Overview

Creative Writing from University of St Andrews has two separate streams: Poetry and Prose, and prospective students should apply for one stream only. For their final submission, students on the prose track will submit a thesis of publishable quality of around 40,000 words; for poetry, a thesis of about 40 pages of verse.

Quick Facts:

St Andrews is one of the first universities in the UK to confer an MFA degree. Within the programme, students will be able to focus on producing a substantial piece of creative work under the supervision of a world-class writing faculty, and on preparing themselves as teachers of writing in a variety of instructional contexts.
Since our MFA Year 1 students complete the same taught classes as our MLitt students, there is a far stronger emphasis placed on contact time than in other universities.

Programme Structure

To obtain additional information about the program, we kindly suggest that you visit the programme website, where you can find further details and relevant resources.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-16 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-31 00:00:00

Language

English

Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

St Andrews, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Creative Writing View 195 other Masters in Creative Writing in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Other requirements

General requirements

MFA Year 1 entrants will normally be required to hold a good honours level undergraduate degree or equivalent. MFA Year 2 direct entrants will require to hold, or expect to obtain, a distinction level MLitt in Creative Writing or Playwriting and Screenwriting.
CV or resume
2 academic references (directly from referees via the automated system)
An academic critical writing sample of approximately 2,000 words which should be on a literary topic.
A portfolio of original verse, prose, playwriting or screenwriting (approximately 10 poems or around 10-15 pages of prose, playwriting or screenwriting).
Certified academic transcripts of study, including modular grades (interim UG level transcripts are permitted at this stage where final results are not yet known)
MFA research proposal
Statement of Purpose
IELTS/CPE/TOEFL certificate (if applicable) with an IELTS 8.0 grade minimum in each sub-category, or equivalent

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of St Andrews and/or in United Kingdom, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fee

Living costs for St Andrews

660 - 1140 GBP /month

Living costs

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.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

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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.

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