creative writing masters in ireland

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You are here Postgraduate > M.Phil. in Creative Writing

M.Phil. in Creative Writing

1 Year Full-Time

Our Creative Writing faculty are all practicing writers. We've all been through it and we're respectful of how exposing writing can be, and how vulnerable someone can feel as they approach the craft with serious intent for the first time.  Sometimes students tap straight into a rich vein of form. Others take time to eliminate the writers that they don't want to be until they arrive at a true voice. We know that virtuosity can be immediate but also that progress is more often painstaking and incremental.  Our workshops and lectures are supportive places. There is no one path to being a writer but it is our job is to help a student set out the imaginative, technical and practical wayposts of their own practice. We like to think that we do it well.  

The programme benefits from taking place in the heart of Dublin, a city with a vibrant contemporary literary culture – a milieu alive with writers, theatres, literary events, festivals, magazines and publishers. Trinity has a notably rich literary heritage of its own, ranging from Jonathan Swift and Oliver Goldsmith to Derek Mahon and Eavan Boland. The college has also long led the way in the teaching of Creative Writing. Many distinguished writers have graduated from this master’s programme, from established voices such as Conor O’Callaghan, Chris Binchy and Sean O’Reilly to exciting emerging talents such as Sara Baume, Nicole Flattery and Lisa Harding.

The instruction from the professors and guest speakers, the feedback from my fellow students, and the focus on the work itself was what I needed to bring my writing to the next level.

There is not a better city than Dublin, better university than Trinity, and better place than the Oscar Wilde Centre to study the craft of fiction writing. The faculty have a wide range of experiences and are overflowing with wisdom, the Oscar Wilde Centre is alive with history, but best of all were my classmates and the diversity of literary influences, experiences, and writing they produced.

Course Structure

The centrepiece of the Creative Writing M.Phil. is the three-hour weekly workshop. This is where you bring work and get to listen to others. The idea of it is daunting, but the reality is hardworking, inclusive and dynamic.  For the first term, students are encouraged to range across form and genre, to break habits and open new vistas. This is where students start to see the core of their portfolio emerge, although most don't see the portfolio taking shape until the following Spring. The ‘Structure in Fiction and Poetry’ module works through the shapes and uses, the interior dynamics of writing.  ‘Writing for a Living’ addresses the demands of reviewing and essay writing. Both modules are structured and intellectually rigorous but at heart they involve writers talking about writing and bringing the class into the orbit of their own experience. In the second semester, the weekly Briena Staunton lectures brings a series of established writers in to talk about the practice of writing. A visiting Writer Fellow also leads a workshop, offering students a further chance to engage with a working writer in close-up. The creation of a final portfolio is the formal endpoint of the MPhil, but it is equally important for us to see writers emerge in rich, artistically textured and diverse surroundings. That is the enduring satisfaction.  

Teaching and Assessment

The programme is designed as a one-year, full-time course. Teaching is delivered through lectures, group workshops and personal tuition. Much of this takes place in the Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing, which offers a supportive and sociable working environment for the School of English’s creative writers. Current faculty teaching on the programme include the course director Eoin MacNamee, as well as Deirdre Madden, Kevin Power, Harry Clifton and Carlo Gébler. Visiting Writer Fellows in recent years have included Claire Keegan and Colette Bryce. The course is assessed by means of various essays and portfolios, culminating in working towards a final dissertation portfolio of 15-16,000 words.

Admissions Information

Applicants are expected to hold a university degree or equivalent qualification (at least an upper second or equivalent, GPA of at least 3.3). In addition, applicants must submit a portfolio of selected recent creative work.  The portfolio of sample work should include no more than 3000 words of prose (short stories, excerpt/s from a novel or drama) or 6-8 poems; genres may be combined but this is not a requirement. Applications for admission in 2024/25 opens on the 1 November 2023. Candidates are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible, as applications are reviewed on a rolling basis as they arrive. The closing date for admission is 31 March 2024. The 2024/25 academic year will start in September 2024.

The Peter Irons Taught Postgraduate Studentships The studentships will contribute towards M.Phil. tuition fees (EU or Non-EU) for any School of English taught postgraduate programme. They are generously funded in memory of Peter Irons. Two studentships will be awarded for the academic year: one for an EU student, and one for a non-EU student.  For further information, please open this PDF link .  

European Excellence Awards   The €1,000 awards are open to applicants with EU fee-status who hold an offer letter for a Postgraduate Taught Masters programme in Trinity College Dublin. Further information can be found here . 

Details of further funding opportunities can be found  here . 

Brontë Prize This prize was founded in 1921 by a bequest from Miss A.G. Woolson of Portland, U.S.A. It is awarded triennially by the Board on the recommendation of a committee for the best essay on either (a) an English author of Irish descent, or (b) the seats of learning in Ireland prior to 900 A.D. or (b) the seats of learning in Ireland prior to 900 a.d. The committee consists of the Regius Professor of Greek and the Professors of Latin and English Literature. A candidate must be of Irish birth or have been domiciled in Ireland for at least ten years. The candidate must also be an undergraduate of the University or a graduate of not more than five years’ standing. The next award will be made in 2022 and essays must reach the Registrar before 1 October 2022. Value, €1,905.

Dublin Cost of Living

Whether you're moving to Dublin from Ireland or abroad, the biggest problem you're likely to face is just getting set-up in the city. Below, you'll find web links providing advice on getting accommodation, placing deposits, household utilities, looking after your finances, and general tenancy agreements. https://www.tcd.ie/students/living-dublin/ https://www.tudublin.ie/for-students/student-life/cost-of-living-guide/ https://www.internationalstudents.ie/info-and-advice/practical-information/cost-of-living

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Creative Writing - MA

Course details.

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Read instructions on how to apply

Register your interest here for more information or to be notified when applications are open.

Brief Description

This programme is available full-time over one academic year or part-time over two years. It enables students to develop their Creative Writing skills through consideration of the work of established writers; through study of the many aspects of a piece of successful Creative Writing; through assignments that foster strategies for revision of work; and through an understanding of the requirements of the redrafting, submission and publication processes

The University of Limerick offers a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. Our Chair of Creative Writing is Prof Joseph O’Connor (author of nine novels including Ghost Light, The Thrill of it All, the million-selling Star of the Sea, and Shadowplay, winner of the Novel of the Year Award  at the 2019 Irish Book Awards, shortlisted for the UK's prestigious Costa Novel Award, 2020). Our outstanding teachers include twice Booker-Prize-longlisted Donal Ryan, (author of The Spinning Heart, From a Low and Quiet Sea and Strange Flowers), widely acclaimed Rob Doyle (Here Are the Young Men and This is the Ritual), and Irish Book Award nominee Prof Sarah Moore Fitzgerald (The Apple Tart of Hope and A Strange Kind of Brave), internationally published Young Adult author and lecturer on self-motivation for writers.

Our Creative Writing students enjoy teaching-visits and readings from outstanding contemporary authors. Visitors to UL Creative Writing have included Colum McCann, Anne Enright, Louise O’Neill, Claire Keegan, Melatu Uche Okorie, Colin Barrett, Anna Carey, Paul Lynch, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Sarah Davis-Goff, John Boyne, Kit de Waal, Kevin Barry, Mary O’Malley, Sara Baume, Liz Nugent, Marian Keyes, Sinead Gleeson, Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford and Laureate for Irish Fiction Sebastian Barry.

Students gain practical experience through working on our literary journal The Ogham Stone, through meeting publishers, editors and literary agents, and in the preparation of their dissertation portfolios.

For dissertation, recent students have offered work across a range of creative genres, from memoir to short stories, chapters of novels, collections of poems and song lyrics. Our Creative Writing student cohort is always diverse and has attracted students from the United States, Puerto Rico, Australia, Brazil, India, South Africa and the UK as well as wider Europe and Ireland. Mature students are always a welcome part of our MA class.

Local literary attractions include the Limerick Literary Weekend in Honour of Kate O’Brien; the Doolin Writers’ Weekend, the Eigse Michael Hartnett Poetry Arts and Literary Festival; Cuisle, the Limerick International Poetry Festival, the Ennis Book Clubs Festival, and the world-famous Listowel Writers' Week in north County Kerry.

Full time Programme:

Part time Programme:

How to Apply Applications are open for the MA in Creative Writing for Academic Year 2023/4. We do not operate a deadline; instead we close applications when the class is full. Generally we accept a maximum of 24 applicants. Many applicants for our Creative Writing MA have a first or second class Level 8 honours degree (NFQ or other internationally recognised equivalent) but application is open to everyone, including applicants who do not have a primary degree but have what might be considered equivalent experience, perhaps in the arts, publishing, bookselling, writing, creativity or some related activity. Please note, we always receive more applications than we have places to offer.

Applicants must accompany their formal online application with a 3,000 word sample of their creative writing (this can be one single piece or several pieces totalling 3,000 words) and a one-page letter setting out why they would like to work with us on our MA programme as opposed to the many other Creative Writing MA programmes now available.

Previous experience of Creative Writing workshops is helpful.

The Application Portfolio is assessed by a small committee of staff, who judge submissions on their originality, technique, and readability.  Please note that we are not in a position to offer feedback to applicants who are not offered a place.

Applicants must satisfy the English Language Requirements of the University. 

Visit www.ul.ie/graduateschool/prospective‐students for details.

Applications should be submitted online. Further details can be found here: www.ul.ie/graduateschool

Admission will also be based upon a piece or pieces of creative work up to 3000 words submitted by the student as part of the application process. This might be a novel extract, a short story, a set of poems or a screenplay. This creative work will be assessed by a small committee of staff, who will judge submissions on their originality, technique, and intellectual rigour.

What to include with your application

• Qualification transcripts and certificates
• Supporting Statement
• English language qualification if English is not your first language
• A copy of your birth certificate/passport
• If your qualifications have been obtained in a country where English is an official language this will suffice

If this is not available, the following additional documents must be provided: • English translation of your qualification(s)/transcripts AND • English language competency certificate

For more information  Click Here

EU - €4,328 per annum

Non- EU - €10,100 per annum

EU - €8,002

Non- EU - €18,800

Further information on fees and payment of fees is available from the Student Fees Office website. All fee related queries should be directed to the Student Fees Office (Phone: +353 61 213 007 or email [email protected]. )

Recent graduates of our Creative Writing MA have been published nationally and internationally and have won or been short-listed for major literary prizes, including the prestigious Hennessy New Writer of the Year Award, the RTE Francis McManus Award, the Listowel Writers’ Week Bryan MacMahon Short Story Award, the Arts Council Next Generation Award and the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair Award

Pippa Slattery, MA Creative Writing 2020/21

“My confidence in my writing has also developed immensely. Because of the MA, I now feel like I’m on my way to becoming an author, not just a writer.”

William Keohane

“If you love writing, I would encourage you to pursue it. This MA is the perfect way to do that.”

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+353 (0)61 234377 University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

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MA in Creative Writing

Introduction

Have you always wanted to write but never had the time, the focus, the space, or the encouragement?

The DCU MA in Creative Writing aims to unlock the writer in you through an immersion in Drama, Poetry and Fiction.

This exciting new course offers an opportunity for early-career and emerging writers to spend a year working with professional writers in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment to develop their work and to foster connections with the wider literary community. 

The DCU MA in Creative Writing offers intensive, hands-on courses in the writing of drama, poetry, screenwriting and prose fiction, as well as tailored courses in critical reading and creative practice.

