master of creative writing aut

Master of Creative Writing

Course details, about the course.

MCW graduates will have produced a sustained work of creative writing under the supervision of an established author.

Entry requirements

A four-year bachelor's degree or a three-year bachelor's degree plus one year of advanced study. A portfolio of creative writing.

About the provider

More than 26,000 students are enrolled at AUT in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, studying at one of the three campuses. AUT has consistently been a leader in undergraduate and postgraduate enrolment growth of both New Zealand and international students across a wide range of professional disciplines, and as a result we are now the second largest university in New Zealand.

AUT's teaching is innovative and student centred. AUT encourages students to collaborate, experiment and to experience working life beyond the classroom. In addition to teaching, the university has a strong focus on innovative research in areas such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence and nutrition.

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Master of Creative Writing MCW

Complete your large-scale creative writing project with an award-winning novelist and a lively, committed and diverse community of other writers.

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Programme overview

The MCW is for writers working on a large-scale creative writing project: a novel, short story collection, full-length work of creative nonfiction, or poetry collection.

The programme is convened by the award-winning fiction writer and essayist Paula Morris. Selina Tusitala Marsh, a former Poet Laureate, co-supervises poets in the programme.

Each week writers meet for both workshops and seminars. Our visitors include local and international writers; practitioners from the world of film, radio and theatre; and speakers from the publishing and literary arts world.

Recent visiting writers include Airini Beautrais, Teju Cole, Michel Faber, Aminatta Forna, Stephanie Johnson, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Elizabeth McCracken, Amy McDaid, Frankie McMillan, Karlo Mila, Ben Okri and Ngugi wa Thiong'o.

Master of Creative Writing sampler (PDF 497KB) 

Programme structure

• Entry requirements
• Fees and scholarships
• How to apply

The MCW is a one-year, full-time programme of study with entry in Semester Two only. You will enrol in CREWRIT 797 Creative Writing (120 points).

If you are writing a novel, short stories or creative non-fiction, you are expected to produce a portfolio of between 40,000 and 80,000 words. Poetry collections should have a minimum of 80 pages.

Class contact time and peer interaction are an essential part of the programme. In both semesters of the MCW, you must be able to attend two weekly classes – workshops and seminars. In the workshop you will submit drafts for discussion and give considered feedback to the other writers in your cohort. The weekly seminar is a forum for thinking and talking about writing. In these classes we discuss published work and explore the key issues of technique you need to consider in your work.

You'll also need to meet other requirements, including time limits and total points limits. See Postgraduate enrolment .

2024 entry requirements

Programme requirements.

The MCW is a highly competitive programme.

You should have a book project in mind or already underway and demonstrate a clear creative focus and accomplishment in your chosen genre.

To enrol in a MCW you need to have completed one of the following at a recognised university (or similar institution):

• A four-year bachelors degree
• An honours degree
• A three-year bachelors degree, and a professional qualification in writing or at least three years of professional experience in writing

Professional experience can include previously published creative writing, working in a field involving writing such as journalism or copywriting, involvement in writers’ groups or participation in writing events.

You will also need to submit a portfolio of creative writing that is judged by the convenor to be of sufficient standard for entry into the programme.

Further programme requirements

English language requirements

If you are an international applicant whose first language is not English you will need to provide evidence of your English proficiency.

You will require an IELTS Academic  score of 6.5 with no bands less than 6.0. See alternative English language requirements .

How much does a Master of Creative Writing cost per year?

Fees are set in advance of each calendar year and will be updated on this website. Fees are inclusive of 15% GST, but do not include the Student Services Fee, course books, travel and health insurance, or living costs. Amounts shown are indicative only. In addition to the tuition fees, there is a Student Services Fee of $8.88 per point, estimated at $1,065.60 for full-time study (120 points). Fees will be confirmed upon completion of enrolment into courses.

*Please note: amounts shown are indicative and estimates only.

See course fees for each faculty

Find out about financial support information

Scholarships and awards.

Find out about the scholarships you may be eligible for.

Student loans and allowances

Are you a New Zealand citizen or resident? You could be eligible for a student loan or allowance.

Cost of living

Get an idea of how much accommodation and general living in Auckland will cost.

