We designed the Master of Studies (MSt) in Creative Writing for those who wish to further their creative writing skills. If you have experience in writing prose, poetry or scripts and wish to take your creative work to the next level, this could be the course for you.
You can choose to join the course on one of 4 pathways:
- fiction
- poetry
- creative non-fiction
- multi-disciplinary
We teach the course part time over 2 years. You’ll attend 3 intensive teaching residentials in each year of study. We’ve crafted the degree so that you can balance your studies with other responsibilities.
On completing the course, you may go on to use what you have learned in a variety of ways. Some of our graduates are published authors. A number of our alumni have gone on to work in different roles in publishing, film production and professional writing. Many have advanced to PhD study in creative writing.
We also offer other creative writing courses that might interest you:
our MSt in Writing for Performance, for students wishing to specialise in writing for the stage and screen at Master’s level
undergraduate creative writing courses, for students wishing to develop their creative writing but not yet ready for postgraduate-level study
Course Dates
Course details
Academic team
Course overview
Key course information
You’ll be guided in writing creatively in modules taught by published writers. You’ll also learn about the theory and craft of writing and participate in a practical group project to gain professional experience applicable to working in literary and creative fields.
Who is the course designed for?
If you wish to expand your capabilities as a writer, this course is for you. You may want to:
- advance a project for publication
- gain transferable writing skills
- improve your ability to think creatively
- increase your capacity to express yourself through writing
Aims of the programme
By the end of the course, you should have:
- produced a portfolio of creative writing that demonstrates your skill as a writer and your ability to edit and improve your own writing
- a comprehensive understanding of the genre (or genres) in which you work
- the ability to produce creative work that’s original and displays an awareness of the conventions and recent developments of your genre (or genres)
We welcome applications from students with a variety of backgrounds and professional experiences. As part of our admissions process, you’ll need to meet certain requirements and make sure you’re able to attend teaching sessions in the UK.
Standard entry requirements
Typically, we expect a good UK undergraduate degree, such as a 2.1, or international equivalent.
If your degree is not from the UK, check international qualifications on the University’s postgraduate site to find the equivalent in your country.
Non-standard applications
If you do not meet the standard entry requirements, we still encourage you to apply. You’ll need to show you have relevant, professional experience that makes you a strong candidate, and/or have completed higher-level study. Please include this information when you apply.
English language requirements
Our courses are taught in English and require a good level of fluency. If English is not your first language, you'll need to prove you have sufficient fluency before admission. If we offer you a place, it will be subject to you meeting this requirement. For more information, visit Postgraduate and Master's admissions and the University’s English language requirements.
Visa information
We welcome applications from international students. If you’re coming from overseas, you would attend the in-person teaching sessions for this course with visitor immigration permission.
It's important to be aware that entering the UK as a visitor for study purposes comes with certain expectations and restrictions. To make sure you understand the requirements, we advise you to read the in-depth information on the University’s International Students website.
Teaching
In each year of study you'll attend 3 week-long residentials in Cambridge. Teaching is planned to take place at Newnham College and the Sidgwick Site.
Over the course of these 3 residentials you'll complete 4 modules: a compulsory core module and 3 genre-specific modules of your choice.
Following the conclusion of the final residential of each year you'll submit assignments for each module that you have studied. You'll receive constructive feedback on these assignments from course tutors.
Below are the expected teaching dates for this course. If they change, we'll update offer-holders in line with the University's terms of admission.
Year 1
Residential dates
Autumn: 14 to 18 September 2026
Winter: 11 to 15 January 2027
Easter: 5 to 9 April 2027
Over the course of 3 residentials (Autumn, Winter and Easter) you'll:
- complete a compulsory core module, ‘Theory and Practice of Writing’ (9 lectures and 12 writing workshops with peers)
- study 3 genre-specific modules from a timetable of options
Year 2
Residential dates
Autumn: 13 to 17 September 2027
Winter: 10 to 14 January 2028
Easter: 3 to 7 April 2028
Over the course of 3 residentials (Autumn, Winter and Easter) you'll:
complete a compulsory core module, ‘Professional Practices’. This module will consist of lectures on professional aspects of writing. We’ll cover editing, the role of agents and academic career development, amongst other subjects. As part of this module you'll also collaborate with peers to organise a practical project. Possible projects include producing a literary journal, organising a speaker series, and running writing classes
study 3 genre-specific modules from a timetable of options
In addition to residentials, you’ll be working with a supervisor to complete your dissertation project. This supervision will take the form of 5 one-to-one meetings (either in-person or online, by mutual agreement of supervisor and student).
Genre-specific modules
You’ll take a total of 6 genre-specific modules over 2 years.
We classify our genre-specific modules as:
- fiction
- poetry
- creative non-fiction
- screenwriting
Your choices will be dictated by your chosen pathway.
Fiction pathway
You must take at least 4 of your choices in fiction.
Poetry pathway
You must take at least 4 of your choices in poetry.
Creative non-fiction pathway
You must take at least 4 of your choices in creative non-fiction.
Multi-disciplinary pathway
You must take at least one of your choices in each of:
- fiction
- poetry
- creative non-fiction
- screenwriting
To complete each module you’ll attend 6 seminar sessions dedicated to developing your writing abilities through instruction from a working writer. The subject matter of modules may be categorised according to a theme (e.g. nature poetry), a certain form (e.g. the short story), or a particular aspect of craft (e.g. structuring a narrative).
The choice of genre-specific modules will be subject to change, depending on the needs of the course.
