Creative Writing MA - 2020/1

Awarding body

University of Surrey

Teaching institute

University of Surrey

Framework

FHEQ Levels 6 and 7

Final award and programme/pathway title

MA Creative Writing

Subsidiary award(s)

Award Title
PGDip Creative Writing
PGCert Creative Writing

Modes of study

Route code Credits and ECTS Credits
Full-time PPG63003 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits
Part-time PPG63004 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits

QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)

Other internal and / or external reference points

N/A

Faculty and Department / School

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - School of Literature and Languages

Programme Leader

SZCZEPANIAK Angela (Lit & Langs)

Date of production/revision of spec

20/01/2022

Educational aims of the programme

  • Prepare graduates to undertake a PhD programme in the relevant field.
  • Provide students with the transferable skills of creative writing, critical thinking, textual analysis and communication that are attractive to a wide range of employers, from the cultural industries to marketing and advertising to tourism and leisure to the civil service and public/private partnerships.
  • To build confidence and technical ability in a variety of modes of imaginative writing, and to provide students with a clear-eyed grounding in contemporary and historical contexts of text production and circulation, including practical advice on the workings of the publishing industry.
  • To assisting students to understand and meet the challenges of producing high quality creative writing in poetry and prose, the programme also provides advanced understanding of the contexts, theoretical paradigms, methodologies and modes of interpretation that are vital in a full understanding of literary production.
  • Produce work that reflects a high level of technical ability and engages productively with its historical, cultural and literary contexts
  • Acquire sound knowledge of the major principles of literary criticism
  • Help students to reflect on their own practice as literary critics and how this can help to improve their own creative practice.
  • To instil in students the capacity for carrying out independent research.

Programme learning outcomes

Attributes Developed Awards Ref.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the main principles and challenges of creative writing; K
Relate developments in the field of literary studies to the social, political and historical contexts of their own creative work; K
Distinguish different approaches to literary studies and reflect upon these in their own; K
Develop a critical engagement with various theoretical approaches and methods; K
Recognize the critical language required in advanced literary studies; K
Identify and explain relevant techniques and strategies for producing high quality creative writing K
Able to critically appraise scholarly and creative writing; C
Able to strategically develop research skills for retrieving information crucial for understanding the context of textual production; C
Able to conduct conceptual and advanced research related to specific creative projects; C
Able to formulate and address research questions relating to creative and research projects C
Able to produce high-quality creative work in and analysis of a variety of literary genres P
Able to verbally present abstract ideas and concepts in a clear and appropriate fashion; P
Able to confidently deal with reading complex texts P
Able to acquire a sound knowledge of the key debates in literary studies P
Able to acquire review/evaluation skills for textual analyses at level 7 P
Able to combine an understanding of text and context within and between periods. P
Display competence in a range of skills at postgraduate level, including creative writing, advanced analysis and synthesis of arguments, presentation, the conducting of independent research, and the efficient processing of complex ideas and arguments; T
Collaborate by working in small groups to exchange ideas and engage in debates; T
Develop knowledge in a specialized subject, area or period and command of terminology; T
Organize, research and deliver a sustained piece of work to a high standard; T
Create and carry out a research project of significant complexity; T
Reflect upon the knowledge gained and incorporate this into independent learning strategies; T
Manage learning self-critically; T
Exercise initiative and personal responsibility. T

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Programme structure

Full-time

This Master's Degree programme is studied full-time over one academic year, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7*. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
*some programmes may contain up to 30 credits at FHEQ level 6.

Part-time

This Master's Degree programme is studied part-time over two academic years, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)

Programme Adjustments (if applicable)

N/A

Modules

Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Levels 6 and 7

Module code Module title Status Credits Semester
ELIM021 CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP I Compulsory 15 1
TRAM411 ISSUES IN LITERARY TRANSLATION Optional 15 1
ELIM022 CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP II Compulsory 15 2
ELIM005 RESEARCH AND WRITING SKILLS Compulsory 15 1
ELIM042 OPEN WRITING I Optional 15 1
ELIM043 OPEN WRITING II Optional 15 2
ELIM045 21ST-CENTURY LITERARY STUDIES: THEORIES, METHODOLOGIES AND APPROACHES Optional 15 1
ELIM046 MEDIEVAL WOMEN’S WRITING Optional 15 2
ELIM049 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE: FORMS, MODES, GENRES Compulsory 15 2
ELIM050 TEXTUAL MATERIALITIES Optional 15 2
ELIM040 GEOGRAPHIES OF NATION AND EMPIRE: THE VICTORIAN NOVEL 1850 - 1890 Optional 15 1
ELIM028 REALISM AND ITS CRITICS Optional 15 1
ELIM036 ADVANCED CHILDRENS LITERATURE Optional 15 1
ELIM051 WRITING GAMING Optional 15 2
ELIM037 ADVANCED SCREENWRITING Optional 15 2

Module Selection for Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Levels 6 and 7

N/A

Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Levels 6 and 7

Module code Module title Status Credits Semester
ELIM005 RESEARCH AND WRITING SKILLS Compulsory 15 1
ELIM020 CREATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIO Compulsory 60 Year-long
ELIM021 CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP I Compulsory 15 1
ELIM022 CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP II Compulsory 15 2
TRAM411 ISSUES IN LITERARY TRANSLATION Optional 15 1
ELIM042 OPEN WRITING I Optional 15 1
ELIM043 OPEN WRITING II Optional 15 2
ELIM045 21ST-CENTURY LITERARY STUDIES: THEORIES, METHODOLOGIES AND APPROACHES Optional 15 1
ELIM046 MEDIEVAL WOMEN’S WRITING Optional 15 2
ELIM049 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE: FORMS, MODES, GENRES Compulsory 15 2
ELIM050 TEXTUAL MATERIALITIES Optional 15 2
ELIM040 GEOGRAPHIES OF NATION AND EMPIRE: THE VICTORIAN NOVEL 1850 - 1890 Optional 15 1
ELIM028 REALISM AND ITS CRITICS Optional 15 1
ELIM036 ADVANCED CHILDRENS LITERATURE Optional 15 1
ELIM051 WRITING GAMING Optional 15 2
ELIM037 ADVANCED SCREENWRITING Optional 15 2

Module Selection for Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Levels 6 and 7

N/A

Opportunities for placements / work related learning / collaborative activity

Associate Tutor(s) / Guest Speakers / Visiting Academics N
Professional Training Year (PTY) N
Placement(s) (study or work that are not part of PTY) N
Clinical Placement(s) (that are not part of the PTY scheme) N
Study exchange (Level 5) N
Dual degree N

Quality assurance

The Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at:

https://www.surrey.ac.uk/quality-enhancement-standards

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.