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Creative Writing (Online), MA

Pen your path as a versatile writer with skills that cut across genres. 100% online, experiment in real time on this flexible master’s degree.

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Time investment: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Location: Online

Cost: Up to £8,460

Language: English

About this degree

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Write for today’s biggest audiences

Ever dreamt of becoming the next Tolkien, penning a slogan as unforgettable as Just Do It, or scripting the next hit for Netflix or Warner Bros.?

The world of creative writing is vast—stretching from novels and poetry to scripts, memoirs, and even platforms like BookTok.

On this MA, you’ll experiment across genres, sharpening your craft while exploring the cultural and professional power of writing today.

Build your writing legacy online

Working through five core modules, you’ll explore genres from fiction and poetry to life writing, drama, and screenwriting, developing work that reflects your unique voice.

Alongside creative practice, you’ll gain insight into publishing, marketing, and the professional world of writing, building a portfolio that helps your work reach the audiences it deserves.

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Person in a white shirt writes in a notebook at a warmly lit café table with coffee, water, and a smartphone, resting their head on one hand in a thoughtful pose.

Work alongside a budding writing community

This degree is designed to be highly interactive. You’ll collaborate with peers and practising writers through virtual workshops, lively forums, and peer feedback.

Given its flexible online format, you’ll be able to share drafts, exchange ideas, and gain the encouragement to take creative risks throughout the programme.

You’ll also be guided by expert tutors who are practising creative writers and join a network of alumni who have gone on to be published

Where you’ll be studying

Studying at Teesside University

Teesside University delivers 100% online, career-focused education designed to help you thrive anywhere in the world.

With a Gold rating (Teaching Excellence Framework 2023) and recognised for outstanding student experience, Teesside combines expert teaching with research that drives real-world impact.

Flexible and innovative, they offer online courses that fit around your life, empowering you to upskill, reskill, or take the next step in your career.

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Learning outcomes

Hone your craft

Develop and complete an independent creative writing project, refining your chosen form and genre while producing a critical-reflective commentary.

Experiment with form and voice

Explore the relationship between creative and critical writing, and articulate your inspirations, motivations, and aspirations as a writer.

Navigate the publishing landscape

Gain insights into contemporary publishing, prize culture, and reviewing, and develop skills to pitch, publish, and critique your own and others’ work.

Become a professional writer

Learn to frame your work in diverse contexts, from residencies to public commissions, and develop the skills to market, publish, and self-publish across multiple platforms.

Explore creativity and identity

Examine the connections between writing and the self, using techniques from life writing, autofiction, and narrative theory to deepen your creative practice.

Additional information

To be eligible for this degree, you’ll need an honours degree (at least a 2:2) in English, creative writing, or a similar discipline. Other relevant experience, like professional work or an international qualification, may also be considered for entry.

As part of the application process, you’ll submit up to a 2,000 words in any form or genres, including poetry, prose fiction, life writing, etc.

If you’re an international student or English is not your first language, you’ll need to need to demonstrate English language skills equivalent to IELTS 6.5. You can do so with one of the following accepted tests:

UKVI approved IELTS (Academic)
Non-UKVI approved IELTS
Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) – B2 and C1 tests
Pearson’s PTE Academic
PTE Academic UKVI
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT
TOEFL iBT
WAEC grades A1 to C6
NECO grades A1 to C5
SPM grades A to C
Kenya High School Certificate Grade C+ or Higher
Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education grades 1 to 6
Uganda Certificate of Education grades 1 to 6

This course is delivered entirely online, allowing you to study at your own pace without fixed class times. You can dive into the course materials and complete assignments whenever it fits your schedule.

Each week, your tutor will kick things off with a short video introducing the key themes. You’ll then work through writing prompts and exercises designed to build your skills and spark creativity.

Along the way, you’ll have access to a range of resources, including reading materials and discussion questions, to help deepen your understanding and encourage meaningful conversations with fellow learners.

There’s also a private space where you can share your work-in-progress and ideas, receiving valuable feedback from both your tutor and peers. Throughout the course, your tutor will be available to offer guidance, answer questions, and provide personalised feedback via the online platform and email.

Each 30-credit module is assessed through written assignments that match clear learning goals. These usually include both creative pieces and some critical or reflective writing.

At the end of the course, you’ll complete a final project worth 60 credits, which you can choose to create in a form and genre that suits you best.

The strength of this degree lies in its versatility. You might go on to work on your own novel, develop scripts for television, or write articles for newspapers and online platforms, but you’ll also be equipped with the advanced writing skills to take on roles in creative marketing, digital content production, corporate communications, or educational design.

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Modules

Why do you write, and what do you want your work to say? On this module, you’ll experiment with form, explore the space where creative and critical writing meet, and create a personal manifesto that reflects your motivations, influences, and ambitions as a writer.

This module explores contemporary publishing, prize culture, and reviewing, while letting you learn how to pitch, publish, and place your own work. Along the way, you’ll sharpen your critical voice by writing reviews and essays.

Being a writer today means wearing many hats. This module delves into the variety of ways writers work, from residencies and commissions to public art, and gain the skills to market, publish, and share your writing across different platforms.

You’ve probably heard the expression ‘write what you know,’ and this module explores that in full. You’ll look into the connections between writing, identity, and personal experience, and learn how to draw on approaches like life writing, autofiction, and autoethnography to help you transform your reflections into compelling creative work.

This is your chance to bring your own creative vision to life. With the support of a supervisor, you’ll develop a proposal for a writing project, explore your aims and inspirations, and work independently to produce a polished final portfolio and a critical-reflective commentary.