A rigorous program that combines creative writing and literary studies, the Ph.D. in Creative Writing prepares graduates for both scholarly and creative publication and teaching. With faculty guidance, students admitted to the Ph.D. program may tailor their programs to their goals and interests.
The creative writing faculty at KU has been widely published and anthologized, winning both critical and popular acclaim. Faculty awards include such distinctions as the Nebula Award, Hugo Award, Osborn Award, Shelley Memorial Award, Gertrude Stein Award, the Kenyon Review Prize, the Kentucky Center Gold Medallion, and the Pushcart Prize.
Regarding admission to both our doctoral and MFA creative writing programs, we will prioritize applicants who are interested in engaging with multiple faculty members to practice writing across genres and forms, from speculative fiction and realism to poetry and playwriting/screenwriting, etc.
The University of Kansas' Graduate Program in Creative Writing also offers an M.F.A degree .
Opportunities
A GTA appointment includes a tuition waiver for ten semesters plus a competitive stipend. In the first year, GTA appointees teach English 101 (first year composition) and English 102 (a required reading and writing course). Creative Writing Ph.D. students may have the opportunity to teach an introductory course in creative writing after passing the doctoral examination, and opportunities are available for a limited number of advanced GTAs to teach in the summer.
Department Resources
Graduate Admissions
Graduate Contacts
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Affiliated Programs
LandLocked Literary Magazine
The Project on the History of Black Writing
Center for the Study of Science Fiction
Ad-Hoc African/Americanists and Affiliates
Degree Requirements
At least 24 hours of credit in appropriate formal graduate courses beyond the M.A. or M.F.A. At least 15 hours (in addition to ENGL 800 if not taken for the M.A.) of this course work must be taken from among courses offered by the Department of English at the 700-level and above. English 997 and 999 credits cannot be included among the 24 hours. Students may petition to take up to 6 hours outside the Department.
ENGL 800: Methods, Theory, and Professionalism (counts toward the 24 required credit hours).
The ENGL 801/ENGL 802 pedagogy sequence (counts toward the 24 required credit hours).
Two seminars (courses numbered 900 or above) offered by the Department of English at the University of Kansas, beyond the M.A. or M.F.A. ENGL 998 does not fulfill this requirement.
ENGL 999, Dissertation (at least 12 hours).
If the M.A. or M.F.A. was completed in KU’s Department of English, a doctoral student may petition the DGS to have up to 12 hours of the coursework taken in the English Department reduced toward the Ph.D.
For Doctoral students, the university requires completion of a course in responsible scholarship . For the English department, this would be ENGL 800, 780, or the equivalent). In addition, the Department requires reading knowledge of one approved foreign language: Old English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Greek, Latin, or Hebrew. Upon successful petition, a candidate may substitute reading knowledge of another language or research skill that is studied at the University or is demonstrably appropriate to the candidate’s program of study.
Doctoral students must fulfill the requirement before they take their doctoral examination, or be enrolled in a reading course the same semester as the exam. Students are permitted three attempts at passing each foreign language or research skill. Three methods of demonstrating reading knowledge for all approved languages except Old English are acceptable:
Presenting 16 hours, four semesters, or the equivalent of undergraduate credit, earned with an average of C or better.
Passing a graduate reading course at the University of Kansas or peer institution (e.g., French 100, German 100, etc.) with a grade of C or higher. In the past, some of these reading courses have been given by correspondence; check with the Division of Continuing Education for availability.
Passing a translation examination given by a designated member of the English Department faculty or by the appropriate foreign language department at KU. The exam is graded pass/fail and requires the student to translate as much as possible of a representative text in the foreign language in a one-hour period, using a bilingual dictionary.
Passing a translation examination given by the appropriate foreign language department at the M.A.-granting institution. Successful completion must be reflected either on the M.A. transcript or by a letter from the degree-granting department.
To fulfill the language requirement using Old English, students must successfully complete ENGL 710 (Introduction to Old English) and ENGL 712 (Beowulf).
Post-Coursework Ph.D. students must submit, with their committee chair(s), an annual review form to the DGS and Graduate Committee.
Doctoral students must take their doctoral examination within three semesters (excluding summers) of the end of the semester in which they took their final required course. If a student has an Incomplete, the timeline is not postponed until the Incomplete is resolved. For example, a student completing doctoral course work in Spring 2018 will need to schedule their doctoral exam no later than the end of Fall semester 2019. Delays may be granted by petition to the Graduate Director in highly unusual circumstances. Failure to take the exam within this time limit without an approved delay will result in the student’s falling out of good standing. For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices.
A student may not take their doctoral exam until the university’s Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement is fulfilled (ENGL 800 or equivalent and reading knowledge of one foreign language or equivalent).
Requirements for Doctoral Exams
Reading Lists:
All students are required to submit three reading lists, based on the requirements below, to their committee for approval. The doctoral exam will be held on a date at least twelve weeks after the approval from the whole committee is received. To facilitate quick committee approval, students may copy the graduate program coordinator on the email to the committee that contains the final version of the lists. Committee members may then respond to the email in lieu of signing a printed copy. Students should work with their committee chair and graduate program coordinator to schedule the exam at the same time as they finalize the lists.
During the two-hour oral examination (plus an additional 15-30 minutes for a break and committee deliberation), a student will be tested on their comprehension of a literary period or movement, including multiple genres and groups of authors within that period or movement. In addition, the student will be tested on two of the following six areas of study:
An adjacent or parallel literary period or movement,
An author or group of related authors,
Criticism and literary theory,
Composition theory, and
English language.
No title from any field list may appear on either of the other two lists. See Best Practices section for more details on these six areas. See below for a description of the Review of the Dissertation Proposal (RDP), which the candidate takes the semester after passing the doctoral exam.
While many students confer with the DGS as they begin the process of developing their lists, they are also required to submit a copy of their final exam list to the DGS. Most lists will be left intact, but the DGS might request that overly long lists be condensed, or extremely short lists be expanded.
Review of Literature
The purpose of the Review of Literature is to develop and demonstrate an advanced awareness of the critical landscape for each list. The student will write an overview of the defining attributes of the field, identifying two or three broad questions that animate scholarly discussion, while using specific noteworthy texts from their list ( but not all texts on the list ) as examples.
The review also must accomplish the following:
consider the historical context of major issues, debates, and trends that factor into the emergence of the field
offer a historical overview of scholarship in the field that connects the present to the past
note recent trends and emergent lines of inquiry
propose questions about (develop critiques of, and/or identify gaps in) the field and how they might be pursued in future study (but not actually proposing or referencing a dissertation project)
For example, for a literary period, the student might include an overview of primary formal and thematic elements, of the relationship between literary and social/historical developments, of prominent movements, (etc.), as well as of recent critical debates and topics.
For a genre list, the Review of Literature might include major theories of its constitution and significance, while outlining the evolution of these theories over time.
For a Rhetoric and Composition list, the review would give an overview of major historical developments, research, theories, methods, debates, and trends of scholarship in the field.
For an English Language Studies (ELS) list, the review would give an overview of the subfields that make up ELS, the various methodological approaches to language study, the type of sources used, and major aims and goals of ELS. The review also usually involves a focus on one subfield of particular interest to the student (such as stylistics, sociolinguistics, or World/Postcolonial Englishes).
Students are encouraged to divide reviews into smaller sections that enhance clarity and organization. Students are not expected to interact with every text on their lists.
The review of literature might be used to prepare students for identifying the most important texts in the field, along with why those texts are important to the field, for the oral exam. It is recommended for students to have completed reading the bulk of (if not all) texts on their lists before writing the ROL.
The Reviews of Literature will not be produced in an exam context, but in the manner of papers that are researched and developed in consultation with all advisors/committee members, with final drafts being distributed within a reasonable time for all members to review and approve in advance of the 3-week deadline . While the Review of Literature generally is not the focus of the oral examination, it is frequently used as a point of departure for questions and discussion during the oral examination.
Doctoral Exam Committee
Exam committees typically consist of 3 faculty members from the department—one of whom serves as the Committee Chair—plus a Graduate Studies Representative. University policy dictates the composition of exam committees . Students may petition for an exception for several committee member situations, with the exception of the Graduate Studies Representative .
If a student wants to have as a committee member a person outside the university, or a person who is not in a full-time tenure-track professorship at KU, the student must contact the Graduate Secretary as early as possible. Applications for special graduate faculty status must be reviewed by the College and Graduate Studies. Requests for exam/defense approval will not be approved unless all committee members currently hold either regular or special graduate faculty status
Remote participation of committee members via technology
Students with committee members who plan to attend the defense via remote technology must be aware of college policy on teleconferencing/remote participation of committee members .
A majority of committee members must be physically present for an examination to commence; for doctoral oral examinations this requirement is 2 of the 4 members, for master’s oral examinations the requirement is 2 of the 3 members. In addition, it is required that the student being examined, the chair of the committee, and the Graduate Studies Representative all be physically present at the examination or defense. Mediated attendance by the student, chair and Grad Studies Rep is prohibited.
The recommended time between completion of coursework and the doctoral examination is two semesters.
Final exam lists need to be approved and signed by the committee at least 12 weeks prior to the prospective exam date. This includes summers/summer semesters. The lists should then be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Reviews of Literature need to be approved and signed by the committee at least 3 weeks prior to the exam date. Failure to meet this deadline will result in rescheduling the exam. No further changes to lists or Reviews of Literature will be allowed after official approval. The three-week deadline is the faculty deadline--the last date for them to confirm receipt of the ROLs and confer approval--not necessarily the student deadline for submitting the documents to the faculty. Please keep that timing in mind and allow your committee adequate time to review the materials and provide feedback.
Students taking the Doctoral Exam are allowed to bring their text lists, the approved Reviews of Literature, scratch paper, a writing utensil, and notes/writing for an approximately 5-minute introductory statement to the exam. (This statement does not need to lay out ideas or any aspect of the dissertation project.)
Each portion of the oral examination must be deemed passing before the student can proceed to the Review of the Dissertation Proposal. If a majority of the committee judges that the student has not answered adequately on one of the three areas of the exam, the student must repeat that portion in a separate oral exam of one hour, to be taken as expeditiously as possible. Failure in two areas constitutes failure of the exam and requires a retake of the whole. The doctoral examining committee will render a judgment of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory on the entire examination. A student who fails the exam twice may, upon successful petition to the Graduate Committee, take it a third and final time.
Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the exam. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student exams but not others.
The doctoral oral examination has the following purposes:
To establish goals, tone, and direction for the pursuit of the Ph.D. in English for the Department and for individual programs of study;
To make clear the kinds of knowledge and skills that, in the opinion of the Department, all well-prepared holders of the degree should have attained;
To provide a means for the Department to assess each candidate’s control of such knowledge and skills in order to certify that the candidate is prepared to write a significant dissertation and enter the profession; and
To enable the Department to recommend to the candidate areas of strength or weakness that should be addressed.
In consultation with the Graduate Director, a student will ask a member of the Department’s graduate faculty (preferably their advisor) to be the chairperson of the examining committee. The choice of examination committee chair is very important, for that person’s role is to assist the candidate in designing the examination structure, preparing the Review of Literature (see below), negotiating reading lists and clarifying their purposes, and generally following procedures here outlined. The other three English Department members of the committee will be chosen in consultation with the committee chair. (At some point an additional examiner from outside the Department, who serves as the Graduate School representative, will be invited to join the committee). Any unresolved problems in negotiation between a candidate and their committee should be brought to the attention of the Graduate Director, who may choose to involve the Graduate Committee. A student may request a substitution in, or a faculty member may ask to be dismissed from, the membership of the examining committee. Such requests must be approved, in writing, by the faculty member leaving the committee and by the Graduate Director.
Reading Lists
Copies of some approved reading lists and Reviews of Literature are available from the Graduate Secretary and can be found on the U: drive if you are using a computer on campus. Despite the goal of fairness and equity, some unavoidable unevenness and disparity will appear in the length of these lists. It remains, however, the responsibility of the examining committee, and especially the student’s chair, to aim toward consonance with the most rigorous standards and expectations and to insure that areas of study are not unduly narrow.
To facilitate quick committee approval, students may copy the graduate secretary on the email to the committee that contains the final version of the lists and reviews of literature. Committee members may then respond to the email in lieu of signing a printed copy.
Comprehension of a literary period (e.g., British literature of the 18th century; Romanticism; US literature of the 19th century; Modernism) entails sufficient intellectual grasp of both the important primary works of and secondary works on the period or movement to indicate a student’s ability to teach the period or movement and undertake respectable scholarship on it.
Comprehension of an author or group of related authors (e.g., Donne, the Brontës, the Bloomsbury Group, the Black Mountain Poets) entails knowledge, both primary and secondary, of a figure or figures whose writing has generated a significant body of interrelated biographical, historical, and critical scholarship.
Comprehension of one of several genres (the short story, the lyric poem, the epistolary novel). To demonstrate comprehension of a genre, a student should possess sufficient depth and breadth of knowledge, both primary and secondary, of the genre to explain its formal characteristics and account for its historical development.
Comprehension of criticism and literary theory entails a grasp of fundamental conceptual problems inherent in a major school of literary study (e.g., historicist, psychoanalytic, feminist, poststructuralist, etc.). To demonstrate comprehension of that school of criticism and literary theory, a student should be able to discuss changes in its conventions and standards of interpretation and evaluation of literature from its beginning to the present. Students will be expected to possess sufficient depth and breadth of theoretical knowledge to bring appropriate texts and issues to bear on questions of literary study.
Comprehension of composition theory entails an intellectual grasp of fundamental concepts, issues, and theories pertaining to the study of writing. To demonstrate comprehension of composition theory, students should be able to discuss traditional and current issues from a variety of perspectives, as well as the field’s historical development from classical rhetoric to the present.
Comprehension of the broad field of English language studies entails a grasp of the field’s theoretical concepts and current issues, as well as a familiarity with significant works within given subareas. Such subareas will normally involve formal structures (syntax, etc.) and history of the English language, along with other subareas such as social linguistics, discourse analysis, lexicography, etc. Areas of emphasis and specific sets of topics will be arranged through consultation with relevant faculty.
Ph.D. candidates must be continuously enrolled in Dissertation hours each Fall and Spring semester from the time they pass the doctoral examination until successful completion of the final oral examination (defense of dissertation).
Students enroll for a minimum of 6 hours each Fall and Spring semester until the total of post-doctoral exam Dissertation hours is 18. One hour each semester must be ENGL 999. In order to more quickly reach the 18-hour minimum, and to be sooner eligible for GRAships, it is highly recommended that students enroll in 9 hours of Dissertation in the Spring and Fall semesters.
Once a student has accumulated 18 post-doctoral exam hours, each subsequent enrollment will be for a number of hours agreed upon as appropriate between the student and their advisor, the minimal enrollment each semester being 1 hour of ENGL 999.
A student must be enrolled in at least one hour of credit at KU during the semester they graduate. Although doctoral students must be enrolled in ENGL 999 while working on their dissertations, per current CLAS regulations, there is no absolute minimum number of ENGL 999 hours required for graduation.
Students who live and work outside the Lawrence area may, under current University regulations, have their fees assessed at the Field Work rate, which is somewhat lower than the on-campus rate. Students must petition the College Office of Graduate Affairs before campus fees will be waived.
Please also refer to the COGA policy on post-exam enrollment or the Graduate School’s policy .
