Writing MA

Explore out taught Master's Writing degree at Warwick

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P-Q3P7 

MA

1 year full-time;
2 years part-time

29 September 2025

Warwick Writing Programme, SCAPVC

University of Warwick

Writing is a profession and a passion; it is also an act of community. Warwick’s MA in Writing introduces you to the real world of writing, surrounded and supported by writing staff and students who share your ambition. It will show you how to make your way in the world as a writer.

The Warwick Writing Programme, founded in 1996, is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Europe and has been ranked first by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide for eight years in a row.

Our flexible MA in Writing is open to students from around the world.

Full Time 

Across the Autumn and Spring terms, you will take four taught modules (Fiction Workshop 1 or Non-Fiction Workshop, plus three other taught modules of your choice). In the summer term, you will work with a supervisor on your Long Project, for which you write a long piece of creative work in any genre that the Programme is able to supervise. This creative piece is accompanied by a shorter critical reflection.

Part Time 

If you study Part Time, you will take either Fiction Workshop 1 or Non-Fiction Workshop in your first Autumn term, and take one optional module in the Spring term. In your second year, you will take two optional modules (one in the Autumn and one in the Spring term) and then do your Long Project in the Summer term.

Warwick Writing Programme

The acclaimed Warwick Writing Programme is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Europe. You will be working alongside practising, award-winning novelists, poets and literary translators. Our teaching staff includes: A.L. Kennedy, Tim Leach, Nell Stevens, Maureen Freely (Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize 2023, at the National Book Critics Circle), Gonzalo C. Garcia, David Morley (winner of the Ted Hughes Award 2015), and Dragan Todorovic (winner of the The Nereus Writers’ Trust Non-Fiction Prize).

Further information about the MA in Writing is available on the Warwick Writing Programme websiteLink opens in a new window.

We teach in writing workshops, seminars and one-to-one supervisions.

Each year, the MA group produce an anthology of new writing derived from work done during their time at Warwick. You will get the chance to be involved in the production, editing, writing, and promotion of a new anthology, seeing your work in print and gaining some invaluable hands-on experience along the way.

6 to 14 students.

8 hours per week (4 hours per week for Part-Time students) 

Most modules are assessed by portfolios of writing in the relevant genre, sometimes with an accompanying essay. Space for reading, thinking and writing matters almost as much as teaching. Our campus is a good place for writers, with a wide range of creative spaces and events open throughout the year.

Reading lists 

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platformLink opens in a new window. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogueLink opens in a new window.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department. 

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

In addition to the usual application materials, candidates will be selected on the basis of a personal statement and a portfolio of their written work. The portfolio should be a maximum of 20 pages of poetry or 5,000 words of fiction/non-fiction, or a combination of the two. You must upload this with your online application form.

• Band C
• IELTS overall score of 7.5, minimum component scores of two at 6.5/7.0 and the rest at 7.5 or above.

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

There are no fixed core modules for this programme, but all students take an Optional Core module in writing, normally either Fiction Workshop 1 or Non-Fiction Workshop, though other modules (Fiction Workshop 2 and Writing Poetry) are possible.

We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

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