MA Creative Writing Crime Fiction (Part Time)

Key Details

Attendance: Part Time
Award: Degree of Master of Arts
Course Length: 2 years
Course Start Date: September 2023

Other Start Dates

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Course Overview

Imagine writing an innovative full-length novel under the guidance of award-winning crime writers and experienced creative writing tutors. All without relocating or giving up work.

UEA’s part-time, low-residency MA Creative Writing Crime Fiction gives you unique flexibility with a distance-learning course supported by residencies. You’ll take the course via a specially designed, highly inclusive online platform, with three 2-day residential periods per year, circumstances permitting.

Our residencies have involved visits from literary agents and editors as well as professional writers such as Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Arne Dahl, Denise Mina, Dreda Say Mitchell, Cath Staincliffe, and Yrsa Siguroardottir.

By the end of the course, you will have a draft of a full-length work, a stronger self-awareness as a writer and critic, and a greatly increased chance of publication.

About

The Creative Writing programme at UEA was the first of its kind in the UK and is distinguished by the unrivalled success of its alumni, who include the 2017 Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, and his fellow Booker Prize-winners Ian McEwan and Anne Enright. We introduced the first MA in 1970, the first PhD in 1987, and students now join us from all over the world.

The MA Crime Fiction builds on our world-leading expertise, presenting you with the unique opportunity to further your knowledge and skills within the highly dynamic crime genre. We have now embedded critical crime fiction and non-fiction modules across most levels of taught study within the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, and doctoral research and supervision in the area is also growing at UEA. Plus, we’re a founding partner of Norwich’s annual crime writing festival, which takes place in September, coinciding with the September residential period.

The principal aim of the course is to help you develop a deeper understanding of the craft and context of producing exceptional crime writing, and have an enhanced critical awareness. By the end of the course, you’ll have become more adept and more self-aware in your own practice, and you will have completed a draft of a full-length novel.

You’ll become fully conversant with all aspects of being a professional writer, and – like all UEA creative writing students – will enjoy greatly enhanced prospects of publication on graduation. Our course builds on our extensive connections with publishers and agents.

Entry Requirements

Degree Classification

Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent

Degree Subject

Any subject

English Foreign Language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 7.0 (minimum 7.0 in writing and 6.0 in all other components)
PTE (Pearson): 76 (minimum 76 in writing and 64 in all other components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests

INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk

Interviews

Promising candidates will be invited for an online interview with a member of the Creative Writing faculty and we aim to inform candidates of the outcome within five working days. Unsuccessful candidates are welcome to re-apply, though not within the same academic year. Successful candidates will either be offered a place for the forthcoming academic year or a place for the following academic year (if it is felt that they need more time to develop as a writer). Once the forthcoming year is ‘full’ candidates will be offered a place on our reserve list with the option of a place for the following academic year if a place does not become available.

Intakes

This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.

Additional Information or Requirements

Candidates are required to submit a portfolio of writing for assessment of between 3000 and 5000 words with their application. This could be part of a novel in progress or a piece or pieces of short fiction. This does not have to be crime writing focused but must be prose fiction.

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2023/24 are:

UK Students: Course part-time on a two-year basis. Course fee charged £5,350 per academic year (£10,700 over course).
International Students: Course part-time on a two-year basis. Course fee charged £5,350 per academic year (£10,700 over course).

We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.

Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.

Scholarships and Bursaries

The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.

Course Related Costs

You will need to pay expenses for the residentials – including travel, accommodation and subsistence.

Please see Additional Course Fees for details of other course-related costs.

How to Apply

Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.

To apply please use our online application form.

Please note that the closing date for receipt of complete applications (including all documentation and references) is 1 July 2023. However, the course may become full before the closing date and so candidates are advised to apply as early as possible.

Please note that those candidates offered a place on the course for the forthcoming academic year will not be able to defer their offer to the next year if they are unable to take up the offer of a place, however they are welcome to reapply the next year.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:

Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk

International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.

Employability

After the Course

Thanks to the reputation of Creative Writing at UEA, you’ll graduate with many opportunities in the creative industries open to you.

We have excellent links with literary agents and publishers, some of whom visit the campus and/or the online platform to talk to students during the May residential. Publication aside, a significant number of our graduates go on to work in teaching, publishing, as literary agents, in journalism, public relations, the film industry, communications, the media, and arts development and administration. Others pursue PhDs and academic careers.

Careers

A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.

Examples of careers you could enter include:

Novelist
Creative writing teacher
Literary agent or publisher
Journalist
Arts administrator
Public relations and media