creative writing oxford university

MSt in Creative Writing

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The MSt in Creative Writing is a two-year, part-time master's degree course offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialisation, and critical and creative breadth.

The emphasis of the course is cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces their creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community.

The MSt offers a clustered learning format of five residences, two guided retreats and one research placement over two years. The research placement, a distinguishing feature of the course, provides between one and two weeks' in-house experience of writing in the real world.

The first year concentrates equally on prose fiction, poetry, dramatic writing and narrative non-fiction. There is a significant critical reading and analysis component, which is linked to the writerly considerations explored in each of the genres. In your second year you will specialise in one of the following:

• short fiction
• radio drama
• screenwriting
• stage drama
• narrative non-fiction.

The residences in particular offer an intensive workshop- and seminar-based forum for ideas exchange and for the opening up of creative and critical frameworks within which to develop writerly and analytical skills. There is a strong element of one-to-one tutorial teaching. Tutorials take place within residences and retreats, and relate to the on-going work produced for the course.

This course is part-time. You will be required to attend residences in Oxford during the first year as well as a research placement in the second year.

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.

The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.

The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.

The Rewley House Continuing Education Library , one of the Bodleian Libraries, is situated in Rewley House. The department aims to support the wide variety of subjects covered by departmental courses at many academic levels. The department also has a collection of around 73,000 books together with periodicals. PCs in the library give access to the internet and the full range of electronic resources subscribed to by the University of Oxford. The Jessop Reading Room adjoining the library is available for study.

The department provides various IT facilities , including the Student Computing Facility which provides individual PCs for your use. 

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department for Continuing Education and this role will usually be performed by the Course Director. It is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Department for Continuing Education.

You will be assigned a supervisor who will work closely with you throughout the development of the year two final project and extended essay. All assessed work throughout the two years of the course is subject to one-to-one feedback and discussion with a tutor. This intensive, one-to-one input, combined with the highly interactive workshop and seminar sessions, is a distinguishing feature of the course.

The MSt is assessed by coursework. In the first year, four assignments (two creative, two critical), one creative writing portfolio and one critical essay are submitted. Work is set during each residence and handed in for assessment before the next meeting. Feedback on work submitted is given during tutorials within the residence or retreat. In the second year, submissions comprise one research placement report, one extended critical essay, and a final project – a substantial body of creative work in the genre of choice. 

You will be set specific creative and critical work to be completed between residences and handed in to set deadlines. Creative submissions in the first year must be in more than one genre. In the second year, submitted work focuses around the genre of your choice.

Graduate destinations

Graduate destinations have included publishing creative work in a chosen field, careers in arts/media, and doctoral programmes in creative writing.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a first-class or upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours  in a related field.

For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience 

• Assessors are looking for writers with a proven record of commitment to their craft, whose work demonstrates significant creative promise. You should be a keen reader, and bring an open-minded, questioning approach to both reading and writing. You will not necessarily have yet achieved publication, but you will have written regularly and read widely over a sustained period. You will be keen to dedicate time and energy and staying-power to harnessing your talent, enlarging your skills, and aiming your writerly production at consistently professional standards. It is likely you will have a first degree, or equivalent, although in some cases other evidence of suitability may be acceptable.
• Applicants do not need to be previously published, but the MSt is unlikely to be suitable for those who are just starting out on their writerly and critical development.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.  

For those applying by the January deadline, interviews are generally held in February and March. For March applicants, interviews are generally held in March and April.

The decision to call an applicant for interview is based on the University Admission Board's assessment of your portfolio, statement of purpose, academic and professional track record and references. Interviews will be conducted in person or by telephone. There are always two interviewers. Interviews usually last up to approximately 30 minutes and provide an opportunity for the candidate to discuss his/her application and to explore the course in more detail.

The interview is designed to ascertain, through a range of questions, the shape and emphasis of the candidate's writing and reading, and general suitability for the demands of the MSt. 