As soon as possible following successful completion of the doctoral exam, the candidate should establish their three-person core dissertation committee, and then expeditiously proceed to the preparation of a dissertation proposal. Within the semester following completion of the doctoral exam , the student will present to their core dissertation committee a written narrative of approximately 10-15 pages , not including bibliography, of the dissertation proposal. While the exam schedule is always contingent on student progress, in the first two weeks of the semester in which they intend to take the review , students will work with their committee chair and the graduate program coordinator to schedule the 90-minute RDP. Copies of this proposal must be submitted to the members of the dissertation committee and Graduate Program Coordinator no later than three weeks prior to the scheduled examination date.
In the proposal, students will be expected to define: the guiding question or set of questions; a basic thesis (or hypothesis); how the works to be studied or the creative writing produced relate to that (hypo)thesis; the theoretical/methodological model to be followed; the overall formal divisions of the dissertation; and how the study will be situated in the context of prior scholarship (i.e., its importance to the field). The narrative section should be followed by a bibliography demonstrating that the candidate is conversant with the basic theoretical and critical works pertinent to the study. For creative writing students, the proposal may serve as a draft of the critical introduction to the creative dissertation. Students are expected to consult with their projected dissertation committee concerning the preparation of the proposal.
The review will focus on the proposal, although it could also entail determining whether or not the candidate’s knowledge of the field is adequate to begin the composition process. The examination will be graded pass/fail. If it is failed, the committee will suggest areas of weakness to be addressed by the candidate, who will rewrite the proposal and retake the review by the end of the following semester . If the candidate abandons the entire dissertation project for another, a new RDP will be taken. (For such a step to be taken, the change would need to be drastic, such as a move to a new field or topic. A change in thesis or the addition or subtraction of one or even several works to be examined would not necessitate a new proposal and defense.) If the student fails to complete the Review of the Dissertation Proposal within a year of the completion of the doctoral exams, they will have fallen out of departmental good standing. For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices.
After passing the Review of the Dissertation Proposal, the student should forward one signed copy of the proposal to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The RDP may last no longer than 90 minutes.
Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the review. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student exams but not others.
The Graduate Catalog states that the doctoral candidate “must present a dissertation showing the planning, conduct and results of original research, and scholarly creativity.” While most Ph.D. candidates in the Department of English write dissertations of a traditional, research-oriented nature, a creative writing candidate may elect to do a creative-writing dissertation involving fiction, poetry, drama or nonfiction prose. Such a dissertation must also contain a substantial section of scholarly research related to the creative writing. The precise nature of the scholarly research component should be determined by the candidate in consultation with the dissertation committee and the Graduate Director. Candidates wishing to undertake such a dissertation must complete all Departmental requirements demanded for the research-oriented Ph.D. degree.
Scholarly Research Component (SRC)
The Scholarly Research Component (SRC) of the creative-writing dissertation is a separate section of the dissertation than the creative work. It involves substantial research and is written in the style of academic prose. It should be 15-20 pages and should cite at least 20 sources, some of which should be primary texts, and many of which should be from the peer-reviewed secondary literature. The topic must relate, in some way, to the topic, themes, ideas, or style of the creative portion of the dissertation; this relation should be stated in the Dissertation Proposal, which should include a section describing the student’s plans for the SRC. The SRC may be based on a seminar paper or other work the student has completed prior to the dissertation; but the research should be augmented, and the writing revised, per these guidelines. The SRC is a part of the dissertation, and as such will be included in the dissertation defense.
The SRC may take two general forms:
1.) An article, publishable in a peer-reviewed journal or collection, on a specific topic related to an author, movement, theoretical issue, taxonomic issue, etc. that has bearing on the creative portion. The quality of this article should be high enough that the manuscript could be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication, with a plausible chance of acceptance.
2.) A survey . This survey may take several different forms:
A survey of a particular aspect of the genre of the creative portion of the dissertation (stylistic, national, historical, etc.)
An introduction to the creative portion of the dissertation that explores the influences on, and the theoretical or philosophical foundations or implications of the creative work
An exploration of a particular technical problem or craft issue that is salient in the creative portion of the dissertation
If the creative portion of the dissertation includes the results of research (e.g., historical novel, documentary poetry, research-based creative nonfiction), a descriptive overview of the research undertaken already for the dissertation itself
A combination of the above, with the prior approval of the student’s dissertation director.
The dissertation committee will consist of at least four members—two “core” English faculty members, a third faculty member (usually from English), and one faculty member from a different department who serves as the Graduate Studies representative. The committee may include (with the Graduate Director’s approval) members from other departments and, with the approval of the University’s Graduate Council, members from outside the University. If a student wants to have a committee member from outside the university, or a person who is not in a full-time tenure-track professorship at KU, the student must contact the Graduate Secretary as early as possible. Applications for special graduate faculty status must be reviewed by the College and the Office of Graduate Studies. Requests for defense approval will not be approved unless all committee members currently hold either regular or special graduate faculty status.
The candidate’s preferences as to the membership of the dissertation committee will be carefully considered; the final decision, however, rests with the Department and with the Office of Graduate Studies. All dissertation committees must get approval from the Director of Graduate Studies before scheduling the final oral exam (defense). Furthermore, any changes in the make-up of the dissertation committee from the Review of the Dissertation Proposal committee must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Once the dissertation proposal has passed and the writing of the dissertation begins, membership of the dissertation committee should remain constant. However, under extraordinary circumstances, a student may request a substitution in, or a faculty member may ask to be dismissed from, the membership of the dissertation committee. Such requests must be approved, in writing, by the faculty member leaving the committee and by the Graduate Director.
If a student does not make progress during the dissertation-writing stage, and accumulates more than one “Limited Progress” and/or “No Progress” grade on their transcript, they will fall out of good standing in the department. For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices
Final Oral Exam (Dissertation Defense)
When the dissertation has been tentatively accepted by the dissertation committee (not including the Graduate Studies Representative), the final oral examination will be held, on the recommendation of the Department. While the exam schedule is always contingent on student progress, in the first two weeks of the semester in which they intend to defend the dissertation, students should work with their committee chair and graduate program coordinator to schedule it.
Although the dissertation committee is responsible for certification of the candidate, any member of the graduate faculty may be present at the examination and participate in the questioning, and one examiner—the Graduate Studies Representative—must be from outside the Department. The Graduate Secretary can help students locate an appropriate Grad Studies Rep. The examination normally lasts no more than two hours. It is the obligation of the candidate to advise the Graduate Director that they plan to take the oral examination; this must be done at least one month before the date proposed for the examination.
At least three calendar weeks prior to the defense date, the student will submit the final draft of the dissertation to all the committee members (including the GSR) and inform the Graduate Program Coordinator. Failure to meet this deadline will necessitate rescheduling the defense. The final oral examination for the Ph.D. in English is, essentially, a defense of the dissertation. When it is passed, the dissertation itself is graded by the dissertation director, in consultation with the student’s committee; the student’s performance in the final examination (defense) is graded by the entire five-person committee
Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the defense. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student defenses but not others
These sets of attributes are adapted from the Graduate Learner Outcomes that are a part of our Assessment portfolio. “Honors” should only be given to dissertations that are rated “Outstanding” in all or most of the following categories:
Significant and innovative plot/structure/idea/focus. The writer clearly places plot/structure/idea/focus in context.
Thorough knowledge of literary traditions. Clear/flexible vision of the creative work produced in relation to those literary traditions.
Introduction/Afterword is clear, concise, and insightful. A detailed discussion of the implications of the project and future writing projects exists.
The creative dissertation reveals the doctoral candidate’s comprehensive understanding of poetics and/or aesthetic approach. The application of the aesthetic approach is innovative and convincing.
The creative dissertation represents original and sophisticated creative work.
The creative dissertation demonstrates thematic and/or aesthetic unity.
After much discussion about whether the “honors” designation assigned after the dissertation defense should be for the written product only, for the defense/discussion only, for both together, weighted equally, or eradicated altogether, the department voted to accept the Graduate Committee recommendation that “honors” only apply to the written dissertation. "Honors" will be given to dissertations that are rated "Outstanding" in all or most of the categories on the dissertation rubric.
Normally, the dissertation will present the results of the writer’s own research, carried on under the direction of the dissertation committee. This means that the candidate should be in regular contact with all members of the committee during the dissertation research and writing process, providing multiple drafts of chapters, or sections of chapters, according to the arrangements made between the student and each faculty member. Though accepted primarily for its scholarly merit rather than for its rhetorical qualities, the dissertation must be stylistically competent. The Department has accepted the MLA Handbook as the authority in matters of style. The writer may wish to consult also the Chicago Manual of Style and Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Dissertations, Theses, and Term Papers .
Naturally, both the student and the dissertation committee have responsibilities and obligations to each other concerning the submitting and returning of materials. The student should plan on working steadily on the dissertation; if they do so, they should expect from the dissertation committee a reasonably quick reading and assessment of material submitted.
Students preparing their dissertation should be showing chapters to their committee members as they go along, for feedback and revision suggestions. They should also meet periodically with committee members to assess their progress. Prior to scheduling a defense, the student is encouraged to ask committee members whether they feel that the student is ready to defend the dissertation. Ideally, the student should hold the defense only when they have consulted with committee members sufficiently to feel confident that they have revised the dissertation successfully to meet the expectations of all committee members.
Students should expect that they will need to revise each chapter at least once. This means that all chapters (including introduction and conclusion) are shown to committee members once, revised, then shown to committee members again in revised form to assess whether further revisions are needed, prior to the submitting of the final dissertation as a whole. It is not unusual for further revisions to be required and necessary after the second draft of a chapter; students should not therefore simply assume that a second draft is necessarily “final” and passing work.
If a substantial amount of work still needs to be completed or revised at the point that the dissertation defense is scheduled, such a defense date should be regarded as tentative, pending the successful completion, revision, and receipt of feedback on all work. Several weeks prior to the defense, students should consult closely with their dissertation director and committee members about whether the dissertation as a whole is in a final and defensible stage. A project is ready for defense when it is coherent, cohesive, well researched, engages in sophisticated analysis (in its entirety or in the critical introduction of creative dissertations), and makes a significant contribution to the field. In other words, it passes each of the categories laid out in the Dissertation Rubric.
If the dissertation has not clearly reached a final stage, the student and dissertation director are advised to reschedule the defense.
Prior Publication of the Doctoral Dissertation
Portions of the material written by the doctoral candidate may appear in article form before completion of the dissertation. Prior publication does not ensure the acceptance of the dissertation by the dissertation committee. Final acceptance of the dissertation is subject to the approval of the dissertation committee. Previously published material by other authors included in the dissertation must be properly documented.
Each student beyond the master’s degree should confer regularly with the Graduate Director regarding their progress toward the doctoral examination and the doctorate.
Doctoral students may take graduate courses outside the English Department if, in their opinion and that of the Graduate Director, acting on behalf of the Graduate Committee, those courses will be of value to them. Their taking such courses will not, of course, absolve them of the responsibility for meeting all the normal departmental and Graduate School requirements.
Doctoral students in creative writing are strongly encouraged to take formal literature classes in addition to forms classes. Formal literature classes, by providing training in literary analysis, theory, and/or literary history, will help to prepare students for doctoral exams (and future teaching at the college level).
FALL SEMESTER
GTAs take 2 courses (801 + one), teach 2 courses; GRAs take 3 courses.
Visit assigned advisor once a month to update on progress & perceptions. 1st-year advisors can assist with selecting classes for the Spring semester, solidifying and articulating a field of specialization, advice about publishing, conferences, professionalization issues, etc.
SPRING SEMESTER
GTAs take 2 courses (780/800/880 + one), teach 2 courses. GTAs also take ENGL 802 for 1 credit hour. GRAs take 3 courses.
Visit assigned advisor or DGS once during the semester; discuss best advisor choices for Year 2.
SUMMER SEMESTER
Enroll in Summer Institute if topic and/or methodology matches interests.
Consider conferences suited to your field and schedule; choose a local one for attendance in Year 2 and draft an Abstract for a conference paper (preferably with ideas/materials/ writing drawn from a seminar paper). Even if abstract is not accepted, you can attend the conference without the pressure of presenting.
Attend at least one conference to familiarize yourself with procedure, network with other grad students and scholars in your field, AND/OR present a paper.
FALL SEMESTER
Take 2 courses, teach 2 courses.
Visit advisor in person at least once during the semester.
WINTER BREAK
Begin revising one of your seminar papers/independent study projects/creative pieces for submission to a journal; research the journals most suited to placement of your piece.
Begin thinking about fields and texts for comprehensive examinations.
Choose an advisor to supervise you through the doctoral examination process.
Visit assigned 1st-year advisor in person at least once during the semester (at least to formally request doctoral exam supervision OR to notify that you are changing advisors).
Summer teaching, if eligible.
Continue revising paper/creative writing for submission to a journal.
Begin reading for comprehensive exams.
Attend one conference and present a paper. Apply for one-time funding for out-of-state travel from Graduate Studies .
Teach 2 courses; take 997 (exam prep).
Finalize comps list by end of September; begin drafting rationales.
Circulate the draft of your article/creative piece to your advisor, other faculty in the field, and/or advanced grad students in the field for suggestions.
Revise article/creative piece with feedback from readers.
Teach 2 courses; take 997 or 999 (dissertation hours). Enroll in 999 if you plan to take your comps this semester, even if you don’t take them until the last day of classes.
Take comps sometime between January and May.
Summer teaching, if available.
Submit article/creative work for publication.
Continuous enrollment after completing doctoral exam (full policy on p. 20)
Research deadlines for grant applications—note deadlines come early in the year.
Attend one conference and present a paper.
Teach 2 courses, take 999.
Compose dissertation proposal by November.
Schedule Review of Dissertation Proposal (RDP—formerly DPR).
Apply for at least one grant or fellowship, such as a departmental-level GRAship or dissertation fellowship. (Winning a full-year, non-teaching fellowship can cut down your years-to-degree to 5 ½, or even 5 years.)
Conduct research for and draft at least 1 dissertation chapter.
Conduct research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter.
Revise & resubmit journal article, if necessary.
Attend 1st round of job market meetings with Job Placement Advisor (JPA) to start drafting materials and thinking about the process.
Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter, if teaching (1-2 chapters if not).
Visit dissertation chair and committee members in person at least once during the semester.
Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter (1-2 chapters if not teaching).
Apply for a departmental grant or fellowship, or, if already held, try applying for one from outside the department, such as those offered by KU’s Hall Center for the Humanities or the Office of Graduate Studies. For a monthly list of funding opportunities , visit the Graduate Studies website.
Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter.
Attend job market meetings with JPA in earnest.
Apply for external grants, research fellowships, postdoctoral positions with fall deadlines (previous fellowship applications, your dissertation proposal, and subsequent writing should provide a frame so that much of the application can be filled out with the “cut & paste” function).
Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter (1-2 if not teaching).
Visit dissertation chair and committee members in person at least once during the semester.
Polish dissertation chapters.
Apply for grants and fellowships with spring deadlines.
Defend dissertation.
Creative Writing Faculty
Associate Professor
Professor of English & Environmental Studies
Assistant Professor
Graduate Student Handbook
PhD in Creative Writing
Program overview.
