Creative Writing - MA
Study creative writing at Keele and you’ll join a thriving, close-knit and passionate community of academics, published writers, students and researchers. We share the same goals: to develop our creative and professional skills as a writer, build connections, support and inspire each other. Many of our graduates – ‘Keelites’ – have gone on to become successful novelists, authors, biographers and poets, including Stoke’s first poet laureate and winner of the Roy Fisher Prize. They’ve helped set up community-based literary festivals, artist in residence initiatives and even brought poetry to the masses via a car boot sale and a travelling ambulance.
Month of entry
- September
Mode of study
- Full time, Part time
Fees for 2025/26 academic year
- UK - Full time £10,100 per year. Part time £5,600 per year.
International - £16,600 per year.
Duration of study
- Full time - 1 year, Part time - 2 years
Why study Creative Writing at Keele University?
Course summary
In our modern, uncertain and ever-changing world, words – written or spoken – are needed perhaps now more than ever to help us share experiences, process thoughts and feelings, and fuel our imagination.
The MA Creative Writing course at Keele brings together a strong community of published and aspiring writers in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and storytelling who, like you, appreciate the potential power of words and have embarked on a journey of self-expression.
You’ll be taught and mentored by published writers, prize-winning poets and novelists, both from here within the University and from the active participation of invited guests, for example, at the fortnightly Keele Creative Writing Anthology. Last year, this included acclaimed writer Okechukwu Nzelu, whose first book won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Polari First Book Prize.
You’ll also have the option to participate directly in a wide range of on campus, online and local events, publications, workshops and short courses. This provides experience in event management, curation, reading, presenting and even teaching, as well as the reviewing and editing that is often a writer’s secondary source of income.
Graduates of this course include: Chris Prendergast, whose debut novel was published to high acclaim by Salt in 2014; Deborah Alma, whose ‘Emergency Poet’ project has received international press coverage; and Liz Lefroy, who won the first Roy Fisher Prize in 2001, an award for new poetry endorsed by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.
The MA provides an excellent foundation for further doctoral (PhD) training or academia, here in the UK, Europe or the rest of the world. The excellent communication skills you develop can open doors to careers in publishing, culture, heritage, marketing, public relations or copywriting.
Other courses you may be interested in:
Next steps
Course structure
The underlying aim of this course is to provide a nurturing, supportive creative space to hone your craft, where you can collaborate with like-minded individuals, explore new ideas, experiment with language and learn to arrange words in new and exciting ways.
Teaching and extra-curricular activities are focused on improving your writing to bring it up to a publishable standard – from the 1:1 feedback from your portfolio supervisor to seminars, workshops, writing competitions and open mic nights. You’ll be able to listen to others and present your own work, giving and receiving constructive criticism from a friendly community of writers who are learning alongside you.
The MA Creative Writing can be studied as either a one-year full-time or two-year part-time course. You will complete 180 credits, comprising four compulsory modules (totalling 90 credits), and one or two compulsory optional modules (totalling 90 credits).
The compulsory optional modules include the substantive portfolio module, which provides an exciting opportunity to work under the supervision of an expert in your chosen genre (poetry, fiction, or life writing). Where possible, you’ll be allocated your supervisor at the beginning of the programme, allowing regular consultation and feedback throughout the duration of your studies.
Modules
The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods, as well as student voice. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.
Compulsory modules
The Working Writer: Practices and Contexts (30 credits)
This module introduces you to the idea that there are always current and emerging themes and trends in contemporary writing and explores to what extent your own practice might be affected by this. You will study alongside your fellow writers from other disciplines (poets, fiction writers, screen and scriptwriters) to consider the question 'what is contemporary?' in your field of writing, and how this compares with other forms of creative practice. As a 'working writer', it is also important to have some understanding of how the world of publishing is affected by these issues.
Research Methods in the Humanities, Media, and Creative Arts (15 credits)
This interdisciplinary module equips you with the skills that you need to conduct advanced research in your discipline. Taught by staff from across the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the module introduces you to concepts that are integral to successful research: research ethics, diversity in research, research methods, bibliographic and information skills, writing and performing for different audiences, managing large research projects, applying for research funding, and more!
Workshops and Masterclasses (30 credits)
Working writers have always sought out ways of getting inspiration for new work from peers and mentors, and testing that work in a variety of feedback, review and editing strategies. The Workshops and Masterclasses module offers you a broader insight into how these different strategies work and provides an extensive range of opportunities to generate and shape your writing under the guidance of, and in collaboration with, a range of writers who have something to teach you.
Reflective Practice in the Humanities, Media, and Creative Arts (15 credits)
In this research training module you will be exposed to a variety of approaches to Humanities research, and you will be encouraged to reflect on how those approaches might enhance your own research. What are the Humanities? Who are they for?