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Department for Continuing Education

The need for new learning opportunities throughout life is recognised throughout society. An intensive, initial period of higher education is not always enough, or possible, in times of rapid social, economic and technological change. The Department for Continuing Education is known worldwide as a leading provider of extended learning for professional and personal development.

The department provides high-quality, flexible, part-time graduate education, tailored for adults. Students can undertake graduate-level certificates, diplomas and taught master’s degrees in a wide range of subjects. Increasing numbers of courses are delivered in mixed mode, combining intensive periods of residence in Oxford with tutored online study.

The department recruits adult students of all ages on a regional, national and international level. Many courses are offered jointly with other academic departments around the University. Courses are offered in the following areas:

• Mathematical, physical and life sciences
• Medical and health sciences
• Social sciences .

All postgraduate students on the department's courses are members of its Graduate School. The department's  Graduate School aims to provide a stimulating and enriching environment for learning and research. It also supports intellectual and social interaction between graduates of different disciplines and professions from the UK and around the globe. Interdisciplinary research seminars, training opportunities and other events are offered by the Graduate School in support of this goal.

The department's Graduate School will help you make the most of the wealth of resources and opportunities available, paying particular regard to the support and guidance needed if you are following a part-time graduate programme. The department’s graduate community comprises over 600 members following taught programmes and more than 70 undertaking doctoral research.

The department is located in a block of attractive Victorian houses in Wellington Square in central Oxford close to some of the University's major libraries and museums and to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. The city's historic sites, colleges, shops and restaurants are only a few minutes' walk away. The modernised and extended site has its own fully equipped seminar rooms, library, reading room, student computing facility, graduate school study/social room, dining-room, common- room, garden seating areas and short-term student accommodation. Depending on the programme you are taking with the department, you may require accommodation at some point in your student career. The department has 35 en-suite study bedrooms , all with high quality amenities, including internet access.

The Rewley House dining room has seating for up to 132 people. A full meal service is available daily. The department operates a Common Room with bar for students.

All masters' and DPhil applicants are considered for Clarendon Scholarships . The department is committed to seeking scholarship support for other students wherever possible.

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For entry in the 2025-26 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.

If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.

To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible,  use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool  to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including  a range of external funding ,  loan schemes for postgraduate study  and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on  our fees, funding and scholarship search tool .

Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:

Select from the list:

Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.

For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2025-26

Information about course fees.

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

This course has residential sessions (residences and retreats) in Oxford. You will need to meet your travel costs in attending these sessions. The tuition fee includes the cost of board and lodging during the residences and retreats (eg for a four day residence, three nights accommodation will be provided). Further, as part of your course requirements, you will need to complete a research placement in the second year. For this placement you will need to meet your travel and accommodation costs, and any other incidental expenses. You may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses. Further information about departmental funding can be found on the department's website. Please check with your specific college for bursary or other funding possibilities.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

Living costs for part-time study

Your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you will still need to cover your cost of living on a full-time basis for the duration of your course, even if you will not be based in Oxford throughout your studies. While the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student living in Oxford is between £1,425 and £2,035 per month, living costs outside Oxford may be different.

Part-time students who are not based in Oxford will need to calculate travel and accommodation costs carefully. Depending on your circumstances and study plans, this may include the  cost of a visitor visa to attend for short blocks of time (assuming that visitor visa eligibility criteria are met).

Further information about living costs

The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs , which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . 

If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide. 

The following colleges accept students on the MSt in Creative Writing:

• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Harris Manchester College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Oriel College
• Regent's Park College
• St Catherine's College
• Somerville College
• Wadham College
• Wycliffe Hall

Before you apply

Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.

If you have any questions about the course, these should be directed to the course administrator via the contact details provided on this page.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents . 

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Referees: Three overall, academic and/or professional

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

Your references will support your commitment to creative writing and suitability to pursue a course of this nature at graduate level. Both professional and academic references are acceptable.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

A CV/résumé is compulsory for all applications. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic and writerly achievements and any relevant professional experience.