The PhD in Creative Writing and Literature is a four-year course of study. Following two years of course work that includes workshop, forms classes, pedagogical training, and literature, students take exams in two areas, one that examines texts through the lens of craft and another that examines them through the lens of literary history and theory. Recent examples of the genre area include Comic Fiction, History of the Love Lyric, and Fantasy; recent examples of the scholarly area include History of the Novel, 20th Century American Poetry, and Modern & Contemporary British Fiction. In the first two years, students take three courses per semester; the teaching load throughout the program is one class per semester. Every PhD student has the opportunity to teach creative writing, with many also teaching literature classes. Most students are funded by teaching, with two or three at a time funded by editorial work at The Cincinnati Review or Acre Books, and others funded in their dissertation year by college- or university-level fellowships. Fifth-year support, while not guaranteed, has generally been available to interested students in the form of student lecturerships, which carry a 2-2 load. The Creative Writing PhD at the University of Cincinnati has maintained over the last decade more than a 75% placement rate into full-time academic jobs for its doctoral graduates. Two-thirds of these positions are tenure-track.
Application Information
Exam Areas and Committee
Doctoral Candidacy Form
Foreign Language
Exam Procedures
Dissertations
Applying for Fifth-Year Funding
Working for The Cincinnati Review
Teaching Opportunities
All Creative Writing Graduate Courses
Archive of Technique & Form Courses
King's College London
Creative writing research phd.
Key information
The PhD in Creative Writing at King’s is a practice-led course, incorporating taught elements and aspects of professional development. It is designed to cater for talented, committed writers who are looking to complete a book-length creative work for publication and sustain a long-term career in writing.
Key Benefits
Our unique programme offers students:
a varied, structured framework for the development of their creative work, with regular feedback from experienced author-lecturers in the department through supervision and workshops
purposeful engagement with professionals from the publishing and performance industries throughout the course, building potential routes to publication
valuable teaching experience in creative writing at HE-level through our Graduate Teaching Assistantship scheme
practical experience in public engagement, through curating and chairing public literary events at King’s
a community of fellow writers and collaborative projects
English Department
We have over 100 doctoral students from all over the world working on a wide range of projects. Together with our community of postdoctoral fellows, our early career researchers both organise and participate in our thriving seminar and conference culture.
The English department is home to award-winning novelists, poets, essayists, biographers, non-fiction authors, and literary critics, who supervise creative projects at doctoral level within their specialisms.
Works by our staff have won or been shortlisted for a number of literary accolades, including: the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Forward Prize, the Man Booker Prize, the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, the Costa First Novel Award, the Costa Poetry Award, the Somerset Maugham Award, the Commonwealth Book Prize, the Biographers’ Club / Slightly Foxed First Biography Prize, the U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award, the CWA Gold Dagger Award, the European Union Prize for Literature, the RSL Encore Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Letters, le Prix du Roman Fnac, le Prix du Roman Etranger, the Kiriyama Prize, the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award, and the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Many of the creative writing staff are Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature.
Their most recent publications are:
Benjamin Wood
The Young Accomplice (Penguin Viking, 2022) – fiction
A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better (Scribner, 2018) – fiction
Edmund Gordon
The Invention of Angela Carter (Chatto & Windus, 2016) – creative non-fiction
Loop of Jade (Chatto & Windus, 2015) – poetry
Anthony Joseph
Sonnets for Albert (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022) – poetry
The Frequency of Magic (Peepal Tree Press, 2019) – fiction
Homing: On Pigeons, Dwellings, and Why We Return (John Murray Press, 2019) – creative non-fiction
Daughters of the Labyrinth (Corsair, 2021) – fiction
Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life (Chatto & Windus, 2020) – poetry
Emerald (Chatto & Windus, 2018) – poetry
Andrew O'Hagan
Mayflies (Faber & Faber, 2020) – fiction
The Secret Life: Three True Stories (Faber & Faber, 2017) – creative non-fiction
*may vary according to research leave and availability.
King's Alumni
The list of King’s alumni not only features many acclaimed contemporary authors—Michael Morpurgo, Alain de Botton, Hanif Kureishi, Marina Lewycka, Susan Hill, Lawrence Norfolk, Ross Raisin, Alexander Masters, Anita Brookner, and Helen Cresswell—it also includes major figures in literature, such as Maureen Duffy, Arthur C Clarke, Thomas Hardy, Christopher Isherwood, BS Johnson, John Keats, W. Somerset Maugham, and Virginia Woolf.
Course Detail
Our postgraduate writing students are given a supportive environment in which to enhance their technique, to explore the depths of their ideas, to sustain their creative motivation, and to prepare them for the demands of the writer’s life beyond the College.
At King's we know that writing well requires self-discipline and an ability to work productively in isolation; but we also appreciate that postgraduate writers thrive when they are part of a community of fellow authors, an environment of constructive criticism and shared endeavour.
That is why we offer our PhD students the guidance of knowledgeable and experienced practitioners. They will have frequent opportunities to interact and collaborate with peers and forge lasting connections within London’s writing industry.
Students will be expected to attend the quarterly Thesis Workshop, and also to take an active part in curating literary events at King’s, including the Poetry And… quarterly reading series. They will be invited to apply for positions teaching undergraduate creative writing modules as part of the Department’s Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) scheme.
After three years (full-time) or six years (part-time), students are expected to submit either:
a novel or short story collection
a poetry collection
a full-length work of creative non-fiction
In addition, they are also required to submit an essay (up to 15,000 words) that examines their practical approach to the conception, development, and revision of their project, and which explores how their creative work was informed by research (archival, book-based, or experiential).
How to apply
Fees or Funding
Many of our incoming students apply for AHRC funding via the London Arts and Humanities Partnership. Please see their website ( www.lahp.ac.uk ) for more detail of deadlines, application procedure and awards available. Also the ‘Student Funding’ section of the Prospectus will give you more information on other scholarships available from King’s.
UK Tuition Fees 2023/24
Full time tuition fees:
£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
Part time tuition fees:
£2,910 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
International Tuition Fees 2023/24
£22,900 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
£11,450 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
UK Tuition Fees 2024/25
£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
International Tuition Fees 2024/25
£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
Study environment
Base campus
Strand Campus
Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.
PhD in Creative Writing students are taught through one-to-one sessions with an appointed supervisor in their chosen specialism (fiction, creative non-fiction, or poetry) as well as through quarterly thesis workshops. They are also appointed a second supervisor whose role is to offer an additional perspective on the work being produced.
We place great emphasis on pastoral care and are a friendly and welcoming department in the heart of London. Our home in the Virginia Woolf Building offers many spaces for postgraduate students to work and socialise. Studying in London means students have access to a huge range of libraries from the Maughan Library at King’s to the Senate House Library at the University of London and the British Library.
Our PhD Creative Writing students are taught exclusively by practicing, published writers of international reputation. These include:
Benjamin Wood (Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing)
Supervises projects in fiction.
Edmund Gordon (Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing)
Supervises projects in fiction and creative non-fiction.
Sarah Howe (Lecturer in Poetry)
Supervises projects in poetry.
Anthony Joseph (Lecturer in Creative Writing)
Supervises projects in poetry and fiction.
Jon Day (Senior Lecturer in English)
Supervises projects in creative non-fiction and fiction
Lara Feigel (Professor of Modern Literature)
Supervises projects in creative non-fiction and fiction.
Ruth Padel (Professor Emerita of Poetry)
Andrew O’Hagan (Visiting Professor)
*Teaching staff may vary according to research leave and availability.
Our programme also incorporates the following taught components:
Thesis Workshop
A termly writing seminar for the discussion and appraisal of works-in-progress. These are taught on a rotational basis by all members of the creative writing staff, so that students get the benefit of hearing a range of voices and opinions on their work throughout the course.
The Writing Life
A suite of exclusive guest talks and masterclasses from leading authors, publishers, and editors, in which students receive guidance from people working at the top level of the writing industry and learn about the various demands of maintaining a career as a writer.
Recent speakers have included Amit Chaudhuri, Chris Power, Rebecca Watson, Mendez, Frances Leviston, Joanna Biggs, Joe Dunthorne, Francesca Wade, Kishani Widyaratna, Jacques Testard and Leo Robson.
Other elements of professional development are included in the degree:
Agents-in-Residence
Candidates in fiction or creative-nonfiction will meet and discuss their work in one-to-one sessions with invited literary agents, who are appointed to yearly residencies. These sessions offer writers a different overview of the development of their project: not solely from the standpoint of authorial technique, but with a view towards the positioning of their writing within a competitive and selective industry. Poetry candidates will meet and discuss their work with invited editors from internationally recognised poetry journals and presses.
Undergraduate Teaching
Through our Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) training scheme, our PhD students can apply to lead undergraduate creative writing workshops in fiction, creative non-fiction, and/or poetry, enabling them to acquire valuable HE-level teaching experience that will benefit them long after graduation.
Reading Series
Our students are required to participate in the curation of literary events at King’s. They are also responsible for curating Poetry And… , a quarterly reading in which leading poets illuminate the powerful connections between poetry and other disciplines. Students will develop skills in public engagement by chairing discussions and may also perform excerpts of their own writing.
Postgraduate Training
There is a range of induction events and training provided for students by the Centre for Doctoral Studies, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the English Department. A significant number of our students are AHRC-funded through the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) which also provides doctoral training to all students. All students take the ‘Doctoral Seminar’ in their first year. This is a series of informal, staff-led seminars on research skills in which students can share and gain feedback on their own work. We run a series of ‘Skills Lunches’, which are informal lunch meetings with staff, covering specific topics, including Upgrading, Attending Conferences, Applying for Funding and Post-Doctoral Awards, etc. Topics for these sessions are generally suggested by the students themselves, so are particularly responsive to student needs. We have an Early Career Staff Mentor who runs more formal workshops of varying kinds, particularly connected to career development and the professions.
Through our Graduate Teaching Assistantship Scheme, doctoral students can apply to teach in the department (usually in their second year of study) and are trained and supported as they do so.
Entry requirements
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Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature
Get a ph.d. in creative writing and literature.
Admission to the creative writing program is extremely competitive, with up to 20 new students across the two genres selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. The curriculum for Ph.D. students emphasizes creative writing and literary study. The city of Houston offers a vibrant, multi-cultural backdrop for studying creative writing at the University of Houston. With a dynamic visual and performing arts scene, the Houston metropolitan area supplies a wealth of aesthetic materials.
Overview of Admissions Requirements
Minimum requirements for admission.
M.A. in English or M.F.A. in Creative Writing
3.5 GPA in graduate studies
Application Deadline
The admissions deadline for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature is January 15.
For more admissions information, visit the How to Apply web page for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature.
History of the Creative Writing Program
Over the years many more internationally acclaimed writers have made the Program their home, including Mary Gaitskill, Richard Howard, Howard Moss, Linda Gregg, Adam Zagajewski, Daniel Stern, David Wojahn, Edward Hirsch, Alan Hollinghurst, Mark Strand, David Wagoner, Philip Levine, Charles Wright, Claudia Rankine, Kimiko Hahn, Mark Doty and Ruben Martinez.
Current faculty includes Erin Belieu, Robert Boswell, Audrey Colombe, Chitra Divakaruni, Nick Flynn, francine j. harris, Antonya Nelson, Alex Parsons, Kevin Prufer, Brenda Peynado, Martha Serpas, Roberto Tejada, and Peter Turchi.
Quick Links
Program Breakdown & Degree Requirements
Graduate Curricular Specializations
Financial Aid
How to Apply
Inprint Student Writing Awards
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University of Southern California
Sep 14, 2024
USC Catalogue 2023-2024
USC Catalogue 2023-2024[ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]
|
Application deadline: December 1
The program provides dual emphasis in literature and creative writing, culminating in the dissertation, which combines critical analysis with creative originality. Roughly half of the dissertation is based on original research, that is to say, research contributing to knowledge which enriches or changes the field. Doctoral candidates not only read and write texts as finished products of scholarship in researching their creative work’s literary and historical milieu, but also consider the text as writers create it, then compose texts as writers, a process that goes to the source of the study of literature and of literature itself. This integration of literature and creative writing is reflected in the structure of the dissertation, which introduces the creative work within a context of critical inquiry, bringing together the examination and embodiment of the literary act, a new model of scholarship and creative innovation.
PhD candidates in literature and creative writing must pass the same departmental screening examination taken by PhD candidates in Literature who are not working in the area of creative writing. The exam tests students in various areas of emphasis (British literature, American literature, poetry, prose, etc.) and literature and historical periods as a measure of their preparedness to undertake independent research.
The literature and creative writing student takes 64 units in all, 32 in literature, 24 in creative writing workshops and seminars and 8 units of dissertation studies credits.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission to study in the department of English include: scores satisfactory to the department in both the verbal and quantitative General Test and the literature Subject Test of the Graduate Record Examinations; evidence of experience and ability in creative writing, as demonstrated by a creative writing sample; evidence of competence in writing English and interpreting English literature, as demonstrated by a sample of written work by the applicant on literary subjects; a satisfactory written statement by the applicant of aims and interests in graduate work; letters of recommendation from at least three college instructors; and grades satisfactory to the department earned by the applicant at other institutions. This program will accept applicants with BA degrees or transfer students with an MA or MFA in creative writing.
Degree Requirements
These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.
Graduate Curriculum and Unit Requirements
The graduate curriculum is divided into 500-level foundation courses and 600-level advanced courses. The 500-level courses offer fundamental work in theory and in the history of British and American literatures and cultures. The 600-level courses feature advanced studies in theory, creative writing seminars and workshops and special topics. Although students will normally take 500-level courses leading up to the screening procedure (see Screening Procedure) and 600-level courses thereafter, students after consultation with their advisers may be permitted to take 600-level courses in the first semester of their graduate training.
The student’s course work must total at least 64 units. No more than eight units of 794 Doctoral Dissertation and no more than four units of 790 Research may count toward the 64 units. A maximum of 12 transfer units, approved by the graduate director, is allowed toward the 64 units minimum required by the PhD (See Transfer of Course Work .)
The student will be assigned a faculty mentor in his or her first semester in the graduate program and will be encouraged in subsequent semesters to begin putting together an informal qualifying exam committee. The makeup of the qualifying exam committee may change as the interests of the student change. The faculty mentor and informal qualifying exam committee will assist the student in planning a program of study appropriate to the student’s interests leading to the screening procedure.
Screening Procedure
At the end of the student’s fourth semester (second semester for students who enter with an MA or MFA degree or near equivalent), the student will sit for a departmental examination, which is part of a comprehensive screening procedure. Rarely, and only with the approval of the graduate director and the graduate committee, will a student be allowed to postpone the departmental examination and the screening procedure, and then only for one year. Prior to the screening procedure, the student will be allowed to take a maximum of four units of independent study ( ENGL 590 ), and that independent study will normally be used to prepare for the departmental examination; all other units must be in the 500- or 600-level seminar.
Qualifying Exam Committee
Immediately following successful completion of the screening procedure, the student will nominate formally a five-member qualifying exam committee, including a chair and three other members from the English Department who are in the student’s areas of interest and an outside member from another PhD-granting department. The committee must be in place and approved by the Graduate School at the time the student chooses a dissertation topic, writes the dissertation prospectus and schedules a qualifying examination.
Qualifying Examination
Following completion of course work, the student must sit for a qualifying examination, at a time mutually agreed upon by the student and the qualifying exam committee.
