phd creative writing adelaide university

Researcher Profiles

Professor Andrew van der Vlies

Professor, English and Creative Writing

School of Humanities

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

I joined the Department of English and Creative Writing at the University of Adelaide as Professor in January 2021 after teaching for 16 years in the United Kingdom — at the University of Sheffield (from 2005) and, most recently, Queen Mary University of London (since 2010).

My research and teaching interests include:

-- Modern and contemporary literatures in English (British, North American, African, Australian) -- Modernisms, global and peripheral -- South African literatures (in English and Afrikaans), literary historiography, visual cultures, fine art, cultural studies -- Affect studies, ‘Public Feelings’, politics and emotion -- Gender and Sexuality / Queer Theory -- creative non-fiction, autofiction, poetry -- History of the Book / print and text cultures (especially colonial and postcolonial) / textual editing -- ‘World Literature’ and ‘Postcolonial Studies’ (theory, practice, pedagogy) -- Translation theory and practice -- Individual writers: Anne Carson, J. M. Coetzee, Joseph Conrad, Rachel Cusk, Joan Didion, Nadine Gordimer, Alex La Guma, Maggie Nelson, Michael Ondaatje, Claudia Rankine, Marilynne Robinson, Karel Schoeman, Olive Schreiner, Susan Sontag, Marlene van Niekerk, Zoë Wicomb, Ingrid Winterbach

I welcome enquiries from prospective postgraduate students in any of these areas or on a broadly related topic.

I was born and raised in South Africa, where, at Rhodes University in Grahamstown (now Makhanda), I completed a BA in English and Law and an Honours degree in English before writing an MA dissertation on the American novelist Paul Auster. I went to the University of Oxford as a Commonwealth Scholar in 1998, reading first for the erstwhile MPhil in English Literature (1880-present), and subsequently completing a DPhil dissertation, supervised by Peter D. McDonald, on the development of the idea of a ‘South African’ literary tradition between 1883 and 1979. My books include monographs on South African print cultures, and on postapartheid writing, affect and temporality, and a number of edited and co-edited volumes.

I have been awarded fellowships and grants by the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust in the UK, the Harry Ransom Research Center in the US, and the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in South Africa. I am at present co-investigator on a British Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project on literary modernisms in South Africa. 

I hold the honorary position of Extraordinary Professor in the Department of English at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa.

Alongside my scholarly work, I am developing a practice as a translator.

• My Research
• Publications
• Grants and Funding
• Supervision

My first book,  South African Textual Cultures  (Manchester University Press, 2007, pbk. 2011), considered the construction of the idea of an anglophone South African literature through a series of case studies of the publication and reception histories of authors from Olive Schreiner, Alan Paton, and Alex La Guma, to J.M. Coetzee and Zakes Mda. Rita Barnard (UPenn) called it ‘the first major study to question the very category of “South African literature” and to describe the process of its construction in a sustained, engaging, theoretically astute manner’. I continue to write about and facilitate work on African and South African print cultures: I contributed the essay on "The History of the Book in Sub-Saharan Africa" to the  Oxford Companion to the Book  (2010), for which I also acted as an associate editor; Wits University Press published my edited reader  Print, Text and Book Cultures in South Africa  in 2012; and I am currently editing a new scholarly edition of Olive Schreiner’s important 1883 novel,  The Story of an African Farm, for Edinburgh University Press, in a series for which I am general co-editor.

My most recent monograph developed from an ongoing interest in writing from South Africa over the past three decades, as well as in affect studies and recent queer-theoretical engagements with time.  Present Imperfect: Contemporary South African Writing (Oxford University Press, 2017), mobilizes an understanding of disappointment  as description of affect and of temporality (a missed appointment with a future imagined by the anti-apartheid movement) to consider how postapartheid writing engages temporality, genre, and form in its treatment of the fate of the hope that attended the birth of the ‘new’ nation in 1994. Considering in detail work in English (by J. M. Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer, Songeziwe Mahlangu, Masande Ntshanga, Ivan Vladislavić, and Zoë Wicomb) and in Afrikaans (by Marlene van Niekerk and Ingrid Winterbach), it assesses writers’ engagements with a range of negative feelings that are also experiences of temporal disjuncture, including stasis, impasse, boredom, disaffection, and nostalgia. Simon Gikandi (Princeton) calls the book ‘one of the most lucid and original reflections on South African writing after Apartheid’. Derek Attridge (York) says it ‘provides an insightful, absorbing and theoretically astute investigation of the status of contemporary South African literature’.

I have published elsewhere on Gordimer and on Coetzee, including a short Continuum/Bloomsbury book on Disgrace and a chapter in the Cambridge Companion to J. M. Coetzee ; I am also co-editor of the forthcoming Bloomsbury Handbook to J. M. Coetzee , and a chapter on Coetzee's engagements with Gordimer appears in 2021. I have co-edited special issues of journals on South Africa and the global mediascape and on Wicomb and transnationalism, and contributed chapters to the  Cambridge History of South African Literature   (2012) and the  Oxford History of the Novel in English  (vol. 11, 2016). I have also published on queer politics and performance in contemporary South African art (with a focus on Nicholas Hlobo and Zanele Muholi). In February 2019, Bloomsbury Academic published  South African Writing in Transition ,  a multi-author collection of essays on postapartheid literature, which I co-edited with Rita Barnard.

Race, Nation, Translation: South African Essays, 1990-2013,  an edited collection of essays by the prizewinning South African-born writer Zoë Wicomb, was published by  Yale University Press  in the US and UK and by  Wits University Press  in South Africa, in November 2018. You can hear me talking with David Attwell about Zoë Wicomb's most recent novel,  Still Life , on the first episode of the  LitNet  podcast 'Full Particulars' here (June 2021). For another podcast conversation, you can listen to my discussion with the South African author Damon Galgut about his 2021 Booker-Prizewinning novel  The Promise   here (February 2022).

