oxford undergraduate diploma in creative writing

Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing

[For students starting from MT 2017 and before MT 2020: 

( a ) The course shall consist of lectures, tutorials, seminars and classes on the subject of Creative Writing. The course is available on a part-time basis only, over a period of two years.

( b ) The course will cover the study and practice of the craft of writing. A range of literary genres and sub-genres will be considered, and directed approaches to the analytical reading of work by other writers will be undertaken. ]

[For students starting from MT 2020: 

1.  The course will cover the study and practice of the craft of writing.

( a )  There shall be two pathways through the course. The blended pathway shall consist of online units, lectures, seminar/workshops and tutorials, and a two-week summer residence consisting of lectures or readings, workshop/seminars and tutorials on the subject of Creative Writing. The face-to-face pathway shall consist of lectures/readings, seminar/workshops and tutorials on the subject of Creative Writing. The course is available on a part-time basis only, over a period of two years.

( b )  A range of literary genres and sub-genres will be considered, and directed approaches to the analytical reading of work by other writers will be undertaken. ]

2. Every candidate will be required to satisfy the examiners in the following:

( a ) Nine written assignments, each of no more than 2,000 words in length of prose, or 15 pages of drama , or 100 lines of poetry;

( b ) Two end-of-year portfolios of written work, each of not more than 6,000 words of prose, or 30 pages of drama or 300 lines of poetry.

Assignments under ( a ) and ( b ) will be submitted to the examiners via the approved online submission system for consideration by such dates as the examiners shall determine and shall notify candidates.

3. Candidates may be required to attend a viva voce examination at the end of the course.

4. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners in the assignments under 2( a ) - ( b ) may be permitted to resubmit work in respect of the part or parts of the examination which they have failed on not more than one occasion which shall normally be within one year of the initial failure.

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Creative Writing

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in creative writing whilst a student within the Faculty and a number of our academics are also published authors. Oxford's English Faculty also has some of the country's leading poets among its lecturers. Our academics, the Professor of Poetry and other invited guests give regular lectures and workshops at the Faculty. Browse recent events below.

Creative Writing Workshops & Lectures

Anna Deavere Smith playwrighting workshop: Causing a Scene/Scene-ing a Cause

Professor Smith held two workshops for University of Oxford students entitled ‘Causing a Scene/Scene-ing a Cause’.The workshops were designed to bring short scenes conceived by student playwrights into performance. 

Jeanette Winterson workshop

"Generous and candid, Jeanette had the room enraptured for two hours, as she discussed everything from stalking your characters home, to writing with your whole body." 

Rachel Cusk workshop

"Rachel’s candour and eloquence – and sometimes astounding capacity for truth-telling – sent everyone spiralling into almost palpable coils of thought."

Alan Hollinghurst workshop

"For those of us who had a first encounter with a creative writing ‘class’, we could not have chosen a more amicable and supportive environment."

Alice Oswald postal poetry workshop

Prof Oswald invited participants to anonymously write and send a poem to another workshop participant.

Zadie Smith lecture on 'Conscience and Consciousness' at the Oxford Literary Festival

Following a talk at the Oxford Literary Festival, Zadie Smith joined English Faculty students at a formal dinner.

Professor of Poetry lectures

The current Professor of Poetry is A.E. Stallings. She will be giving one lecture each term for the four years of her tenure. You can watch and/or listen to previous Professor of Poetry talks by A.E Stallings and Alice Oswald by clicking on the links below. Visit the Professor of Poetry page for more information.

A Lament for the Earth

In Sleep A King

Sidelong Glances

On Behalf of a Pebble

Interview with Water

Useful links.

The Oxford Centre for Life-Writing

The Oxford Centre for Life-Writing is committed to outreach, collaboration, and fostering research into life-writing. It promotes a lively, cross-disciplinary dialogue on the full range of life-writing, including biography, memoir and social media forms.

Authors at the Faculty

Hermione lee.

Elleke Boehmer

Bart van Es

Hannah Sullivan

Sally Bayley

Matthew Reynolds

• Bodleian Libraries
• Oxford LibGuides
• Creative Writing

Creative Writing: Home

Free online resources, purpose of this guide.

This guide is intended for students on Certificate, Diploma and Degree courses studying Creative Writing, although students and researchers from  other fields may find it useful.

Finding books

Oxford has a wide range of books (including ebooks and print books) for Creative Writing.  For more detailed info about finding books visit the books tab on this guide.

• SOLO Search SOLO, the University's resource discovery tool, for print and ebooks at Oxford. You can search by author, title or subject and limit to a specific library or online resources.
• SOLO user guide If you need help with SOLO, take a look at this guide for tips on searching, managing results and using your SOLO account.

Key journals

You can search for individual journal articles in SOLO by searching for the author and/or article title and/or subject keywords. 

