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  • Creative Writing (Certificate of Higher Education)
  • 2012/2013 entry
  • Contact us
  • Assessment

    • 100% coursework: 4000–5000 words (or equivalent) per 30-credit module.

  • Attendance

    • Normally one three-hour class a week.

  • Duration
    • Two–four years.
  • Entry requirements
  • Fees and funding
  • Financial support
      • If you are a new student starting on a course in autumn 2012, you may be able to get a student loan to cover your fees and other Birkbeck financial support. Check if you're eligible.
      • If you are already studying with us and continuing on a course that you started before autumn 2012, find out about financial support and see if you are eligible.
      • Not sure if you are a new or a continuing student? See here for more information.
  • Location
    • Central London.
  • Teaching
    • Teaching is varied and interactive. It takes the form of lecturer-led sessions, workshopping of students’ creative work, tutorials, class and home exercises, student readings, and individual and group work. 

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Creative Writing (Certificate of Higher Education) - 2012/2013 entry


  • Overview
      • Gain a University of London qualification – expand your knowledge and enhance your CV.  
      • Unique opportunity to explore the craft of writing in a range of genres (fiction, poetry, drama, life writing and writing for children).
      • Receive tuition from practising published writers.
      • Produce a portfolio of creative work.
  • Why study this course at Birkbeck?

    • This programme seeks to inspire your creativity, to deepen your awareness and control of elements of the writer’s craft and to enable you to write more confidently and fluently. It is suitable for people with varying degrees of creative writing experience, from absolute beginners to those who have taken a creative writing course before.

      Modules are organised into two groups, with each module offering constructive feedback and informed discussion of students’ creative work. Group A is designed for beginner-level students; Group B is designed for more advanced students.

  • Course structure and modules

    • To gain the Certificate of Higher Education, you must successfully complete modules worth 120 credit points. All modules are 11 weeks of three-hour sessions. In Year 1, you will choose two consecutive modules from Group A; in Year 2, you will choose two consecutive modules from Group B.

      • Group A: Introducing the Craft of Writing
        These modules introduce you to the basic elements of the writer’s craft in a range of genres. The emphasis is on discovery, technique and experimentation.
      • Group B: Developing the Craft of Writing
        These modules develop your awareness and control of key elements of the writer’s craft. The emphasis is on building your confidence and control of language, broadening awareness of the process of writing, and developing a writer’s voice. 

      Modules

      Group A: Introducing the Craft of Writing

      The modules in this group are designed for beginner-level students who have never taken a creative writing module before.
      Starting to Write: Fiction
      Starting to Write: Poetry (Full Module)
      Starting to Write: Drama

      Group B: Developing the Craft of Writing

      The modules in this group are designed for students who have taken at least one creative writing module before.
      Novel Writing
      Short Story Workshop
      Life Writing
      Poetry Workshop
      Developing Your Fiction
      Playwriting Workshop
      Writing for Children and Teenagers
  • Further study opportunities
  • How to apply/enrol

    • ME (modular enrolment): enrol for individual modules (see 'Course structure and modules').