MA Creative Writing by Research
Advance your writing craft with our research-led MA in Creative Writing, with opportunities to experiment and develop publishable work.
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Course overview
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Find out moreAbout the course
The MA in Creative Writing by research offers a valuable opportunity to dedicate yourself to a creative writing project of your choice. This may take various forms, such as a collection of poems, a series of short stories, or a script for a stage play. With the guidance of supervisors and peers, this course will enable you to undertake practice-based research, develop your writing craft, and refine your work to publishable standards.
The course involves the production of both creative and critical work in tandem with one another. It allows you to take risks in the process of developing your creative writing project of choice by starting with the completion of project preliminaries. These include:
- A creative writing portfolio for which you are encouraged to experiment with different forms and genre
- A preliminary reflective commentary for which you are asked to critically reflect upon your process and the work in your portfolio
- An extended research proposal which outlines your plan for your final creative project.
For your final project, you can choose between poetry, prose fiction, drama, creative nonfiction, or a hybrid work. This final submission will respond to a critical enquiry outlined in your extended research proposal and it will include a reflective commentary.
Course Highlights
- The opportunity both to experiment with different creative writing forms and undertake a more extensive creative writing project.
- Supportive teaching practices involving one-on-one supervisions, facilitated workshops, and seminars given by visiting practitioners and members of staff.
- Flexible and autonomous working conditions.
- An encouraging environment in which to network and discuss your project with other creative writers.
- The opportunity to work on practice-based research and develop both creative and critical skillsets.
Course breakdown
The MA commences in the September or January of each year, on a full or part-time basis. It takes one year when studying full-time, or two years part-time.
For the MA, full-time attendance on campus is not required, but overseas students in particular, or home students wishing to use libraries intensively, may apply for a room in the University’s accommodation. Alternatively, you can travel in for the teaching days, and your one-to-one sessions with your supervisors can be arranged for any day of the week.
Term 1
Your first term in the full-time programme (or first two terms part-time) involves familiarising yourself with the course and experimenting with different styles, forms, perspectives, and/or genres. From this, you will create early drafts of work which will become part of your creative portfolio. You will take notes on this process to include in your preliminary reflective commentary. You will also work on your extended research proposal for your final creative work, which comprises of a significant development to your pre-admission outline.
Term 2
In your second term in the full-time programme (or next two terms part-time), you will work on re-drafting, editing, and refining your creative work for your creative portfolio, and you will undertake research for your preliminary reflective commentary. This commentary should demonstrate its interactive relationship with the creative work in your portfolio.
Term 3
During your third and fourth term full-time (or second year part-time), you will work towards the completion of your final creative project and its accompanying reflective commentary.
View course modules
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Teaching and assessment
We keep class sizes small so you won’t get lost in the crowd. You will be assigned a personal tutor to support you every step of the way, and our academic and student support teams will ensure you have the tools to success in your studies. We value the quality of your learning experience.
Teaching methods
This course is taught through one-on-one supervisions, facilitated workshops, and group seminars. Seminars and workshops are led both by staff and visiting creative practitioners, including acclaimed writers, editors, and publishers.
The independent creative work and research you will undertake will be supported by your supervisors. This will involve in-depth discussions on research methodologies, techniques, concepts, and help accessing and navigating a range of resources, including theory, exercises, databases, and innovative forms of creative practice. We emphasise readerly techniques as crucial modes of developing your craft and we encourage creative risk-taking as part of your writing process.
Your supervisor will also provide regular feedback on your works-in-progress, as well as formal feedback on your project preliminaries and final dissertation.
There will be plenty of opportunities to collaborate with peers, join group discussion, and benefit from peer-to-peer feedback in workshop settings. These workshops are designed to help you learn to both receive and give feedback on creative works-in-progress.
Your supervised independent work will be supported by regular visiting practitioner seminars on creative specialisms, research training, and professional writing contexts. There will also be opportunities to attend the postgraduate seminars in English Literature. As a research degree, this MA is primarily undertaken by independent autonomous learning, and these are not formal or compulsory lectures or seminars. Instead, they are designed to help both with the projects you are undertaking on the MA and with navigating creative industries and the professional writing world outside of the university.
Assessment Methods
Students are assessed via:
- Project preliminaries (weighted at 60 credits in total)
- Final submission (weighted at 120 credits).
The project preliminaries comprise of:
- An extended research proposal (3000-5000 words): This establishes the critical enquiry that will form the basis for the overall project, and details how the creative and reflective work will respond to this research question. It surveys the creative and critical field to be explored, including primary research materials and resources.
