
Creative Writing - MA
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Find out how to make your way in the world as a writer, through our MA in Creative Writing. Discover your literary voice, exploring your creative potential in a supportive and well-resourced environment.
Overview
A cross-cultural, interdisciplinary programme, you spend your first term at our Canterbury campus with full access to its excellent academic and recreational facilities. You also visit Paris, where you meet our Paris staff and are taken on a tour of the city. We offer advice and support to help you relocate.
In the spring term, you then relocate to the Paris School of Arts and Culture where you study at the Columbia Global Center, in a historic corner of Montparnasse.
In your final term, you complete your MA by writing a portfolio of creative work defined in collaboration with your academic supervisors.
Why study Creative Writing at Kent:
- A wide range of expertise: Teaching is delivered by practising, award-winning writers with a wide range of experience. We bring expertise in the industry to our teaching and research.
- Make your voice heard: Be at the forefront of debate in our lively, confident, and engaged research community.
- Join a new generation of critical thinkers: Develop your own critique of a culture in crisis and sharpen your critical language.
- A vibrant academic community: Join a lively, diverse community committed to high-quality literary fiction and exciting contemporary poetry, with alumni and staff including published authors and Nobel Laureates.
- Choose your location: The Creative Writing MA can also be studied solely in our Paris centre or solely in Canterbury.
About the School of English
The School of English has a strong international reputation and global perspective, apparent both in the background of its staff and in the diversity of our teaching and research interests. You will be a part of a lively, confident research culture, sustained by a vibrant, ambitious intellectual community.
Our expertise ranges from the medieval to the postmodern, including British, American and Irish literature, postcolonial writing, 18th-century studies, Shakespeare, early modern literature and culture, Victorian studies, modern poetry, critical theory and cultural history.
As scholars and creative practitioners, academic staff in the School of English are national and international leaders in their fields. To find out more about our research areas and staffs research interests.
Studying at the Paris School of Arts and Culture
The Paris School of Arts and Culture is a specialist, postgraduate centre located in the heart of Paris. We offer interdisciplinary, flexible programmes, taught in English, which take full advantage of all the cultural resources Paris offers. Study trips to the city’s museums, art exhibitions, archives, cinemas and architectural riches are an integral part of your studies.
The interdisciplinary nature of the School means you can choose modules from outside your subject area, broadening your view of your subject. As part of our international community of students and staff, you can take part in regular seminars and talks, write for the student-run literary magazine or help to organise our annual student conference.
Entry requirements
A first or second class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, or substantial creative writing experience. You are required to submit a sample of your creative writing, and this will be the most significant factor in admissions decisions. Applicants may be called to interview.
Writing sample
A piece or portfolio of creative work should be uploaded on the ‘Declaration’ page of the online application form. If fiction, this should be around 1,500–2,000 words; if poetry, approximately four pages. This should be written in English, and should be a recent sample where possible.
We're looking for ambition and originality, and a firm grasp of the form in which you're working and its essential elements (e.g. structure, characterisation, theme, effective imagery, appropriate choice of form, clarity and originality of concept and language). We will read this sample to ensure that you have the necessary experience and grounding in writing craft to undertake MA study.
On the ‘Course Details’ page, you should submit a description of around 300 words of your creative writing plans. Please tell us whether you intend to work in fiction, poetry, or narrative non-fiction and what experience you have working in this form. Please also give some indication of the concerns, style, ideas and/or themes that you are interested in exploring in your work.
Request for consideration on the grounds of equivalent professional status
Candidates who hold no first degree, or a first degree in a non-literary/creative subject area should include in their applications a summary of any information that might allow us to support the application on the grounds of ‘equivalent professional status’. This could include previous writing publication credits or other successes and/or relevant professional achievements.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
International students
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
English language entry requirements
The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.
For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages.
Need help with English?
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
Form

Course structure
Duration: 1 year full-time
You take two modules in each of the first two terms and a Creative Writing Dissertation in the third.
You are required to take either Poetry 1 or Fiction 1 in the first term and either Paris Workshop or Paris: Portfolio in the second. In the first term, you may choose from any of the other Creative Writing or English modules on offer at the Canterbury campus and in the second term, you choose from the Paris modules list.While in Paris, you are encouraged to attend readings and talks, and to organise your own writing workshops.
For further information about the University of Kent, Paris, please see www.kent.ac.uk/paris.
Modules
The modules below are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
Optional modules:
EN891 - Fiction 1 (30 credits)
EN910 - Non-fiction: People (30 credits)
EN899 – Paris: Portfolio (30 credits)
EN920 – Paris Workshop (30 credits)
Compulsory module:
EN997 - Dissertation: Creative Writing (60 credits)
There is an also indicative list of modules which you may be able to study in Paris.
Teaching
Teaching and assessment
You take a total of four modules, for which you will produce approximately 5,000 words each (or an equivalent number of poems or translations). In addition, you write a creative dissertation of about 12,000 words (or an equivalent number of poems or translations).
