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MA Creative Writing and Education

Content navigation menu, why study ma creative writing and education at goldsmiths.

You might be a teacher who writes; a writer interested in education; a poet, a novelist or a short story writer. Whatever your background, this Masters will help you develop your creative writing skills and learn how to teach them.

• This is an MA in Creative Writing like no other. If you want to thrive as a creative writer and are passionate about learning, then this unique postgraduate programme is for you. You’ll not only progress exponentially as a writer, but also learn how to research and teach writing in a wide range of contexts.
• This pioneering Masters degree gives you a unique combination of creative writing and pedagogical skills that are highly sought after in today’s competitive workplace. You’ll grow as a writer, and gain skills and experience that could open doors to creative professions such as publishing and arts management, as well as roles in educational and non-profit organisations.
• You’ll have the opportunity to apply for innovative work placement programmes with our partners First Story and the Ministry of Stories, which have been developed exclusively for Goldsmiths. Recent placement students have gone on to be employed with these organisations after graduation.
• As well as providing professional skills, this degree will give you an invaluable toolbox of writing, teaching, and research strategies that will contribute to your personal and artistic growth.
• You’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore how creative writing can be used as a research methodology, and bring a unique contribution to many different forms of learning.
• You’ll have the opportunity to learn from some of the leading academics in the field of creative writing. Our staff are pioneers in the use of creative writing for research. The head of programme, Francis Gilbert , has taught creative writing to all ages, and is the author of best-selling memoirs, novels and educational guides.
• This degree is interdisciplinary, and you’ll work with experts in education, creative writing, and psychology. You will gain insights into the areas of race, action research, ethnography, queer theory and many others to further enrich your studies.
• You’ll learn how writing can be used in dynamic, real-world settings such as charities, prisons, schools, creative and mental health organisations, and the cultural/corporate sector.
• Alumni include some of the most significant writers to emerge in recent years such as  Raymond Antrobus ,  Dean Atta ,  S.K. Perry  and  Sara Hirsch – read what our students and graduates had to say below.
• You’ll benefit from our many partnerships with high-profile creative and educational organisations including  First Story ,  Apples and Snakes , the  British Library ,  Ministry of Stories , and the  Poetry Society . Our students have previously taken part in performances, poetry and writing workshops, drama productions, and creative research projects for these institutions, as well as getting paid to work in schools, hospitals, and charities.

You can read some of the amazing work written by previous MA Creative Writing and Education graduates in the Story Makers Dialogue magazine .

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Francis Gilbert (Educational Studies) .

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject. You will need to submit a portfolio of your creative or life writing when you apply.

Home - full-time: £10350 Home - part-time: £5175 International - full-time: £18560

Departments

Educational Studies English and Creative Writing

Watch videos about this programme

What you'll study.

Teaching on this degree is active. You’ll learn through a series of lectures, seminars and workshops, as well as a vibrant series of events and conferences.

You'll take the following compulsory modules:

Optional modules

Additionally, you'll choose 30 credits of optional modules from an annually approved list.

Dissertation or portfolio

You'll also undertake a project-based portfolio or dissertation based in either the Department of Educational Studies or the Department of English and Creative Writing. This is worth 60 credits. 

Note about optional modules (if available): The above is indicative of the typical modules offered, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. The module content and availability is subject to change.

The assessments for the modules are creative and tailored to highlight your strengths. You can choose from a menu of options, and submit podcasts/webpages/videos for some of your final assignments, or you can write more formal academic essays.

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject.

You will need to submit a portfolio of your creative or life writing when you apply. Your portfolio should include one item, or a combination of items, from the following list (up to a maximum of 6,000 words):

• One or two short stories
• 10-15 poems
• Two or three extracts from a novel
• Two or three extracts from non-fiction writing

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about  the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or  equivalent English language qualification ) of  7.0 with a 7.0 in writing and no element lower than 6.5  to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of  courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study .

What our students say

Carrie Sweeney

Studying at Goldsmiths has been such an important step in my vocational and educational formation.

View profile

Gabriel Troiano

At Goldsmiths, people are pioneers, they are curious, so expect to be and live in that mentality.

Siamak Khezrian

At Goldsmiths, originality is encouraged.

How to apply

Apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system

Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:

• Details of  your academic qualifications
• The  email address of your referee  who we can request a reference from, or alternatively a copy of your academic reference
• Copies of  your educational transcripts   or certificates
• A  personal statement  – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online.  Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement
• A  portfolio of your creative or life writing  (see entry requirements for details)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. 

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an earlier application deadline.

Selection process

Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Find out  more about applying .

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees.

These are the PG fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

• Home - full-time: £10350
• Home - part-time: £5175
• International - full-time: £18560

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office , who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment .

Funding opportunities

Explore the Goldsmiths scholarships finder to find out what funding you may be eligible for.

Paying your fees

Find out about paying your tuition fees .

If you are a UK student you may be eligible for a  postgraduate loan .

Meanwhile our Careers Service  can also offer advice on finding work during your studies.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page .

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Where this degree can take you

The MA Creative Writing and Education enables you to develop strong writing skills to a potentially publishable level and engage in sustained practical and theoretical research into writing practices.

The programme aims to provide a transformative experience, generating knowledge and stimulating self-discovery through creative, radical and intellectually rigorous thinking and practice.

It will develop particular Goldsmiths graduate attributes and is underpinned by the following values, styles and skills:

• Creative and artistic thinking that enables freedom of thought and expression and develops articulacy
• Independent and radical thought that encourages students to think differently and challenge the norms
• Passion and engagement which leads to students becoming more socially aware, flexible, and able to work in a team
• Confidence in communicating with others and developing critical and analytical skills to enable excellent research and practice.

We have forged important links with local cultural institutions that can lead to new job opportunities and experiences working in a range of educational contexts.

• Raymond Antrobus , winner of the Ted Hughes award, PBS Winter Choice, A Sunday Times Young Writer of the year award and The Guardian Poetry Book Of The Year, 2018
• Dean Atta, Young Adult author of  The Black Flamingo
• Niall Bourke , who won the 2015 Costa Short Story Award
• Joshua Seigal , who was shortlisted for the National Literacy Trust Award 2015

A number of students have also published their academic research in prestigious scholarly journals.

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Creative Writing and Education

• Edited by: Graeme Harper
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Multilingual Matters
• Copyright year: 2015
• Keywords: Creative Writing ; Composition ; Teaching Creative Writing ; Researching Creative Writing ; Creative Writing practice ; Critical understanding in Creative Writing ; Assessing Creative Writing ; “creative writing” and “education” ; Pedagogy ; Creative Writing Workshop
• Published: April 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781783093540