International students should start the application process as early as possible to allow sufficient time to apply for a visa.

All candidates must submit two applications: one to the University of Auckland, and a separate portfolio application to English, Drama and Writing Studies.

Please note: We will consider late applications if places are still available. International students should start the application process as early as possible to allow sufficient time to apply for a visa.

Application closing dates

Start dates.

Here are the start dates for the programme.

Other important dates

See important dates for the academic year , including orientation, enrolment, study breaks, exams, and graduation.

Before applying, we advise potential candidates to contact us for information about the application process and what the programme involves. Email p.morris@auckland.ac.nz for the MCW information sheet.

How to apply for the Master of Creative Writing

You need to submit two separate applications:

• An Application for Admission to study at the University of Auckland
• An application for the Master of Creative Writing programme

Admission to the University of Auckland does not guarantee you a place on the MCW; the offer is conditional, subject to approval by the programme convenor.

Application deadline

The deadline for MCW applications is 8 April .

You may submit your application at any time, but no applications will be read by the programme convenor until April.

Where could this programme take you?

This programme will help refine the skills you need to finish your book and develop your creative practice. Our graduates have published books with a range of publishers including Allen and Unwin, Penguin Random House, Cuba Press, Bloomsbury, Auckland University Press, Canterbury University Press, Huia and Text. These graduates include Rosetta Allan, Caroline Barron, Rose Carlyle, Gina Cole, Jack Remiel Cottrell, Daren Kamali, Angelique Kasmara, Renee Liang, Amy McDaid, Linda Olsson, Emily Perkins and Ruby Porter. As the MCW is entirely comprised of creative practice research, it is not a qualifying programme for a PhD at the University of Auckland. If you are considering a PhD with a creating writing component please contact [email protected] to discuss entry requirements.

Student career planning service

Once you become a student at the University, you can get help with planning and developing your career from Career Development and Employability Services .

Eye on the prize

A Kiwi story about a visit to a rest home and a kapa haka performance was a regional winner in a global literary prize for a creative writing alumna.

Experience the University

Support the Master of Creative Writing

Donations will support the MCW’s overall programme, including visiting writers, the annual sampler, and professional development seminars open to all alums.

Creative work is part of Indigenous scholarship

Poet-scholar Associate Professor Selina Tusitala Marsh explains how making creative work is part of her Indigenous scholarship, as well as her poetry.

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Auckland University of Technology

• Courses 348

Master of Creative Writing

Masters (Coursework)

Key details

About this course.

Storytelling is an integral part of life. AUT's Master of Creative Writing embraces multiple ways of storytelling: poetry, novels and short stories, and also writing for the screen, graphic novels and multimedia texts.

As a Master of Creative Writing student, you take part in masterclasses led by experienced mentors who are among the most accomplished writers and creative writing tutors in the country.

Creative writing students can choose from two streams:

• Literary stream: participate in masterclasses with lecturers and published authors
• Scriptwriters stream: participate in masterclasses as well as industry-style script development pods for writers who want to bring their ideas to the screen. Detailed info on the Mater of Creative Writing for Scriptwriters

Entry requirements

One of the following:

• Four-year bachelor's degree
• Bachelor's degree with honours
• Bachelor's degree and one year of advanced study
• Special admission (bachelor's degree and creative work equivalent to one year of advanced study)
• Exceptional admission (for established practitioners with a substantial body of creative work)

Applicants who don't meet the academic entry requirements are encouraged to contact Cynthia D'Souza if professional creative writing experience may be considered as an entry pathway.

Email Cynthia D'Souza

International student entry requirements

Study locations

City campus, career pathways.

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postgraduate

Master of creative writing (research), master of creative writing.

Auckland University of Technology

Auckland, auckland region, new zealand, faculty of culture and society, city campus.

Course code: #AK1303

Quick facts

Annual tuition (2022), $35,100 nzd, application fee, 50 out of 100.

These are mandatory and all come with course.

Storytelling is an integral part of life. 

AUT 's Master of Creative Writing embraces the multiple modes through which storytelling can occur, including not just novels and short stories but writing for the screen, graphic novels, and multimedia texts.

The Master of Creative Writing is the centerpiece of the AUT Centre for Creative Writing. 