I served as Lead Editor of the Taylor and Francis journal  Safundi  for a decade, and continue to serve on its editorial board, as well as on the boards of several other peer-reviewed journals. 

I am co-investigator on an AHRC-funded project (with Jade Munslow-Ong) on literary modernisms in South Africa , whose outputs will include an essay collection. Other current projects include a new monograph that extends my work on affect and form to a range of contemporary literary and other (including legal) texts and cultural objects from South Africa, the United States, Britain, and Australia.

Alongside my scholarly work, I am developing a practice as a translator; my translations of poetry by the Afrikaans-language poet Sheila Cussons have appeared in  Modern Poetry in Translation  (2020, No. 3),  The Denver Quarterly  (vol 55, no. 2, 2021), and the online journal Asymptote   (Summer 2021).

Appointments

Language Competencies

Postgraduate Training

Research Interests

Book Chapters

Original Creative Works

Curated or Produced Public Exhibition or Events

Internet Publications

I have been awarded fellowships and grants by the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust in the UK, the Harry Ransom Research Center in the US, and the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in South Africa. I am at present co-investigator on a British Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded project on South African modernisms , 1880-1920. 

I convene courses on Queer theory and cultural production, and on Affect Studies and literature, run the Honours English Research Essay and Thesis courses, and teach into courses including Intro to English Studies and those on Modernisms, Decadence, and Victorian literatures. I am available to supervise MPhil and PhD projects on Queer studies, affect studies, postcolonial literatures, British, US and African literatures 1880-present, translation, and Book History. 

Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

• Position: Professor, English and Creative Writing
• Phone: 83135618
• Email: [email protected]
• Campus: North Terrace
• Building: Napier, floor 6
• Org Unit: School of Humanities

Connect With Me

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Filtering Results

Australasian Association of Writing Programs

Adelaide, university of.

http://www.hss.adelaide.edu.au/creativewriting/

Honours Course With Creative Component:

BA Hons (Creative Writing)

Postgraduate Courses:

• Graduate Certificate in Food Writing (articulates with the Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing).One week intensive on campus, 12 weeks on-line.
• Graduate Diploma of Creative Writing ((Coursework)(first two semesters/four courses of MA program by coursework)
• Master of Arts in Creative Writing (Coursework) (final semester of coursework)
• Master of Arts (in Creative Writing) (Research)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Creative Writing)

Staff Contact:

• Dr Dominique Wilson, Creative Writing Program, Discipline of English, The University of Adelaide, AUSTRALIA 5005 Ph: +61 8 8303 8132 Fax: +61 8 8303 4341 e-mail: [email protected]
• Grad Dip./Grad cert./MA (Creative), Jill Jones: [email protected]
• Honours, Dr Phillip Edmonds: [email protected]

Undergraduate Degree With Subjects In Creative Writing:

A number of undergraduate courses have a creative writing component (A Festival of Contemporary Writing; The Short Story; Self-Writing; Reading and Writing Poetry), The courses are not offered each year,

Bachelor of Arts majoring in Creative Writing

You're considered an Australian student if you are any of the following:

• Australian or New Zealand Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident (including Humanitarian Visa holders)

Not an Australian student?

You're considered an International student if you are:

• NOT an Australian or New Zealand citizen
• NOT an Australian Permanent Resident (including Humanitarian Visa holders)

Not an International student?

• NOT an Australian Permanent Resident (including Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders)
• Australian Permanent Resident (including Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders)

Entry requirements

Admission criteria.

To be eligible for admission, an applicant must have achieved at least one of the following minimum admissions requirements and demonstrate that they fulfill any prerequisite and essential requirements for admission:

Recent secondary education (Year 12)

• Completion of a secondary education qualification equivalent to the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) .

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

• Completion of an award from a registered training organisation (RTO) at Certificate IV (AQF level 4) or higher.

Higher education study

• Successful completion of at least 6 months full-time study (or equivalent part-time) of an undergraduate certificate (AQF level 5) or higher qualification at an Australian higher education institution.

Overseas qualifications considered by Adelaide University as equivalent to the above Australian qualifications may be accepted, however English language requirements will also apply.

Work and life experience (domestic applicants only)

• Completion of an Adelaide University approved enabling, pathway or bridging program; OR
• Achieved a pass result in the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT); OR
• Passed an Adelaide University online literacy and numeracy test AND have relevant work experience; OR
• Qualify for special entry

Applications for Australian students to study at Adelaide University will open in August 2025, to commence study in 2026.  

Please note that entry requirements for this degree are provisional and subject to change.

Why Bachelor of Arts?

Combine your imagination with your natural curiosity when you study creative writing. The literary field is exciting and ever evolving, spanning a range of genres and modes from true crime to BookTok. Explore fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, poetry and more, while developing your own creative writing practice.  

Delve into historical and contemporary literary and publishing cultures and build your understanding of ethics, representation, narrative and literary criticism. 

You’ll graduate an expert storyteller, with a portfolio of genre-spanning writing and the ability to respond imaginatively and creatively to the world around you. 

Creative writing is more than just words on a page. The Bachelor of Arts majoring in Creative Writing will teach you to observe and respond to the world around you using literary and compositional skills, and change the way you think about social dynamics, justice and interpersonal relationships. You’ll develop skills in literary analysis and learn to situate your own practice relative to a broad range of literary traditions across multiple contexts. 

Delve into a range of literary genres including fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, poetry and practice-based research; learn to share, revise and improve your work; and graduate with a professional portfolio that demonstrates your creative writing ability. 

Explore professional pathways in sectors aligned with your interests when you undertake experiential learning. You’ll build valuable connections with industry representatives through work placements and internships, and access networking opportunities to help you explore your career aspirations.  

Key features

What you'll learn.

Your creative writing degree will explore a range of literary forms, from prose fiction and creative non-fiction to poetry, writing for performance and screen. You’ll discover life writing styles including memoir and biography and learn about what it means to be a writer, from representation to ethics.  