In addition,  you can search for a particular journal or newspaper (e.g. Nature, English Historical Review, The Guardian) by entering the title in  SOLO or via e-Journals A-Z.

• e-Journals A-Z A full, browsable list of ejournals available at Oxford.

Below are a few key  journals for Creative Writing. See the journals tab of this guide for more information.

• New Writing International journal for the practice and theory of creative writing
• Poets and Writers magazine

Key databases

Oxford subscribes to many scholarly databases. They can be used to locate journal articles, conference proceedings, books, patents, images, data and more. You can find some of the key databases for Creative Writing below.  Take a look at the ' Databases ' tab of this guide for more information.

• Databases A-Z A full, browsable list of Oxford's online databases.
• ProQuest One Literature more... less... ProQuest One Literature brings together primary texts, literary criticism, reference works, and more. It includes more than 500,000 works of poetry, prose and plays, as well as full-text literary and interdisciplinary journals, book reviews, and dissertations. Primary texts are mostly works in English, but there is also literature in German and Spanish, including the following collections: Teatro Español del Siglo de Oro, Schillers Werke, Kafkas Werke, Goethes Werke, Digitale Bibliothek Deutscher Klassiker, Die Deutsche Lyrik in Reclams Universal-Bibliothek, Bertolt Brechts Werke, and Latin American Women Writers. Works in English include poetry, drama and fiction across all periods, including the following specific collections: African American Poetry, African Writers Series, American Drama 1714–1915, Black Short Fiction and Folklore, Black Women Writers, Canadian Poetry, Caribbean Literature, Early American Fiction 1789-1875, Early English Prose Fiction, Eighteenth-Century Fiction, the Faber Poetry Library, Irish Women Poets of the Romantic Period, Latino Literature, Scottish Women Poets of the Romantic Period, Southeast Asian Literature in English, and more. As well as searchable, the database can be browsed by author, collection, movement. ProQuest One Literature also includes the Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL), indexing journals, book chapters, conference proceedings, and dissertations from 1892 onwards, with regular monthly updates of newly indexed material. ProQuest One Literature replaces Literature Online (LION) and includes all of LION’s content. This resource is partly paid for by the Drue Heinz Fund.
• Arts & Humanities Citation Index (ISI) more... less... Alternative name: Web of Science. Arts & Humanities Citation Index is a multidisciplinary index covering the journal literature of the arts and humanities. It fully covers 1,144 of the world's leading arts and humanities journals, and it indexes individually selected, relevant items from over 6,800 major science and social science journals.

There are many scholarly resources which are freely available on the web.   Key free web resources are listed below and on the ' Free Online Resources " tab.

• The Poetry Archive A searchable collection of recordings of English-language poets reading their work.
• Open Learn: Creative Writing The Open University provides free educational resources online in a range of subjects.

Rewley House Continuing Education Library

The Library

Contact info

Rewley House Continuing Education Library Rewley House 1 Wellington Square Oxford OX1 2JA

Tel.01865 270454

Email [email protected]

LIbrary news

Related guides.

• English Language and Literature by English Faculty Library EFL Last Updated Aug 15, 2024 3064 views this year
• English Literature for Continuing Education short courses by Rebeca Otazua Last Updated Aug 8, 2024 1617 views this year
• Finding English Faculty Library Items by English Faculty Library EFL Last Updated Feb 19, 2024 365 views this year

Key Libraries

Here are some of the key libraries for Creative Writing. A full list of libraries is on the Bodleian Libraries website :

• Continuing Education Library The Rewley House Library is your home library and buys many of the books for your course.
• English Faculty Library The EFL holds the main teaching collections for English Literature
• Next: Books >>
• Last Updated: Jun 20, 2024 4:42 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/creative-writing

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Discussions about the writing craft.

Opinion on the Online creative writing course from Oxford university

A brief background -

I had always wanted to be a writer. For the past year and a half, I have started working towards it. I've started writing my own blog ( The Layman Chronicles ) where I write on a variety of subjects, including short fiction. I have also attended a lot of free online courses.

But lately, I was getting a feeling that I had gotten almost as much from these free online courses as I could ever imagine. That is when I came across a set of online creative writing courses offered by the Oxford University. They are expensive, sure. But it would have something more than just watching a bunch of video lectures. I assume there would be peer group interactions and personal feedback (hopefully).

I was wondering if anyone here has done any of these courses. Any opinion if I should go for it or not?

Getting Started in Creative Writing

Advanced Creative Writing

I would really appreciate your honest opinions.

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Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing at Oxford!?!

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Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing: Advanced Fiction and Writing for Performance

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The deadline for booking a place on this course has passed. Please use the 'Ask a Question' button to register your interest in future or similar courses.

