Creative Writing, PhD
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Different course options
PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy
Singleton Park Campus
OCT-24, JAN-25, APR-25, JUL-25
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COURSE OVERVIEW
Swansea’s Creative Writing research programme offers a choice from a spectrum of skills and a research dialogue across genres, including poetry, fiction, drama and screenwriting. We are a closely bonded community of writers, each research student being supervised by a specialist writer-teacher. One-to-one meetings take place every 4 weeks, or at the student’s request. The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops.
The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be creatively broken once they have been thoroughly understood. Swansea is especially proud of the intellectual rigour of its programme and research culture. Our team includes teacher-writers of award-winning stature and long experience, and we go to considerable lengths to match student with supervisor, to create an enriching and enduring writerly bond.
Programme Summary
This PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The PhD is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva voce). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. There may also be opportunities to develop your teaching skills through undergraduate tutorials, demonstrations and seminars.
Programme Aims
This PhD programme will provide doctoral researchers with:
- The opportunity to conduct high quality postgraduate research in a world leading research environment.
- Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
- Advanced critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and independent judgement.
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Applicants for PhD must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level and a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’. Alternatively, applicants with a UK first class honours degree (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) not holding a master’s degree, will be considered on an individual basis.
Students living in
£4,712 per year
Students from Domestic
Jan, Apr or Jul 2024: £4,712; Oct 2024 or Jan, Apr or Jul 2025: £4,800. Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.
£17,000 per year
Students from EU
Jan, Apr or Jul 2024: £17,000; Oct 2024 or Jan, Apr or Jul 2025: £17,850. Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.
Students from International
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Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP
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Swansea university: creative writing.
Institution | |
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Department | |
Web | |
[email protected] | |
Telephone | +44 (0)1792 295358 |
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
Full-time, 3 years starts jul 2026.
Swansea’s Creative Writing research programme offers a choice from a spectrum of skills and a research dialogue across genres, including poetry, fiction, drama and screenwriting. We are a closely bonded community of writers, each research student being supervised by a specialist writer-teacher. One-to-one meetings take place every 4 weeks, or at the student’s request. The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops.
The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be creatively broken once they have been thoroughly understood. Swansea is especially proud of the intellectual rigour of its programme and research culture. Our team includes teacher-writers of award-winning stature and long experience, and we go to considerable lengths to match student with supervisor, to create an enriching and enduring writerly bond.
**Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study at Swansea University.**
Study type | Research |
---|---|
Level | RQF Level 8 |
Entry requirements | We accord great weight to the quality of the writing sample you send us: a couple of chapters of a novel; a succinct collection of short stories or poems; scenes from a drama script. International applicants should have a minimum IELTS of 6.5 or Swansea University recognised equivalent. |
Location | Singleton Park Campus Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP |
EU | 17850 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
International | 17850 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 4800 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 4800 GBP for Year 1 |
England | 4800 GBP for Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | 4800 GBP for Year 1 |
Part-Time, 6 years starts Jul 2026
EU | 8950 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
International | 8950 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 2400 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 2400 GBP for Year 1 |
England | 2400 GBP for Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | 2400 GBP for Year 1 |
Full-Time, 3 years starts Apr 2026
Part-time, 6 years starts apr 2026, full-time, 3 years starts jan 2026, part-time, 6 years starts jan 2026, full-time, 3 years starts oct 2025.
Study type | Research |
---|---|
Level | RQF Level 8 |
Entry requirements | We accord great weight to the quality of the writing sample you send us: a couple of chapters of a novel; a succinct collection of short stories or poems; scenes from a drama script. International applicants should have a minimum IELTS of 6.5 or Swansea University recognised equivalent. |
Location | Singleton Park, Swansea Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP |
Part-Time, 6 years starts Oct 2025
Full-time, 3 years starts jul 2025, part-time, 6 years starts jul 2025, full-time, 3 years starts apr 2025, part-time, 6 years starts apr 2025, full-time, 3 years starts jan 2025, part-time, 6 years starts jan 2025, full-time, 3 years starts oct 2024, part-time, 6 years starts oct 2024, full-time, 3 years started jul 2024.