Statement of purpose: A maximum of 750 words

The statement of purpose should contain sufficient detail to allow it to be assessed against the indicated criteria.

Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you and/or in which you intend to specialise.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This will be assessed for:

• your reasons for applying
• evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
• the ability to present a reasoned case in English
• commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
• capacity for sustained and intense work
• reasoning ability and quality of written expression
• capacity to address issues of writerly and critical significance.

Written work: A maximum of 2,000 words of prose fiction or narrative non-fiction or 10 short poems or 15 minutes of dramatic writing (stage, screen, radio or TV)

Your portfolio of creative writing for assessment can be in any of the four genres, or in more than one. It should be clearly indicative of your ability in creative writing.

This will be assessed for excellence in creative writing.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice .

Apply Continue application

After you've submitted your application

Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will  not  be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can  find out more about our shortlisting and selection process  in our detailed guide to what happens next.

Find out how to manage your application after submission , using our Applicant Self-Service tool.

Admission status

Open to applications for entry in 2025-26

12:00 midday UK time on:

Wednesday 29 January 2025

Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships

Tuesday 4 March 2025

Applications may remain open after this deadline if places are still available - see below

A later deadline under 'Admission status'

If places are still available,  applications may be accepted after 4 March . The Admission status (above) will provide notice of any later deadline.

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2022-23 to 2024-25)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Department for Continuing Education

• Course page  and blog on  department website
• Funding information from the department
• Academic staff
• Departmental research
• Continuing Education Graduate School
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 280145

Application-process enquiries

Application guide

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

Master's in Creative Writing

• About the MSt
• Alumni News
• Links & Resources
• The MSt blog is back!

Hi everyone!

After a brief hiatus, the MSt blog is now back with updates from the new course team: Clare, Amal, Kate, Mary Jean and Barney. We’re kicking off with an entry from Mary Jean, our new Departmental Lecturer in Poetry. Here is what they have been reading and researching lately:

What I’m Reading Now

Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood

This is a mesmerizing novel which meditates on how we might respond to our world’s multiple crises (ecological or otherwise) – can we flee from them as the protagonist in the novel attempts to do by deciding to live in a convent, and is it in fact possible to keep ourselves safe from the uncomfortable truths we’d rather not look in the eye? The novel asks difficult questions about forgiveness, guilt and how one might live ethically. I loved Wood’s writing style; she has the precision of a poet and draws the reader in with sensual, atmospheric scenes.

James by Percival Everett

I found Everett’s retelling of the classic story of Huckleberry Finn deeply moving and eye-opening. Language is foregrounded in this novel: it becomes a tool for camouflage for slaves who need to appear as if they can’t read or speak eloquently to satisfy the twisted egos and expectations of their white slave owners. I also found the complex friendship between James and Huck to be honest and sincere, and it is ultimately their relationship which constitutes the beating heart of this novel. This is a book which will stay with me for a very long time.

Current Projects / Research

I am researching what ‘queer reading’ means in preparation for the 2025 LGBT+ History Month lecture which I will be giving next year at Oxford. I’ve been excited about a forthcoming book titled The Edinburgh Companion to Queer Reading (2024) and have been returning to the writings of Sara Ahmed for inspiration, particularly Queer Phenomenology: Orientations, Objects, Others (2006). I am also working on an essay for a series in Poetry Magazine called ‘Hard Feelings’, having chosen ‘anger’ as the feeling I’d like to focus on. This is proving to be a hard essay to write indeed, but it has also been a nice excuse for me to return to interesting work by D.W. Winnicott, Alison Bechdel and Darian Leader which are enabling me to think through familiar concepts in a different light.

• MSt alum Bette Adriaanse’s new novel, What’s Mine, is coming out with US publisher Unnamed Press this August.

MSt alum Bette Adriaanse’s new novel, What’s Mine , is coming out with US publisher Unnamed Press this August.

