If you have a commitment to imaginative writing, if you would like to develop your artistic practice, build your professional skills as an author and engage with the vibrant creative community of the Seamus Heaney Centre, then the PGDip in English (Creative Writing) is for you. The programme includes prose writing (fiction and creative non-fiction) and scriptwriting (screen, stage and audio), and invites you to explore all these modes of writing before choosing a specialism.
You will be challenged 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.
You will be taught by experienced novelists, playwrights and screenwriters, attend workshops with visiting authors, publishers, editors and agents, and contribute to the rich tradition of literary creativity at Queen's University, Belfast.
Queen's is ranked 2nd in the UK for Creative Writing in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.
English - Creative Writing highlights
Student Experience
Students have access to workshops with visiting authors, publishers, editors and agents, and have a wide range of opportunities to present their work in print and performance. The Seamus Heaney Centre is a learning environment, but also a public building. Many readings, performances and public lectures take place in the main hall, and we host a range of writing groups. It is a literary hub for Belfast and beyond.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Creative Writing students are taught by experienced acclaimed authors, playwrights and screenwriters and many distinguished guests. In recent years, fellows of the Seamus Heaney Centre have included Marian Keyes, Roddy Doyle and Jed Mercurio.
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 element of Northern Ireland's literary community.
Student Testimonials
The PG Diploma Creative Writing at QUB is an excellent course. After having been through it I can say my prose writing skills, my script writing skills and my overall writing awareness have all improved radically. The lecturers each bring their own unique expertise to the workshops, which thoroughly and practically cover the nuts and bolts of writing for stage, screen, radio and prose. There is also a great love of literature and language to encounter on this course, and the opportunity to commune with other writers, garner feedback, and to learn to give and receive critique. Overall a great experience." -Colin Reid
Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) or part-time (2-3 years) basis. Part-time students typically complete one or two modules per semester. Full-time students typically complete three modules per semester.
The Pg Dip is awarded to students who successfully complete six taught modules (120 CATS points).
Compulsory Modules
Semester 1
(1) Craft and Technique (ENG7093)
(20 CATS; compulsory)
This module is about learning to read as a writer; reading in an interrogative way and exploring a wide range of set texts in order to broaden skills and learn new methods. The set texts will include novels, plays and screenplays, chosen to illustrate aspects of craft and for their usefulness to your writing. Taught in a weekly two-hour seminar, the module deals with a range of key issues in creative writing, including aspects of craft, the development of technique, the demands of structure, and approaches to characterisation.
The final assessment is by a creative piece of 2,500-3,000 words and a 1,000-word commentary essay, written in response to one or more of the module’s set texts and topics. By the end of the module, all students will have honed their analytical skills in evaluating prose and drama and will have practised applying new skills in their own creative work.
(2) Creative Writing Workshop 1: Drama (ENG7097)
(20 CATS; compulsory)
In this weekly two-hour workshop you and your fellow students have the opportunity to share your scripts and discuss them with the group. The workshop is a forum to share work-in-progress in an atmosphere of friendly rigour. At least two students per week present their evolving texts and we examine them in detail with a view to providing a set of notes for the basis of the next draft. The module’s fundamental aim is to induct students into the discipline of rewriting, thus provoking writing of real value. The module is assessed through the submission of a script of 3,500 words.
As in the drama workshop, in the weekly two-hour workshop you have the chance to discuss your work in progress with the group. At least two students per week will share their material and receive feedback. We will also read and discuss set texts to help us explore the fundamentals of prose writing: narrative voice, character, narrative, plot, dialogue, setting. The module is assessed through the submission of a work of prose (a short story or extract from a fully-synopsized longer piece) of 3,500 words.
This workshop runs in two separate strands for prose and drama. Building on the first semester, you will now work at a more advanced level, discussing set texts and craft topics, and workshopping your writing with fellow students. You will attend weekly two-hour workshops in both scriptwriting and prose fiction, but will specialize in one form for the assignment.
Assignments are in Prose Fiction (6,500 words) or Drama (6,500 words) for 40 CATS points.
(2) Professionalising the MA (ENG7988)
(20 CATS; compulsory)
This module introduces students to the various marketplaces in which creative writers may operate. You will learn to write professional documents relating to a new piece of creative work, including the agent letter, the publisher letter, the logline, the short pitch, the outline, the synopsis and the treatment – amounting to around 3,500 words. Classes include visits from industry gatekeepers (editors, agents, producers, etc).
Course Details
The following lists are indicative of the sort of modules that are likely to run.
6 (hours maximum) 6 hours of workshops/seminars per week
Teaching Times
Teaching typically takes place on weekday mornings and afternoons. Optional visits and seminars with staff, Heaney Centre fellows or other guests, may take place on weekends or evenings.
Learning and Teaching
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You’ll be attending lectures, seminars and workshops. You’ll get to know your classmates and your lecturers well during the MA. You are expected to become an integral part of the Seamus Heaney Centre and are invited to attend and take part in the centre's regular events and readings.