As a Master of Creative Writing student, you take part in masterclasses led by experienced mentors who are among the most accomplished writers and creative writing tutors in the country.  Creative writing students can choose from two streams:

• Literary stream: participate in masterclasses with lecturers and published authors
• Scriptwriters stream: participate in masterclasses as well as industry-style script development pods for writers who want to bring their ideas to the screen.

What you study

Peer feedback and networking with industry bodies (including publishers, writers' societies, and the film industry), are key components of the program. 

The university also follows up with regular alumni meetings, and staff and alumni have gone on to collaborate on successful publishing initiatives.

As well as literary fiction, the university encourages high-quality work in popular genres such as young adult fiction, travel writing, biography, screenplays, graphic novels, children’s stories, narrative journalism, and creative non-fiction. 

Poetry and experimental image/text work are also covered.

At the heart of the Master of Creative Writing is your primary creative work ( or ‘thesis’ ). 

You also develop an accompanying exegesis , a short piece of written and/or multimedia work that frames your creative project as research . 

You work under the guidance of an experienced creative writing mentor.

Estimate your cost

Count of person, total costs, hourly wage, 21.20 nzd / 1 hour, in new zealand every student can work 20 hour per week, required documents.

• Certified copy of your birth certificate or passport
• Certified copy of marriage certificate (If required)
• Official academic transcripts
• English Language Proficiency (If Available)
• CV/Relevant work/research experience (If required)
• A copy of the document(s) in the original language/and official English translation
• Portfolio of creative writing
• One-page proposal

Language requirements

If you do not meet the English language requirements for entry into an AUT programme, you can study English here.

Language courses at AUT International House:

AUT International House is an English language school next to the AUT City Campus. It is part of AUT and offers a range of qualifications, including GIE – the AUT university entrance and preparation programme.

On-campus academic English courses ( GIE and IELTS Full-time ) at International House:

1) GIE (academic preparation and university entrance programme)

The GIE programme prepares you for entry into most AUT programmes (some health and education programmes require IELTS).

Entry requirement:

IELTS 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading and Writing and no less than 5.0 in Speaking and Listening

2) IELTS Full-time

There is a different entry requirements for each level of the IELTS course.

• Level 1: you need IELTS 4.5 with a minimum band score of 4.0
• Level 2: you need IELTS 5.5 with a minimum band score of 5.0

You can also use IELTS Indicator and TOEFL Special Home Edition to meet English language requirements, except for programmes that require an IELTS score higher than the standard or for any doctoral programmes.

Academic background and requirement

One of the following:

• Four-year bachelor’s degree
• Bachelor’s degree with honours
• Bachelor’s degree and one year of advanced study
• Special admission (bachelor’s degree and creative work equivalent to one year of advanced study)
• Exceptional admission (for established practitioners with a substantial body of creative work)

Applicants who don't meet the academic entry requirements are encouraged to contact Cynthia D'Souza if professional creative writing experience may be considered as an entry pathway.

Other requirements:

• Portfolio of creative writing (20 pages of original work for the page, screen or multimedia)
• May be required to submit evidence of ability to study at postgraduate level, and attend a selection interview
• One page proposal – a brief statement on the project you would like to pursue in the MCW programme.

Your portfolio and proposal should be included with your application . 

It will be reviewed alongside your transcript(s) and other materials as part of determining your place in the programme.

Career opportunities

• Fiction writer
• Media writer
• Screenwriter
• Travel writer
• Gaming narrative designer
• Virtual and augmented reality content producer

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Creative Writing Major - Bachelor of Arts

Are you dreaming up a novel, a screenplay, short stories, poems, the lyrics to an album, or a graphic novel? With the Creative Writing major you develop your creative writing skills for the page, screen and spaces in-between.

Explore style and genre, media, and the demands of readers, editors and publishers. You develop your skills as a writer, testing your creative ideas in an environment that challenges, critiques and supports you as you go.

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Bachelor of Arts

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Your work will range from reflective portfolios to a sustained literary or multimedia work. The degree will prepare you for employment in the creative and professional writing industries.

Apart from the courses below you also need to complete courses from your second major, your chosen minor(s) or electives.

Core courses

All Bachelor of Arts students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.