A second cohort of our Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing: Advanced Fiction and Writing for Performance is now available.  Apply today!

This one-year part-time course is one of two Diplomas in this discipline offered by the Institute of Continuing Education and is designed for those who have completed a Certificate in Creative Writing or who have appropriate knowledge, experience and enthusiasm in this field.

Our undergraduate courses are now being delivered entirely online , enabling students to study flexibly with the University of Cambridge from anywhere in the world.

We offer a range of tuition fee bursaries to promote access to and participation in continuing education. 

Listen to the Course Directors for the Certificate and Diploma in Creative Writing courses talking about the courses here .

Virtual Open Events

To learn more about the programme and the student experience, and to ask any questions you may have, join us for our virtual open events. To register, follow these links:

Watch the info session webinar recording here

What will I be studying?

Unit 1: introduction to fiction.

7 Saturdays (11am - 4pm with a break 1pm-2pm) starting on Saturday 8 October 2022

This unit focuses on advanced techniques for identifying a potential story, choosing its form, and establishing plot, structure, theme and characterisation. Through close reading of published work, and their own writing, students explore how to construct a coherent sense of time and place, how to keep dramatic control and how to create pace, conflict and mood.

Unit 2: The History of the Novel: with special focus on Fantasy, Tragedy, Comedy and Historical Fiction

7 Saturdays (11am - 4pm with a break 1pm-2pm) starting on Saturday 7 January 2023

This unit will explore the many elements that make up multiple genres and examine how they can be effectively utilised to create original and high-concept fiction. We study the form of the fairy tale, from its first origins to modern-day magical realism and fantasy novels. We will examine the tragic hero and the fatal flaw in relation to shaping character and plot. We will also look at the modern historical novel and explore the most effective ways to bring the past to life.

Unit 3: Writing for performance

6 Saturdays (11am - 4pm with a break 1pm-2pm) starting on Saturday 1 April 2023

This unit studies techniques used in writing for TV, film, stage and radio and examines how they are transferable to other forms of writing. The unit looks at the art of adapting a story from a different medium.

What can I go on to do?

The Institute offers a pair of Certificate (FHEQ Level 4) and Diploma (FHEQ Level 5) level courses in Creative Writing along with a range of postgraduate courses. For further details please visit the subject page.

Credit awarded by the Institute may also be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. However the volume of credit and the curriculum which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Find out more

If you have any questions about this course, would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, or would like to know more about the admissions process, please complete this enquiry form with your questions. 

Applicants for this course will normally have studied and passed a FHEQ level 4 qualification (or international equivalent) in this or a closely related field. 

There is provision to accept non-standard applicants who do not satisfy the standard academic criterion. Such applicants must produce evidence of relevant and equivalent experience and their suitability for the course. 

Applicants are also required to submit a short piece of their own writing with their application and this will be reviewed before an offer of a place can be made.  Given the nature of creative writing, it is important that applicants’ use of English is sufficiently fluent to be able to understand nuances of meaning and have a familiarity with the structure and grammar of English.

All applications are reviewed by the Course or Academic Director and acceptance onto the course is at the discretion of the Institute. 

English language requirement : If English is not your first language, you need to be able to prove you meet the University of Cambridge English language requirements on application. Please refer to our English language requirements for Undergraduate Certificates, Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas pages for further information.

Technical requirements:

For the 2022-2023 Academic Year this course is being taught entirely online. This means there will be no face-to-face teaching and you will not need to be present in person in Cambridge, although there is an expectation that you will attend synchronous teaching sessions. The course content will be delivered, and the learning outcomes met, through the use of video-based teaching platforms and a dedicated course Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

You will therefore need to have access to:

- the internet via a computer, laptop, tablet or other smart device. 

- speakers or headphones in order to hear any pre-recorded material

- a webcam and microphone for any interactive sessions which may be available

Once you are logged into the VLE you can familiarise yourself with the learning environment. There is also guidance about how to access course materials and activities. 

The content, activities and interaction for each of the three units will be taught remotely using video-based teaching platforms and an online course Virtual Learning Environment. You will have access to resources, discussion forums, and course tasks within ICE's Virtual Learning Environment. Teaching methods will include lectures, presentations by guest speakers and facilitators, interactive and experiential learning activities, reading and assignments to be completed by participants outside classroom sessions and online discussion forums.

All students are expected to take an active part in the course and submit work showing evidence of learning. Your learning will be enhanced by:

• engaging with scheduled teaching sessions; 
• participating in class activities and discussion;
• undertaking reading and assignments set by the tutor;
• accessing resources and submitting assignments through the VLE.