Learn to critically analyse and interpret texts and apply this knowledge to your own work as well as others’. Throughout your degree, you’ll complete a range of creative writing pieces including short fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and film scripts, and graduate with a portfolio of work. 

You’ll study Common Core courses throughout your degree and build your ability to solve problems, communicate clearly and collaborate with diverse groups of people, giving you the skills we know employers value. You can also add a second major to your Bachelor of Arts, and pursue two areas of interest to boost your employment prospects. 

Research potential career pathways and destinations in sectors aligning with your disciplinary interests and expertise to participate in experiential learning. An internship in your final year will enable you to apply your understanding of potential career pathways and focus on mentoring and networking experiences.  

What courses you'll study

You're required to complete 144 units to complete your degree, across a mix of core courses, elective and work integrated learning. A list of indicative courses is provided below.

Complete 24 units for ALL of the following:

Complete 6 units for ALL of the following:

Complete 18 units for ALL of the following:

Complete exactly 48 units from the following:

Complete one Major from the following:

Career outcomes

Bring your original perspectives and creative abilities into your career in creative writing. You might write the next bestselling novel or screenplay. You could source and edit manuscripts in a publishing company. You could even write copy, headlines and scripts in an advertising agency, or be employed through online or print media outlets, marketing and advertising agencies, publishers, libraries, film companies or education institutions.  

Your double major will provide you with versatility and the ability to shape your career. Depending on your chosen specialisations, you may work in a range of roles such as: 

• Writer or novelist  
• Copywriter  
• Playwright  
• Publishing assistant.  

This degree also provides a pathway for further postgraduate study or research. 

Industry trends 

Digital disruption, from the use of artificial intelligence to the impact of social media, is changing the writing and publishing industry. However, there is still a strong demand from employers for people with high level communication, creativity and adaptability skills. It's predicted that demand for journalists and other writers will grow by approximately 7% in the coming decade ( Jobs and Skills Australia, 2024 ). 

How to apply

Find your program.

Discover the programs and explore the opportunities.

Check the requirements

Look out for any prerequisite or assumed knowledge courses. Some degrees may have additional entry requirements.

Consider your preferences

To prepare for your future and to maximise your success consider adding additional preferences.

Please note that entry requirements for this degree are provisional and subject to change.  

If you want to start your studies earlier, consider applying to the University of Adelaide or UniSA now, and continue onto Adelaide University in 2026. Register your interest to stay informed. 

Explore answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

When can I apply to study at Adelaide University as a domestic student?

From August 2025 you can apply as a domestic student for entry to Adelaide University in 2026. Applications for 2026 will be via  SATAC  for most undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs. A direct application process will be available for 100% online degrees at a later date. In the meantime, you could start your degree at UniSA or the University of Adelaide and continue at Adelaide University.

What campuses and facilities does Adelaide University have?

Adelaide University is South Australia’s largest university with seven campuses across the state. Adelaide City Campus is in the heart of the central business district (including eastern and western precincts), while our Magill , Mawson Lakes and Waite  campuses are located within the inner suburbs of Adelaide. Our Mount Gambier , Roseworthy and Whyalla campuses are set in the regions of South Australia. Building on our digital and online learning successes, we aim to also deliver online education to more students than any other Australian university. 

Each of our campuses is equipped with cutting-edge, discipline specific facilities, contemporary study spaces and well-resourced libraries. Our city and suburban campuses also feature on-site gyms and eateries, and health services on, or nearby, campus. 

You will be well supported academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually with access to on-campus facilities and services such as counselling, learning support, childcare, prayer rooms and more.

What services are available at Adelaide University?

You will be well supported through a range of services at Adelaide University to ensure you get the most out of your student experience. Support services include:

• Academic learning support, including after-hours support provided via Studiosity through live online chat assistance with writing, referencing, mathematics and more.
• Advice and advocacy regarding access, adjustments and inclusivity if you have a disability, impairment, chronic health condition or significant caring responsibilities. 
• Libraries providing flexible study spaces, access to books, computer suites and online resources – as well as referencing support, search tips and more.
• Career development hub, including extensive self-help resources, online learning programs, on-campus events, workshops and networking, one-on-one advice, and job search support.
• Qualified counsellors who can provide confidential support to manage your mental health and wellbeing.
• On-campus medical clinics on-site where you can make an appointment with a General Practitioner (GP) to discuss acute and preventative health care matters.
• Information and advice for international students regarding accommodation, student life, visa and work rights and academic policies and procedures.
• An active and visible LGBTIQA+ Ally Network that ensures the University provides a supportive environment where all staff and students can safely work and study free of harassment or discrimination.
• Prayer rooms on campus, including gender specific spaces for worship purposes.
• Campus security available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure all students feel safe on campus.
• A range of scholarships offered to commencing and continuing students each year to make university life a little easier.
• A number of social outlets including student lounges, gyms, student-led clubs, sports teams and free events throughout the year.

How much are my course fees?

Your tuition fees will depend on your program of study and enrolment load. You can find the annual fees relevant to your program on the specific degree page under the ‘fees’ section. The annual fee payable for your chosen program will also be outlined in your Offer of Admission. 

What are the key dates for my studies?

Adelaide University will open in January 2026. Your studies will start at different times depending on what study period you’ve applied for. Adelaide University is currently using a semester model, which means most degrees start in Semester 1. Some degrees are also available to start in mid-year, sometimes with a different degree structure. 

Studies at Adelaide University typically commence in:  

• February for Semester 1  
• July for Semester 2. 

Some degrees, such as the Bachelor of Medical Studies and Master of Business Administration, will have different starting dates. View the relevant degree page for more detail. 

For other key dates, including census dates and exam periods, you can view our Academic calendar . 

