Creative Writing MSc
Awards: MSc
Study modes: Full-time
Funding opportunities
Programme website: Creative Writing
The community has been one of my favourite parts. The department has very warm and encouraging staff. Some of my classmates are now close friends, and we still workshop stories across time zones, and complain to each other about writing - and not writing!
Based in the first UNESCO World City of Literature, this one-year, full-time taught Masters programme is tailored towards your practice in either fiction or poetry.
There is a strong practical element to the programme, helping you develop your creative skills through:
- workshops
- presenting your work for peer discussion
- hearing from guest writers and other professionals on the practicalities of life as a writer
You will also sharpen your critical skills through:
- seminars exploring the particulars of your chosen form
- option courses in literature, helping you move from theoretical considerations to practical applications
The programme culminates with the publication of ‘From Arthur’s Seat,’ an anthology of student work.
Why Edinburgh?
Literature has been taught here for over 250 years, and today Edinburgh thrives on its designation as the first UNESCO World City of Literature. The city is home to the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Poetry Library, and a number of celebrated publishing outlets, from Canongate and Polygon, to Luath Press, Birlinn and Mariscat. The University hosts the prestigious James Tait Black Awards, established in 1919, and is one of the oldest literary prizes in Britain.
There are lots of opportunities to write and share your work, from ‘The Student,’ the UK’s oldest student newspaper (founded in 1887 by Robert Louis Stevenson), 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 will find:
- library readings and bookshop launches
- spoken word gigs
- cabaret nights
- poetry slams
Edinburgh isn’t just historic – it’s a modern hub for literature. That’s part of what makes the city great for writing.
Austin Crowley, MSc in Creative Writing, 2023
We teach our programme in a team so that you benefit from the input of a range of tutors, as well as your fellow students and our Writer in Residence, the poet and author Michael Pedersen, who also co-ordinates a range of student writing prizes and our annual industry and networking event.
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:
Over the duration of the programme, you will take:
- two core courses, both worth 40 credits
- two optional courses chosen from a wide range of subjects, both worth 20 credits
The core activities in Creative Writing are:
- tutor-led workshops, in which you will present your work-in-progress and critique the work of your fellow students
- regular seminars exploring techniques and issues specific to your practice (either fiction or poetry) and the statements and theories of practitioners
Optional courses
We have a large number of option courses to choose from, including preferred courses for fiction and poetry (which will be offered to Creative Writing students in the first instance), and courses from across the Department of English Literature and the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures.
Visiting speakers
Throughout the programme, you will be expected to attend readings and talks by visiting speakers. Early on, these will be from published writers and, later, advisors from the writing business: literary agents, magazine editors and publishers.
Dissertation
The final element of the programme is your dissertation, a piece of creative writing (worth 60 credits) written with the advice and support of a designated supervisor.
Fiction dissertations are between 15,000 words and 20,000 words, and poetry dissertations between 25 and 30 pages.
Find out more about compulsory and optional courses
We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.
| Award | Title | Duration | Study mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc | Creative Writing | 1 Year | Full-time | Programme structure 2024/25 |
On successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
- identify, conceptualise and define formal elements of craft in your chosen field (poetry or fiction) within published works and within works by your peers
- remain open to criticism and respond effectively and creatively to feedback on your own creative work
- work from initial conception through multiple drafts to the final version of a creative piece within your chosen field (fiction or poetry)
- transfer editorial skills and creative abilities from one context to another
- analyse creative works within your chosen field (fiction or poetry), work with a focus on craft effectiveness, and articulate strengths and weaknesses in a piece of writing in a constructive manner
Over the course of this programme, you will complete a body of creative work that has been rigorously peer reviewed.
Our students go on to careers in a wide variety of fields, including:
- publishing
- marketing
- arts administration
- web and audio book editing
- script and ghost writing
- gaming narrative design
Some decide to extend their studies and take a PhD with us.
