A rigorous program that combines creative writing and literary studies, the Ph.D. in Creative Writing prepares graduates for both scholarly and creative publication and teaching. With faculty guidance, students admitted to the Ph.D. program may tailor their programs to their goals and interests.
The creative writing faculty at KU has been widely published and anthologized, winning both critical and popular acclaim. Faculty awards include such distinctions as the Nebula Award, Hugo Award, Osborn Award, Shelley Memorial Award, Gertrude Stein Award, the Kenyon Review Prize, the Kentucky Center Gold Medallion, and the Pushcart Prize.
Regarding admission to both our doctoral and MFA creative writing programs, we will prioritize applicants who are interested in engaging with multiple faculty members to practice writing across genres and forms, from speculative fiction and realism to poetry and playwriting/screenwriting, etc.
The University of Kansas' Graduate Program in Creative Writing also offers an M.F.A degree .
Opportunities
A GTA appointment includes a tuition waiver for ten semesters plus a competitive stipend. In the first year, GTA appointees teach English 101 (first year composition) and English 102 (a required reading and writing course). Creative Writing Ph.D. students may have the opportunity to teach an introductory course in creative writing after passing the doctoral examination, and opportunities are available for a limited number of advanced GTAs to teach in the summer.
Department Resources
Graduate Admissions
Graduate Contacts
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Affiliated Programs
LandLocked Literary Magazine
The Project on the History of Black Writing
Center for the Study of Science Fiction
Ad-Hoc African/Americanists and Affiliates
Degree Requirements
At least 24 hours of credit in appropriate formal graduate courses beyond the M.A. or M.F.A. At least 15 hours (in addition to ENGL 800 if not taken for the M.A.) of this course work must be taken from among courses offered by the Department of English at the 700-level and above. English 997 and 999 credits cannot be included among the 24 hours. Students may petition to take up to 6 hours outside the Department.
ENGL 800: Methods, Theory, and Professionalism (counts toward the 24 required credit hours).
The ENGL 801/ENGL 802 pedagogy sequence (counts toward the 24 required credit hours).
Two seminars (courses numbered 900 or above) offered by the Department of English at the University of Kansas, beyond the M.A. or M.F.A. ENGL 998 does not fulfill this requirement.
ENGL 999, Dissertation (at least 12 hours).
If the M.A. or M.F.A. was completed in KU’s Department of English, a doctoral student may petition the DGS to have up to 12 hours of the coursework taken in the English Department reduced toward the Ph.D.
For Doctoral students, the university requires completion of a course in responsible scholarship . For the English department, this would be ENGL 800, 780, or the equivalent). In addition, the Department requires reading knowledge of one approved foreign language: Old English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Greek, Latin, or Hebrew. Upon successful petition, a candidate may substitute reading knowledge of another language or research skill that is studied at the University or is demonstrably appropriate to the candidate’s program of study.
Doctoral students must fulfill the requirement before they take their doctoral examination, or be enrolled in a reading course the same semester as the exam. Students are permitted three attempts at passing each foreign language or research skill. Three methods of demonstrating reading knowledge for all approved languages except Old English are acceptable:
Presenting 16 hours, four semesters, or the equivalent of undergraduate credit, earned with an average of C or better.
Passing a graduate reading course at the University of Kansas or peer institution (e.g., French 100, German 100, etc.) with a grade of C or higher. In the past, some of these reading courses have been given by correspondence; check with the Division of Continuing Education for availability.
Passing a translation examination given by a designated member of the English Department faculty or by the appropriate foreign language department at KU. The exam is graded pass/fail and requires the student to translate as much as possible of a representative text in the foreign language in a one-hour period, using a bilingual dictionary.
Passing a translation examination given by the appropriate foreign language department at the M.A.-granting institution. Successful completion must be reflected either on the M.A. transcript or by a letter from the degree-granting department.
To fulfill the language requirement using Old English, students must successfully complete ENGL 710 (Introduction to Old English) and ENGL 712 (Beowulf).
Post-Coursework Ph.D. students must submit, with their committee chair(s), an annual review form to the DGS and Graduate Committee.
Doctoral students must take their doctoral examination within three semesters (excluding summers) of the end of the semester in which they took their final required course. If a student has an Incomplete, the timeline is not postponed until the Incomplete is resolved. For example, a student completing doctoral course work in Spring 2018 will need to schedule their doctoral exam no later than the end of Fall semester 2019. Delays may be granted by petition to the Graduate Director in highly unusual circumstances. Failure to take the exam within this time limit without an approved delay will result in the student’s falling out of good standing. For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices.
A student may not take their doctoral exam until the university’s Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement is fulfilled (ENGL 800 or equivalent and reading knowledge of one foreign language or equivalent).
Requirements for Doctoral Exams
Reading Lists:
All students are required to submit three reading lists, based on the requirements below, to their committee for approval. The doctoral exam will be held on a date at least twelve weeks after the approval from the whole committee is received. To facilitate quick committee approval, students may copy the graduate program coordinator on the email to the committee that contains the final version of the lists. Committee members may then respond to the email in lieu of signing a printed copy. Students should work with their committee chair and graduate program coordinator to schedule the exam at the same time as they finalize the lists.
During the two-hour oral examination (plus an additional 15-30 minutes for a break and committee deliberation), a student will be tested on their comprehension of a literary period or movement, including multiple genres and groups of authors within that period or movement. In addition, the student will be tested on two of the following six areas of study:
An adjacent or parallel literary period or movement,
An author or group of related authors,
Criticism and literary theory,
Composition theory, and
English language.
No title from any field list may appear on either of the other two lists. See Best Practices section for more details on these six areas. See below for a description of the Review of the Dissertation Proposal (RDP), which the candidate takes the semester after passing the doctoral exam.
While many students confer with the DGS as they begin the process of developing their lists, they are also required to submit a copy of their final exam list to the DGS. Most lists will be left intact, but the DGS might request that overly long lists be condensed, or extremely short lists be expanded.
Review of Literature
The purpose of the Review of Literature is to develop and demonstrate an advanced awareness of the critical landscape for each list. The student will write an overview of the defining attributes of the field, identifying two or three broad questions that animate scholarly discussion, while using specific noteworthy texts from their list ( but not all texts on the list ) as examples.
The review also must accomplish the following:
consider the historical context of major issues, debates, and trends that factor into the emergence of the field
offer a historical overview of scholarship in the field that connects the present to the past
note recent trends and emergent lines of inquiry
propose questions about (develop critiques of, and/or identify gaps in) the field and how they might be pursued in future study (but not actually proposing or referencing a dissertation project)
For example, for a literary period, the student might include an overview of primary formal and thematic elements, of the relationship between literary and social/historical developments, of prominent movements, (etc.), as well as of recent critical debates and topics.
For a genre list, the Review of Literature might include major theories of its constitution and significance, while outlining the evolution of these theories over time.
For a Rhetoric and Composition list, the review would give an overview of major historical developments, research, theories, methods, debates, and trends of scholarship in the field.
For an English Language Studies (ELS) list, the review would give an overview of the subfields that make up ELS, the various methodological approaches to language study, the type of sources used, and major aims and goals of ELS. The review also usually involves a focus on one subfield of particular interest to the student (such as stylistics, sociolinguistics, or World/Postcolonial Englishes).
Students are encouraged to divide reviews into smaller sections that enhance clarity and organization. Students are not expected to interact with every text on their lists.
The review of literature might be used to prepare students for identifying the most important texts in the field, along with why those texts are important to the field, for the oral exam. It is recommended for students to have completed reading the bulk of (if not all) texts on their lists before writing the ROL.
The Reviews of Literature will not be produced in an exam context, but in the manner of papers that are researched and developed in consultation with all advisors/committee members, with final drafts being distributed within a reasonable time for all members to review and approve in advance of the 3-week deadline . While the Review of Literature generally is not the focus of the oral examination, it is frequently used as a point of departure for questions and discussion during the oral examination.
Doctoral Exam Committee
Exam committees typically consist of 3 faculty members from the department—one of whom serves as the Committee Chair—plus a Graduate Studies Representative. University policy dictates the composition of exam committees . Students may petition for an exception for several committee member situations, with the exception of the Graduate Studies Representative .
If a student wants to have as a committee member a person outside the university, or a person who is not in a full-time tenure-track professorship at KU, the student must contact the Graduate Secretary as early as possible. Applications for special graduate faculty status must be reviewed by the College and Graduate Studies. Requests for exam/defense approval will not be approved unless all committee members currently hold either regular or special graduate faculty status
Remote participation of committee members via technology
Students with committee members who plan to attend the defense via remote technology must be aware of college policy on teleconferencing/remote participation of committee members .
A majority of committee members must be physically present for an examination to commence; for doctoral oral examinations this requirement is 2 of the 4 members, for master’s oral examinations the requirement is 2 of the 3 members. In addition, it is required that the student being examined, the chair of the committee, and the Graduate Studies Representative all be physically present at the examination or defense. Mediated attendance by the student, chair and Grad Studies Rep is prohibited.
The recommended time between completion of coursework and the doctoral examination is two semesters.
Final exam lists need to be approved and signed by the committee at least 12 weeks prior to the prospective exam date. This includes summers/summer semesters. The lists should then be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Reviews of Literature need to be approved and signed by the committee at least 3 weeks prior to the exam date. Failure to meet this deadline will result in rescheduling the exam. No further changes to lists or Reviews of Literature will be allowed after official approval. The three-week deadline is the faculty deadline--the last date for them to confirm receipt of the ROLs and confer approval--not necessarily the student deadline for submitting the documents to the faculty. Please keep that timing in mind and allow your committee adequate time to review the materials and provide feedback.
Students taking the Doctoral Exam are allowed to bring their text lists, the approved Reviews of Literature, scratch paper, a writing utensil, and notes/writing for an approximately 5-minute introductory statement to the exam. (This statement does not need to lay out ideas or any aspect of the dissertation project.)
Each portion of the oral examination must be deemed passing before the student can proceed to the Review of the Dissertation Proposal. If a majority of the committee judges that the student has not answered adequately on one of the three areas of the exam, the student must repeat that portion in a separate oral exam of one hour, to be taken as expeditiously as possible. Failure in two areas constitutes failure of the exam and requires a retake of the whole. The doctoral examining committee will render a judgment of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory on the entire examination. A student who fails the exam twice may, upon successful petition to the Graduate Committee, take it a third and final time.
Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the exam. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student exams but not others.
The doctoral oral examination has the following purposes:
To establish goals, tone, and direction for the pursuit of the Ph.D. in English for the Department and for individual programs of study;
To make clear the kinds of knowledge and skills that, in the opinion of the Department, all well-prepared holders of the degree should have attained;
To provide a means for the Department to assess each candidate’s control of such knowledge and skills in order to certify that the candidate is prepared to write a significant dissertation and enter the profession; and
To enable the Department to recommend to the candidate areas of strength or weakness that should be addressed.
In consultation with the Graduate Director, a student will ask a member of the Department’s graduate faculty (preferably their advisor) to be the chairperson of the examining committee. The choice of examination committee chair is very important, for that person’s role is to assist the candidate in designing the examination structure, preparing the Review of Literature (see below), negotiating reading lists and clarifying their purposes, and generally following procedures here outlined. The other three English Department members of the committee will be chosen in consultation with the committee chair. (At some point an additional examiner from outside the Department, who serves as the Graduate School representative, will be invited to join the committee). Any unresolved problems in negotiation between a candidate and their committee should be brought to the attention of the Graduate Director, who may choose to involve the Graduate Committee. A student may request a substitution in, or a faculty member may ask to be dismissed from, the membership of the examining committee. Such requests must be approved, in writing, by the faculty member leaving the committee and by the Graduate Director.
Reading Lists
Copies of some approved reading lists and Reviews of Literature are available from the Graduate Secretary and can be found on the U: drive if you are using a computer on campus. Despite the goal of fairness and equity, some unavoidable unevenness and disparity will appear in the length of these lists. It remains, however, the responsibility of the examining committee, and especially the student’s chair, to aim toward consonance with the most rigorous standards and expectations and to insure that areas of study are not unduly narrow.
To facilitate quick committee approval, students may copy the graduate secretary on the email to the committee that contains the final version of the lists and reviews of literature. Committee members may then respond to the email in lieu of signing a printed copy.
Comprehension of a literary period (e.g., British literature of the 18th century; Romanticism; US literature of the 19th century; Modernism) entails sufficient intellectual grasp of both the important primary works of and secondary works on the period or movement to indicate a student’s ability to teach the period or movement and undertake respectable scholarship on it.
Comprehension of an author or group of related authors (e.g., Donne, the Brontës, the Bloomsbury Group, the Black Mountain Poets) entails knowledge, both primary and secondary, of a figure or figures whose writing has generated a significant body of interrelated biographical, historical, and critical scholarship.
Comprehension of one of several genres (the short story, the lyric poem, the epistolary novel). To demonstrate comprehension of a genre, a student should possess sufficient depth and breadth of knowledge, both primary and secondary, of the genre to explain its formal characteristics and account for its historical development.
Comprehension of criticism and literary theory entails a grasp of fundamental conceptual problems inherent in a major school of literary study (e.g., historicist, psychoanalytic, feminist, poststructuralist, etc.). To demonstrate comprehension of that school of criticism and literary theory, a student should be able to discuss changes in its conventions and standards of interpretation and evaluation of literature from its beginning to the present. Students will be expected to possess sufficient depth and breadth of theoretical knowledge to bring appropriate texts and issues to bear on questions of literary study.
Comprehension of composition theory entails an intellectual grasp of fundamental concepts, issues, and theories pertaining to the study of writing. To demonstrate comprehension of composition theory, students should be able to discuss traditional and current issues from a variety of perspectives, as well as the field’s historical development from classical rhetoric to the present.
Comprehension of the broad field of English language studies entails a grasp of the field’s theoretical concepts and current issues, as well as a familiarity with significant works within given subareas. Such subareas will normally involve formal structures (syntax, etc.) and history of the English language, along with other subareas such as social linguistics, discourse analysis, lexicography, etc. Areas of emphasis and specific sets of topics will be arranged through consultation with relevant faculty.
Ph.D. candidates must be continuously enrolled in Dissertation hours each Fall and Spring semester from the time they pass the doctoral examination until successful completion of the final oral examination (defense of dissertation).
Students enroll for a minimum of 6 hours each Fall and Spring semester until the total of post-doctoral exam Dissertation hours is 18. One hour each semester must be ENGL 999. In order to more quickly reach the 18-hour minimum, and to be sooner eligible for GRAships, it is highly recommended that students enroll in 9 hours of Dissertation in the Spring and Fall semesters.
Once a student has accumulated 18 post-doctoral exam hours, each subsequent enrollment will be for a number of hours agreed upon as appropriate between the student and their advisor, the minimal enrollment each semester being 1 hour of ENGL 999.
