Master of Creative Writing - AUT University

TEL: 0207 193 7932   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Programme Code: AK1303
Level: 9
Points: 120
Duration: One year full time
Venue: City Campus
Starting date: 3 March 2008
Application deadline: Enrolments will be limited to 10 full time students. Applications will close whan the programme is full.

This postgraduate degree is a one year full time research degree providing students with the opportunity to work on a manuscript of their own choice under supervision and in consultation with an established fiction writer. The aim of the degree is to provide a supportive, collegial environment where students can explore and discover their own literary voice.

Class size will be limited to ten students.

History

The Centre for Modern Writing has grown out of discussions between a group of Auckland writers and publishers over the last four years, keen to establish a centre to nurture the region's best new writers and to do so in a supportive environment with its own esprit de corps.

Workshop / tutorial

Students will take part in a weekly two-three hour session as a group, in which they will develop their craft skills through completing practical exercises that will be presented to and shared amongst the group. Experience in creative writing courses has shown the weekly completion of writing exercises in a supportive environment can quickly develop the quality of students' work. Students will also work on their own portfolio or manuscript through the year and present this for constructive feedback within the group.

Reading Programme

All students will develop a reading programme and journal as part of their Masters year. Students will develop their own reading choices, in consultation with their supervisor. The journal is a craft-oriented work, developed with the goal of providing each student with an ongoing commentary on his or her reading and writing development.

Masterclass / seminar

In addition to the weekly practical worshops, a number of leading fiction writers will present masterclasses to students, imparting their own craft and technical skills, and outlining their own development as writers. During the course of the year, students will be invited to present one seminar each on a subject of their choice that is relevant to their literary development.

End of year manscript / portfolio

By the end of the year students will have produced a body of creative writing in the form of a manuscript or portfolio. This portfolio will have been developed under the direction of two supervisors who will provide support and feedback on the student’s writing throughout the year. The intention is to allow students to discover their unique literary voice, while also providing a sounding board by an experienced and established writer.

Assessment

Assessment for the degree will be based on the body of creative writing prepared by the student in the form of a manuscript/ portfolio and an accompanying critical commentary (approximately 4000 words) that places the creative writing in its theoretical, historical and personal context. The work will be assessed by at least two examiners, one internal and another external to the University.

Entry Requirements

To be considered for entry applicants must have a three year bachelor’s degree, plus one year of additional study (or equivalent)*. Applicants are also required to submit an entry portfolio of 15-20 pages of original creative writing and a draft outlining a proposal for the creative work they will be developing throughout the year. A supervisor will be allocated to assist potential students to develop their proposal prior to admission.

(*Applicants who do not meet the academic entry requirements, but who have an bachelor’s degree and have completed a significant body of creative writing, are encouraged to contact the Registrar in the School of Communication Studies to dicuss alternative entry pathways.

English Language Requirements

Applicants for whom English or Māori is not their first language are required to provide proof of an acceptable pass/grade gained in an accepted English language test.