- Course details
- Entry Requirements
- Research
- Employability
Work with our team of award-winning authors to develop your creative practice and its critique. Creative Writing at Birmingham is part of the Department of Film and Creative Writing, and is closely aligned to the Departments of English Literature and English Language and Applied Linguistics, allowing you to benefit from our breadth of expertise.
This practice-based PhD will support you in the development of a long-form piece of creative writing, or a sequence of related works. You willalso identify critical concerns and interests related to your creative practice, situating your work within a wider literary context. The final submission is divided between the creative piece and a related critical document.
Your PhD submission will usually entail:
For prose: a creative document of either long-form prose/a novel, or a collection of short-form prose/stories supported by a critical paper.The total word count will be between 80,000 and 100,000 words, though the weighting between the two elements will vary slightly. A novel, for example, usually between 60,000 to 80,000 words. The critical paper can therefore be between 20,000 to 40,000 words.
For poetry:a creative document of collected poems or a single work of poetry supported by a critical thesis (usually 20,000-50,000 words)
For scriptwriting (film or live performance): a single project or a collection of multiple shorts, which should be of comparable length and commitment as the prose element, again with an accompanying critical element between 20,000 to 40,000 words.
Other creative formats (for example a script for a graphic novel) will follow the above model/weightings.
The creative document will be an original work of significant, publishable quality which demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of craft, genre, and form. The critical document will present a structured and developed argument that demonstrates an awareness of literary context, and discuss - where relevant - critical and creative processes.
You can study our Creative Writing PhD full-time or part-time, on campus or by distance learning. The College of Arts and Law is experienced in delivering high-quality distance learning to students all over the world. Find out more on ourdistance learning website.
At Birmingham, Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research students also have the opportunity to learn graduate academic languages free of charge, to support your studies.
- Graduate School Language Skills
I’ve enjoyed studying at the University of Birmingham’s state of the art green campus with its spacious library and welcoming multicultural environment. The close interaction between students and supervisors has kept my research progress on track and constantly improving.
Hui-Han
Why study this course?
- Work with published writers: You will be working with published writers in a thriving research-active environment across a range of disciplines, including poetry; short-story; novel writing; and screen-writing
- Develop your craft: We also encourage new and diverse forms of writing and aim to develop craft, including research and editing skills, to support your creative project. The course team are experienced in helping you to theorise your approaches to your writing and research processes.
- Creative community: You will work alongside a community of writers and scholars, which includes active researchers in all areas and disciplines. There are a number of presentations and events staged by the School and by the Creative Writing team, alongside a vibrant arts and writing community in Birmingham and the West Midlands. We encourage our students, at all levels, to be active within the community and to participate in readings, festivals, and events, both regionally and nationally.
- Preparation for teaching: The research degree is of value for writers who wish to engage with research in academia, for preparation for teaching in Higher Education, and offers dedicated time and support to complete a significant creative project.
- World-leading research:The University of Birmingham is ranked equal 10th in the UK amongst Russell Group universities in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 according to Times Higher Education
The postgraduate experience
The College of Arts and Law offers excellent support to its postgraduates, from libraries and research spaces, to careers support and funding opportunities. Learn more about your postgraduate experience.
Fees
We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2024 entry are as follows:
- UK: £4,778 full-time; £2,389 part-time *
- International: £21,840 full-time; £10,920 part-time (distance learning only)
The same fees apply to both campus-based and distance learning study. The distance learning programme also includes one fully-funded visit to campus in the first year of study.
The above fees quoted are for one year only; for those studying over two or more years, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.
* For UK postgraduate research students the University fee level is set at Research Council rates and as such is subject to change. The final fee will be announced by Research Councils UK in spring 2024.
Fee status
Eligibility for UK or international fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students.
Paying your fees
Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding.
How To Apply
A strong application should include:
- A detailed description of the creative project (about two pages, with references, where possible, to other supporting texts)
- A description of the likely critical enquiry (which outlines the links between your creative project and the critical enquiry which will inform the development of the creative project).
- Examples of creative work (please include examples which are within your discipline, so if you want to write poetry, please include poems, if you want to write a novel, then a section of a novel, etc.,.)
- A brief statement explaining why you are interested in undertaking research with us at Birmingham. Many projects are achievable without needing a PhD, so it is helpful to see why you are interested in working within academia. It is also useful to see how this new project develops from previous projects, or relates to other creative and critical enquiries. This can be speculative.
- A decision on whether the period of study is to be full- or part-time (it is possible to adjust this once you are undertaking the research degree). If you are interested in Distance Learning, and if your application is successful, you will be asked to complete a form in which you provide details about your access to other resources and online support. Your supervisor will help you complete this prior to your being officially accepted.
