Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA

Course summary

The Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA is designed for those who want to turn their love of words and writing into a dynamic and fulfilling career. It will give you the skills, motivation, networks and connections to work across a wide variety of industries – in publishing, journalism, public relations, advertising, as literary agents, copywriters and copyeditors. It will also allow you to explore the history and future of writing and the writing industries from a variety of perspectives, and to develop your own interests and specialisms.

The course takes a broad, holistic view of writing, because writing is not just about writing. It is about editing, about working with the words of others and with other languages, it is about the reader, it is about the form into which the words are packaged. It is about essays and tweets, novels and headlines, criticism and advertising, prizes and publicity. As a result, the course brings together the combined expertise of English, Creative Writing, Media, Communication, and Film and Cultural Studies to offer a truly interdisciplinary MA.

On the course you’ll examine the changing role of professional writing through historical and theoretical debates and examples of contemporary professional practice across languages. From the story of the book to multimedia journalism, your modules will allow you to develop your skills and interests in a range of relevant professional contexts. You’ll be taught through seminars, one-to-one and small group tutorials, practical sessions and workshops, together with independent, student-directed study where you’ll develop your own project or special topic with the help of an expert mentor. You’ll work with academics, practitioners and industry professionals to gain an understanding of vocational issues, practices and concerns, and will build up a network of contacts and connections within your chosen industries.

On the Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA you’ll undertake a work placement or internship of 550 hours, during a 12-month period, in a professional work environment of your choice. Although the University is not able to guarantee a placement, we will support you to find a suitable position that appeals to your interest and specialism. Whilst you are on placement, your professional work will be directed by a mentor/manager within the host organisation and an academic supervisor will conduct regular tutorials to facilitate the critical, reflective learning. Upon successfully completing the module, you’ll achieve an extra 60 credits and will be awarded the Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA. For more detailed information about the course and work placement, please refer to the programme specification.

Top reasons to study with us

Boost your employability with a work-placement in a professional work environment of your choice

• Access to Westminster’s fantastic facilities and connections
• You’ll be part of the student-led anthology, the Wells Street Journal, where you’ll experience what managing an actual magazine involves
• Some of the lectures will be delivered from our central London campus, which means ready access to the capital's excellent academic, social and cultural opportunities
  

This course is intended to move you to a new level in your career as a writer. You’ll be taking an Extended Work Placement module, where you’ll do a placement or internship of a minimum 550 hours in a professional work environment of your choice. It will help you develop sophisticated critical, creative and professional skills, much sought-after in the highly competitive world after graduation.

You’ll be encouraged to network with your tutors, course mates, other writers and identify useful opportunities for career development, through seminars, workshops, tutorials and group discussions. The critical and practical skills you’ll acquire by the end of the course will make you a strong candidate in areas like copy editing, copy writing, freelance writing, journalism, publishing, public relations, advertising, literary agencies and many more.

The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

This course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:

• Copywriter
• Copyeditor
• Proofreader
• Journalist
• Literary agent
• Public Relations Practitioner
• Advertising Professional
• Publishing Professional