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Introduction
Creative Writing is an increasingly popular subject at degree level and beyond.
It assists students in developing their passion for creative expression into successful writing (and we encourage and equip our graduates to publish their work).
It also supports independent writing projects that require both flexibility and sustained, self-motivated research - excellent training for a range of working lives and the bedrock of any entrepreneurial career.
The ability to produce good clear writing is an invaluable skill in a world awash with reports, from teaching to management.
Communicating clearly through precise language prepares students for a range of careers, from writing-based advertising or journalism, to related professions such as publishing, publicity or arts administration.
Creative Writing is well established at UWTSD. Our MA in Creative Writing was the first in Wales in 1997 and joint and single honours undergraduate programs soon followed.
As a result of their professional mentoring several former students now work in publishing and associated industries and we are proud of our track record of student publishing and award-winning success — we have at least one a year and many go on to further successful publications.
The course is offered both residentially and through blended (mixed on-campus/online) delivery.
Why choose this course?
• Study within a supportive but critical community of writers
• Focus on the understanding of publishing
• Wide application of writing skills
• Excellent employability through training in the key skills required for any high-level job
• Flexible delivery, including option to finish course with 12 months
Overview
The University has an excellent track record for the study of Creative Writing. Our Masters programme in Creative Writing has attracted students from a range of backgrounds and experiences — from recent graduates to mature students with a wealth of life experience.
This programme is designed for committed writers who wish to complete significant pieces of work and generally broaden their experience as writers.
The programme offers participants an opportunity to work with a range of writers across a number of genres, both campus based and visiting. It also introduces students to understanding how publishing works.
Modules focus on acquiring an understanding of creativity and genre, research skills for writers, and self determined projects. The creative project/dissertation element of the course allows students to develop work of a publishable standard with an individual tutor.
Modules
PG Cert, PG Dip & MA
• The Child in the Time: Representation of the Child in Modern Literature (30 credits; optional)
• The Craft of Writing: Exploring Voice, Form, and Practice (30 credits; compulsory)
• The Writer's World (30 credits; compulsory)
• Writing Workshop: Researching and Writing Place and Context (30 credits; optional)
• Writing Workshop: Researching and Writing to a Single Focus (30 credits; compulsory).
MA
• Creative Writing Project (Dissertation) (60 credits; compulsory).
Entry Criteria
Applicants may have achieved a 2:1 degree in Creative Writing or a cognate discipline (those with a 2:2 may be considered for entry to a Postgraduate Diploma in the first instance). Other applicants without a first degree but with a level of experience are also encouraged to apply. In all cases a writing sample and interview will form the major part of the application process.
ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.
IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Assessment
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Assessment
The programme’s assessment strategy consists of formative and summative assessments. Students are assessed on a range of creative and reflective writings, including creative tasks, reflective journal, review, and research essay.
Assessment for the programme has been informed by studies in Creative Writing Education as well as the subject benchmark statements of the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE, 2008) and the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA, 2016).
The decision to have 4 modules in part one - two assessed by portfolio and two through an individual research project – aims to hone particular writing skills and develop a larger sweep of focus. These modules prepare the student to manage the research and writing required for the Dissertation length Creative Project.
The first portfolio module presents the student with a range of different approaches to writing and a range of different tasks; the second introduces the writer to opportunities and ways of functioning as a professional writer. There is a similar stepped progression in the two research modules: the first focuses on researching and writing around an individual subject; the second broadens out to include context in the form of place or time. All require some meditation on, and reassessment of, writerly strategies employed in the practice.
The Assessment Strategy is designed in relation to the Learning Outcomes of the MA Programme and the individual component of that programme which is the module. Links are made throughout to the value of each assessment in enhancing the employability skills of graduates, both as professional writers and as writers applying their skills in an appropriate field. For Creative Writers a heightened awareness of linguistic pattern and meaning, high-level written and spoken communication skills and the invaluable skills of listening and discussion essential to any management position.
The second purpose is that of developing highly skilled and flexible graduates with training in the key skills required for any high-level job: the abilities to discriminate, absorb, manage, and process complex information, to formulate and construct complex arguments that may be pitched appropriately to different audiences. As the study and practice of written communication, Graduates will be trained in good presentation and communication skills, particularly the skills of listening and co-operating without losing focus.
Career Opportunities
Through its links to a host of subjects including Drama, Media, Journalism, Film Studies and Theatre Studies, Creative Writing offers a range of possible writing opportunities. Our location in west Wales enables us to draw on opportunities in a developing area of film and television production here.
Students are introduced to understanding the world of the self-employed writer by being introduced to publishing (from approaching publishers, the steps of publication, the necessity of documents such as AI sheets), self-presentation in readings, collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects, residencies etc.
One of the biggest areas of growth is viral advertising narratives and there are also collaborative opportunities in games design and narrative. Links with Literature or History can lead to other possibilities, for example to careers involving narratives associated with archives and museums.
More widely the focus on both the structure and detail of language develops skills essential to any high-level graduate employment: to formulate and write clear and coherent narratives that present complex information to mixed (or at least varied) audiences. In addition, the programme focus on the respect and listening skills of the workshop is equally valuable. These skills are essential to any of the professions that deal directly with people. These may include social work, probation services, mental health advocates etc.
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