Your study experience and support

Adelaide University sets you up for success in your studies – and your social life. You’ll have access to work placement and internship opportunities, overseas study tours and exchanges, networking events with guest speakers and more. Our campuses are equipped with purpose-built facilities including lecture theatres, libraries, workshops, laboratories, and spaces that simulate real work environments. These are all supported by the latest technologies and a 24/7 online learning platform with personalised study information and resources.

You’ll have everything you need to live well and thrive during your studies, with health services on campus, gymnasiums, technology zones and modern student lounges. Get involved in campus sport or join our student clubs that will connect you to your passions – and the people who share them.

Adelaide also has a variety of accommodation options to suit your individual requirements and budget, with options ranging from dedicated student accommodation to private rentals. One of the world’s most liveable cities, Adelaide has lots of leafy parks, gardens and social hubs – and some of the highest living standards globally. No matter where you are in Adelaide, you’re only a short distance from beaches, vineyards, museums, art galleries, restaurants, bars and parklands. Visit the accommodation web page to find out more.

Student services

We’re here to support you on your student journey. Adelaide University offers a range of support services and facilities, including:

• Career advice and mentoring services
• Personal counselling
• LGBTQIA+ support
• Academic support
• Fees and finance help
• Security services
• Accommodation services
• Common rooms
• Prayer rooms.

You’ll also have unlimited access to our dedicated student support hub. Visit in-person or online, or contact our friendly team by phone. We can assist you with anything study-related including enrolment, identification cards, timetables, fees and more.

Your campus

You'll be studying at one of our renowned campuses, accessing cutting-edge facilities and contemporary study spaces.

Study hours

Your courses will require a combination of different learning formats, including lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars and practicals. Aside from your classes, you’ll also need to allocate additional time for independent study. This may include assignments, readings, projects and contributing to online discussion forums. As a rough guide, full-time studies may require 12-26 hours of class time and 14-18 hours of independent study per week. 

During your studies at Adelaide University, you’ll complete a mixture of practical, professional and research-based learning. Your assessment types will vary depending on the degree you’re studying, but may include: 

• Case studies  
• Essays and assignments  
• Examinations  
• Group projects  
• Internships and placements  
• Practicals  
• Presentations  
• Reports and project documentations 
• Research projects 
• Workplace and classroom contributions. 

Explore Adelaide University

Accommodation options.

Considering calling Adelaide home? Explore accommodation options to find a place that's right for you.

Life in Adelaide

Discover why Adelaide is one of the most liveable cities in the world.

Scholarships

Our scholarships can provide the helping hand you need to transition into university life.

• Schools & departments

Creative Writing PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Creative Writing

Introduction to Postgraduate Study at the University of Edinburgh

Join us online on 25 September to learn more about Scotland, the city of Edinburgh and postgraduate study at the University.

Find out more and register

Research profile

The PhD in Creative Writing offers committed and talented writers the opportunity to study Creative Writing at the highest level.

Supported by an expert supervisory team you will work independently towards the production of a substantial, publishable piece of creative writing, accompanied by a sustained exercise in critical study.

The academic staff you will be working with are all active researchers or authors, including well-published and prize-winning writers of poetry, prose, fiction and drama. They include:

• Dr Jane Alexander - Fiction
• Dr Lynda Clark - Fiction
• Dr Patrick Errington - Poetry
• Dr Miriam Gamble - Poetry
• Dr Alan Gillis - Poetry
• Nicola McCartney - Drama
• Dr Jane McKie - Poetry
• Dr Allyson Stack - Fiction
• Kim Sherwood - Fiction
• Alice Thompson - Fiction

Find out more about the programme and our team

Training and support

We encourage you to share your research and learn from the work of others through a programme of seminars and visiting speakers.

We have an in-house Writer-in-Residence, annual writing prizes, and a range of opportunities to learn from experts in the publishing industry.

We also offer access to opportunities provided by the Sottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities.

Our postgraduate journal, Forum, is a valuable conduit for research findings and provides an opportunity to gain editorial experience.

• Forum: postgraduate journal of culture and the arts

A UNESCO World City of Literature, Edinburgh is a remarkable place to study, write, publish, discuss and perform prose, poetry and drama.

Take a PhD with us and you will be based in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) in the historic centre of this world-leading festival city.

Our buildings are close to:

• National Library of Scotland (where collections include the Bute Collection of early modern English drama and the John Murray Archive)
• Edinburgh Central Library
• Scottish Poetry Library
• Scottish Storytelling Centre
• Writers’ Museum
• Traverse Theatre

We have strong links with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which annually welcomes around 1,000 authors to our literary city.

There are lots of opportunities to write and share your work, from Forum to The Selkie, which was founded by Creative Writing students in 2018 to showcase work by people who self-identify as underrepresented.

Around the city, you’ll find library readings and bookshop launches, spoken word gigs, cabaret nights and poetry slams, including events run by celebrated publishing outlets, from Canongate and Polygon / Birlinn to Luath Press, 404 Ink, Taproot Press and Mariscat.

You will have access to the University’s many literary treasures, which include:

• William Drummond library
• Lewis Grassic Gibbon library
• Hugh MacDiarmid library
• Norman MacCaig library
• W.H. Auden collection
• Corson collection
• works by and about Sir Walter Scott
• Ramage collection of poetry pamphlets

The Centre for Research Collections also holds a truly exceptional collection of early Shakespeare quartos and other early modern printed plays. These have been put together by the 19th century Shakespearean James Halliwell-Phillipps, the correspondence of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle (the focus of one of the major editorial projects in Victorian studies of the last half-century), and the extensive Laing collection of medieval and early modern manuscripts.

You will also have access to letters and papers by - and relating to - authors including:

• Christopher Isherwood
• Rudyard Kipling
• John Middleton Murry
• Walter de la Mare
• George Mackay Brown
• Compton Mackenzie

Many of the University's Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, Computing Labs, and dedicated PhD study space in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC).