A student must be enrolled in at least one hour of credit at KU during the semester they graduate. Although doctoral students must be enrolled in ENGL 999 while working on their dissertations, per current CLAS regulations, there is no absolute minimum number of ENGL 999 hours required for graduation.
Students who live and work outside the Lawrence area may, under current University regulations, have their fees assessed at the Field Work rate, which is somewhat lower than the on-campus rate. Students must petition the College Office of Graduate Affairs before campus fees will be waived.
Please also refer to the COGA policy on post-exam enrollment or the Graduate School’s policy .
As soon as possible following successful completion of the doctoral exam, the candidate should establish their three-person core dissertation committee, and then expeditiously proceed to the preparation of a dissertation proposal. Within the semester following completion of the doctoral exam , the student will present to their core dissertation committee a written narrative of approximately 10-15 pages , not including bibliography, of the dissertation proposal. While the exam schedule is always contingent on student progress, in the first two weeks of the semester in which they intend to take the review , students will work with their committee chair and the graduate program coordinator to schedule the 90-minute RDP. Copies of this proposal must be submitted to the members of the dissertation committee and Graduate Program Coordinator no later than three weeks prior to the scheduled examination date.
In the proposal, students will be expected to define: the guiding question or set of questions; a basic thesis (or hypothesis); how the works to be studied or the creative writing produced relate to that (hypo)thesis; the theoretical/methodological model to be followed; the overall formal divisions of the dissertation; and how the study will be situated in the context of prior scholarship (i.e., its importance to the field). The narrative section should be followed by a bibliography demonstrating that the candidate is conversant with the basic theoretical and critical works pertinent to the study. For creative writing students, the proposal may serve as a draft of the critical introduction to the creative dissertation. Students are expected to consult with their projected dissertation committee concerning the preparation of the proposal.
The review will focus on the proposal, although it could also entail determining whether or not the candidate’s knowledge of the field is adequate to begin the composition process. The examination will be graded pass/fail. If it is failed, the committee will suggest areas of weakness to be addressed by the candidate, who will rewrite the proposal and retake the review by the end of the following semester . If the candidate abandons the entire dissertation project for another, a new RDP will be taken. (For such a step to be taken, the change would need to be drastic, such as a move to a new field or topic. A change in thesis or the addition or subtraction of one or even several works to be examined would not necessitate a new proposal and defense.) If the student fails to complete the Review of the Dissertation Proposal within a year of the completion of the doctoral exams, they will have fallen out of departmental good standing. For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices.
After passing the Review of the Dissertation Proposal, the student should forward one signed copy of the proposal to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The RDP may last no longer than 90 minutes.
Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the review. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student exams but not others.
The Graduate Catalog states that the doctoral candidate “must present a dissertation showing the planning, conduct and results of original research, and scholarly creativity.” While most Ph.D. candidates in the Department of English write dissertations of a traditional, research-oriented nature, a creative writing candidate may elect to do a creative-writing dissertation involving fiction, poetry, drama or nonfiction prose. Such a dissertation must also contain a substantial section of scholarly research related to the creative writing. The precise nature of the scholarly research component should be determined by the candidate in consultation with the dissertation committee and the Graduate Director. Candidates wishing to undertake such a dissertation must complete all Departmental requirements demanded for the research-oriented Ph.D. degree.
Scholarly Research Component (SRC)
The Scholarly Research Component (SRC) of the creative-writing dissertation is a separate section of the dissertation than the creative work. It involves substantial research and is written in the style of academic prose. It should be 15-20 pages and should cite at least 20 sources, some of which should be primary texts, and many of which should be from the peer-reviewed secondary literature. The topic must relate, in some way, to the topic, themes, ideas, or style of the creative portion of the dissertation; this relation should be stated in the Dissertation Proposal, which should include a section describing the student’s plans for the SRC. The SRC may be based on a seminar paper or other work the student has completed prior to the dissertation; but the research should be augmented, and the writing revised, per these guidelines. The SRC is a part of the dissertation, and as such will be included in the dissertation defense.
The SRC may take two general forms:
1.) An article, publishable in a peer-reviewed journal or collection, on a specific topic related to an author, movement, theoretical issue, taxonomic issue, etc. that has bearing on the creative portion. The quality of this article should be high enough that the manuscript could be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication, with a plausible chance of acceptance.
2.) A survey . This survey may take several different forms:
A survey of a particular aspect of the genre of the creative portion of the dissertation (stylistic, national, historical, etc.)
An introduction to the creative portion of the dissertation that explores the influences on, and the theoretical or philosophical foundations or implications of the creative work
An exploration of a particular technical problem or craft issue that is salient in the creative portion of the dissertation
If the creative portion of the dissertation includes the results of research (e.g., historical novel, documentary poetry, research-based creative nonfiction), a descriptive overview of the research undertaken already for the dissertation itself
A combination of the above, with the prior approval of the student’s dissertation director.
The dissertation committee will consist of at least four members—two “core” English faculty members, a third faculty member (usually from English), and one faculty member from a different department who serves as the Graduate Studies representative. The committee may include (with the Graduate Director’s approval) members from other departments and, with the approval of the University’s Graduate Council, members from outside the University. If a student wants to have a committee member from outside the university, or a person who is not in a full-time tenure-track professorship at KU, the student must contact the Graduate Secretary as early as possible. Applications for special graduate faculty status must be reviewed by the College and the Office of Graduate Studies. Requests for defense approval will not be approved unless all committee members currently hold either regular or special graduate faculty status.
The candidate’s preferences as to the membership of the dissertation committee will be carefully considered; the final decision, however, rests with the Department and with the Office of Graduate Studies. All dissertation committees must get approval from the Director of Graduate Studies before scheduling the final oral exam (defense). Furthermore, any changes in the make-up of the dissertation committee from the Review of the Dissertation Proposal committee must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Once the dissertation proposal has passed and the writing of the dissertation begins, membership of the dissertation committee should remain constant. However, under extraordinary circumstances, a student may request a substitution in, or a faculty member may ask to be dismissed from, the membership of the dissertation committee. Such requests must be approved, in writing, by the faculty member leaving the committee and by the Graduate Director.
If a student does not make progress during the dissertation-writing stage, and accumulates more than one “Limited Progress” and/or “No Progress” grade on their transcript, they will fall out of good standing in the department. For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices
Final Oral Exam (Dissertation Defense)
When the dissertation has been tentatively accepted by the dissertation committee (not including the Graduate Studies Representative), the final oral examination will be held, on the recommendation of the Department. While the exam schedule is always contingent on student progress, in the first two weeks of the semester in which they intend to defend the dissertation, students should work with their committee chair and graduate program coordinator to schedule it.
Although the dissertation committee is responsible for certification of the candidate, any member of the graduate faculty may be present at the examination and participate in the questioning, and one examiner—the Graduate Studies Representative—must be from outside the Department. The Graduate Secretary can help students locate an appropriate Grad Studies Rep. The examination normally lasts no more than two hours. It is the obligation of the candidate to advise the Graduate Director that they plan to take the oral examination; this must be done at least one month before the date proposed for the examination.
At least three calendar weeks prior to the defense date, the student will submit the final draft of the dissertation to all the committee members (including the GSR) and inform the Graduate Program Coordinator. Failure to meet this deadline will necessitate rescheduling the defense. The final oral examination for the Ph.D. in English is, essentially, a defense of the dissertation. When it is passed, the dissertation itself is graded by the dissertation director, in consultation with the student’s committee; the student’s performance in the final examination (defense) is graded by the entire five-person committee
Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the defense. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student defenses but not others
These sets of attributes are adapted from the Graduate Learner Outcomes that are a part of our Assessment portfolio. “Honors” should only be given to dissertations that are rated “Outstanding” in all or most of the following categories:
Significant and innovative plot/structure/idea/focus. The writer clearly places plot/structure/idea/focus in context.
Thorough knowledge of literary traditions. Clear/flexible vision of the creative work produced in relation to those literary traditions.
Introduction/Afterword is clear, concise, and insightful. A detailed discussion of the implications of the project and future writing projects exists.
The creative dissertation reveals the doctoral candidate’s comprehensive understanding of poetics and/or aesthetic approach. The application of the aesthetic approach is innovative and convincing.
The creative dissertation represents original and sophisticated creative work.
The creative dissertation demonstrates thematic and/or aesthetic unity.
After much discussion about whether the “honors” designation assigned after the dissertation defense should be for the written product only, for the defense/discussion only, for both together, weighted equally, or eradicated altogether, the department voted to accept the Graduate Committee recommendation that “honors” only apply to the written dissertation. "Honors" will be given to dissertations that are rated "Outstanding" in all or most of the categories on the dissertation rubric.
Normally, the dissertation will present the results of the writer’s own research, carried on under the direction of the dissertation committee. This means that the candidate should be in regular contact with all members of the committee during the dissertation research and writing process, providing multiple drafts of chapters, or sections of chapters, according to the arrangements made between the student and each faculty member. Though accepted primarily for its scholarly merit rather than for its rhetorical qualities, the dissertation must be stylistically competent. The Department has accepted the MLA Handbook as the authority in matters of style. The writer may wish to consult also the Chicago Manual of Style and Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Dissertations, Theses, and Term Papers .
Naturally, both the student and the dissertation committee have responsibilities and obligations to each other concerning the submitting and returning of materials. The student should plan on working steadily on the dissertation; if they do so, they should expect from the dissertation committee a reasonably quick reading and assessment of material submitted.
Students preparing their dissertation should be showing chapters to their committee members as they go along, for feedback and revision suggestions. They should also meet periodically with committee members to assess their progress. Prior to scheduling a defense, the student is encouraged to ask committee members whether they feel that the student is ready to defend the dissertation. Ideally, the student should hold the defense only when they have consulted with committee members sufficiently to feel confident that they have revised the dissertation successfully to meet the expectations of all committee members.
Students should expect that they will need to revise each chapter at least once. This means that all chapters (including introduction and conclusion) are shown to committee members once, revised, then shown to committee members again in revised form to assess whether further revisions are needed, prior to the submitting of the final dissertation as a whole. It is not unusual for further revisions to be required and necessary after the second draft of a chapter; students should not therefore simply assume that a second draft is necessarily “final” and passing work.
If a substantial amount of work still needs to be completed or revised at the point that the dissertation defense is scheduled, such a defense date should be regarded as tentative, pending the successful completion, revision, and receipt of feedback on all work. Several weeks prior to the defense, students should consult closely with their dissertation director and committee members about whether the dissertation as a whole is in a final and defensible stage. A project is ready for defense when it is coherent, cohesive, well researched, engages in sophisticated analysis (in its entirety or in the critical introduction of creative dissertations), and makes a significant contribution to the field. In other words, it passes each of the categories laid out in the Dissertation Rubric.
If the dissertation has not clearly reached a final stage, the student and dissertation director are advised to reschedule the defense.
Prior Publication of the Doctoral Dissertation
Portions of the material written by the doctoral candidate may appear in article form before completion of the dissertation. Prior publication does not ensure the acceptance of the dissertation by the dissertation committee. Final acceptance of the dissertation is subject to the approval of the dissertation committee. Previously published material by other authors included in the dissertation must be properly documented.
Each student beyond the master’s degree should confer regularly with the Graduate Director regarding their progress toward the doctoral examination and the doctorate.
Doctoral students may take graduate courses outside the English Department if, in their opinion and that of the Graduate Director, acting on behalf of the Graduate Committee, those courses will be of value to them. Their taking such courses will not, of course, absolve them of the responsibility for meeting all the normal departmental and Graduate School requirements.
Doctoral students in creative writing are strongly encouraged to take formal literature classes in addition to forms classes. Formal literature classes, by providing training in literary analysis, theory, and/or literary history, will help to prepare students for doctoral exams (and future teaching at the college level).
FALL SEMESTER
GTAs take 2 courses (801 + one), teach 2 courses; GRAs take 3 courses.
Visit assigned advisor once a month to update on progress & perceptions. 1st-year advisors can assist with selecting classes for the Spring semester, solidifying and articulating a field of specialization, advice about publishing, conferences, professionalization issues, etc.
SPRING SEMESTER
GTAs take 2 courses (780/800/880 + one), teach 2 courses. GTAs also take ENGL 802 for 1 credit hour. GRAs take 3 courses.
Visit assigned advisor or DGS once during the semester; discuss best advisor choices for Year 2.
SUMMER SEMESTER
Enroll in Summer Institute if topic and/or methodology matches interests.
Consider conferences suited to your field and schedule; choose a local one for attendance in Year 2 and draft an Abstract for a conference paper (preferably with ideas/materials/ writing drawn from a seminar paper). Even if abstract is not accepted, you can attend the conference without the pressure of presenting.
Attend at least one conference to familiarize yourself with procedure, network with other grad students and scholars in your field, AND/OR present a paper.
FALL SEMESTER
Take 2 courses, teach 2 courses.
Visit advisor in person at least once during the semester.
WINTER BREAK
Begin revising one of your seminar papers/independent study projects/creative pieces for submission to a journal; research the journals most suited to placement of your piece.
Begin thinking about fields and texts for comprehensive examinations.
Choose an advisor to supervise you through the doctoral examination process.
Visit assigned 1st-year advisor in person at least once during the semester (at least to formally request doctoral exam supervision OR to notify that you are changing advisors).
Summer teaching, if eligible.
Continue revising paper/creative writing for submission to a journal.
Begin reading for comprehensive exams.
Attend one conference and present a paper. Apply for one-time funding for out-of-state travel from Graduate Studies .
Teach 2 courses; take 997 (exam prep).
Finalize comps list by end of September; begin drafting rationales.
Circulate the draft of your article/creative piece to your advisor, other faculty in the field, and/or advanced grad students in the field for suggestions.
Revise article/creative piece with feedback from readers.
Teach 2 courses; take 997 or 999 (dissertation hours). Enroll in 999 if you plan to take your comps this semester, even if you don’t take them until the last day of classes.
Take comps sometime between January and May.
Summer teaching, if available.
Submit article/creative work for publication.
Continuous enrollment after completing doctoral exam (full policy on p. 20)
Research deadlines for grant applications—note deadlines come early in the year.
Attend one conference and present a paper.
Teach 2 courses, take 999.
Compose dissertation proposal by November.
Schedule Review of Dissertation Proposal (RDP—formerly DPR).
Apply for at least one grant or fellowship, such as a departmental-level GRAship or dissertation fellowship. (Winning a full-year, non-teaching fellowship can cut down your years-to-degree to 5 ½, or even 5 years.)
Conduct research for and draft at least 1 dissertation chapter.
Conduct research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter.
Revise & resubmit journal article, if necessary.
Attend 1st round of job market meetings with Job Placement Advisor (JPA) to start drafting materials and thinking about the process.
Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter, if teaching (1-2 chapters if not).
Visit dissertation chair and committee members in person at least once during the semester.
Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter (1-2 chapters if not teaching).
Apply for a departmental grant or fellowship, or, if already held, try applying for one from outside the department, such as those offered by KU’s Hall Center for the Humanities or the Office of Graduate Studies. For a monthly list of funding opportunities , visit the Graduate Studies website.
Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter.
Attend job market meetings with JPA in earnest.
Apply for external grants, research fellowships, postdoctoral positions with fall deadlines (previous fellowship applications, your dissertation proposal, and subsequent writing should provide a frame so that much of the application can be filled out with the “cut & paste” function).
Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter (1-2 if not teaching).
Visit dissertation chair and committee members in person at least once during the semester.
Polish dissertation chapters.
Apply for grants and fellowships with spring deadlines.
Defend dissertation.
Creative Writing Faculty
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Graduate Student Handbook
PhD in Creative Writing
Program overview.
The PhD in Creative Writing and Literature is a four-year course of study. Following two years of course work that includes workshop, forms classes, pedagogical training, and literature, students take exams in two areas, one that examines texts through the lens of craft and another that examines them through the lens of literary history and theory. Recent examples of the genre area include Comic Fiction, History of the Love Lyric, and Fantasy; recent examples of the scholarly area include History of the Novel, 20th Century American Poetry, and Modern & Contemporary British Fiction. In the first two years, students take three courses per semester; the teaching load throughout the program is one class per semester. Every PhD student has the opportunity to teach creative writing, with many also teaching literature classes. Most students are funded by teaching, with two or three at a time funded by editorial work at The Cincinnati Review or Acre Books, and others funded in their dissertation year by college- or university-level fellowships. Fifth-year support, while not guaranteed, has generally been available to interested students in the form of student lecturerships, which carry a 2-2 load. The Creative Writing PhD at the University of Cincinnati has maintained over the last decade more than a 75% placement rate into full-time academic jobs for its doctoral graduates. Two-thirds of these positions are tenure-track.
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Fully Funded PhD Programs in Creative Writing
Last updated February 1, 2022
As part of my series on How to Fully Fund Your PhD , I provide a list of universities that offer full funding for a PhD in Creative Writing. PhDs in Creative Writing can lead to a career as a university teacher, professional writer, and more.
Fully funded PhD programs in Creative Writing are those that offer a financial aid package for full-time students that provides full-tuition remission in addition to an annual stipend or salary for the duration of the program, which is usually 3-6 years. Full funding usually comes in the form of an assistantship, with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study. Not all Creative Writing PhD programs offer full funding to their doctoral students, which is why I recommend researching the financial aid offerings of all the potential PhD programs in your academic field, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad.
In addition to listing fully funded PhD and Fully Funded Master’s programs, the ProFellow database also spotlights external funding opportunities for graduate school, including fellowships for dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experiences.
Would you like to receive our list of more than 1000+ fully funded PhD and Master’s programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded PhD and Master’s Programs and Full Funding Awards !
University of Cincinnati, PhD in Creative Writing (Cincinnati, OH): Every Ph.D. student has the opportunity to teach creative writing, with many also teaching literature classes. Most students are funded by teaching, with two or three at a time funded by editorial work at The Cincinnati Review, and others funded in their dissertation year by college- or university-level fellowships.
Florida State University, PhD in Creative Writing (Tallahassee, FL): The majority of students in the Graduate English Program receive support in the form of a teaching assistantship. Ph.D. students receive a four-year assistantship but are eligible to apply for a fifth year contingent on satisfactory progress. Teaching assistants are provided with a stipend, a tuition waiver, and a health insurance subsidy. For 2020-21, the stipend amounts were $16,200 for PhDs. The FSU Graduate School offers several fellowships and awards.
University of Houston, PhD in Creative Writing and Literature (Houston, Texas): Through the Department of English the Creative Writing Program offers teaching assistantships to Ph.D. students. Ph.D. students can receive a teaching assistantship for 5 years. Starting salary for a PhDs is $20,104/9 months. As part of the assistantship, students are awarded either a Graduate Tuition Fellowship, which remits tuition, or a Creative Writing Program Fellowship, which covers the cost of tuition and the University will pay up to 50% of the costs of medical insurance.
University of Illinois, PhD in Creative Writing (Chicago, IL): Accepted doctoral students are normally awarded six years of departmental funding via a teaching assistantship. The Graduate College and the Department both offer a number of fellowships and awards in varying amounts for graduate students. Limited amounts of travel funding are available through the Department and the Graduate College.
University of Nebraska, PhD in Creative Writing (Lincoln, NE): Students who enter the Ph.D. program with an M.A. or M.F.A. are eligible for up to 5 years of funding as Teaching Assistants. The TA stipend was $17,640.00 plus tuition remission and health insurance. The stipend for Research Assistants is $13.155.00 plus tuition remission. Each year the English Department awards several fellowships to graduate students.
University of New Brunswick, PhD in Creative Writing (Fredericton, Saint John): PhD students at UNB are eligible to compete for $19,420 of assistantship funding per year for four years (2019-2020), providing academic progress is satisfactory.
University of Southern California, PhD in Creative Writing and Literature (Los Angeles, CA): Students admitted to the Ph.D. program in Creative Writing and Literature receive financial support and assistance in the form of fellowships and teaching assistantships, which include full tuition remission, year-round health and dental benefits, and a stipend at the current rate.
Texas Tech University, PhD in Creative Writing (Lubbock, TX): When students apply to the onsite PhD program, they are automatically considered for funding. The funding for incoming students consists of a teaching position with a competitive stipend—guaranteed $20K/year for four years with opportunities to apply for a fifth year of funding—and significant tuition and fee waivers.
Ulster University, PhD in Creative Writing (Northern Ireland): The University is proud to be able to regularly offer scholarship awards to support PhD study for applicants from across the globe. These scholarships generally pay full tuition fees and provide a tax-free maintenance grant of over £15,000 per year.
Looking for more graduate funding awards? Sign up to discover and bookmark more than 1,400 professional and academic fellowships in the ProFellow database .
Admission to the creative writing program is extremely competitive, with up to 20 new students across the two genres selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. The curriculum for Ph.D. students emphasizes creative writing and literary study. The city of Houston offers a vibrant, multi-cultural backdrop for studying creative writing at the University of Houston. With a dynamic visual and performing arts scene, the Houston metropolitan area supplies a wealth of aesthetic materials.
Overview of Admissions Requirements
Minimum requirements for admission.
M.A. in English or M.F.A. in Creative Writing
3.5 GPA in graduate studies
Application Deadline
The admissions deadline for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature is January 15.
For more admissions information, visit the How to Apply web page for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature.
History of the Creative Writing Program
Over the years many more internationally acclaimed writers have made the Program their home, including Mary Gaitskill, Richard Howard, Howard Moss, Linda Gregg, Adam Zagajewski, Daniel Stern, David Wojahn, Edward Hirsch, Alan Hollinghurst, Mark Strand, David Wagoner, Philip Levine, Charles Wright, Claudia Rankine, Kimiko Hahn, Mark Doty and Ruben Martinez.
Current faculty includes Erin Belieu, Robert Boswell, Audrey Colombe, Chitra Divakaruni, Nick Flynn, francine j. harris, Antonya Nelson, Alex Parsons, Kevin Prufer, Brenda Peynado, Martha Serpas, Roberto Tejada, and Peter Turchi.
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English Creative Writing Ph.D.
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Why Earn an English Creative Writing Ph.D.?
The Ph.D. program is designed to give you a broad, solid foundation in the academic profession, while at the same time preparing you to conduct original, in-depth research or to compose original works of literature. You'll benefit from the guidance of a nationally recognized faculty with a strong record of publication in prestigious journals like PMLA, Philological Quarterly, The Paris Review and Granta.
We make every effort to foster our graduate students' success and help them attain their educational and career goals.
While at UNT, our students have published their work in nationally and internationally recognized journals and magazines, including The New Yorker , Shakespeare and SEL: Studies in English Literature . They have placed books with presses like Button Poetry, the University of Georgia Press and the University of Wisconsin Press. And they have won prestigious awards and fellowships, including grants from the Newberry Library and from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Reason rigorously, subtly and independently
Analyze minutely sources and narratives
Identify and address interpretative complexity
Develop and contribute new knowledge
Convey knowledge in self-designed courses
English Creative Writing Ph.D. Highlights
What can you do with an english creative writing ph.d..
Many recent Ph.D. graduates have gone on to tenure-track positions at other institutions all over the country, including Texas Women's University (Texas), Radford University (Virginia), St. Catherine University (Minnesota), Valparaiso University (Indiana), SUNY-Potsdam (New York) and Brigham Young University (Utah).
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English Ph.D.
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Suggested search, the program provides dual emphasis in literature & creative writing, culminating in the dissertation, which combines critical analysis with creative originality..
Doctoral candidates not only read and write texts as finished products of scholarship in researching their creative work’s literary and historical milieu, but also consider the text as writers create it, then compose texts as writers, a process that goes to the source of the study of literature and of literature itself.
The program provides dual emphasis in literature and creative writing, culminating in the dissertation, which combines critical analysis with creative originality. Roughly half of the dissertation is based on original research, that is to say, research contributing to knowledge which enriches or changes the field.
This integration of literature and creative writing is reflected in the structure of the dissertation, which introduces creative work within a context of critical inquiry, bringing together the examination and embodiment of the literary act, a new model of scholarship and creative innovation.
Ph.D. in Creative Writing & Literature
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University of Southern California
Jul 11, 2024
USC Catalogue 2023-2024
USC Catalogue 2023-2024[ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]
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Application deadline: December 1
The program provides dual emphasis in literature and creative writing, culminating in the dissertation, which combines critical analysis with creative originality. Roughly half of the dissertation is based on original research, that is to say, research contributing to knowledge which enriches or changes the field. Doctoral candidates not only read and write texts as finished products of scholarship in researching their creative work’s literary and historical milieu, but also consider the text as writers create it, then compose texts as writers, a process that goes to the source of the study of literature and of literature itself. This integration of literature and creative writing is reflected in the structure of the dissertation, which introduces the creative work within a context of critical inquiry, bringing together the examination and embodiment of the literary act, a new model of scholarship and creative innovation.
PhD candidates in literature and creative writing must pass the same departmental screening examination taken by PhD candidates in Literature who are not working in the area of creative writing. The exam tests students in various areas of emphasis (British literature, American literature, poetry, prose, etc.) and literature and historical periods as a measure of their preparedness to undertake independent research.
The literature and creative writing student takes 64 units in all, 32 in literature, 24 in creative writing workshops and seminars and 8 units of dissertation studies credits.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission to study in the department of English include: scores satisfactory to the department in both the verbal and quantitative General Test and the literature Subject Test of the Graduate Record Examinations; evidence of experience and ability in creative writing, as demonstrated by a creative writing sample; evidence of competence in writing English and interpreting English literature, as demonstrated by a sample of written work by the applicant on literary subjects; a satisfactory written statement by the applicant of aims and interests in graduate work; letters of recommendation from at least three college instructors; and grades satisfactory to the department earned by the applicant at other institutions. This program will accept applicants with BA degrees or transfer students with an MA or MFA in creative writing.
Degree Requirements
These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.
Graduate Curriculum and Unit Requirements
The graduate curriculum is divided into 500-level foundation courses and 600-level advanced courses. The 500-level courses offer fundamental work in theory and in the history of British and American literatures and cultures. The 600-level courses feature advanced studies in theory, creative writing seminars and workshops and special topics. Although students will normally take 500-level courses leading up to the screening procedure (see Screening Procedure) and 600-level courses thereafter, students after consultation with their advisers may be permitted to take 600-level courses in the first semester of their graduate training.
The student’s course work must total at least 64 units. No more than eight units of 794 Doctoral Dissertation and no more than four units of 790 Research may count toward the 64 units. A maximum of 12 transfer units, approved by the graduate director, is allowed toward the 64 units minimum required by the PhD (See Transfer of Course Work .)
The student will be assigned a faculty mentor in his or her first semester in the graduate program and will be encouraged in subsequent semesters to begin putting together an informal qualifying exam committee. The makeup of the qualifying exam committee may change as the interests of the student change. The faculty mentor and informal qualifying exam committee will assist the student in planning a program of study appropriate to the student’s interests leading to the screening procedure.
Screening Procedure
At the end of the student’s fourth semester (second semester for students who enter with an MA or MFA degree or near equivalent), the student will sit for a departmental examination, which is part of a comprehensive screening procedure. Rarely, and only with the approval of the graduate director and the graduate committee, will a student be allowed to postpone the departmental examination and the screening procedure, and then only for one year. Prior to the screening procedure, the student will be allowed to take a maximum of four units of independent study ( ENGL 590 ), and that independent study will normally be used to prepare for the departmental examination; all other units must be in the 500- or 600-level seminar.
Qualifying Exam Committee
Immediately following successful completion of the screening procedure, the student will nominate formally a five-member qualifying exam committee, including a chair and three other members from the English Department who are in the student’s areas of interest and an outside member from another PhD-granting department. The committee must be in place and approved by the Graduate School at the time the student chooses a dissertation topic, writes the dissertation prospectus and schedules a qualifying examination.
Qualifying Examination
Following completion of course work, the student must sit for a qualifying examination, at a time mutually agreed upon by the student and the qualifying exam committee.
This is a field examination given in the subject of the student’s proposed dissertation research. No less than one month before the qualifying examination, the student will submit to the qualifying exam committee a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus, it is understood, will not be a polished dissertation proposal, but at a minimum it should display a strong knowledge of the subject, much of the relevant secondary material and other contexts crucial to the writing of the dissertation, and should present a workable plan of attack as well as a reasonably sophisticated understanding of the theoretical assumptions involved in the subject.
The qualifying examination will consist of both written and oral portions with special emphasis areas in creative writing. It will focus on the dissertation area and its contexts with the specific format and content of the examination being negotiated among the student and all members of the examination committee. Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination the student proceeds to the writing of the doctoral dissertation.
Dissertation
The final stage of the program is the submission of a creative dissertation that makes an original, substantial and publishable contribution to creative literature: a book of poems, a novel, a collection of short stories.
Foreign Language
PhD students are required to demonstrate proficiency in at least one foreign language. This may be demonstrated by completing a course in the literature of that language at the 400 or 500 level (with a grade of B [3.0] or better) or by passing a foreign language exam that tests proficiency in reading comprehension and translation. PhD students may also be required to demonstrate proficiency in additional languages, as determined by the qualifying exam committee in view of the student’s proposed field of research.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
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Doctoral concentration in creative writing, creative writing at ul.
The UL Lafayette Creative Writing Program invites you to join our close, energetic community of faculty and students.