Programme Aims and Objectives

Our aim is to introduce students to a comprehensive range of creative writing techniques in the forms of drama, fiction, poetry and screenwriting. It is our belief that serious writers will benefit from this exposure to each creative discipline, no matter what the main interest of the student might be, as many aspects of writing technique (for example, imagery, rhythm, narrative structure, voice/language register, the use of rhetorical tropes) are applicable across multiple forms and genres and not specific to one form or genre. Students will engage with seminal texts from Irish and global literature and workshop their work in progress, learning how to deliver and accept constructive feedback on their work, and developing a wide technical vocabulary that will enrich their understanding of their own work and of the work of others. Students who may be interested in pursuing more specialised genres such as life-writing, children’s literature or fantasy would also gain significantly from this pedagogical approach and will have the opportunity to create within their chosen form in the Writing Project. Our hope is that all students will bring the knowledge gained from each distinct seminar into their final piece of creative work/portfolio.

Programme Structure

This is both a full and part-time MA/Level 9 award in Creative Writing. The MA comprises 1 core 30 credit module “Reading like a writer” which runs over both the first and second semesters. Students then have the option to choose three of four 10 credit modules on Fiction, Drama, Poetry and Screenwriting. There is also a 30 credit writing project. Full time students complete all of their credits in one year.

View the current course structure

• High quality staff with real expertise and a thorough sense of commitment and teaching experience
• Three writers with national and international reputation on faculty: Marina Carr, playwright, Kevin Power, novelist and Kit Fryatt, poet 
• Small class sizes ensure that everybody has a voice, and typically promotes a close and mutually supportive relationship between students

Why do this programme?

The DCU MA in Creative Writing is open to early-career and emerging writers of all kinds. Perhaps you have begun to publish and wish to develop your work to a higher standard. Perhaps you have not yet published and are looking for a course that will give you the tools and techniques to submit successfully. Perhaps you have been writing for years and now feel that the time has come to study the craft with greater intensity. 

The DCU MA in Creative Writing aims to help writers to complete a body of work in their chosen field (drama, fiction, poetry, screenwriting), and to develop the critical skills necessary to evaluate their own work and the work of others.  Graduates from the MA in Creative Writing programme will have developed a wide range of transferable skills, including those of critical analysis, professional discipline, and creative thinking. A thorough grounding in craft is indispensable to any writer in any field, and the skills learned during the MA in Creative Writing at DCU will prepare students for writing careers in a world of expanding opportunity across many sectors. The DCU MA in Creative Writing will inculcate a mastery of language and technique; an ability to produce good work to deadline; a sense of professionalism; and a flexible approach to their own work and the work of others.

• Journalism (online, radio & print)
• Arts administration
• Directing & producing in theatre, film, radio, television
• Librarian & bookselling
• Advertising 
• Education/Teaching
• Web content creators/managers.
• The Theatre sector/ Playwrights/ Literary managers/ Dramaturges

Requirements

For admission to the MA in Creative Writing, successful applicants will have:

• A degree at the level of an Irish or UK Honours undergraduate degree (H2.2 or above) or equivalent, in a Humanities discipline but holders of other degrees or appropriate professional experience should provide information in their personal statement.

• Applicants with appropriate combinations of professional qualifications and experience may also be considered. This includes discipline-specific knowledge and know-how; transferable skills; basic research competency; personal effectiveness.

•International candidates who are non-native speakers of English must satisfy the University of their competency in the English language.

Due to the specialist nature of this programme, additional criteria may be used to assess suitability to undertake this programme. For further information, please contact the Programme Chair using the contact details above

To apply for this programme:

All Applicants must apply through DCU's Student Application Portal which is available here . Here's a quick step by step guide if you need help with your application:

• Provide Academic Transcripts for each and every year of study with English translation, if applicable.
• Provide an example of writing, creative or otherwise, on a topic/theme of your choice maximum 3,000 words prose / 15 pages drama (correctly formatted) / 12 pages of poems.
• Personal Statement (250-750 words)
• If applicable, provide evidence of competence in the English language as per DCU entry requirements. Please see link http://www.dcu.ie/registry/english.shtml

Please note if you are a non EU student and require a study visa, you are not eligible to apply for part-time programmes as study visas are only granted for full-time programmes.

Application Deadlines

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the programme is full or until the following dates:

• Closing date for non EU applicants is 1st July 2024
• Closing date for EU applicants is 31st July 2024

Note applicants who require a study visa for the purposes of studying at DCU, are advised to apply as early as possible.

All entry requirements should be met before the commencement of the programme.

Application Queries

For EU applicant queries, please visit https://www.dcu.ie/registry/eu-postgraduate-taught-admissions or email [email protected]

For non EU applicant queries, please visit https://www.dcu.ie/registry/international-admissions-undergraduate-and-postgraduate or email [email protected]

Commencement of Programme

The programme commences in September 2024

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UCC Postgraduate courses

• Creative Writing

Course Outline

Course practicalities, why choose this course, requirements, fees and costs, how to apply.

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• Taught Courses

Only you can write the book that you would like to write, be it a collection of poetry, or essays, or a novel, or a memoir… nobody else can write that book. The purpose of the MA in Creative Writing at UCC is to give you the tools to write the book waiting to be written, and many more after it. As well as honing the techniques and craft of creative writing, our MA is also designed to introduce you to the publishing industry, and prepare you for a variety of career options, including publishing and the creative arts.

Engaging on a weekly basis with published authors and publishing professionals, we will provide access to the community of writers that exists, both in the wider world and in Cork, with its thriving literary scene. This programme affords you time to write; it will introduce you to other emerging writers, and like-minded individuals on the same pathway as yourself. Ultimately we aim to empower you to connect with your most creative and productive self.

This MA Creative Writing programme is offered by the Department of English which is part of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences ( CACSSS ) at UCC.

Our Department of English treats writing as a living, evolving practice: students taking the course will read and write in a context in which literature is being performed, transformed and adapted, and in doing so offer you a safe space to learn, to practice, and to develop your craft towards inventive and authentic forms of expression. The course as a whole encourages and supports a full exploration of the creative self while also maintaining a strong vocational emphasis.

Directed by IMPAC longlistee Dr Eibhear Walshe , all of our courses are embedded in Cork’s thriving artistic scene, rooted in expert practice and taught by highly accomplished professionals.

A rich variety of modules are available covering fiction, poetry, life writing, creative non-fiction, and reading creatively.

Additionally, the Business of Writing module is dedicated to the professional life of the creative writer, including work placements, and a series of visiting speakers (writers, agents & publishers) such as Mike McCormack, Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, Nicole Flattery, Lisa McInerney,  Tramp Press ,  The Stinging Fly , John Connolly, Will Keohane, Eimear Ryan, Róisín Kiberd, New Island Press and many more.

Writing and reading are intertwined as acts — opposite ends of an attempt to understand what it’s like to be in the world. Never has that been more important. Never has the world needed more writers, and more readers, and an over-arching guide to the UCC MA in Creative Writing’s approach is to foster such readers and writers in achieving their potential.

Part I (50 credits)

• EN6036  The Business of Writing (10 credits)

Plus choose 40 credits from the following:

• EN6031  Poetry I (10 credits)
• EN6032  Fiction Workshop: Serving the Idea (10 credits)
• EN6033  Writing the Self: Fiction & non-Fiction (10 credits)
• EN6042  Creative Writing Workshop (5 credits)
• EN6056  Reading the Novel Creatively (5 credits)
• EN6057  Writing for Other Media (5 credits) 
• EN6060  Poetry II: Mythology & Contemporary Poetry (10 credits)
• EN6061  Poetry Workshop (5 credits)

In order to ensure coherence and a good workload balance over the course of the programme, you will select modules in consultation with the programme coordinator and other members of the Board of Studies as appropriate. 

• EN6040  Dissertation in Creative Writing (40 credits)

Academic Programme Catalogue

See the  Academic Programme Catalogue  where you can search for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year to year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the  Book of Modules .

The MA in Creative Writing is taught on Mondays and Tuesdays during the Autumn and Spring Semesters (September to March). Seminar hours are approximately 6-8 per week and reading hours/writing assignments are likely to take a further 8 hours per week. The course involves a mixture of seminars, workshops, placement and writing practice, and students will work on self-reflexive essays and projects.

Our students are assessed continuously during the course, submitting specified creative work alongside commentaries on their own creative practice.

Part-time Option

The part-time option for the MA in Creative Writing is offered biannually and is taken over 24 months. This programme is taught during weekday working hours and evening hours over two years. 

After UCC I never looked back. I was treated as a writer by faculty and classmates. And so, I became one...

Tadhg Coakley, Graduate & author of The Game

"UCC’s MA in Creative Writing marked the start of my writing life. My first book came straight out of my dissertation & was published a year after my graduation. Now, six years later, I have had five books published & I’m working on number six. After UCC I never looked back. I was treated as a writer by faculty and classmates. And so, I became one."

UCC’s MA in Creative Writing helped me to develop my voice...

Molly Twomey, Graduate & author of Raised By Vultures

"UCC’s MA in Creative Writing helped me to develop my voice & to strengthen my editorial skills. Most importantly, it gave me access to a group of encouraging, kind & intelligent writers, some of whom I still send first drafts to today."

UCC’s MA in Creative Writing programme not only provided the opportunity to build a portfolio of work...

Mahito Indi Henderson, Graduate, author, & publisher with Skein Press

"UCC’s MA in Creative Writing programme not only provided the opportunity to build a portfolio of work, experiment with genre & receive guidance from renowned authors; it also provided a space for thinking about how writing & literature could become a viable career."

From UCC, I learned how writing can be put in the service of others…

Frani O’Toole, Graduate, author, & urban planner

"From UCC, I learned how writing can be put in the service of others… & can support & enliven whatever you choose to do… This is a faculty that thinks really seriously about writing & the community, & really brings people together."

I chose the MA in Creative Writing at UCC because the course has a specific focus on the crafting and development of each writer’s individual voice...

John McLeod, International Student

"I chose the MA Creative Writing at UCC because the course has a specific focus on the crafting and development of each writer’s individual voice, which is an aspect I had struggled developing. It also directly addresses the practical concerns of dedicating your life to writing, which is a focus that can be difficult to find at other universities. I was also really excited to step inside the rich literary tradition of Irish writing. The most rewarding aspect of the course was the sheer exposure to exceptionally kind and talented writers, from the teaching staff to guest speakers and workshop holders (writers, publishers, editors, agents, etc.), all of whom wanted to impart their experience to students in a safe and encouraging environment. Throughout the course, my confidence in drafting and developing my own creative work has increased exponentially. If I combine my continuous development with the wonderful network built throughout the course, I’d say my career path in creative writing has never looked brighter."

This Creative Writing MA programme will empower you in the honing and development of your craft as a writer; we will provide you with the tools and critical prowess to commence a career in writing and publishing.

Some of Ireland’s greatest writers have studied or taught at UCC, including Frank O’Connor, Sean O’Faolain, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, and John Montague, while more recently the Creative Writing programme boasts published graduates including Madeleine D’Arcy, Tadhg Coakley, and Laura McKenna. Notable writers associated with UCC include Mary Noonan, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, Thomas McCarthy, Sean Dunne, Paul Durcan, Theo Dorgan, and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin.

