Creative Writing MA

Leeds Trinity University

Course overview

What do you want to write?

Whatever mode or genre you wish to explore, this MA is structured in order to help you to become the writer you want to be.

Taught by internationally-renowned writers, this MA is designed to be as creative and practical as possible within the academic requirements of a postgraduate programme.

Our MA students are a diverse group, from recent graduates looking to enhance their professional qualifications in preparation for a career involving writing, to experienced writers aspiring to have their work published or those looking to explore their passion for writing later in life.

About this course

This MA puts the emphasis on “creative,” giving you plenty of time to write and incorporating a creative element into every module. The course aims to develop your writing skills in either prose or poetry, as well as fostering your creative and critical reading and exploring key issues relating to the publishing business.

Individual modules help you to learn techniques from published works and put them into practice, and to bring your own work to a reading and listening public. Throughout, the focus is upon your development as a writer, and prose or poetry workshops, along with individual dissertation supervision, are designed to hone your writing skills in a supportive and stimulating critical environment.

Being a "writer" generally involves a mixed portfolio of skills and attributes, and this MA provides a foundation that extends beyond the writing itself. You will meet agents, publishers, and other professionals - alongside our internationally published staff team - in order to help you to reach your potential as a writer, and also negotiate your first steps towards getting your work out into the world.

Learning and teaching

At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

• high-quality teaching
• an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
• a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.

Assessment

Alongside timetabled contact hours, full-time students should expect to spend 35 hours a week on guided independent work, reading and writing; part-time students should allow half of this.

The workshop modules are assessed mainly on creative work, alongside an initial proposal and a reflective commentary; Reading as a Writer and Writing as a Profession are assessed on a portfolio of creative and critical work; and the Dissertation is assessed purely on creative work.