Course Timeline

• Course (Unit 1) Start Date: Saturday 8th October 2022
• Unit 1 submission deadline:  Wednesday 4th January 2023
• Unit 2 start date: Saturday 7th January 2023
• Unit 2 submission deadline: Wednesday 22nd March 2023
• Unit 3 start date: Saturday 1st April 2023
• Unit 3 submission deadline: Friday 9th June 2023

During the course you will assessed by a series of assignments. Further details will be provided in the course guide.

In addition to attending the taught elements of the course and submitting assignments you will need to set aside time for independent study. Credit is generally calculated in terms of hours of study and assumes that each credit is awarded for around 10 hours of successful learning; so, by this calculation, a 60-credit course will involve around 600 hours of successful study. Examples of how study may be broken down are: pre-class preparation, classroom time (lectures, seminars, discussion, presentations, debates, case-studies etc.); engagement with the VLE; peer-to-peer interaction, preparations for assignments, assignment writing and feedback and so on.

What is the status of this qualification?

The course is taught and awarded at second-year undergraduate level (FHEQ 5) and offers 60 credits within the Higher Education Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS). This is equivalent to half of the first year of full-time undergraduate study.

The fee for the course is £2500  for the year and covers the course tuition.

You can pay in two ways:

• in full on enrolment (by cheque payable to the University of Cambridge or by credit or debit card)
• in three equal instalments (credit/debit card only): the first on enrolment, and the second and final instalment being taken 3 months and 6 months after the course start date. The exact dates will be confirmed in the student’s individual booking details

Please note your place on the course is not secured until payment is received by the Institute of Continuing Education accompanied by any necessary documentation, i.e. proof of English language proficiency.

ICE fees and refund policy

For information on bursaries for this course, please see http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursaries   

For information on a loan from Student Finance England for course fees and maintenance costs, please see http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/info/student-loans

This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by 19 September 2022   if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our Cancellation policy ).

Please apply via the link at the top of this page. Your application will be assessed and you will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are offered a place, you will receive instructions as to how to register and pay. Please note that places are limited and on a first-come first-served basis.

Closing date for applications

Applications for this course can be received until midday (12 noon) on 5 September 2022.  If you are offered a place on the course, we will ask you to complete your booking within a limited time and to pay the fees or if paying fees by instalments, the first instalment of fees to secure your place.

This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by 19 September 2022  if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our Cancellation policy ).

Are sessions recorded? Where teaching is delivered face-to-face, sessions are not normally recorded. Where teaching is delivered remotely (via Zoom, for example), and wherever possible, sessions are recorded. There may be some instances where we are not able to share a recording or part of a recording; for example, for technological, confidentiality or copyright reasons.

It is worth noting that regular attendance is a requirement of the course, whether that be in person or by participating remotely (via Zoom) in the live and interactive teaching sessions.

What if I can't attend a session?   We understand that you may need to miss a session from time to time. We would simply ask that you let your tutor and/or Course Director know, and ideally in advance of the session. We will do what we can to ensure that you are able to catch up on any work missed, and we encourage you to listen to recordings of sessions where available.

Is any financial help available? Details of any bursaries available through ICE are listed on our website .

Information about other sources of funding (including loans, Disabled Students’ Allowance etc.) may also be useful.

Can I apply for/undertake multiple courses at any one time? You are welcome to apply for multiple courses. However, you would not normally be able to undertake more than two Certificate- or Diploma-level courses in any one year.

When considering whether to undertake more than one course, you will firstly need to ensure that there are no date clashes between teaching sessions. We would also advise you to carefully consider the work load of undertaking more than one course - consider any reading you will want to do as well as the time required to attend classes and complete assignments. You may also want to consider what commitments you have beyond your studies.

If you would like to undertake a second course, we would ask you to contact us so that we can liaise with both Course Directors. They will need to approve your application on the understanding that you will be undertaking two courses simultaneously.

If I complete a Certificate/Diploma with ICE, does it guarantee me a place on another course at ICE, including an MSt? We are delighted that many of our students want to return to study with us again and again. Unfortunately, however, completion of one course does not guarantee that you will be offered a place on another.

To ensure quality of teaching, places on courses are necessarily limited, and where an offer is made, places can only be confirmed subject to availability.

A Course Director may also feel that a higher level course is not the best fit for you. In this case, the Course Director may recommend another more suitable Certificate-level course or a non-award bearing short course or online course. This is, by no means, a rejection, but a way for us to help you to prepare more fully for study at a higher level.

Do I need to have completed the Certificate-level course before applying for a place on the Diploma? The Certificate and Diploma courses have been designed to provide a progression path for your studies, and some students on the Diploma will have previously completed the Certificate; however, completion of the Certificate is not a requirement for entry onto the Diploma. It very much depends on your experience in creative writing, the information you provide in your Personal Statement, and on your writing sample.