Please note: The PhD is a demanding and rewarding period of advanced creative and academic independent study. It is also a terminal degree, and we require that applicants have either successfully completed a Creative Writing MA, or can demonstrate experience within their discipline. Unlike the MA, the PhD does not typically include group workshops and seminars. A strong application will demonstrate your current ability and experience within your creative discipline (so if you wish to write a film script, but have written novels, you would need some evidence of ability and knowledge in writing for film).
This is a popular course and there is a limited supervisor capacity to support doctoral research students. Our ability to support your research proposal may be dependent on the availability of a supervisor in your area of interest.
Application deadlines
Postgraduate research can start at any time during the year, but it is important to allow time for us to review your application and communicate a decision. If you wish to start in September 2024, we would recommend that you aim to submit your application and supporting documents by 7 May 2024.
If the programme has a Distance learning option then students will usually attend a residential visit in September or January, and those students wishing to attend the September residential are also encouraged to apply by 7 May 2024. The visit will take place at the end of September/beginning of October and you will receive further details once you have accepted your offer.
Six easy steps to apply for a postgraduate research course in the College of Arts and Law
Six steps to apply for our Postgraduate Research courses
Do you have an idea for an interesting research project? You can follow our six easy steps to apply to study for our postgraduate research courses. These include guidance on identifying funding opportunities and writing your research proposal.
Please also see our additional guidance forapplicants to the PhD Distance Learning study mode.
Please note: While our PhD programmes are normally studied in three years full-time or six years part-time, and Masters-level research programmes one year full-time or two years part-time, many programmes have a longer length listed in course or funding applications. This is because the course length is defined as the maximum period of registration, which includes a period of supervised study plus a thesis awaited period. The maximum period of registration for a full-time PhD is four years (three years supervision plus one year thesis awaited). For a full-time Masters-level research programme, it is two years (one year supervision plus one year thesis awaited). For part-time programmes, the periods are double the full-time equivalent.
Making your application
How to apply
To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.
Terms and conditions – what you need to know
Our Standard Requirements
The creative and critical elements will entail considered independent research and development. For this reason, we can only consider applications from applicants who have successfully completed an MA in Creative Writing, or candidates who can demonstrate composite professional experience (which includes publishing). Thisshould be clearly demonstrated in your application. For the PhD, you must demonstrate how the research project relates to your current creative practice.
Please note: check the staff profiles prior to application to make sure that your proposal is within an area that we can support. We will be unable to support a research project which falls too far outside of our own field of research and teaching.
For the application we require:
- a detailed outline describing the planned creative project
- an outline of the potential critical enquiry and how it relates to the creative project (this can be less detailed than the description of the creative project)
- a statement about your reasons for considering a research degree
- examples of creative work
- a short resume or CV
- two references from people who are familiar with both your creative and critical abilities
The application will be reviewed by the department in several stages. If there is an interested and available supervisor we will ask you form an interview, which can happen online.
International students
We accept a range of qualifications from different countries - use our handy guide below to see what qualifications we accept from your country.
English language requirements: standard language requirements apply for this course - IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band. If you are made an offer of a place to study and you do not meet the language requirement, you have the option to enrol on ourEnglish for Academic Purposes Presessional Course- if you successfully complete the course, you will be able to fulfil the language requirement without retaking a language qualification.
- IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band
- TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) including online: PTE Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
- Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced – minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component
International Requirements
The Department is home to a number of award-winning writers and our research into the aesthetic, historical and theoretical contexts of literature is complemented by our strong traditions in creative practice as research.
Please contact a staff member working in your area of interest in the first instance: Find a supervisor in Creative Writing.
Your degree will provide excellent preparation for your future career, but this can also be enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University and the College of Arts and Law.
The University's Careers Networkprovides expert guidance and activities especially for postgraduates, which will help you achieve your career goals. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicatedcareers and employability teamwho offer tailored advice and a programme of College-specific careers events.
You will be encouraged to make the most of your postgraduate experience and will have the opportunity to:
- Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique, whether you are looking for a career inside or outside of academia
- Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations
- Attend an annual programme of careers fairs, skills workshops and conferences, including bespoke events for postgraduates in the College of Arts and Law
- Take part in a range of activities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers and enhance your CV
What’s more, you will be able to access our full range of careers support for up to 2 years after graduation.
Over the past five years, more than 96% of Creative Writing postgraduates were in work and/or further study six months after graduation. Postgraduates in the Department of Film and Creative Writing develop a range of skills including: the ability to lead and participate in discussions; critical thinking, and an appreciation of different theoretical contexts; the ability to develop opinions and new ideas; and an aptitude for thinking and working creatively with others. While some graduates go on to careers in related industries - such as writing, media and television - others have used their transferable skills to pursue roles such as advertising, teaching, and in the heritage and cultural sectors.