EU | 17000 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
International | 17000 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 4712 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 4712 GBP for Year 1 |
England | 4712 GBP for Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | 4712 GBP for Year 1 |
Part-Time, 6 years started Jul 2024
EU | 8500 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
International | 8500 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 2356 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 2356 GBP for Year 1 |
England | 2356 GBP for Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | 2356 GBP for Year 1 |
Full-Time, 3 years started Apr 2024
Part-time, 6 years started apr 2024, full-time, 3 years started jan 2024, part-time, 6 years started jan 2024, full-time, 3 years started oct 2023, part-time, 6 years started oct 2023, full-time, 1 years starts sep 2025.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study at Swansea University.
The MA in Creative Writing is a uniquely inspirational programme that delivers integrated training in the writing of literary and media text.
Taught by experienced writers of major profile, this course provides teaching on a range of genres including fiction, short story, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative non-fiction.
Your studies will connect with the unique literary culture of Wales, home to one of the oldest bardic traditions in Europe.
Study type | Taught |
---|---|
Level | RQF Level 7 |
Entry requirements | The typical entry requirement is a first degree in a relevant discipline, normally a 2:2 with a minimum of 55% overall, and a short portfolio of writing. Overseas students are expected to possess an IELTS score of 6.5. |
Location | Singleton Park Campus Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP |
England | 8700 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
Northern Ireland | 8700 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 8700 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 8700 GBP for Year 1 |
EU | 18400 GBP for Year 1 |
International | 18400 GBP for Year 1 |
Part-Time, 2 years starts Sep 2025
England | 4350 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
Northern Ireland | 4350 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 4350 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 4350 GBP for Year 1 |
EU | 9200 GBP for Year 1 |
International | 9200 GBP for Year 1 |
Part-Time, 3 years starts Sep 2025
England | 2900 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
Northern Ireland | 2900 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 2900 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 2900 GBP for Year 1 |
EU | 6150 GBP for Year 1 |
International | 6150 GBP for Year 1 |
Full-Time, 1 years starts Sep 2024
Part-time, 2 years starts sep 2024, part-time, 3 years starts sep 2024, full-time, 1 years started sep 2023.
England | 8300 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
Northern Ireland | 8300 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 8300 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 8300 GBP for Year 1 |
EU | 17500 GBP for Year 1 |
International | 17500 GBP for Year 1 |
Part-Time, 2 years started Sep 2023
England | 4150 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
Northern Ireland | 4150 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 4150 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 4150 GBP for Year 1 |
EU | 8750 GBP for Year 1 |
International | 8750 GBP for Year 1 |
Part-Time, 3 years started Sep 2023
England | 2800 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
Northern Ireland | 2800 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 2800 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 2800 GBP for Year 1 |
EU | 5850 GBP for Year 1 |
International | 5850 GBP for Year 1 |
Master of Philosophy - MPhil
Full-time, 2 years starts jul 2026.
Study type | Research |
---|---|
Level | RQF Level 7 |
Entry requirements | We accord great weight to the quality of the writing sample you send us: a couple of chapters of a novel; a succinct collection of short stories or poems; scenes from a drama script. International applicants should have a minimum IELTS of 6.5 or Swansea University recognised equivalent. |
Location | Singleton Park Campus Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP |
EU | 17750 GBP for Year 1 |
---|---|
International | 17750 GBP for Year 1 |
Wales | 4800 GBP for Year 1 |
Scotland | 4800 GBP for Year 1 |
England | 4800 GBP for Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | 4800 GBP for Year 1 |
Part-Time, 4 years starts Jul 2026
Full-time, 2 years starts apr 2026, part-time, 4 years starts apr 2026, full-time, 2 years starts jan 2026, part-time, 4 years starts jan 2026, full-time, 2 years starts oct 2025.
Study type | Research |
---|---|
Level | RQF Level 7 |
Entry requirements | We accord great weight to the quality of the writing sample you send us: a couple of chapters of a novel; a succinct collection of short stories or poems; scenes from a drama script. International applicants should have a minimum IELTS of 6.5 or Swansea University recognised equivalent. |
Location | Singleton Park, Swansea Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP |
Part-Time, 4 years starts Oct 2025
Full-time, 2 years starts jul 2025, part-time, 4 years starts jul 2025, full-time, 2 years starts apr 2025, full-time, 2 years starts jan 2025, part-time, 4 years starts jan 2025, full-time, 2 years starts oct 2024, part-time, 4 years starts oct 2024, full-time, 2 years started jul 2024, part-time, 4 years started jul 2024, full-time, 2 years started apr 2024, part-time, 4 years started apr 2024, full-time, 2 years started jan 2024, part-time, 4 years started jan 2024, full-time, 2 years started oct 2023, part-time, 4 years started oct 2023.
