Creative Writing

Entry requirements

A good first degree (2:1 or above, or the international equivalent) in English literature, language, linguistics, or a related discipline (eg history, philosophy, modern languages).

A portfolio submission of 2,000 words of prose/drama or five poems (or equivalent, roughly 100 lines), to be sent along with the application form.

Months of entry

September

Course content

You’ll study contemporary creative writing and develop your skills in different genres and styles. You’ll also develop and explore your own writing through practical workshops. You’ll complete two core modules, optional modules and a dissertation. Your final portfolio of work may take the form of short stories, a novel extract, script or poetry.

This MA is designed to help you develop your creative writing to a publishable quality, providing a positive and nurturing environment for confident and imaginative development of poetry, prose, creative non-fiction and drama.

You'll study contemporary creative writing and develop your skills in a variety of different genres and styles, exploring your own writing through practical workshops, and learning how to creatively and constructively critique your own and other students' work.

You can choose to specialise in either fiction or poetry, or to study a mixture of both. Our fiction modules will give you practical training in the essentials of fiction writing techniques across a number of genres, whilst our poetry modules allow you to explore a myriad of different poetic forms, including experimental and cross-genre poetry, visual poetics, prose poetry, and the hybrid.

Throughout the course, you'll study creative prose and poetry through appropriate and writer-centred theoretical frameworks, as well as learning the fundamentals of close reading, technical analysis and critical judgement of contemporary writers from a practitioner’s point of view.

Writers on the course will benefit from the literary culture at Sheffield and are involved in readings, publications and festivals throughout their time with us. You're encouraged to publish your work and to participate in student-led, peer-feedback editorial sessions.

Please see our University website for the most up-to-date course information: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses

Information for international students

English language requirements

Overall IELTS score of 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in each component, or equivalent.

For more information about entry requirements for international students, please visit https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/international/applying/postgraduate-taught

Fees and funding

English language requirements

There are a number of studentships and fee bursaries available, funded by the University. Deadlines for funding applications are usually in winter/early spring.