Look inside the PhD study space in LLC

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK masters degree, or its international equivalent, in creative writing, normally with distinction.

We may also consider your application if you have equivalent qualifications or experience. For additional information please refer to the pre-application guidance in the 'How to apply' section.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

• Fees and costs

Read our general information on tuition fees and studying costs:

Scholarships and funding

Featured funding.

There are a number of scholarship schemes available to eligible candidates on this PhD programme, including awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Please be advised that many scholarships have more than one application stage, and early deadlines.

• Find out more about scholarships in literatures, languages and cultures

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
• Contact: [email protected]
• School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
• 50 George Square
• Central Campus
• Programme: Creative Writing
• School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

Start date: September

Awards: PhD (36 mth FT, 72 mth PT)

Application deadlines

Due to high demand, the school operates a number of selection deadlines. We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through a competitive process.

Deadlines for applicants applying to study in 2024/25:

• How to apply
• Pre-application guidance

Before you formally apply for this PhD, you should look at the pre-application information and guidance on the programme website.

This will help you decide if this programme is right for you, and help us gain a clearer picture of what you hope to achieve.

The guidance details the writing samples you should send us as part of your application (either fiction or poetry, along with a shorter sample of your academic writing).

It will also give you practical advice for writing your project summary – one of the most important parts of your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

• Faculty of Arts
• School of Culture and Communication
• Current students

Creative Writing research proposals

Some guidelines to assist you in developing a proposal for a research higher degree in Creative Writing at the University of Melbourne (MA or PhD).

The creative PhD at the University of Melbourne is developed and marked as a single thesis, with two major elements: a dissertation and a creative work.

Each part usually contributes 50% to the overall word count. It is possible to increase the dissertation above 50%, but the creative work cannot be more than 50%.

One way to understand the unity of the creative PhD thesis is to consider that there is one overarching research question or hypothesis, which is approached within the thesis in two different manners, a scholarly one and a creative one.

The dissertation is not an exegesis. The dissertation does not offer a commentary on the creative processes or the intentions of the writer. The dissertation is intended to stand independently as a scholarly work making an original contribution to its field or discipline. In creative writing, this field is often interdisciplinary, but it can be characterised as a discipline interested in writerly questions, that is questions that take into account creativity, creative processes, the decision-making that goes into a creative text, cultural and technological influences on writing, questions of genre boundaries (including emerging genres, hybrid genres), and questions that address issues in conceiving of writing as a craft. This is a broad description and it is not exhaustive, but it does indicate that most dissertations are investigating aspects of the act of writing.

In your proposal you should make it clear what your research question is, and how this question fits with or responds to an ongoing critical discourse. You should identify the fields or disciplines you will draw upon, what models of analysis you will adopt, and what critical and creative texts you wish to discuss in your dissertation.

The creative work will need to be articulated in your proposal with some detail, understanding that as with all creative works there will be room for re-considerations and re-drafting. You should show how your creative work addresses or arises from your research question.

Your proposal should include an indicative list of the texts you will consult.

For more information please see the Doctor of Philosophy (Arts) web page.

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Join a thriving research community by undertaking your own research project, key course details.

Course Overview

Swansea’s Creative Writing research programme offers a choice from a spectrum of skills and a research dialogue across genres, including poetry, fiction, drama and screenwriting. We are a closely bonded community of writers, each research student being supervised by a specialist writer-teacher. One-to-one meetings take place every 4 weeks, or at the student’s request. The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops.

The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be creatively broken once they have been thoroughly understood. Swansea is especially proud of the intellectual rigour of its programme and research culture. Our team includes teacher-writers of award-winning stature and long experience, and we go to considerable lengths to match student with supervisor, to create an enriching and enduring writerly bond.

Entry Requirements

MPhil:  Applicants for MPhil must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University). See our Country Specific Postgraduate Entry Requirements.

PhD:  Applicants for PhD must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level and a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’. Alternatively, applicants with a UK first class honours degree (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) not holding a master’s degree, will be considered on an individual basis. See our Country Specific Postgraduate Entry Requirements.

English Language IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.5) or Swansea University recognised equivalent.  Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.

As well as academic qualifications, Admissions decisions may be based on other factors, including (but not limited to): the standard of the research synopsis/proposal, performance at interview, intensity of competition for limited places, and relevant professional experience.

Reference Requirement

As standard, two references are required before we can progress applications to the College/School research programme Admissions Tutor for consideration.

Applications received without two references attached are placed on hold, pending receipt of the outstanding reference(s). Please note that any protracted delay in receiving the outstanding reference(s) may result in the need to defer your application to a later potential start point/entry month, than what you initially listed as your preferred start option.

You may wish to consider contacting your referee(s) to assist in the process of obtaining the outstanding reference(s) or alternatively, hold submission of application until references are sourced. Please note that it is not the responsibility of the University Admissions Office to obtain missing reference(s) after our initial email is sent to your nominated referee(s), requesting a reference(s) on your behalf.

The reference can take the form of a letter on official headed paper, or via the University’s standard reference form.  Click this link to download the university reference form .

Alternatively, referees can email a reference from their employment email account, please note that references received via private email accounts, (i.e. Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail) cannot be accepted.

References can be submitted to  [email protected] .

The reference can take the form of a letter on official headed paper, or via the University’s standard reference form. Click this link to download the university reference form .

References can be submitted to [email protected] .

How you are Supervised

Writers of world class stature and experience will support your studies. Each research student in our closely bonded community is supervised by a specialist writer-teacher and supported by a second writer-supervisor. One-to-one meetings take place every three to four weeks, or at the student’s request, and there are monthly creative writing methodology workshops.

These workshops provide a valuable opportunity to give and receive constructive feedback on writing circulated before sessions.

We take care to ensure that each MPhil/PhD student has the expert supervision required to complete their project within the candidature period. You will have a minimum of two supervisors based in the Department. Upon receipt of your application, we will identify supervisors whose research expertise matches your chosen topic. 