At Swansea University’s School of Culture and Communication, our students are at the heart of our teaching and we provide a supportive learning and research environment which is designed to create accomplished and socially aware global citizens.
Based within our Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, our wide range of arts and humanities focussed courses are based on our historic Singleton Park Campus which dates to 1920. Here you will have access to modern teaching and study rooms and a well-equipped library and will be able to fully immerse yourself in our vibrant and multi-cultural campus life. Take a virtual …
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Swansea University
Degree level: postgraduate, awarded by: swansea university (prifysgol abertawe), creative writing (research), course options.
There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options
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Course summary.
Swansea’s Creative Writing research programme offers a choice from a spectrum of skills and a research dialogue across genres, including poetry, fiction, drama and screenwriting. We are a closely bonded community of writers, each research student being supervised by a specialist writer-teacher. One-to-one meetings take place every 4 weeks, or at the student’s request. The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops. The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be creatively broken once they have been thoroughly understood. Swansea is especially proud of the intellectual rigour of its programme and research culture. Our team includes teacher-writers of award-winning stature and long experience, and we go to considerable lengths to match student with supervisor, to create an enriching and enduring writerly bond. Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study at Swansea University.
Entry requirements
We accord great weight to the quality of the writing sample you send us: a couple of chapters of a novel; a succinct collection of short stories or poems; scenes from a drama script. International applicants should have a minimum IELTS of 6.5 or Swansea University recognised equivalent.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees.
EU | £17750 | Year 1 |
International | £17750 | Year 1 |
Wales | £4800 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £4800 | Year 1 |
England | £4800 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £4800 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Provider information.
Visit our website
Swansea University Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP
Course contact details
Swansea university postgraduate.
[email protected]
+44 (0)1792 295358
16 Course options
Please select a course option to view the information for the course
Duration | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singleton Park Campus | Full-time | 2 years | April 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Part-time | 4 years | July 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Part-time | 4 years | April 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Full-time | 2 years | January 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park, Swansea | Full-time | 2 years | October 2025 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Part-time | 4 years | January 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Part-time | 4 years | October 2025 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Full-time | 2 years | July 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Part-time | 6 years | January 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Part-time | 6 years | April 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Part-time | 6 years | October 2025 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Full-time | 3 years | January 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Part-time | 6 years | July 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park, Swansea | Full-time | 3 years | October 2025 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Full-time | 3 years | July 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application | ||
Singleton Park Campus | Full-time | 3 years | April 2026 | Please speak to the provider to make an application |
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Creative Writing PhD
Swansea university.
This Creative Writing PhD course offered at Swansea University can be studied Full-time, Part-time.
For more detailed information about Creative Writing at Swansea University, please visit the institution website.
Entry Requirements For This Course
Ph.D./M.Phil - Applicants for Ph.D./MPhil study must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University).
English Language - IELTS 6.5 Overall (5.5+ each comp.) or Swansea University recognised equivalent.
As well as academic qualifications, Admissions decisions may be based on other factors, including (but not limited to): the standard of the research synopsis/proposal, performance at interview, intensity of competition for limited places, and relevant professional experience.
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Creative Writing
Entry requirements.
The typical entry requirement is a first degree in a relevant discipline, normally a 2:2 with a minimum of 55% overall, and a short portfolio of writing. Overseas students are expected to possess an IELTS score of 6.5.
Months of entry
Course content.
The MA in Creative Writing is a uniquely inspirational programme that delivers integrated training in the writing of literary and media text.
Taught by experienced writers of major profile, this course provides teaching on a range of genres including fiction, short story, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative non-fiction.
Your studies will connect with the unique literary culture of Wales, home to one of the oldest bardic traditions in Europe.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- Campus-based learning is available for this qualification
Course contact details
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Creative Writing PhD student wins Swansea University 3MT competition
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Eilian Richmond delivering his three minute thesis.
