- Location
- Penryn Campus
- Length
- 1 year full-time
2 years part-time - Direct line
- 01326 213730
- Admissions
- admissions@falmouth.ac.uk
On this commercially focused course, which can be studied either full-time on campus or part-time online, you'll develop the core skills you need to write flexibly and effectively.
Note: The part-time online option starts in January each year.
Whether it's fiction, non-fiction, marketing copy, magazine features or screenplays, you'll learn how to tailor your work to competitive and fast-moving markets, developing a high-quality portfolio along with the confidence and professionalism you need to forge a successful career.
The course is taught entirely by practising writers and editors, and you'll also benefit from Falmouth's outstanding connections across the writing and publishing sector, with opportunities to learn from many leading writers and publishing industry insiders. Through a wide range of projects, live briefs and assignments, you'll discover your strengths as a writer, explore media and audience, and learn how to develop and pitch your ideas – all setting you up to excel as a professional writer.
The MA has a strong reputation for giving talented writers the skills needed to build a viable career. That's because we recognise that only by working to exacting, real-world standards can you rise to the tough demands of life as a writer.
You'll be immersed in the world of writing from the outset, learning how to create compelling narratives and voices before going on to apply these techniques to the specialist areas of your choice. You'll gain in-depth understanding of the content industry, and of how to raise your own professional profile within it. You'll be part of a lively and supportive community of fellow writers – whether you take the MA as a full-time or a part-time (online) student.
On graduation you'll be primed to tackle the writing industry head on – with a portfolio and accomplished working style ready to impress potential employers and meet any writing challenge.
Building professional experience
From day one, you'll be supported in shaping your work for publication. Many students succeed in placing work in both local and national publications while still on the course.
During the second half of the MA, you'll be encouraged to identify and undertake writing-related work experience that can feed into your industry-focused research project.
In previous years, students have secured placements with many leading publishers, media organisations, copywriting agencies, magazines and newspapers, often leading to ongoing work after graduation.
How is the course taught
For both full-time and part-time students, the MA is structured around a mix of seminars, lectures, real-world briefs and practical workshops, along with your own self-managed work. You'll work individually and in teams, collaborating with other media professionals and developing your own projects and business ideas. Critiquing will form a valuable part of your learning experience.
As successful practising writers themselves, your tutors will expect you to take a disciplined and professional approach to your work.
Careers
Our graduates have forged careers across the publishing and content industry. Potential careers include:
- Full-time author
- Entertainment blogger
- App content creator
- Freelance journalist
- Website editor
- Business writer
- Script editor
- Press officer
- Playwright
Assessment
- Formal assessment and feedback at the end of each module
- Final assessment is largely based on your extended creative project, which is accompanied by a contextual essay
Course outline
Full-time: The full-time MA course runs over 45 weeks. Part-time: The part-time MA is delivered over 90 weeks through a specially designed virtual learning environment that allows you to take part in seminars and tutorials, engage with visiting speakers and participate in team-based writing and editorial projects. If you're interested in developing an MA project related to your job, this may well be possible.
For both full-time and online students, the course is delivered across three study blocks:
Study Blocks 1 & 2
You'll start by developing your core writing skills across a range of formats, then choose two specialist options from a selection that includes Fiction, Non-fiction, Scriptwriting, and Business & Editorial Writing – building a portfolio that showcases your abilities.
To help guide your choice of specialism, you'll take a module that looks at how writers work in different areas of the content industry. You'll also learn how to use the web and social media to build a profile as a writer.
After completing your specialist options, you'll take a module in research skills. As part of this, you'll carry out industry-focused research and develop a proposal for a longer creative project – your MA project.
Study Block 3
In the final part of the course, you'll work independently on this project, supported by a specialist tutor. To accompany your project, you'll write a contextual essay focusing on an aspect of your writing practice.
Interview and selection process
When you apply, we will ask you to send us a sample of your work along with your application. This could be an unpublished (or published) short story, screenplay, report, journalistic feature, novel extract or anything else that demonstrates your aptitude for writing. If the course team feels you have potential, we'll invite you to interview. We value meeting you in person but Skype interviews can be arranged if this isn't possible.