Programme aims
This programme aims to:
- provide you with the opportunity to obtain a postgraduate qualification (MA) in one year, and to allow you, if required, a smooth transition to doctoral studies
- give you the breadth of experience of studying creative writing modules in Canterbury in the Autumn term, and then spending the Spring term in Paris writing ‘in residence’ while pursuing one other Kent at Paris module
- extend and deepen your understanding of your own writing practice through coursework and research
- enable you to develop an historical awareness of literary and creative writing traditions, particularly those that have been located in, or in some other way focussed on, Paris develop your independent critical thinking and judgement
- develop your independent creative thinking and practice
- develop your knowledge and understanding of relevant aspects of contemporary Paris and the literary history of the city with a view to you incorporating some of these aspects into your own creative and critical writing
- develop your understanding and critical appreciation of the expressive resources of language
- enable you to make connections across your various modules and transfer knowledge between modules
- provide you with teaching, workshops and other learning opportunities that are informed by current research and practice and that require you to engage with aspects of work and practice at the frontiers of knowledge.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You will gain knowledge and understanding of:
- key texts from contemporary British, American, postcolonial and world literatures
- the main aspects of literary techniques and theory in either fiction or poetry, including point of view, form, style, voice, characterisation, structure and theme
- key literary traditions and movements, both contemporary and historical
- the cultural history of modern Paris, as reflected in art and literature
- terminology used in literary criticism
- terminology used in creative practice
- the cultural and historical contexts in which literature is written, published and read
- critical theory and its applications to both reading and writing
- the study and creation of the ‘text’ and how this is influenced by cultural factors
- inter- and multidisciplinary approaches to the advanced practice of creative and critical writing
- research methods.
Intellectual skills
You develop intellectual skills in:
- the application of the skills needed for advanced academic study and enquiry
- the evaluation of your research findings
- the ability to synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding of theory and/or practice
- the ability to make discriminations and selections of relevant information from a wide source and large body of knowledge
- exercise of problem-solving skills
- communication of complex ideas in prose, poetry or both
- adaptation skills: learn to work in different environments by adapting to the educational, cultural and professional environments of England and France, while adopting an interdisciplinary approach to literary and creative studies.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in:
- advanced creative writing skills in prose, poetry or both.
- the ability to produce work with ambition, depth, intellectual structure, sophistication, scope, independence and importance
- the ability to sustain a piece of creative work and make choices about form, content and style
- an understanding of a ‘whole’ in creative practice (whether this is a novel, a collection of poems or short stories or some other advanced project)
- the ability to present creative writing professionally, both orally and in writing, demonstrating an awareness and understanding of current practice
- advanced understanding of literary themes
- enhanced skills in the close critical analysis of literary and other texts
- informed critical understanding of the variety of critical and theoretical approaches to the study of texts and source materials
- an ability to articulate knowledge and understanding of texts, concepts and theories relating to advanced English or cultural studies
- well-developed linguistic skills, including a grasp of standard critical terminology
- appropriate scholarly practice in the presentation of formal written work
- an understanding of how cultural norms and assumptions influence questions of judgement
- knowledge of French and European culture and literature
- knowledge of the cultural development of modern Paris, as expressed in literature, art and creative writing practice.
Transferable skills
You will gain the following transferable skills:
- advanced skills in communication, in speech and writing
- the ability to offer and receive constructive criticism
- the capacity to argue a point of view, orally and in written form, with clarity, organisation and cogency
- enhanced confidence in the efficient presentation of ideas
- the ability to assimilate, organise and work with substantial quantities of complex information
- competence in the planning and execution of coursework
- the capacity for independent thought, reasoned judgement, and self-criticism
- enhanced skills in collaborative intellectual and creative work
- the ability to understand, interrogate and apply a variety of theoretical and/or creative positions and weigh the importance of alternative approaches
- research skills, including scholarly information retrieval skills
- IT: word-processing, the ability to access electronic data and the ability to work efficiently and effectively in an online learning environment
- living and working in diverse cultural environments: You will participate and work in academic communities in both Canterbury and Paris. You will thus develop cultural knowledge and understanding, flexibility, imagination, resourcefulness and tolerance.
Fees
The 2023/24 annual tuition fees for this course are:
- Home full-time £9500
- EU full-time £13500
- International full-time £18000
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
Your fee status
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Additional costs
General additional costs
Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
- University and external funds
- Scholarships specific to the academic school delivering this programme.
Scholarships
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarships
Independent rankings
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 100% of our English Language and Literature research was classified as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ for impact and environment.
An impressive 100% of our research-active staff submitted to the REF and 93% of our research was judged to be ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Following the REF 2021, English Language and Literature at Kent was ranked in the top 20 in the UK in the Times Higher Education.
Research
Research areas
Research in the School of English comes roughly under the following areas. However, there is often a degree of overlap between groups, and individual staff have interests that range more widely.
Eighteenth Century
The particular interests of the Centre for Studies in the Long Eighteenth Century converge around gender, class, nation, travel and empire, and the relationship between print and material culture. Staff in the Centre pursue cutting-edge approaches to the field and share a commitment to interdisciplinary methodologies.
