About

Introduction:

Creative Writing is one of the longest established postgraduate courses of its kind in the UK, with a strong record of publication and related industry success by its graduates, and close links to publishers and the writing industries. Designed for talented, committed writers, the course is taught by a team of award-winning, widely-published tutor-writers, all at the forefront of screenwriting, fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction.

You will be joining a lively community of writers and industry professionals, where you will have the opportunity to develop your work. You will receive considerable tutor and peer support in specialisms you will select from a variety of genres, including fiction, poetry, and writing for stage, radio and screen. You will also engage with a wide range of industry professionals, and have the opportunity to develop projects, while working in one of England’s four UNESCO Cities of Literature.

Our tutor-writers really are experts at the forefront of their genre specialisms, and include BAFTA-nominated screenwriters and multiple-award-winning, widely-published novelists, short story writers, poets, editors and other genre specialists.
73% of NTU’s research in English Language and Literature was assessed to be world-leading or internationally excellent in REF2021.
Our close links to the publishing and editing industries provide you with networking opportunities with publishers, editors and agents, and we teach you how to put your best foot forward.
All seminars and lectures for both the full-time and part-time courses take place in the evening, allowing you to work or study during the day.

UNESCO City of Literature

In 2015, Nottingham was designated a UNESCO City of Literature – one of only 20 in the world – thanks to our long and diverse literary history. From D H Lawrence to Alan Sillitoe and Lord Byron to J M Barrie, many wonderful wordsmiths have called Nottingham home.

The University is also a key partner in the city’s Creative Quarter. Centred around the historic Lace Market and Hockley areas, it’s a hotbed of culture, and home to many of the city’s independent retailers, bars, restaurants, small creative companies, and artists.

Interested in Creative Writing?

Dip your toe in the water with our Creative Writing short course programme for adults that runs throughout the year.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

You will need the equivalent to:

A good honours degree (minimum 2.2); applications are primarily assessed on the quality of the writing sample and statement.
Submit a 3000-word creative writing sample, OR c. 100 lines of poetry, OR an equivalent mixture of poetry and prose/script.
Evidence in a personal statement of a commitment to writing.

We accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our courses. If you’re not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please visit our international qualifications page.

Pre-masters and foundation courses

If you need to do a foundation course to meet our course requirements please visit Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC). If you’re already studying in the UK at a school or college and would like to know if we can accept your qualification please visit our pre-masters and foundation courses pages.

English language entry requirements

If English is not your first language you need to show us that your language skills are strong enough for intensive academic study. We usually ask for an IELTS test and we accept some alternative English language tests.

For a list of our language requirements please visit our English language page.
If you need to do a pre-sessional English language course to meet the English requirements please visit our pre-sessional English course page.

Recognition of Prior Learning

NTU may admit a student with advanced standing beyond the beginning of a course, through an assessment of that student's prior learning, whether it is certificated or uncertificated. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available to these prospective students, such as recognising experiential learning or transferring to a similar course at another institution, otherwise known as credit transfer.

All prospective students who wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning should initially contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.

Help and support

There is lots of advice and guidance about how to apply, fees and scholarships, qualifications, and student life on our dedicated International students website.

English Program Requirements

If English is not your first language you need to show us that your language skills are strong enough for intensive academic study. We usually ask for an IELTS test and we accept some alternative English language tests.

For a list of our language requirements please visit our English language page.
If you need to do a pre-sessional English language course to meet the English requirements please visit our pre-sessional English course page.

Career

Careers and employability

Career development

The unique flexibility of the course enables students to work in a variety of genres including fiction, writing for stage, radio and screen, and poetry. Advice on getting published, and discursive, incisive lectures on the writing industry, are incorporated into the structure of the course, and there are opportunities to engage meaningfully with publishers, editors and agents. Students are encouraged to build strong links with Nottingham's thriving literature community and are invited to participate in local events, readings and festivals.

Every year, our MA Creative Writing students have the opportunity to edit and publish their own high-quality anthology of original creative writing, with support from editing and publishing specialists in the department. This gives students invaluable insights into the editorial and publishing industry, provides a valuable publishing credit and professional experience, and introduces excellent student work to a wider public.

Graduates from this course have included many highly successful published authors across a wide range of genres, such as Kim Slater, Helen Cooper, Hilary Spiers, Stephan Collishaw, Maria Allen, Di Slaney, and Nicola Monaghan, among many others.

The course is vocationally-focused and many recent graduates have acquired agents and publishing deals, as well as jobs in publishing, editing, copyediting, and other closely related industries. Many have also progressed to doctoral study in Creative Writing, often with full scholarships.

The course also has strong professional links to Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, the Times Literary Supplement, Carcanet Press, Five Leaves Publications, Nottingham Playhouse, and many other institutions. This course will help you to develop a broad spectrum of skills transferable to many job roles.

What our students are doing now

12 Apr 2023

Bryna Graziana Broady

We caught up with Bryna, an NTU alum and current student, who tells us about her journey back into postgraduate study, how her degrees have shaped her career path, and what it’s been like to return to NTU after 20 years.

LD Lapinski

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

23,614 / year

Creative Writing MA