English Literature & Creative Writing (MA)

About the Course

The MA English Literature & Creative Writing recognises creativity as a critical act and criticism as always creative. You will study a varied range of English Literature with the option of an Advanced Creative Writing Workshop for those who wish to publish in professional contexts. Our MA has an emphasis on literature and locality, with a core module focused upon Liverpool and Merseyside, and northern England. Further modules enable you to study and respond to authors and texts across different historical periods, and in different forms and genres, in relation to key critical questions that are emerging at the cutting edge of our discipline. 

You will be taught by leading academics and creative writers, and will have opportunities to go on field trips and interact with regional cultural institutions such as Tate Liverpool, The Reader, and Shakespeare North. The MA provides valuable transferable and professional skills in creative and critical thought, research, editing, and digital content management. Contemporary assessment pathways offer options for the demonstration of your knowledge. You can write a new poem or a critical essay, for example, to convey your understanding of a module.

Curriculum Overview

The course consists of taught modules and a dissertation. Full-time students normally attend two classes each week; part-time students normally attend one class per week; these sessions are backed up by time for wider reading and writing, seminar preparation and assignment completion. The MA offers a varied range of assessment modes, and there are opportunities to specialise in, or move between, assessment via literary critical or creative writing modes. Assessment formats include essays, online exhibition boards, presentations, or creative authorship of poetry, prose or nonfiction. The Dissertation stage allows you to develop your own project and showcase your academic interests and strengths, working independently on an extended piece of research and writing with the support of a supervisor. You can choose to pursue a dissertation in literary studies, or to develop a creative writing dissertation in poetry, prose or creative nonfiction.

Modules

Indicative modules:

Rewriting the North

Advanced Creative Writing Workshop

Case Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature

The Rise of the Novel

Book History

Literature of the First World War

Advanced Masters Research and Writing

Entry Requirements

A minimum of a Second-Class Honours degree in a relevant discipline (which might, for example, include English Literature, Media or Drama) awarded by a UK university, or an equivalent higher education qualification. You should have a keen interest in the subject and a willingness to engage in wide reading around the topic areas.

International Entry Requirements

Possess a degree from an overseas institution that is judged by the Registrar or Nominee to be equivalent to a second class honours degree from a UK University.

For students whose first language is not English there is a language requirement of IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 minimum of all components. In addition to this, we also accept a wide range of International Qualifications, for more information please visit our English Language Requirements page.

For additional information about country specific entry requirements visit the your country pages. 

Teaching and Research

The MA English Literature & Creative Writing is underpinned by the internationally renowned research and writing expertise of the staff in the English Literature and Creative Writing teams. We work collaboratively with colleagues across the School of Humanities, and the wider University. Research, including creative-critical practice, is a central part of Liverpool Hope University’s academic life and vision, and our postgraduate students are a valued part of our community.

The learning and teaching environment means that students benefit from individual attention in class and a strong base of tutorial support. You will experience a range of modes of learning: lecture input, seminars, workshops, field trips and individual tutorial consultations.

UK/Channel Island Tuition Fees

2025/26

Tuition fees for Home students are £7,750

Funding

We offer a number of scholarships and loans to help fund your postgraduate studies. Visit our scholarships pages for more details.

EU/Non EU International Tuition Fees

2025/26

Tuition fees for EU/Non-EU International students for 2025/26 are £15,250

Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.

Careers

The MA English Literature & Creative Writing can act as a foundation for further postgraduate work, including doctoral research. It also fosters a range of transferable skills valued in professional and creative sector contexts, such as critical and lateral thinking, the ability to formulate narrative and persuasive argument, the capacity to work both independently and collaboratively, the presentation of ideas and research findings, editing and information/content management. It develops students' ability to interpret and analyse cultural products, and enables them to develop confidence and advanced abilities in narrative and storycraft, which are now recognised as key to success in business and public policy-making. Teachers may follow this course in order to enhance their subject knowledge and to support their career progression.

Graduates go into a range of professions, including in the creative industries; education; community and charity sectors; publishing; libraries and heritage; marketing and communication; and the university sector. Some will develop freelance careers as writers.