If you apply for a place on the Diploma, our Course Directors will let you know if they would recommend you complete the Certificate first. Please don’t be deterred – ultimately, we want you to find the course that is the best fit so that you are comfortable and feel a sense of achievement throughout.

Can I transfer credits/CAT points from a course completed elsewhere? For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website .

Do I need to have studied Creative Writing before? At Certificate-level, you do not need to have any prior experience of the subject area. An interest would normally be helpful.

At Diploma-level, some previous experience is expected. To submit the strongest application possible, we recommend you make use of the application form to highlight all relevant interests, qualifications, skills and experience.

Is the course accredited by the University of Cambridge? Many part-time courses offered by ICE are University of Cambridge qualifications. For more details, visit our website .

Will I become the member of a College by undertaking a Certificate/Diploma course? Enrolment on a Certificate- or Diploma-level course does not lead to College affiliation.

Can I pay in instalments? Yes. When you come to confirm your course place with payment, you will be given the option to pay in instalments. Course fees for Certificate and Diploma courses are normally split into three equally weighted instalments spread throughout the year, with the first instalment due by way of deposit at the point of confirming your course place.

How many hours of study are required to complete a Certificate/Diploma course? The course webpage in each case should provide you with an idea of the study hours you can expect - see ‘Teaching and Assessment’ tab.

Certificate and Diplomas equate to 60 credits at FHEQ5. Credit is generally calculated in terms of hours of study and assumes that each credit is awarded for around 10 hours of successful learning; so, by this calculation, a 60-credit course will involve around 600 hours of successful study. Examples of how study may be broken down are: pre-class preparation, classroom time (lectures, seminars, discussion, presentations, debates, case-studies etc.); engagement with the VLE; peer-to-peer interaction, preparations for assignments, assignment writing and feedback etc..

Unless otherwise stated, teaching and assessment for ICE courses are in English. If your first language is not English, please refer to our Information for Applicants pages for further guidance.

Course dates

Course duration, course director, academic director.

Academic Directors, Course Directors and Tutors are subject to change, when necessary.

Qualifications / Credits

Course code.

Institute of Continuing Education Madingley Hall Madingley Cambridge CB23 8AQ

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Online info session: Diploma in Creative Writing (Part-time)

Join us online for a short webinar and Q&A to learn more about the part-time  Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing . 

During the session Course Director Dr John Ballam will provide an overview of the course including the two different study options. Following the presentation, there will be time for your questions.

The event is due to be recorded and this will be shared with all who register.

The part-time Diploma in Creative Writing attracts enthusiastic active writers from across the globe who are looking to explore and develop their craft. There are two study options including one taught mostly online, so you can join us from anywhere in the world.

With expert tuition and small class sizes, the course gives you the opportunity to strengthen your ability in four major areas of literary activity – prose, poetry, drama and analytical reading – and specialise in the medium of your choice.

The programme is ideal for those who already have some experience of writing and who are passionate about their craft, but no prior formal qualifications are needed.

Diploma in Creative Writing

Level: Postgraduate

Duration: 2 years part-time

Closed to applications for entry in 2024.

Applications for 2025 entry will open in September 2024. 

To be notified when applications open, please register your interest . 

Questions? Email:  [email protected]

MSt in Creative Writing

Course details.

Oxford University's Master of Studies in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialization, and critical and creative breadth.

The emphasis of this postgraduate creative writing course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces his or her creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community.

The programme offers a clustered learning format of five Residences, two Guided Retreats and one Placement over two years. The research Placement, a distinguishing feature of the course, offers between one and two weeks' hands-on experience of writing in the real world. Students may undertake their placement in a literary agency, a publishing house, the offices of a literary periodical, a theatre company, a screen production company, or other relevant organization. Placement organisations have included Macmillan, the Poetry Society, Initialise Films, Random House, the BBC, the Literary Review, AM Heath, Pegasus Theatre, and Carcanet.

Quick links​

• The course in detail

Oxford college affiliation

Student comments, awards and successes, destinations, who should apply.

• Staff and tutor profiles
• FAQ, course blog and twitter
• Application details  – how and when to apply, fees, scholarships and sources of funding

IT requirements

• English language ability and visas

Programme details

Course content.

The first year concentrates equally on prose (fiction and narrative non-fiction), poetry and drama. There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the three genres. Students are expected to engage fully with all three genres, in a spirit of exploration and with the aim of discovering what impact and relevance unaccustomed genres have for the development of their individual writerly voice. This necessarily involves undertaking assignments and exercises in areas that are new to students, and do not relate directly to any work they may have in progress. Students may be able to continue with their own longer term pieces-in-progress but the concentration of year 1 teaching is on producing new work, and the exercises and assignments, which should take priority, reflect this emphasis.

The second year offers specialization in a single genre, again accompanied by a significant critical element focused around issues of interest to the individual student and related to the genre of choice.