The School of English hosts an annual Writer-In-Residence and holders of this prestigious post have included Mary Morrissy, Claire Keegan, Danielle McLaughlin, Thomas Morris, Eimear Ryan,Danny Denton, Cathy Sweeney and Matthew Sweeney. In addition to this, we host a reading series that has included guests such as Max Porter, Jackie Kay, Kevin Barry, Claire-Louise Bennett, Conor O’Callaghan, Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, Nuala O’Connor, Brian Turner, John Banville, and Zadie Smith.

Finally, outside of our for-credit modules, we also run series of optional craft-specific masterclasses from writers such as Dónal Ryan, Catherine Ryan Howard, Victoria Kennefick, Olivia Fitzsimons, Sean Williams and many others.

We encourage and support a full exploration of the creative self while also maintaining a strong vocational emphasis, sustaining and supporting a life-long relationship with writing.

Skills and Careers Information

This MA will provide an excellent foundation for a variety of writing and publishing careers, including authorship across a range of forms and styles, journalism, teaching, publishing, and arts administration.

The design of the MA fosters contacts with agents, publishers, and the professional world of the creative industries; it also produces well-crafted writing in one (or more) of the forms of creative writing.

Students experiment with, engage with, and reflect on a diversity of writing practices and establish an awareness of the role of technique and craft in their own work. They also learn how to interact with peers on an editorial level, and to understand the importance of editing and revision in the process of writing. Developing appropriate research methods and recording processes of self-reflection are also key components of the MA, encouraging students to reflect upon and discuss the conceptual challenges of the creative process, key contexts, and practical concerns. Finally, the MA fosters in its students an understanding of the practical constraints and professional opportunities of life as a writer, and a lifelong relationship with the written word.

Applications will be considered from graduates of all disciplines. Applicants will normally have a Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) or above, in any discipline. For North American students a cumulative GPA of 3.2 is normally expected. Applicants with relevant writing or arts experience (eg. working in publishing, journalism or arts administration) are also invited to apply.

All applicants will be asked to submit a short piece of creative writing (of 1000 words (any genre). This piece of creative writing will be used by the teaching team to evaluate each applicant's suitability. Further examples of the applicant's work may be requested.

For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison  page.

International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

• In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.
• Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office .

English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Vsit our PG English Language Requirements  page for more information.

Postgraduate EU and International Fees 2024/2025

See our Postgraduate EU and Non-EU (International) Fee Schedule for the latest information.

Deposits 

If your course requires a deposit, that figure will be deducted from your second-semester fee payment in January.

Fee payment 

Fees are payable in two equal instalments. First payment is at registration and the balance usually by the end of January.

How can I pay? 

See different options on our How Do I Pay My Fees? page.

Any questions? See the 'Contact Us' section on the Fees Office page .

1. Check dates

Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

2. Gather documents

Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal  and include:

• Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
• Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply online

Apply online via the  UCC online application portal . Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Additional requirements (all applicants).

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following:

• You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.
• Describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.
• Submit a short portfolio (no more than 1000 words) of your creative writing. This can be in the form of a poem/poems, a short story or an extract from a novel, or an excerpt of memoir.
• Detail your computing/technical/IT skills.
• Add the name and email addresses two referees.

Please note that successful EU applicants will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of €500 on acceptance of their place.

The closing date for non-EU applications is Open until all places have been filled or no later than 1 May 2024. Early application is advised.

Contact Details For This Course

• Dr Eibhear Walshe
• [email protected]
• +353 (0)21 490 2584
• http://creativewritingucc.com/
• Mr Danny Denton
• [email protected]
• +353 (0)21 490 3292

Similar Courses

MA English – Modernities: Literature, Theory & Culture from the Romantics to the Present

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MFA in Creative Writing

‌ mfa in creative writing  .

** Please note that the MFA does not have a poetry strand**

Creative writing in the UCD School of English, Drama and Film draws on the long literary heritage of Dublin as a place that has produced many world-famous authors. It takes full advantage of the range of vibrant and dynamic literary activities in a country and a city where writers and writing are celebrated. The University has played a major role in the development of literary cultures both in Ireland and internationally and has long been associated with some of Ireland's greatest writers, including James Joyce, Flann O' Brien, Mary Lavin, Patrick Kavanagh, Maeve Binchy, Thomas Kinsella, Eilis Ni Dhuibne and Marina Carr. It is committed to supporting writers in all fields, including fiction, poetry and performance writing, as well as a diverse range of creative non-fiction. 

UCD offers two taught graduate courses in creative writing, an MA and MFA.  The MA is usually the most suitable programme for someone coming directly from a BA. Most students on the MFA have an MA or an equivalently developed writing practice. Admission to the MFA programme is very competitive. You will be taught in a small group by writers of international reputation. Our focus is on prose fiction and non-fiction, and the degree suits students working to finish a draft of a full-length novel, memoir or short story collection. Writing workshops run twice weekly through two semesters, and over the summer students receive individual supervision as they complete a final project. 

Writers currently involved with the MA and MFA programmes in creative writing include the playwright, novelist and poet Frank McGuiness, poet Ian Davidson, novelist and poet Paul Perry, novelist Anne Enright, short story writer and novelist Katy Hayes, novelist Declan Hughes, novelist Gavin Corbett and Sinéad Gleeson as Arts Council Writer in Residence. Participants in the MFA also get the opportunity to attend the very many cultural and literary events that take place in UCD, and recent visitors include Margaret Atwood, Kevin Barry, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanain, Paula Meehan and Paul Muldoon.

The School of English, Drama and Film has always included in its programme of extra-curricular activities a rich array of readings, writing workshops, writers’ groups, and special seminars offered by writers-in-residence. In 2006, we introuced the MFA in Creative Writing to enable committed writers to develop their potential within a supportive framework. It is a one-year course of seminars, workshops and supervisions providing teaching in theories and practices of writing. 

There are first-rate libraries and archives in UCD and the Dublin area. Over many years, the School has established a worldwide reputation for excellence in fostering postgraduate research and in teaching. Designated as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2009, Dublin has an immense amount to offer aspiring writers.

Further Information

What can i hope to achieve on the mfa.

As a participant on the MFA programme you will be part of a large world-class School of English, Drama and Film and will:

• be taught by experienced published writers with international reputations;
• experience and develop knowledge of the best contemporary writing;
• learn how to produce and develop new ideas for your own writing;
• gain skills in editing and revising;
• take part in workshops, seminars and one to one tutorials;
• explore the archives of some of the world’s leading writers in the Special Collections held in UCD;
• develop a portfolio of work in your own chosen genre. 

A fundamental tenet of the Creative Writing Programme at UCD is a belief in the value of learning from writers who have mastered their craft. Accordingly, the emphasis is on learning to read like writers.  Students who embark on this course will already have acquired many of the skills associated with a programme such as the MFA in Creative Writing. In addition to sharing the objectives as outlined above with the MA programme, they will have a full work in progress and will be given close individual supervision in the progress and completion of that work (50,000 words) with a view to offering it for publication at the end of the course.  Class sizes are small, so the learning environment while upbeat and in every sense enabling, is necessarily quite concentrated.  

What will I study?

As an indication of content, MFA students 2022-23 take the following core modules:

(Please be aware that module offerings are subject to change)

Semester 2 , what are the time commitments.

The majority of teaching on MFA in Creative Writing is structured around two intense block teaching days and requires students to be on campus on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please bear in mind that on occasion you may be required to attend lectures/seminars/launches outside of these hours.

(Please be aware that timetables can be subject to change due to spacing and resourcing schedules).

What are the demographics of the class?

Students on the MA and MFA come from diverse backgrounds. Some come straight from their undergraduate studies while others might have spent some years in different jobs before coming to the course to fulfil their ambition to be writers. The student group is international, and students come to UCD from many countries to pursue their writing ambitions including Ireland, the UK, US, New Zealand, India, Austria and Germany.  Most have a good deal of writing experience and wish to pursue professional careers in writing, with specialisations in novel writing/short stories or poetry. Several of our alumni have won prestigious awards.

Will I have the opportunity to work on a literary journal?

Yes. The HCE Review is an online quarterly journal run by the staff and students on the MA and MFA in Creative Writing.  The journal aims to publish fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and visual art from both established and emerging writers and artists from around the world.

You can read more about the journal  (opens in a new window) here .

What are the portfolio requirements? What should the personal statement reflect?

Applicants applying for the MFA should present a clear vision of the writing project they wish to develop during the programme.  A strong portfolio should contain an outline [approx 1 page] of the novel in progress, together with the opening 25 /30 pages. In the case of a short story collection, two stories; and finally, a personal statement of reasons for taking the course and references.

The  personal   statement should  include a short summary of your writing experience to date and any courses or workshops you have attended.  Include a brief introduction of your history as a writer and how and why you want to apply for the MFA.  What do you hope to achieve and how do you believe that the MFA will help develop as a writer? If you have been previously published or are the recipient of any literary awards, please include details of these, but bear in mind that a publication history is not required to apply.

What do students do following completion of the MFA?

Many of our alumni from the MA and MFA have gone on to successful careers in writing, publishing and media.

• Disha Bose MA (2015-2016)  Born and raised in India, Disha now lives in Ireland. She attended University College Dublin, where she completed a Masters in Creative Writing (2016).  Disha Bose’s debut novel Dirty Laundry, a domestic noir, is to be published by Viking Books in the UK and Commonwealth (May, '23), and by Ballantine Books in North America.
• Sonya Gildea MA (2019 - 2020) Winner of the John McGahern Literature Award 2021; Poetry Ireland Introductions poet 2021/22 (selected by Seán Hewitt), winner of an Ireland Chair of Poetry Student Award 2020; recipient of a literature Bursary Award 2021 from the Irish Arts Council and winner of the Cúirt International New Writer’s Award (2015). Sonya has published in Crannog; the Stinging Fly; the Irish Times; Tolka journal; the Cormorant Broadsheet; the Night Heron Barks; The Maynard journal of poetry; the commemorative anthology Hold Open the Door (UCD & Chicago Press 2020); the Poetry Ireland Introductions anthology This Is What You Mean To Me (2021); Arlen House Publishing anthology of contemporary Irish poetry (2022); and The Common literary journal (2022).
• Sree Sen MA (2019-2020)  Published in Poetry Ireland Review, The Honest Ulsterman, Local Wonders (poetry anthology by Dedalus Press), bath magg, Crossways, nether Quarterly, Headstuff and others. She’s the winner of the UCD Maeve Binchy Travel Award 2020, recipient of Cill Rialaig Residency 2020 & Agility Award 2021 by the Arts Council of Ireland. 
• Aingeala Flannery MFA (2018-2019) The Amusements debut novel published by Penguin Sandycove June 2022 Arts Council Literature Bursary 2020 and 2021 Winner Harper's Bazaar Short Story Competition 2019

'The MFA in Creative Writing at UCD gave me the encouragement and space I needed to focus on my writing. It was challenging and inspiring, I came away with fresh ideas and a stronger sense of my natural writing style and the themes that excite me.  Our class stayed in touch and it's wonderful to have that ongoing support - for the rejections as well as the celebrations. The MFA in Creative Writing changed my life'

• Aoife Fitzpatrick MFA (2018 - 2019) Debut novel, The Red Bird Sings, from Virago Press, June 2023 “I miss the MFA. Not just the notable experience and insight of its teachers, but their authentic interest and vital engagement. That's what makes this course special; why it can transform both writer and work-in-progress.“
• Liz Houchin MA (2018 - 2019) ‘Anatomy of a Honey girl (poems for tired women)’ published by Southword, 2021. Awarded Literature Bursary from Arts Council of Ireland, 2021. 
• Brendan Casey, MA (2018-2019) She That Lay, Silent-like, Upon Our Shore, was long-listed for the Deborah Rogers Foundation Award and will be published by John Murray Originals in 2023.

'The course allowed me to dedicate myself to writing in a structured nurturing environment in which I had the time and space to develop ideas. Since graduating I have signed with RCW literary agency in London, and the thesis I submitted in UCD went on to form the basis of my novel .' 

• Sarah Gilmartin MFA (2018-2019) Her debut novel Dinner Party (Pushkin, 2021) was shortlisted for best newcomer at the Irish Book Awards and the Kate O’Brien Award 2022. Her stories have been published in The Dublin Review, New Irish Writing and The Tangerine. Her story The Wife won the 2020 Máirtín Crawford Award at Belfast Book Festival.
• Colin Barrett  won the Guardian First Fiction Prize with  Young Skins  [Pub. Stinging Fly Press / Jonathan Cape (UK) Grove Black Cat editions (US)] then went on to win both the Frank O'Connor International short story award and the Rooney Prize for Literature.  in 2015, Colin was nominated as one of the five under 35 honourees by the National Book Foundation in the US. His stories have appeared in  Five Dials ,  A Public Space  and  The New Yorker .
• Dave Rudden  is a leading writer of YA fiction and has been short-listed for the Hennessy New Writing Award and the Bath Short Story Prize. He is the author of numerous novels, most recent,  The Endless King ,  Doctor Who: Twelve Angels Weeping: Twelve Stories of the Villains from Doctor Who, The Forever Court  and  Knights of the Borrowed Dark.
• Jessica Traynor  won the Hennessy Emerging Poet Award and the Hennessy Writer of the Year Award in 2013 and was the recipient of the Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary in 2014. She is the author of two collections of poetry,  The Quick  and  Liffey Swim  runner-up in the 2015 Troubadour International Poetry Prize and Liffey Swim which was nominated for the 2015 Strong/Shine Award for first collections. 
• Julie Morrissy  is an Irish poet, critic, and activist. Her first collection  Where, the Mile End  is forthcoming in February 2019 with  (opens in a new window) BookThug  (Canada) and  (opens in a new window) tall-lighthouse  (UK & Ireland). Her debut poetry pamphlet  I Am Where  (Eyewear 2015)   was shortlisted for Best Poetry Pamphlet in the Saboteur Awards 2016.
• Henrietta McKervey  has published three novels,  What Becomes Of Us  [Pub. Hachette Ireland],  The Heart of   Everything  and  Violet Hill .  Henrietta won both the Hennessy First Fiction Award and the UCD Maeve Binchy Travel Award in 2014. 
• Helena Nolan  is a poet and short fiction writer and was selected for the 2015  Poetry Ireland Introductions Series  and will read as part of the International Literature Festival in May. She won the Patrick Kavanagh Award in 2011, having come second in 2010. 
• Eamon McGuinness  is from Dublin. His poetry has appeared in  Poetry Ireland Review ,  Boyne Berries, Abridged, The Honest Ulsterman , and elsewhere. In 2017, he was featured on the Poetry Jukebox in Belfast and shortlisted for the Strokestown International Poetry Prize. His debut collection is forthcoming from Salmon Poetry.

How to Apply

• Applications for 2024-25 will open on 1st October 2023 
• The entry requirements for the MFA programme are any of the following; an MA, M Phil [Creative Writing], BFA [Creative Writing], BA Creative Writing Major/Joint Major or equivalent, an outline [approx 1 page] of the novel in progress, together with the opening 25 /30 pages. In the case of a short story collection, two stories; and finally, a personal statement of reasons for taking the course and references.
• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all places have been filled by suitably qualified and capable applicants. We advise applying early to avoid disappointment.

Application requirements are:

1. Academic Transcript(s)

2. Outline of the novel (1 page approx) plus the first 25/30 pages; or two short stories

3. Personal statement

4. Any other supporting documentation that may be relevant to your application.

5. English Language test certificate (IELTS or equivalent at 7.5 with no component less than 7.0)

6. The email addresses of two academic referees.

Scanned copies of relevant academic qualifications and the writing sample should be included in the online application.

Once you submit your application, your referees will receive an email and a link to upload their reference letters. References should be on headed paper and signed. 

• For further details, module information and to start an application, please see our MFA Creative Writing UCD webpages.
• If you have any questions about the programme or the application process, please contact Fiona French, Graduate Administrator at  (opens in a new window) [email protected] .

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MA Creative Writing

Graduate taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90).

UCD offers two graduate courses in creative writing, an MA and MFA. The MA programme includes workshops, seminars and supervision meetings, providing committed students with the support they need to produce a major piece of writing by the end of the course. 

The MA in Creative Writing  builds on the well established commitment of the UCD School of English, Drama and Film to fostering and supporting new writing. The university has long been associated with some of Ireland’s greatest writers, including James Joyce, Flann O’Brien, Mary Lavin, Anthony Cronin, John McGahern, Neil Jordan, Conor McPherson, Marina Carr, Colm Tóibín, Emma Donoghue, Maeve Binchy and many others. The Booker Prize winning novelist Anne Enright is Professor of Creative Writing, and among the teaching staff are novelist Sarah Moss, poet Ian Davidson, poet and novelist Paul Perry, novelist and playwright Declan Hughes, life writer and critic Catherine Morris and novelist Paula McGrath. 

The MA programme :

• Provides opportunities to explore and develop your own creative writing skills supervised by experienced published staff of international reputation.
• Actively fosters the development of students' capacity to edit their own work.
• Ensures that the art of writing is informed by contemporary theory and practice.
• Offers courses incorporating the manuscripts of works of leading writers held in Special Collections and courses which explore material in the National Folklore Collection in UCD, one of the richest archives of oral tradition in the world.

Careers & Employability

Many graduates of the MA in Creative Writing establish successful writing careers. Graduate of the programme Colin Barrett won the Guardian First Fiction Prize with Young Skins  then went on to win both the Frank O'Conner International short story award and the Rooney Prize for Literature. Other graduates go into the publishing industry, while some go on to do an MFA in Creative Writing. 

Curricular information is subject to change

Who should apply?

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Course Description

Lectures, seminars, workshops and supervision meetings aim to provide committed writers with taught classes on the theory and practices of writing. These include presentation and editing techniques, creative reading of selected texts as well as the supervision of a major writing project. Among the important issues addressed on an on-going basis are voice and structure. Every effort is made to ensure that a student progresses on these as well as many other fronts.

Vision and Values Statement

A fundamental tenet of the MA in Creative Writing is a belief in the value of learning from writers who have mastered their craft. The writers who contribute to the course will vary from year to year, but recent module conveners have included Anne Enright, Laureate for Irish Fiction, Paula Meehan, Ireland Professor of Poetry, Eilis Ni Dhuibhne, Writer Fellow, Sinéad Gleeson, Writer in Residence,  and Paul Perry, Poetry co-ordinator. 

Towards that end the MA in creative writing offers a selection of modules in the first semester which direct and encourage students to explore several literary forms, the novel, the short story and poetry.  The aim here is to present students with a broad range of possibilities, set them on a course of discovery for a form, or combination of forms, where they will best realise their creative potential. The learning environment is positive, enabling and friendly and the class group, fourteen or less students, are actively encouraged to support each other in their creative endeavours.

The second semester modules provide an opportunity to embark on a more specific path, while at the same time continuing to extend the boundaries of what is possible in fiction. As the semester progresses a student’s individual work is increasingly guided by course conveners and supervisors, both in workshop settings and on a one-to-one basis.  The end goal is the creation of a substantial piece of writing, a solid basis from which a student will continue towards the completion of a full work, whether that be a collection of short stories, a novel or a collection of poetry.

Programme Outcomes

• Have a solid working knowledge of genres and forms.
• Have created a substantial piece of writing, a solid basis from which to continue towards the completion of a full work, whether that be a collection of short stories, a novel or a collection of poetry.
• Have developed a positive sense of themselves as writers, with an active role to play in the literary/artistic culture wherever they should find themselves.
• Have learned to read like writers, to recognise the challenges facing authors at various stages in the creation of a piece of fiction and to critically assess the extent to which these challenge have been met.
• On successful completion of the programme, students will have a thorough understanding of how to meet many of the challenges confronted in the construction of a piece of fiction; character, voice, place etc.
• Participated in a weekly visiting writer’s programme, contributed to an anthology and attended a selection of the literary events and festivals for which the city is renowned.

What modules can I take?

View All Modules Here

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

Tuition fee information is available on the  UCD Fees website . Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see  International Scholarships .

Entry Requirements

The entry requirement for the  MA programme  is a BA Hons English or equivalent (NFQ Level 8), and/or proven commitment to and experience in the field of creative writing; a portfolio (a 3,000 word sample of prose or 6 poems, or a combination of prose and poetry) of recent creative work; a personal statement of reasons for taking the course and references. Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 7.5 (no band less than 7.0 in each element), or equivalent. 

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes 

Testimonial

Dave Rudden MA 2013 Award-winning author

The Creative Writing Masters in UCD has been incredibly useful to me as an author. I still use some of the lessons I learned in that year in my creative writing classes, and the expert advice of the lecturers contributed massively to me finding a home for my Knights of the Borrowed Dark trilogy at Puffin. I cannot recommend it highly enough.  

Graduate Profile Erika Meyers, USA Although there are many programmes that offer masters in Creative Writing in North America, I decided to attend UCD because it allowed me the opportunity to pursue my interests in poetry and fiction, rather than forcing me to choose one over the other. The creative versatility of the programme not only resulted in the publication of a novel and a poetry collection (both written while under the guidance of James Ryan and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne during my MA), but also provided me with the knowledge and experience necessary to earn a Santander scholarship and pursue my PhD in Irish Literature at the University of Edinburgh.

Related Programmes

• MA Drama & Performance Studies FT

How to apply?

The following entry routes are available:

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

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See details of any upcoming events and how to register.

Programme Overview:

Ask a question:.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.

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Ma creative writing.

• Study at Maynooth /

Qualification : MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE

Award Type and NFQ level : TAUGHT MASTERS (9)

CAO/PAC code : MHK84

CAO Points :

Closing Date : 30 June 2024

View FETAC details

• Entry Requirements
• Department People
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The MA in Creative Writing combines workshops and seminars with one-on-one mentoring of writing projects. Students may take optional modules in literature or other creative modules from across the Faculty, such as Writing for Screen Media. Assessment is through shorter pieces of writing, such as craft essays and reflective journals, and a longer project. The MA, taught by award-winning, internationally-renowned writers, will focus on guiding each student to further develop their voice as a writer, as well as to enrich their existing interests as a writer with new perspectives and a grasp of stylistic approaches. Tactics for editing and revision will be taught in tandem with generative exercises and practices aimed at deepening each student’s relationship to their creative process. Students will have the opportunity to build and develop networks which will sustain their writing practice beyond the MA degree. 

B.A. degree with a subject mark in English, or a cognate discipline, of 2.1 or higher, or international equivalent. 

Applicants must have a recognised primary degree which is considered equivalent to Irish university primary degree level.

Minimum English language requirements: Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study. For information about English language tests accepted and required scores, please see here . The requirements specified are applicable for both EU and International applicants.