Generalist Program
Our Ph.D. in English is unique in that it is a generalist program. That means you as a student gain broad expertise in a variety of creative writing genres: fiction, poetry, drama, and creative non-fiction. It also means that you’ll strengthen your understanding of literature, and develop solid pedagogical practice by instructing undergraduate courses in rhetoric and composition. There will also be opportunities to teach creative writing, literature, and design your own special topics courses.
The generalist program ensures graduates concentrating in Creative Writing who opt for academic positions are qualified to teach in several areas. Graduates who choose careers outside of the academy will have experience managing a classroom while teaching and designing their own courses.
Opportunities
Assistantships are available in the Ernest J. Gaines Center, the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, and within the English Department. Graduate teaching assistantships give you the chance to teach first-year writing, sophomore literature survey courses, a creative writing workshop, and a literature course of your own design. Three-year university fellowships with lighter teaching loads are also available.
You will be able to gain professional development experience through working on the University-supported in-house print journal The Southwestern Review, and our online literary journal Rougarou. Students also read at our Thursday Night Reading Series (TNRS) , and often attend the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference where our graduate creative writers host an annual off-site reading. Creative writers also have the opportunity to present their work at the Global Souths conference we put on each year through a creative plenary and creative panels.
In addition to our great faculty, and writer-in-residence, the UL Lafayette Creative Writing Program is enhanced by the Deep South Reading Series . Recent guests include: Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Katie Jean Shinkle, Terese Svoboda, Rodrigo Toscano, Asiya Wadud, Matthew Salesses, Vi Khi Nao, Clemonce Heard, and Wandeka Gayle.
Apply to Write with Us
In addition to the PhD in English application requirements, the department requires a creative writing portfolio. You should submit a creative writing sample of 15-20 pages as part of their application directly to the Graduate Coordinator for Incoming Students, Dr. Leah Orr at [email protected] . PDFs are preferred. Please specify the genre: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Creative Nonfiction, or Hybrid work.
Read more info about applying.
Resources and Links
Apply today to write with us at UL!
Read about our current and past Writers-in-Residence.
Have questions about our program? Contact our graduate coordinator at [email protected].
See what jobs our students have landed.
View our comprehensive English Graduate Student Handbook .
Check out recent news and events for the UL Lafayette CWP.
View Creative Writing PhD Requirements and Courses .
Follow the UL Lafayette CWP on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
The English Department’s Thursday Night Reading Series (TNRS) features weekly readings of original poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, drama, and experimental works from UL graduate students and faculty. Watch the video to see our graduate students share their work and visit the TNRS Facebook page to learn more.
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Home / About / About the PhD Creative/Critical Writing Concentration
About the PhD Creative/Critical Writing Concentration
UC Santa Cruz offers a concentration in Creative/Critical Writing for Literature Ph.D. students. This is an individualized course of study in which students can write a creative dissertation with a critical introduction or a cross-genre creative/critical project. Our students have completed speculative novels, collections of poems and personal essays, experimental memoirs, biographies, cross-genre work and translations of works of poetry and prose. Descriptions of previous qualifying exam and dissertation topics can be found with student bios here .
In addition to taking critical literature courses, entering students take four graduate creative/critical writing classes (two “Creative Writing Studio” courses and two “Methods and Materials” courses taught by creative writing faculty ). The “Creative Writing Studio” is a mixed-genre class that moves beyond the classic workshop mode to give students time to focus on their creative work in a supportive community. The “Methods and Materials” class is a seminar that examines one form, topic, and/or theme. Students can respond creatively, critically or creative/critically. Past classes have focused on autobiographical experiments, race and the lyric essay, the artist’s statement, and James Baldwin’s sentences.
The concentration works to create community while at the same time gives our students opportunities to join with creative and critical colleagues within and beyond the department and division. There are opportunities for internships, fellowships, and graduate students often introduce and meet with writers through the Living Writers Series . Graduate students can also pursue designated emphases in programs and departments such as Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Education, Feminist Studies, History of Consciousness, Latin American and Latino Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Sociology, and the History of Art and Visual Culture. (A full listing of programs and departments offering a Designated Emphasis can be found here .)
The program also offers opportunities for pedagogical training. Graduate students in the Creative/Critical Writing Concentration have the opportunity to teach undergraduate introductory and intermediate creative writing courses annually.
Although our program is fairly new, UCSC has a rich history of Creative/Critical writers and teachers, such as George Hitchcock, bell hooks, Harriet Mullen, Gloria Anzaldua, Nathaniel Mackey, Angela Davis, Karen Tei Yamashita, and Peter Gizzi.
Graduate Students Describe the Program:
"The Creative/Critical Program facilitates a deep exploration of the critical and intellectual apparatuses involved in the creative process. Prospective students should prepare to excavate their creative practice and process to see how their work speaks to broader critical conversations and how to deepen the questions their work asks and the questions they ask of their work and process. We interrogate connections between ourselves, our work, and the world around us.”
“ What I love about the C/C program, and the UCSC literature department more broadly, is the way it works to break down barriers between the creative and the critical--not just bringing the critical into the creative, but the creative into the critical. It has both helped me to bring a more personal approach--a personality--to my critical writing and more complex ideas to my creative writing.”
“ We practice thinking both creatively and critically and those are often two siloed modes of thinking that we bring together.”
“ In the Graduate Creative/Critical Writing Concentration I've gained mentors, colleagues, and friends who are committed to innovation and pushing the limits of critical and creative writing as we know it. The community has welcomed me with open arms and emboldened me to develop my craft beyond what I thought was possible in literature. Joining this program out of an M.F.A. was the best thing I could have done for my creative practice and my personal and professional development.”
See Also
An Overview of the Creative/Critical Writing Concentration
A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is required; please submit within the online application system.
Graduate test
The GRE is not required.
Note: International applicants may have to provide evidence of English language proficiency.
Recommendations
This program requires three recommendations. Please send email requests for such recommendations from within the online system.
Written statement
Please prepare a statement which covers the following information, and attach it within the online application:
I am applying for admission into the ______________________________ program.
Programs/concentrations include:
PhD in Literature
PhD in English Education
PhD in Creative Writing—Fiction
PhD in Creative Writing—Poetry
PhD in Creative Writing—Drama
Submit a 750-word essay about why you wish to undertake graduate study and which key experiences have shaped your decision. You may reflect upon ideas, texts, and modes of study that inspire you and discuss your plans for pursuing them. Please use the essay to highlight important aspects of your application.
Previous written work
Submit a writing sample on a topic in your chosen program/concentration. Your writing sample(s) should be typed, double-spaced, and unmarked. For the Ph.D. in English: Creative Writing, you must submit two samples: (1) a 10-15 page scholarly paper that focuses on a literary topic, and (2) an original piece of creative writing, with applicants interested in Playwriting or Poetry submitting 15-30 pages of original work in their genre, and those focused on Fiction submitting up to 30 pages of their original fiction.
Other program materials
If applying for graduate assistantship, complete the following narrative and submit within the online application:
If you have taught before, write a 700- to 1000-word essay explaining your teaching philosophy and experience. If you have not taught, write a 500-word essay in which you imagine your own approach to teaching.
Transcript requirement
An official transcript from the institution from which you received your bachelor degree is required, as well as a transcript from the institution(s) where any additional graduate level courses or degrees have been taken/completed. Applicants are not required to submit an official transcript of courses taken/completed at WMU.
Additional information
If you have any questions, please review the website below for program and contact information.
Department of English — College of Arts and Sciences
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About Postgraduate Creative Writing
Creative writing extends beyond the boundaries of normal professional journalism or academic forms of literature. It is often associated with fiction and poetry, but primarily emphasises narrative craft, character development, and the use of traditional literary forms.
A PhD level exploration of creative writing is a three-year full-time programme, where candidates delve into the complexities of literary expression, developing their own research and create projects with the goal of making an original contribution to the field.
There are more than fifty creative writing PhD programmes in the UK, and these give candidates a platform to fully immerse themselves in their ideas and take their work to the next level.
What to expect
A PhD in creative writing offers the time and space to develop personal creative methods, combined with advanced workshops, critical seminars, and guest lectures from working authors. Under an academic mentor's supervision, candidates typically work towards completing a novel, poetry collection or screenplay.
Postgraduate programmes such as these often foster a supportive community of writers and scholars, and collaboration with peers is encouraged. Graduates can expect to emerge as confident and aspirational authors, with a developed style and professional aspiration, prepared for careers in writing, publishing, academia, or other creative industries. The degree provides a pathway for making significant contributions to the world of literature through original and innovative creative works.
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PhD Creative Writing
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Creative Writing PhD
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King's College London
Creative writing research phd.
Key information
The PhD in Creative Writing at King’s is a practice-led course, incorporating taught elements and aspects of professional development. It is designed to cater for talented, committed writers who are looking to complete a book-length creative work for publication and sustain a long-term career in writing.
Key Benefits
Our unique programme offers students:
a varied, structured framework for the development of their creative work, with regular feedback from experienced author-lecturers in the department through supervision and workshops
purposeful engagement with professionals from the publishing and performance industries throughout the course, building potential routes to publication
valuable teaching experience in creative writing at HE-level through our Graduate Teaching Assistantship scheme
practical experience in public engagement, through curating and chairing public literary events at King’s
a community of fellow writers and collaborative projects
English Department
We have over 100 doctoral students from all over the world working on a wide range of projects. Together with our community of postdoctoral fellows, our early career researchers both organise and participate in our thriving seminar and conference culture.
The English department is home to award-winning novelists, poets, essayists, biographers, non-fiction authors, and literary critics, who supervise creative projects at doctoral level within their specialisms.
Works by our staff have won or been shortlisted for a number of literary accolades, including: the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Forward Prize, the Man Booker Prize, the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, the Costa First Novel Award, the Costa Poetry Award, the Somerset Maugham Award, the Commonwealth Book Prize, the Biographers’ Club / Slightly Foxed First Biography Prize, the U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award, the CWA Gold Dagger Award, the European Union Prize for Literature, the RSL Encore Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Letters, le Prix du Roman Fnac, le Prix du Roman Etranger, the Kiriyama Prize, the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award, and the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Many of the creative writing staff are Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature.
Their most recent publications are:
Benjamin Wood
The Young Accomplice (Penguin Viking, 2022) – fiction
A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better (Scribner, 2018) – fiction
Edmund Gordon
The Invention of Angela Carter (Chatto & Windus, 2016) – creative non-fiction
Loop of Jade (Chatto & Windus, 2015) – poetry
Anthony Joseph
Sonnets for Albert (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022) – poetry
The Frequency of Magic (Peepal Tree Press, 2019) – fiction
Homing: On Pigeons, Dwellings, and Why We Return (John Murray Press, 2019) – creative non-fiction
Daughters of the Labyrinth (Corsair, 2021) – fiction
Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life (Chatto & Windus, 2020) – poetry
Emerald (Chatto & Windus, 2018) – poetry
Andrew O'Hagan
Mayflies (Faber & Faber, 2020) – fiction
The Secret Life: Three True Stories (Faber & Faber, 2017) – creative non-fiction
*may vary according to research leave and availability.
King's Alumni
The list of King’s alumni not only features many acclaimed contemporary authors—Michael Morpurgo, Alain de Botton, Hanif Kureishi, Marina Lewycka, Susan Hill, Lawrence Norfolk, Ross Raisin, Alexander Masters, Anita Brookner, and Helen Cresswell—it also includes major figures in literature, such as Maureen Duffy, Arthur C Clarke, Thomas Hardy, Christopher Isherwood, BS Johnson, John Keats, W. Somerset Maugham, and Virginia Woolf.
Course Detail
Our postgraduate writing students are given a supportive environment in which to enhance their technique, to explore the depths of their ideas, to sustain their creative motivation, and to prepare them for the demands of the writer’s life beyond the College.
At King's we know that writing well requires self-discipline and an ability to work productively in isolation; but we also appreciate that postgraduate writers thrive when they are part of a community of fellow authors, an environment of constructive criticism and shared endeavour.
That is why we offer our PhD students the guidance of knowledgeable and experienced practitioners. They will have frequent opportunities to interact and collaborate with peers and forge lasting connections within London’s writing industry.
Students will be expected to attend the quarterly Thesis Workshop, and also to take an active part in curating literary events at King’s, including the Poetry And… quarterly reading series. They will be invited to apply for positions teaching undergraduate creative writing modules as part of the Department’s Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) scheme.
After three years (full-time) or six years (part-time), students are expected to submit either:
a novel or short story collection
a poetry collection
a full-length work of creative non-fiction
In addition, they are also required to submit an essay (up to 15,000 words) that examines their practical approach to the conception, development, and revision of their project, and which explores how their creative work was informed by research (archival, book-based, or experiential).
How to apply
Fees or Funding
Many of our incoming students apply for AHRC funding via the London Arts and Humanities Partnership. Please see their website ( www.lahp.ac.uk ) for more detail of deadlines, application procedure and awards available. Also the ‘Student Funding’ section of the Prospectus will give you more information on other scholarships available from King’s.
UK Tuition Fees 2023/24
Full time tuition fees:
£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
Part time tuition fees:
£2,910 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
International Tuition Fees 2023/24
£22,900 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
£11,450 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
UK Tuition Fees 2024/25
£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
International Tuition Fees 2024/25
£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Creative Writing)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
Study environment
Base campus
Strand Campus
Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.
PhD in Creative Writing students are taught through one-to-one sessions with an appointed supervisor in their chosen specialism (fiction, creative non-fiction, or poetry) as well as through quarterly thesis workshops. They are also appointed a second supervisor whose role is to offer an additional perspective on the work being produced.
We place great emphasis on pastoral care and are a friendly and welcoming department in the heart of London. Our home in the Virginia Woolf Building offers many spaces for postgraduate students to work and socialise. Studying in London means students have access to a huge range of libraries from the Maughan Library at King’s to the Senate House Library at the University of London and the British Library.
Our PhD Creative Writing students are taught exclusively by practicing, published writers of international reputation. These include:
Benjamin Wood (Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing)
Supervises projects in fiction.
Edmund Gordon (Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing)
Supervises projects in fiction and creative non-fiction.
Sarah Howe (Lecturer in Poetry)
Supervises projects in poetry.
Anthony Joseph (Lecturer in Creative Writing)
Supervises projects in poetry and fiction.
Jon Day (Senior Lecturer in English)
Supervises projects in creative non-fiction and fiction
Lara Feigel (Professor of Modern Literature)
Supervises projects in creative non-fiction and fiction.
Ruth Padel (Professor Emerita of Poetry)
Andrew O’Hagan (Visiting Professor)
*Teaching staff may vary according to research leave and availability.
Our programme also incorporates the following taught components:
Thesis Workshop
A termly writing seminar for the discussion and appraisal of works-in-progress. These are taught on a rotational basis by all members of the creative writing staff, so that students get the benefit of hearing a range of voices and opinions on their work throughout the course.
The Writing Life
A suite of exclusive guest talks and masterclasses from leading authors, publishers, and editors, in which students receive guidance from people working at the top level of the writing industry and learn about the various demands of maintaining a career as a writer.