This is a field examination given in the subject of the student’s proposed dissertation research. No less than one month before the qualifying examination, the student will submit to the qualifying exam committee a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus, it is understood, will not be a polished dissertation proposal, but at a minimum it should display a strong knowledge of the subject, much of the relevant secondary material and other contexts crucial to the writing of the dissertation, and should present a workable plan of attack as well as a reasonably sophisticated understanding of the theoretical assumptions involved in the subject.
The qualifying examination will consist of both written and oral portions with special emphasis areas in creative writing. It will focus on the dissertation area and its contexts with the specific format and content of the examination being negotiated among the student and all members of the examination committee. Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination the student proceeds to the writing of the doctoral dissertation.
Dissertation
The final stage of the program is the submission of a creative dissertation that makes an original, substantial and publishable contribution to creative literature: a book of poems, a novel, a collection of short stories.
Foreign Language
PhD students are required to demonstrate proficiency in at least one foreign language. This may be demonstrated by completing a course in the literature of that language at the 400 or 500 level (with a grade of B [3.0] or better) or by passing a foreign language exam that tests proficiency in reading comprehension and translation. PhD students may also be required to demonstrate proficiency in additional languages, as determined by the qualifying exam committee in view of the student’s proposed field of research.
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English Creative Writing Ph.D.
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We're so glad you're interested in UNT! Let us know if you'd like more information and we'll get you everything you need.
Why Earn an English Creative Writing Ph.D.?
The Ph.D. program is designed to give you a broad, solid foundation in the academic profession, while at the same time preparing you to conduct original, in-depth research or to compose original works of literature. You'll benefit from the guidance of a nationally recognized faculty with a strong record of publication in prestigious journals like PMLA, Philological Quarterly, The Paris Review and Granta.
We make every effort to foster our graduate students' success and help them attain their educational and career goals.
While at UNT, our students have published their work in nationally and internationally recognized journals and magazines, including The New Yorker , Shakespeare and SEL: Studies in English Literature . They have placed books with presses like Button Poetry, the University of Georgia Press and the University of Wisconsin Press. And they have won prestigious awards and fellowships, including grants from the Newberry Library and from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Reason rigorously, subtly and independently
Analyze minutely sources and narratives
Identify and address interpretative complexity
Develop and contribute new knowledge
Convey knowledge in self-designed courses
English Creative Writing Ph.D. Highlights
What can you do with an english creative writing ph.d..
Many recent Ph.D. graduates have gone on to tenure-track positions at other institutions all over the country, including Texas Women's University (Texas), Radford University (Virginia), St. Catherine University (Minnesota), Valparaiso University (Indiana), SUNY-Potsdam (New York) and Brigham Young University (Utah).
English Creative Writing Ph.D. Courses You Could Take
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Fully Funded PhD Programs in Creative Writing
Last updated February 1, 2022
As part of my series on How to Fully Fund Your PhD , I provide a list of universities that offer full funding for a PhD in Creative Writing. PhDs in Creative Writing can lead to a career as a university teacher, professional writer, and more.
Fully funded PhD programs in Creative Writing are those that offer a financial aid package for full-time students that provides full-tuition remission in addition to an annual stipend or salary for the duration of the program, which is usually 3-6 years. Full funding usually comes in the form of an assistantship, with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study. Not all Creative Writing PhD programs offer full funding to their doctoral students, which is why I recommend researching the financial aid offerings of all the potential PhD programs in your academic field, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad.
In addition to listing fully funded PhD and Fully Funded Master’s programs, the ProFellow database also spotlights external funding opportunities for graduate school, including fellowships for dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experiences.
Would you like to receive our list of more than 1000+ fully funded PhD and Master’s programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded PhD and Master’s Programs and Full Funding Awards !
University of Cincinnati, PhD in Creative Writing (Cincinnati, OH): Every Ph.D. student has the opportunity to teach creative writing, with many also teaching literature classes. Most students are funded by teaching, with two or three at a time funded by editorial work at The Cincinnati Review, and others funded in their dissertation year by college- or university-level fellowships.
Florida State University, PhD in Creative Writing (Tallahassee, FL): The majority of students in the Graduate English Program receive support in the form of a teaching assistantship. Ph.D. students receive a four-year assistantship but are eligible to apply for a fifth year contingent on satisfactory progress. Teaching assistants are provided with a stipend, a tuition waiver, and a health insurance subsidy. For 2020-21, the stipend amounts were $16,200 for PhDs. The FSU Graduate School offers several fellowships and awards.
University of Houston, PhD in Creative Writing and Literature (Houston, Texas): Through the Department of English the Creative Writing Program offers teaching assistantships to Ph.D. students. Ph.D. students can receive a teaching assistantship for 5 years. Starting salary for a PhDs is $20,104/9 months. As part of the assistantship, students are awarded either a Graduate Tuition Fellowship, which remits tuition, or a Creative Writing Program Fellowship, which covers the cost of tuition and the University will pay up to 50% of the costs of medical insurance.
University of Illinois, PhD in Creative Writing (Chicago, IL): Accepted doctoral students are normally awarded six years of departmental funding via a teaching assistantship. The Graduate College and the Department both offer a number of fellowships and awards in varying amounts for graduate students. Limited amounts of travel funding are available through the Department and the Graduate College.
University of Nebraska, PhD in Creative Writing (Lincoln, NE): Students who enter the Ph.D. program with an M.A. or M.F.A. are eligible for up to 5 years of funding as Teaching Assistants. The TA stipend was $17,640.00 plus tuition remission and health insurance. The stipend for Research Assistants is $13.155.00 plus tuition remission. Each year the English Department awards several fellowships to graduate students.
University of New Brunswick, PhD in Creative Writing (Fredericton, Saint John): PhD students at UNB are eligible to compete for $19,420 of assistantship funding per year for four years (2019-2020), providing academic progress is satisfactory.
University of Southern California, PhD in Creative Writing and Literature (Los Angeles, CA): Students admitted to the Ph.D. program in Creative Writing and Literature receive financial support and assistance in the form of fellowships and teaching assistantships, which include full tuition remission, year-round health and dental benefits, and a stipend at the current rate.
Texas Tech University, PhD in Creative Writing (Lubbock, TX): When students apply to the onsite PhD program, they are automatically considered for funding. The funding for incoming students consists of a teaching position with a competitive stipend—guaranteed $20K/year for four years with opportunities to apply for a fifth year of funding—and significant tuition and fee waivers.
Ulster University, PhD in Creative Writing (Northern Ireland): The University is proud to be able to regularly offer scholarship awards to support PhD study for applicants from across the globe. These scholarships generally pay full tuition fees and provide a tax-free maintenance grant of over £15,000 per year.
Looking for more graduate funding awards? Sign up to discover and bookmark more than 1,400 professional and academic fellowships in the ProFellow database .
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Course type
Qualification, university name, phd degrees in creative writing.
49 degrees at 41 universities in the UK.
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About Postgraduate Creative Writing
Creative writing extends beyond the boundaries of normal professional journalism or academic forms of literature. It is often associated with fiction and poetry, but primarily emphasises narrative craft, character development, and the use of traditional literary forms.
A PhD level exploration of creative writing is a three-year full-time programme, where candidates delve into the complexities of literary expression, developing their own research and create projects with the goal of making an original contribution to the field.
There are more than fifty creative writing PhD programmes in the UK, and these give candidates a platform to fully immerse themselves in their ideas and take their work to the next level.
What to expect
A PhD in creative writing offers the time and space to develop personal creative methods, combined with advanced workshops, critical seminars, and guest lectures from working authors. Under an academic mentor's supervision, candidates typically work towards completing a novel, poetry collection or screenplay.
Postgraduate programmes such as these often foster a supportive community of writers and scholars, and collaboration with peers is encouraged. Graduates can expect to emerge as confident and aspirational authors, with a developed style and professional aspiration, prepared for careers in writing, publishing, academia, or other creative industries. The degree provides a pathway for making significant contributions to the world of literature through original and innovative creative works.
Related subjects:
PhD Creative Writing
PhD Biography Writing
PhD Broadcasting Studies
PhD Communication Design
PhD Communication Skills
PhD Communication Studies
PhD Communications and Media
PhD Digital Arts
PhD Digital Media
PhD Film Special Effects
PhD Film Studies
PhD Film and Television Production
PhD Film and Video Production
PhD Media Production
PhD Media Studies
PhD Multimedia
PhD Photography
PhD Play Writing
PhD Television Programme Production
PhD Television Studies
PhD Television and Radio Production
PhD Visual Communication
PhD Writing
Course title (A-Z)
Course title (Z-A)
Price: high - low
Price: low - high
Creative Writing PhD, MPhil
University of leicester.
PhD study in the area of Creative Writing is offered by the School of English at Leicester and this means becoming part of an exciting and Read more...
3 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
6 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)
PhD Postgraduate Research in Creative Writing
University of east anglia uea.
We are a top tier, research-led university and are committed to making a substantial impact on the global challenges facing society. Our Read more...
3 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
6 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)
English and Creative Writing PhD
University of gloucestershire.
What is History, Religion, Philosophy and Politics A research degree in the Humanities offers a multitude of opportunities, depending on Read more...
4 years Full time degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
6 years Part time degree: £3,400 per year (UK)
University of Hertfordshire
We welcome applications from postgraduate students interested in pursuing innovative research in Creative Writing. A Creative Writing Read more...
3 years Full time degree: £5,925 per year (UK)
6 years Part time degree: £2,960 per year (UK)
PhD Theatre Studies (Playwriting)
University of essex.
Theatre and Drama in the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies is led by a vibrant group of playwrights and theatre Read more...
4 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
7 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)
University of Hull
About our programmes English at Hull is friendly, inclusive and supportive, and characterised by the internationally excellent research Read more...
5 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)
Creative Writing MPhil, PhD
Newcastle university.
Our MPhil, PhD in Creative Writing offers you the opportunity to develop a substantial, original piece of creative work and a related Read more...
36 months Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
72 months Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)
Creative Writing PhD
University of nottingham.
Nottingham is a fantastic place to study creative writing. From readings to workshops, to guest lectures, we have a wide range of literary Read more...
48 months Online/Distance degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
96 months Online/Distance degree
University of Plymouth
Plymouth’s PhD in Creative Writing is one of the longest running in the UK, going back to the late 1990s. Our MA, and PhD students have had Read more...
4 years Part time degree: £3,180 per year (UK)
PhD/ MPhil/ MRes Creative Writing
University of strathclyde.
As well as the popular MLitt in Creative Writing, we also offer a research-led Creative Writing route, which may suit those who wish to Read more...
University of Surrey
Why choose this programme We belong to the interdisciplinarySchool of Literature and Languages, which has research-active staff in English Read more...
4 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
8 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)
Creative and Critical Writing PhD
Bangor university.
If you take this Creative and Critical Writing PhD or MPhil course you will experience One-to-one teaching and supervision by Read more...
PhD English and Creative Writing
University of roehampton.
Research conducted in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences covers a wide range of diverse and innovative arts practices, Read more...
4 years Full time degree: £4,711 per year (UK)
7 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)
Text, Practice and Research - PhD
University of kent.
This programme addresses one of our main aims at Kent, which is to enable research students to take risks and use cross-disciplinary Read more...
Contemporary Writing PhD
Brunel university london.
Research profile From modernist and post-war women's writing to Caribbean and migrant fiction, our research interests span a wide range of Read more...
Bath Spa University
This Creative Writing PhD has a reputation as one of the UK’s leading doctoral programmes. Taught by teams of published creative writers Read more...
2 years Full time degree: £7,325 per year (UK)
Anglia Ruskin University
This course is in the School of Creative Industries. PhD research programmes will allow you to explore your own interests in creative Read more...
2 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
2.5 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
3 years Part time degree: £2,392 per year (UK)
3.5 years Part time degree: £2,392 per year (UK)
University of West London
These courses feature four specially designed modules which will improve your academic and English skills. Once completed you can progress Read more...
4 years Full time degree: £3,995 per year (UK)
6 years Part time degree: £2,000 per year (UK)
Aberystwyth University
PhD Creative Writing The English Department provides an excellent environment for postgraduate study, research, and creative work. The Read more...
Journalism, Communication & Creative Writing PhDs and MPhils
University of portsmouth.
If you're ready to take your expertise in Journalism, Communication and Creative Writing into a postgraduate research degree, Portsmouth is Read more...
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The Graduate College Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5242 USA (269) 387-8212
A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is required; please submit within the online application system.
Graduate test
The GRE is not required.
Note: International applicants may have to provide evidence of English language proficiency.
Recommendations
This program requires three recommendations. Please send email requests for such recommendations from within the online system.
Written statement
Please prepare a statement which covers the following information, and attach it within the online application:
I am applying for admission into the ______________________________ program.
Programs/concentrations include:
PhD in Literature
PhD in English Education
PhD in Creative Writing—Fiction
PhD in Creative Writing—Poetry
PhD in Creative Writing—Drama
Submit a 750-word essay about why you wish to undertake graduate study and which key experiences have shaped your decision. You may reflect upon ideas, texts, and modes of study that inspire you and discuss your plans for pursuing them. Please use the essay to highlight important aspects of your application.
Previous written work
Submit a writing sample on a topic in your chosen program/concentration. Your writing sample(s) should be typed, double-spaced, and unmarked. For the Ph.D. in English: Creative Writing, you must submit two samples: (1) a 10-15 page scholarly paper that focuses on a literary topic, and (2) an original piece of creative writing, with applicants interested in Playwriting or Poetry submitting 15-30 pages of original work in their genre, and those focused on Fiction submitting up to 30 pages of their original fiction.
Other program materials
If applying for graduate assistantship, complete the following narrative and submit within the online application:
If you have taught before, write a 700- to 1000-word essay explaining your teaching philosophy and experience. If you have not taught, write a 500-word essay in which you imagine your own approach to teaching.
Transcript requirement
An official transcript from the institution from which you received your bachelor degree is required, as well as a transcript from the institution(s) where any additional graduate level courses or degrees have been taken/completed. Applicants are not required to submit an official transcript of courses taken/completed at WMU.
Additional information
If you have any questions, please review the website below for program and contact information.
Department of English — College of Arts and Sciences
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Home / About / About the PhD Creative/Critical Writing Concentration
About the PhD Creative/Critical Writing Concentration
UC Santa Cruz offers a concentration in Creative/Critical Writing for Literature Ph.D. students. This is an individualized course of study in which students can write a creative dissertation with a critical introduction or a cross-genre creative/critical project. Our students have completed speculative novels, collections of poems and personal essays, experimental memoirs, biographies, cross-genre work and translations of works of poetry and prose. Descriptions of previous qualifying exam and dissertation topics can be found with student bios here .
In addition to taking critical literature courses, entering students take four graduate creative/critical writing classes (two “Creative Writing Studio” courses and two “Methods and Materials” courses taught by creative writing faculty ). The “Creative Writing Studio” is a mixed-genre class that moves beyond the classic workshop mode to give students time to focus on their creative work in a supportive community. The “Methods and Materials” class is a seminar that examines one form, topic, and/or theme. Students can respond creatively, critically or creative/critically. Past classes have focused on autobiographical experiments, race and the lyric essay, the artist’s statement, and James Baldwin’s sentences.