Eilian Richmond, a PhD student in Creative Writing, has won the 2023 Swansea University Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
The competition took place as part of the Postgraduate Research (PGR) Festival, a month-long series of events which showcases the research being undertaken by students at Swansea University.
3MT challenges doctoral candidates to present a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance in just three minutes.
In his talk, Eilian, who studies in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, spoke about making narrative sense of the Biblical story by superimposing a second, satirical narrative on top - his novel, Earthbound . His ability to communicate the key question: ‘How many of these narrative inconsistencies can be explained as the consequence of a wager made between God and Satan, as per the Book of Job?’ has been greatly improved as a result of taking part in the competition.
Eilian fought off competition from 14 other postgraduate research students across the three of the University’s faculties to win.
Established by the University of Queensland in 2008, the 3MT is an international competition held at over 200 universities worldwide.
Swansea University is one of around 70 UK-based institutions that now form part of a global 3MT network, encouraging postgraduate research students to promote their research and enthusiasm for their chosen topic to reach non-specialist audiences. 3MT is designed to showcase to a variety of audiences the excellent quality and diversity of research being undertaken by postgraduate research students at Swansea University, and its relevancy and impact upon the world in which we live.
Speaking about his success in the competition so far, Eilian said: “Everyone that took part did such an admirable job of presenting their very esoteric work in an engaging way for a lay audience, and the research on show was all so impressive that it’s especially flattering to be counted among them. I’d recommend the experience to anyone looking to better understand their own work”.
Professor Gert Aarts, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Research at Swansea University added: “It was a great pleasure to see the PGR Festival unfold over the past weeks, as a coordinated effort across the University and the Faculties. Postgraduate researchers are an integral part of the University’s research activity. As they are on their way to leave the student status behind, it is important to shine a spotlight on their achievements. The PGR Showcase and the 3MT competition did exactly that”.
Eilian will now progress to the 3MT UK quarter finals in July and will be in with the chance of presenting in the 3MT UK online final in September, hosted by Vitae the global leader in researcher development.
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- Tuesday 6 June 2023 11:48 BST
- Catrin Newman
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- 01792 295050
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Creative Writing, MPhil
Swansea university, different course options.
- Key information
Course Summary
Tuition fees, entry requirements, university information, similar courses at this uni, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.
MPhil - Master of Philosophy
Subject areas
Creative Writing
Course type
COURSE OVERVIEW
Swansea’s Creative Writing research programme offers a choice from a spectrum of skills and a research dialogue across genres, including poetry, fiction, drama and screenwriting. We are a closely bonded community of writers, each research student being supervised by a specialist writer-teacher. One-to-one meetings take place every 4 weeks, or at the student’s request. The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops.
The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be creatively broken once they have been thoroughly understood. Swansea is especially proud of the intellectual rigour of its programme and research culture. Our team includes teacher-writers of award-winning stature and long experience, and we go to considerable lengths to match student with supervisor, to create an enriching and enduring writerly bond.
Programme Summary
This MPhil in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 60,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The Masters is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences.
Programme Aims
This Masters programme will provide students with:
- The opportunity to conduct high quality postgraduate research in a world leading research environment.
- Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis
- Advanced critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and independent judgement.
UK fees Course fees for UK students
For this course (per year)
International fees Course fees for EU and international students
Applicants for MPhil must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University).
Located on the stunning Swansea Bay coastline, this Welsh university provides easy access to a vibrant city centre as well as to the beaches of the spectacular Gower Peninsula. The university offers a range of superb taught and research postgraduate programmes across three academic faculties: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science Faculty of Science and Engineering Swansea’s... more
Creative Writing, MA
Full time | 1 year | 23-SEP-24
Creative Writing, PhD
Full time | 3 years | OCT-24
Creative Writing (Extended), MA
Full time | 2 years | 23-SEP-24
- Schools & departments
Creative Writing PhD
Awards: PhD
Study modes: Full-time, Part-time
Funding opportunities
Programme website: Creative Writing
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Research profile
The PhD in Creative Writing offers committed and talented writers the opportunity to study Creative Writing at the highest level.
Supported by an expert supervisory team you will work independently towards the production of a substantial, publishable piece of creative writing, accompanied by a sustained exercise in critical study.
