CREATIVE WRITING (MFA)  CREATIVE WRITING (MFA) Birkbeck, University of London ../webroot/files/Institutions/cover_photo/1563773744Birkbeck-University-1.jpg

Do you already have an MA in creative writing but feel you would benefit from further writing projects with more intensive supervision? Our new MFA (Master of Fine Art) Creative Writing offers the opportunity to write a full-length work of fiction to a standard where it may be offered to literary agents. The course is taught through small, dynamic seminars and one-to-one dissertation tuition by regularly published and produced award-winning writers who will help you strengthen and professionalise your identity as a writer; one dissertation supervision period will be offered by a London-based literary agent.

As part of a small, supportive group of writers, you will regularly present work for critique by your peers, and develop a critical and aesthetic awareness of other writers' work. You will then develop your writing craft through a series of lectures and seminars.

In addition, novelists, editors and agents will be invited in to speak. In the past we have welcomed: Sarah Waters, Julie Myerson, Polly Samson, Rachel Cusk, Deborah Levy and Louise Doughty; Jamie Byng of Canongate, Francesca Main of Picador, Hannah Griffiths of Faber, Richard Beswick of Little, Brown; and agents from United Agents, AP Watt, Curtis Brown and Janklow and Nesbit.

Our standard postgraduate entry requirement is a second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university, or an equivalent international qualification.

We will review every postgraduate application to Birkbeck on its individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place and allow enough time for the application and enrolment process. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

COURSE SPECIFIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

An MA in Creative Writing from any accredited university. However, this requirement can be waived in individual cases.

Up to 5000 words of original writing in the genre of fiction or creative non-fiction, together with your application form.

You are also required to submit a 300-word description of the writing project you intend to work on, should you gain a place on the MFA.

Students are selected on the basis of their writing, an interview and their degree.

Two academic/professional references.

INTERNATIONAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Our standard postgraduate entry requirement for international students is a second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university or an equivalent international qualification.

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. Some courses may require higher scores, particularly in the following subject areas:

• arts management
• cultural studies
• development studies
• film and media
• geography
• history
• law
• organizational psychology
• psychology.

Please carefully check the Course-Specific Entry Requirements on your chosen programme for details of higher English language entry requirements.

If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses, foundation programmes and language support services to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

If you are not from the European Economic Area (EEA) and/or Switzerland and you are coming to study in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa.

The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

• Courses of more than six months' duration.
• Courses of less than six months' duration.
• Pre-sessional English language courses.

International students who require a Tier 4 visa should apply for our full-time courses (with the exception of modular enrolment certificates of higher education and graduate certificates), as these qualify for Tier 4 sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Tier 4 visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck's part-time courses (with the exception of some modules).

Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and examinations, although this will vary from course to course - on some of our courses, assessment is entirely by coursework. The methods of assessment on this course are specified below under 'Methods of assessment on this course'. You will need to allow time to complete coursework and prepare for exams.

Where a course has unseen written examinations, these may be held termly, but, on the majority of our courses, exams are usually taken in the Summer term, during May to June. Exams may be held at other times of the year as well. In most cases, exams are held during the day on a weekday - if you have daytime commitments, you will need to make arrangements for daytime attendance - but some exams are held in the evening. Exam timetables are published online.