About This Course
Bangor University's well-established MA in Creative Writing could be the first step towards a writing career, or the chance for a more experienced writer to develop a new perspective. Bangor University offers a dynamic critical and creative environment that will support you in developing your strengths as a writer, while at the same time widening your vision of what creative writing is and where it might lead you.
Our MA in Creative Writing is taught by staff who are published writers in different fields as well as practising academics involved in shaping contemporary conversations about literature.
Our programme explores poetry and prose through taught modules, leading to the Dissertation, an extended creative writing project in which the form and approach will be up to you. The MA in Creative Writing is focused on your individual creative development while enabling you to engage with other writers, both staff and students, in a group setting that will spark new ideas.
As well as focusing on the practicalities of writing, this programme enables you to reflect on your practice so that you can sustain your creativity beyond the degree. Reading a range of international texts, as well as discovering Wales’s unique literary culture, you will learn how to situate your own creative writing in a global context. Regular literary events bring students and staff together with visiting writers and publishers, giving you the chance to discover fresh approaches, connect with creative networks within and beyond the University, and learn how to take your writing to new audiences.
Many of our students have gone on to publish their work, as well as gaining new confidence in creative and professional settings. The MA is an ideal preparation for further academic study at PhD level, and this is a course that develops high-level communication skills needed for a wide range of careers in artistic, professional and community contexts. At its heart is the enjoyment of using words creatively in a setting where there is freedom to experiment as you develop a growing sense of your direction as a writer.
A creative writing workshop is usually taught in a small group led by an experienced writer. Typically, it can involve reading, discussion, writing exercises, and sharing feedback on creative work in progress. Across the degree, you will learn through a mixture of workshops, lectures, seminars and tutorials. You will be expected to undertake some independent group work and extensive individual study. You will meet regularly with your supervisor, who will guide you through your Dissertation writing project.
Creative Writing is usually assessed by a portfolio of original work accompanied by a critical commentary.
This MA Creative Writing degree offers various other assessment methods such as:
- Coursework
- Presentations
- Blogs
- Research posters
- Dissertation
Course Content
What will you study on this course?
On this MA Creative Writing programme, you will study the following modules:
- Critical Theory, Practice and Research (20 credits)
- Creative Writing: Poetry (20 credits)
- Creative Writing: Prose (20 credits)
- Advanced Writing Portfolio (20 credits)
- The Postgraduate Dissertation (60 credits) - You will develop an extended creative writing project of 12,000 words, with a reflective commentary of 3,000 words, written under the individual supervision of a published creative writer.
You will take a further 40 credits from a choice of the following module choices:
- Building Other Worlds: Dreams and Fantasies (20 credits)
- Future Worlds: Dystopias and Utopias (20 credits)
- Past Worlds: Literature and History (20 credits)
- This World: Going Global (20 credits)
Please note modules are subject to change from year to year, and the above is for guidance purposes only.
Entry Requirements
A 2.ii undergraduate degree or equivalent in a relevant subject that should normally include an element of Creative Writing (e.g. Creative Writing or Literary Studies) and a demonstrated interest in Creative Writing.
Applicants with equivalent qualifications or experience and applications from working professionals with non-graduate qualifications will be considered on an individual basis. Please contact us for more information. Candidates may be asked to submit a short sample of work (poetry and/or prose) in support of their application.
Please contact us for more information. For students whose first language is not English an IELTS score of at least 6.5 (with no element below 6.0) is required.
Careers
An MA in Creative Writing may lead to a career as a novelist, poet or playwright. Planning and developing a substantial writing project is a good preparation for future funded or commissioned writing, as well as for an academic career in practice-based research. This course also offers a range of skills that can be applied in other contexts, for example editing, publishing, journalism and arts administration. The ability to use language fluently and persuasively is essential for success in almost any field, and the flexibility of working across genres in this course offers an excellent grounding in creative language use.