Optional modules
Please note: You must complete one of the two portfolio modules, either 'Portfolio' (60 Credits) or 'Creative Writing Portfolio' (90 credits)
Those who select the 60-credit portfolio can also choose ‘Professional Practice in Creative Writing’ or ‘Work Placement for Humanities Postgraduates’.
Portfolio (60 credits)
For this portfolio module, you will be individually supervised by a tutor who is either a poet or a novelist, depending on your choice of focus. You will engage with initial meetings to establish your choices about the kind of writing you will produce. In time, you will prepare drafts of work that will be read by supervisors ahead of meetings, providing written and oral feedback. You will have opportunities to present your work in progress during 'open mic' readings organised by the Creative Writing team. You are guided towards the completion of your work in later supervision meetings.
Creative Writing Portfolio (90 credits)
The 90-credit Creative Writing Portfolio is an option for your portfolio/dissertation element of the Creative Writing MA and is designed to allow you to focus on a more extended piece of writing or a more extended suite of creative materials. You may choose a complete piece of written work or a substantial part of a written work such as, a collection of poetry; a collection of short stories; a short novel; a substantial part of a longer novel; or a screenplay or script. You will also write a reflective commentary to accompany your portfolio.
Professional Practice in Creative Writing (30 credits)
Elevate your career in the creative writing sector through this Professional Practice module. This module offers insights into the dynamic landscape of creative writing and creative industries - from arts and design to media, film, music and cultural heritage. You’ll gain hands-on experience in project management, networking, and self-promotion, alongside strategies for navigating freelance, entrepreneurial, and collaborative work. This module features workshops, industry talks, and real-world case studies and offers the chance to collaborate with an industry/external partner on building a portfolio, preparing you to thrive in a competitive field with the skills to turn your creative passion into a sustainable career.
Work Placement for Humanities Postgraduates (30 credits)
This module is designed to give postgraduate students studying the Humanities the opportunity to contribute to the world beyond the University, in any workplace where the research, analytical, and communication skills developed as part of a postgraduate Humanities degree can be used. The chosen workplace may be, for example, a local museum, theatre, library, school or education provider, marketing company, local newspaper, local radio, or another suitable opportunity identified by the student and approved by the module leader. While on the placement, you will produce a theoretically-informed portfolio critically reflecting on and giving evidence of the activities/outputs completed at your chosen workplace.
Next steps
Entry requirements
A portfolio is required once you have applied. If you have a very high quality portfolio but do not otherwise meet the entry requirements, we may be able to accept this in lieu of entry requirements as part of the RPL process (see below). The portfolio should consist of 10-15 poems and/or 5,000-6,000 words of prose.
Next steps
Entry requirements
The following section details our typical entry requirements for this course for a range of UK and international qualifications. If you don't see your qualifications listed, please contact us to find out if we can accept your qualifications.
Typical offer
Please ensure that you read the full entry requirements by selecting your qualifications from the dropdown menu below. This will include any subject specific, GCSE/Level 2 Maths, and English language requirements you may need.
Please select your country from the drop-down list below for the full entry requirement information
UK
2:2 degree in any subject or demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Bangladesh
60% in a 4-year degree or 3-year degree with a 2-year Master's in any subject from a public university
or
CGPA 2.8 in a 4-year degree or 3-year degree with a 2-year Master's in any subject from a private university
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
We don’t accept degrees from certain universities, please see our Bangladesh Country Page for more information
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Canada
70% or C or a GPA of 2.5 in a degree (Ordinary or Honours) in any subject or demonstrated relevant professional qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
China
70% in a degree in any subject or 65% in a degree in any subject from a '211' university or demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Ghana
Second class degree in any subject or demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
India
55% or CGPA 6/10 in any degree of three years or longer
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Kenya
Second class degree in any subject or demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Nepal
60% / 2.4 in a 4-year Bachelor's degree in any subject
or
65% / CGPA 2.8 in a 3-year Bachelor's degree in any subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Nigeria
Second class degree in any subject or demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Pakistan
We accept a range of qualifications from Pakistan. Please visit our for more information
or we will consider demonstrated relevant professional qualifications or experience
You will also need an English language qualification (see below)
South Africa
Second class division 2 / 60% in a Bachelor's degree with Honours in any subject
or
Second class division 1 / 70% in an Ordinary Bachelor's degree in any subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Sri Lanka
55% in a Special Bachelor's degree in any subject or demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Uganda
Second class degree in any subject or demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Zimbabwe
Second class degree in any subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
and
a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems and/or around 5,000 words of prose
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
A portfolio is required once you have applied. If you have a very high quality portfolio but do not otherwise meet the entry requirements, we may be able to accept this in lieu of entry requirements as part of the RPL process (see below). The portfolio should consist of 10-15 poems and/or 5,000-6,000 words of prose.
