At NTU, we have a thriving writing community, and exciting, dynamic, professionally-focused programmes in creative writing at BA, MA and PhD levels. Click the headings below to follow links to the NTU website, where you can find out more about these courses and how to apply.
BA Creative Writing
Duration: 3 years full time
This degree is both practice-based and industry-focused. Students write and work with multiple genres, collaborate, and develop transferrable skills through a series of work-like projects involving writing, editing, publishing and pitching. This is supported by the study of literature, encouraging students to think broadly and to understand the genres in which they work. Flexibility and creativity in expression and thought is central to our teaching, learning, and assessment, which embrace traditional and digital methodologies. The degree is targeted to support student development as writers, presenters and collaborators. Our lively learning and writing community is nurturing and supportive, with extensive pastoral provision. Students on the course constitute the majority of members of the Nottingham Creative Writing Hub at NTU, and are central to the university’s writing community. The BA is also a potential pathway to the long-established MA in Creative Writing and PhD programmes at NTU, and is taught by practicing, internationally-recognised writers, editors and publishers, several of whom have come from industry, with others having careers rooted equally in practice and research. The BA is industry-focused, with close working ties with institutions such as Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature and Nottingham Contemporary. Unlike many competitor courses, this BA embeds employability skills and connections throughout. From first through to final year we encourage students to take a professional approach to writing, publishing and editing.
MA Creative Writing
Duration: 1 year full time or 2 years part time; taught in the evening
This is one of the longest established postgraduate courses of its kind in the UK, with a very strong record of publication and related employment by its graduates. Designed for talented and committed writers, the course is taught by a team of award-winning writers and academics in multiple genres, with international reputations and specialist industry knowledge, such as William Ivory, Eve Makis, Rory Waterman, Anthony Cropper and David Belbin. You will have the opportunity to work in your choice of a variety of genres, including fiction, poetry, children’s and young adult fiction, and writing for radio, stage and screen, and can tailor your course to suit your interests. Our close links to the publishing and editing industries provide you with networking opportunities and the chance to talk with and be taught by a hugely impressive list of visiting publishers, editors, agents and award-winning visiting writers such as Gwendoline Riley, Kathleen Jamie, Alan Hollinghurst, Carol Leeming and Michael Schmidt. Many of our graduates go on to achieve publication or to work with an agent, go into the arts industries, undertake funded PhDs, and so on.
PhD
Nottingham Trent University has a robust, dynamic, diverse community of postgraduate Creative Writing research students, and offers opportunities to study for an MPhil or PhD by research in creative writing, critical-creative writing, and creative and critical writing. Supervision is available by full-time or part-time study, and can sometimes be provided by distance learning. NTU is a member of Midlands4Cities, which provides fully-funded scholarships, including living allowances, to successful applicants. Many of the M4C-funded PhD students are or have been supervised by our academic staff members. The university also provides fully-funded scholarships. Look at the ‘Members’ tab of this website to find our potential supervisors among the academic staff, and feel very welcome to make contact: we’ll be glad to have a chat about how it works, and to guide you through the process.
NOTTINGHAM CREATIVE WRITING HUB 