Recent speakers have included Amit Chaudhuri, Chris Power, Rebecca Watson, Mendez, Frances Leviston, Joanna Biggs, Joe Dunthorne, Francesca Wade, Kishani Widyaratna, Jacques Testard and Leo Robson.
Other elements of professional development are included in the degree:
Agents-in-Residence
Candidates in fiction or creative-nonfiction will meet and discuss their work in one-to-one sessions with invited literary agents, who are appointed to yearly residencies. These sessions offer writers a different overview of the development of their project: not solely from the standpoint of authorial technique, but with a view towards the positioning of their writing within a competitive and selective industry. Poetry candidates will meet and discuss their work with invited editors from internationally recognised poetry journals and presses.
Undergraduate Teaching
Through our Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) training scheme, our PhD students can apply to lead undergraduate creative writing workshops in fiction, creative non-fiction, and/or poetry, enabling them to acquire valuable HE-level teaching experience that will benefit them long after graduation.
Reading Series
Our students are required to participate in the curation of literary events at King’s. They are also responsible for curating Poetry And… , a quarterly reading in which leading poets illuminate the powerful connections between poetry and other disciplines. Students will develop skills in public engagement by chairing discussions and may also perform excerpts of their own writing.
Postgraduate Training
There is a range of induction events and training provided for students by the Centre for Doctoral Studies, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the English Department. A significant number of our students are AHRC-funded through the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) which also provides doctoral training to all students. All students take the ‘Doctoral Seminar’ in their first year. This is a series of informal, staff-led seminars on research skills in which students can share and gain feedback on their own work. We run a series of ‘Skills Lunches’, which are informal lunch meetings with staff, covering specific topics, including Upgrading, Attending Conferences, Applying for Funding and Post-Doctoral Awards, etc. Topics for these sessions are generally suggested by the students themselves, so are particularly responsive to student needs. We have an Early Career Staff Mentor who runs more formal workshops of varying kinds, particularly connected to career development and the professions.
Through our Graduate Teaching Assistantship Scheme, doctoral students can apply to teach in the department (usually in their second year of study) and are trained and supported as they do so.
Entry requirements
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Search through a list of available supervisors.
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Pre-application guidance for the PhD in Creative Writing
Find out why and how you should apply for our PhD in Creative Writing, including guidance on the creative and critical components of your degree.
How is the Creative Writing PhD structured?
Doctoral degree candidates in Creative Writing spend three years writing a manuscript in consultation with a supervisor.
This manuscript consists of two components:
A creative component that comprises 75% of the final manuscript.
A critical component, which comprises 25% of the final manuscript.
In practical terms this amounts to the following:
Candidates in fiction write a creative manuscript (novel or collection of short stories) that should not exceed 75,000 words in length.
Candidates in poetry write a collection of poetry that should not exceed 75 pages of poetry.
All candidates (fiction writers and poets) must also write an essay that is approximately 20,000- 25,000 words. This is the ‘critical’ component.
What is meant by ‘critical component’?
The critical component of a thesis manuscript in Creative Writing can be where you analyse how a precise, focused theme or a specific element of craft (character, form, voice, etc.) operates in selected published works. Sometimes, this will be a traditional academic or ‘critical’ essay. Other times, this part of a thesis might tackle more craft-driven questions: in what ways does plot operate in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse and Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow and how do these ‘operations’ affect readers? How does the use of non-human personae in Louise Glück’s The Wild Iris, Les Murray’s Translations from the Natural World and Edwin Morgan’s poetry reshape reader perceptions?
Alternatively, the critical component may take the form of a critical-reflexive essay, in which you situate your creative project in a critical context. Such an essay is not simply an account of what you did and when you did it; instead, it should be a rigorous and scholarly work that aims for some deeper insight. It is likely to use self-reflection as a means of illuminating the creative process, interrogating the contribution made by your creative writing to a chosen genre and its tradition, and examining how it engages with, and contributes to, wider conceptual or theoretical issues. Examples of critical-reflexive essays can be found in Writing in Practice and Text Journal.
Take me to Writing in Practice
Take me to Text Journal
It is not expected that the critical component should constitute an original contribution to knowledge, as would be the case when pursuing a conventional 80,000-word thesis manuscript in literary studies; what is important is that it offers an in-depth analysis of a question that, although explored in part or in whole through the work of other writers, relates to, or grows out of, the creative component of your manuscript, and that the creative and critical components are sufficiently connected for the thesis as a whole to form a coherent body of work.
You have only 20,000 -25,000 words for this essay, so when writing your proposal it is important to be focused and specific.
What form does the application take?
Applicants are asked to supply a sample of either fiction (3,000 - 5,000 words; not exceeding 5,000 words) or poetry (10-15 pages of poetry; not exceeding 15 pages), as well as a shorter sample of academic writing (circa 2,000 words). You’ll also need to supply a summary of your proposed project. This summary should comprise an outline of your creative project as well as detailed discussion of your 20,000 to 25,000-word critical component.
Some questions that your proposal might address could be:
What would be the proposed structure of the creative portion of your final manuscript?
Which resources would you be using for the critical portion (mention a few critics and/or authors you will be discussing by name or, even better, specific titles)?
Is there a single overarching research question that both the creative and the critical work will investigate?
Why would Edinburgh be a good place for this project?
Please include a bibliography. The application also asks for a personal statement separate from the proposal. This is where you provide information about your previous experiences and attainments as a creative writer; also give a sense of why you want to do the PhD at Edinburgh.
How long should a proposal be?
There is no official limit or minimum length for a proposal. However, effective proposals tend to be 500-750 words long, excluding the indicative bibliography.
Do I need to find someone to supervise my project before applying?
There is no need to identify a supervisor in advance of your application. Applicants who receive an offer of acceptance are assigned a provisional supervisor, taking into account staff research interests and other factors. However, it’s important to make contact with the team if you’re intending to apply for SGSAH (AHRC) funding.
While you do not need to find a member of staff willing to supervise your project before applying, please do take some time to read over staff profiles, staff research interests, and publications in order to ensure that your project is something we can supervise effectively.
Who can supervise your PhD
The following members of staff supervise PhD students in Creative Writing. Follow the links to find out more about their research interests and expertise.
Name
Specialism
Fiction
Fiction
Poetry
Poetry
Poetry
Drama
Poetry
Fiction
Fiction
Fiction
Is there anything else I should consider before applying?
Creative Writing at Edinburgh is staffed by a small cohort of writers of fiction and poetry and we are extremely selective in our recruitment. Sometimes, strong applications from talented writers do not receive offers because the proposed projects fall outside our areas of specialisation. A PhD requires close supervision from a specialist in the field: this holds equally for Creative Writing as for literary studies and applies to both elements of your project.
FAQs about our programme
Do doctoral degree candidates have the opportunity to teach.
In later years, suitably qualified PhD students are offered the opportunity to teach undergraduate tutorials. Please note that these tutorials are linked with pre-honours courses in literary studies, not creative writing.
Would my doctoral manuscript be made available through Open Access?
Conversations regarding Open Access are on-going and ever-evolving. At present, the same policy applies to Creative Writing doctoral manuscripts as to thesis manuscripts written by doctoral students in literary studies and other disciplines within the humanities.
When you submit, you can request a one-year embargo on public access to your thesis. If no embargo is requested then the full text of the thesis is made freely available online via ERA (Edinburgh Research Archive).
Find out more about Access to Thesis restrictions on the Scholarly Communications website
Find out more and apply
You can find out more about language requirements, facilities, fees, funding opportunities and application deadlines for this PhD programme, and formally apply to study on it, on the University of Edinburgh’s online Degree Finder.
Applications to start your PhD in September 2025 open in October 2024.
Take me to the University of Edinburgh's Degree Finder entry for the PhD in Creative Writing
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PhD in Creative Writing
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English at Leicester
Pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing at Leicester means becoming part of an exciting and dynamic research and creative environment.
The PhD programme helps give structure to your creative project, and invites you to ask searching questions about your practice, to reflect on the process of producing creative work, and so to write a long critical-reflective essay (usually 15-20,000 words) to accompany the creative work. The creative body of work normally makes up 70% of the PhD, and the reflective thesis 30%.
At its broadest, the emphasis is on trying to comprehend the practice of creation itself - surely one of the most fascinating subjects imaginable.
Creative Writing doctorates lead to a variety of potential career paths. These include novelist, poet, playwright or screenwriter, of course, but there are many related industries that Creative Writing research degree graduates nationally have gone on to work in, including (but not limited to):
TV storyline writing
Video game creation
TV and film production
Working as a literary agent
Teaching or lecturing
Working as a professional stand-up comedian
Post-doctoral academic research
Public relations
Advertising & marketing
Political research & speech writing
Arts management
Content provision
Tweet writing
Web editing
Franchise creation
Branding consultancy
Literary and other arts events management
Intellectual property advising
Application information
It is a good idea to make informal enquiries to the lecturer you believe might be interested in supervising your PhD, prior to making a formal application.
List of English at Leicester staff
Recent creative publications by students and staff
You should have a strong creative and academic track record - entry requirements are an MA or similar in Creative Writing and some prior publication history.
Otherwise, you should have compelling evidence of advanced writing experience, and an awareness of the technical and reflective elements of creative writing practice in an academic environment.
Your application should consist of a persuasive outline for a creative project: a body of poetry, a novel, a work of creative non-fiction, a graphic novel or a substantial film script. This should be accompanied by a theoretical and canonical series of questions that you believe will prove relevant as the creative work progresses.
You should be conscious of the fact that the critical element of a creative PhD is not separate literary critical study - although it may involve such. It is involved in the deeper comprehension of the creative process itself through an articulation of creative practice. As such it may involve historical, ethnographic, practice-based philosophical, social scientific and other theoretical models.
Places on the PhD are awarded on the basis of the quality of the creative sample submitted and the originality of the proposal.
Audio clip: Gwynne Harries discusses his Creative PhD
Listen to PhD student Gwynne Harries discuss his Creative PhD in Welsh Poetic Forms in English Verse.
Overland literary journal
The Journal
253 Summer 2023/4
Dženana Vucic on the subtle and not-so-subtle Marxist symbolism in Sailor Moon, John Docker, a "non-theatre person" by his own admission on The New Theatre, Sarah Schwartz on prison healthcare as punishment and the killing of Veronica Nelson, a poignant short story on memory and displacement from Nasrin Mahoutchi-Hosaini, Jeanine Leane's prize-winning poem, "Water under the bridge", and more.
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What I learnt from my PhD (in creative writing)
Last year I was fortunate enough to have the creative component of my PhD published as a novel. Would I say my PhD has taught me how to write novels? I think, rather, it helped me write that one. As Helen Garner has famously said, ‘we have to learn to write again for each new book’. For context, I’d already had one novel published; for further context, that too had been developed through a higher education program – a masters. Clearly I’m in favour of formal learning, but coming to the end of our highest arts degree I’ve been reflecting on what, exactly, it’s taught me.
Last year I was fortunate enough to have the creative component of my PhD published as a novel. Would I say my PhD has taught me how to write novels? I think, rather, it helped me write that one. As Helen Garner has famously said, ‘ we have to learn to write again for each new book ’. For context, I’d already had one novel published; for further context, that too had been developed through a higher education program – a masters. Clearly I’m in favour of formal learning, but coming to the end of our highest arts degree I’ve been reflecting on what, exactly, it’s taught me.
Perhaps research is what I’ve learnt: what it is, why to do it, how to do it well – in the context of both my creative work and its critical exegesis. But although I’ve been successful at presenting chapters from my dissertation as standalone papers and articles, my full thesis had an intimate audience of just three examiners (besides my supervisor). And while these academic skills will likely have future application, and further development (and possibly a broader audience than my creative work), that’s largely because I’m already employed as a university lecturer.
(Both the creative and critical endeavours – and their interrelationship – have honed my professional research, writing and editing skills, but as Justin Stover argues in ‘ There is no case for the humanities ’ this is ‘a valuable by-product’ rather than the core learning outcome of a humanities degree. Regardless of whether you agree at an undergraduate level, most would concur in the case of a student studying to be a doctor of philosophy. Though perhaps arts courses are not inevitably so productive: David Foster Wallace’s well-known commencement speech neatly articulates how teaching individuals to think also teaches them to recognise and resist certain kinds of ‘Think-Speak’ . It’s ‘ the kind of thinking that probably does make certain of the young less ideal recruits in their armies of the employed ’, Marilynne Robinson argues.)
Should I then say, as Stover does, that the greatest insight my capstone qualification has given me has been into the particular and idiosyncratic bureaucracy of the university system? Even more specifically, that of the university where I was studying?
Rather, I see the value of my PhD in, above all else, the supervisory relationship. This unique experience, in all its complexity and intensity, is an introduction to – an induction into – how our writing and publishing industry works. I have been awarded professional and personal insight into how I can now further my development alone.
Or, rather, not alone.
In ‘ Why teaching (writing) matters: a full confession ’, Jayne Anne Phillips argues that, more important than teaching writing, an MFA is a way ‘those engaged in the practice of an art can mentor apprentice artists, and apprentice artists, in community, can mentor one another.’ Our industry has long been aware of the value of mentoring: not only have established authors throughout history advised and edited emerging ones, but the trade itself is founded upon that all-important author–editor relationship (or author–publisher, depending on who takes on this developmental role). As our profession and creative practice differs from fine arts’, so the nature of creative writing mentorships also vary – from other sectors, and within our own community.
In the case of my PhD I received: close editing of my work (as one creative to another, but, importantly, from an author who’d had extensive experience working with a seasoned editor); guidance on my writing career; advice on becoming an academic; and even reflections upon becoming a mother – and balancing (or, more actually, juggling) all these things. It may be relevant to confess here that my degree took me a long time to complete – a very long time. The absolute longest time permitted. This was clearly a factor in the life events that occurred over the course of my candidature, and probably also played a role in the relationship with my supervisor that evolved.
I might also add that, anticipating the importance of this student–supervisor relationship (having experienced similar, less successful, iterations during my time as first an honours and then a masters student), I followed my chosen professor from another university and across state lines.
Findings from a 2002 survey of creative writing mentorships concluded that ‘ in no part of Australia does there appear a lack of interest in mentoring activity ’. This is still, if not more than ever, the case. In every state there are mentorships, which are either paid for, or awarded as a prize; editorships, which may be government subsidised but are generally delivered in association with a particular press (either as manuscript development, or a contract to publish); and myriad internship opportunities. While the monetisation of mentoring provides a certain transparency, the user-pays model arguably influences the advice customer–clients receive. It also poses a financial barrier to some. But if the individual working on a prizewinning manuscript is from the commercial sector then their feedback is also unlikely to be neutral, and more likely to be market-driven – which may, of course, be exactly what the applicant–author wants and/or needs.
