Overview

Combining taught courses with a final dissertation guided by a supervisor, this programme gives you the chance to work within a structured academic environment and a supportive, international community of writers to hone and sharpen your creative practice.

There is a strong practical element to the programmeat The University of Edinburgh , helping you develop your creative skills through:

participating in weekly poetry or fiction workshops
attending weekly craft-based seminars
presenting your work for peer discussion
hearing from guest writers and other professionals on the practicalities of life as a writer

You will also sharpen your critical thinking and editorial skills through:

reading and discussing published works on literature option courses
writing a creative dissertation in your chosen form (fiction or poetry)

You will also have the opportunity to work on and contribute to our publication ‘From Arthur’s Seat,’ an anthology of student work.

The taught portion of our programme culminates with the launch of the anthology and our annual publishing event, featuring professionals (agents, editors and festival organisers) from the industry. This event is organised by our Writer-in-Residence, and specifically designed for students on the MSc in Creative Writing .

From the end of Semester 2 through the summer, you will work independently to produce your dissertation - an extended creative manuscript. You will meet your supervisor at key points for editorial feedback.

Career opportunities

Over the course of this programme, you will complete a body of creative work that has been rigorously peer reviewed.

Our students go on to careers in a wide variety of fields, including:

publishing
marketing
arts administration
web and audio book editing
script and ghost writing
gaming narrative design

Some decide to extend their studies and take a PhD with us.

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Programme Structure

Courses included:

Acts of Story-Telling: Narrator, Text, Audience

Modern and Contemporary Scottish Poetry

Exploring the Novel

Twenty-First Century Fiction

Poetry and Northern Ireland

Check out the full curriculum

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Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-14 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-04 00:00:00

More details

Round 1 Deadline: 15 December
Round 2 Deadline: 4 May

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

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Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Creative Writing Literature View 229 other Masters in Literature in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in any discipline. This will often be in a directly related subject like English Literature/Creative Writing, but we welcome applicants from all academic backgrounds.

Applicants who are entered into selection will be asked to provide a sample of written work to enable their suitability for the programme to be assessed.

Make sure you meet all requirements

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

32000 GBP / year

≈ 32000 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

13700 GBP / year

≈ 13700 GBP / year

Living costs

Edinburgh

United Kingdom

725 - 1167 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Check for any work restrictions

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Creative Writing.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Career opportunities

Get more details

Programme Structure

Check out the full curriculum

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

Explore more key information

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Living costs

Edinburgh

Funding

Check for any work restrictions

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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