university of queensland creative writing

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• Arts and Humanities degrees
• Creative Writing

Creative Writing degrees

If you dream of building a career as a professional writer, or have an active imagination and a way with words, you will develop and refine your writing skills with UniSQ’s Creative and Critical Writing major. 

You will learn the foundations of writing effective and engaging prose, and once you have the basics, you’ll experiment with a number of different forms, genres, and styles. You’ll learn how to transform your story ideas into compelling works of fiction and non-fiction, and you’ll discover how to prepare your work for editing and publication.

UniSQ Creative and Critical Writing students have the opportunity to produce online and print publications, and to work closely with other writers, editors, and publishers. By the end of your studies, you’ll have the skills and knowledge required to work in a constantly changing industry.

Creative and Critical Writing students often combine their studies with English Literature, History, Anthropology, Journalism, and Contemporary Media Studies.

Explore UniSQ's Creative Writing degrees

• Springfield

Graduating with Creative Writing degree from UniSQ can lead to a range of career options, including:

• professional writer
• publisher 

The skills you will learn will vary depending on your choose degree, the education provider you choose and if you study an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification. When studying Creative Writing at UniSQ you will learn:

• character development
• plot structuring
• preparing manuscripts for publication
• writing engaging narratives. 

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Professional Writing and Communication

Professional writers design and implement innovative communication strategies in a wide range of industries, including government, non-profit, commercial and technical sectors..

In this applied field of study, you will learn principles and practices for compelling, persuasive and ethical communication with diverse audiences. You will develop skills including multimedia production and storytelling, writing for print and digital environments, and editing. The critical and practical communication expertise you develop by studying professional writing will equip you to excel in a variety of disciplines and careers.

“Communication can change the world. Let’s communicate better,” Dr Beck Wise.

Study Options

Undergraduate 

Students can choose to do a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Professional Writing. You may also choose to do a Diploma of Arts. 

Bachelor of Arts – Professional Writing and Communication Major

• Diploma in Arts – Professional Writing and Communication

Postgraduate/Higher Degree Research 

Students who complete the Professional Writing Major as part of an Arts degree may choose a path to a Master of Communication, MPhil or PhD.

• Master of Communication
• Master of Philosophy  
• Doctor of Philosophy

Learning Pathways

Below is a list of courses you may study in Professional Writing and Communication. To view more details visit the program information page for the  Bachelor of Arts  or  Diploma in Arts. 

Writing Creatively (WRIT1200) 

Presents the essentials of creativity, writing and storytelling for communication professionals and media producers. You will be introduced to fundamental principles and practices of writing, including creativity and design, reader engagement, storytelling, and the editing process.

Multimedia (COMU1140) 

Introduces yow to distribute a storyworld over a variety of media platforms. You will be taught how to critically pair creative content and information with digital media. It also introduces you to both analyse and create transmedia narratives, drawing on a variety of different genres and media platforms. You will hone a set of media production skills, including audio-visual digital media as well as verbal presentation skills.

Public Relations Writing (COMU1152) 

Develops hands-on skills in writing, editing, and designing effective promotional publications and creating/producing strategic materials. In this rich immersion experience, you will be introduced to the creating, editing, and delivering of PR messages, collaterals, and the many forms of public relations writing. You will produce work within traditional and new media environments, for a real client.

Writing & Editing for the Professions (WRIT2000)

Covers key theoretical principles and practical applications of writing in a corporate environment. This course will cover a broad range of workplace writing genres, including report writing, speechwriting, presentations, and correspondence. Topics include creating credibility at word, sentence, paragraph, and document levels: and revising, editing, and proofreading professional documents.

Media Design (COMU2120) 

Develops skills for integrated design, production, and distribution of media content. The course incorporates text, audio, visual, interactive, and graphic design elements with the aim of designing media to achieve a social goal.

Communication Law and Ethics (COMU2160)

Examines regulations, laws and ethical issues that impact on communication practitioners and journalists. You will cover a broad range of fields within modern democracies including free speech, privacy, contempt, defamation, copyright, freedom of information and confidentiality.