The academic staff you will be working with are all active researchers or authors, including well-published and prize-winning writers of poetry, prose, fiction and drama. They include:
- Dr Jane Alexander - Fiction
- Dr Lynda Clark - Fiction
- Dr Patrick Errington - Poetry
- Dr Miriam Gamble - Poetry
- Dr Alan Gillis - Poetry
- Nicola McCartney - Drama
- Dr Jane McKie - Poetry
- Dr Allyson Stack - Fiction
- Kim Sherwood - Fiction
- Alice Thompson - Fiction
Find out more about the programme and our team
Training and support
We encourage you to share your research and learn from the work of others through a programme of seminars and visiting speakers.
We have an in-house Writer-in-Residence, annual writing prizes, and a range of opportunities to learn from experts in the publishing industry.
We also offer access to opportunities provided by the Sottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities.
Our postgraduate journal, Forum, is a valuable conduit for research findings and provides an opportunity to gain editorial experience.
- Forum: postgraduate journal of culture and the arts
A UNESCO World City of Literature, Edinburgh is a remarkable place to study, write, publish, discuss and perform prose, poetry and drama.
Take a PhD with us and you will be based in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) in the historic centre of this world-leading festival city.
Our buildings are close to:
- National Library of Scotland (where collections include the Bute Collection of early modern English drama and the John Murray Archive)
- Edinburgh Central Library
- Scottish Poetry Library
- Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Writers’ Museum
- Traverse Theatre
We have strong links with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which annually welcomes around 1,000 authors to our literary city.
There are lots of opportunities to write and share your work, from Forum to The Selkie, which was founded by Creative Writing students in 2018 to showcase work by people who self-identify as underrepresented.
Around the city, you’ll find library readings and bookshop launches, spoken word gigs, cabaret nights and poetry slams, including events run by celebrated publishing outlets, from Canongate and Polygon / Birlinn to Luath Press, 404 Ink, Taproot Press and Mariscat.
You will have access to the University’s many literary treasures, which include:
- William Drummond library
- Lewis Grassic Gibbon library
- Hugh MacDiarmid library
- Norman MacCaig library
- W.H. Auden collection
- Corson collection
- works by and about Sir Walter Scott
- Ramage collection of poetry pamphlets
The Centre for Research Collections also holds a truly exceptional collection of early Shakespeare quartos and other early modern printed plays. These have been put together by the 19th century Shakespearean James Halliwell-Phillipps, the correspondence of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle (the focus of one of the major editorial projects in Victorian studies of the last half-century), and the extensive Laing collection of medieval and early modern manuscripts.
You will also have access to letters and papers by - and relating to - authors including:
- Christopher Isherwood
- Rudyard Kipling
- John Middleton Murry
- Walter de la Mare
- George Mackay Brown
- Compton Mackenzie
Many of the University's Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, Computing Labs, and dedicated PhD study space in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC).
Look inside the PhD study space in LLC
Entry requirements
These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.
A UK masters degree, or its international equivalent, in creative writing, normally with distinction.
We may also consider your application if you have equivalent qualifications or experience. For additional information please refer to the pre-application guidance in the 'How to apply' section.
International qualifications
Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:
- Entry requirements by country
- English language requirements
Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.
English language tests
We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:
- IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
- TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
- C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
- Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
- PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.
Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.
Degrees taught and assessed in English
We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:
- UKVI list of majority English speaking countries
We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).
- Approved universities in non-MESC
If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)
Find out more about our language requirements:
- Fees and costs
Read our general information on tuition fees and studying costs:
Scholarships and funding
Featured funding.
There are a number of scholarship schemes available to eligible candidates on this PhD programme, including awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Please be advised that many scholarships have more than one application stage, and early deadlines.
- Find out more about scholarships in literatures, languages and cultures
Other funding opportunities
Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:
- Search for funding
Further information
- Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
- Contact: [email protected]
- School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- 50 George Square
- Central Campus
- Programme: Creative Writing
- School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.
Start date: September
Awards: PhD (36 mth FT, 72 mth PT)
Application deadlines
Due to high demand, the school operates a number of selection deadlines. We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through a competitive process.
