English - Creative Writing

• Are you committed to imaginative writing?

• Do you want to develop your creative practice and professional skills as an author or scriptwriter?

• Do you want to be part of the vibrant creative community of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast?



If so, the PGDip in English (Creative Writing) may be the course for you.



The programme offers the chance to develop your creative practice in Scriptwriting (screen, stage and audio) and Prose Writing (fiction and non-fiction): you will have the chance to explore both pathways before choosing a specialism. At the same time, the programme will guide you in reading extensively, enriching your own work through engagement with the wide world of literary and dramatic traditions and techniques.



This programme invites you to challenge yourself as a writer, to seek the unexpected, the complex and the ambitious in your work, to resist clichés and received ideas, and to work towards originality of voice and theme.



You will learn to explore many different types of writing, to entertain new ideas, to read adventurously and to respond with rigour and generosity to the work of your fellow writers. You will develop your practice as an independent writer and a self-reflective lifelong learner, and build your understanding of the marketplace for literature and drama.



Studying in the state-of-the-art learning environment of the Seamus Heaney Centre, you will be taught by acclaimed novelists, playwrights and screenwriters, learn from visiting authors, publishers, editors and agents, and contribute to the rich tradition of literary creativity at Queen's University, Belfast.

Optional Modules

Prose Workshop 1 (20 credits)

Script Workshop 1 (20 credits)

Creative Writing: Craft and Technique (20 credits)

Special Topic Creative Writing (20 credits)

Professional Practice (20 credits)

Exploring Literary Practice (20 credits)

Prose Workshop 2 (20 credits)

Script Workshop 2 (20 credits)

Entrance requirements

Graduate

Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in any discipline. Exceptions may be made in the case of applicants with a strong track record of publication, production, prize-winning or relevant professional experience.



Applicants must submit a personal statement and sample of original written work. Both will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made.



Guidance on your writing sample:



• The sample should be 1800-2200 words of prose fiction OR 10-15 pages of dramatic script.

• Writing samples that exceed the length limit will not be considered.

• The sample can be an extract from a longer piece.

• There are no restrictions on style or genre, but we are looking for work that shows ambition, originality and imaginative engagement with the possibilities of language, storytelling and literary/dramatic form.

• Choose a sample that you feel shows both your potential and your proficiency as a writer – in short, work that shows your writing at its best.



Guidance on your personal statement:



• It should be no more than 400 words.

• You are free to discuss whatever you wish in the statement, but some suggestions are: Your ambitions for your writing and the PgDip; What you write and why; Your background and what you feel it may bring to the PgDip.



International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region at https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/your-country/



English Language Requirements

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 7.0, with not less than 6.0 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last 2 years).



International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.



For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.



If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 14th August 2026 for courses which commence in mid-September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.

Written portfolios.

1 year (Full Time), 2 years (Part Time).

Entry Year: Academic Year 2026/27

Career Prospects



• Graduates from the MA and PGDip in Creative Writing have gone on to work in a wide range of professions including publishing, journalism, public relations, teaching, advertising, the Civil Service, business, industry and the media.



• Many graduates have established an ongoing creative practice. Prize-winning authors Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses, and Michael Magee, author of Close to Home, were both Creative Writing students at the Seamus Heaney Centre.



• Some students choose to continue their studies to PhD level on a chosen, specialised topic in Creative Writing.