Welcome to MA Creative Writing

Join our international community of writers at the University of Lincoln.

Our MA in Creative Writing is an innovative and exciting course that provides opportunities to work closely with practising creative writers and professionals from the publishing industry. It is designed to encourage you to improve your craft as a writer, develop your philosophy of composition, and explore contemporary forms of literature and the creative industries. The course has a strong focus on employability and aims to prepare you for a professional writing or publishing career.

You will have the opportunity to learn from an enthusiastic team of professional writers whose work has been widely published, broadcast, and staged. Our academic team includes award-winning poet, essayist, and literary translator Daniele Pantano; award-winning science fiction writer Chris Dows; award-winning novelists Sarah Stovell, Guy Mankowski, and Amy Lilwall; and award-winning playwright and short story writer Sue Healy.

There is an opportunity to gain hands-on experience working on The Lincoln Review, an international literary journal edited exclusively by undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Students may benefit from the experience of a range of writers, editors, dramaturges, producers, and directors who visit the University of Lincoln to deliver inspirational talks or masterclasses. Previous speakers include Patience Agbabi, Ann Cleeves, Andrew Graham-Dixon, Visiting Professor Chris Packham CBE, Robert Shearman, and the former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who became a Visiting Artist at the University in 2015 and regularly visits Lincoln to engage with students and read a selection of her works.

If you would like to discuss the MA Creative Writing in more detail, please contact the programme leader.

How You Study

This course offers the opportunity to work across different genres and formats, including, but not limited to, fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, creative nonfiction, and the graphic novel. Teaching takes place in lectures, seminars, and workshops.

How You Are Assessed

Student writers will be continuously assessed through a variety of exercises. These range from writing prose fiction, poetry, and drama, adapting work from one genre to another, editing, writing within the conventions of a specific genre, or undertaking a piece of creative nonfiction. The final piece of work required is a 15,000-word creative project. Submitted works are collated into portfolios, with evaluations on style and technique.

Career and Personal Development

This programme is designed to provide training for a career in writing, from fiction to screen and radio adaptation. You have the opportunity to develop advanced communication skills which can open up career opportunities across the creative industries in publishing, research, teaching and the media. Some graduates choose to continue their studies at doctoral level.

The University Careers and Employability Team offer qualified advisors who can work with you to provide tailored, individual support and careers advice during your time at the University. As a member of our alumni we also offer one-to-one support in the first year after completing your course, including access to events, vacancy information and website resources; with access to online vacancies and virtual and website resources for the following two years.

This service can include one-to-one coaching, CV advice and interview preparation to help you maximise your future opportunities.
The service works closely with local, national and international employers, acting as a gateway to the business world.