Choose one of:

• COMM570 Academic Communication
• COMM590 Learning in a Digital World

Complete one course from each of the following clusters. Each cluster aligns with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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• FOOD501 Food and the Senses
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• EDUC503 Critical Questions in Education
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Workplace experience is an important part of your degree, and the Work Integrated Learning course is the final part of your degree. This is a supervised work placement related to your major(s), for an organisation of your choice. It's a great way to get industry experience while still being able to get feedback from AUT lecturers, and for many of our students this workplace experience also leads to a job offer.

Recent placements included:

• Woman’s Day magazine
• Imersia Ltd
• Namseoul University

You could also take the Foundations in Research course if you’re considering continuing into postgraduate study.

Want more info about work integrated learning at AUT?

Read more about workplace experience in AUT programmes, how it works and why it’s so beneficial when you start your career.

Workplace experience in AUT programmes

Creative writing major courses

If you're majoring in creative writing, this is the main subject area you specialise in. It makes up one third of your degree and consists of seven creative writing-related courses you study throughout your degree (including one 30-point course).

Year 1 courses

Complete two of:

• CWRT501 Creative Writing
• CWRT560 Writing (in) Māori Shorts

Year 2 courses

Complete the following courses:

• CWRT602 Creative Writing: Voices
• CWRT603 Creative Writing: Storylines
• ENGL604 The Novel: Jane Austen Mania

Year 3 courses

• CWRT700 Creative Writing Project
• ENGL701 New Literatures

Build your degree

Use our online tool to build your own degree and see what your three years of study could look like.

• Social media management
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• Fiction writing
• Media writing
• Performance arts
• Screenwriting
• Travel writing
• Gaming narrative designer
• Virtual and augmented reality content producers

Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.

Creative Writing Careers

Other majors in the Bachelor of Arts

• Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Culinary Arts
• Event Management
• Global Tourism
• International Studies
• Interpreting
• Māori Development
• Māori Media
• New Zealand Sign Language & Deaf Studies
• New Zealand Sign Language - English Interpreting*
• Social Sciences

*This major focuses on New Zealand Sign Language and developing the skills to become a Sign Language interpreter. It doesn’t include the option to include courses from different subjects.

• Only major of its kind in New Zealand
• You’ll be mentored by a published author
• Workplace experience in your final semester
• Option to include subjects from across AUT in your degree
• Imaginative and resourceful
• Intrigued by words

The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar .

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Creative Writing Graduate Programs

About the Program and Placement Record

• Faculty Research Areas
• Teaching Assistantships

Creative Writing M.A.

• Admission Requirements
• Degree and Graduation Requirements
• Master's Essay
• Master's Thesis

Creative Writing Ph.D.

• Doctoral Dissertation
• Foreign Language Requirement
• Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination

One of the first universities in the country to offer a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, Ohio University continues as home to a thriving, widely respected graduate program with concentrations in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Small by design, our graduate program offers a comprehensive curriculum, an award-winning faculty and the intimacy of small classes.

Placement Record

Over the past three years, seven of our nine graduating creative writing Ph.D. students have landed tenure-track jobs, post-doctorates, or prestigious visiting writer posts. Our MA graduates go on to study in the top MFA and Ph.D. programs.

• English M.A. Placements
• English Ph.D. Placements

Students in the Creative Writing M.A. and Ph.D. programs enjoy:

• Graduate stipends, up to $15,000 per year, with opportunities to teach a wide range of courses, including creative writing workshops
• Generous graduate student travel funding
• Editorial fellowships on New Ohio Review , Quarter after Eight , and Brevity
• Opportunities to interact with distinguished visiting writers

M.A. candidates complete two years of study and write a thesis of creative work in their genre. Doctoral candidates complete five years of study, comprehensive exams, a major critical essay, and a creative dissertation.

Literary Journals

The department and its students publish three literary journals:

• New Ohio Review , a national literary journal
• Quarter After Eight , a prose journal edited by graduate students
• Sphere , an undergraduate journal

Annual Events

The department hosts several annual events including an ambitious Spring Literary Festival that brings five nationally distinguished writers to campus for three-days of readings, craft talks, and student discussion. Recent visitors have included Tony Hoagland, Kathryn Harrison, Barry Lopez, Francine Prose, Peter Ho Davies, Kim Addonizio, David Shields, Robert Hass, Charles Simic, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Marilynne Robinson.

