Creative Writing MFA

Why choose this course

No matter what inspires you as a writer, our MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Creative Writing course affords you a rare chance to develop your creative abilities, critical thinking and your professional skills within a structured academic environment. 

Supported by our research, this course gives you the chance to learn from and share ideas with passionate, published writers and academics with their own unique research interests and skills, including our own Distinguished Writer in Residence and Poet in Residence.

What you will study

This course will expose you to the practical skills and challenges involved in a particular type of creative writing, such as poetry or screenwriting, while also giving you hands-on experience in a creative industry that’s relevant to your studies to enhance your employability.

In your first year you’ll study alongside students in our MA Creative Writing and MA English Literature courses. You’ll learn how to craft a research-based creative work, enhancing your ability to turn thorough research into creative ideas and helping to craft your writing with attention to detail, originality and authority.

For your second year, an academic adviser will offer guidance on which practical industry experience would best suit your interests while also offering you guidance with your creative portfolio proposal.

Study and work abroad

There may be opportunities to acquire valuable European experience by working or conducting research abroad during your degree or shortly afterwards. It is possible to do this in the summer period with an Erasmus+ grant working on your dissertation or as a recent graduate. In order to qualify your Erasmus+ traineeship must be a minimum of two months.

Academics and events

Choosing our MFA Creative Writing course allows you to benefit from the experience of our multidisciplinary academics and published writers. We focus on community and sharing ideas, and you’ll have access to a number of conferences, seminars and workshops throughout the year that will inspire fresh ideas and encourage you to think big. These cover topics such as literature, language and linguistics, cultural studies and creative writing. Some interesting recent visits to the University from writers include the novelist Monica Ali and the poet and critic Rod Mengham.

Our annual cultural activities start with a poetry lecture on our campus by a visiting speaker and feature readings by students at the Guildford School of Acting. We also have the annual Surrey New Writers’ Festival which is connected with the creative writing graduate courses that we have at the University. The festival engages with various types of writing and creativity for you to enjoy, including readings, book signings, performances, panel discussions and talks by writers, thinkers and literary agents. 

The end of the year culminates in our annual Morag Morris Poetry Festival. This takes place in Guildford and combines readings and performances from prominent or up-and-coming poets. You will have the opportunity, alongside your fellow students, to present your own work in public. 

This event is organised and hosted by our poet-in-residence, a position held by a different poet each year. The English Department at Surrey also has a close relationship with English PEN, the charity dedicated to promoting literature and human rights.

Programme leader