Fiction
In fiction, you can expect to be offered a range of options that touch upon different subgenres (such as speculative fiction, literary fiction, and horror), different forms (such as the novel, the novella, and the short story) and different aspects of craft (such as characterisation, dialogue and plotting). Our fiction specialists include:
Poetry
In poetry, you can expect to be offered a range of modules that touch upon different poetic forms (such as prose poetry and traditional formal verse) and different subgenres (such as lyric poetry), as well as a range of thematic approaches and aspects of craft (such as lineation, sonics, and poetic structure). Our poetry specialists include:
Creative non-fiction
In creative non-fiction, you can expect to be offered a range of modules that touch upon different sub-genres (such as memoir, nature writing, lyric essays and biography), different aspects of craft (such as research and structure) and theory (for example, ethics). Our non-fiction specialists include:
Multi-disciplinary pathway
On the multi-disciplinary pathway, you'll select modules from options in fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction, as well as modules in screenwriting.
The modules in screenwriting will explore writing for film and television by breaking down scripts to look at the mechanics of telling stories onscreen and using mini writers’ rooms as a tool for practising the craft of collaborative storytelling. Our specialists in screenwriting include:
Assessment
Compulsory core modules
Theory and Practice of Writing
A 4,500-word essay that engages with an aspect of writing relevant to your own practice and experiences in workshop. 15% of final mark.
Professional Practices
A 1,500-word reflection that considers the experience you have gained on the module and the way in which that experience relates to your professional ambitions. 5% of final mark.
Genre-specific modules
A 1,500-word piece of creative prose (or textual equivalent) engaging with the content of the module for which it is submitted. 5% of final mark. You’ll submit 6 of these assignments over the 2 years of the course. 30% of your final mark.
Creative dissertation
A creative project of 15,000 words (or textual equivalent). 50% of final mark.
Feedback
You’ll receive written feedback on your assignments and informal feedback throughout the course, including during seminars, workshops and supervisions. Your tutor will produce reports for you during year 1 and your supervisor will author reports over the course of year 2.
Fees
The total fees for this course are shown above in 'Course details'.
To understand which fee status applies to you, whether as a home or overseas student, visit the University’s fee status page.
To help you manage your finances more comfortably, you can pay the fee in instalments. See how to pay for more.
There are also some additional costs you’ll need to cover as part of this course. These are usually:
- an application fee of £85, unless you're eligible for a fee waiver, payable online
- any travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for the residential teaching sessions held in Cambridge
Funding
We're dedicated to reducing and removing financial barriers to learning. Visit financial support ahead of the application deadline to find out what options may be available to help you in your studies. You can explore external funding and stay up to date on our concessions and bursaries.
Considering applying? We look forward to receiving your application. We consider applications on a 'gathered field' basis, reviewing them all together after the application deadline.
Key timings for your application
- The application deadline is 15 January 2026.
- We’ll hold interviews for shortlisted candidates in late February / early March.
- If you're shortlisted, we'll contact you in the weeks before interviews to arrange a time and format for yours.
How to apply and what you'll need
The ‘Apply now’ button will take you to the Applicant Portal. There, you can:
- create, save, and submit your application
- upload your supporting documents
- submit and manage your references
- pay your application fee
- track your application
Supporting documents
When you submit your application, you’ll need to provide supporting information.
CV
Upload an up-to-date resume.
Personal statement
Upload a personal statement of no more than 1,000 words, telling us about your motivation for applying for the course, outlining your relevant experience and interests.
Writing sample
Upload an original writing sample of your work.
Fiction: 1,000 to 3,000 words of prose fiction.
Poetry: 500 words of poetry.
Creative non-fiction: 1,000 to 3,000 words of creative non-fiction.
Multi-disciplinary, one of the following:
- 1,000 to 3,000 words of prose
- 1,000 words of script for stage, screen or radio
- up to 500 words of poetry
Research proposal
We’re interested in understanding your intended direction at this stage. Your dissertation will be a piece of work in your chosen pathway genre unless you are applying for the multi-disciplinary pathway, in which case you will have a choice of working in fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry or screenwriting (in this case please specify the genre in which you wish to work).
Please upload a proposal of approximately 500 words outlining the dissertation work (typically 15,000 words of fiction or textual equivalent and 5,000 words for poetry) you would like to carry out in the second year of study. Make sure you provide:
- an outline of your intended work
- an account of the key themes or ideas you wish to explore in your project
- a summary of the sources or other writers that have influenced your conception of the project
Qualifications and transcripts
Upload details of degree-level courses you have completed or are studying.
References
Submit contact details for 2 referees, who we will contact on your behalf.
For more information on applying and admissions, see Postgraduate and Master's admissions.
As an MSt student, you'll become a member of a Cambridge College. For the MSt in Creative Writing, we work with the following Colleges:
On your application, you can specify preference(s) for any of these Colleges, and we’ll do our best to allocate you to your preferred choice(s), subject to capacity and ensuring an equal balance between the Colleges we work with. As there are only a limited number of places available at some Colleges, please give a second choice of College on your application form if you're selecting preferences.
To find out more about College membership, watch the ‘Meet the Colleges’ recording from our Master's Open Week 2024.
If you have a pre-existing membership at a Cambridge College which is not listed above, you can ask them to consider you as a member for this course. However, we cannot arrange this for you. If you do not have a pre-existing College membership, you can only become a member of one of the above Colleges.
We're committed to supporting you in your learning journey, and we offer a variety of support opportunities to meet individual needs. Visit student support to find out more about how we can help.