The concentration works to create community while at the same time gives our students opportunities to join with creative and critical colleagues within and beyond the department and division. There are opportunities for internships, fellowships, and graduate students often introduce and meet with writers through the Living Writers Series . Graduate students can also pursue designated emphases in programs and departments such as Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Education, Feminist Studies, History of Consciousness, Latin American and Latino Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Sociology, and the History of Art and Visual Culture. (A full listing of programs and departments offering a Designated Emphasis can be found here .)
The program also offers opportunities for pedagogical training. Graduate students in the Creative/Critical Writing Concentration have the opportunity to teach undergraduate introductory and intermediate creative writing courses annually.
Although our program is fairly new, UCSC has a rich history of Creative/Critical writers and teachers, such as George Hitchcock, bell hooks, Harriet Mullen, Gloria Anzaldua, Nathaniel Mackey, Angela Davis, Karen Tei Yamashita, and Peter Gizzi.
Graduate Students Describe the Program:
"The Creative/Critical Program facilitates a deep exploration of the critical and intellectual apparatuses involved in the creative process. Prospective students should prepare to excavate their creative practice and process to see how their work speaks to broader critical conversations and how to deepen the questions their work asks and the questions they ask of their work and process. We interrogate connections between ourselves, our work, and the world around us.”
“ What I love about the C/C program, and the UCSC literature department more broadly, is the way it works to break down barriers between the creative and the critical--not just bringing the critical into the creative, but the creative into the critical. It has both helped me to bring a more personal approach--a personality--to my critical writing and more complex ideas to my creative writing.”
“ We practice thinking both creatively and critically and those are often two siloed modes of thinking that we bring together.”
“ In the Graduate Creative/Critical Writing Concentration I've gained mentors, colleagues, and friends who are committed to innovation and pushing the limits of critical and creative writing as we know it. The community has welcomed me with open arms and emboldened me to develop my craft beyond what I thought was possible in literature. Joining this program out of an M.F.A. was the best thing I could have done for my creative practice and my personal and professional development.”
See Also
An Overview of the Creative/Critical Writing Concentration
Creative/Critical Ph.D. Students
Creative Writing Faculty Mentors
Literature Ph.D. Program
About the Undergraduate Creative Writing Program
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University of Louisiana at Lafayette
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Doctoral concentration in creative writing, creative writing at ul.
The UL Lafayette Creative Writing Program invites you to join our close, energetic community of faculty and students.
Generalist Program
Our Ph.D. in English is unique in that it is a generalist program. That means you as a student gain broad expertise in a variety of creative writing genres: fiction, poetry, drama, and creative non-fiction. It also means that you’ll strengthen your understanding of literature, and develop solid pedagogical practice by instructing undergraduate courses in rhetoric and composition. There will also be opportunities to teach creative writing, literature, and design your own special topics courses.
The generalist program ensures graduates concentrating in Creative Writing who opt for academic positions are qualified to teach in several areas. Graduates who choose careers outside of the academy will have experience managing a classroom while teaching and designing their own courses.
Opportunities
Assistantships are available in the Ernest J. Gaines Center, the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, and within the English Department. Graduate teaching assistantships give you the chance to teach first-year writing, sophomore literature survey courses, a creative writing workshop, and a literature course of your own design. Three-year university fellowships with lighter teaching loads are also available.
You will be able to gain professional development experience through working on the University-supported in-house print journal The Southwestern Review, and our online literary journal Rougarou. Students also read at our Thursday Night Reading Series (TNRS) , and often attend the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference where our graduate creative writers host an annual off-site reading. Creative writers also have the opportunity to present their work at the Global Souths conference we put on each year through a creative plenary and creative panels.
In addition to our great faculty, and writer-in-residence, the UL Lafayette Creative Writing Program is enhanced by the Deep South Reading Series . Recent guests include: Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Katie Jean Shinkle, Terese Svoboda, Rodrigo Toscano, Asiya Wadud, Matthew Salesses, Vi Khi Nao, Clemonce Heard, and Wandeka Gayle.
Apply to Write with Us
In addition to the PhD in English application requirements, the department requires a creative writing portfolio. You should submit a creative writing sample of 15-20 pages as part of their application directly to the Graduate Coordinator for Incoming Students, Dr. Leah Orr at [email protected] . PDFs are preferred. Please specify the genre: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Creative Nonfiction, or Hybrid work.
Read more info about applying.
Resources and Links
Apply today to write with us at UL!
Read about our current and past Writers-in-Residence.
Have questions about our program? Contact our graduate coordinator at [email protected].
See what jobs our students have landed.
View our comprehensive English Graduate Student Handbook .
Check out recent news and events for the UL Lafayette CWP.
View Creative Writing PhD Requirements and Courses .
Follow the UL Lafayette CWP on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
The English Department’s Thursday Night Reading Series (TNRS) features weekly readings of original poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, drama, and experimental works from UL graduate students and faculty. Watch the video to see our graduate students share their work and visit the TNRS Facebook page to learn more.
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College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences
Program for writers.
UIC offers a PhD in English with creative dissertation and also an MA in English with creative manuscript.
The MA is considered preparation to enter an PhD program, either in literature or creative writing; or a degree to prepare a writer to enter jobs in publishing, public relations, high school or community college teaching, grant writing, corporate writing, and other communications fields.
UIC’s PhD is suitably academic and scholarly, blending thorough studies in critical theory and literature with in-depth immersion in the writing of fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction. The program is usually completed in 5 or 6 years. In that time students prepare themselves to work as professors with 3 or 4 solid individually designed teaching areas. In the same time, students also become skilled and imaginative college composition instructors, and have opportunities to broaden expertise in this area if desired. PhD students in the Program for Writers also teach beginning creative writing courses in their genre, and may teach introductory literature courses as well. All PhD students are offered teaching assistantships.
The student who finishes a PhD with creative dissertation also graduates with a book-length MS of poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction. Some students are able to complete more than one book. Students in the program are encouraged to seek publication before they finish the program. There are opportunities for assistance in learning the literary market and how to present oneself to it. The Program for Writers Workshops welcome new drafts as well as revisions of drafts seen in earlier workshops. Workshops are offered in short fiction, the novel, creative nonfiction, and poetry. A student-run reading series presents public readings of works-in-progress by both PhD and MA students in the program.
The 2-year Program for Writers MA is designed to provide intensive work in a particular genre plus an advanced overview of literary and cultural studies. A 3-year option can include secondary teaching certification. The MA is designed as a stepping-stone to PhD work but it also prepares students for community college or high school teaching, careers in publishing or editing, and other professional areas. Students complete the MA with a partial MS, or portfolio, roughly 75-150 pages (prose), somewhat shorter for poetry (40-50 pgs). The project could consist of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Excerpts from novels or from a longer creative nonfiction piece are allowed, as are combinations of fiction and nonfiction. Some students do complete a book-length manuscript. MA and PhD students are in writing workshops together, so master’s students benefit from the combined years of experience and a wide range of aesthetics.
Be sure to review our admissions information, as well as MA degree requirements and PhD degree requirements.
Creative Writing Faculty
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Creative Writing (Online) PhD
Full-time: 48 months
Part-time: 96 months
Start date: October 2025, February 2026
UK fees: £5,350
International fees: £23,000
Research overview
The University of Nottingham is a fantastic place to study creative writing.
We have expertise in poetry and fiction that range from haiku poetry to digital storytelling. In addition, all our lecturers are actively publishing their work and collaborating with cultural institutions across the United Kingdom.
You can also get editing experience through The Letters Page online journal, working with award-winning writer Jon McGregor.
Hear from our students
Creative Writing PhD student, James Aitcheson, discusses doing a PhD as a published author.
Watch the video >
Course content
A PhD in Creative Writing is mainly made up of independent study, with supervision meetings occurring online (e.g. via Microsoft Teams) and spread throughout the year.
There are no taught credits attached to a PhD, although it is compulsory for full-time students to attend the Arts Faculty Researcher Skills training programme, which is available for online attendance.
Part-time students
Part-time students are required to take part in all required research training, attend postgraduate seminars where possible, and one postgraduate researcher (PGR) symposium over the period of their registration.
You will complete a written thesis of up to 100,000 words, with expert support and advice from your academic supervisors. You will also take a verbal examination called a viva voce, where you explain your project in depth to an examination panel.
A creative writing thesis will mainly consist of your own original creative work. This could be a novel, a manuscript of poems, a collection of short stories, a book-length piece of creative non-fiction, or another form of creative output. Your thesis will also include a critical analysis of your creative work, which you will situate within a theorised or analytical context.
A PhD thesis should not normally exceed 100,000 words in length. It is expected that the creative element would usually comprise 50,000-70,000 words for a novel or short story collection; for poetry the creative element would usually comprise around 50-70 pages of poems. The critical analysis component will normally be 15,000-30,000 words in length.
What is the thesis pending period?
All periods of registration are followed by a period of writing-up, called the thesis-pending period, when tuition fees are not paid and students are writing up their thesis.
Find out more in the university's Quality Manual .
Progression review
All PhD students take part in progression review assessments to ensure that their project is progressing satisfactorily. A progression review consists usually consists of written reports from both the student and the supervisory team.
All students have an independent assessment interview for their Stage 1 and Stage 2 reviews (end of years 1 and 2 for full-time students, years 2 and 4 for part-time students).
Entry requirements
All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.
Qualification
Degree
2:1 (or international equivalent) and a masters degree at Merit level or above.
Applicants without a masters degree who can demonstrate equivalent expertise should
Qualification
Degree
2:1 (or international equivalent) and a masters degree at Merit level or above.
Applicants without a masters degree who can demonstrate equivalent expertise should
International and EU equivalents
We accept a wide range of qualifications from all over the world.
For information on entry requirements from your country, see our .
IELTS
7.0 (no less than 6.0 in any element)
English language requirements
As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other .
This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English.
Additional information
We accept a wide range of qualifications from all over the world.
For information on entry requirements from your country, see our .
Meeting our English language requirements
If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a presessional English course. Presessional courses teach you academic skills in addition to English language. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.
If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.
For on-campus presessional English courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations. For online presessional courses, see our CELE webpages for guidance.
Visa restrictions
International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.
We recognise that applicants have a variety of experiences and follow different pathways to postgraduate study.
We treat all applicants with alternative qualifications on an individual basis. We may also consider relevant work experience.
If you are unsure whether your qualifications or work experience are relevant, contact us .
As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications .
This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English.
You will be required to provide a PhD proposal with your application, which will set out the structure of your project.
The basis of a good proposal is usually a set of questions, approaches, and objectives which clearly outline your proposed project and what you want to accomplish. The proposal should also clearly demonstrate how you are going to accomplish this.
A PhD proposal should be a minimum of 1000 words. There is no upward limit for proposals, although successful proposals are often not much longer than about 2000-3000 words. You should consider:
The methodologies that you will use in your project (as appropriate)
The necessary resources and facilities you will need to carry out your project
In addition, the proposal should outline your reasons (academic and/or personal) for registering for online study rather than by full or part-time on-campus options. In particular, you should make clear how will be able to carry out your project in your chosen location. The proposal must include evidence of:
Experience and ability to work independently e.g. papers/presentations at professional and academic conferences or publications in professional journals or previous completion of an independent research project, etc
Access to local library facilities (where needed)
Access to suitable IT facilities
Access to online communications, e.g. Microsoft Teams
Access to facilities to support any study-related disability (where appropriate)
It is also helpful to include:
A summary of any further research experience, in addition to your academic qualifications. This could include work undertaken at undergraduate or masters level, or outside the educational system
The name of the supervisor who may supervise the project (see the full list of supervision areas in the school )
Find out more about how to write a research proposal .
You may find it helpful to get in touch with a member of academic staff about your research proposal before submitting an application. They may be able to help you with your proposal and offer support to find funding opportunities in your area.
Our step-by-step guide contains everything you need to know about applying for postgraduate research.
How to apply.
Qualification
PhD
Home / UK
5,350
International
23,000
Additional information for international students
If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .
These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).
Additional costs
All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice .
All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Students must also have a suitable desktop/laptop to carry out their research. For more information, please check the equipment advice .
You'll be able to access many of the books and journal papers you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to buy your own copies of core texts. Because some resources may not be available online, the University of Nottingham library offers postal loans for online learners and can scan up to one chapter or article from a book or journal on request. For details on postal loans, see the library website, and for scanning requests, use the dedicated request form .
For students studying elsewhere in the UK, as a University of Nottingham student, you can also access many other university libraries across the country. The SCONUL Access scheme allows you access to the buildings and resources on offer at other UK campuses, so you can study closer to home. For more information on participating libraries and to sign up, check out their main webpage.
Many academic libraries worldwide allow students to become library members. You may need to provide a letter confirming your student status: these can be ordered from the university's online store .
There are funding opportunities which are only open to students within the Faculty of Arts.
There are many ways to fund your research degree, from scholarships to government loans.
Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.
Regular supervision
You will have a team of at least two supervisors. Full-time students will meet with their supervisory team at least 12 times each year (six times for part-time students).
Your supervisors will help you to realise your research project and to guide you through your research. Many students will also attend conferences and publish papers in conjunction with their supervisors, to gain valuable experience and contacts in the academic community.
Professional development
Research students in the School of English may benefit from:
Student-led research seminars and an annual symposium (recorded and/or hybrid for online students)
Research networks created by the research centres and individual research projects
Co-authorship with members of staff, where applicable
Dedicated staff-postgraduate reading groups in some research areas
Support for participation in international conferences and seminars
Postgraduate seminars and conference attendance
A seminar series is run by and for the postgraduate students in the school during term time, which will be hybrid and/or recorded for online students.
The seminars provide a forum for students to share work in progress with staff and peers, to hear from invited speakers, and to explore key academic and career topics in a supportive atmosphere.
Researcher training and development
The Researcher Academy is the network for researchers, and staff who support them. We work together to promote a healthy research culture, to cultivate researcher excellence, and develop creative partnerships that enable researchers to flourish.
Postgraduate researchers at Nottingham have access to our online Members’ area, which includes a wealth of resources, access to training courses and award-winning postgraduate placements.
Graduate centres
Our graduate centres are dedicated community spaces on campus for postgraduates.
Each space has areas for:
socialising
computer work
kitchen facilities
Student support
You will have access to a range of support services , including:
academic and disability support
childcare services
counselling service
faith support
financial support
mental health and wellbeing support
visa and immigration advice
welfare support
Students' Union
Our Students' Union represents all students. You can join the Postgraduate Students’ Network or contact the dedicated Postgraduate Officer .
There are also a range of support networks, including groups for:
international students
black and minority ethnic students
students who identify as women
students with disabilities
LGBT+ students
SU Advice provides free, independent and confidential advice on issues such as accommodation, financial and academic difficulties.
Where you will learn
Special collections - english phd online learning.
While many of our Special Collections have been or are being digitised, some of the following offering will only available on-campus and would require visits to Nottingham to access:
manuscripts from the 12th-15th centuries and books in Old and Middle English, Old Icelandic, Viking Studies, and runology
the English Place-Name Society library and archive
Hallward Library's DH Lawrence archive (containing Lawrence family papers, manuscripts, first editions, and books owned by Lawrence)
the Cambridge Drama Collection (over 1,500 items including plays and works about the British theatre from 1750-1850)
If your PhD research will require access to these collections, please consult with a potential supervisor about the suitability of the topic for online study.
