Crime and Thriller Writing

Entry requirements

Applicants for this course will normally have achieved a good UK 2.i honours degree or overseas equivalent.

There is provision to accept non-standard applicants who do not satisfy the standard academic criterion but such applicants must produce evidence of relevant and equivalent experience and their suitability for the course.

Months of entry

January

Course content

You will be guided in the production of a novel-length work of crime or thriller fiction and also in critical reflection of your own work and that of other writers. The course tutors and guest speakers are all established literary professionals and there will be the opportunity to meet representatives from the world of publishing.

Who is the course designed for?

• anyone who wants to write a crime novel or thriller - whether they are as yet unpublished or have already published, or self-published, in this genre;

• a published crime writer who wants to improve their craft;

• An established writer who is considering moving into the crime/thriller genre.

Aims of the programme

By the end of the course students should have

Developed their own writing and self-editing skills within the crime and thriller writing genres

Developed a solid and substantial understanding of the history (in terms of innovative developments) of crime and thriller writing and of critical, analytical and narrative theory

Teaching and learning

The MSt in Crime and Thriller Writing is structured around four modules taught during year 1 of the course and a presentation module during year 2, each of which students must attend. In the first year, each of the four modules is preceded by guided preparatory reading and other activities, and followed by one or more writing assignments.

A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) offers learning support to students while they are on the programme, including learning resources, peer-to-peer and student-to-tutor discussion between modules to build a virtual community of practice.

Information for international students

Language requirement

IELTS Academic: Overall band score of 7.5 (with a minimum of 7.0 in each individual component)

CAE: Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element) plus a language centre assessment

CPE: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200 in each individual element)

TOEFL iBT: Overall score of at least 110 with no element below 25