Performative Communication: Presentation and Public Speaking (DRAM2400) 

Develops your public presentation and performance skills. Taught in a workshop environment, it will provide essential training in physical and vocal communication, argument structure, and pitching to an audience. You will hone your ability to structure and argument, be physically and vocally commanding and engaging, and pitch a presentation or performance to an audience. This course draws on a variety of methodologies including (but not limited to) classical rhetoric, the Linklater voice method, and scenic improvisation.

Writing: Grammar, Syntax, and Style (WRIT2250) 

Introduces contemporary models and applications of English grammar and presents contemporary grammatical and stylistic concepts and strategies that will enhance your ability to revise and edit their writing. Building on your intuitive understanding of how words work, equipping you with a command of sentence structure and style, and provide you with strategies to write, analyse, and edit at an advanced level.

Level Three

Publishing, Editing, and Authorship (WRIT3700) 

Examines a range of issues in contemporary publishing in both an Australian and an international context. The approach is forward-looking, emphasising the changing nature of publishing, editing, and authorship in the post-digital era. You will be prepared for careers as authors, editors, and publishers: by introducing you to current professional practices and conditions of authorship; by developing fundamental skills at all levels of editing; and by exploring contemporary print and digital publishing practices and processes.

Digital Project (COMU3100) 

You will undertake original research and produce a publicly accessible digital media product that may examine a significant political, social, or cultural issue. This course enables you to synthesise knowledge and connect theory with practice. You will also explore ways of distributing your work via traditional and new-and-emerging media relevant to your proposed audience.

Political Communication (COMU3222) 

Examines how individuals and groups communicate about political ideas, processes and themes, and the communication strategies and tactics they use to put their messages across. Political communication is strategic communication on politics. It aims to study how political and media players get themes into the political agenda to build power, identity, and community through communication.

Creative Writing: Non-fiction (WRIT3050) 

Introduces the skills for writing creative non-fiction in a range of styles including memoir, literary journalism, the personal essay, and experimental non-fiction. You will learn how to turn your own experiences and research into compelling non-fiction writing. This course shows creative non-fiction uses familiar tools from fiction and poetry including narration, scene-setting, dialogue, imagery, and figurative language to tell vivid, real-life stories.

Professional Writing graduates have the expertise to succeed in communication roles across a range of industries, including social media management, technical writing and editing, grant-writing and copy-writing. We prepare you for the writing and communication tasks you’ll encounter across every stage of your life and career, and help you apply your knowledge of writing and communication to solve problems and effect change in your workplaces and communities.

Potential career outcomes include:

• Content writer
• Corporate communications officer
• Digital content writer
• Media and communications officer
• Proposal writer

• Creative writing MPhil thesis format
• Information and services
• Higher Degree by Research
• 1. Thesis preparation

The Master of Philosophy in Creative Writing enables students to undertake a creative writing project and a related critical essay in the genres of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, drama, or screenwriting.

Students study the research, composition, and editorial skills necessary for a career in writing, as well developing their capacities for critical writing about creative writing practice. National and international students are encouraged to apply.

The Master of Philosophy in Creative Writing requires a minimum of 1.5 years of full-time study or 3 years of part-time study. In order to have the degree conferred, the students must complete:

• Milestones of Candidature :  the Milestone Reviews are designed to help students and advisors monitor progress of the thesis
• WRIT9510 Creative Writing Workshop :  an online workshop offered to creative writing students in the first semester of the second year of candidature
• The thesis (maximum 40,000 words) :  a creative project and related critical essay that together examine an aspect of creative-writing practice and demonstrates specialised knowledge and skill in the creative writing discipline.

Additionally,  ENGL9000 Advanced Research Methods  (ARM) is a   strongly recommended course for all research higher degree students in the School of Communication and Arts.

It is expected that during the candidature students will disseminate their creative and/or critical research to peers and research communities in the School, University and at conferences. Students are also encouraged to endeavour to publish work in high-quality outlets.

The thesis is composed of an interrelated creative project and critical essay that together present and examine an element of practice.

Creative project

The creative project should display originality, a critical understanding of genre, and make a significant contribution to the practice. It typically takes the form of:

•  a work of prose of approximately 30,000 words, or
• a poetry manuscript of approximately 48 pages, or
•  a screenplay for a short feature film; or another short creative writing project related to television, stage or radio production as approved by the advisory team.