You will usually meet your supervisors once a month, and possibly more often at critical stages of your candidature, including preparing for final submission. When you start the degree, you will work out a research plan with your supervisors. Nine months into your candidature, you will present a first piece of substantial writing (e.g. draft thesis chapter) and a detailed thesis plan. Thereafter, the University will assess your progress every 6 months. M.Phil students are eligible to apply for an upgrade to a Ph.D if they demonstrate the ability to perform at doctoral level

Welsh Provision

Tuition fees, ph.d. 3 year full time.

Ph.D. 6 Year Part Time

M.Phil. 2 Year Full Time

M.phil. 4 year part time.

Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page .

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page .

International students and part-time study: It may be possible for some students to study part-time under the Student Visa route. However, this is dependent on factors relating to the course and your individual situation. It may also be possible to study with us if you are already in the UK under a different visa category (e.g. Tier 1 or 2, PBS Dependant, ILR etc.). Please visit the University information on Visas and Immigration for further guidance and support.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page .

Funding and Scholarships

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

Government funding is now available for Welsh, English and EU students starting eligible postgraduate research programmes at Swansea University. To find out more, please visit our postgraduate loans page.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Additional Costs

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up .

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

How to Apply

Apply online and track your application status at  www.swansea.ac.uk/applyonline .

Suggested Application Timings

In order to allow sufficient time for consideration of your application by an academic, for potential offer conditions to be met and travel / relocation, we recommend that applications are made before the dates outlined below. Please note that applications can still be submitted outside of the suggested dates below but there is the potential that your application/potential offer may need to be moved to the next appropriate intake window.

October Enrolment

UK Applicants – 15th August

EU/International applicants – 15th July

January Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th November

EU/International applicants – 15th October

April Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th February

EU/International applicants – 15th January

July Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th May

EU/International applicants – 15th April

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

The PhD in Creative Writing falls within the category of ‘Creative and Performing Arts’, which permits the thesis to take the form of a portfolio of original works, to be accompanied by a commentary, placing the portfolio in its intellectual context. The PhD in this area is understood to constitute research into a subject, research into a form, and research into the relation between them. This research discipline constitutes a practical, experimental and empirical mode of research, in which the creative work-in-progress is the central site of research, while the essay represents an analysis and elucidation  of and commentary on the choices made in that research.

The requirement is in two parts: a book-length creative work, and a critical essay.

The creative work may take the form of:

• a novel, or
• a collection of short fiction (which may be designed as a composite novel or may include or comprise work in the novella form), or
• an anthology of poetry, or
• a long poem, or
• a play for stage or radio (or both), or
• a work of creative non-fiction.
• A work of prose fiction or creative non-fiction should be approximately 80,000-100,000 words in length.
• The critical essay should be around 20,000 words in length.
• An anthology of poems or a long poem should be up to 10,000 words in length  (i.e. roughly equivalent to a 50-poem collection).
• A work of drama should take the form of a fully-realised two-act play, suitable for production, each act designed to last about one hour.
• A feature length film script of 1 1/2 to 2 hours duration ( 90 - 120 pages), properly formatted. 

While the creative work is considered as the scholarly heart of the PhD, the critical essay should engage with the choices made in the creative work, addressing, for example: concept and process; drafts and revisions; questions of style (lexis, diction, voice or voices, setting, plot or fable, perspective or perspectives); theme; characterisation; the research undertaken for the book; historical and cultural context; where the work stands in relation to other works in the chosen genre and tradition; any other relevant issues.

The individual is not required to address all these issues in an equivalent way but to shape the essay in a fashion appropriate to the specific creative work. The essay demonstrates the candidate’s capacity to think critically about and comment on the processes involved in its conception, development and revision.

Submission of the thesis is followed by an oral examination of the thesis (viva) by two examiners who are not your supervisors, one of whom is external to the University.

Further Key Features

The creative component of the degree should ultimately be of publishable standard. Our graduates have met with great publishing/ performing success. Our programme offers knowledge of and access to the publishing industry. We enjoy links with prestigious London agencies and national and international publishing houses. The publisher Parthian has its office is on our campus, and Swansea University is the host of the prestigious Dylan Thomas Prize for Literature.

Links with the performance industry are strong. Excerpts from postgraduate dramatic scripts are given professional performance at our annual Rough Diamonds theatre nights, and students enjoy visits to the BBC studios and from broadcasting and theatre professionals. Other intellectual and creative opportunities include regular postgraduate talks and discussions and the many readings and arts events (films, plays, concerts, exhibitions) available both on and off campus.

Postgraduate Research in English Language and Creative Writing

English Language and Creative Writing currently has 60 full- and part-time PhD, M.Phil and MA by Research students. PGR students are fully integrated into the research culture of the department. Postgraduates often join a research centre, such as the Centre for Research into Gender and Culture (GENCAS) or the Centre for Research into Welsh Writing in English (CREW), where they work alongside other students and staff in dedicated research rooms. Students are offered training in research-related administration (e.g. online funding applications) and editorial roles (e.g. reviews of new work for the CREW website).

Each English Literature and Creative Writing PGR student has two supervisors, with responsibility for pastoral as well as academic needs. The School of Culture and Communication has established a Graduate Centre, an International Office and an Academic Board (Research) to co-ordinate annual monitoring of students’ progress. In addition to the subject-specific provision described above, all students take an agreed number of the School training workshops and give conference presentations. The School provides dedicated PGR workstations, a common room, video conferencing facilities, funding towards research and conference expenses, and the services of the Research Project Officer to advise postgraduates on funding opportunities. The Graduate Centre also runs an annual interdisciplinary PGR conference, where presenters receive feedback from professorial staff, and in 2012-13 established an AHRC-funded Heritage Key Skills Programme of seminars offering intensive training in skills in demand in the heritage sector.

