Course descriptionGeneral course information
This course allows you to explore a particularly broad scope of writing disciplines. In addition to traditional creative writing pathways such as fiction and poetry, the course offers modules on writing for children, screenwriting and creative nonfiction
(a very rare option in the UK). You improve your writing skills through detailed and specialised encounters with writing theory and practice that expand awareness of the context and the skills needed for contemporary writing. Key areas of study:
poetics and critical writing
creative nonfiction (not offered in 2011/12)
writing for the screen
fiction: how to grow stories
writing for a child audience
poetry: form and innovation.
Special features
All teaching staff are practising writers with links to professional publishing and other media.
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who is a Professorial Fellow at Roehampton, offers insights to students on how to write for children.
The course administrator collates and sends out a regular email newsletter to students, informing them about conferences, readings, competitions and other issues relevant to their professionalisation.
The qualification and skills gained from this course offer a number of career possibilities, including working as a professional writer, working in the publishing industry, in the media, or continuing to study for a PhD at Roehampton.
Research areas
Children’s literature;
poetics and theory;
creative nonfiction;
fiction;
poetry;
screenwriting.
Course structure
There are two main components to the course. The first component consists of coursework; students must take the compulsory module Poetics and Critical Writing (CRW040L415Y) as well as two optional modules, drawn from this list:
*CRW040L417A or S - Creative Nonfiction
¬CRW040L418A or S - Writing for the Screen
CRW040L419A or S - Fiction: How to Grow Stories
CRW040L420A or S - Writing for a Child Audience
CRW040L421A or S - Poetry: Form and Innovation
¬CRW020L422 - Publishing and Editing
¬CRW020L423A or S - Teaching Creative Writing
*Please note: Creative Nonfiction (CRW040L417) will not be available in 2011-2012
The second component requires students to develop a portfolio of individual creative work (e.g. part of a novel, a series of short stories, a selection of poems, or a screenplay). To this end, MA or MRes students choose to take one of the following modules:
Compulsory module for MA students only
+CRW060L450Y - MA Dissertation
Compulsory modules for MRes students only
~CRW100L451Y - MRes Dissertation
MA degree students must take CRW040L415Y Poetics and Critical Writing and two other optional modules, as well as CRW060L450Y MA Dissertation.
MRes degree students must take CRW040L415Y Poetics and Critical Writing and one other optional module, as well as CRW100L451Y MRes Dissertation.
Postgraduate Diploma students must take CR2040L415Y Poetics and Critical Writing and two other optional modules, excluding the MA or MRes dissertations.
CRW040L415Y Poetics and Critical Writing is a pre/co-requisite for all other modules.
With the exception of Poetics and Critical Writing, which runs through both the Autumn and Spring terms, all modules are offered once per year, in either the Autumn or the Spring term. All modules are offered during the evening.
Module annotations:
# - compulsory module (must be passed)
+ - compulsory module for MA students only (must be passed)
~ - compulsory module for MRes students only (must be passed)
¬ - module not available in 2010-2011.
View all modules for a complete list of module assessments and descriptions. Where an assessment has more than one component, all elements must be passed, unless individual module assessment details state otherwise.
Teaching and learning methods
The Creative and Professional Writing taught modules, which run in two sections from October to December and from February to April, consist of lectures, seminar discussion, workshops, and individual tutorials. These modules will be assessed by a combination of creative and critical samples of writing. Although each module includes a theoretical component, assessment of all modules is weighted primarily on practical writing projects. The modules prepare you for writing your portfolio and self critical analysis during the final section of the programme year, which runs from May to August. During the portfolio stage, you meet regularly, on a one-to-one basis, with your individual tutors.
Career progression
The qualification and skills gained from this degree will offer you a number of career possibilities, including working as a professional writer, working in the publishing industry, working in the media, or continuing to study for a PhD at Roehampton or at another university.