Creative writing

At Kingston, you can study a wide variety of writing types, from romantic poetry to crime novels, whilst discovering more about writing processes from our experienced teaching team of award-winning published writers. You will be encouraged to discover and develop your own unique writing talent through practical workshops. You'll also join a flourishing writing community via Writers' Centre Kingston – a literary cultural centre dedicated to creative writing in all its forms, with an annual programme of events.

Creative writing provides preparation for many careers and pathways. The ability to think and write creatively is a valuable commodity in many professional arenas, from copy writing and advertising to teaching and therapy.

Undergraduate courses

The BA degree courses will allow you to study a wide variety of writing, and to focus on the styles that attract you most, from short stories, novels, life writing, poetry, plays or non-fiction.

There is a strong emphasis on employability for our graduates. Courses are devoted to professional writing, with talks from guest speakers who have expertise in publishing, including copy editors, producers, literary agents, reviewers and literary editors. At the same time you will be encouraged to produce your best work by following your creative impulses and writing experimentally.

Creative Writing BA (Hons)

Postgraduate courses

The MFA (Master of Fine Arts) was the first of its kind to be offered in the UK. Across our range of creative writing courses, you'll have the chance to produce an extended piece of writing under expert supervision, attend a series of masterclasses with guest speakers including literary agents, publishers, writers and editors. There may also be opportunities to pursue a teaching certificate and gain work experience with Kingston University Press.

At masters level you can study the following degrees:

Creative Writing and Publishing MA

Creative Writing Distance Learning MA

Creative Writing MA

Creative Writing MFA

Postgraduate research

We offer MA by Research, MPhil and PhD degrees in English Literature and/or Creative Writing.

As a research student at Kingston University, you will become part of a strong and ambitious postgraduate community. You will be fully supported by a rich programme of research training, including research workshops, seminars, guest lectures, symposia, and related activities organised through the research centres.

Find out more about research opportunities for English literature and creative writing

Learn a language

Kingston Language Scheme (KLS)

Kingston Language Scheme (KLS) offers courses in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, and English for academic study. Classes are taught at a range of levels, so you can start a new language from scratch or build on existing knowledge. All KLS classes are free to Kingston University students, and available at a discounted rate to staff and members of the public.

Centre for Academic Support and Enhancement (CASE)

CASE offers students one-to-one help with their studies, supporting both undergraduate and postgraduate students with:

researching and presenting
structuring and editing traditional academic writing
structuring and editing multimedia texts
referencing.

CASE also provides a range of resources to enhance employability, including help with writing CVs, application forms and interview preparation. Results show that students who use the centre are significantly more likely to complete their degrees. As they are better equipped to act on feedback, they also tend to do better in their studies.

Find out more about CASE