English language requirements
All of our courses require an English language qualification or test. For most students, this requirement can be met with a 4 or C in GCSE English. Please see our English Language guidance pages for further details, including English language test information for international students. For those students who require an English language test, this course requires a test from Group B.
References
Normally, you will need to provide at least one academic reference to support your application unless you have been out of study longer than two years. If it has been more than two years since you last studied on a degree-level programme, you will normally need to provide an employment reference instead. For more information about Academic References, please see our Postgraduate how to apply web pages.
Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose
Please see our Postgraduate how to apply web pages for guidance on what to include in your personal statement.
Recognition of Prior Learning
The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process which enables applicants to receive recognition and formal credit for learning acquired in the past through formal study or work and life experiences.
RPL can also be requested for admission onto the start of a programme in lieu of the admission requirements. For more information, see our Recognition of Prior Learning web pages.
Professional qualifications and work experience
The majority of our courses will consider relevant work experience and/or professional qualifications at the appropriate level, as an alternative to an undergraduate degree for entry. The work experience should be for a sustained period and at a suitable level, based within a relevant sector to your chosen course.
Admissions staff will review your work experience and/or professional qualifications during the assessment of your application to ensure suitability in terms of relevancy, level and appropriate learning outcomes.
General information
The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the typical offer which would be made to candidates, along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.
Funding
Living costs
Keele University is located on a beautiful campus and has all the facilities of a small town. Student accommodation, shops, restaurants and cafes are all within walking distance of the teaching buildings. This is a very cost effective way to live and to reduce your living costs.
Please note, if your course offers a January start date, the January 2025 start date falls in the 2024/25 academic year. Please see the January 2025 fees for the relevant fees for starting this course in January 2025
Planning your funding
It's important to plan carefully for your funding before you start your course. Please be aware that not all postgraduate courses and not all students are eligible for the UK government postgraduate loans and, in some cases, you would be expected to source alternative funding yourself. If you need support researching your funding options, please contact our Financial Support Team.
Scholarships
We are committed to rewarding excellence and potential. Please visit our scholarships and bursaries webpage for more information.
For continuing students, fees will increase annually by RPIX, with a maximum cap of 5% per year.
Next steps
Your career
Many of our graduates have gone on to become successful poets and novelists; some are dedicated to spreading the positive vibes that creative writing can bring.
Take Gabriella Gay, for example, who chose to set up a writers residency at Hanley car boot sale while studying, or the ‘Emergency Poet’ Deborah Alma. As well as sharing poetry from the back of a vintage ambulance at festivals, conferences, hospitals and care settings, libraries and schools, Deborah has transformed a disused Edwardian shop in Shropshire into a walk-in pharmacy dispensing poetry.
Throughout your studies, you will be encouraged to reflect on the academic, creative and general skills you are developing and, more importantly, how you can articulate these skills in applications and interviews.
Taking your studies to postgraduate level develops a range of personal and professional skills, including clear and critical thinking, originality, problem-solving, innovative questioning and, of course, excellent communication. Much sought-after by employers, these skills can open doors to a wide range of careers from teaching to management consulting.
Our graduates typically go on to work in fields such as agenting, bookselling, culture and heritage, education, marketing, communications, public relations, publishing, copywriting, and information management. Some, like Stephen Seabridge, also go on to complete PhDs here at Keele or elsewhere. Stephen was named as the Potteries first poet laureate 2018-2021 shortly after embarking on his PhD studies in creative writing and currently contributes to teaching on the MA.
Positions may include:
- Academic
- Author
- Copywriter
- Curator
- Events manager
- Marketing executive
- Novelist
- Poet
- Philosopher
- PR Officer
- Researcher
- Teacher
Next steps
Teaching, learning and assessment
How you'll be taught
This course includes a combination of taught classes, lectures, seminars, individual and small group work and guided independent study. With smaller-sized classes, our ethos is very much about learning co-operatively and supportively in a friendly, nurturing environment, sharing your ideas with tutors and peers and vice versa.
A core component on teaching is the supervision you receive as part of your portfolio preparation. This provides an important opportunity to discuss your ideas and guide your research and writing. While our vibrant (in person and online) reading programme and lecture series gives you multiple opportunities to network and learn from the experiences of a range of guest lecturers. Last year, this featured Rob Hopkins, an activist, founder of the Transition Movement and author of six books on environmentalism and activism.