University supervisors, too, have their own interests and agendas, as Tara Brabazon sets out in ‘ 10 truths a PhD supervisor will never tell you ’. While she has ‘never received any satisfactory, effective or useful supervision’, I’ve been particularly fortunate in that two of my previous less-positive supervisory experiences have led to invaluable publishing and teaching opportunities. One individual in particular has proven to be as generous a guide, both personally and professionally, as any student could ask for.
Which begs the question: what do we students (have the right to) ask for?
Everything costs someone something – whether it’s cash, in kind, personal time or academic workload allocation. To connect Stover and Brabazon’s perspectives, supervisors don’t only help students navigate the university system, they must chart a path themselves that protects both their time and that of their student meetings.
In many institutions the preparatory experience for this one-on-one supervision, honours, is under threat. There are a number of reasons for this: one is the increasing popularity of a ‘3+2’ university pathway (a generalist undergraduate arts degree, followed by a postgraduate masters specialisation), as in the Melbourne Model; another is cost. Direct, individual – and generally face-to-face – attention is expensive. In this age of the ‘massification’ and corporatisation of universities, such an extravagant arrangement can be hard to defend.
The cornerstone of most creative-writing courses is workshopping, where participants receive feedback from their peers, under the guidance of experienced tutors, who offer their own opinions and manifest best practice on how to present that. Regardless of the role the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and the USA’s creative writing MFA programs have played in the ascendance of this model, all of the institutions I’ve studied or taught at in Australia have favoured group workshopping as their preferred pedagogy.
As we are taught, so we teach. ‘[ G]raduates of MFA programs often go on to teach in other MFA programs ,’ KC Trommer points out, prompting me to consider anew my own experience in this context, both in the trade and academy. I may be somewhat of an anomaly among creative writing teachers (though not among publishing lecturers) in not having undertaken such courses at an undergraduate level – I do remember enrolling in some subjects, but was always put off not by the quality of the work but by the positive response that it invariably received. I learnt my craft as a jobbing journalist, speechwriter, editor and publisher. And in every one of these paid positions I was apprenticed to a master (the word mistress will not do) – whether that was my manager, someone higher up, or an outside expert … such as an author whose manuscript I was project managing and collating changes on.
At the same time that universities are increasingly under pressure to work as a business themselves (enrolling more students – who wouldn’t have made the grade thirty or forty years ago, as Tegan Bennet Daylight details in ‘The difficulty is the point’ – in ever-increasing class sizes, taught by sessional and frequently still-studying staff), core but not-cost-effective relationships have also been squeezed in the writing and publishing industries . While publishers continue to manage the author relationship at the commissioning and contracting stage, sometimes still undertaking the initial developmental edit, structural editing – along with copyediting and proofreading – has largely been outsourced.
Publishing’s shift to a freelance workforce marries with the media industry’s transition to a ‘gig’ economy, resulting in an increase reliance on sole-trader writers and editors who have no clear career trajectory, union-protected pay scale, or recourse to in-house professional development. They neither receive the kind of mentoring that might be expected from a line manager or established editor in a traditional press (though this, of course, may not have actually happened), nor are they in a position to offer much mentoring themselves – to emerging authors, or editors. Specialist postgraduate programs have stepped into this gap (many offering internship subjects that explicitly identify industry mentors), as well as editing opportunities such as Seizure ’s Viva la Novella initiative, Varuna’s Residential Editors’ Program and the Beatrice Davis Fellowship.
Much has been made of the negative impact this shift has had, not only on editors’ and authors’ development, but also on that of their collaborative output – the books. The survey conducted by Nigel Krauth (et al) identified that ‘text mentorships, like the use of assessment services, have gained in significance because of the identifiable withdrawal of editors from publishing in recent years’. Has any good come from this change prompted by commercial necessity? Certainly many of the frequently female, part-time, working-from-home freelancers appreciate the flexibility. Could it also encourage objectivity – loyalty to a book, perhaps, over an employer; scrutiny, with experience across publishing houses; an increase in critical as well as practical skills; and familiarity with new technologies and different processes, as taught by universities like mine?
In defence of the individuals that make up our industry, everyone I know personally and professionally is still putting in the same amount of outside and overtime hours. If not more. And this effort – as well as the pressure that prompts it – is also, as ever, the case inside academia too.
It is upon stepping into a supervisory role myself that I have been prompted to reflect on the nature and importance of this not-always-easy relationship. Certainly, this was not what I had thought my PhD would be about when I started out. In ‘Where great writers are made: assessing America’s top graduate writing programs,’ Edward Delaney establishes that time (which he equates with money) and ‘something to react to’ are the most important aspects of great writing programs . I received both of these through my PhD, each channelled directly through one particular port-of-call: my supervisor.
To conclude – as that decade-long relationship finally has – Lynn Davidson makes a persuasive case for creative writing PhDs as having a value above and beyond university-recognised research outputs . It is not just students’ engagement in contemporary cultural production that is so essential, so worthwhile, she argues, but the opportunity the higher research degree provides to be part of ‘the big conversation’ that reaches back through time as well as forward into the future.
A conversation which starts between two people.
A conversation which, for me, must start as one between two people.
Rose Michael
Born in England, based in Melbourne, Rose Michael is a writer, editor and academic who has been published in Griffith REVIEW, Best Australian Stories, Island, Muse, Cultural Studies Review. Her first novel, The Asking Game (Transit Lounge, 2007), was a runner-up for the Allen & Unwin/Vogel award and received an Aurealis Award honourable mention. An early extract of The Art of Navigation was published in Review of Australian Fiction .
Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places.
If you like this piece, or support Overland ’s work in general, please subscribe or donate .
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A very thoughtful, insightful and helpful article. Thank you.
Thank you for this, Rose Michael. I am near the end of a PhD in creative writing and concur that I have learned how to research in the true sense of the word, as well as gained a lot from the supervisory relationship. It has also enabled me to meet several other writers and researchers and artists and learn from them; to engage with others at conferences and share our work; to position myself more confidently as a writer now that I have a full length manuscript of reasonable quality. I won’t be working in academia (unless something unexpected happens) but rather taking my work out into the world, and developing other projects out there.
A very thoughtful article indeed! But a question: what should be the title of the thesis? The name of the novel or? Kindly reply…I am interested in PhD in creative writing too…. Can you suggest a thesis on creative writing in poetry? Please reply…
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Home » Doing a PhD in Creative Writing: Is it for Everyone?
Doing a PhD in Creative Writing: Is it for Everyone?
It’s weird, having a PhD in Creative Writing. It’s both real—I have Dr on every piece of identification possible—and make believe: how many people even know that creative writing is an academic discipline? and how can you be a “professor of making things up”?
PhD in Creative Writing programs are becoming more popular, but the question remains whether they are necessary for a writer. The easy answer: no. The harder answer: not really but maybe there’s some benefit.
Doing a PhD is a four- to seven-year commitment, depending on the country and whether you study full or part time. I did mine in the UK, because I researched 400 years of English gardening history and how gardens function in fantasy fiction, and this is where those gardens live. I was incredibly lucky in my supervisors, and after almost five years sat my viva. The dissertation consisted of a 100,000-word historical fantasy novel about a “haunted” garden and a 40,000-word critical commentary in which I analysed my process and project though the lens of various theories about space and time that I applied to gardens (both real and fictional). I started my research having a solid idea of what it was I wanted to do, with a novel partially planned out (though it changed—that’s not unexpected). I did the PhD not because I wanted to write the novel, but because I was interested about the context of the novel and its place in the genre with other novels that use gardens fantastically, and because I have always felt comfortable in academia.
When I interview PhD applicants, I always ask “Why do you want to do a PhD?” I get numerous responses, from “I want to be a university lecturer” to “I want to learn how to write a best-seller”. The only right answer, however, is “Because I want to” because those other goals cannot be guaranteed. First, getting a full-time permanent lecturing position is rare, as most academics will tell you. Yes, I have one, but I had a career before I ever did my PhD (which I started at 40!), and that career was a distinct benefit when I applied for my current position. And second, no one can ever guarantee that you will be a best-selling novelist. Doing a PhD like mine can help you better understand your own writing process and, in turn, make you a more conscientious writer, but it isn’t necessarily going to make you a better commercial writer.
If you have a love of spending hours and days and weeks alone, reading and thinking and analysing a topic, then doing a PhD in Creative Writing might be for you. It was for me when I realised I hadn’t left my room in two days while reading The Seven Beauties of Science Fiction and trying desperately to understand it; when I sat in the British Library holding back a coughing fit while ill but desperate to get through the pile of books I had ordered; when I had no choice but to work on my dissertation after a devastating breakup and subsequent house move in the dead of a very cold and snowy winter; and when, after graduating at 45 with a degree but no permanent home or work visa, I had to figure out what I was going to do when I grew up. The work led to physical and mental-health issues. It’s not for the light-hearted.
My best advice:
Choose a topic that you love. You will spend years and years on it, and it will get boring. And you will get sick to death explaining it to well-meaning people who ask you what you’re researching.
Choose a topic that can be studied academically. If you want to write a novel you’ve plotted out, then go write it. But if you have an idea for a novel (or short story collection) and are almost more interested in the different angles of the genre or the world or the context than the story itself, then you might have something worth PhD study. Do some digging and academic reading before you start filling out applications.
Choose your university wisely. Mine was open to SFF writers, but many aren’t. You don’t necessarily want to stay at the same university for your MA and PhD. On that note: an MA in writing isn’t necessary for a PhD application, but it really helps. So, too, does having finished writing a novel before and having experience in a workshop/critique setting.
Choose your supervisor even more wisely. First, their research interest should match yours and they should be active in your genre; and second, it’s a close relationship, but a working one. Interviewing the supervisor is as important as the possible supervisor interviewing you.
In the end, a PhD in Creative Writing is an academic pursuit, not the means to finish a novel. As it turns out, the novel I wrote, Threading the Labyrinth, worked as the result of academic study but wasn’t commercially publishable until I revised it and even restructured it, and now, more than three years later, it’s on its way to being published. I don’t know whether I could have written Threading without the research I did as a PhD student, but I do know that Threading is a better novel for it.
Tiffani Angus is a Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK, who lectures in Publishing and Creative Writing, is the Course Leader for the MA Creative Writing, and is a Director at the Anglia Centre for Science Fiction and Fantasy. She has published short fiction in a variety of genres (among them science fiction, historical fantasy, horror, and even erotica) and her debut novel Threading the Labyrinth will be out with Unsung Stories Press in late 2019. Her current work in progress is novel inspired by her research into the estrangement of women’s bodies in apocalyptic fiction. An American who grew up in Las Vegas, she now lives in Bury St Edmunds with her partner.
She can be found on Twitter @tiffaniangus
Her website is at www.tiffani-angus.com
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Thank you for this information. Very helpful.
I loved this ! I know what I’m doing with my life now . It’s such a beautiful combination of science and creativity . So well spoken .
Hi, Tiffani.
I really enjoyed your post and found it very informative. I’m coming to the end of my MA in Creative Writing at Hull, and I’m currently looking for Ph.D. opportunities with a focus on magical realism and the introduction of mesmerism into British society in the 1800s. I hadn’t realised Anglia Ruskin had an SFF department, but it sounds like a wonderful place to study.
Thanks for the insight.
So which uni did you do your PhD in? I’m also thinking of doing something related to SFF!
I did my PhD at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, where I now teach and am also the General Director of the Anglia Centre for Science Fiction & Fantasy (we are very genre-friendly at ARU!). We have staff in the English Department who supervise lit students studying SFF, and I and a colleague supervise creative writing students (though currently our rosters are rather full). There are other universities that are SFF-friendly; best bet is to start looking at universities and the staff members’ research expertise listings to find someone to approach. Good luck!
It was good to see your blog post. I keep being on the fence on getting a creative writing phd. I have an MA and MFA in creative writing (and had a good and a bad experience with that). Part of my wants to get the phd for my ego. But honestly, I itch to write. I have been writing since I was twelve and I can’t not write. I miss being with writers and the writing craft.
If you have any advice for this, that would be fantastic! Thanks, K
First of all, apologies for the delay in responding.
I am glad to hear that the blog post has been informative. I can understand wanting to get the PhD for your ego–it is definitely one of those things that changes how people see you in some ways. But it doesn’t necessarily help you feel completely different about yourself in a positive way. Like with the MA and MFA, the experience can be both good and bad.
If you itch to write, then just write. A PhD does require writing, yes, but in addition to the creative/fiction writing it also requires a LOT of academic and non-fiction writing, which requires a boatload of analysis and thinking, which end up distracting you away from the fiction writing! So it’s not all sitting and doing constant sprints or pomodoros but going into detail explaining what you were doing when you were writing, explaining where ideas came from, how they developed, etc. (read the 2nd article I posted on the site for more about that: https://booksbywomen.org/threading-the-labyrinth-of-historical-research-how-the-twists-and-turns-led-to-a-creative-writing-phd/ )
If you miss being with writers, then the PhD (at least in the UK) might not be the right fit for you because you spend most of your time doing solo research. I’d advise you to find a writers’ group to be part of. This can be difficult, but they ARE out there. (Do some googling for meetups, etc., in your area.) Try to find a group of serious writers, not hobbyists; by that I mean people who want to publish or have been published. A group where people stand a read their work aloud (where that is your first experience with their work and you don’t read it before the meetings) isn’t what you want. You want people who are serious about critiquing and helping each other. A group like that can be invaluable, and it is a completely different experience from a PhD where YOU are often a group of 1.
Good luck with your writing and with making a decision about doing the PhD. If you do decide you want to explore the PhD idea, you’ve got my advice for that in the article!
Best, Tiffani
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Writing is more central to our culture than ever before. The communication revolution demands written content - on the page, on the screen, and in new and evolving forms and spaces. Writers, storytellers and experts with nuanced and creative language are needed to provoke, entertain and connect to audiences in expanding ways. QUT offers the largest and most comprehensive undergraduate writing course in Queensland with the broadest range of units on offer.
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What to expect.
Your studies will begin with you working intensively on your writing in a number of forms and genres including:
short stories
creative non-fiction
science fiction and fantasy writing
digital media
scriptwriting.
There will be a focus on new and emergent forms, while learning to think and write critically about texts. From there, you will build specialist writing skills for professional applications via deep engagement with industry partners and contexts. Later in your degree you will choose electives to tailor your course to your strengths and vocational interests. You will write a sustained piece of creative work in a genre of your choice and participate in editing and developing a manuscript for a targeted market.
Tailor your creative writing degree for your future with a second major or a combination of interdisciplinary majors, minors and course units across multiple subjects.