- A creative writing portfolio (~5000 words depending on form): This comprises of creative writing which is distinct but related to the final project, and which responds to a research question which is ancillary or contributory to the project’s overall critical enquiry.
- A preliminary reflective commentary (3000 words): This sets out the research question for the creative writing portfolio and demonstrates how the creative work responds to that question, outlines its methodological approach, and shows an awareness of the literary and critical fields in which it sits.
Your final submission comprises of:
- A creative writing project (~20,000 words depending on which form it takes)
- A reflective commentary (~10,000 words).
These respond to a critical enquiry outlined in the proposal and are undertaken in tandem.
There are no exams.
After your course
As this course involves the development of creative and critical skillsets, it is a valuable qualification for those wishing to pursue an academic career, as well as for those wishing to enter creative industries, such as publishing, marketing, entertainment, and theatre.
The programme also provides an ideal grounding for those interested in further study in the form of a Creative Writing or another practice-based PhD. It is also beneficial for a career in writing and for those who wish to become a published novelist or poet, or to work as a journalist, copywriter, or content creator.
Here are just some of the career opportunities and skills that can stem from studying on this course:
Career opportunities
- Professional writing
- Technical writing
- Marketing
- Publishing
- Journalism
- Education
- Content creation
- Academia.
Career skills
- Advanced writing and communication skills
- Advanced research and critical thinking skills
- Advanced decision-making and problem-solving skills
- Ability to show initiative and flexibility in the face of complexity and challenges
- Ability to receive, apply, and offer constructive feedback
- Ability to learn autonomously and to work independently
- Professional skills such as organisation, time-management, and digital skills.
Careers and Employability Support
Our courses strive to effectively combine academic challenge with the transferable skills that will stand you in good stead for future employment. The Buckingham tutorial teaching model means that our students are well prepared as they embark on their careers and future study.
Find out more about our Careers and Employability Service.
Further study
Further your expertise in your field of study with our doctoral degrees.
“Upon completing my postgraduate degree, I have undoubtedly obtained the necessary independent and research skills to embark on my professional journey. The extensive knowledge I have acquired through this advanced degree sets me apart from other candidates, giving me a distinct advantage.”
Eleanor, Postgraduate student
Entry requirements
See our general University entry requirements for information on flexible entry, mature students and alternative qualifications.
The standard entry requirements are:
- A first or upper second-class honours degree from a recognised university (previous experience with Arts and/or Humanities subjects essential) or,
- a recognised professional qualification with relevant work experience, or a previous publication of creative work.
International Applicants
Find out about our requirements and see useful information for international applicants:
If you are uncertain whether you will be eligible to apply for this course, please contact our Admissions team.
Course fees
The fees for this course are:
| Start | Type | 1st Year | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Month Year Full-time (2 Years) | UK | £00,000 | £00,000 |
| INT | £00,000 | £00,000 | |
Month Year Full-time (2 Years) | UK | £00,000 | £00,000 |
| INT | £00,000 | £00,000 |
The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.
Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.
Scholarships and bursaries
How to apply
When you apply, please give an outline of your ideas so far for your creative project (300-500 words) in the ‘Personal Statement’ section. This could include:
- A description of your creative project (e.g. ‘I am interested in writing a reimagination of Shakespeare’s H̕amlet set in a contemporary sixth form college’)
- A proposed initial critical enquiry (e.g. ‘How can young adult fiction explore and respond to early modern drama?’)
- A consideration of your work’s literary and critical context (e.g. “I will look at the genre of recent young adult fiction, its features and its audience, in addition to practice-based research on Shakespeare…”) including a short biography of relevant works (e.g., Michelle Ray’s Falling for Hamlet (2011), Cat Winters’ The Steep and Thorny Way (2016), Deborah Lindsay Williams’ The Necessity of Young Adult Fiction: The Literary Agenda (2023).
Please also include an example of your creative writing, maximum 300 words. Preferably, this should be in a similar form and/or genre to your proposed creative project.
At this stage, you do not need to have a fully-formed idea of your creative project, but an indication of your areas of interest. Your critical enquiry and creative methodologies are expected and encouraged to change over the course of your study. If you would like to discuss your creative and critical ideas before applying, please e-mail Dr Hes Bradley: hes.bradley@buckingham.ac.uk
Apply direct
Apply online from this page as:
- You can apply until shortly before the course starts.
- There are no application fees.
You can apply directly through our website by clicking the ‘Apply Now’ button.