Your specialization choices are as follows:

• Short fiction
• Radio drama
• Screenwriting
• Stage drama
• Narrative non-fiction

In year 2, the specialization in the genre of students’ choice provides an opportunity for significant concentration on either new work, or, subject to consultation with supervisor, on existing work-in-progress.

Course brochure for MSt in Creative Writing

How is the course structured?

Course Dates Year 1 (2024-25)

Residence 1: Saturday 21 September to Tuesday 24 September 2024 Residence 2: Saturday 18 January to Tuesday 21 January 2025 Residence 3: Sunday 20 April to Wednesday 23 April 2025 Guided Retreat: Sunday 29 June to Tuesday 1 July 2025

The exact dates of the second year residences have not yet been finalised but will be in early October 2025, and in late March and early July 2026.

How is the course assessed?

Year 1: 

• 4 x 2500-word assignments, 2 creative writing and 2 critical analysis
• 1 x 7000-word portfolio of creative writing
• 1 x 4000-word extended critical essay

Work is set during each Residence and handed in for assessment before the next meeting. Feedback on work submitted is given during tutorials within the Residence or Retreat.

Year 2: 

• 1 x 2500-word report of Research Placement
• 1 x final creative writing project amounting to:
• approximately 25,000 words of prose fiction
• or approximately 25,000 words of narrative non-fiction
• or a piece or pieces of radio drama totalling approximately 90 minutes’ duration or up to 18,000 words)
• or stage play of 90 minute’s duration (23,000 – 25,000 words)
• or TV play of 90 minute’s duration (approx 18,000 words)
• or screenplay (entire, c. 110 to 120pp; approx 25,000 words)
• or a collection of poetry of between 40 and 60 pages AND between 600 and 1200 lines
• 1 x 5000-word extended essay on a genre-related critical approach of own choice

You will be allocated a Supervisor to guide and advise you on your creative and critical work throughout the second year.

As a matriculated postgraduate degree student, you will become a member of one of the University’s famous interdisciplinary colleges, enabling you to encounter new perspectives in your field or learn more about many other different subjects from fellow college members.

The collegiate system makes studying at Oxford a truly special experience. Oxford colleges are small, intimate communities, where you could find yourself absorbed in fascinating conversations with students and academics from a variety of disciplines at college seminars, dinners, and informal occasions. 

To find out more about Oxford University colleges, please consult the  University's Graduate Admissions website .

"The Oxford MSt enables you to fast-track your career in writing." - Fortuna Burke

"… the freedom to explore and experiment… has been fundamental to my development as a writer." - Clare Tetley

"The range and variety of the group … offers truly exciting opportunities for the kind of exchanges that really accelerate your development as a writer." - Michael Schuller

"What does the course offer? Self-discipline, professionalism and confidence." - Abigail Green-Dove

"My life has been so enriched and expanded. My writing evolves daily through the tools that you gave me. Not to mention the wonderful friendships formed throughout our two years together." - Lindsay Moore

"The Masters in Oxford, while encouraging creativity, raised the bar on the quality of the finished work and gave me the discipline to be a professional." - Bette Adriaanse

"I doubt there’s a more suitable MSt in the United Kingdom for work which challenges boundaries and takes risks." - Jennifer Thorp

Eighteen cohorts of students have so far graduated, and our students have already achieved significant writerly successes.

Our fiction writers have achieved high-profile publication, including a Booker Prize shortlisting; a two-book deal with Jonathan Cape; two-book deals with Knopf Random House (USA) and Chicken House (UK and Europe); a major deal with Bloomsbury; a two-book deal with Quercus, and a three book deal with Quercus. Other imprints with which our students and alumni have published include Unnamed Press; Unbound; John Murray; Knopf; Alcemi Press; Cillian Press; Marshall Cavendish; Palimpsest Press; V & A Publishing; HarperCollins India; Riverrun; Harlequin; and Penguin Books India.

Periodicals in which our prose writers have placed work include: Structo, the Mays Anthology, De Revisor, Vestoj, A Joyful Archipelago, Blood Ink Crime Writing Anthology, Litro, The Rumpus, Newsweek, Drum Literary Magazine, Flash: The International Short-short Story Magazine, Carillon Magazine, Skyline 2014 anthology, The Warwick Review, The International Journal of Literature and Aesthetics, Northern Liberties Review, The Irish Literary Review, Annexe Magazine, Cannon’s Mouth Journal and Rock Ink Roll Anthology.

Our poets have also published widely with, among others, Eyewear; Gatehouse Press; Templar Press; Dancing Girl Press; Carcanet/Oxford Poets; Red Mountain Press; Poetry Salzburg; Emma Press; Unsolicited Press; Albion Beatnik Press; Bloomsbury; and Southward Press.