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Combine creative writing with a second study area for greater career flexibility and opportunities in other industries. Consider a double degree with:
behavioural science (psychology): combine your passion for creativity with psychology for an innovative career as a creative counsellor or practitioner
business: develop your career as a creative writer, publishing professional or public relations consultant
law: use your skills for a career as an in-house lawyer, solicitor in private practice, policy adviser, intellectual property lawyer supporting creative arts businesses or crime writer
education (secondary): combine your interests in the arts and education to prepare you to teach in secondary schools and other education environments. Additional entry requirements apply to the Bachelor of Education.
Careers and outcomes
With advanced writing and communication capabilities as well as analytic and editorial experience, the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing) degree will open many career doors. These rare, real-world skills that are keenly sought by employers to work as fiction writers, editors, embedded creatives in technical and corporate contexts, technical writers, script writers, reviewers, travel writers, feature writers, journalists, publishers, media workers, policy workers, government employees and teachers.
Graduates with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing) degree find success working in the publishing and screen industries, advertising and public relations agencies, magazines, newspapers, digital content providers, government and large corporations all require specialist writers with a flair for language.
If teaching is your ambition, this course can be also followed with a graduate-entry teacher education Master of Teaching course, which enables you to become a qualified teacher. Check the entry requirements for specific teaching courses.
Pathways also exist to prepare you for further study including research.
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Advertising professional
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Details and units
Course structure.
In order to complete this course, you must complete a total of 288 credit points comprising:
Six common units: 72 credit points
Creative Writing major: 96 credit points
QUT You: 24 credit points
one 96 credit point second major; OR
one 84 credit point second major and one unit option (elective); OR
one 72 credit point second major and two unit options (electives); OR
two minors; OR
one minor and 48 credit points chosen from unit options (electives); OR
96 credit points chosen from unit options (electives).
Requirements
You can defer your offer and postpone the start of your course for one year.
Assumed knowledge
Before you start this course, we assume you have sound knowledge of the subject/s listed below. If you don't have the subject knowledge, you can still apply for the course but we strongly encourage you to undertake bridging studies to gain the knowledge:
English, or Literature, or English and Literature Extension, or English as an Additional Language (Units 3 & 4, C)
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If you're a current Queensland Year 12 student, you may be eligible to receive an offer for this course on the last day of Queensland Year 12, before receiving your ATAR or selection rank.
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If you achieve an ATAR or selection rank of 70.00 or higher (including any adjustments) and satisfy all other admission requirements, you are guaranteed an offer for this course.
VET guarantee
If you have completed an AQF certificate IV, diploma or higher, and satisfy all other admission requirements, you are guaranteed an offer for this course.
More about deferring your offer
Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide to the grades you need to apply for this course.
If your country or qualification is not listed, you can still apply for this course and we will assess your eligibility.
Completed International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme with final aggregate score of 28.<br><br>Send your results to QUT through your online IB account. QUTs institution code is 003148.<br> <br>Depending on the structure of your course, you can receive advanced standing up to 4 units towards your degree. You can apply for advanced standing based on your completed IB Diploma studies, after you have been accepted into your course. For information on Credit for Prior Learning, please refer to https://www.advancedstanding.qut.edu.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/AdvStand.woa/wa/precedents?institution=IBD
HKDSE awarded after 2023 with an aggregate score of 12 over the best four subjects across Core and category A or C electives, excluding Citizenship and Social Development, where 2 is the minimum accepted grade.
HKDSE completed before 2024 with an aggregate score of 15 over the five best HKDSE subjects across Core and category A or C electives, where 2 is the minimum accepted grade.
Higher Diploma or Associate degree from recognised Hong Kong institutions with an overall grade average of 2.0 on a 4 point scale where 2=pass. Requirement for other scales: 1.7 on a 4.0 point scale where 1.7=pass; 1.7 on a 4.3 point scale where 1.7=pass or 2.0 on a 4.5 point scale where 2=pass).
An aggregate score of 8 based on the best three A-Level subjects from General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level. <br> <br>A or A2-Level subject: A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1, U=0 <br> <br>A maximum of two Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level subjects can be counted in place of one A-level subject provided that the subject has not been taken at A level. AS Levels are equivalent to half points, e.g. B=2.<br> <br>Awarded by: AQA, Cambridge/CIE, CEA, Pearson/Pearson International/ Edexcel, OxfordAQA,OCR, WJEC.
Ylioppilastutkintotodistu/Finnish Matriculation Certificate with a grade average of 3 over 4 exam results.
German Abitur: Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife with an overall grade point average of 3.4 on 6-point scale (where 1 is best).
Senior Secondary Matriculation Examination (Stúdentspróf) with a grade average 6 in the final year results.
Studentereksamen (STX) with an overall grade average of 4 in the final year.
All India Senior School Certificate academic stream awarded by CBSE with an overall average of 60% in best five academic subjects (two languages and three academic subjects), excluding physical education.
Indian School Certificate academic stream awarded by CISCE with overall average of 60% in best five academic subjects (two languages and three academic subjects), excluding physical education.
Senior/Higher Secondary School Certificate/Pre-University certificate from QUT recognised state education boards with an overall average of 75% in best five academic subjects (2 languages and 3 academic subjects), excluding physical education.
Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) 3/Certificate of Graduation (Nilai Ujian Sekolah) with an overall average of 80% in the best 5 academic subjects (Bahasa Indonesia, Matematika, Bahasa Inggris and 2 other academic subjects from Group C).
An aggregate score of 8 based on the best three A-Level subjects from General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced (A2) Level. <br> <br>A or A2-Level: A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1<br> <br>A maximum of two Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level subjects can be counted in place of one A-level subject provided that the same subject has not been taken at A level. <br>AS-or A1 Level: A=2.5, B=2, C=1.5, D=1, E=0.5.<br> <br>Awarded by: AQA, Cambridge/CIE, CEA, Pearson/Pearson International/ Edexcel, OxfordAQA,OCR, WJEC.
Prior to 2020: Pre-University Certificate with a grade average of 15 on a 20-point scale.
From 2020: National High School Diploma/Secondary School Leaving Certificate with a grade average of 15 on a 20-point scale in final year (Grade 12).
Leaving Certificate with a grade average of 4.0 in the best 5 Higher, Ordinary, or LCVP subjects.
Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shosho (Upper Secondary School Certificate of Graduation) with an overall grade average of 4.0 on a 5 point scale in the final year.<br> <br>Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shosho (Upper Secondary School Certificate of Graduation) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score of 1100.
QUT Intensive Program with an overall grade average of at least 4.4 (on QUT's 7 point scale).
QUT Foundation Program with an overall grade average of at least 4.4 (on QUT's 7 point scale).
QUT Diploma program with successful completion.
Successful completion of a Diploma onshore from any Australian university.
Successful completion of a Diploma onshore from any Australian TAFE.
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) in general academic stream with an overall grade point average of 4.0 on 5 point scale.
Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate with an overall average of 60% in best five academic subjects (2 languages and 3 academic subjects), excluding Internal Assessment.
An aggregate score of 8 from Brunei-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced (A) Level and Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level subjects including at least two A Level pass subjects.<br><br>Aggregate is calculated based on the best three A Levels. AS Levels can be included and are counted as half of an A Level.<br>A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1, U=0 for A Level subjects; and<br>A(a)=2.5, B(b)=2, C(c)=1.5, D(d)=1, E(e)=0.5, U=0 for AS Level subjects.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma with an overall grade average of 60% using the best six Grade 12 subjects of course types: University preparation (U); University / college preparation (M); or College preparation (C).
British Columbia Senior Secondary School Graduation Diploma with an overall grade average of 60% using Language Arts 12 provincially examined subject (English 12; English 12 First Peoples, Communication 12, English Literature 12) and four Grade 12 academic subjects (4 credit point).
Alberta High School Diploma with an overall grade average of 60% using the best five Level 30 Provincial Diploma Exams
Manitoba High School Graduation Diploma with an overall grade average of 60% using the best five Grade 12 subjects of course types: University based (40U, 42U) or Specialised (40S, 42S)
GAOKAO 60% in best 4 academic subjects.<br>GAOKAO score converted to percentage using Chinese, English/Foreign Language, Mathematics and one other subject (excluding Technology). Percent is the [sum of scores attained for the four units] / [sum of maximum grades for the four units].
Year 12 with an overall grade average of 7.5 (on a 10-point scale) from all Year 12 subjects and an overall passing grade in Bang Tot Nghiep Trung Hoc Pho Thong.
Senior High School Diploma (Academic) with final year overall average pass and GSAT 60% (4 subjects).
Senior High School Diploma (Academic) with final year overall average pass and AST 60% (5 subjects).
Senior High School Diploma (Academic Senior III) with final year overall percentage average of 90%.
An aggregate score of 8 from Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education H2 and H1 Level subjects including at least two H2 Level pass subjects. Bonus aggregate points are granted for a maximum of one H3 subject.<br> <br>General Paper is not included in the calculation. <br> <br>Aggregate is calculated based on the best three H2 Levels:<br>A=5; B=4; C=3; D=2; E=1<br> <br>A maximum of two H1 level subjects can be counted in place of one H2 level subject provided the same subject has not been taken at H2 level:<br>A=2.5, B=2, C=1.5, D=1, E=0.5 <br> <br>Bonus aggregate points are applied for one H3 Level pass as: <br>Distinction=2, Merit=1.5, Pass=1.
Diploma or Advanced Diploma with an overall grade average of 2.00 on a 4 point scale from Nanyang, Ngee Ann, Republic, Singapore or Temasek Polytechnic.
National Senior Certificate (NSC) with average of 4.6 over best five subjects in final year (excluding Life Orientation); where 7=80-100%; 6=70-79%; 5=60-69%; 4=50-59%; 3=40-49%; 2=30-39%; 1=0-29.
Sri Lankan General Certificate of Education ('Advanced' Level) with aggregate score of 8 over best three A Level subjects excluding General Paper/English where A=5, B=4, C=3, S=0.
Högskoleförberedande examen with an overall grade average of 14 out of 20; where A=20, B=17.5, C=15, D=12.5, E=10, F=0.
Aggregate score of 6 from best three Scottish Advanced Highers where A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2.
Aggregate score of 2 from best 8 Scottish Highers Examinations where A=4; B=3; C=2; D=1.
Certificate of Secondary Education in Academic stream with overall grade point average 2.7 or higher in Grade 12/Matayom 6
Advanced Placements (APs)<br>High School Diploma with completion of 12 years of schooling and an aggregate of 9 in Advanced Placements (APs) subjects.<br> <br>A minimum of two and a maximum of four APs may be used. Aggregate determined where: A=5, B=4, C=3 (Pass), D=2, E=1. Where more than four APs have been taken, best four results are used.<br> <br>AP results must be issued by The College Board Advanced Placement Program.
SAT-I* and High School Diploma (HSD)<br>SAT 1 of 1100 (out of 1600) and Senior High School Diploma.<br> <br>Nominate your score report to be sent to QUT using the Designated Institution (DI) code is 7971 - Queensland University of Technology.<br>*Composite SAT-1 Score since March 2016
Enhanced ACT* and USA High School Diploma (HSD)<br>ACT 24 and USA High School Diploma.<br> <br>Nominate your score report to be sent to QUT using the College Code 5437 - Queensland University of Technology.
Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education with a Mean Grade of B
A certified copy of your Record of Achievement issued by the New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) confirming you have qualified for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (Level 3) and meet the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR/ITI) equivalent for the course. Please refer to the Guide to entry thresholds https://www.qut.edu.au/study/applying/international-year-12-students/queensland-op-atar-and-ib-acceptance-thresholds<br><br>The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) calculates an Interstate Transfer Index (ATAR/ ITI), you must authorised your information to be released to us, so we can verify your ATAR/ITI online. The ATAR/ITI will not be released to you, NZQA will provide the score to us.
Senior High School Certificate/Diploma and Korean College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) aggregate level of 12 from Language Arts, Mathematics and Foreign Language (English).
United Examination Certificate for Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (UEC) with grade average of 4.4 from five major subjects (excluding Chinese, Malay, PE); where A1=1; A2=2; B3=3; B4=4; B5=5; B6=6; C7=7; C8=8; F9=Fail.
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) (Malaysian Higher School Certificate Examination) with an aggregate score of 8 over the best three A Level subjects (excluding General Paper) where:<br>A/A-=5; B+=4; B=3; B-/C+=2; C=1; less than C=0.
Matrikulasi (Matriculation) with overall grade point average of 2.75 on 4-point scale.
Diploma of Pre-University Education (VWO) Voorbereidend Wetenschappellijk Onderwijs with grade average of 6.4 in final year.
Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate with grade point average of 3.6 on the 6-point scale in final year.
Pre-Engineering & Pre-Medical stream - Higher Secondary Education Certificate (HSSC) or Intermediate Examination Certificate with an overall average of 65%.
SAT 1 of 1100 (out of 1600) and Senior High School Diploma.<br> <br>Nominate your score report to be sent to QUT using the Designated Institution (DI) code is 7971 - Queensland University of Technology.<br>*Composite SAT-1 Score since March 2016
Grade 12 Senior High School Diploma in an Academic Track from a PAASCU accredited Secondary Education or Senior High School program with an overall average of 90%.
I completed secondary school in Australia
If you completed secondary school in Australia and achieve an ATAR/selection rank of 70.00 or higher (including any adjustments) and satisfy all other admission requirements, you are guaranteed an offer for this course.
Minimum English language requirements
Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide on meeting QUT’s English language requirements.
Your scores and prior qualifications in English-speaking countries are considered. Approved English-speaking countries are Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, United States of America and Wales.
UTS (University of Technology Sydney) Insearch - Academic English
English program.
Academic English 5 (AE5) program with a final overall grade of PASS or higher completed within one year of starting at QUT.
Bachelor studies
Higher education.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor from RMIT Vietnam, completed within two years of starting at QUT.
A completed bachelor degree (or higher) with a minimum of 1 year full-time studies with a passing grade point average from RMIT Vietnam, completed within five years of starting at QUT.
USA High School Diploma - completed in the USA or at an overseas American International School
Senior secondary.
USA High School Diploma completed in an approved English Speaking country with a grade of C or better in Grade 12 English.<br> <br>USA High School Diploma completed in a non-English Speaking country with a grade of C or better in Grade 12 English and SAT score of at least 640 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing within the last five years.
Post Secondary
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a recognised in a Diploma or Associate degree an accredited USA institution, with all prior schooling/studies in an approved English speaking country.<br> <br>1 year full-time on-campus studies with passing grade point average in a recognised Diploma or Associate degree an at an accredited USA institution. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in a non- English Speaking country.
Bachelor or higher
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a recognised Bachelor or higher program at an accredited USA institution, with all prior schooling/studies in an approved English speaking country.<br> <br>1 year full-time on-campus studies with passing grade point average in a recognised Bachelor or higher program at an accredited USA institution. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in a non- English Speaking country.
Advanced Placement (AP)
A grade of 3 or higher in AP English Language and Composition or AP English Literature and Composition.