Deadlines for applicants applying to study in 2024/25:
Round | Application deadline | Places awarded by |
---|---|---|
1 | 24 November 2023 | 15 December 2023 |
2 | 30 April 2024 | 14 June 2024 |
- How to apply
- Pre-application guidance
Before you formally apply for this PhD, you should look at the pre-application information and guidance on the programme website.
This will help you decide if this programme is right for you, and help us gain a clearer picture of what you hope to achieve.
The guidance details the writing samples you should send us as part of your application (either fiction or poetry, along with a shorter sample of your academic writing).
It will also give you practical advice for writing your project summary – one of the most important parts of your application.
Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:
- Accessibility Tools
- Current Students
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- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- School of Culture and Communication
- English Literature, Creative Writing
Our English Literature Graduates
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- English Literature and Creative Writing Staff
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- School of Culture and Communication News
- School of Culture and Communication Rankings
- A Guide to Clearing - Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology
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- A Guide to Clearing - English Literature and History
- Combined Honours
'I have realised my ambition of becoming a published writer'
- Rebecca F John
'Choosing to study at Swansea University was an easy decision for me. I live in Swansea, and the city feels like home. I love the proximity to the sea; the ease with which you can reach the countryside; the artistic enthusiasm evident in the area. More importantly though, having researched various Creative Writing courses across the country, I knew the department was strong. As I was determined to fulfil my ambition of becoming a published writer, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to study with respected writers such as Stevie Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Fflur Dafydd, and Jon Gower.
During my time at Swansea, high quality lectures and intensive workshops honed my knowledge and writing skills. The workshops were the real selling point of the course for me, as they provided us with a wonderful opportunity to analyse and criticise our own writing and that of our peers, with expert facilitation from practicing writers. I loved these workshops and decided to enhance the essential editorial and critical skills I learnt therein by studying for an MA in Creative Writing.
Having graduated with a 1 st Class Honours BA in English and Creative Writing, and a Distinction at MA level, I have since realised my ambition of becoming a published writer, with a short story collection published in 2015 and a novel forthcoming in 2017. I have also completed a PCGE PCET, which qualifies me to lecture in Creative Writing.
Moving forward, I am currently working on a second novel, with the assistance of a Literature Wales Writers Bursary, and hope that I will be able to continue publishing new work for a long time. I am also hoping to return to Swansea University this coming autumn to begin studying for a Creative Writing PhD with extremely talented writer Francesca Rhydderch. I have my fingers firmly crossed.'
"I graduated from Swansea University with a BA in English Literature and went on to take the postgraduate qualification of a CELTA, also at Swansea University. Once a qualified TEFL teacher I was offered a position in Hong Kong for 14 months. I finished my teaching contract and then travelled around South East Asia. Now back in the Uk I am looking for a teaching position in Australia. My degree has been invaluable to me and without it I wouldn't have any of the experiences I have been fortunate to have found. It gave me access to a postgraduate qualification which is universally recognised and it offers me a means of making a living wherever I am."
- Jennifer Elliott
“My Postgraduate studies in the English Department at Swansea University allowed me to make time to concentrate on my creative writing. A couple of the short stories that I drafted during my course have been redrafted and included in my first collection, The Art of Contraception. The longer fiction of my dissertation, magically supervised by Prof. Stevie Davies, grew to become my novella Arrivals, also in my debut collection, and an e-book of its own right. My poetry and screenwriting classes have made a big impact on my working practice today as a member of Swansea Film-maker's Collective, I teach digital film-making to community groups for Swansea Telly and work on short creative films for the project”.
- Susie Wild is an MA in Creative Writing Graduate from the UK who is employed as a writer, journalist and editor.
"I studied BA English with Creative Writing and MA English at Swansea University, and I now work at Discovery, the student volunteering charity based on campus. I am also a volunteer project coordinator with the same organisation, and run a monthly project for children from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. Having studied English has been incredibly advantageous in these roles, partially because my degrees have provided me with a good command of both written and spoken English. This enables me to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. Throughout my studies, I also gained skills in presenting material to a group, which is particularly useful in my current job, where I am responsible for delivering induction training to new volunteers. My Masters degree in particular taught me how to manage my own workload, which is an ability I have been very thankful for in the workplace!