Critical essay

The critical essay may employ a wide variety of approaches and rhetorical strategies. It should demonstrate expert understanding of the discipline, reflect critically on practice, and locate the work in relation to current critical writing. Appropriate approaches include, but are not limited to:

• a reflection on an issue germane to creative writing practice, such as the processes or techniques of creative writing within a genre or within the creative project, or
• an examination of the contexts and conditions of the candidate’s creative writing or the critical, industrial or historical issues relevant to the candidate’s creative project, or
• an exploration of a scholarly issue of genre, theory, representation, or themes in another creative work of demonstrated relevance to the candidate’s creative project.

The critical essay is typically about 10,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding a list of cited works.

Where the creative project is substantially shorter than is typical for this degree (see above), a longer critical essay may be required. Likewise, where the creative work contains substantial scholarship and research (such as in a biography, history, or research-based creative non-fiction), the requirements for the critical essay may be modified.

• Art history thesis by exhibition format
• Creative writing PhD thesis format
• Music thesis format

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Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing

In a world of rapid change, there has never been a greater demand for the mastery of the written word.

In a rapidly changing world, the digitisation of the modern economy has created a raft of new job titles, all of which require expertise in writing and editing – in addition to the jobs that already drive Australia’s dynamic creative industries. Gain the writing, editing, publishing, design and research skills to build a rewarding career in print or online.

The Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing covers all stages of the writing and publishing process, and the skills needed to meet growing demands. During this half year full-time (or part-time equivalent) program, you'll develop practical knowledge and experience in writing and editing across genres including creative writing, corporate and technical documents, academic research in the creative arts, advertising and marketing.

Your lecturers will include award-winning authors and arts industry professionals, as well as an array of guest lecturers with expertise in all aspects of professional writing and publishing. Together, they'll provide you with up-to-date insights and industry knowledge across traditional and new media.

You’ll learn about the continually evolving landscapes of the Australian and international publishing industries, and have the opportunity to intern at arts organisations, such as the highly respected University of Queensland Press, literary journals, educational publishers and trade publishers, including UQ’s own Corella Press, which specialises in rediscovering nineteenth century crime and mystery writers.

Program highlights

• Learn from award-winning authors and arts industry professionals.
• Develop practical knowledge and experience in writing and editing across a range of genres.
• Intern at highly respected journals and publishing houses.
• Become qualified to meet the growing demand for mastery of the written word.

1 in Queensland for arts and humanities

QS World University Rankings 2024

1 in Queensland for business and management studies

How you'll learn

Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.

• Work placements
• Research experience

What you'll study

At UQ, degrees are called 'programs' and subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study in this program:

• Publishing and Professional Practice
• Special Research Topic in Writing, Editing & Publishing
• Fundamentals of Advertising
• Industry Internship

See courses and program structure

Career possibilities

Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:

• Editorial writer
• Book editor
• Content creator
• Content producer
• Publishing coordinator
• Online publisher

Next steps after graduation

Our graduates have built rewarding careers in publishing, editing, and professional writing, with some going on to become best-selling authors and creatives.

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Everything you need to know about the UQ MBA degree

Entry requirements.

To be eligible for entry, you'll need:

• a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline; or
• have completed post-secondary study, or
• 2 years full-time equivalent relevant work experience (see below).

Relevant disciplines for previous qualifications

Relevant disciplines include English, English literature, writing, journalism, communication, art history, history, law as well as other relevant fields from the humanities and social sciences.

You must have completed at least a major, field of study, or approximately 30% of program content in the discipline, including a mix of introductory and advanced courses.

Relevant work experience

Relevant work experience includes work using writing and editing in a professional or volunteer context. Relevant work experience includes work in: government departments, office management, corporate communications, administration, journalism, and public relations, among others, which should be supported with evidence outlined below.

Evidence of relevant work experience should include a letter from your employer (and/or previous employers) stating the following: 

• that you work (or worked) within the specified organisation 
• the nature of your work, including any relevant duties and responsibilities
• the length that you were there (i.e. 2 years) 
• the level at which you worked (full-time, part-time or casual). If part-time or casual, please list the average amount of hours worked per week. 

GPA equivalent

Select where you studied and your qualification to see the GPA equivalent you need to be considered for this program.