There will be several launch events, as follows:

AUGUST 15, 6PM UK time, ONLINE: Bette joins Caoilinn in Conversation for Chicago bookstore Exile in Bookville.

Details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/caoilinn-in-conversation-with-bette-adriaanse-tickets-686659987507?aff=oddtdtcreator

AUGUST 16, 7PM, LOS ANGELES, CA: North Fig Books with Gallagher Lawson.

Details: https://northfigbookshop.com/events/?page=1

AUGUST 22, 7PM, SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The Interval at Long Now Foundation with Chelsea T. Hicks, Brian Eno, Aqui Thami and Margaret Levi.

Details: https://longnow.org/ideas/radical-sharing/

AUGUST 25, SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The Internet Archive.

Details: find details on www.betteadriaanse.nl soon

“WHAT’S MINE is a surprising and deep work with a persistent quiet momentum carrying the reader back-and-forth in time and space across the slivers of four interlocking lives. It is totally engaging.”

“Bette Adriaanse is becoming a major literary novelist in the best European tradition. She has the down-and-out life experiences of the early Orwell, the desperate humor of Flann O’Brien, the prose immediacy of Beckett, and the avalanche of bureaucracy of Kafka. WHAT’S MINE is a stellar achievement of depicting the absurdist brutality of contemporary urban capitalism where nothing but narcissism and arbitrary outcomes rule.”

—ALAN N SHAPIRO

• MSt alumnus Martin Jago’s poetry collection, Photofit, is published in the UK today.

MSt alumnus Martin Jago’s poetry collection, Photofit, is published in the UK today. More information about the book is available here: http://www.pindroppress.com/books/Photofit.html

• Congratulations to MSt alum Sam Moore

MSt alum Sam Moore’s new book, Search history, is now available from Queer Street Press ( https://queerstreetpress.com/Menu ).

• Congratulations to Aisha Hassan

Orion Fiction has acquired MSt alum Aisha Hassan ‘s début novel The Boy Who Built Lahore  and one other title in a six-figure deal. Charlotte Mursell, publishing director, pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights from Hellie Ogden at Janklow & Nesbit UK in under 24 hours. US rights have been sold at auction to Alison Callahan at Simon & Schuster and translation rights have sold at auction in Spain (Almuzara) and the Netherlands (Mosaiek). Orion will publish in May 2025.  See https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/rights/orion-fiction-pre-empts-hassans-heartbreaking-debut-in-six-figure-two-book-deal for more information.

50 States of Mind

Alum Ryan Bernsten’s book 50 States of Mind: A Journey to Rediscover American Democracy  is being published in the UK and the states with Bite-Sized Books. Ryan began the work as his year two project on the course.

50 States of Mind: A Journey to Rediscover American Democracy  is a work of travel nonfiction in the style of Alexis de Tocqueville that takes readers on a long and winding journey through all 50 states to explore the complexities of today’s America. Leading with the desire to listen and overcome preconceived notions, Bernsten ultimately offers a hopeful vision for the future of America as he embarks on a search for meaning and reflects on what it means to be American. The companion podcast “50 States of Mind,” featured in  Condé Nast Traveler , showcases live interviews from the journey and is available on all podcast platforms. 

One can download the audiobook on  Audible  with a free trial or credit, or save 10% on Lantern Audio’s website  with code ListenFirst10. One can also pre-order the US hardcover here  (released June 2023) or order the UK paperback or ebook on Amazon . Visit 50statesofmind.org  for more info.

Course Director Dr Clare Morgan appearing at the Oxford Literary Festival on 31 March 2023

On 31 March at 6pm, MSt Course Director Dr Clare Morgan will be in conversation with fellow writer Susan Sellers , discussing how and why the radically experimental and pioneering writers Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield continue to inspire contemporary writing. They’ll be relating their discussion to their own recently published works of fiction,  Scar Tissue  and  Firebird: a Bloomsbury Love Story.   

Further information about this and other events taking place as part of the Oxford Literary Festival can be found here .