Maynooth University's TOEFL code is 8850

Dr Conrad Brunstrom

Head of Department

Department of English

Read Full Biography

Prof Lauren Arrington

Dr Denis Condon

Department of Media Studies

Dr Íde Corley

Dr Michael G. Cronin

Department of Sexualities and Gender

Azelina Flint

Dr Oona Frawley

Dr Catherine Gander

Department of Diversifying Irish Poetry

Prof Colin Graham

Dr Sinead Kennedy

Dr Conor McCarthy

Belinda McKeon

Dr naoise murphy.

Prof Emer Nolan

Dr Karl O' Hanlon

Dr Stephen O'Neill

Prof Pat Palmer

Dr Rita Sakr

Prof Moynagh Sullivan

Department of Motherhood Project

Students take compulsory modules in Creative Prose (combined 20 credits), Literature, Creativity, and Society (10 credits), and Individual Project Development, which runs across two semesters (combined 20 credits). The creative dissertation (30 credits) is undertaken in the spring and summer (semester 2). Students take 10 credits in optional modules from a selection offered in the Department and across the Faculty, including literature modules and Writing for Screen Media.

The skills gained in the MA equip students for careers in fields such as professional editing, professional writing and the creative industries.

For some students, the MA serves as essential preparation for a PhD in Creative Writing. 

Online application only www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC Code MHK84

The following documents should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of their birth certificate or valid passport.

Masters in Creative Writing (Ireland)

Creative Writing MA

This programme is available full-time over one academic year or part-time over two years. It enables students to develop their Creative Writing skills through consideration of the work of established writers; through study of the many aspects of a piece of successful Creative Writing; through assignments that foster strategies for revision of work; and through an understanding of the requirements of the redrafting, submission and publication processes.

MA (Writing)

The MA in Writing is a one-year, full-time course. It covers a range of genres and forms, and it interacts with our other postgraduate offerings in publishing, literature and drama. The course thus builds on our strengths in the teaching of writing for page and stage, screen, journalism and other media. The course is open to applicants from any disciplinary background (within and beyond Arts) and welcomes all types of writing interests. A ‘Qualifier’ option is available for potential applicants who do not have a university degree but have a suitable publications record or sufficient experience in a related creative field.

MA in Creative Writing

Have you always wanted to write but never had the time, the focus, the space, or the encouragement? The DCU MA in Creative Writing aims to unlock the writer in you through an immersion in Drama, Poetry and Fiction. This exciting new course offers an opportunity for early-career and emerging writers to spend a year working with professional writers in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment to develop their work and to foster connections with the wider literary community. The DCU MA in Creative Writing offers intensive, hands-on courses in the writing of drama, poetry, screenwriting and prose fiction, as well as tailored courses in critical reading and creative practice.

Only you can write the book that you would like to write, be it a collection of poetry, or essays, or a novel, or a memoir… nobody else can write that book. The purpose of the MA in Creative Writing at UCC is to give you the tools to write the book waiting to be written, and many more after it. As well as honing the techniques and craft of creative writing, our MA is also designed to introduce you to the publishing industry, and prepare you for a variety of career options, including publishing and the creative arts.

M.Phil. in Creative Writing

Our Creative Writing faculty are all practicing writers. We’ve all been through it and we’re respectful of how exposing writing can be, and how vulnerable someone can feel as they approach the craft with serious intent for the first time. Sometimes students tap straight into a rich vein of form. Others take time to eliminate the writers that they don’t want to be until they arrive at a true voice. We know that virtuosity can be immediate but also that progress is more often painstaking and incremental. Our workshops and lectures are supportive places. There is no one path to being a writer but it is our job is to help a student set out the imaginative, technical and practical wayposts of their own practice. We like to think that we do it well.

MA/MFA Creative Writing

UCD offers two graduate courses in creative writing, an MA and MFA. The MA programme includes workshops, seminars and supervision meetings, providing committed students with the support they need to produce a major piece of writing by the end of the course.

MA Writing for Stage and Screen

The Writing for Stage and Screen MA offers you the opportunity to devote a considerable amount of time to write, evolve and reflect on your own creative practices. Today like never before, writers are moving between different media forms and this programme allows you to develop work across diverse platforms. Graduates of the MA in Writing for Stage and Screen are equipped to work in theatre, media, cultural and educational settings, and to further their research into theatre and screen.

MA Creative Writing

The MA in Creative Writing combines workshops and seminars with one-on-one mentoring of writing projects. Students may take optional modules in literature or other creative modules from across the Faculty, such as Writing for Screen Media. Assessment is through shorter pieces of writing, such as craft essays and reflective journals, and a longer project. The MA, taught by award-winning, internationally-renowned writers, will focus on guiding each student to further develop their voice as a writer, as well as to enrich their existing interests as a writer with new perspectives and a grasp of stylistic approaches. Tactics for editing and revision will be taught in tandem with generative exercises and practices aimed at deepening each student’s relationship to their creative process. Students will have the opportunity to build and develop networks which will sustain their writing practice beyond the MA degree.

MA English (Creative Writing)

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 MA in English (Creative Writing) is for you. The programme includes prose writing (fiction and creative non-fiction) and script writing (screen and stage), and invites you to explore all these modes of writing before choosing a specialism.

MFA Playwriting

The theatrical landscape is constantly being moulded by theatre makers who are presenting original works or reimagining classics. Critical to this process is new writings and adaptations. The Master in Fine Art degree in Playwriting at The Lir Academy offers every student the opportunity to develop and hone their unique writing skill so that each play written is the best it can be.

MA/PDip (Drama and Theatre Studies)

The MA in Drama and Theatre Studies, housed at the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, is a world-leading course that combines critical perspectives on the practice of theatre history/theory with theatre-making. A diverse range of modules allows students to build a programme that suits their chosen career trajectory– whether in theatre practice, Irish drama, playwriting, theatre criticism, applied theatre or a blend.

MA Theatre Practice and Performance

Our MA in Theatre & Performative Practices at University College Cork is designed to produce flexible, empowered theatre artists who understand performance as a form of embodied intelligence and a way of engaging with our troubled and beautiful world. This MA provides a challenging and supported space for graduates and professional practitioners who are interested in making and thinking about innovative, cutting-edge work. We conceive theatre and performance as vibrant world-making and world-changing strategies for engagement and change through practice and theory. If you choose this MA programme you will learn to follow your instincts and explore your unique creativity, within a rigorous critical context and research environment.

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Master of Arts (MA) in Creative Writing

Introduction.

• Do you have an imaginative streak?
• Ready to get those creative juices flowing?
• Is there a writer inside you waiting to burst out?

Put the pen to paper and further your journey into a writer’s career with the  Warnborough MA in Creative Writing !

The M.A. program in Creative Writing of Warnborough College is unique and delivered completely online.  It is based on Aristotle’s theory of mimesis, but despite its ancient roots, the program meets all the needs of a postmodern writer looking for new paradigms.

Warnborough College’s MA in Creative Writing program is aimed at the serious writer and is flexible, yet comprehensive in its scope.  It allows writers of different genres to tailor the program to suit individual needs.  Candidates on the program will get to demonstrate that the pen is mightier than the sword.

If you have already completed our  Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing , you can transfer the credits  towards this course.

4 terms (16 months) minimum ^

120 ECTS credits

€85 per credit. €10,200 in total.

Prerequisites:

Undergraduate degree in the same or related discipline

To graduate, students must successfully complete a total of 120 ECTS credits. All requirements must be satisfied unless students are granted exemptions.

Customised Approaches

First of all, students can opt for a more tailored approach by undertaking the Research  or  Projects options. You may wish to discuss these options with us.

By Instruction (Modular approach)

Students are required to complete 8 core modules and a thesis manuscript or multi-genre portfolio of their work of approximately 100 pages. It is possible to work your way up towards the Master's by completing the Postgraduate Certificate and the Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing .

Program by Instruction Structure 

8 Core Modules (64 credits) + Thesis (56 credits) = MA (120 ECTS credits)

This rigorous program involves sixteen months of study: eight months of modular work and eight months of thesis composition.  Each module lasts four weeks or one month.  Since modules are sequential and build upon each other, students may only work on one module at a time.  Those who require additional time for thesis composition may petition the College for additional terms.

Students can work with their mentors to combine modules into customised programs, suited to their interests and capabilities. The descriptions will give you a sense of areas in which to proceed, at the graduate level, and professionally.  Exemptions may be awarded based on prior courses taken, professional experience, writing and research samples, and art portfolios.

General thesis requirements are as follows:

• For Poetry: The composition of a book of poems: 70 to 100 pages in length.
• For Fiction: The composition of a novella, 100 pages in length, or a collection of short stories of approximately the same length. (Specialisations include science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, or mainstream literary fiction.)
• For Playwriting: The composition of a play, 100 pages in length.
• For Creative Nonfiction: A series of essays, 100 pages in length.

Program Modules

All individual modules are 8 credits each, except where stated otherwise.

The following modules are compulsory:

• WR700 Mimesis of Texts 1
• WR715 Outlines
• WR702 Basics of Storytelling: Setting
• WR703 Basics of Storytelling: Creating Compelling Characters
• WR704 Basics of Storytelling: Point of View
• WR705 Basics of Storytelling: Plot

(The above may be substituted for other modules if the student has already completed the  Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma programs  at Warnborough)

See HERE for a list of all modules and their descriptions .

We deliver this program via distance learning. Students work independently, with the guidance of an allocated mentor, while groups can conduct learning via the Online Moodle. Occasionally, there are optional summer workshops.

Program Director Dr Sandra Hutcheson is the author of two books and  is a humor columnist for the Sunday edition of the St. Augustine Record and her articles have appeared in Creative Nonfiction magazine, Southern Journal, and Doxie Digest. She teaches writing at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, and at the University of Phoenix.

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* Fees: Fees refer to tuition only. It does not include ancillary expenses such as required materials (see above), textbooks, internet connections, postage, telephone calls, insurance and printing. More …

^ Duration: Depending upon exemptions, performance and the workload, it may take more or less time. Accreditation for Prior Learning or Experience (APEL) can reduce time and fees.

• PhD in Creative Writing .
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Writing (MA)

Course overview, course outline, why choose this course, course fees.

• Find Out More

The MA in Writing is a one-year, full-time course. It covers a range of genres and forms, and it interacts with our other postgraduate offerings in publishing, literature and drama. The course thus builds on our strengths in the teaching of writing for page and stage, screen, journalism and other media. The course is open to applicants from any disciplinary background (within and beyond Arts) and welcomes all types of writing interests. A ‘Qualifier’ option is available for potential applicants who do not have a university degree but have a suitable publications record or sufficient experience in a related creative field.

A weekly ‘Writers Seminar’ features writers, publishers, agents and other visitors from the writing professions. Galway’s Cúirt literary festival is the focus in April. Students attend events and complete a related assessment. Other scholarships available Find out about our Postgraduate Scholarships  here .

Applications and Selections

 Applications are made online via the University of Galway  Postgraduate Applications System . 

Who Teaches this Course

McCormack, Mike —Author of Getting it in the Head (1995), for which he won the Rooney Prize; Crowe's Requiem (1998); and Notes from a Coma (2005). Teaches course in fiction-writing. 

O   'Malley, Mary —Author of Consideration of Silk (1990); Where the Rocks Float (1993); The Knife in the Wave (1997); and The Boning Hall (Carcanet Press, 2002).  She received a Hennessy Award in 1990. She is a member of Aosdana. Co-teaches poetry workshop with Mickey Gorman.