Whether you are considering a career in academia, industry or haven't yet decided, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Expert staff will work with you to explore PhD career options and apply for vacancies, develop your interview skills and meet employers. You can book a one-to-one appointment, take an online course or attend a workshop.
International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route . Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.
Careers advice
Whether you are considering a career in academia, industry or haven't yet decided, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.
Graduate destinations
This course will develop key transferable skills, including:
analysis and problem-solving
independent research
information gathering and data management
construction of logical and persuasive arguments
As a result, our graduates enter a wide range of careers. These include:
lecturing, teaching and academic research
specialist archive, librarian, heritage and museum work
journalism, publishing and research
local and central government
social policy
100% of postgraduates from the School of English secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £37,402.*
*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022 . The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on data from graduates who completed a full-time postgraduate degree with home fee status and are working full-time within the UK.
Related courses
English (online) phd, applied linguistics (online) phd, applied linguistics and english language teaching (online) phd, research excellence framework.
The University of Nottingham is ranked 7th in the UK for research power, according to analysis by Times Higher Education. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a national assessment of the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.
We are proud to be in the top 10 UK universities for research into English, while our ranking of 9th by 'research power' reflects our research excellence
90%* of our research is classed as 'world-leading' (4*) or 'internationally excellent' (3*)
100%* of our research is recognised internationally
51% of our research is assessed as 'world-leading' (4*) for its impact**
*According to analysis by Times Higher Education ** According to our own analysis.
This content was last updated on 01 July 2024 . Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.
Alternatively, use our A–Z index
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Discover more about the Centre for New Writing
PhD Creative Writing / Overview
Year of entry: 2025
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Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent)
Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 70% or above (or overseas equivalent)
Any strong relevant professional experience will be considered on a case by case basis.
Full entry requirements
Apply online
Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.
Application Deadlines
For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 13 January 2025.
If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self–funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.
For September 2025 entry: 30 June 2025
For January 2026 entry: 30 September 2025
Programme options
Full-time
Part-time
Full-time distance learning
Part-time distance learning
PhD
Y
Y
N
N
Programme overview
Complete your research as part of the University's prestigious Centre for New Writing.
Combine creative and critical elements within your doctorate, to prepare a novel or a collection of poetry or short stories.
Benefit from creative supervision by an experienced poet or fiction writer and draw on the range of expertise within the University to find a supervisor for your critical element.
To find out what studying on a postgraduate research programme at Manchester is like, visit our Open days and study fairs page and explore our virtual open week or future on-campus and international events.
We will be conducting our PGR virtual open week in October 2024. Find out more about future events and postgraduate research sessions by signing up for our email alerts.
Fees for entry in 2025 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2024 were as follows:
PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
Please note for the majority of projects where experimentation requires further resource: higher fee bands (where quoted) will be charged rather than the base rate for supervision, administration and computational costs. The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your project.
Read more about postgraduate fees .
Scholarships/sponsorships
There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.
To apply for University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including AHRC NWCDTP and School of Arts, Languages and Cultures studentships is 13 January 2025.
All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.
You will need to be nominated by your proposed supervisor for a number of our scholarships. Therefore, we highly recommend you discuss these funding opportunities with your supervisor first, so they can advise on your suitability and ensure you meet nomination deadlines.
For more funding information, visit our funding page or use our funding database to search for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.
AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
School of Arts, Languages and Cultures PhD Studentships 2024 Entry - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
School of Arts, Languages and Cultures New Generation PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.
English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing
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You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .
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Creative Writing PhD (On-Campus or by Distance Learning)
Work with our team of award-winning authors to develop your creative practice and its critique. Creative Writing at Birmingham is part of the Department of Film and Creative Writing, and is closely aligned to the Departments of English Literature and English Language and Applied Linguistics, allowing you to benefit from our breadth of expertise.
This practice-based PhD will support you in the development of a long-form piece of creative writing, or a sequence of related works. You will also identify critical concerns and interests related to your creative practice, situating your work within a wider literary context. The final submission is divided between the creative piece and a related critical document.
Your PhD submission will usually entail:
For prose : a creative document of either long-form prose/a novel, or a collection of short-form prose/stories supported by a critical paper. The total word count will be between 80,000 and 100,000 words, though the weighting between the two elements will vary slightly. A novel, for example, usually between 60,000 to 80,000 words. The critical paper can therefore be between 20,000 to 40,000 words.
For poetry : a creative document of collected poems or a single work of poetry supported by a critical thesis (usually 20,000-50,000 words)
For scriptwriting (film or live performance) : a single project or a collection of multiple shorts, which should be of comparable length and commitment as the prose element, again with an accompanying critical element between 20,000 to 40,000 words.
Other creative formats (for example a script for a graphic novel) will follow the above model/weightings.
The creative document will be an original work of significant, publishable quality which demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of craft, genre, and form. The critical document will present a structured and developed argument that demonstrates an awareness of literary context, and discuss - where relevant - critical and creative processes.
AHRC funding for PhD students
The University of Birmingham is part of the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (M4C), offering Arts and Humanities Research Council PhD studentships for campus-based programmes. These include a number of Collaborative Doctoral Award opportunities. Each studentship includes research fees, a substantial maintenance grant and additional research training support. Applications are open until 12:00 (noon), 13 January 2021.
Find out more
Scholarships for 2024 entry
The University of Birmingham is proud to offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate programmes. With a scholarship pot worth over £2 million, we are committed to alleviating financial barriers to support you in taking your next steps.
Each scholarship has its own specific deadlines and eligibility criteria. Please familiarise yourself with the information on individual scholarship webpages prior to submitting an application.
Explore our scholarships
Virtual Open Day: Postgraduate opportunities in Creative Writing - 7 March 2020, 14:00-15:00
Join us online to watch a range of staff and student videos, and take part in our online chat where Dr Daniel Vyleta will be answering your questions about postgraduate study.
Find out more and register
You can study our Creative Writing PhD full-time or part-time, on campus or by distance learning. The College of Arts and Law is experienced in delivering high-quality distance learning to students all over the world. Find out more on our distance learning website .
At Birmingham, Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research students also have the opportunity to learn graduate academic languages free of charge, to support your studies.
Graduate School Language Skills
I’ve enjoyed studying at the University of Birmingham’s state of the art green campus with its spacious library and welcoming multicultural environment. The close interaction between students and supervisors has kept my research progress on track and constantly improving. Hui-Han
Why study this course?
Work with published writers: You will be working with published writers in a thriving research-active environment across a range of disciplines, including poetry; short-story; novel writing; and screen-writing
Develop your craft: We also encourage new and diverse forms of writing and aim to develop craft, including research and editing skills, to support your creative project. The course team are experienced in helping you to theorise your approaches to your writing and research processes.
Creative community: You will work alongside a community of writers and scholars, which includes active researchers in all areas and disciplines. There are a number of presentations and events staged by the School and by the Creative Writing team, alongside a vibrant arts and writing community in Birmingham and the West Midlands. We encourage our students, at all levels, to be active within the community and to participate in readings, festivals, and events, both regionally and nationally.
Preparation for teaching: The research degree is of value for writers who wish to engage with research in academia, for preparation for teaching in Higher Education, and offers dedicated time and support to complete a significant creative project.
World-leading research: The University of Birmingham is ranked equal 10th in the UK amongst Russell Group universities in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 according to Times Higher Education
The postgraduate experience
The College of Arts and Law offers excellent support to its postgraduates, from libraries and research spaces, to careers support and funding opportunities. Learn more about your postgraduate experience .
We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2024 entry are as follows:
The same fees apply to both campus-based and distance learning study. The distance learning programme also includes one fully-funded visit to campus in the first year of study.
The above fees quoted are for one year only; for those studying over two or more years, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.
* For UK postgraduate research students the University fee level is set at Research Council rates and as such is subject to change. The final fee will be announced by Research Councils UK in spring 2024.
Eligibility for UK or international fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students .
Paying your fees
Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding .
How To Apply
A strong application should include:
A detailed description of the creative project (about two pages, with references, where possible, to other supporting texts)
A description of the likely critical enquiry (which outlines the links between your creative project and the critical enquiry which will inform the development of the creative project).
Examples of creative work (please include examples which are within your discipline, so if you want to write poetry, please include poems, if you want to write a novel, then a section of a novel, etc.,.)
A brief statement explaining why you are interested in undertaking research with us at Birmingham. Many projects are achievable without needing a PhD, so it is helpful to see why you are interested in working within academia. It is also useful to see how this new project develops from previous projects, or relates to other creative and critical enquiries. This can be speculative.
A decision on whether the period of study is to be full- or part-time (it is possible to adjust this once you are undertaking the research degree). If you are interested in Distance Learning, and if your application is successful, you will be asked to complete a form in which you provide details about your access to other resources and online support. Your supervisor will help you complete this prior to your being officially accepted.
Please note: The PhD is a demanding and rewarding period of advanced creative and academic independent study. It is also a terminal degree, and we require that applicants have either successfully completed a Creative Writing MA, or can demonstrate experience within their discipline. Unlike the MA, the PhD does not typically include group workshops and seminars. A strong application will demonstrate your current ability and experience within your creative discipline (so if you wish to write a film script, but have written novels, you would need some evidence of ability and knowledge in writing for film).
This is a popular course and there is a limited supervisor capacity to support doctoral research students. Our ability to support your research proposal may be dependent on the availability of a supervisor in your area of interest.
Application deadlines
Postgraduate research can start at any time during the year, but it is important to allow time for us to review your application and communicate a decision. If you wish to start in September 2024, we would recommend that you aim to submit your application and supporting documents by 1 June 2024.
If the programme has a Distance learning option then students will usually attend a residential visit in September or January, and those students wishing to attend the September residential are also encouraged to apply by 1 June 2024. The visit will take place at the end of September/beginning of October and you will receive further details once you have accepted your offer.
Six steps to apply for our Postgraduate Research courses
Do you have an idea for an interesting research project? You can follow our six easy steps to apply to study for our postgraduate research courses . These include guidance on identifying funding opportunities and writing your research proposal .
Please also see our additional guidance for applicants to the PhD Distance Learning study mode .
Please note: While our PhD programmes are normally studied in three years full-time or six years part-time, and Masters-level research programmes one year full-time or two years part-time, many programmes have a longer length listed in course or funding applications. This is because the course length is defined as the maximum period of registration, which includes a period of supervised study plus a thesis awaited period. The maximum period of registration for a full-time PhD is four years (three years supervision plus one year thesis awaited). For a full-time Masters-level research programme, it is two years (one year supervision plus one year thesis awaited). For part-time programmes, the periods are double the full-time equivalent.
How to apply
To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page . Please read this information carefully before completing your application.
Our Standard Requirements
The creative and critical elements will entail considered independent research and development. For this reason, we can only consider applications from applicants who have successfully completed an MA in Creative Writing, or candidates who can demonstrate composite professional experience (which includes publishing). This should be clearly demonstrated in your application. For the PhD, you must demonstrate how the research project relates to your current creative practice.
Please note: check the staff profiles prior to application to make sure that your proposal is within an area that we can support. We will be unable to support a research project which falls too far outside of our own field of research and teaching.
For the application we require:
a detailed outline describing the planned creative project
an outline of the potential critical enquiry and how it relates to the creative project (this can be less detailed than the description of the creative project)
a statement about your reasons for considering a research degree
examples of creative work
a short resume or CV
two references from people who are familiar with both your creative and critical abilities
The application will be reviewed by the department in several stages. If there is an interested and available supervisor we will ask you form an interview, which can happen online.
International students
We accept a range of qualifications from different countries - use our handy guide below to see what qualifications we accept from your country.
English language requirements: standard language requirements apply for this course - IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band. If you are made an offer of a place to study and you do not meet the language requirement, you have the option to enrol on our English for Academic Purposes Presessional Course - if you successfully complete the course, you will be able to fulfil the language requirement without retaking a language qualification.
International Requirements
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 14/20 from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent
Applicants who hold a Masters degree will be considered for admission to PhD study.
Holders of a good four-year Diplomstudium/Magister or a Masters degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.
For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.
Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.
Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.
A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:
A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement
Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Holders of a good post-2001 Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.
Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.
Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.
Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.
Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , Shanghai Ranking 2024 (full table) and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2024
Business School (excluding MBA) and School of Computer Science programmes 商学院 （ MBA除外） 及计算机学院硕士 课程入学要求
Group 1 一类大学
Grade requirement
均分要求75%
39所 院校
Group 2 二类大学
grade requirement
均分要求80%
软科中国大学排名2023（总榜）或软科中国大学排名2024（总榜）排名前100的大学
非‘985工程’的其他 院校
以及以下两所大学：
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 中国科学院大学 University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences 中国社会科学院大学
Group 3 三类大学
grade requirement
均分要求85%
软科中国大学排名2023（总榜）或 软科中国大学排名2024（总榜）101-200位的大学
Group 4四类大学*
grade requirement
均分要求87%
软科中国大学排名2023（总榜）或 软科中国大学排名2024（总榜）201-300位的大学
* Applicants from Group 4 institutions are only considered for the following 7 programmes
来自第四类院校的申请人仅限于申请以下7个课程：
MSc Financial Management
MSc Investments
MSc Financial Technology
MSc Economics
MSc Financial Economics
MSc Money, Banking and Finance
MSc Computer Science
All other programmes (including MBA) 所有其他 硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求
Group 1 一类大学
Grade requirement
均分要求73%
39所 院校
Group 2 二类大学
grade requirement
均分要求78%
软科中国大学排名2023（总榜）或软科中国大学排名2024（总榜）排名前200的大学
非‘985工程’的其他 院校
软科中国艺术类高校名单2024排名前11的艺术类院校
以及以下两所大学：
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 中国科学院大学 University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences 中国社会科学院大学
Group 3 三类大学
grade requirement
均分要求85%
软科中国大学排名2023（总榜）或2024（总榜）201- 500位的大学
软科中国艺术类高校名单2024排名前12-30位的艺术类院校
Group 4 四类大学
We will consider students from these institutions ONLY on a case-by-case basis with minimum 85% if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience.
Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.
Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, or a GPA of 3 out of 4, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a good Bakalár from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), or a good post-2002 Magistr (Masters), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters/ Magisterkonfereus/Magister Artium degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B, or a good one- or two-year Magistrikraad from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.
Holders of a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 4/5, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters/Maîtrise with a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, or a Magistère / Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies / Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialisées / Mastère Specialis, from a recognised French university or Grande École to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5, or a good two-year Lizentiat / Aufbaustudium / Zweites Staatsexamen or a Masters degree from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, from a recognised Greek university (AEI), and will usually be required to have completed a good Metaptychiako Diploma Eidikefsis (Masters degree) from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2. Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2
The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.
Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.
Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés or Egyetemi Oklevel from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 3.5, or a good Mesterfokozat (Masters degree) or Egyetemi Doktor (university doctorate), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution, with 100 out of 110 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).
Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.
Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.
Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees. Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/50
Holders of a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10, or a post-2000 Magistrs, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 16/20 or 80% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.
Holders of a good pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, or a good post-2001 Magistras, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes
Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, or a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées (comparable to a UK PGDip) or Masters degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).
Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.
Holders of a good Bachelors degree from the University of Malta with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons), and/or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).
Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.
Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10, and/or a good Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters, Mastergrad, Magister. Artium, Sivilingeniør, Candidatus realium or Candidatus philologiae degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0/4 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.
Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.
Holders of the Bachiller, Licenciado, or Título Profesional with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.