Use the GPA equivalent as a guide. When you apply, we’ll calculate your GPA using the UQ grading scale. Any failing grades will be included. Entry requirements are subject to change.

Equivalent subjects

Related programs

Depending on your previous qualifications and current goals, you might want to consider one of these related programs:

• Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing

English language requirements

IELTS overall 7; reading 7; writing 7; speaking 7; listening 7. For other English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores approved for UQ

TOEFL iBT (including Paper Edition) - Overall 100, listening 25, reading 25, writing 27, speaking 23.

PTE Academic - Overall 72, sub bands minimum 72.

CES - Overall 185, All sub bands minimum 185.

BE and OET are not accepted.

There are other ways to meet the English language requirements. For some programs, additional conditions apply.

Learn how to meet the English language requirements

Student visas

International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500).

There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted, including the Genuine Student (GS) requirement.

Learn more about student visas

Additional application information

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio with their application for enrolment and demonstrate an appropriate standard to the satisfaction of the program director. The portfolio should include approximately 10 word processed pages of writing (e.g. assignments submitted in previous courses, workplace documents, creative writing manuscripts).

Fees and Scholarships

Indicative annual fee.

Approximate yearly cost of tuition (8 units). Your fees will vary according to your study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.

Fee information for 2025 is not yet available. Fee information displayed is for 2024.

Learn more about postgraduate fees

AUD $21,600

Government assistance, financial aid.

As an international student, you might be eligible for financial aid – either from your home country, or from the Australian Government.

Learn more about financial aid

Domestic students who are accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing pay tuition fees.

FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their tuition fees.

Learn more about FEE-HELP

Centrelink support

The Australian Government offers a number of income-support payments to eligible Australian university students.

Learn about Centrelink payments for students

Scholarships

You may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships, including:

Applying online

All international applications should be submitted to UQ. If you prefer, you can use an  approved UQ agent in your country .

The program code for the Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing is  5678 .

Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study

All domestic applications should be submitted to UQ.

The program code for the Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing is 5678 .

Important dates

The closing date for this program is:

• To commence study in semester 2 - May 31 of the year of commencement.
• To commence study in semester 1 - November 30 of the previous year.

To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar .

• To commence study in Semester 1 - January 31 of the year of commencement.
• To commence study in Semester 2 - June 30 of the year of commencement.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants

For support with applying – or if you have any questions about university life – get in touch with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit.

Contact the ATSIS Unit

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The University of Queensland

• Starting at UQ
• Programs and courses
• Faculties and schools
• Creative Writing: Screenwriting

Creative Writing: Screenwriting (WRIT2120)

Information valid for semester 1, 2025, course level.

Undergraduate

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Humanities Arts Social Science

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Communication & Arts School

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One Semester

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Seminar 2.5 Hours/ Week

Incompatible

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4 units of BA list courses

Course offering may be cancelled unless a minimum of 20 students enrol.

Assessment methods

Seminar participation; Short Pitch Document; Film Treatment Assignment; Screenplay Assignment

Course enquiries

Associate Professor Venero Armanno (Semester 1, St Lucia, In person )

Current course offerings

Please Note: Course profiles marked as not available may still be in development.

Course description

This course will introduce students to the basic skills of feature film screenwriting.

Archived offerings

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Student Write Club

In semester 2 2020, a weekly student write club  will be hosted on-campus in the writers studio with a concurrent online  zoom   for those off-campus..

The Student Write Club is open to all students studying a UQ writing course and is a friendly space to meet with your peers and to improve your craft!

Each meeting will consist of  3 x 20min pomodoro sessions  led by the 2020 writing student representatives and other volunteer writing students. There will be time at the beginning, end, and in between sessions to chat and share ideas!

Date: Mondays, 10 am-12 pm, starting in Week 4

Venue:  The Writing Studio, Level 6,  Michie Building

Due to COVID rules only a max of 20 people are allowed in the room at one time, so register quick! 

There is a hygiene station inside the studio, and social distancing will be enforced. Due to this, we ask that you  bring your own writing materials  with you, whether it be pen and paper or a laptop.

* You do not need to register for the online session. 

For any questions please feel welcome to email one of your student representatives:

Dianne Mai:  [email protected]

Thea Blaskovich: [email protected]