Overview

The Creative Writing MPhil, PhD programme from Newcastle University offers supervision from a diverse range of experienced writers who are recognised specialists in their field. Areas of expertise include:

poetry
prose fiction, including fiction for children or young adults
writing for stage, screen, or radio

You can see the range of research topics our current students are working on.

Your research will have two main components:

1. The creation of a substantial, original piece of creative work:

a novel
a collection of short stories
a collection of poetry
a play script or screen play

2. An academic thesis related to your creative work, which could cover:

topics
genres
themes
a writer or group of writers

Many of our students go on to publication or performance either during or shortly after their studies.

Partners

We have strong links with a variety of partners, who all provide a wealth of materials, knowledge and opportunities:

Seven Stories: The National Centre for the Children's Book
Wordsworth Trust (Dove Cottage)
Bloodaxe Books
Northern Stage
Live Theatre
Tyneside Cinema

We are closely linked to the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts (NCLA), which puts you in regular contact with leading national and international creative practitioners. This develops your awareness of the creative, social and cultural issues that impacts and influences creative writing.

Research culture

Our rich research culture is fed by frequent public readings, seminars and workshops by staff, visiting artists, and postgraduates within the School. We also jointly sponsor The Newcastle/Bloodaxe Poetry Lectures with Bloodaxe Books. Recent writers include:

Paul Muldoon
Marilynne Robinson
Ali Smith
Kazuo Ishiguro
Nuruddin Farah
Andrea Levy

You will have the opportunity to participate with the NCLA and other faculties on multi-disciplinary research projects. For example, students have worked with linguists, computer scientists, musicians, film-makers, archivists, and visual artists on projects funded by leading research councils such as the AHRC, Clore Duffield, Wellcome Trust, and Arts Council England.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

The Faculty Training Programme provides a community made up of postgraduate social sciences and humanities students and staff. It is a unique blend of cross-disciplinary and generic researcher development training, recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as providing a solid basis for doctoral study.
Although your focus will be on your specialist study, our aim is for you to develop a broad range of research and project management skills that will support you in your career ahead. We have nurtured a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and supportive environment where staff and students from across the world can come together and share their research experiences. You can also choose to register for a Postgraduate Certificate in Research Training, which accredits the core foundation modules on the training programme.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months
Part-time
- 72 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-01-06 00:00:00

Apply anytime.
Starting 2025-09-15 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

More details

There is no application closing date for this course. We suggest international students apply at least two months before the course starts.

Language

English

IELTS

7

Schedule an IELTS test!

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Pass IELTS with Swoosh English! Sign up for a free writing masterclass or claim your exclusive 25% Studyportals discount and accelerate your preparation by taking a course designed by experts to get you the results you need.

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Education Creative Writing View 61 other PhDs in Creative Writing in United Kingdom

Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

IELTS

7

Schedule an IELTS test!

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Pass IELTS with Swoosh English! Sign up for a free writing masterclass or claim your exclusive 25% Studyportals discount and accelerate your preparation by taking a course designed by experts to get you the results you need.

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Newcastle University and/or in United Kingdom, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

A 2:1 honours degree, or international equivalent, in English. If you are applying for a PhD you also need a master's degree.
Along with your application you will be asked to submit examples of your creative writing, including two short stories, six poems or a script.
To obtain additional information about the program, we kindly suggest that you visit the programme website, where you can find further details and relevant resources.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

22800 GBP/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 22800 GBP per year during 36 months.
National

4786 GBP/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 4786 GBP per year during 36 months.

Living costs for Newcastle upon Tyne

560 - 991 GBP /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Loading

Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Creative Writing.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About