Requirements and Assessment

There is continuous assessment of regular writing assignments and end-of-semester projects. The Final Portfolio, consisting of revisions and further development of writings done for courses during the year, is submitted in mid-August and accounts for one third of the overall assessment.

Entry Requirements

A university degree (minimum standard 2.2, or US GPA 3.0) or the equivalent in education and/or professional experience. Students will be accepted on the basis of their degree result (and/or experience), a sample of recent writing (3,000 words maximum) and a personal statement of interest (500 words maximum). Those who wish to explore possibilities for entry through the ‘qualifier’ option should contact the course director.  

Additional Requirements

Recognition of prior learning (rpl).

1 year, full-time

Next start date

September 2024

A Level Grades ()

Average intake, qqi/fet fetac entry routes, closing date.

Please view the  offer rounds website.

Mode of study

Ects weighting, course code, core course:.

In each semester, all students will take a Writers' Seminar. This will meet once a week for three hours through the semester. Its scope will include fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose, dramatic and non-dramatic writing, journals and journalism. Normally, there will be a different visiting writer at each seminar meeting. Only students from the MA in Writing may enrol for credit in this seminar. Assessment is based on weekly journal writings.  

Optional courses:   

Optional modules vary from year to year.  Please contact the programme director for the current year’s offerings.  Some of the modules offered are listed below.  Students must take six modules in total. The Writers' Seminar is compulsory, students may then take any five of the following modules—two from one semester and three from the other:  

Poetry Workshop.  Students produce drafts sometimes in response to prompts or assignments from the workshop leader(s). These drafts are sometimes circulated for class discussion, with a view to improvement. By the end of the semester, students produce a number of complete poems and the class publishes a chapbook.  

Fiction Workshop.  Students examine elements of craft in published writers selected by the workshop leader. They also produce short pieces of fiction, sometimes in response to a prompt or assignment. Drafts may be discussed in class, or in conference with the teacher. By the end of the semester, students submit a set number of words of fictional narrative.  

Non-Fiction Workshop.  For a month students complete weekly writing assignments in elements of narrative (description, dialogue, etc.), then an essay or book proposal, which is next week by week undertaken in steps. Class meetings are devoted primarily to discussion of works-in-progress.  

Books Journalism.   This module will familiarise students with the various means by which books and authors are publicly ‘processed’ and discussed in professional fashion by readers and the writing marketplace generally. The prime focus will be styles of, and platforms for, literary reviewing. DJ6100  Features Journalism.  This module focuses on the nature and practice of writing feature pieces.

Irish Drama from Wilde to O’Casey .  This module introduces students to the major figures in Irish Drama from the period just before the Revival to the post-independence era. It provides an in-depth insight into the plays, writers, and practices of a crucial period in Irish history that has had a formative and lasting impact on both Irish and international theatre. We consider the works of Shaw and Wilde before moving to the foundation of the Abbey Theatre, and the works of Yeats, Synge, Gregory and others. We conclude with the post-independence period showing how the plays of Sean O'Casey inaugurated a new period of international experimentation, evident in the work of the Gate Theatre and in plays by such writers as Teresa Deevy and Mary Manning. A key component of this module will be the exploration of ways in which the Abbey Theatre Digital Archive can present opportunities for innovative methodologies and insights.

Irish Drama from Beckett to the Present.  T his course introduces students to the major figures in Irish Drama from the post-war period to the present. We begin with a detailed study of the drama of Samuel Beckett before moving to consider Friel and Murphy from the 1960s onwards. We move then to the Troubles and their impact on Irish drama, and conclude by exploring Irish theatre in the global era. The class will also play a central role in a broader project about the Creative Arts Canon and Curriculum, whereby students will be carrying out research on neglected Irish female playwrights and producing resources related to their work.

Curriculum Information

Glossary of terms, year 1 (90 credits), required en590: final project: portfolio, en590: final project: portfolio, 15 months long | credits: 30.

The portfolio will contain at least one piece of writing for each course, and a key piece of work that the student has identified for primary attention. Genres in the portfolio may include, for instance, a brief dissertation on the history, theory, or criticism of Irish drama; a widely-based set of reviews and reception studies; a completed play or adapted screenplay; an integrated account of a theatrical production within an Irish theatre company.

Learning Outcomes

• To be confirmed

Assessments

• Continuous Assessment (100%)
• JOHN KENNY:   Research Profile  |   Email
• DEARBHLA MOONEY:   Research Profile  |   Email
• IRENE OMALLEY:   Research Profile  |   Email
• MIKE MC CORMACK:   Research Profile  |   Email

Required EN604: Writer's Seminar

En604: writer's seminar, semester 1 and semester 2 | credits: 10.

A two-semester course required for MA in Writing students, open to attendance by others, with regular visits from writers, a weekly journal by students, and several longer writing assignments. Assessed on the basis of a portfolio.

Optional FM500: Screen Writing Fundamentals

Fm500: screen writing fundamentals, semester 1 | credits: 10.

The course has three core objectives: - To teach the craft of screenwriting; the ‘tools of the trade’. - To help students find their own ‘voice’ as writers in an encouraging, supportive environment. - To help students develop critical and analytical script editing skills, within a wider understanding of film as both art form and industry.

• Understand the fundamentals of screenwriting and the various different theoretical approaches.
• Analyze film according to these approaches.
• Grasp the idea of story structure and how this applies to the visual medium of cinema, both in the classical and non-conventional narrative sense.
• Appreciate the importance of genre in its various forms and conventions.
• Absorb learned theory into individual, practical experience of the craft of screenwriting.
• Learn to critique their own and other’s work, and understand the importance of collaboration in the process of filmmaking.
• Department-based Assessment (100%)
• DEIRDRE QUINN:   Research Profile  |   Email
• JENNY ROCHE:   Research Profile  |   Email

Optional DM6111: Generative Art and Media

Dm6111: generative art and media, semester 2 | credits: 10.

In this module, students use computer programming to create generative art and media works. Students also develop skills in independent project development and creative problem solving. (Language of instruction: English)

• Create generative art and media works using computer code
• Experiment with computer code using exploratory methods
• Critically situate practice within broader field of digital art and media
• Work independently to solve problems in creative production
• El Putnam:   Research Profile  |   Email

Reading List

• "Code as Creative Medium" by Golan Levin and Tega Brain ISBN: 9780262542043. Publisher: MIT Press
• "Exploratory Programming for the Arts and Humanities" by Nick Montfort ISBN: 9780262034203. Publisher: MIT Press
• "Critical Code Studies" by Mark C. Marino ISBN: 9780262043656. Publisher: MIT Press
• "The Software Arts" by Warren Sack ISBN: 9780262039703. Publisher: MIT Press
• "Beyond the Creative Species" by Ollie Bown ISBN: 9780262045018. Publisher: MIT Press
• "Digital Art in Ireland: New Media and Irish Artistic Practice" by James O'Sullivan ISBN: 9781785274794. Publisher: Anthem Press

Optional EN6113: Writing Workshop: Poetry 2

En6113: writing workshop: poetry 2.

The primary aim of this workshop is the generation of new poetry by students. The workshops will involve reading poetry from a broad range of traditions, in a wide range of forms. Students will submit weekly exercises and an end of semester short portfolio of poems they have edited in the light of feedback they have received over the course of the module. (Language of instruction: English)

• Create original work on a broad range of subject matters and in a broad range of styles.
• Employ a diverse range of poetic forms.
• Assess the strengths and shortcomings of their own work and the work of other poets.
• Revise their work appropriately in response to feedback from the group and their tutor.
• Work towards submitting poems for publication.
• Continuous Assessment (40%)
• Department-based Assessment (60%)
• Elaine Feeney:   Research Profile  |   Email
• "The Poet's Companion" by Addonizio, Kim and Laux, Dorianne ISBN: 978-0-393-316. Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company, NY Chapters: 2024-06-11T00:00:00
• "A Poetry Handbook" by Oliver, Mary ISBN: 978-0-15-6724. Publisher: Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin Chapters: 5, 7, 9, 11
• "Poetry Writing" by Sampson, Fiona ISBN: 978-0-7090-85. Publisher: Robert Hale Chapters: 2, 3, 6, 7, 18
• "Hiddenness, Uncertainty, Surprise: Three Gernerative Energies of Poetry" by Hirshfield, Jane ISBN: 978-1-85224-7. Publisher: Bloodaxe Chapters: 1, 2, 3
• "Poetry in the Making" by Hughes, Ted ISBN: 978-0-571-233. Publisher: Faber and Faber Chapters: 3, 4, 5

Optional EN573: Travel Literature

En573: travel literature.

Narratives of travel constituted one of the most popular publishing genres of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This course examines the literary conventions, genres, and modes of representing otherness that characterised this disparate body of texts. We will make particular used of Early English Books Online which makes available virtually everything printed from 1475-1700.

• DANIEL CAREY:   Research Profile  |   Email

Optional FM502: Screenplay Development

Fm502: screenplay development.

This module follows on from Screenwriting Fundamentals in Semester 1 and is limited to eight students. The module will facilitate and guide students towards the development of a treatment for a feature film. The classes included in this module will also - enable students to develop their craft as visual storytellers. - help students find their own ‘voice’ as writers in an encouraging and creative environment. - explore alternative screen narratives.

• Appreciate the power of metaphor and symbolism in the cinematic narrative.
• Understand the importance of film as a visual medium.
• Develop a treatment for a feature film screenplay
• Develop a critical understanding of cinematic language.
• SEÁN CROSSON:   Research Profile  |   Email
• EMMA HOGAN:   Research Profile  |   Email

Optional EN6135: Studies in Poetry

En6135: studies in poetry.

Students in this module are exposed to selected topics related to poetry. Topics and areas of focus may vary from year to year. (Language of instruction: English)

• Discourse knowledgeably about selected poets as well as the broader cultural contexts in which they worked.
• Conduct sophisticated oral and/or written analyses of literary texts related to course themes.
• Critically engage with appropriate secondary sources.
• CLÍODHNA CARNEY:   Research Profile  |   Email
• LINDSAY ANN REID:   Research Profile  |   Email
• "MLA Handbook" by Modern Language Association of America ISBN: 9781603292627.

Optional EN602: Writing Workshop: Fiction

En602: writing workshop: fiction.

Run over twelve weeks this seminar is designed to explore the various modes of prose fiction writing. During the first half of the course the class will practise and develop the necessary skills: this will be done by way of various reading and writing assignments. As the course progresses students will be expected to draw these skills together and bring them to focus on one particular project. In consultation with the course tutor the student will decide whether that project will be a novel excerpt or a novella, or, a small collection of short stories.

Optional EN6112: Writing Workshop: Nonfiction 1

En6112: writing workshop: nonfiction 1.

This module is designed to allow MAWN students to take a Nonfiction workshop in semester 1 as well as (as exists) semester 2 (Language of instruction: English)

• Apply theoretical knowledge of the genres of nonfiction in their own writing practice.
• Describe, analyse and evaluate their own compositional practice and written work in nonfiction.
• Demonstrate proficiency in group workshopping and editing of nonfiction.
• Continuous Assessment (50%)
• Department-based Assessment (50%)
• "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" by Lee Gutkind ISBN: 0738215546. Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• "The Art of the personal essay" by selected and with an introduction by Phillip Lopate ISBN: 038542339X. Publisher: Anchor Books
• "Storycraft" by Jack Hart. ISBN: 0226318168. Publisher: Chicago; University of Chicago Press

Optional EN601: Writing Workshop: Poetry

En601: writing workshop: poetry.