Course Director Dr Clare Morgan in conversation with Tim Pears in Oxford on 2 March

MSt Course Director Dr Clare Morgan will discuss her writing with fellow short fiction writer Tim Pears, at Waterstones in Oxford on Thursday 2nd March.

For more information and to book a ticket click here .

Dr Clare Morgan giving seminar on ‘Writing the Short Story,’ 24th November at Kellogg College, Oxford

Dr Clare Morgan, Director of the MSt in Creative Writing, will be giving a seminar on ‘Writing the Short Story’ at the Kellogg College Centre for Creative Writing on Thursday 24th November.

The session will take place in the Mawby Room at 5.00pm (refreshments) for a 5.30pm start. All are welcome and there is no need to book.

Dr Morgan’s stories have been widely anthologized and commissioned by BBC Radio 4, and her new collection, Scar Tissue was published by Seren in September 2022. 

MSt tutor Jane Draycott’s ‘The Claim’ is The Guardian’s Poem of the Week

‘The Claim,’ from Jane Draycott’s recently published fifth collection, The Kingdom , has been selected by Carol Rumen’s as Poem of the Week in The Guardian . 

Also in The Guardian , David Morley wrote that Jane’s work demonstrates, “a patient intelligence of practice, and concision of address, not only in every poem … but in the very philosophy of perception informing her poetics.” Of her previous collection, he wrote, “I’ve waited some time to read something this intelligent, this sensuous and this crystalline. In fact The Night Tree is the finest collection I’ve read for ages. What are you waiting for?”

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Course details

• Wed 08 Jan 2025 to 21 Mar 2025

Advanced Creative Writing (Online)

There are no time-tabled sessions on this course. Using a specially designed virtual learning environment this online course guides students through weekly pathways of directed readings and learning activities. Students interact with their tutor and the other course participants through tutor-guided, text-based forum discussions. There are no ‘live-time’ video meetings meaning you can study flexibly in your own time under the direct tuition of an expert. For further information please click here

This is an advanced course designed for students who have completed one of the introductory courses such as Getting Started in Creative Writing, or one or more of the specialist courses such as Writing Fiction, Writing Poetry, Writing Drama, or Writing Young Adult Fiction, or a similar course.

How do authors develop an initial idea into a completed work of fiction? A practical course covering all aspects of novel writing from character creation, story development to final edit. Designed to engender confidence and good writing practice for aspiring novelists.

The development of online publishing opportunities has given rise to an increased commercial success of the self-published author. Beginning with an investigation of how fiction can be created from the writer''s own experience, this course will explore the techniques used to develop and structure a sustained piece of original prose to a commercially viable standard. We will look at character creation and development across a variety of genres. We will learn how to assess the thematic content of contemporary fiction and how this is expressed in the progression of plot. We will examine how description and metaphor are used to support narrative purpose. At the same time, we will explore the role of the writer as self-editor and how close-reading and critical thinking can enable improved confidence in the development of a unique, individual voice which will appeal to a broad readership.

This course emphasises weekly reading and writing exercises, peer feedback, and tutor guidance. Tutors prompt and moderate discussions that centre on group learning rather than workshopping personal pieces of writing. Both assessed assignments receive detailed feedback from the tutor.

For information on how the courses work, please click here .

Programme details

Unit 1 - Write what you know

• Inspiration and application of ideas.
• How to write from personal experience and develop anecdote and memory into a piece of fiction.

Unit 2 - Beginnings, Middles, Endings

• How 3 act structure shapes a story.
• Where to start a story.
• Analysis of crisis points and reader expectation.
• The relationship between main plot and subplot.

Unit 3 - Character 1

• How to create a complex protagonist.
• Departure from expected archetypes.
• Internal vs. external life of character.
• The character with a secret.
• Character growth vs. character decline.

Unit 4 - Character 2

• Supporting characters and their function in story.
• The difference between primary and secondary characters and subsequent influence of story development.
• Secondary characters as chorus and jury.
• The role of the hidden/ invisible main character.

