MA English - Creative Writing
Belfast, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
14 Aug 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 23,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international fee
Key Summary
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.
English - Creative Writing Highlights
Student Experience
- As a student on the MA in Creative Writing, you will take part in a demanding and rewarding programme of literary and creative exploration, reading and writing intensively, and challenging yourself to extend your knowledge and practice as a writer.
- As well as taking part in workshops and seminars, you will have access to visiting authors, publishers, editors and agents. You will have a wide range of opportunities to present your work in print and performance.
- Your learning environment, the Seamus Heaney Centre, is a public literary hub for Belfast and beyond, where you will have the chance to contribute to many readings, performances, public events and writing groups.
Internationally Renowned Experts
- The MA in Creative Writing is taught by award-winning writers who will work with you closely and guide you in developing your voice.
- You’ll learn from an experienced, accomplished team including the screenwriters Aislinn Clarke and Tim Loane, the playwrights Jimmy McAleavey and Michael West, and the fiction and non-fiction writers Garrett Carr, Sam Thompson, Dawn Watson and Tara West.
- You will also have the opportunity to engage with a fantastic array of well-known guest writers and visiting fellows: writers involved with the Seamus Heaney Centre in recent years have included Anna Burns, Marian Keyes, Roddy Doyle, Jed Mercurio, Kae Tempest, Tim Wheeler, Enda Walsh, Oliver Jeffers, Lisa McGee, Stacey Gregg, Jan Carson, Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson.
World Class Facilities
The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s is an internationally recognised hub of excellence for literature and imaginative writing, and a central part of Northern Ireland's thriving literary community.
- 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 MA in English (Creative Writing) may be the course for you.
- 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.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
Course Structure
Students may enrol for Full-Time study (1 year) or Part-Time study (2 or 3 years). Part-Time students complete one or two modules per semester. Full-Time students complete three modules per semester.
The MA is awarded to students who successfully complete six taught modules (120 CATS points) and a 13,000-13,500 word prose or script dissertation (60 CATS points).
Exit qualifications are available: students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma by successfully completing 120 CATS points from taught modules or a Postgraduate Certificate by successfully completing 60 CATS points from taught modules.
Compulsory Modules
Semester 1
- (1) Craft and Technique (ENG7093)
- (2) Script Workshop 1 (ENG7097)
- (3) Prose Workshop 1 (ENG7292)
Semester 2
- Script Workshop 2 (ENG7098)
- Prose Workshop 2 (ENG7294)
- Professional Practice (ENG7988)
- Exploring Literary Practice (ENG7295)
Dissertation
- Creative Writing Dissertation (ENG7099)
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Master's courses in all subject areas. Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.