University of East Anglia (UEA), MFA, Creative Writing

Please note that the closing date for applications is 1 May 2017. However, the course may be full before the closing date and so you are advised to apply as early as possible.

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. We introduced the first MA in 1970, the first PhD in 1987, and students now join us from all over the world.

In 2011 we were awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in recognition of our continuing excellence in delivering innovative courses at a world-class level.

The principal aim of the MFA Creative Writing is to help you develop a deeper understanding of the craft and context of producing literary fiction. By the end of the course we would expect you to have become more adept and more self-aware in your own practice and to have completed a draft of a full-length work.

During the course you will become fully conversant with all aspects of being a professional writer, and will enjoy – like all UEA Creative Writing students – greatly enhanced prospects of publication on graduation. Our course builds on our extensive connections with publishers and agents, meaning that you will graduate fully equipped to launch your career as a publishing writer, and will have sufficient training and experience to move into teaching writing in order to support a writing career.

The MFA is also an entry-level qualification for a career in academia in the USA, giving many graduates the opportunity immediately to pursue roles in teaching at undergraduate level.

This course presents an alternative to a PhD, requiring fewer years out of employment, and offers the possibility of completing a work of publishable length (60,000–80,000 words), written under close editorial supervision.