Course information

Course highlights

• Individual mentors help you to hone your creative practice and to further develop your expressive voice.
• The course emphasises best practice in recent and contemporary writing, and modules are taught by published authors familiar with the writing process.
• Small class sizes of three to ten students allows for extremely high levels of individual attention.

Teaching format

The MLitt in Creative Writing is a one-year taught programme run by the School of English. The course consists of two semesters with taught components followed by an individual creative writing project taking place over the whole year, but with particular focus during the last three months. 

Teaching methods include seminars, workshops and individual tutorials. Class sizes typically range from three to ten students, ensuring high levels of individual attention. Modules are assessed through coursework essays, original writing and the final dissertation. 

Writing for Performance students will participate in a number of theatre visits and will be required to meet costs of approximately £200.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Modules

Students take one compulsory mondule on research skills in Semester 1 and two modules in a chosen area over both Semesters.

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue.

Compulsory module

• Research Skills for Creative Writers: an introduction into gathering IT resources and library materials; primary skills such as proofreading, copy-editing and basic literary theory; the literary marketplace, and the roles of editors, publishers, agents and festival organisers.

Optional modules

Students choose two optional modules in a chosen subject area (prose, poetry or writing for performance) to take over both Semesters 1 and 2.

• Writing Prose 1 and 2: a critical and practical study of the writing of literary prose, including short and long fiction, as well as the literary essay, life writing and other non-fiction forms. 
• Writing Poetry 1 and 2: a range of essential topics in poetry and its composition, including the creative process, sound and sentence, the poetic line, imagery, metaphor, metre and meaning.
• Writing for Performance 1 and 2: introduces key playwriting and screenwriting skills as well as writing for younger audiences and radio.

The modules listed ran in the academic year 2015-2016 and are indicative of this course. There is no guarantee that these modules will run for 2016 entry.

Take a look at the most up to date modules in the module catalogue.

Dissertation

In August, students will submit an original piece of work in one of the following forms: 

• Poetry: a collection of at least 20 shorter poems. Candidates who opt to submit a long poem or poems should do so only after consultation with their supervisor.
• Novel: a novel extract of around 15,000 words. It need not be the opening of the book, but it should be a continuous excerpt and it must be supported by a one-page outline or synopsis showing the intended development of the book.
• Short stories: one or more stories of 15,000 words in total. Prose work in other forms (for example, creative non-fiction) may be submitted but should be discussed in detail with a supervisor.
• Writing for performance: a dramatic piece of about 45 minutes of performance time (8,000 to 10,000 words). This should be developed in consultation with a supervisor.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.

Conferences and events

The School of English hosts research events through its four research groups, Medieval and Renaissance, 18th century, Romantic and Victorian, Modern and Contemporary and Creative Writing.

Events are open to all members of the School and to the public, unless explicitly restricted, and there is an active student-run Literary Society and the Postgraduate Forum, where postgraduates meet to present and discuss their on-going work. Each semester, the School invites distinguished visiting academics and creative writers to lead seminars, lectures and workshops as part of our regular research events.

• English Colloquium
• Postgraduate Forum
• Literary Society

Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our Admissions policy.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online. (PDF, 72 KB).

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online. (PDF, 84 KB).