Creative Writing: Writing the City MA

Course summary

This Creative Writing: Writing the City Masters course is the first to focus entirely on the city of London. It will allow you to explore the city as subject matter from a range of perspectives and across all genres. It will also give you a theoretical and practical platform from which to develop your understanding, and become part of the London writing scene.

Taught by professional writers and researchers, the course offers plenty of opportunities to network with other writers, agents, TV producers and performance poets. As part of the MA, you will be part of the team managing the Wells Street Journal, our student-led in-house magazine. You will be based in the University's headquarters building at 309 Regent Street, which means you will be writing about the city in the heart of London, with ready access to the capital's excellent academic, social and cultural opportunities, including the vibrant West End theatre scene.

The workshop-based structure of the course will allow you to learn through interactive practice. Modules are taught by two-hour or tree-hour seminars/workshops per week. Teaching will also include visits to selected London institutions to support certain aspects of writing, and you will be encourage to use various archives, theatres and galleries. Assessment methods include coursework portfolios, reflective logs, essays, and workshop leadership, as well as the 10-12,000-word writing project. There are no formal examinations.

ASSOCIATED CAREERS

The course will enable you to develop sophisticated critical and creative skills and a widely applicable knowledge base that can be adapted to various fields of creative practice and writing business.

This course is intended to move you to a new level in your career as a writer by developing your skills as a sophisticated critical practitioner, and your knowledge of literature about the city as well as the writing business.

You will be encouraged to network with other writers and identify useful opportunities for career development, partly through a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including writers’ events and talks.

The critical and practical skills you will acquire by the end of the course will make you a strong candidate in many areas, including arts management, copy editing, education, freelance writing, journalism, media, publishing, theatre and performance-based writing, and research and academia.

CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY SERVICE

Our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you to achieve your full potential.

With a growing network of over 3,000 employers around the world and a team of experienced careers consultants, we provide you with a variety of opportunities to work and develop new skills. As a University of Westminster student, you’ll have access to our services throughout your studies and after you graduate.

We can help you:

• find work placements, graduate jobs or voluntary experience related to your course
• discover international opportunities to enhance your employability
• write effective CVs and application forms
• develop your interview and enterprise skills
• plan your career with our career consultants
• gain insights into your chosen industry through mentoring
• meet employers and explore your career options at our employer fairs, careers presentations and networking events.

Applicants will normally have a minimum of a lower second-class honours degree (2:2) in a humanities-based discipline, however candidates with different or no qualifications will also be considered, and decisions made on the basis of their proven experience in the writing or creative industry (generally three years or more) and/or outstanding talent demonstrated in the portfolio. Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of creative writing (maximum of 10,000 words), which should not exclusively include poetry.