Aside from equipping me with practical skills, my English degrees have been influential in the way in which they nurtured my interest in other people and cultures. The discussion of social inequalities inspired by the literature I encountered on my degree courses was partly what drew me towards the kind of work I am now doing in both my paid and voluntary roles with Discovery. Similarly, it was through my degree that I became interested in feminism, which has led to me having a committee position in the Swansea Feminist Network, a local activist group."
- Kirsty Rowles
COMMENTS
This PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for ...
A PhD or MPhil in English Literature enables you to undertake a substantial independent research project, which should be of a publishable standard. It takes three years full-time or six years part-time, and the MPhil takes two years full-time or four years part-time. You submit a thesis of up to 100,000 words for PhD assessment and 60,000 ...
Virtual Tour. Contact the School of Culture and Communication. Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP. We are open 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday. Please get in touch with any questions or queries, or chat to us directly using our live chat function. Tel: +44 (0)1792 205678.
Swansea's Creative Writing research programme offers a choice from a spectrum of skills and a research dialogue across genres, including poetry, fiction, drama and screenwriting. We are a closely bonded community of writers, each research student being supervised by a specialist writer-teacher. One-to-one meetings take place every 4 weeks, or at the student's request.
This PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for ...
The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops. The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be ...
A PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea University enables you to pursue a substantial project led by your own passions and interests. Swansea University Multiple locations . ... Swansea's Creative Writing research programme offers a choice from a spectrum of skills and a research dialogue across genres, including poetry, fiction, drama and ...
This PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for ...
The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be creatively broken once they have been thoroughly understood. ... Swansea's Creative Writing research programme ...
The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops. The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be ...
This Creative Writing PhD course offered at Swansea University can be studied Full-time, Part-time. For more detailed information about Creative Writing at Swansea University, please visit the institution website.
The Creative Writing programme at Swansea is in the top rank of British writing programmes. Led by a team of acclaimed writers, it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in an exceptionally broad spectrum of writing genres and skills. Wales has a rich lyric tradition, and the programme prides itself in combining Welsh, British and ...
The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops. The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be ...
Course content. The MA in Creative Writing is a uniquely inspirational programme that delivers integrated training in the writing of literary and media text. Taught by experienced writers of major profile, this course provides teaching on a range of genres including fiction, short story, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative non-fiction.
The MA in Creative Writing is a uniquely inspirational programme that delivers integrated training in the writing of literary and media text. Taught by experienced writers of major profile, this course provides teaching on a range of genres including fiction, short story, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative non-fiction.
Eilian Richmond, a PhD student in Creative Writing, has won the 2023 Swansea University Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. ... Creative Writing PhD student wins Swansea University 3MT competition . Study. Clearing 2023. Where bright futures begin. Find out more; Undergraduate. Courses;
The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops. The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be ...
Research profile. The PhD in Creative Writing offers committed and talented writers the opportunity to study Creative Writing at the highest level. Supported by an expert supervisory team you will work independently towards the production of a substantial, publishable piece of creative writing, accompanied by a sustained exercise in critical ...
- Susie Wild is an MA in Creative Writing Graduate from the UK who is employed as a writer, journalist and editor. "I studied BA English with Creative Writing and MA English at Swansea University, and I now work at Discovery, the student volunteering charity based on campus. I am also a volunteer project coordinator with the same organisation ...
The MA in Creative Writing is a uniquely inspirational programme that delivers integrated training in the writing of literary and media text. Taught by experienced writers of major profile, this course provides teaching on a range of genres including fiction, short story, poetry, drama, screenwriting and creative non-fiction.
Creative Writing. For information please contact: [email protected] ... Website design by WATERS . Taliesin Arts Centre. Swansea University Singleton Campus Swansea SA2 8PZ The Great Hall. Swansea University Bay Campus Fabian Way Swansea SA1 8EP Home; What's On; News; About Us; Get Involved; Classes & Projects; Support Us ...
Contact the School of Culture and Communication. Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP. We are open 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday. Please get in touch with any questions or queries, or chat to us directly using our live chat function. Tel: +44 (0)1792 205678.
The English with Creative Writing course also allows you to explore a variety of English Literature topics including gothic and genre fiction, gender and culture, renaissance literature, national and global literatures, and contemporary writing. Teaching is through creative writing workshops and you will have the chance to pursue a personal ...