The primary aim of this workshop is the generation of new work in poetry by students. This will be the result of readings in poetry in a wide variety of forms from various traditions, weekly exercises and projects. (Language of instruction: English)

Optional DT6123: Playwright's Workshop I

Dt6123: playwright's workshop i.

A weekly writer’s workshop in which students will explore fundamental dramaturgical playwriting strategies and structures through analysis of plays from different genres and in-class writing tasks. (Language of instruction: English)

• Analyse and identify dramaturgical structures as well as particular genre specific theatrical devises
• Develop prompts for starting and completing written work
• Plan, structure and complete original short play
• Critically reflect on writing and situate it within established genres
• PATRICK LONERGAN:   Research Profile  |   Email
• CHARLOTTE MCIVOR:   Research Profile  |   Email
• MIRIAM HAUGHTON:   Research Profile  |   Email
• EMMA BRINTON:   Research Profile  |   Email
• IAN WALSH:   Research Profile  |   Email
• "The Secret Life of Plays" by Steve Waters Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• "How Plays Work" by David Edgar Publisher: Nick Hern
• "Playwriting a Practical guide" by Noel Greig Publisher: Routledge

Optional EN527: Literature Of North America

En527: literature of north america.

This course examines current trends in contemporary North American writing of the past ten years within a cultural and theoretical context . (Language of instruction: English)

• identify the themes and concerns in contemporary North American literature
• discuss how North American novelists engage with historical events and their own lived experience to provide a critique of their society, with reference to issues such as gender, race, and class.
• relate these contemporary novels to the tradition of writing from which they came and consider them in the historical context of the American novel.
• present close readings of the novels and describe them in terms of writing style, narrative voice, genre, use of language, and intertextuality.
• FIONA BATEMAN:   Research Profile  |   Email
• "The Sellout" by Paul Beatty
• "The Things they Carried" by Tim O'Brien
• "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides
• "The Ice Storm" by Rick Moody
• "The Submission" by Amy Waldman
• "My Year of Meats" by Ruth Ozeki
• "Station Eleven" by Emily St John Mandel
• "A Complicated Kindness" by Miriam Toews
• "Winter's Bone" by Daniel Woodrell

Optional EN6111: Writing Workshop: Fiction 2

En6111: writing workshop: fiction 2.

This module is designed to allow MAWN students to continue studying and practising Fiction from semester 1 (as exists) into semester 2 (Language of instruction: English)

• Apply theoretical knowledge of the genres of fiction in their own writing practice.
• Describe, analyse and evaluate their own compositional practice and written work.
• Demonstrate proficiency in group workshopping and editing.
• KAREN M WALSH:   Research Profile  |   Email
• "The Art of Writing Fiction" by Andrew Cowan
• "On Writing" by Stephen King ISBN: 1444723251. Publisher: Hodder Paperback
• "Self-editing for fiction writers" by Renni Browne and Dave King; illustrations by George Booth ISBN: 0060545690. Publisher: Harper Resource

Optional EN603: Writing Workshop: Non-Fiction

En603: writing workshop: non-fiction.

A one-semester writing workshop open to those in the MA in Writing. Various genre-driven exercises lead up to the preparation of a lengthy nonfiction piece. Assessed on the basis of a portfolio. (Language of instruction: English)

Optional DJ6100: Features Journalism

Dj6100: features journalism.

Students will be introduced to the field of features journalism, and to a range of specific formats within the genre. Through extensive practical work, they will learn to identify and pitch stories; to research and investigate; and to write to format and deadline. (Language of instruction: English)

• Identify and shape promising topics
• Conduct the research appropriate to various article types, to include interviewing, observation, document analysis
• Prepare a range of feature journalism pieces in the appropriate formats and styles
• UINSIONN MAC DUBHGHAILL:   Research Profile  |   Email
• TOM FELLE:   Research Profile  |   Email
• Kelly Fincham:   Research Profile  |   Email
• Jonathan Albright:   Research Profile  |   Email
• "English for journalists" by Wynford Hicks ISBN: 9780415404204. Publisher: Abingdon, Oxon, [England] ; Routledge, 2007.
• "Writing feature articles" by Brendan Hennessy ISBN: 9780240516912. Publisher: Oxford ; Focal Press, 2006.
• "Essential English" by Harold Evans ISBN: 9780712664479. Publisher: Pimlico

Optional EN6101: Books Journalism

En6101: books journalism.

This module will familiarise students with the various means by which books and authors are publicly ‘processed’ and discussed in professional fashion by readers and the writing marketplace generally. The prime focus will be styles of, and platforms for, literary reviewing.

Optional DT6135: Playwright's Workshop II: Dramaturgical Approaches to Craft

Dt6135: playwright's workshop ii: dramaturgical approaches to craft.

This workshop based module explores special topics in playwriting strategies and dramaturgical approaches which may include but are not limited to adaptation, documentary/verbatim theatre, and dramatic writing for the radio. By working through the challenges of different genres and writing processes, playwrights will stretch their skills in a collaborative group format. Students should be prepared to read work aloud in class and will learn to critique each other’s work.

• Chart and adapt dramaturgical structures across a range of different styles of theatre
• Complete a short play( 20 minutes in duration) and a longer play (at least 40 minutes in duration).
• Critically reflect on their playwriting practice
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• "The Secret Life of Plays" by Steve Waters
• "How do Plays Work" by David Edgar
• "The Writers Journey" by Christopher Volger

Optional DT6137: Irish Theatre and Performance Histories

Dt6137: irish theatre and performance histories.

This module explores Irish theatre and performance histories from the 19th century to the present through the lens of current theoretical and methodological approaches to understanding the evolution of Irish theatre and performance over this time period. This module asks: what is "Irish" theatre? How does looking beyond the theatre and plays alone to the broader field of Performance Studies as a lens for analysing Irish theatre, performance and cultural histories expand the tools and understanding of the burgeoning theatre and performance historian? How do recent scholarly, practical and/or policy trends including increased focus on intersectional identities, equity, equality and access in the Irish theatre and the need to better understand and document the diverse creative and administrative roles involved in creating and sustaining the Irish creative industries landscape challenge existing scholarship in the field to date? How do we use existing and new evidence in this field including literary and theoretical analysis, archives, Iive attendance at theatre and performance events, interview processes and more to broaden the scope of this field? Ultimately, this module brings learners into the heart of the contemporary field of Irish theatre and performance studies and equips them with foundational critical tools (such as the ability to work with archival evidence and materials) to begin laying the groundwork for the future of Irish theatre and performance studies. (Language of instruction: English)

• Describe the basic characteristics of selected major events, movements and figures in the trajectory of Irish theatre from 19th century to the present
• Discuss the relationship between theatrical cultures and society, culture, politics and economics as relevant to the Irish theatre and/or performance case studies being addressed
• Identify major contemporary critical trends and/or methodological approaches in the field of Irish theatre and performance studies internationally
• Execute basic skills across a variety of methodologies utilised in the field of Irish theatre and performance studies including but not limited to archival research, literary/textual analysis of primary and/or secondary sources, live performance spectatorship, interview techniques, etc.
• Integrate close-reading of Irish theatre and performance case studies (a play, a performance event, a scenographer, an actor) with analysis of primary and secondary sources that draw on the methodological range of approaches explored in the module as a whole
• "The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Irish Theatre and Performance" by Eamonn Jordan,Eric Weitz ISBN: 1137585870. Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• "The Oxford Handbook of Modern Irish Theatre" by Chris Morash ISBN: 9780198706137.
• "Theatre and Globalization" by Patrick Lonergan ISBN: 0230214282. Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• "Staging Trauma" by Miriam Haughton ISBN: 9781137536624. Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• "Migration and Performance in Contemporary Ireland" by Charlotte McIvor ISBN: 9781137469724. Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• "Experimental Irish Theatre" by I. Walsh ISBN: 1349336602. Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Career Opportunities

Graduates have gone on to work in the areas of teaching, journalism, publishing, editing, public relations and marketing. Graduates have also progressed to various doctoral programmes in the humanities—and it is now also possible to undertake a practice-led PhD in English/Creative Writing at University of Galway. Many graduates have concentrated on their development as independent writers, and over 60 books have been published by writers from this MA.  

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Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant – please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €4,000 towards your tuition (2024/25).  You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee.  A P1 grant is where SUSI will pay tuition up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Postgraduate fee breakdown = Tuition (EU or NON EU) + Student levy as outlined above.

Note to non-EU students: learn about the 24-month Stayback Visa  here . 

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Gerry Hanberry |   Published 3rd collection of poetry, At Grattan Road

The MA in Writing at NUI, Galway has, without doubt, contributed enormously to the development of many writers, including myself, who have subsequently gone on to become established and published in their own chosen areas. The course has also greatly enriched the cultural life of the city. One example of this enrichment would be the large attendances at the many regular literary events held both on campus and in the locality. Established writers have been attracted to the area by the opportunity to study and write in genres other than their own and less experienced writers have been given the confidence and expertise to progress. The list of publications and literary prizes of MA in Writing graduates lengthens every year. An academic year spent studying on this course is a wonderful and valuable experience.

Jennifer McCarrick |    

This is a great course of aspiring writers who want to be challenged, assessed, and improved in their work.

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The 2025-26 Competition is now open. Applications must be submitted by the national deadline of October 8, 2024 at 5pm ET.

Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program .

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program .

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org .

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program .

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1 Fulbright/University College Cork Masters in Creative Writing Award

Specialized grant types, fulbright graduate degree grants, award profile.

Grantee may pursue a taught Masters in Creative Writing at  University College Cork  which was established in 1845 as one of three Queen’s Colleges at Cork, Galway and Belfast.  Located on a beautiful, historic campus, University College Cork has grown from 115 students to over 20,000, from one building to dozens, from less than 20 staff to more than 1,600 today. The  MA in Creative Writing at University College Cork  encourages students to be curious about literature, to pursue creative excellence and to develop their writing in a university atmosphere. The course as a whole encourages and supports a full exploration of the creative self while also maintaining a strong vocational emphasis including professional placements. All of University College Cork’s courses are embedded in Cork’s dynamic creative milieu, rooted in expert practice and taught by highly accomplished professionals. A rich variety of modules are available, including Fiction, Poetry and Life Writing.

Grant Length

Grant period.

Commencing in September 2025.

Orientation

Orientation typically takes place in October once the majority of grantees are in-country.

Candidate Profile

The Commission is seeking applicants who:

• Possess excellence (academically, personally, professionally, creatively);
• Demonstrate leadership experience, attributes and, or potential;
• Outline a strong rationale and feasible methodology for pursuing a degree in University College Cork that indicates how a Fulbright to Ireland fits into their longer term goals;
• Demonstrate the benefit of becoming a Fulbrighter; to themselves (personally and professionally), to their discipline, to society, to Ireland, to the Fulbright Program / Commission and to the US when they return;
• Extend themselves beyond their project / studies to become actively involved in Irish society and the work of the Fulbright Commission.  The Commission is keen to support projects that brings awardees into contact with a wide range of stakeholders, particularly outside of academia, to maximize their academic / cultural exchange experience and to raise awareness of the Fulbright Program in Ireland.