Holders of a good pre-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4 out of 5, dobry ‘good’, and/or a good Swiadectwo Ukonczenia Studiów Podyplomowych (Certificate of Postgraduate Study) or post-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus 'better than good', will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, and/or a good Mestrado / Mestre (Masters) from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree/Diploma de Master/Diploma de Studii Academice Postuniversitare (Postgraduate Diploma - Academic Studies) or Diploma de Studii Postuniversitare de Specializare (Postgraduate Diploma - Specialised Studies) to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a good Диплом Специалиста (Specialist Diploma) or Диплом Магистра (Magistr) degree from recognised universities in Russia (minimum GPA of 4.0) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/PhD study.
Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.
Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2
Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.
Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.
Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’, and/or a good Inžinier or a post-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10, and/or a good Diploma specializacija (Postgraduate Diploma) or Magister (Masters) will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).
Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.
Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 7 out of 10 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Holders of a good "PostGraduate Certificate" or "PostGraduate Diploma" or a Masters degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) may be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.
Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for entry to our postgraduate research programmes.
Holders of a good Masters degree or Mphil from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.
Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:
Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
De La Salle University - Manila
University of Santo Tomas
University of the Philippines - Diliman
Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.
Grading Schemes
1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25
Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5
Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%
Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study. Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.
Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.
Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0
Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree / Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised Ukrainian higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.
The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:
2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement
3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.
Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.
Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification
Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level. Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.
Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.
Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.
The Department is home to a number of award-winning writers and our research into the aesthetic, historical and theoretical contexts of literature is complemented by our strong traditions in creative practice as research.
Please contact a staff member working in your area of interest in the first instance: Find a supervisor in Creative Writing .
The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market 2024 report .
Your degree will provide excellent preparation for your future career, but this can also be enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University and the College of Arts and Law.
The University's Careers Network provides expert guidance and activities especially for postgraduates, which will help you achieve your career goals. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team who offer tailored advice and a programme of College-specific careers events.
You will be encouraged to make the most of your postgraduate experience and will have the opportunity to:
Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique, whether you are looking for a career inside or outside of academia
Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations
Attend an annual programme of careers fairs, skills workshops and conferences, including bespoke events for postgraduates in the College of Arts and Law
Take part in a range of activities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers and enhance your CV
What’s more, you will be able to access our full range of careers support for up to 2 years after graduation.
Over the past five years, more than 96% of Creative Writing postgraduates were in work and/or further study six months after graduation. Postgraduates in the Department of Film and Creative Writing develop a range of skills including: the ability to lead and participate in discussions; critical thinking, and an appreciation of different theoretical contexts; the ability to develop opinions and new ideas; and an aptitude for thinking and working creatively with others. While some graduates go on to careers in related industries - such as writing, media and television - others have used their transferable skills to pursue roles such as advertising, teaching, and in the heritage and cultural sectors.
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Pre-application guidance for the PhD in Creative Writing
Find out why and how you should apply for our PhD in Creative Writing, including guidance on the creative and critical components of your degree.
How is the Creative Writing PhD structured?
Doctoral degree candidates in Creative Writing spend three years writing a manuscript in consultation with a supervisor.
This manuscript consists of two components:
A creative component that comprises 75% of the final manuscript.
A critical component, which comprises 25% of the final manuscript.
In practical terms this amounts to the following:
Candidates in fiction write a creative manuscript (novel or collection of short stories) that should not exceed 75,000 words in length.
Candidates in poetry write a collection of poetry that should not exceed 75 pages of poetry.
All candidates (fiction writers and poets) must also write an essay that is approximately 20,000- 25,000 words. This is the ‘critical’ component.
What is meant by ‘critical component’?
The critical component of a thesis manuscript in Creative Writing can be where you analyse how a precise, focused theme or a specific element of craft (character, form, voice, etc.) operates in selected published works. Sometimes, this will be a traditional academic or ‘critical’ essay. Other times, this part of a thesis might tackle more craft-driven questions: in what ways does plot operate in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse and Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow and how do these ‘operations’ affect readers? How does the use of non-human personae in Louise Glück’s The Wild Iris, Les Murray’s Translations from the Natural World and Edwin Morgan’s poetry reshape reader perceptions?
Alternatively, the critical component may take the form of a critical-reflexive essay, in which you situate your creative project in a critical context. Such an essay is not simply an account of what you did and when you did it; instead, it should be a rigorous and scholarly work that aims for some deeper insight. It is likely to use self-reflection as a means of illuminating the creative process, interrogating the contribution made by your creative writing to a chosen genre and its tradition, and examining how it engages with, and contributes to, wider conceptual or theoretical issues. Examples of critical-reflexive essays can be found in Writing in Practice and Text Journal.
Take me to Writing in Practice
Take me to Text Journal
It is not expected that the critical component should constitute an original contribution to knowledge, as would be the case when pursuing a conventional 80,000-word thesis manuscript in literary studies; what is important is that it offers an in-depth analysis of a question that, although explored in part or in whole through the work of other writers, relates to, or grows out of, the creative component of your manuscript, and that the creative and critical components are sufficiently connected for the thesis as a whole to form a coherent body of work.
You have only 20,000 -25,000 words for this essay, so when writing your proposal it is important to be focused and specific.
What form does the application take?
Applicants are asked to supply a sample of either fiction (3,000 - 5,000 words; not exceeding 5,000 words) or poetry (10-15 pages of poetry; not exceeding 15 pages), as well as a shorter sample of academic writing (circa 2,000 words). You’ll also need to supply a summary of your proposed project. This summary should comprise an outline of your creative project as well as detailed discussion of your 20,000 to 25,000-word critical component.
Some questions that your proposal might address could be:
What would be the proposed structure of the creative portion of your final manuscript?
Which resources would you be using for the critical portion (mention a few critics and/or authors you will be discussing by name or, even better, specific titles)?
Is there a single overarching research question that both the creative and the critical work will investigate?
Why would Edinburgh be a good place for this project?
Please include a bibliography. The application also asks for a personal statement separate from the proposal. This is where you provide information about your previous experiences and attainments as a creative writer; also give a sense of why you want to do the PhD at Edinburgh.
How long should a proposal be?
There is no official limit or minimum length for a proposal. However, effective proposals tend to be 500-750 words long, excluding the indicative bibliography.
Do I need to find someone to supervise my project before applying?
There is no need to identify a supervisor in advance of your application. Applicants who receive an offer of acceptance are assigned a provisional supervisor, taking into account staff research interests and other factors. However, it’s important to make contact with the team if you’re intending to apply for SGSAH (AHRC) funding.
While you do not need to find a member of staff willing to supervise your project before applying, please do take some time to read over staff profiles, staff research interests, and publications in order to ensure that your project is something we can supervise effectively.
Who can supervise your PhD
The following members of staff supervise PhD students in Creative Writing. Follow the links to find out more about their research interests and expertise.
Name
Specialism
Dr Jane Alexander
Fiction
Fiction
Poetry
Poetry
Poetry
Drama
Poetry
Fiction
Fiction
Fiction
Is there anything else I should consider before applying?
Creative Writing at Edinburgh is staffed by a small cohort of writers of fiction and poetry and we are extremely selective in our recruitment. Sometimes, strong applications from talented writers do not receive offers because the proposed projects fall outside our areas of specialisation. A PhD requires close supervision from a specialist in the field: this holds equally for Creative Writing as for literary studies and applies to both elements of your project.
FAQs about our programme
Do doctoral degree candidates have the opportunity to teach.
In later years, suitably qualified PhD students are offered the opportunity to teach undergraduate tutorials. Please note that these tutorials are linked with pre-honours courses in literary studies, not creative writing.
Would my doctoral manuscript be made available through Open Access?
Conversations regarding Open Access are on-going and ever-evolving. At present, the same policy applies to Creative Writing doctoral manuscripts as to thesis manuscripts written by doctoral students in literary studies and other disciplines within the humanities.
When you submit, you can request a one-year embargo on public access to your thesis. If no embargo is requested then the full text of the thesis is made freely available online via ERA (Edinburgh Research Archive).
Find out more about Access to Thesis restrictions on the Scholarly Communications website
Find out more and apply
You can find out more about language requirements, facilities, fees, funding opportunities and application deadlines for this PhD programme, and formally apply to study on it, on the University of Edinburgh’s online Degree Finder.
Applications to start your PhD in September 2025 open in October 2024.
Take me to the University of Edinburgh's Degree Finder entry for the PhD in Creative Writing
The English department encourages its graduate students to design individual programs of study, choosing from among a range of courses in English and in other departments. To this end, the structure of the Ph.D. emphasizes faculty guidance rather than formal requirements. Upon enrollment in the graduate program, each student is assigned a faculty mentor ; as the student’s interests take shape, they may choose another adviser at any time. The following sections outline the stages of the typical graduate student progress.
In their first semester, all students take English 501: Introduction to Graduate Study: Critical Methods and Practice I , a seminar which introduces them to theories and methods of criticism, as well as to major issues and debates in the profession. Thereafter they may select from the graduate seminars offered each year in English, as well as seminars offered by programs such as Comparative Literature, History, Gender Studies, Critical Studies and American Studies and Ethnicity. [ View current and typical graduate seminar offerings.]
A normal course load consists of 12 units (three 4-unit seminars) per semester.
Students may transfer no more than 12 units of graduate coursework from other institutions.
Two-thirds of the coursework required for the Ph.D. must be taken within the Department of English.
During the first term of the second year, students undergo the departmental Screening Procedure. This is not a formal examination. Rather, the Graduate Studies Committee reviews each student’s performance during the first year and, if necessary, communicates concerns to the student and to the student’s faculty advisor. The Director of Graduate Studies writes a short report on each student, which is made available to the faculty advisor, and is placed in the student’s file.
The Field Examination must be taken in the semester immediately following the completion of coursework; the completed exam must be submitted to the committee chair by no later than December 1 (for fall exams) and May 1 (for spring exams).
The Field Examinations are designed to help students develop a mastery over three fields of critical inquiry before they begin the process of preparing for the dissertation prospectus and the Qualifying Examination.
Students will make an appointment with the Graduate Coordinator in their final semester of course-work in order to establish a committee of three examiners who will set and grade the Field Examinations in the following semester. The student will choose the examiners. The Director of Graduate Studies must approve the choice. One committee member will serve as chair. One member of the fields committee may, upon occasion, be from another department. This request should be made on a case by case basis and will be up to the discretion of the DGS. Once approved by the DGS, the composition of the committee cannot be changed within the semester in which the exam will be taken.
(a) Medieval or (b) Early Modern
(a) Long Eighteenth Century or (b) Long Nineteenth Century, Romanticism, Victorian
(a) Early Twentieth Century or (b) Post-World War II
The third field is a free choice and may be any of the above, including another alternative from the four listed (for example, Medieval in addition to Early Modern) or from one of the areas listed below:
(a) Critical Theory or (b) Area Studies
Area studies may be any one of the following:
Literatures of the US-Mexican border and Latin America
Afro-American Literature and African Diaspora
Asian-American Literature and the Pacific Rim
Literatures of the Circum-Atlantic World
Media, Film and Popular Culture
Media and Sound Culture
Genre studies across historical periods (Romance, Memoir, Travel Narrative, Gothic etc.)
Native American Literatures
The student will, in consultation with the presiding examiner, develop a bibliography for each of the three fields. The suggested length of each bibliography is 25 to 30 works.
The student and the presiding examiner will together formulate a question for each field. The question must be comprehensive and applicable to many works, but will invite the student to respond in terms of three to five representative works from each list. The question for each field must be different from those for the other two.
The student and committee will set a due date for the examination, which again must be no later than December 1 (for fall exams) and May 1 (for spring exams). The student must complete the exam within a 10 day window of time.
Each question will be answered in an essay of no fewer than 1500 words and no more than 3000 words. The three examiners will read all answers, but each will assign a grade only to the examination over which he or she has presided. The grade may be Pass or Fail. The committee chair will collate the grades and, after consultation with the other examiners, assign an overall grade of Pass or Fail. A student who fails the examination may retake it once only, in the semester immediately following the one in which it was first attempted, with the same committee of examiners (unless an exemption is granted, in exceptional circumstances only, by the Graduate Studies Committee). The examining committee may determine that the student will have to retake one, two or all three fields.
Each examiner will write a report of approximately one page detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the answer that he or she graded. The Committee Chair will then write a final report summarizing these responses to the student’s performance and suggesting avenues of inquiry that could be pursued in the Ph.D. dissertation. Copies of the final report will be sent to the student and the DGS; these reports are due by that semester’s deadline for grade submission.
The committee chair is responsible for: coordinating the questions with the student and the other examiners; coordinating the scheduling with the student and the other examiners and reporting it to the Director of Graduate Studies; proctoring the examinations electronically; reporting the grade on the provided sheet to the Director of Graduate Studies by the university’s grade submission deadline; writing a final report on the examinations.
Download Field Examination form .
One term before they take the qualifying examination, students should also have fulfilled the foreign language requirement. Demonstration of proficiency in an appropriate foreign language may be met in several ways, such as designated coursework or a translation exam.
Some students will enter the program with sufficient foreign language skills for their course of study (e.g. either compelling evidence of literate knowledge of a language other than English, such as a high school degree from a school in a non-English speaking country, or four or more semesters at the college level of a language other than English with a grade of B or better in the last semester, or its equivalent). In lieu of sitting for a foreign language exam, these students may present a written petition to the faculty members of the Graduate Committee, who will decide by vote whether to accept the petition or recommend some other course of action for filling the language requirement. Requirements for having the petition granted could include transferred coursework in the language, though work done more than five years before entering the program cannot be accepted. Students should also make a case for why and how this particular foreign language will be relevant, or more relevant, to their course of dissertation study than another language they have yet to study. The department reserves the right to require a particular language on the grounds of relevance to future research.
Download the Foreign Language Fluency Petition form .
Students must take the departmental Qualifying Examination in the first or second semester following successful completion of the Field Exams. Students form a committee of at least five tenured or tenure-track faculty members, at least three of whom must be from the Department of English, at least one of whom must be tenured and one of whom must be from outside the department. One faculty member from English will agree to chair the committee. To take the qualifying exam, the student will first sit a three-hour on-campus examination in which he/she will be asked to produce one of the following three documents: a 500-word abstract of the prospectus; a list of three questions the student would ask himself/herself about the prospectus; a syllabus for a class as inspired by the prospectus. No more than two weeks after the completion of the written examination, the student will sit a two-hour oral examination that will be attended by all committee members. The oral exam will encompass the written exam, the prospectus and the accompanying bibliography. English 700: Theories and Practices of Professional Development I, offered yearly, is an elective 2-unit seminar designed for students preparing to take the qualifying exam. Its goal is to facilitate the writing of the dissertation prospectus and the creation of the reading list.
The last date in the fall semester that written exams will be given in November 15, and the last day of the spring semester is April 10. No exams will be given over the summer.
Download the Appointment or Change of Qualifying or Dissertation Committee forms .
After passing the qualifying examination, the student may reduce the guidance committee to three or four members, who will include the director and the outside reader.Led by the director, this committee will oversee the student’s Ph.D. dissertation. The dissertation is a book-length manuscript that makes an original and substantial contribution to creative literature: a book of poems, a novel, a book of nonfiction, a collection of short stories or essays. In addition, students must complete a critical component of the dissertation of approximately 60 pages. Its substance, style and format must meet professional standards of research. Upon submission of an acceptable manuscript and a successful oral defense, the student will be awarded the Ph.D.