Visiting writers engage with our program year-round as well, appearing in both undergraduate and graduate classes, meeting one-on-one with select students, and offering evening readings in the intimate Galbreath Chapel.

In addition to a regular Dogwood Bloom reading series for our graduate students, the creative writing program hosts an annual Writers' Harvest benefit reading for the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank?s Second Harvest, a food distribution program serving Athens, Hocking, Perry, Vinton, Jackson, Gallia, Meigs, Morgan and Washington counties.

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Creative writing masters vs graduate certificate: which is best for you?

Are you looking to expand your creative writing skills and are looking for a new way to study after graduating with an undergraduate degree? Then you’re in luck because that’s exactly what we’re talking about today. Unlike what you might believe, there is more than one way to study creative writing after your undergrad, in the form of a master’s degree and a graduate certificate. 

But what do these things both mean, and which is the right option for you? Keep reading to find out all about your options! 

What’s a creative writing master’s degree? 

A master’s degree is a natural stepping stone from the undergraduate degree, extending your time in an academic institution by one or two years while you earn a higher qualification. Master’s require less time than undergraduate degrees, but they still cost a lot of money and might not be suitable for everyone depending on what financial aid is available for this type of degree. 

There are a number of reasons why you might want to study creative writing for another two years, including:

• You want more time to perfect and hone your skills, as well as learning from industry professionals before getting out into the real world on your own
• You studied a different topic at undergraduate level and now want to explore the world of writing

Some people want to spend two years specialising in creative writing, but others worry that it’ll be too strenuous to juggle with the rest of their lives. Luckily, there are other options than the master’s degree. 

What’s a creative writing graduate certificate? 

A creative writing graduate certificate is similar to the master’s degree, but it’s much more specialised in one subject because of the shorter timeframe. Most creative writing graduate certificate courses will take around six months to complete, depending on whether you go part-time or full-time. The cost is also much lower, so it’s a good option for people with less financial aid. 

A graduate certificate requires you to only complete three to five graduate level courses as opposed to the nine to twelve that a master’s degree requires. Here are a few examples of the graduate courses that you can choose from:

• Fiction writing
• Non-fiction writing
• Performance writing
• Writing for an audience
• Editing and publishing

Because of the short study time, most graduate certificates can be completed part-time. This is great for people who need to work alongside studying or who want to work on their writing alongside their studies.

Key differences between a master’s degree and a graduate certificate

There are a few key differences between the creative writing master’s degree and the graduate certificate, and these might help sway your decision for which one to go for. Let’s look at a few of these now: 

• The required number of courses

Graduate certificates require substantially fewer course credits than master’s degrees, so they might be best for students who have less time to dedicate to their studies or who need to work alongside getting their qualifications. It’s also a cheaper course, which might be an incentive for some students. It will depend on the institution you’re applying for, but most graduate certificates require at least three courses while master’s programs require between 10 and 12. 

• The degree of specialisation you’re hoping to obtain

A master’s degree is better designed to give you a wider range of knowledge across your chosen subject, while many use graduate certificates to hone in on a narrower specialist subject. This is because you have less time to learn all the information you can in your chosen field, so trying to broaden your knowledge too much can force you to only learn surface-level information. For example, you can earn a master’s degree in creative writing or a graduate degree in screenplay writing. 

• The overall cost and your financial aid options

Graduate certificates almost always cost less than master’s degrees because you need to take fewer courses and spend less time in the institution. However, most master’s degrees qualify for financial help so you can get all or most of your finances covered by loans or grants. You might not be eligible for the same financial aid for graduate certificates, although most people can rely on private loans and employer assistance if they can’t cover the cost on their own. 

Final thoughts

Both graduate certificates and master’s degrees are excellent options if you want to study creative writing. A graduate certificate is a shorter alternative to an extensive master’s degree, so it’s great for people who might not have as much time to focus on their studies. The graduate certificate is also cheaper, but it won’t offer as broad of a spectrum on the subject. The master’s degree will allow you to take more classes so you can garner a broader area of expertise. 

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