University College Cork will consider applications from graduates of all disciplines. Applicants are expected to have a cumulative GPA of 3.2.  Applicants with relevant writing or arts experience (e.g. working in publishing, journalism or arts administration) are also invited to apply. All applicants will be asked to submit a piece of creative writing of 1000 words (any genre).

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

Ireland is a friendly, engaging and vibrant country with centuries of U.S. interaction as part of its DNA. As an increasingly diverse society with a highly educated workforce, competitive educational system and millennia of culture, it is a popular choice for U.S. Student applicants.

Higher education in Ireland is provided by 12 universities, 2 Institutes of Technology, and a number of specialist colleges in art, business, law, music, medicine and theology. There are also a significant number of well-funded research centres and cultural institutions that may be considered as host options.

Irish colleges typically operate on a two-semester academic year: September to December and January to May. Further information on higher education in Ireland can be found  here .

Most Higher Education Institutions are supported by the Irish government. For example, universities and Institutes of technology receive more than 90 percent of their income from the state. The Irish government has invested 2.5 billion euro establishing advanced centres of research, and world-class research facilities and programs that are an attractive destination for international exchange visitors.

Fulbright Alumni cite the following advantages associated with coming to Ireland: English-speaking; very welcoming; family-friendly; safe; intellectually challenging; culturally rich and diverse; and accessible. Please see the Commission’s  Coming to Ireland page  for more information and resources. Helpful advice on living and studying in Ireland can also be found on the official website of the Government of Ireland here .

Please contact the Fulbright Commission in Ireland via email at [email protected]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSqPQGZKWc0 – Irish Fulbright Commission

For further information on Fulbright Alumni, please see the Alumni Directory here . A complete list of Fulbright Campus Ambassadors is also available to search and view.

Eligibility

Degree level of applicant, foreign language proficiency, fulbright proposal types, affiliation.

Letter not required at deadline. Applicants will need to apply for admission to the Masters in Creative Writing as per University College Cork’s admissions procedures . Applicants are expected to have proof of acceptance onto the Masters in Creative Writing programme if offered a Fulbright award. The Fulbright Commission can assist with / advise on this process but applicants should make initial enquiries with the Director of Creative Writing, Dr Eibhear Walshe, email:  [email protected] prior to contacting the Commission.

Affiliation Fees/Tuition

Award benefits.

• A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
• International travel benefits
• Accident & sickness health benefits
• 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
• 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government

Stipend Amount This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

Estimated cost of living consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country..

The estimated monthly cost of living is €1750 to €2000.

Dependents are not permitted to accompany applicants on grant.

Fulbright Program Management Contact

Fulbright commission/u.s. embassy website, fulbright commission/u.s. embassy contact, additional online resources.

01 2630 456

• [email protected]

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How the dung queen of Dublin was swept from history

AI to be used by researchers to scour documents for information on women omitted from chronicles written by men about men

F our centuries ago Dublin had an official city “scavenger” who was tasked with running sanitation teams to clear streets of human and animal waste. In return, the scavenger earned tolls from shopkeepers and traders.

It could have worked well, except the contractor decided to cut costs and maximise profits by deploying just two carts rather than six. Dung piled up and the city stank.

This upset everyone save the scavenger, who pocketed enough cash to set herself up as a moneylender. Her name was Catherine Strong.

In 1635, the city fired her, ending an intriguing if inglorious career in public service. And then, like so many women of her era, Strong vanished into history, her entrepreneurship – creditable or otherwise – barely scraping a footnote in Irish chronicles written by men about men.

Trinity College Dublin aims to remedy that with an ambitious research project launched this week that will use artificial intelligence and other digital technologies to uncover women’s experiences in Ireland from 1500 to 1700.

Jane Ohlmeyer, a history professor who is leading the project, titled Voices , said: “Women are largely absent from historical narratives, with the historical record privileging the perspectives of elites and elite men in particular.

“But ordinary women are not absent from the story of early modern Ireland; they are hiding in plain sight in fragments and passing mentions across a multitude of historic records – wills, maps, surveys, records of debt and legal depositions.”

Historians, literary scholars, data analysts and computer scientists would collaborate in a groundbreaking effort to recover marginalised voices and – it is hoped – set an example for other overlooked narratives, such as the experience of women in colonial-era Latin America, said Ohlmeyer. “Our approach is transferable and applicable to other countries.”

The five-year project, funded by a €2.5m (£2.1m) European Research Council grant, will document the roles women played during social and political upheavals that included massacres, sexual violence and extreme trauma.

AI and other tools will harvest names from sources such as legal records, inquisitions, censuses and statute staple records of lending and borrowing, amassing material that will be organised in a “knowledge graph”, an online resource that will be available to researchers and the public for free.

“The documents will talk to each other so we can start to connect people. We’re able to develop these profiles of people that previously were just a name,” said Ohlmeyer.

GPT-4 from OpenAI and the AI-driven text recognition tool Transkribus will help search and summarise material, albeit with human oversight of the technology. “Everything still has to be checked; we don’t trust it,” said Ohlmeyer.

Declan O’Sullivan, a professor at Trinity’s school of computer science, expressed confidence his department could turn the data into knowledge that was easily accessible to the public and researchers.

The 1500-1700 period represented a transition from the medieval to the modern and coincided with the English empire expanding, said Ohlmeyer, the author of Making Empire: Ireland, Imperialism and the Early Modern World .

“From the late 16th century, colonialism really ramps up and gets tremendous momentum, especially in plantations. That’s when we see Ireland becoming English through language, law and socioeconomic infrastructure.”

Civil wars created opportunities for women who, in the absence of men, found themselves becoming breadwinners and running businesses as brewers, moneylenders, tanners and tavern keepers.

Catherine Strong, after being accused of presiding over “foulness of the streets”, appeared as a creditor on the Dublin statute staple.

However, conflicts also wreaked horrors. Depositions taken after a 1641 Catholic uprising showed widespread robbery, assault and rape that was often euphemised as “stripping”, said Ohlmeyer.

In one statement, Amy Manfin, a Protestant settler, said she was forced to stand in the blood of her murdered husband before being stripped and dragged by the hair through thorns. English government forces were just as brutal.

Other documents show women pursuing legal cases. In a battle with a debtor over a contested will, Joan Flynn in 1599 allegedly tricked Dublin’s probate court into granting her power over her late husband’s estate.

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2024 creative writing award winners, april 11, 2024.

Quantá Holden | Duke English | Digital Communication Specialist

The English Department at Duke University is honored to announce the winners of the 2024 Creative Writing Contests and Creative Writing Scholarships. Annually, the department administers creative writing contests to recognize fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry works by English majors and non-major undergraduates. 

The English Department is honored to announce the winners of its 2024 writing contests. The department administers writing contests to recognize fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and critical writing by English majors and non-major undergraduates. 

Congratulations to all of this year's winners! 

Anne Flexner Memorial Award for Fiction Family members and friends of former English student Anne Flexner (1945) established the Anne Flexner Memorial Award for Creative Writing to recognize undergraduates for their work in fiction and poetry. 

Makee Gonzalez Anderson ’24  -  “Here, in the Past Tense” Second Prize: Emma Huang, ’25  -  "ABEL’S PLACE"

Reynolds Price Award for Fiction The Reynolds Price Fiction Award was established in memory of the distinguished novelist, essayist, poet, and public intellectual Reynolds Price, a graduate of Duke and professor in the English Department for over 50 years.  Tomas Esber, ’24  -  “Ridgewood” Second Prize: Matthew Chen, ’26  -  “ABC” & “Chair"

CREATIVE NONFICTION

George P. Lucaci Award for Creative NonFiction This award was created to encourage creative nonfiction writing and honor George P. Lucaci, a former Duke student who has actively supported undergraduate creative writing in the English Department for many years. 

Ruby Wang, ’24  -  “Blood Orison” Second Prize: Rowan Huang, ’24  -  “Arms Outstretched"

Academy of American Poets Prize Founded in 1934 in New York City, the Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization advocating for American poets and poetry.  Its mission is to support American poets at all stages of their careers and foster contemporary poetry appreciation.  Nima Babajani-Feremi, ’24  -  “Dreams to Persepolis” Honorable Mention: Tyler King, ’25  -  "NO QUARTER"

Anne Flexner Memorial Award for Poetry   Family members and friends of former English student Anne Flexner (1945) established the Anne Flexner Memorial Award for Creative Writing to recognize undergraduates for their work in fiction and poetry.   Jocelyn Chin, 24 -   “Endurance” Second Prize:   Arielle Stern, ’25  -  "The Poem as Event"

Terry Welby Tyler, Jr. Award for Poetry This award was established by the family of Terry Welby Tyler, Jr., who would have graduated with the class of 1997 to recognize and honor outstanding undergraduate poetry.  Arim Lim, ’26  -  "Archeopteryx"

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Nursing’s creative writing award announces winners

• Written by UNMC College of Nursing
• Published Apr 9, 2024

The 2023-2024 UNMC College of Nursing Creative Writing Awards announced winners for this year’s contest. The theme was “Nursing Does That,” encouraging students and alumni to write a story about an experience of how they were changed by caring for an individual who was different than themselves. 

This was the first year offering a contest for alumni, who could submit a story on the same theme.

“We received stories from all our five campuses and from all our academic programs,” said Mark Darby, assistant professor in the UNMC College of Nursing and contest chair. “Our alumni were very supportive, providing not only great stories but funds for our awards this year.”

Darby added, “The stories reflect the deep respect and care our students and alumni provide to the citizens of Nebraska. Nurses face difficult clinical situation and still provide high levels of care.”

This is the fourth year for the contest, which has provided more than $53,000 in awards and resulted in four student stories being published in the American Journal of Nursing.

The top award winners of the student contest will share their stories at a virtual banquet, available at this link , on April 25 from 5-6:30 p.m.

The names of the awardees and the title are below. For previous winners, see the Creative Writing Project website .

Student awards

• Emily Tanner, “Marge Dancing in the Rain”
• Julia Miller, “Your Secret is Safe with Me”
• Sierra Bryant, “I Know That Voice”
• Tayla Goettsche, “His Cat Named Oreo”

Honorable mention

• Greta Rosno, “To My Best Friend Grief”
• Kirsten Hepburn, “Just Hope”
• Kylee Solberg, “Fight Like a Princess”

Publication award

• Alyssa Ramsey, “Compassionate Care – The Heart of Nursing”
• Amanda Gould, “Nursing Can Make You Cry”
• Emma Wareham, “Nursing Does That”
• Ethan VanEnkevort, “Nursing Did That to Me”
• Gabriel Bodeman, “Heartbeat”
• Kaitlyn Gamble, “Pivot”
• Kia Scott-Sellers, “The Ventilator”
• Kylee Solberg, “A New Day”
• Lauren Longacre, “Strangers”
• Lisa Salisbury, “Nursing Does That”

Alumni awards

Alumni top award

• Jan Fuccillo, “A Change of Heart”
• Candy Lussetto, “Nursing Does That”      
• Sharon Redding, “SR- Nursing”

Alumni honorable mention

• Rebecca Stone, “Beautiful Changes”
• Cindy Miller, “Imposter No More”
• Dawn Steinman, “In August Of 1979”
• Mary Martin, “Nursing Does That Changes Lives Forever”
• Katie Weaver, “The Limit Does Not Exists”
• Kay Rockwell, “Nurse Kay”

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