Awards received by students and graduates specializing in poetry include the Ruth Lilly Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation of America, shortlisting for the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Prize for young poets of unusual promise, the Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine, the International Jane Martin Poetry Prize, the Templar Portfolio Award, and shortlisting for the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award. A student was also nominated for the Hennessey Literary Award in the Emerging Poetry category. A current student was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series 2017.

Publications in which our poets have appeared include The Spectator, Poetry Review, Chattahoochee Review Irish Special, Cinnamon Press, Other Poetry, The Moth, Heart Shoots Anthology, Shearsman, Smiths Knoll, Ash Magazine, The Frogmore Papers, Cadaverine, Inkcapture, Catechism, Agenda, Magma. Poetry London, The American Literary Review, Poetry Review, Southword, The Lamp, Ambit, The Lumen, Acumen Literary Journal, Popshot Magazine, The Chicago Review, and Sentinel Literary Quarterly: The Magazine of World Literature.

Our dramatists have had plays staged in significant theatrical venues, including the Soho Theatre and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. One alumnus has run storytelling workshops for the National Theatre. A 2010 graduate is now an award-winning playwright who has had four stage plays produced and three radio plays recorded. One graduate produced a short film in 2015 which premiered at Raindance in London. One alumnus’ play was performed as part of Theatre503’s Rapid Write Response, and another edited and contributed to a collection of plays by British East Asian playwrights, published by Oberon Books.

Awards our students and alumni have received include the Royal Court’s Alfred Fagon Award for the best play by a writer of African and Caribbean descent, a nomination for a Princess Grace Award for playwriting, Best Play (awarded by Meera Syal) at the Oxford University New Writing Festival, and longlisting for the King`s Cross Award for New Writing. One alumnus was selected as part of the ‘Migration Matters’ Festival for a weeklong residency, while another wrote a film which won ‘corporate gold’ at the Cannes Festival.

Prizes and Shortlistings – Poetry, Prose and Drama

Students and alumni have won a wide range of prizes. These successes include winning the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017, the Bridport Prize for Poetry, the Gregory O’Donoghue Prize, the Writers’ Village International Short Fiction Award 2014, the Editors Prize from the Poetry Foundation, the Hippocrates Prize, the Parallel Universe Poetry Competition, the Martin Starkie Prize, the Heritage Arts Radio play competition, the Cascade Pictures Writer’s Couch pitching competition, first prize in the Poetry Book Society Student Poetry Competition, and the Yeovil Literary Prize for Poetry. Two alumni have won the Oxford University’s DL Chapman Memorial Prize, and another won the London Fringe Festival’s Short Fiction Award. Alumni have been awarded a Toshiba Studentship, a Hawthornden Fellowship, and funded residencies at the Banff Centre, Canada, and at the Expansionists Project, Whitstable.

Students and alumni have had their work shortlisted across the genres for, among others, the British Library’s Michael Marks Poetry Award, the Sunday Times Short Story Prize, the Costa Award, the Dylan Thomas Prize, Not the Booker Prize, the Sunday Times/EFL short story prize 2017, the Asham Award, the Bridport Prize, the Bridport Prize for Flash Fiction, the Fish Flash Fiction prize, the Oxonian poetry prize, the Fish Short Story Prize, the Big Issue in the North’s New Writing Award, the Oxonian review, the Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition, and the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger award 2011.

The MSt in Creative Writing blog is kept up to date with stories of alumni successes.

Many of our graduate students have signed with agents, and each year a number go on to undertake doctoral study in creative writing or English Literature. Our graduates have obtained positions in publishing, media and the creative arts industries, as well as teaching positions in tertiary education.

We are looking for writers with a proven record of commitment to their craft. You should be a keen reader, and bring an open-minded, questioning approach to both reading and writing. You will not necessarily have yet achieved publication, but you will have written regularly and read widely over a sustained period. You will be keen to dedicate time and energy and staying-power to harnessing your talent, enlarging your skills, and aiming your writerly production at consistently professional standards. It is likely you will have a first degree, or equivalent, although in some cases other evidence of suitability may be acceptable.

The MSt has enjoyed a very strong application field since its inception, attracting record interest in recent years from a global constituency of writers. The course`s emphasis on critical analysis as well as on writerly and creative excellence attracts students of commensurately strong academic potential as well as of significant creative promise. This combination of academic rigour and creativity is a central distinctive feature of the course. The resulting emphasis on exploration and the development of an individual writerly voice serve to attract particularly talented students from around the world as well as a strongly diverse group of UK students of varied backgrounds and ethnicity.