How you’ll be assessed
As is to be expected from a creative writing programme, the assessment of writing assignments lies at the core of our assessment. This is done through a variety of different methods: written assignments in a specified literary genre; verbal presentations; written assignments in the form of a critical essay; and a portfolio of writing in a specified literary genre. Creative writing assignments are used to judge your progress in terms your knowledge and understanding of form and subject matter, grammar, originality, control of literary form and control of voice, style, idiom and register.
Next steps
Keele Postgraduate Association
Keele University is one of a handful of universities in the UK to have a dedicated students' union for postgraduate students. A fully registered charity, Keele Postgraduate Association serves as a focal point for the social life and welfare needs of all postgraduate students during their time at Keele.
Hugely popular, the KPA Clubhouse (near Horwood Hall) provides a dedicated postgraduate social space and bar on campus, where you can grab a bite to eat and drink, sit quietly and read a book, or switch off from academic life at one of the many regular events organised throughout the year. The KPA also helps to host a variety of conferences, as well as other academic and career sessions, to give you and your fellow postgraduates the opportunities to come together to discuss your research, and develop your skills and networks.
Our expertise
Teaching staff
You’ll be taught within a tight-knit, supportive community of writers with expertise in poetry, life writing and the novel, and theory, criticism and creative writing. Our goal is to expose you to the kinds of discussion and critical interaction that will enable you to see your writing not just as self-expression, but as part of an evolving literary tradition.
Teaching team includes:
James Sheard, Senior Lecturer – author of Scattering Eva (Jonathan Cape, 2005), shortlisted for both the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and the Glenn Dimplex Award, Dammtor (Jonathan Cape, 2010) and The Abandoned Settlements (Jonathan Cape, 2017), which was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize.
Emma Henderson, Lecturer – author of Grace Williams Says It Loud (Sceptre, 2011), which won the McKitterick Prize and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Commonwealth Writers’ First Book Award, the Authors’ Club First Novel Award, the Wellcome Book Prize and was runner-up for the Mind Book of the Year. Her second novel The Valentine House (Sceptre, 2017), which was shortlisted for the Historical Writers Association Gold Crown Award.
Professor Tim Lustig, Professor in American Literature – author of Henry James and the Ghostly (1994) and Knight Prisoner: Thomas Malory Then and Now (2013), he edited the World's Classics edition of 'The Turn of the Screw' and has more recently edited a collection of essays with James Peacock, Diseases and Disorders in Contemporary Fiction: The Syndrome Syndrome (2013). Tim's most recent publication (2019) is a critical edition of The Sacred Fount, which forms part of Cambridge University Press' The Complete Fiction of Henry James. His research interests lie in British and American children's writing, c.1850-1950.
Professor Ceri Morgan, Senior Lecturer – Ceri's works increasingly on participatory projects, and runs geopoetics (walking and creative practice) workshops in the local region and beyond. Material from workshops she has led on the Potteries and coal mining industries in Stoke-on-Trent has been displayed in two exhibitions: Back to the Drawing Board (Keele University, 2016-17) and Memories of Mining (Silverdale Library, 2017-18).
Dr Lisa Blower, Lecturer - Lisa is an award-winning writer and academic hailed by Kit De Waal as the 'natural heir to Arnold Bennett'. Lisa is a champion of working-class literature and regional voices, often paying homage to The Potteries where she grew up. She's the author of 2 novels, 'Sitting Ducks (Fair Acre Press, 2016) - shortlisted for The Rubery Award, the Arnold Bennett Prize and The Guardian's Not the Booker - and 'Pondweed' (Myriad Editions, 2020).
Freddie Machin, Lecturer - Freddie originally trained as an actor, graduating from the conservatoire training at Manchester School of Theatre with a Ba(Hons). As an actor his career was predominantly on stage, performing at many reputable venues around the UK as well as the Edinburgh Fringe and Gifford Circus.
Next steps
Facilities
The School of Humanities delivers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes in the discipline areas of English Literature/Creative Writing, Film Studies, History, Media, Communications and Creative Practice, and Music Production and Sound Design.
Located within the Chancellor’s Building, the Keele Writing Room is our main teaching room, which is also available outside of teaching hours for you to work and exchange views with other students. A dedicated website for the Keele Hall Readings gives information about events, including the annual literary anthology, as does the The Keele English and Creative Writing page on Facebook, which also acts as an interactive forum for students.
The Library has a range of publications and online resources relevant to the programme and broader humanities research, including Early English Books Online (EEBO) and Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), as well as the Staffordshire Studies repository for those interested in local writers. Keele is also within easy travelling distance of other major libraries, archives and collections, such as Manchester’s John Rylands and Chetham’s Libraries, the Gladstone Library, and the University Libraries of Birmingham, Oxford and Liverpool, as well as the extensive scholarly resources and libraries of London.
Next steps
