsory)
  • Professionalising the MA (ENG7988) (20 CATS; compulsory)
• Dissertation
  Creative Writing Dissertation (ENG7099) (60 CATS; compulsory)

Students will be assigned a supervisor under whom they will complete major creative work. (Prose or drama 13,000-13,500 words.) The dissertation is primarily a student-led individual research project, during which students will put into practice the skills and craft honed during the two taught semesters. It is worth 60 CAT points or one-third of the overall Master's programme.

Learning and Teaching

You’ll be part of a small, informal and chatty class. You’ll get to know your classmates and your lecturers well during workshops. You are expected to become an integral part of the Seamus Heaney Centre and are invited to attend and take part in the centre's regular events and readings.

Assessment

Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:

• Portfolios of creative work.