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
This is a Special Topic module offered by a visiting Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Creative Writing. The contents of the module, which will change on an annual basis, depending on the area of creative writing expertise of the Visiting Scholar, will provide an opportunity for students to work on a specific aspect of creative writing. The specific module content will be announced as early as possible each academic year. Students who sign up for this module will, as normal, have the right to switch to another module if the content does not suit their academic plans.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will have examined an aspect of creative writing and will have written extensively in the appropriate form or genre. Objectivity about their own creative practice will have been further fostered by the writing of a self-reflexive commentary to accompany their final submission. Students should have come some way towards developing their own creative voice.
To promote writing of fictions by the students, to encourage self-criticism and revision, to create a dialogue among them about fiction-writing and each other's work.
Skills
Development of creative-writing skills in the genre of fiction.
Students will write creative pieces in either Prose Fiction or Scriptwriting with a greater word count than Semester 1 and demonstrating a development of their skills as the MA progresses. These pieces will be workshopped in class, with students developing their skills in practical criticism and feedback. Lecturers will facilitate the development of students’ skills by both commenting on students’ work and teaching best practice.
The class is split into two wings: Prose Fiction and Scriptwriting. Students are asked to attend both but choose which form to be assessed early in the semester.
Learning Outcomes
Students should further develop their craft in both Prose Fiction and Scriptwriting and begin to specialise in the form that best reflects their skills.
Students should deepen their knowledge and understanding of both classic and contemporary works and begin to understand where their own work sits within tradition and innovation.
Students should further develop their skills in analysing and commenting on the developing work of others, applying that analysis also to their own work.
Skills
Students will acquire and develop creativity in the writing of new work.
They will acquire the discipline and self-motivation to meet deadlines.
They will acquire and put into practice new skills associated with presenting themselves and their work in a professional context.
Students will learn associated skills of analysing the strengths and weaknesses of their own work and that of others.
They will also acquire and put into practice skills of commenting on others’ work in a way that is simultaneously constructive and rigorous.
They will acquire skills that will enhance their employability as writers, in creativity, self-motivation, self-discipline and professionalism.
A two hour weekly workshop on writing for stage, screen and radio, to which students bring their work to be discussed with the module convenor and other students. A range of appropriate exercises then culminates in students' final projects.
Learning Outcomes
To provide a thorough grounding in the craft of writing for stage, screen and radio, through a focused approach to issues such as characterisation, story structure and dramatic language.
Skills
Students will bring their work to sessions and participate in discussions about their own and other students' work, in other words, they will move from the private experience of writing on their own to the more public experience of a workshop situation; an exercise that will help prepare them for the collaborative experience of working with actors, directors,etc. This transition from the private to the public is a key part of the scriptwriting process, and one that needs to be carefully managed.
Students will create original work expressed in summary form and learn to present this work, with attractive and impactful brevity, to the industry professionals who are the gatekeepers of their future careers. This will include learning to write treatments, outlines, synopses, pitch documents, agent packages and publisher packages. Lecturers will teach exemplars and feedback on evolving student work. The module will culminate in presentations to, and feedback from, industry professionals such as agents, publishers, producers and literary managers.
Learning Outcomes
Students should acquire practical knowledge associated with creating professional documents that are crucial in offering their work to their chosen creative industry (prose fiction or scriptwriting). Students should acquire the knowledge and understanding associated with writing and rewriting these documents while engaging in the guided creative practice of writing synopses, outlines and treatments for new, original work.
Skills
Students will acquire and develop creativity in the planning and plotting of new work, including exemplifying narrative structure, tension and clarity, and prioritising the experience of the busy professional reader.
They will acquire the discipline and self-motivation to meet deadlines.
They will acquire and put into practice new skills associated with presenting themselves and their work in a professional context and using professional templates, acquiring and utilising arts of persuasion. These will include skills of effective compression in writing, rhetorical analysis of their own work, and expressing contemporary knowledge of their form.
Students will learn associated skills of analysing and presenting the strengths of their own work in the context of current trends, interests and preoccupations within their chosen creative industry. They should also learn skills of self-presentation, including arguing for their strengths in promotion of their work.
They will acquire confidence and professionalism in presenting verbal pitches to industry professionals.
Students experience and discuss the different demands of the various literary genres to which they are committed. The class focuses on particular contemporary texts and genres and the tutors invite appropriate creative and critical exercises in response.
Learning Outcomes
To promote a sense of the relation between Creative Writing and critical reading and of the characteristics and demands of different genres.
Skills
The ability to link critical reading to creative writing in the forms of various exercises.
Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree (with minimum of 55%) 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.
All applicants are required to submit a sample of original written work which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. The sample should be 1800-2200 words of prose fiction or 10-15 pages of script. The sample can be an extract. Writing samples that exceed the length limit will not be considered.
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.
The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit the link below for more information. http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 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.
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.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
Graduates from these programmes have a good employment record. Professions including publishing, journalism, public relations, teaching, advertising, the Civil Service, business, industry and the media all recruit from our pool of graduates. Between them, dozens of our students have gone on to publish books. 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. http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/
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.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
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. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.