Bachelor or Higher
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised Danish institution, with all prior schooling/studies in Denmark. Diploma Supplement or an official letter from home institution stating English as the language of instruction.
Danish Studentereksamen(Upper Secondary School Diploma)
7 in A-level English OR 10 in B-level English completed within five years of starting at QUT.
General Certificate of Education (GCE)
English Language, English Literature or English Lanague and Literature with a minimum grade of C or an A2 level in a humanities subject with a minimum grade of C or A2 grade of C in General Paper.<br> <br>Qualifications issued by: Pearson/Edexcel; Cambridge/CIE; AQA; OxfordAQA; CEA; OCR; WJEC.
General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) O level / International GCSE (IGCSE)
O Level: Minimum grade C or 5 in English, English Language, English (First Language), English as a Second Language or English Literature.<br> <br>Qualifications issued by: Pearson/Edexcel; Cambridge/CIE; AQA; CEA; OCR; WJEC.
Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation
TAFE Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation subjects studied in Australia: with both Language and Learning units (ATPALS401A Research, plan and present academic essays, reports and reflections, and ATPALS402A Write academically to persuade/ argue and critically analyse, and present academic speeches) completed within two years of starting at QUT.
QUT Intensive Program
QUT Intensive Program with Academic English 2 grade of 5 (on a 7 point scale).
On-campus Bachelor or higher program studies with an overall passing grade point average at a recognised Australian institution (the duration of studies must be 1 year or more full-time), with all prior schooling/studies in an approved English speaking country. <br> <br>On-campus Bachelor or higher program studies with an overall passing grade point average at a recognised Australian institution (the duration of studies must be 1 year or more full-time). These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in a non- English Speaking country.
Diploma programs
AQF Diploma award of 1 full-time year equivalent studies undertaken at an Australian University, University college or TAFE institution. These studies must be successful with a passing grade point average and must be completed in Australia in on-campus mode within two years of starting at QUT.
QUT Foundation program
QUT Foundation Program with Academic English 2 grade of 5 (on a 7 point scale).
Australian University Foundation Programs
Foundation program with final semester English and communication subject(s) with a grade of 5 (on a 7 point scale) . Studies must be on-campus in Australia and completed within 2 years of starting at QUT.
QUT English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
QC36 English for Academic Purposes (EAP) 2 Standard or QC37 English for Academic Purposes (EAP) 2 Extended with 65% completed within one year of starting this course at QUT.
QUT Diploma
QUT Diploma program with a grade of 4.0 (out of 7) in the unit Professional Communication 2/Academic Communication 2; completed within two years of starting this course at QUT.
Australian senior high school - completed in Australia or overseas at an International School
Queensland High School with a minimum grade of C in Unit 3 and 4 in English, or Literature, or English and Literature Extension, or English as an Additional Language, within five years of starting at QUT.<br>
Advanced Diploma and Associate Degrees
AQF Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree award of 1 full-time year equivalent studies undertaken at an Australian University, University college or TAFE institution. These studies must be successful with a passing grade point average and must be completed in Australia in on-campus mode within two years of starting at QUT.
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD)
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) completed 2 year program with achievement in one of the following subjects with grade of 3 (higher level) or 4 (standard level)<br>English A: Language and Literature<br>English A: Literature<br>English B.<br>Completed within five years of starting at QUT..
All India Senior School Certificate awarded by CBSE
65% in English Core subject completed within five years of starting at QUT.
Indian School Certificate awarded by CISCE
Higher diploma or associate degree.
Higher Diploma or Associate degree (minimum of 1 year full-time on-campus studies) at a recognised Hong Kong institution with: <br>a passing grade point average and these studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT; and<br>an official language of instruction letter is required if the academic transcripts doesn't clearly state English is the Language of Instruction; and<br>evidence of minimum HKDSE Level 2 overall in the English Language.
1 year full-time on-campus studies in a Bachelor or higher program at a recognised Hong Kong institution with: <br>a passing grade point average and these studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT; and<br>an official language of instruction letter is required if the academic transcripts doesn't clearly state English is the Language of Instruction; and<br>evidence of minimum HKDSE Level 2 overall in English Language.
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
Level 4 overall in English Language subject completed within two years of starting at QUT.
Diploma Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet Onderwijs (Dutch HAVO) Getuigschrift (from a Hogere Burgerschool) Dutch HAVO
A grade of 8 or better in final year English completed within five years of starting at QUT.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised institution in Netherlands completed within five years of starting at QUT, with all prior schooling/studies in Netherlands. Diploma Supplement or an official letter from home institution stating English as the language of instruction.
Diploma of Pre-University Education (VWO) Voorbereidend Wetenschappellijk Onderwijs
A grade of 7 or better in final year English completed within five years of starting at QUT.
Ylioppilastutkintotodistu/Lukion päättötoditus
Ylioppilastutkintotodistu: score of 4 in English subject in final year of secondary school completed within five years of starting at QUT.<br> <br>Lukion päättötoditus: at least a grade 8 English A in final year of secondary school completed within five years of starting at QUT.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised Finnish institution completed within five years of starting at QUT, and a pass in English subject from Finnish High School. Diploma Supplement or an official letter from home institution stating English as the language of instruction.
A Level: English Language, English Literature or English Language and Literature with a minimum grade of C. GCE A level in a humanities subject with a minimum grade of C.<br> <br>AS Level: English Language, English Literature, English Language and Literature or General Paper/General Studies with a minimum grade of C.<br> <br>Qualifications issued by: Pearson/Edexcel; Cambridge/CIE; AQA; OxfordAQA; CEA; OCR; WJEC.
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) completed 2 year program with achievement in one of the following subjects with grade of 3 (higher level) or 4 (standard level)<br>English A: Language and Literature<br>English A: Literature<br>English B.<br>Completed within five years of starting at QUT.
O Level: Minimum grade C or 5 in English, English Language, English (First Language), English as a Second Language or English Literature.<br> <br>Qualifications issued by: Pearson/Edexcel; Cambridge/CIE; AQA; OxfordAQA; CEA; OCR; WJEC.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised German institution, with all prior schooling/studies in Germany.
Abitur - Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife
Grade of 3 in English within five years of starting at QUT.
DAAD English Language Certificate
B2 (4 star in all bands) within five years of starting at QUT.
South African National Senior Certificate (NSC):
A grade of Achievement Level 5 or 60% in English Home Language or English First Additional Language
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised South African institution, with all prior schooling/studies in an approved English speaking country.<br> <br>1 year full-time oncampus studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised South African institution. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in a non- English Speaking country.
Vitnemal For Videregaende Opplaering (Certificate for Upper Secondary Education and Training)
Grade of 4 or better in English in any year of Vitnemal fra den videregaende skolen (Upper Secondary Education - Grade 11,12,13) completed within five years of starting at QUT.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised Norwegian institution, with all prior schooling/studies in Norway.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised Swedish institution, with all prior schooling/studies in Sweden.
Avgångsbetyg / Slutbetyg / Examensbevis yrkesexamen or Avgångsbetyg / Slutbetyg från Gymnasieskola/ Högskoleförberedande examen
C in English 5 within five years of starting at QUT.<br> <br>Pass in English 6 or English 7 completed within five years of starting at QUT.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised English institution, with all prior schooling/studies in an approved English speaking country.<br> <br>1 year full-time on-campus studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised English institution. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in a non- English Speaking country.
Brunei - Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level
A Level: English Language, English Literature or English Lanague and Literature with a minimum grade of C. GCE A level in a humanities subject with a minimum grade of C.<br> <br>AS Level: English Language, English Literature, English Lanague and Literature or General Paper/General Studies with a minimum grade of C.
Brunei - Cambridge General Certificate of Education O Level
O Level: Minimum grade C or 5 in English, English Language, English (First Language), English as a Second Language or English Literature.
Matriculation Examination -Stúdentspróf
A grade of 6.0 in English completed within five years of starting at QUT.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised institution in Iceland completed within five years of starting at QUT, and a pass in English subject from Studentsprof. Diploma Supplement or an official letter from home institution stating English as the language of instruction.
New Zealand National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA)
18 credits at NCEA Level 3 English and completed within five years of starting at QUT.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised New Zealand institution, with all prior schooling/studies in an approved English speaking country.<br> <br>1 year full-time oncampus studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised New Zealand institution. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in non- English Speaking country.
On-campus Bachelor or higher studies with an overall passing grade point average at a recognised Papua New Guinean institution (the duration of studies must be 1 year or more full-time) within the last five years.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised Irish institution, with all prior schooling/studies in an approved English speaking country.<br> <br>1 year full-time oncampus studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised Irish institution. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in non- English Speaking country.
Irish Leaving Certificate Scrúdú Cruthaithe na hArdteistiméireachta
English Language Higher with a grade of D1 (prior to 2017) or grade of 4 (from 2017).
Singapore - Cambridge General Certificate of Education OLevel
C5 in English Language.
Singapore - Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level
Singapore - Cambridge H2 Level: English Language and Linguistics or Literature in English or Knowledge and Inquiry subject or approved humanities subject with a minimum grade of C. <br> <br>Singapore - Cambridge H1 Level: A grade of C in General Paper.
Diploma from Singapore Polytechnics
Post secondary.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Diploma program at a recognised Singapore Polytechnic, with all prior schooling/studies in Singapore.<br> <br>1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Diploma program at a recognised Singapore Polytechnic. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in a non-English Speaking country.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor program at a recongised Singapore institution, with all prior schooling/studies in Singapore.<br> <br>1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor program at a recongised Singapore institution. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in a non-English Speaking country.
Canadian High School Diploma - completed in Canada or at an overseas International School
Alberta High School Diploma with a grade of 60% or better in an English Level 30 Provincial Diploma Exam completed within five years of starting at QUT.<br> <br>British Columbia Senior Secondary School Graduation Diploma with a grade of 60% or better in English 12 or English Studies 12 completed within five years of starting at QUT.<br> <br>Ontario Secondary School Diploma with a grade of 60% or better in English at Grade 12 Level (i.e. ENG4U or ENG4C) completed within five years of starting at QUT.
1 year full-time studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised Canadian institution, with all prior schooling/studies in an approved English speaking country.<br> <br>1 year full-time on-campus studies with passing grade point average in a Bachelor or higher program from a recognised Canadian institution. These studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT, if all prior schooling/studies were studied in a non- English Speaking country.
1 year full-time on-campus Bachelor studies at a recognised Malaysian institution with: <br>a passing grade point average and these studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT; and<br>an official language of instruction letter is required if the academic and transcripts doesn't clearly state English is the Language of Instruction; and<br>evidence of a pass in the English subject in a recongised high school qualification: SPM, STPM, UEC, A levels and O levels or equivalent.
1119 (GCE-O) English
1119 (GCE-O) English with a grade 5C.
STPM: Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia
C pass in 920 English or humanities subject.
A completed recognised Diploma (minimum of 1 year full-time on-campus studies) at a recognised Malaysian institution with: <br>a passing grade point average and these studies must have been completed within five years of starting at QUT; and<br>an official language of instruction letter is required if the academic and transcripts doesn't clearly state English is the Language of Instruction; and<br>evidence of a pass in the English subject in a recognised high school qualification: SPM, STPM, UEC, A levels and O levels or equivalent.
We accept English language proficiency scores from the following tests undertaken in a secure test centre. Tests must be taken no more than 2 years prior to the QUT course commencement.
English Test
Overall
Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking
PTE Academic
58
50
50
50
50
Cambridge English Score
176
169
169
169
169
IELTS Academic / IELTS One Skills Retake
6.5
6
6
6
6
TOEFL iBT / Paper
79
16
16
21
18
Don't have the English language score you need? We can help!
We offer English language programs to improve your English and help you gain entry to this course.
When you apply for this course, we will recommend which English course you should enrol in.
Your actual fees may vary depending on which units you choose. We review fees annually, and they may be subject to increases.
2024: CSP $10,900 per year full-time (96 credit points)
2024: $34,600 per year full-time (96 credit points)
Student services and amenities fees
You may need to pay student services and amenities (SA) fees as part of your course costs.
Find out more about undergraduate course fees
HECS-HELP: loans to help you pay for your course fees
You may not have to pay anything upfront if you're eligible for a HECS-HELP loan.
Find out more about government loans
Scholarships
You can apply for scholarships to help you with study and living costs.
Browse all scholarships
International Merit Scholarship
Qut real world international scholarship.
A scholarship to cover tuition fees, with eligibility based on your prior academic achievements.
You may also be eligible for
Centrelink payments
Other courses you might be interested in
Bachelor of communication, bachelor of creative industries.
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Creative Industries
Bachelor of Business (Honours) (Public Relations)
1 year full-time
2 years part-time
Gardens Point
Bachelor of Business (Public Relations)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Business (Public Relations)
Bachelor of Communication (Community and Public Relations)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Communication (Community and Public Relations)
Bachelor of Communication (Digital Advertising)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Communication (Digital Advertising)
Bachelor of Communication (Journalism)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Communication (Journalism)
Bachelor of Communication (Media and Communication Industries)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Communication (Media and Communication Industries)
Doctor of Philosophy
3 - 4 years full-time
4 years full-time
Graduate Certificate in Communication for Engineering
6 months full-time
Graduate Certificate in Communication for Information Technology
Graduate certificate in digital communication.
12 months part-time
Graduate Diploma in Digital Communication
Master of digital communication.
1.5 - 2 years full-time
3 - 4 years part-time
Master of Philosophy
4 years part-time
2 years full-time
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Communication
Bachelor of business/bachelor of creative industries.
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Creative Industries
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Creative Writing)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Creative Writing)
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drama)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drama)
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film, Screen and New Media)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film, Screen and New Media)
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts)
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts)
Bachelor of Communication/Bachelor of Information Technology
8 years part-time
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Communication/Bachelor of Information Technology
Bachelor of Communication/Bachelor of Justice
Bachelor of communication/bachelor of laws (honours).
5.5 years full-time
87.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Communication/Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
Bachelor of Communication/Bachelor of Public Health
70.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Bachelor of Communication/Bachelor of Public Health
Bachelor of Communication/Bachelor of Science
Diploma in creative industries.
8 - 12 months full-time
60.00 is the ATAR/selection rank threshold for Diploma in Creative Industries
Applying guide
When you're preparing your application, make sure you have all the important information. This includes understanding the entry requirements, and checking if you're eligible for advanced standing (credit).
How to apply
You'll need to know this course's QTAC code when you apply through QTAC.
Copy QTAC code {{QTAC_CODE}}
Ready to apply?
If you've already read about the best way to apply, you can apply directly through QTAC.
Apply now with QTAC
Follow our step-by-step applying guide to make sure your application is complete, giving you the best chance of getting in.
If you're ready for the next step, apply online today.
If you're ready for the next step, apply online today or contact our MBA Program Manager +61 468 575 146 or [email protected]
