Professional Writing MA

From the moment you join the Professional Writing MA, you will begin to develop the skills you need to practise as a professional writer and will be supported to explore a variety of different fields.  

You will develop a broad range of creative, practical, critical, cognitive and intellectual skills, which will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of current practices in your specialist area and enable you to recognise and understand opportunities that exist across the contemporary writing and publishing industries.  

You will learn how to operate independently and to exercise the advanced critical judgement needed to negotiate, develop and complete a sustained writing project to professional standards. 

Modules

Telling Good Stories

This module introduces you to the structures of good storytelling and encourages you to explore and develop core writing skills and key techniques such as character development, point-of-view, use of time and space, and genre conventions through extensive reading and analysis of a range of literary or creative forms, and through the application of these techniques in your own writing. 

Making a Living 1: Professional Contexts

This module introduces you to the skills needed to operate across the professional writing industries. You will learn what it means to work a ‘portfolio career’ and you will have the opportunity to discuss and practice the core skills of such a career, such as interviewing techniques, reviewing, pitching, performance, developing writing workshops, purpose-led storytelling and effective uses of social media. 

Creative Writing Careers: Building a Portfolio

Building on your learnings from the previous modules, you will begin to develop a significant idea for publication for which you will produce an industry-standard portfolio of material that is ready to be submitted to an appropriate professional body, such as a publishing company or literary agent. This might include a synopsis, market or audience analysis, chapter outlines, a cover letter, cover copy or an introduction. 

Making a Living 2: Writing for Business

This module gives you the opportunity to explore and develop the research, writing and editing skills that go into writing for business, non-profit organisations, and for editorial publications including newspapers, magazines and websites. You will produce a portfolio that spans a range of formats and contexts, from press releases to feature articles and web copy. 

Final Project

In this module you will work on an individual project, which builds on the work completed in previous modules. Each student is allocated a supervisor who is a specialist in the appropriate field to supervise the broad development of the project, setting deadlines and advising on areas of possible improvement. An essay will contextualize your work regarding current practice and theory.  

This 45-week Professional Writing course covers 3 study blocks and brings together seminars, workshops and your own self-managed practice. You'll work individually and in teams, collaborating with others, developing your own projects and business ideas, and giving and receiving feedback. 

• Assessments are coursework based, consisting of portfolios, reviews, creative and practical work, as well as presentations and pitches.  
• Formative feedback is delivered throughout the modules, in workshops, tutorials and via the Learning Space. Summative feedback is delivered at the end of every assessment via Turnitin. 

We welcome applications from those with relevant equivalent Level 6 qualifications. Our typical applicants hold an undergraduate degree of 2:2 or above, or equivalent experience and a demonstrable interest in the subject.

We’ll also welcome your application if you have formal or 'certified' learning (such as training courses not run by universities or colleges) and learning from work experience or self-study. This is called Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL), and should have been gained within the last five years, and be equivalent to the learning outcomes of our minimum entry qualifications.

APL applicants using experience to apply should note there is an application fee for entry with advanced standing or with exemption from specific modules or credit.

If English isn’t your first language, you'll need to demonstrate English language skills that are sufficiently developed for successful completion of your studies. We accept a range of recognised English language qualifications that are equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in Speaking, and a minimum of 5.5 in Reading, Writing, and Listening. 

International applicants who require a student visa to study in the UK must take a recognised language test that is approved and vouched for by the University. Our Applicant Services Team can help with any questions you may have about study visas or suitable language tests.