Creative Writing with English Literary Studies

MA

  • Entry year 2024 or 2025
  • Duration Full time 1 year, Part time 2 years

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • World Top 40 English Language and Literature QS World University Subject Rankings 2024

  • 96% of research world leading or internationally recognised (REF21)

  • Our rich literary connections extend from Lancaster's LitFest and medieval castle to Grasmere's Wordsworth Museum

The MA Creative Writing with English Literary Studies provides the opportunity to combine creative and critical writing at Master's level. It’s your chance to learn from prize-winning, practising authors such as Jenn Ashworth, Zoe Lambert and Eoghan Walls who lead our long-established Creative Writing scheme and to engage with a vibrant literary culture.

During your studies, you will have the opportunity to develop strategies for initiating new work, explore verbal textures and narrative structures, and enhance your knowledge of literary forms and conventions. You will be encouraged to hone your critical and creative skills, employ reflective practice, and learn the art of redrafting, revision and close editing. The nature of research within creative writing practice will also be considered as you evolve your own creative and critical portfolio.

‘Research Training and Professional Practice’ is a core module, during which you will examine the professional and ethical issues around creative writing and develop your reflective practice skills. Four elective modules are then split between Creative Writing and English Literary Studies - those on offer explore a wide range of literary fields and genres, and include Psychogeographies, Short Fiction, Poetry, Landscape Writing, the Personal Essay, Radio Drama, Modern, Contemporary, Romantic, Victorian and Early Modern Literature. (Please note: we offer a wide range of modules however not all modules are available every year).

You will also complete a Creative Writing portfolio, which is a 12,000 creative project (or the equivalent for Poetry or Script Writing) and a 3000 critically reflective essay. All students have the opportunity to perform their creative work at our annual MA Showcase - previous events have been held in partnership with Lancaster LitFest and the Dukes theatre, Lancaster.

This degree will be useful if you are considering a career or wish to advance your career in journalism, publishing, reading development, community arts or public relations, and it is a good preparation for PhD research. You will have the opportunity to develop critical, analytical, close reading and editing skills that will also enhance your employability.

Part-time and full-time study options are available.

You can find further information about our teaching staff on our web pages. Please note that the staff available to teach in any given year is subject to change, for example due to research or other types of leave.

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

2:1 degree in a related subject is normally required. We will also consider applications on an individual basis where you have a degree in other subjects, have a 2:2 or equivalent result or extensive relevant experience. You should clearly be able to demonstrate how your skills have prepared you for relevant discussions and assessments during postgraduate study.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Additional Requirements

As part of your application you also need to provide

  • A sample of your academic writing about literature
  • A portfolio of original writing (no more than 12 poems or 20 pages of prose/scriptwriting) showing potential for publication

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 7.0, and a minimum of 6.5 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Course structure

You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

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Optional

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Fees and funding

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year)
Home £11,500 £5,750
International £23,875 £11,935

General fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

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Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

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We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.