UK Fees £7,500 *

International Fees £14,000 *

* Price per academic year

Course summary

This Creative Writing: Writing the City Masters course is the first to focus entirely on the city of London. It will allow you to explore the city as subject matter from a range of perspectives and across all genres. It will also give you a theoretical and practical platform from which to develop your understanding, and become part of the London writing scene.

Taught by professional writers and researchers, the course offers plenty of opportunities to network with other writers, agents, TV producers and performance poets. As part of the MA, you will be part of the team managing the Wells Street Journal, our student-led in-house magazine. You will be based in the University's headquarters building at 309 Regent Street, which means you will be writing about the city in the heart of London, with ready access to the capital's excellent academic, social and cultural opportunities, including the vibrant West End theatre scene.

You can begin in January or in September. To receive your Masters award, you will need to complete taught modules for a total of 120 credits, covered by three 40-credit core modules, and the 60-credit Writing Project (giving a total of 180 credits). If you do not meet the requirements for a Masters award, you will be eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma or a Postgraduate Certificate.

The workshop-based structure of the course will allow you to learn through interactive practice. Modules are taught by two-hour or tree-hour seminars/workshops per week. Teaching will also include visits to selected London institutions to support certain aspects of writing, and you will be encourage to use various archives, theatres and galleries. Assessment methods include coursework portfolios, reflective logs, essays, and workshop leadership, as well as the 10-12,000-word writing project. There are no formal examinations.

Course structure

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.

Core modules

This module concentrates on developing students' skills in writing prose fiction and dramatic writing inspired by the city through a combination of practical workshops, writing exercises, and close readings of established authors. Students will also learn to critique their own work while being challenged to raise their work to professional level.

This module focuses on the methodological approaches and aesthetic preoccupations that underpin creative practices in non-fiction and poetic writing. This dual approach will enable students to develop simultaneously their own research methods, as well as experiment with imaginative ways of representing the city. As well as workshops and tutorials based on campus, the module includes site visits to various locations in London, including archives and libraries.

This module focuses on employability and professional development. Students will learn how to use their creativity to 'sell' their writing and promote their work. The module, which is delivered through a series of guest lectures and student-led workshops, will explore key areas of the writing business including topics such as how to edit, choosing a literary agent and using social media for self-promotion.

You will focus on one substantial piece of creative work or a portfolio of smaller pieces, with a view to submission for publication. The module aims to provide the support needed for you to prepare a substantial piece of creative writing and develop your individual voice in the genre of your choice. As the module seeks to synthesise the discoveries about the city made during the course, and helps you to respond appropriately in your creative work, it will allow you to absorb and process your explorations of the city, and respond through your creative work.

Course Leader

Monica Germana's profile photo

Dr Monica Germana

Reader

Monica Germanà is Senior Lecturer in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Westminster. Her research concentrates on contemporary British literature, with a specific emphasis on the Gothic and gender.

Her publications include Scottish Women's Gothic and Fantastic Writing (EUP, 2010), Ali Smith: New Critical Perspectives (Bloomsbury, 2013) co-edited with Emily Horton, and Scottish Gothic: An Edinburgh Companion (EUP, 2017), co-edited with Carol Davison.

She is currently working on a new monograph called Bond Girls: Body, Fashion, Gender (Bloomsbury). As a creative writer, her work has been published in various anthologies, including Lost, Cold Turkey, and Book (all published by Inkermen Press). She is currently working on a collection of short stories and a novel.

Being on a writing course allows you find that self-discipline all writers need, no matter what. Then you will have the opportunity to appreciate other people's writing styles. Practise, practise, practise, until you may find your own voice.

  • UK
  • EU and International

Applicants will normally have a minimum of a lower second-class honours degree (2:2) in a humanities-based discipline, however candidates with different or no qualifications will also be considered, and decisions made on the basis of their proven experience in the writing or creative industry (generally three years or more) and/or outstanding talent demonstrated in the portfolio. Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of creative writing (maximum of 10,000 words), which should not exclusively include poetry.

If your first language is not English you should have an IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing.

Applicants are required to submit one academic reference and one employment reference.

View more information about our entry requirements and the application process.

Applicants will normally have a minimum of a lower second-class honours degree (2:2) in a humanities-based discipline, however candidates with different or no qualifications will also be considered, and decisions made on the basis of their proven experience in the writing or creative industry (generally three years or more) and/or outstanding talent demonstrated in the portfolio. Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of creative writing (maximum of 10,000 words), which should not exclusively include poetry.

If your first language is not English you should have an IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing.

Applicants are required to submit one academic reference and one employment reference.

More information

  • Country-specific entry requirements
  • English language requirements
  • How to apply
  • Visas and advice
  • Associated careers
  • Careers and Employability Service

The course will enable you to develop sophisticated critical and creative skills and a widely applicable knowledge base that can be adapted to various fields of creative practice and writing business.

This course is intended to move you to a new level in your career as a writer by developing your skills as a sophisticated critical practitioner, and your knowledge of literature about the city as well as the writing business.

You will be encouraged to network with other writers and identify useful opportunities for career development, partly through a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including writers' events and talks.

The critical and practical skills you will acquire by the end of the course will make you a strong candidate in many areas, including arts management, copy editing, education, freelance writing, journalism, media, publishing, theatre and performance-based writing, and research and academia.

Our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you to achieve your full potential.

With a growing network of over 3,000 employers around the world and a team of experienced careers consultants, we provide you with a variety of opportunities to work and develop new skills. As a University of Westminster student, you'll have access to our services throughout your studies and after you graduate.

We can help you:

  • find work placements, graduate jobs or voluntary experience related to your course
  • discover international opportunities to enhance your employability
  • write effective CVs and application forms
  • develop your interview and enterprise skills
  • plan your career with our career consultants
  • gain insights into your chosen industry through mentoring
  • meet employers and explore your career options at our employer fairs, careers presentations and networking events

Find out more about the Careers and Employability Service.

Find out more about other employability initiatives at the University of Westminster.

Photo of Pritti Bansal

Vritti Bansal

Creative Writing: Writing the City MA - 2013

Freelance food and travel writer

This course gave me the luxury of dipping my toes in different genres of writing, before finally choosing creative non-fiction for my dissertation. The focus of the course being London, I was given the opportunity to immerse myself in the city through my writing. I was also able to hone my writing skills under the expertise of my professors and supervisors, who were fantastic guides. Overall, the course helped me reach my goals of working as a food and travel writer for different publications by giving me the necessary technical knowledge and creative freedom.

Wells Street Journal

While on this course you'll be part of the team managing the Wells Street Journal, our student-led in-house magazine. Here's a video of the journal's December 2019 issue launch party:

English, Linguistics and Cultural Studies webinar

Department of English, Linguistics and Cultural Studies

Fees and Funding

  • UK

  • INTERNATIONAL

UK tuition fee: £7,500 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Alumni discount

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

Funding

As well as tuition fee loans, there is a range of funding available to help you fund your studies.

Find out about postgraduate student funding options.

Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

International tuition fee: £14,000 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Alumni discount

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

Funding

Find out about funding for international students.

Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.