The University Skills Office, in the Academic and Professional Enhancement Centre, co-ordinates a skills development programme for all Swansea University research students: training is provided in advanced writing skills, research transferable skills, IT programmes, entrepreneurship and employability.

PhD Programme Specification

This Programme Specification refers to the current academic year and provides indicative content for information. The University will seek to deliver each course in accordance with the descriptions set out in the relevant course web pages at the time of application. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision , either before or after enrolment.

Programme Summary 

This PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The PhD is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva voce ). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. There may also be opportunities to develop your teaching skills through undergraduate tutorials, demonstrations and seminars.

Programme Aims

This PhD programme will provide doctoral researchers with:

• The opportunity to conduct high quality postgraduate research in a world leading research environment.
• Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• Advanced critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and independent judgement.

Programme Structure

The programme comprises three key elements: 

• Entry and confirmation of candidature
• Main body of research
• Thesis and viva voce

The programme comprises of the undertaking of an original research project of 3 years duration full time (6 years duration part time). Doctoral researchers may pursue the programme either full time or part time by pursuing research at the University at an external place of employment or with/at a University approved partner.

Doctoral researchers for the PhD in Creative Writing are examined in two parts.

The first part is a thesis which is an original body of work representing the methods and results of the research project. The maximum word limit is 100,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

The second part is an oral examination (viva voce).

Doctoral Researcher Supervision and Support

Doctoral researchers will be supervised by a supervisory team. Where appropriate, staff from Colleges/Schools other than the ‘home’ College/School (other Colleges/Schools) within the University will contribute to cognate research areas. There may also be supervisors from an industrial partner.

The Primary/First Supervisor will normally be the main contact throughout the doctoral research journey and will have overall responsibility for academic supervision. The academic input of the Secondary Supervisor will vary from case to case. The principal role of the Secondary Supervisor is often as a first port of call if the Primary/First Supervisor becomes unavailable. The supervisory team may also include a supervisor from industry or a specific area of professional practice to support the research. External supervisors may also be drawn from other Universities.

The primary supervisor will provide pastoral support. If necessary the primary supervisor will refer the  doctoral researcher to other sources of support (e.g. Wellbeing, Disability, Money Advice, IT, Library, Students’ Union, Academic Services, Student Support Services, Careers Centre). 

Programme Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this programme, doctoral researchers should be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding

• Demonstrate the systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of research through the development of a written thesis.
• Create, interpret, analyse and develop new knowledge through original research or other advanced scholarship. 
• Disseminate new knowledge gained through original research or other advanced scholarship via high quality peer reviewed publications within the discipline.
• Apply research skills and subject theory to the practice of research.
• Apply process and standards of a range of the methodologies through which research is conducted and knowledge acquired and revised. 

Attitudes and values

• Conceptualise, design and implement a project aimed at the generation of new knowledge or applications within Creative Writing.
• Make informed judgements on complex issues in the field of Creative Writing, often in the absence of complete data and defend those judgements to an appropriate audience.
• Apply sound ethical principles to research, with due regard for the integrity of persons and in accordance with professional codes of conduct.
• Demonstrate self-awareness of individual and cultural diversity, and the reciprocal impact in social interaction between self and others when conducting research involving people.

Research Skills

• Respond appropriately to unforeseen problems in project design by making suitable amendments.
• Communicate complex research findings clearly, effectively and in an engaging manner to both specialist (including the academic community), and non-specialist audiences using a variety of appropriate media and events, including conference presentations, seminars and workshops.
• Correctly select, interpret and apply relevant techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.
• Develop the networks and foundations for on-going research and development within the discipline.
• Implement  advanced research skills to a substantial degree of independence.
• Locate information and apply it to research practice. 

Skills and Competencies

• Display the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment, including the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

Progression Monitoring

Progress will be monitored in accordance with Swansea University regulations. During the course of the programme, the Doctoral researcher is expected to meet regularly with their supervisors, and at most meetings it is likely that the doctoral researcher’s progress will be monitored in an informal manner in addition to attendance checks. Details of the meetings should ideally be recorded on the on-line system. A minimum of four formal supervision meetings is required each year, two of which will be reported to the Postgraduate Progression and Awards Board. During these supervisory meetings the doctoral researcher’s progress is discussed and formally recorded on the on-line system. 

Learning Development

The University offers training and development for Doctoral Researchers and supervisors.

Swansea University’s Postgraduate Research Training Framework is structured into sections, to enable doctoral researchers to navigate and determine appropriate courses aligned to both their interest and their candidature stage. 

There is a training framework including for example areas of Managing Information and Data, Presentation and Public Engagement, Leadership and working with others, Safety Integrity and Ethics, Impact and Commercialisation and Teaching and Demonstrating. There is also range of support in areas such as training needs, literature searching, conducting research, writing up research, teaching, applying for grants and awards, communicating research and future careers.

A range of research seminars and skills development sessions are provided within the School of Culture and Communication and across the University. These are scheduled to keep the  doctoral researcher in touch with a broader range of material than their own research topic, to stimulate ideas in discussion with others, and to give them opportunities to such as defending their own thesis orally, and to identify potential criticisms. Additionally, the School of Culture and Communication is developing a research culture that aligns with the University vision and will link with key initiatives delivered under the auspices of the University’s Academies, for example embedding the HEA fellowship for postgraduate research students.

Research Environment

Swansea University’s research environment combines innovation and excellent facilities to provide a home for multidisciplinary research to flourish. Our research environment encompasses all aspects of the research lifecycle, with internal grants and support for external funding and enabling impact/effect that research has beyond academia. 

Swansea University is very proud of our reputation for excellent research, and for the calibre, dedication, professionalism, collaboration and engagement of our research community. We understand that integrity must be an essential characteristic of all aspects of research, and that as a University entrusted with undertaking research we must clearly and consistently demonstrate that the confidence placed in our research community is rightly deserved. The University therefore ensures that everyone engaged in research is trained to the very highest standards of research integrity and conducts themselves and their research in a way that respects the dignity, rights, and welfare of participants, and minimises risks to participants, researchers, third parties, and the University itself.