Ph.D. in Creative Writing & Literature
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PhD in Creative Writing
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English at Leicester
Pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing at Leicester means becoming part of an exciting and dynamic research and creative environment.
The PhD programme helps give structure to your creative project, and invites you to ask searching questions about your practice, to reflect on the process of producing creative work, and so to write a long critical-reflective essay (usually 15-20,000 words) to accompany the creative work. The creative body of work normally makes up 70% of the PhD, and the reflective thesis 30%.
At its broadest, the emphasis is on trying to comprehend the practice of creation itself - surely one of the most fascinating subjects imaginable.
Creative Writing doctorates lead to a variety of potential career paths. These include novelist, poet, playwright or screenwriter, of course, but there are many related industries that Creative Writing research degree graduates nationally have gone on to work in, including (but not limited to):
TV storyline writing
Video game creation
TV and film production
Working as a literary agent
Teaching or lecturing
Working as a professional stand-up comedian
Post-doctoral academic research
Public relations
Advertising & marketing
Political research & speech writing
Arts management
Content provision
Tweet writing
Web editing
Franchise creation
Branding consultancy
Literary and other arts events management
Intellectual property advising
Application information
It is a good idea to make informal enquiries to the lecturer you believe might be interested in supervising your PhD, prior to making a formal application.
List of English at Leicester staff
Recent creative publications by students and staff
You should have a strong creative and academic track record - entry requirements are an MA or similar in Creative Writing and some prior publication history.
Otherwise, you should have compelling evidence of advanced writing experience, and an awareness of the technical and reflective elements of creative writing practice in an academic environment.
Your application should consist of a persuasive outline for a creative project: a body of poetry, a novel, a work of creative non-fiction, a graphic novel or a substantial film script. This should be accompanied by a theoretical and canonical series of questions that you believe will prove relevant as the creative work progresses.
You should be conscious of the fact that the critical element of a creative PhD is not separate literary critical study - although it may involve such. It is involved in the deeper comprehension of the creative process itself through an articulation of creative practice. As such it may involve historical, ethnographic, practice-based philosophical, social scientific and other theoretical models.
Places on the PhD are awarded on the basis of the quality of the creative sample submitted and the originality of the proposal.
Audio clip: Gwynne Harries discusses his Creative PhD
Listen to PhD student Gwynne Harries discuss his Creative PhD in Welsh Poetic Forms in English Verse.
A rigorous program that combines creative writing and literary studies, the Ph.D. in Creative Writing prepares graduates for both scholarly and creative publication and teaching. With faculty guidance, students admitted to the Ph.D. program may tailor their programs to their goals and interests. The creative writing faculty at KU has been ...
PhD in Creative Writing
Program Overview. The PhD in Creative Writing and Literature is a four-year course of study. Following two years of course work that includes workshop, forms classes, pedagogical training, and literature, students take exams in two areas, one that examines texts through the lens of craft and another that examines them through the lens of ...
English, Ph.D., Creative Writing Concentration
The Ph.D. program in English, Concentration in Creative Writing, is one of the top 15 in the U.S., as ranked by Poets & Writers. The program offers graduate students the opportunity to work closely with our award-winning faculty while living and writing in Atlanta, an international city with a vibrant literary culture.
Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature
Requirements for admission to study in the Ph.D. program in Creative Writing and Literature include: B.A. degree in any area of study; GPA, undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) Creative writing sample (25 pages of prose or 10-12 pages of poetry) Critical writing sample (10-25 pages) Statement of purpose (no more than three pages)
Creative Writing Research PhD
Creative Writing Research PhD. The PhD in Creative Writing at King's is a practice-led course, incorporating taught elements and aspects of professional development. It is designed to cater for talented, committed writers who are looking to complete a book-length creative work for publication and sustain a long-term career in writing.
Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature
The admissions deadline for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature is January 15. History of the Creative Writing Program. In the late 1970s, poets Cynthia MacDonald and Stanley Plumly were named co-chairs of the Southwest's first graduate writing program, one that received an even greater boost when New Yorker writer (and.
- PhD in Creative Writing & Literature
the Ph.D. in CREATIVE WRITING & LITERATURE PROGRAM is one of the few dual Ph.D. programs in the country that weaves the disciplines of literature and creative work into a single educational experience. Students complete coursework in both creative writing and literature. The dissertation project is comprised of creative and critical manuscripts ...
Literature and Creative Writing (PhD)
The graduate curriculum is divided into 500-level foundation courses and 600-level advanced courses. The 500-level courses offer fundamental work in theory and in the history of British and American literatures and cultures. The 600-level courses feature advanced studies in theory, creative writing seminars and workshops and special topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions. "Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.". - Samuel Johnson. Below find the answers to some common questions regarding the Ph.D. in Creative Writing & Literature program. The dropdown menus below will help you skip to the topic in which you are interested.
English Creative Writing Ph.D.
English Creative Writing Ph.D. Write the next chapter of your story. The UNT English graduate program is designed for students who wish to build a professional career as creative writers, educators, or academics. With distinguished scholars in every major period of American and British literature and nationally renowned writers in every genre ...
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Creative Writing
Starting salary for a PhDs is $20,104/9 months. As part of the assistantship, students are awarded either a Graduate Tuition Fellowship, which remits tuition, or a Creative Writing Program Fellowship, which covers the cost of tuition and the University will pay up to 50% of the costs of medical insurance. University of Illinois, PhD in Creative ...
PhD Degrees in Creative Writing
Creative writing extends beyond the boundaries of normal professional journalism or academic forms of literature. It is often associated with fiction and poetry, but primarily emphasises narrative craft, character development, and the use of traditional literary forms. A PhD level exploration of creative writing is a three-year full-time programme, where candidates delve into the complexities ...
English: Creative Writing (Ph.D.)
PhD in Creative Writing—Poetry; PhD in Creative Writing—Drama; Please prepare a statement which covers the following information, and attach it within the online application: Submit a 750-word essay about why you wish to undertake graduate study and which key experiences have shaped your decision. You may reflect upon ideas, texts, and ...
About the PhD Creative/Critical Writing Concentration
UC Santa Cruz offers a concentration in Creative/Critical Writing for Literature Ph.D. students. This is an individualized course of study in which students can write a creative dissertation with a critical introduction or a cross-genre creative/critical project. Our students have completed speculative novels, collections of poems and personal ...
Doctoral Concentration in Creative Writing
Apply to Write with Us. In addition to the PhD in English application requirements, the department requires a creative writing portfolio. You should submit a creative writing sample of 15-20 pages as part of their application directly to the Graduate Coordinator for Incoming Students, Dr. Leah Orr at [email protected]. PDFs are preferred.
Program for Writers
Program for Writers. UIC offers a PhD in English with creative dissertation and also an MA in English with creative manuscript. The MA is considered preparation to enter an PhD program, either in literature or creative writing; or a degree to prepare a writer to enter jobs in publishing, public relations, high school or community college teaching, grant writing, corporate writing, and other ...
Creative Writing Online PhD 2025
A PhD in Creative Writing is mainly made up of independent study, with supervision meetings occurring online (e.g. via Microsoft Teams) and spread throughout the year. There are no taught credits attached to a PhD, although it is compulsory for full-time students to attend the Arts Faculty Researcher Skills training programme, which is ...
Curriculum
USC Dornsife PhD in Creative Writing & Literature. Doctoral candidates not only read and write texts as finished products of scholarship in researching their creative work's literary and historical milieu, but also consider the text as writers create it, then compose texts as writers, a process that goes to the source of the study of literature and of literature itself.
PhD Creative Writing (2025 entry)
Fees for entry in 2025 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2024 were as follows: PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786. International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500. PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393. Further information for EU students can be found on ...
Creative Writing PhD
Research profile. The PhD in Creative Writing offers committed and talented writers the opportunity to study Creative Writing at the highest level. Supported by an expert supervisory team you will work independently towards the production of a substantial, publishable piece of creative writing, accompanied by a sustained exercise in critical ...
PhD Creative Writing course
You can study our Creative Writing PhD full-time or part-time, on campus or by distance learning. The College of Arts and Law is experienced in delivering high-quality distance learning to students all over the world. ... There are a number of presentations and events staged by the School and by the Creative Writing team, alongside a vibrant ...
Pre-application guidance for the PhD in Creative Writing
Doctoral degree candidates in Creative Writing spend three years writing a manuscript in consultation with a supervisor. This manuscript consists of two components: A creative component that comprises 75% of the final manuscript. A critical component, which comprises 25% of the final manuscript. In practical terms this amounts to the following:
Ph.D. Requirements
USC Dornsife PhD in Creative Writing & Literature. In their first semester, all students take English 501: Introduction to Graduate Study: Critical Methods and Practice I, a seminar which introduces them to theories and methods of criticism, as well as to major issues and debates in the profession.Thereafter they may select from the graduate seminars offered each year in English, as well as ...
PhD in Creative Writing
Pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing at Leicester means becoming part of an exciting and dynamic research and creative environment. The PhD programme helps give structure to your creative project, and invites you to ask searching questions about your practice, to reflect on the process of producing creative work, and so to write a long critical-reflective essay (usually 15-20,000 words) to ...
COMMENTS
A rigorous program that combines creative writing and literary studies, the Ph.D. in Creative Writing prepares graduates for both scholarly and creative publication and teaching. With faculty guidance, students admitted to the Ph.D. program may tailor their programs to their goals and interests. The creative writing faculty at KU has been ...
Program Overview. The PhD in Creative Writing and Literature is a four-year course of study. Following two years of course work that includes workshop, forms classes, pedagogical training, and literature, students take exams in two areas, one that examines texts through the lens of craft and another that examines them through the lens of ...
The Ph.D. program in English, Concentration in Creative Writing, is one of the top 15 in the U.S., as ranked by Poets & Writers. The program offers graduate students the opportunity to work closely with our award-winning faculty while living and writing in Atlanta, an international city with a vibrant literary culture.
Requirements for admission to study in the Ph.D. program in Creative Writing and Literature include: B.A. degree in any area of study; GPA, undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) Creative writing sample (25 pages of prose or 10-12 pages of poetry) Critical writing sample (10-25 pages) Statement of purpose (no more than three pages)
Creative Writing Research PhD. The PhD in Creative Writing at King's is a practice-led course, incorporating taught elements and aspects of professional development. It is designed to cater for talented, committed writers who are looking to complete a book-length creative work for publication and sustain a long-term career in writing.
The admissions deadline for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature is January 15. History of the Creative Writing Program. In the late 1970s, poets Cynthia MacDonald and Stanley Plumly were named co-chairs of the Southwest's first graduate writing program, one that received an even greater boost when New Yorker writer (and.
the Ph.D. in CREATIVE WRITING & LITERATURE PROGRAM is one of the few dual Ph.D. programs in the country that weaves the disciplines of literature and creative work into a single educational experience. Students complete coursework in both creative writing and literature. The dissertation project is comprised of creative and critical manuscripts ...
The graduate curriculum is divided into 500-level foundation courses and 600-level advanced courses. The 500-level courses offer fundamental work in theory and in the history of British and American literatures and cultures. The 600-level courses feature advanced studies in theory, creative writing seminars and workshops and special topics.
Frequently Asked Questions. "Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.". - Samuel Johnson. Below find the answers to some common questions regarding the Ph.D. in Creative Writing & Literature program. The dropdown menus below will help you skip to the topic in which you are interested.
English Creative Writing Ph.D. Write the next chapter of your story. The UNT English graduate program is designed for students who wish to build a professional career as creative writers, educators, or academics. With distinguished scholars in every major period of American and British literature and nationally renowned writers in every genre ...
Starting salary for a PhDs is $20,104/9 months. As part of the assistantship, students are awarded either a Graduate Tuition Fellowship, which remits tuition, or a Creative Writing Program Fellowship, which covers the cost of tuition and the University will pay up to 50% of the costs of medical insurance. University of Illinois, PhD in Creative ...
Creative writing extends beyond the boundaries of normal professional journalism or academic forms of literature. It is often associated with fiction and poetry, but primarily emphasises narrative craft, character development, and the use of traditional literary forms. A PhD level exploration of creative writing is a three-year full-time programme, where candidates delve into the complexities ...
PhD in Creative Writing—Poetry; PhD in Creative Writing—Drama; Please prepare a statement which covers the following information, and attach it within the online application: Submit a 750-word essay about why you wish to undertake graduate study and which key experiences have shaped your decision. You may reflect upon ideas, texts, and ...
UC Santa Cruz offers a concentration in Creative/Critical Writing for Literature Ph.D. students. This is an individualized course of study in which students can write a creative dissertation with a critical introduction or a cross-genre creative/critical project. Our students have completed speculative novels, collections of poems and personal ...
Apply to Write with Us. In addition to the PhD in English application requirements, the department requires a creative writing portfolio. You should submit a creative writing sample of 15-20 pages as part of their application directly to the Graduate Coordinator for Incoming Students, Dr. Leah Orr at [email protected]. PDFs are preferred.
Program for Writers. UIC offers a PhD in English with creative dissertation and also an MA in English with creative manuscript. The MA is considered preparation to enter an PhD program, either in literature or creative writing; or a degree to prepare a writer to enter jobs in publishing, public relations, high school or community college teaching, grant writing, corporate writing, and other ...
A PhD in Creative Writing is mainly made up of independent study, with supervision meetings occurring online (e.g. via Microsoft Teams) and spread throughout the year. There are no taught credits attached to a PhD, although it is compulsory for full-time students to attend the Arts Faculty Researcher Skills training programme, which is ...
USC Dornsife PhD in Creative Writing & Literature. Doctoral candidates not only read and write texts as finished products of scholarship in researching their creative work's literary and historical milieu, but also consider the text as writers create it, then compose texts as writers, a process that goes to the source of the study of literature and of literature itself.
Fees for entry in 2025 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2024 were as follows: PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786. International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500. PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393. Further information for EU students can be found on ...
Research profile. The PhD in Creative Writing offers committed and talented writers the opportunity to study Creative Writing at the highest level. Supported by an expert supervisory team you will work independently towards the production of a substantial, publishable piece of creative writing, accompanied by a sustained exercise in critical ...
You can study our Creative Writing PhD full-time or part-time, on campus or by distance learning. The College of Arts and Law is experienced in delivering high-quality distance learning to students all over the world. ... There are a number of presentations and events staged by the School and by the Creative Writing team, alongside a vibrant ...
Doctoral degree candidates in Creative Writing spend three years writing a manuscript in consultation with a supervisor. This manuscript consists of two components: A creative component that comprises 75% of the final manuscript. A critical component, which comprises 25% of the final manuscript. In practical terms this amounts to the following:
USC Dornsife PhD in Creative Writing & Literature. In their first semester, all students take English 501: Introduction to Graduate Study: Critical Methods and Practice I, a seminar which introduces them to theories and methods of criticism, as well as to major issues and debates in the profession.Thereafter they may select from the graduate seminars offered each year in English, as well as ...
Pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing at Leicester means becoming part of an exciting and dynamic research and creative environment. The PhD programme helps give structure to your creative project, and invites you to ask searching questions about your practice, to reflect on the process of producing creative work, and so to write a long critical-reflective essay (usually 15-20,000 words) to ...