Unit 5 - What kind of story

• Genre expectation and how to subvert it.
• How to fit original ideas to specific genres.
• Commercial expectations of mainstream genres.
• How to subvert known genres.

Unit 6 - What's it all about

• Thematic development in story.
• How to identify the themes in self-created writing; how to dramatise these in character development and action to fit commercial expectation.

Unit 7 - Complex plotting

• Planning and execution in story.
• The concept of dual-plotting, and how this can play with readers' expectation.

Unit 8 - Whose story is it anyway

• Narrative point of view.
• How to choose your narrator and dramatic perspective to best serve plot and character development.

Unit 9 - How to tell it

• Use of description and metaphor.
• How descriptive prose can reveal character; the use of metaphor to provide clues within a complex narrative.

Unit 10 - When is it finished

• Self-editing.
• Good editorial practice, with a focus on how to create text to the standard expected by publishers and agents.
• How to create write synopsis and covering letter for commercial consideration.

We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral, and very rewarding, part of the course and the online learning experience.

Recommended reading

To participate in the course you will need to have regular access to the Internet and the following text books:

• Lodge, D., The Art of Fiction (London: Penguin, 1992)
• Mullan, J., How Novels Work (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006)
• Vogler, C., The Writers Journey (Studio City, CA, Michael Wise Productions, 1998)

If later editions of the course texts are available these will also be suitable.

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register and pay the £30 fee. 

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education, you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee. 

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment, whether registered for credit or not, will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Ms Elizabeth Garner

Elizabeth Garner is a novelist and editor with 25 years of experience of story-development in both film and publishing. She was written two novels: Nightdancing , which received the Betty Trask Award; and The Ingenious Edgar Jones , which was published to critical acclaim in the UK and USA. She has also published a collection of illustrated folk tales: Lost & Found . She is a freelance fiction editor and also teaches creative writing for OUDCE.

Ms Sara Taylor

Sara Taylor is a product of Virginia and the homeschooling movement. She received her Masters in Prose Fiction and Ph.D. in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of East Anglia. Her novels, published by Random House, explore the social construction of identity, sexuality, and family. She acts as co-director and editor of creative-critical publisher Seam Editions, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018.

Course aims

• Understand how to develop their ideas into a coherent, engaging and commercially viable piece of fiction.
• Become familiar with a range of fiction genres and learn how to shape their work accordingly.
• Critically analyse and discuss their own work with an awareness of the expectation of a public and professional readership.
• Learn the practical skills of self-editing and planning essential for the continuation and completion of their individual writing projects.
• Further develop confidence in their own original writing style.

Teaching methods

• Introductory section, outlining key areas of work within each unit.
• Description of required reading and recommended reading.
• Presentation of materials taken from additional (eg. online) sources, relevant to each unit.
• Online discussion forum.
• Online personal study diary.
• Area for short responses to literary extracts from key texts.
• Tutor responses to forum and exercises.
• Assessment and feedback.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course students will be expected to:

• Appreciate the diverse skill sets and techniques required in the construction and execution of a sustained piece of prose.
• Be able to think critically about their own work and make editorial choices accordingly.
• Be prepared to apply the skills acquired to continue and complete their own original, individual writing projects.

By the end of this course students will be expected to have gained the following skills:

• The ability to plan and structure ideas into a coherent outline for a novel.
• The ability to develop complex characters to the standard expected of commercially viable modern fiction.
• Critical assessment of the thematic content of a diverse range of contemporary fiction.
• Confidence in their ability as writers through the discovery and development of their own unique voice.
• An understanding of good working practice and self-editing.

Assessment methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements please follow this link: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/english-language-requirements

Application

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

Level and demands

FHEQ level 5, 10 weeks, approx 10 hours per week, therefore a total of about 100 study hours.

IT requirements

This course is delivered online; to participate you must to be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support

View a sample page to see if this course is for you