Creative Writing MA

Get ready to develop your practice further, whether you're interested in short fiction, novels, poetry, plays, screenplays or hybrid and digital forms. Work with writers, editors and publishers and learn how to get published. 

The course runs over 12 months full-time. You can also study this programme on a part-time basis.

• Take your writing beyond the classroom and participate in departmental readings and creative writing competitions.
• Experiment and enhance your writing, testing out different forms in the taught modules. You can choose screenwriting, playwriting, prose fiction or poetry for your dissertation.
• Understand the craft of writing so you can critique your work to professional standards.
• Join a diverse writing community - we welcome writers of all ages and backgrounds. Whether you’re starting your writing journey or have lots of experience already, we’ll help you nurture your craft.

Challenge conventions

Study with inspirational writers who challenge the conventions of form.You’ll be taught by award winning writers such as: Luke Kennard, Forward-prize winning poet and novelist; Ruth Gilligan, who won the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize for her novel The Butchers; and Isabel Galleymore, who won the John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize for her poetry collection Significant Other. 

You'll study four core modules plus your dissertation. The dissertation is made up of a creative portfolio, worth 75%, and a critical essay, worth 25%. The 10,000 word portfolio of creative work can be a screenplay, excerpt from a novel or collection of short fiction or poetry (600 lines for poetry).

• Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation. 
• Seminars and workshops – modules are mainly taught by small group teaching with practical writing opportunities. 
• Dissertation - you’ll undertake a 10,000-word creative portfolio and produce a critical essay. 

The modules listed for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Any optional module information listed for this programme is intended to be indicative, and the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year. Where a module is no longer available, we will let you know as soon as we can and help you to make other choices.

2025/26 session

The following must be taken:

You should have, or expect to get, a 2:1 Honours degree in English or Creative Writing. We'll also consider other subjects.

Regardless of your academic background, you'll need to have considerable experience writing creatively. 

You'll need to include a sample of your writing in your online application. This will be a creative writing portfolio of approximately 3,000 words.

The portfolio can be short stories, an excerpt from a novel, play, or film script or a selection of poems. If you submit a portfolio of poetry, each line of poetry equates to approximately 20 words per line, so you'll submit approximately 150 lines of poetry.

We welcome all forms of writing, but encourage you to submit multiple works if possible, such as a short story and an excerpt from a novel rather than a longer passage from a novel. Please contact the course admissions tutor if you have any queries about the writing sample.

English language requirements

If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification. For this course we ask for IELTS 6.5 overall with no less 7.0 in writing and 6 in all other bands.

IELTS 6.5 no less 7.0 in writing and 6 in all other bands is equivalent to

• TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 Listening, 22 Speaking and 23 in Writing
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic 67 with no less than 76 in writing and 64 in all other bands
• Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced - minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 185 in Writing and no less than 169 in any other component.

English Presessional Programmes

Improve your knowledge of spoken and written English in preparation for studying at Birmingham with our pre-sessional English courses. If you have a conditional offer, you can take one of these courses as an alternative to retaking IELTS or other similar qualifications.

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2025 entry are above.

The fees quoted are for one year only. For those studying courses that are longer than one year, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

Paying your tuition fees

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. You can check whether you are eligible for UK or international fees with our admissions team.

Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding.

Postgraduate Masters Loan

To help with the cost of studies, this loan is available to all UK students. You can use this loan towards fees, maintenance or other costs at your own discretion. It’s available for all full-time, part-time and distance learning Masters programmes, as long as you don’t already have a Masters qualification (or equivalent).If you’re a student from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can apply for Masters loans from your country’s government.

Scholarships

To help you afford your studies, we’ve put more than £33 million into student support and scholarships. We also offer a range of advice on searching for funding and managing your finances.

Birmingham Masters Scholarships

We want to welcome the brightest talent to our postgraduate community. That’s why our Birmingham Masters Scholarships award £3,000 to more than 300 students each year.

Select whether you are a UK student or an international student for relevant application deadlines.

We have put together some helpful information on the taught programme application process and supporting documents. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Our Film and Creative Writing graduates enter many roles, including:

• Online Content Editor
• Video Editor
• Editorial Assistant

Employers our Film and Creative Writing graduates have worked for include:

• 3Wise Entertainment
• BBC
• Fremantle Media

Careers Network

Get ready for tomorrow, with advice, guidance and opportunities at every step of your studies. From developing new skills to preparing for a PhD, our Careers Network can help you gain an advantage in the job market or advance in your field.

Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offers a range of events and support services including networking opportunities, career coaching, one-to-one guidance, careers fairs and links with leading graduate recruiters. We also offer subject-specific careers consultants and a dedicated careers website for international students.

Our bustling campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of accommodation options in the UK’s second city, exciting activities to get involved in outside your studies, as well as all the support and advice you need.