School of English

MA in Creative Writing

MA in Creative Writing header
Course Code:
DC784
Course Type:
Postgraduate
NFQ Level:
9
Delivery Modes
Full-Time
Part-Time
Duration
1 Year FT - 2 Years PT
call programme contact
+353 (0) 1
700 7096

The DCU MA in Creative Writing is designed to help you discover your inner writer by immersing you in the world of Drama, Poetry, and Fiction.

This exciting new programme gives early-career and up-and-coming writers the chance to spend a year working with experienced writers in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment. You can develop your writing skills and connect with the broader literary community.

The MA in Creative Writing provides intensive, practical courses in drama, poetry, screenwriting, and prose fiction. It also offers specialised classes in critical reading and creative practice

We aim to teach students a wide range of creative writing techniques in various forms such as drama, fiction, poetry and screenwriting. We believe that even if a student has a primary interest in one form, exposure to all these creative disciplines can be beneficial. Many aspects of writing, such as imagery, rhythm, narrative structure, voice/language style and the use of rhetorical techniques apply across different forms and genres, not just one.

Students will study important literary works from both Ireland and the world, and they will have the opportunity to share and receive constructive feedback on their own work in progress. This process will help them develop a broad technical vocabulary that enhances their understanding of their own writing and the work of others. Even students interested in specialised genres like life-writing, children's literature or fantasy can benefit from this approach and will have a chance to work in their chosen form in the Writing Project. Our hope is that all students will integrate the knowledge gained from each seminar into their final creative work or portfolio.

Why DCU?

  • High quality staff with real expertise and a thorough sense of commitment and teaching experience
  • Writers with national and international reputation on faculty: Marina Carr, playwright and Kit Fryatt, poet 
  • Small class sizes ensure that everybody has a voice, and typically promotes a close and mutually supportive relationship between students

Why do this programme?

The DCU MA in Creative Writing is open to early-career and emerging writers of all kinds. Perhaps you have begun to publish and wish to develop your work to a higher standard. Perhaps you have not yet published and are looking for a course that will give you the tools and techniques to submit successfully. Perhaps you have been writing for years and now feel that the time has come to study the craft with greater intensity. 

The DCU MA in Creative Writing aims to help writers to complete a body of work in their chosen field (drama, fiction, poetry, screenwriting), and to develop the critical skills necessary to evaluate their own work and the work of others.  Graduates from the MA in Creative Writing programme will have developed a wide range of transferable skills, including those of critical analysis, professional discipline, and creative thinking. A thorough grounding in craft is indispensable to any writer in any field, and the skills learned during the MA in Creative Writing at DCU will prepare students for writing careers in a world of expanding opportunity across many sectors. The DCU MA in Creative Writing will inculcate a mastery of language and technique; an ability to produce good work to deadline; a sense of professionalism; and a flexible approach to their own work and the work of others.

Requirements

For admission to the MA in Creative Writing, successful applicants will have:

• A degree at the level of an Irish or UK Honours undergraduate degree (H2.2 or above) or equivalent, in a Humanities discipline but holders of other degrees or appropriate professional experience should provide information in their personal statement.

• Applicants with appropriate combinations of professional qualifications and experience may also be considered. This includes discipline-specific knowledge and know-how; transferable skills; basic research competency; personal effectiveness.

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) applicants are required to submit a cover letter along with their application under the Transcripts section of the portal, affirming their intent to apply for RPL. For more information on RPL see here

•International candidates who are non-native speakers of English must satisfy the University of their competency in the English language.

 

Due to the specialist nature of this programme, additional criteria may be used to assess suitability to undertake this programme. For further information, please contact the Programme Chair using the contact details above

 

Fees

Full time

EU Status Fee
€7,700
Non EU Fee.
€16,500

Part time

EU Status Fee Part-time
€4,200 Per Annum
Non EU Fee Part time
€8,100 Per Annum

Next Steps

To apply for this programme:

All Applicants must apply through DCU's Student Application Portal which is available here. Here's a quick step by step guide if you need help with your application:

  • Provide Academic Transcripts for each and every year of study with English translation, if applicable.
  • Provide an example of writing, creative or otherwise, on a topic/theme of your choice maximum 3,000 words prose / 15 pages drama (correctly formatted) / 12 pages of poems.
  • Personal Statement (250-750 words)
  • If applicable, provide evidence of competence in the English language as per DCU entry requirements. Please see link http://www.dcu.ie/registry/english.shtml


Please note if you are a non EU student and require a study visa, you are not eligible to apply for part-time programmes as study visas are only granted for full-time programmes.

 

Application Deadlines

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the programme is full or until the following dates:

  • Closing date for non EU applicants is 1st July 2024
  • Closing date for EU applicants is 31st July 2024

Note applicants who require a study visa for the purposes of studying at DCU, are advised to apply as early as possible.

All entry requirements should be met before the commencement of the programme.

Application Queries

For EU applicant queries, please visit https://www.dcu.ie/registry/eu-postgraduate-taught-admissions or email postgraduateadmissions@dcu.ie


For non EU applicant queries, please visit https://www.dcu.ie/registry/international-admissions-undergraduate-and-postgraduate or email internationaladmissions@dcu.ie

Commencement of Programme

The programme commences in September 2024