The Centre regularly hosts visiting speakers as part of the School of English research seminar programme, and hosts day symposia, workshops and international conferences.
Nineteenth Century
The recently established Centre for Victorian Literature and Culture provides a stimulating and distinctive research environment for staff and students through seminars, conferences and collaborative research projects. The MA in Dickens and Victorian Culture is the only MA of its kind in the UK, and both the MA and the Centre places a particular emphasis on Victorian literature and culture associated with Kent and the south-east.
American Literature
Research in north American literature is conducted partly through the Faculty-based Centre for American Studies, which also facilitates co-operation with modern US historians. Staff research interests include 20th-century American literature, especially poetry, Native American writing, modernism, and cultural history.
Creative Writing
The Centre for Creative Writing is the focus for most practice-based research in the School. Staff organise a thriving series of events and run a research seminar for postgraduate students and staff to share ideas about fiction-writing. Established writers regularly come to read and discuss their work.
Medieval and Early Modern
The Faculty-based Canterbury Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies has a distinctive brand of interdisciplinarity, strong links with local archives and archaeological trusts, and provides a vibrant forum for investigating the relationships between literary and non-literary modes of writing in its weekly research seminar.
Modern Poetry
The Centre for Modern Poetry is a leading centre for research and publication in its field, and participates in both critical and creative research. Staff regularly host visiting speakers and writers, participate in national and international research networks, and organise graduate research seminars and public poetry readings.
Postcolonial
Established in 1994, the Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Research has acquired an international reputation for excellence in research. It has an outstanding track record in publication, organises frequent international conferences, and regularly hosts leading postcolonial writers and critics. It also hosts a visiting writer from India every year in association with the Charles Wallace Trust.
Staff research interests
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
Careers
Many career paths can benefit from the writing and analytical skills that you develop as a postgraduate student in the School of English. Our students have gone on to work in academia, journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching; as well as more general areas such as banking, marketing analysis and project management.
Study support
Language Support
As a student on a split Canterbury/Paris programme you will be able to study French for free with our online Language Express modules. The module covers French for beginners, so you can get up to speed before moving to Paris in your second term, with the option to continue developing your language skills alongside your studies in Paris.
If you are interested in joining the French Language Express modules, please email: artshumsugandpgt@kent.ac.uk
Postgraduate resources
The Templeman Library is well stocked with excellent research resources, as are Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library. There are a number of special collections: the John Crow Collection of Elizabethan and other early printed texts; the Reading/Raynor Collection of theatre history (over 7,000 texts or manuscripts); ECCO (Eighteenth-Century Collections Online); the Melville manuscripts relating to popular culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries; the Pettingell Collection (over 7,500 items) of 19th-century drama; the Eliot Collection; children’s literature; and popular literature. A gift from Mrs Valerie Eliot has increased the Library’s already extensive holdings in modern poetry. The British Library in London is also within easy reach.
Besides the Templeman Library, School resources include photocopying, fax and telephone access, support for attending and organising conferences, and a dedicated postgraduate study space equipped with computer terminals and a printer.
Conferences and seminars
Our research centres organise many international conferences, symposia and workshops.
School of English postgraduate students are encouraged to organise and participate in a conference which takes place in the summer term. This provides students with the invaluable experience of presenting their work to their peers.
The School runs several series of seminars, lectures and readings throughout the academic year. Our weekly research seminars are organised collaboratively by staff and graduates in the School. Speakers range from our own postgraduate students, to members of staff, to distinguished lecturers who are at the forefront of contemporary research nationally and internationally.
The Centre for Creative Writing hosts a very popular and successful weekly reading series; guests have included poets Katherine Pierpoint, Tony Lopez, Christopher Reid and George Szirtes, and novelists Abdulrazak Gurnah, Ali Smith, Marina Warner and Will Self.
Dynamic publishing culture
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. They also edit several periodicals including: Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities; The Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature: 600-1500; The Dickensian; Literature Compass; Oxford Literary Review; Theatre Notebook and Wasafiri.
Global Skills Award
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
Apply now
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
Apply for entry to:
Contact us
United Kingdom/EU enquiries
MA at Canterbury and Paris
International student enquiries
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
School websites
The University of Kent makes every effort to ensure that the information contained in its publicity materials is fair and accurate and to provide educational services as described. However, the courses, services and other matters may be subject to change. Full details of our terms and conditions can be found at: https://www.kent.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions
*Where fees are regulated (such as by the Department for Education or Research Council UK) permitted increases are normally inflationary and the University therefore reserves the right to increase tuition fees by inflation (RPI excluding mortgage interest payments) as permitted by law or Government policy in the second and subsequent years of your course. If we intend to exercise this right to increase tuition fees, we will let you know by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which we intend to exercise that right.
If, in the future, the increases to regulated fees permitted by law or government policy exceed the rate of inflation, we reserve the right to increase fees to the maximum permitted level. If we intend to exercise this extended right to increase tuition fees, we will let you know by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which we intend to exercise that right.