The high number of contact hours are concentrated into Residences and Retreats. Students should be at a stage in their writing where, with appropriate guidance, they can undertake agreed assignments, projects and essays between meetings. There is a dedicated Course Website for provision of up-to-date information; contact and exchange between students; and contact between students and tutors. The course, however, is not a ‘distance-learning’ course, and tutors, while being happy to help with questions or problems, do not offer regular weekly ‘office hours’.

The programme is similar to MFA (Master of Fine Arts) programmes. It is a creative degree that centres around professional artistic practice for those who wish to build upon, or start, their publishing record. 

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA we normally seek is 3.6 out of 4.0. We do not seek a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT score. Although a GRE or GMAT score is not a formal requirement, if one is available it should be supplied.

The MSt is unlikely to be suitable for those who are just starting out on their writerly and critical development. If you have any doubts about whether the MSt is right for your stage of development, please take a look at our  Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing .

Course Director:  Dr Clare Morgan

Tutor profiles . 

During a  virtual open event in 2011 , participants' questions were texted in and answered by the acting Course Director Jane Draycott and course administrator. All of these questions and answers are  available to read here.

Blog and twitter

The MSt blog  is a resource of interviews, events, calls for submission, competitions, news of alumni and tutors, and more.

The course Twitter account is @OxMst .

Fees and funding

Course fees.

Please visit the  Creative Writing page on the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions website  for details of course fees and costs.

Scholarships and sources of funding

As a postgraduate student studying on this course at the Department, you may be able to gain assistance through Career Development Loans or Educational Trusts and Charities. 

Please visit our  sources of funding page  for information on student loans, bursaries and external sources of funding.

Kellogg MSt in Creative Writing Bursary

The Kellogg MSt in Creative Writing Bursary is generously supported by an alumna of Kellogg College and a vailable to students who have an admission offer for the  MSt in Creative  Writing . The Bursary offers one-time funding of £9,025 per year for one new student. The funds will be offset against their two-year, part-time master’s degree course fees.

Please visit the Kellogg College Scholarships page for more information on how to apply and  contact  [email protected]  if you have any questions.

The Clarendon Fund

The aim of the  Clarendon Fund  is to assist the very best students who obtain places to study for postgraduate degrees in the University. The main criterion for the awards is academic ability. 

Application details

Applications for September 2024 entry are now closed. Applications for 2025 entry will open in September 2024. To be notified when applications open, please  register your interest . 

If you have any questions about the progress of your application, please contact the Graduate Admissions Office (tel: 01865 270059;  Query facility ); or the Course Administrator (tel: +44 (0)1865 280145; email: [email protected] ).

How to apply

For entry requirements, selection criteria and how to apply, please visit the  Oxford University Graduate Admissions website .

The University requires online applications. Paper applications are only acceptable in exceptional cases where it is not possible for you to apply online. A paper application form can be requested from the Graduate Admissions Office.

You will need to submit the application form and all supporting materials:

• Three references Note: If you anticipate having difficulty providing three referees who have an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for this Programme of Study, please contact the Programme Administrator for advice.
• Transcripts of previous higher education results.
• Current CV/resume
• A statement (see application form) of your reasons for applying to the course. This should include what you feel the course would offer you and your writing, and what you feel you could bring to the course.
• A portfolio of creative writing for assessment. This can be in any of the three genres, or in more than one, and should consist of approximately 2000 words of prose (fiction, or narrative non-fiction) or 10 short poems or fifteen minutes equivalent of drama.

Please note that supporting materials cannot be returned. Please also note that no correspondence can be entered into, should your application be unsuccessful.

When to apply

We strongly recommend that you apply by the January or March deadlines. After the March deadline, the course will only stay open for that year's entry if places are still available. 

Remember that it can take a number of weeks to obtain all of the documents you need and to prepare a competitive application. You should also allow your referees plenty of time to submit your references. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible.

Please see the current  admission status .

This course uses the Department’s online assignment submission system. In order to prepare and submit your course assignments you will need access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended  minimum computer specification . Students of this course may use the student computing facilities provided in Departmental buildings.

English language ability

Prospective students whose first language is not English should note that English language certification at the higher level is required, and any offer of a place will be conditional on the receipt of an original certificate (see the ‘Notes of Guidance’).

International applicants please note that it is not possible to be resident in the UK on the basis of this course. As the MSt is a two-year, part-time course, it does not have the number of teaching hours per week required for a student visa, and international students will not be permitted to live in the UK on the basis of undertaking the course.

International students must research whether they require a visa, and if so, obtain an appropriate visa to cover their time in England before coming to the UK. Many international students on the course apply for Standard Visitor visas to enable them to come to England for the periods required over the duration of the programme. For information on this please see https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/visa/before/visitors and https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Visas-and-Immigration/Visitors. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support

Daisy Johnson

Patrick toland, mst in creative writing tutor profiles, undergraduate diploma in creative writing (from 2025), further information.