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Open University in Ireland

Creative Writing

This qualification is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You will be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You will hone your writing practice through sharing, reading and critiquing work in progress, and will work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

Key features of the course
Develop writing skills and awareness of approaches to writing
Develop and hone sophisticated writing skills in at least one genre
Develop a sound knowledge of, and ability in, a secondary genre
Engage in sharing, critiquing and reviewing a variety of work
Prepare a substantial piece of work to a professional standard.

Entry requirements

To register for this postgraduate study you should have a UK honours degree or recognised equivalent. Ideally your undergraduate degree will be in creative writing or English, such as our BA (Hons) English Literature and Creative Writing (Q86), or a closely related subject. You should be aware that a degree classification of at least 2:1 or equivalent will greatly increase your chances of successfully completing the MA.

You will need to study and complete MA Creative Writing part 1 (A802) before moving on to MA Creative Writing part 2 (A803).

It is expected that your spoken and written English will also be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 7 under the International English Language testing system (IELTS). Please see their website for details.

Duration

2 - 10 years.

Modules on this MA are studied during a fixed period each year. The minimum overall time in which it is possible to complete the qualification is two years, studying the modules consecutively. If you do not study the modules consecutively, you must have completed them by a maximum of 10 years to qualify for the degree.

Number of credits

180 credits

Careers or further progression

Career relevance
If you wish to pursue a freelance writing career this Masters degree will equip you with necessary writing and editorial skills, as well as equipping you with a raft of highly valued transferable communication and collaborative skills necessary to the modern writers usual portfolio of occupations.

If you are aiming for an academic career in higher education, this qualification will provide a route towards a higher level research or writing practice degree (e.g. PhD), which is essential for such a career. A Masters degree can help to enhance your career prospects as a teacher in secondary and higher education (HE); most HE creative writing teaching now demands an MA in the subject.

If your aim is to enter professions associated with the media, culture, creative or knowledge industries, or if you already have a career in one of these areas and are seeking a further qualification as a means of career development, then a Masters degree, supplemented by relevant skills and experience, can prove invaluable. This degree is pertinent to those careers that directly call upon knowledge of the craft of writing, editing and critiquing (for instance, journalism, publishing, copywriting). It may also be relevant for careers that demand skills in the creative use and analysis of texts of various sorts, critical thinking and organisation, and understanding of culture in a broad sense.

Further enquiries

Tel: (01) 678 5399
Fax: (01) 678 5442
Email: ireland@open.ac.uk

Subjects taught

Modules
To gain this qualification you need 180 credits as follows:

Compulsory modules Credits Next start
MA Creative Writing part 1 (A802) 60 07 Oct 2017
MA Creative Writing part 2 (planned for October 2017) 120 October 2017

You should note that the Universitys unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

The modules quoted in this description are currently available for study. However, as we review the curriculum on a regular basis, the exact selection may change over time.

Comment

On completion
On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded the Master of Arts in Creative Writing, entitling you to use the letters MA (CW) (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity of being presented at a degree ceremony.

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