School of Culture and Communication 

The School conducts world leading research in English, Creative Writing and Applied Linguistics; History and Classics; Politics and International Relations; Media and Communication; Education and Lifelong Learning; and Modern Languages and Welsh. 

The School provides a vibrant research environment through conferences, seminars, workshops and training events organised by sixteen research centres and groups. As well as major disciplinary strengths, inter-disciplinary research is at the heart of what we do. We host an annual research conference open to all colleges, Research across Boundaries, and have particular inter-disciplinary strengths in Heritage and Development, Digital humanities and platforms, Medical humanities and wellbeing, and Global challenges. 

The School is deeply committed to highly quality research which is intellectually innovative as well as having real world impacts. Research students and staff work closely together. As a result a strong culture has developed which provides a supportive and friendly environment for our thriving community of doctoral students from all over the world to develop as well-networked young researchers.

Career Opportunities  

Having a PhD demonstrates that graduates can work effectively in a team, formulate, explore and communicate complex ideas and manage advanced tasks. Jobs in academia (eg postdoctoral research, lecturing), education, government, management, the public or private sector are possible. Examples include administrators, counsellors, marketing specialists, and researchers.

The Postgraduate Research Office Skills Development Team offer support and a training framework for example in creating a researcher profile based upon publications and setting up your own business. The Swansea Employability Academy assists students in future career opportunities, improving CVs, job applications and interview skills.

MPhil Programme Specification

Programme Summary

This MPhil in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 60,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The Masters is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. 

This Masters programme will provide students with: 

• Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis

The programme comprises three key elements:

• Thesis and viva voce 

The programme comprises of the undertaking of an original research project of 2 years duration full time (4 years duration part time). Students may pursue the programme either full time or part time by pursuing research at the University at an external place of employment or with/at a University approved partner.

Students for the Masters in Creative Writing are examined in two parts.

The first part is a thesis which is an original body of work representing the methods and results of the research project. The maximum word limit is 60,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

The second part is an oral examination ( viva voce ).

Supervision and Support 

Students will be supervised by a supervisory team. Where appropriate, staff from Colleges/Schools other than the ‘home’ College/School (other Colleges/Schools) within the University will contribute to cognate research areas. There may also be supervisors from an industrial partner.

The Primary/First Supervisor will normally be the main contact throughout the student journey and will have overall responsibility for academic supervision. The academic input of the Secondary Supervisor will vary from case to case. The principal role of the Secondary Supervisor is often as a first port of call if the Primary/First Supervisor becomes unavailable. The supervisory team may also include a supervisor from industry or a specific area of professional practice to support the research. External supervisors may also be drawn from other Universities.

The primary supervisor will provide pastoral support. If necessary the primary supervisor will refer the student to other sources of support (e.g. Wellbeing, Disability, Money Advice, IT, Library, Students’ Union, Academic Services, Student Support Services, Careers Centre).

• Demonstrate the systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge through the development of a written thesis.
• Create, interpret, analyse and develop new knowledge through original research or other advanced scholarship.  
• Apply process and standards of a range of the methodologies through which research is conducted and knowledge acquired and revised.
• Make informed judgements on complex issues in the field of Creative Writing often in the absence of complete data and defend those judgements to an appropriate audience. 
• Communicate complex research findings clearly, effectively and in an engaging manner to both specialist (including the academic community), and non-specialist audiences using a variety of appropriate media.
• Correctly select, interpret and apply relevant techniques for research and academic enquiry.
• Develop the foundations for on-going research and development within the discipline.
• Implement independent research skills.
• Locate information and apply it to research practice.
• Display the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment, including the exercise of personal responsibility and initiative in complex situations.

Progress will be monitored in accordance with Swansea University regulations. During the course of the programme, the student is expected to meet regularly with their supervisors, and at most meetings it is likely that the student’s progress will be monitored in an informal manner in addition to attendance checks. Details of the meetings should ideally be recorded on the on-line system. A minimum of four formal supervision meetings is required each year, two of which will be reported to the Postgraduate Progression and Awards Board. During these supervisory meetings the student’s progress is discussed and formally recorded on the on-line system. 

Learning Development  

Swansea University’s Postgraduate Research Training Framework is structured into sections, to enable students to navigate and determine appropriate courses aligned to both their interest and their candidature stage. 

A range of research seminars and skills development sessions are provided within the College of Arts and Humanities and across the University. These are scheduled to keep the student in touch with a broader range of material than their own research topic, to stimulate ideas in discussion with others, and to give them opportunities to such as defending their own thesis orally, and to identify potential criticisms. Additionally, the College of Arts and Humanities is developing a research culture that will align with the University vision and will link with key initiatives delivered under the auspices of the University’s Academies, for example embedding the HEA fellowship for postgraduate research students.

Research Environment  

Swansea University’s Research Environment combines innovation and excellent facilities to provide a home for multidisciplinary research to flourish. Our research environment encompasses all aspects of the research lifecycle, with internal grants and support for external funding and enabling impact/effect that research has beyond academia. 

School of Culture and Communication   

Career Opportunities

Having a Master of Philosophy degree shows that you can communicate your ideas and manage tasks. Jobs in academia, education, government, management, the public or private sector are possible. 

Adelaide Graduate Research School

Register of External Editors

The Register of External Editors is a list of professional editors that have been recommended by University of Adelaide academic staff, or who have been accredited by the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd).

All of the editors listed here have agreed to abide by the University’s policy on the editing of theses. Any work arrangements organised between editors and Adelaide University staff or students are a purely private matter between the individuals concerned, and the Adelaide Graduate Research School holds no responsibility for payment of services rendered, nor does it guarantee the quality of any of the services rendered.

For any further enquiries, please contact [email protected] .