MA in Creative Writing

I'm seriously considering applying for a course either at Sheffield University or Leeds, possibly Sheffield Hallam. I'd really like to know what people's experiences of these institutions' courses are. For practical reasons, these are my only choices (though I've not looked into the other Leeds universities). Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

They’re not particularly known for their CW provision but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Have you looked into distance learning MAs as an alternative option?

Reply 2

Julian61

Thanks for this. Part of my motivation for doing a traditional rather than distance-learning course is to have the opportunity to join a writing community. Also, I really hate communicating through a screen!

Reply 3

jollytimes

What are your thoughts on best creative writing masters? I know UEA is very well rated but I need to do distance learning...

Reply 4

Julian61

I wonder what it is that really constitutes a good MA in Creative Writing. The criteria I am going on are structure of course, quality of material published by those who are teaching the course, and amount of contact time. This last point is why distant learning holds little appeal to me; I want to be part of a learning community that works together in the same soace, enjoys one another's company and so forth.

I also think expectations are very important. If I were ever to be published I would be delighted, but that’s a distant dream. I'm in the pleasant position of having recently retired so that I'm not really looking for a career, just to get better at writing and to see what I'm capable of. For that reason speaking directly with faculty members and getting a sense of what makes them tick is important to me. I've been very impressed with Leeds University's response so far, though I liked my discussion with someone from Sheffield too. Neither uni are 'famous' for creative writing but they're both good universities, and that counts for a lot.My choice of institution is limited by practical factors, i.e. where I live. If anyone has any thoughts on either place, I'd love to know them. It's difficult to find students or ex-students to give views.

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