Many of our alumni go on to achieve literary success, publishing novels and short story and poetry collections, and winning awards. Our graduates’ recent successes include:
debut novels from:
- Amanda Block (The Lost Storyteller, published by Hodder Studio)
- Karin Nordin (Where Ravens Roost, published by Harper Collins)
- Marielle Thompson (Where Ivy Dares to Grow, published by Kensington Books)
- August Thomas (Liar’s Candle, published by Simon and Schuster)
- Rosie Walker (Secrets of a Serial Killer, published by One More Chapter)
- Mark Wightman (Waking the Tiger, published by Hobeck Books and shortlisted for Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021)
debut poetry collections from:
- Tim Tim Cheng (The Tattoo Collector, published by Nine Arches Press)
- Rebecca Tamás (WITCH, published by Penned in the Margins)
- Naomi Morris (Hyperlove, published by Makina Books)
- Aileen Ballantyne (Taking Flight, published by Luath Press)
debut short story collections from:
- Dayle Furlong (Lake Effect, published by Cormorant Books)
- Dima Alzayat (Alligator and Other Stories, shortlisted for the James Tait Black Award for Fiction)
the 2024 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, won by Wendelin Law
- the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award 2024 (Poetry), won by Medha Singh
- the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award 2024 (Children's/YA Writing), won by Amos O'Connor
- the Society of Authors' ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award 2024, won by Alexandra Ye
- the 2023 Nebula Award for best novella, won by Ai Jiang
- the 2022 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, won by Alyson Kissner
- the 2021 Brotherton Poetry Prize, won by Lauren Pope
- the 2021 Pontas & JJ Bola Emerging Writers Prize, won by Bhavika Govil
Meet our graduates
I think what is most important for a writer is meeting new people, walking across the world, and learning to understand cultures and perspectives outside their own. Edinburgh held a wealth of experiences from across the world in one location, which I found extremely enriching and refreshing.
Ai Jiang, MSc in Creative Writing, 2022
These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.
A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in any discipline. This will often be in a directly related subject like English Literature/Creative Writing, but we welcome applicants from all academic backgrounds.
Applicants who are entered into selection will be asked to provide a sample of written work to enable their suitability for the programme to be assessed.
Students from China
This degree is Band C.
International qualifications
Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:
English language requirements
Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which 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 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
- Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 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:
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).
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.
Find out more about our language requirements:
| Award | Title | Duration | Study mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc | Creative Writing | 1 Year | Full-time | Tuition fees |
Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.
Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:
borrowing money
taking out a loan
family support
personal savings
income from work
employer sponsorship
- scholarships
Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study
Featured funding
If you are intending to study full-time on this Creative Writing programme, you are eligible for a William Hunter Sharpe Memorial Award which will contribute towards your tuition fees.
You do not need to apply for this award – all eligible candidates who apply for the programme by Monday 5 May 2025 will be considered and contacted if successful.
Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:
- Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
- Contact: College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Admissions Office
- School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- 50 George Square
- Central Campus
- Edinburgh
- EH8 9LH
- Programme: Creative Writing
- School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Applying
Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.
MSc Creative Writing - 1 Year (Full-time)
Due to high demand, this programme operates a gathered field approach to admissions, with two application deadlines as noted below.
Each application round has a decision deadline, also listed below, but note that we may make offers to the strongest candidates on an ongoing basis, in advance of the published decision deadline.
We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible, especially if you intend to apply for funding. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. If you are considering applying for our pre-sessional English Language programme, please make sure you apply in Round 1.
Please note that for an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including references and transcripts. English language documentation can be submitted later but if you have already met the English language entry requirements for your programme at the time of application, your application may be considered more competitive in selection than applications where an English language test still needs to be taken.
Selection deadlines
| Round | Application deadline | Places awarded by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 January 2025 | 17 April 2025 |
| 2 | 29 May 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Deadlines for UK/Scotland fee status
After Round 2, if there are still places available, applications will remain open only to applicants who are eligible for the UK/Scotland fee rate, including the EU/EEA Pre-settled Scotland fee status. Applications will remain open no later than 30 June 2025 and may close earlier than this if the programme becomes full, so we strongly recommend you apply as soon as possible.
If you apply with another fee status after 29 May 2025, your application will be rejected.
(Revised 17 October 2024 to add application deadlines and selection process information)
You must submit one reference with your application.
The online application process involves the completion of a web form and the submission of supporting documents.
Portfolio
You should supply a portfolio of writing.
- For poetry, this should be six (6) pages of poetry, starting a new page for each new poem of 14 lines or over.
- For fiction, this should be a complete story or stories, or an equivalent amount from a longer work (between 2,500 and 3,500 words).
These are firm limits.
If you are undecided about whether to apply for fiction or poetry, you should send a sample of both, i.e. six (6) pages of poetry and 2,500-3,500 words of fiction (if offered a place it will be for one or the other).
Work in other forms (for example journalism, life writing or advertising) will not be considered.
Personal statement
When writing your personal statement, consider the following questions:
- What do you most hope to learn/gain from a Creative Writing degree, and why is ours the programme for you?
- Tell us about your writing: what are you interested in and why? Are there aspects of your current practice you're particularly proud of? Things you know you need to work on?
What (if any) prior experience do you have of studying Creative Writing?
Guidance on the application process and supporting documents
All supporting documents, including references, must be uploaded to the online application system by the deadline date.
Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:
Further information
- Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
- Contact: College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Admissions Office
- School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- 50 George Square
- Central Campus
- Edinburgh
- EH8 9LH
- Programme: Creative Writing
- School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences