Creative Writing
Entry requirements
The creative and critical elements of this PhD involve significant independent research and development.
This means we can only consider applicants who have successfully completed an MA in Creative Writing, or applicants who can demonstrate extensive professional experience (which includes publishing). You'll need to clearly detail your academic / professional experience in your application and outline how the research project relates to your current creative practice.
We recommend you check our Creative Writing staff profiles before applying to make sure your proposal is in a suitable area. Our academics can only support research projects that are in their fields of research and teaching.
See the Application Process section for more information.
Months of entry
January, September
Course content
Embark on this creative practice-based PhD and craft your literary masterpiece. Explore creative and critical practices and be inspired by our award-winning writers and the bustling literary scene on campus and in Birmingham.
Develop your creative and critical practice, whether you're looking for the right environment to work on an extended writing project or want to conduct practice-based research to prepare for an academic career.
You'll join an interdisciplinary Film and Creative Writing department where you'll be supported by writers in your chosen form, whether that's prose, poetry, scriptwriting or hybrid and new forms.
This PhD builds on your writing experience, which might be from an MA in Creative Writing, or from professional publication. By the end of the PhD you'll produce a creative work of publishable quality and complementary critical document.
You can choose to create a long form work or a sequence of related works for your creative document. In the critical document you'll present a structured argument showing your awareness of literary contexts and critical and creative processes.
Our researchers are writers who explore innovative forms of writing. We offer research specialisms across many modes and genres, such as: novels, ecopoetics, live performance, translation, transnational fiction, prose poetry, short stories and screenwriting.
You're welcome to explore traditional forms of prose, poetry or screenwriting, experiment with hybrid forms, or produce creative writing for performance. Whichever form you select, you'll be encouraged and challenged to think critically about your writing process and consider the wider literary context you're writing into.
- Share your writing at departmental events and connect with fellow writers.
- Discover the latest literary and writing trends at conferences and seminars held by research centres in our School of English, Drama and Creative Studies.
- Get support from our award-winning published authors on your creative project and develop your ability to critically reflect on your writing process.
- Join a city that loves literature and writing as much as you do – discover literature festivals, poetry festivals and Europe’s largest regional library in Birmingham city centre.
You can choose the mode of study that works for you - full-time, part-time, on-campus or by distance learning.
- There are no formal lectures or seminars in a PhD. Instead, you’ll undertake research under the expert guidance of a primary supervisor, co-supervisor and mentor, supported by complementary research training.
- Your supervisory team will meet with you at regular intervals throughout your programme to offer guidance on how best to approach, implement and report on your research.
- If you take the distance learning option, you’ll receive the same level of support and supervision as on-campus students, but with supervisory sessions taking place online. You'll be funded to make one compulsory visit to the University enabling you to meet your supervisory team, undertake intensive research skills training and make a start on your doctoral studies.
- You’re expected to take full responsibility for your work, developing your own timetable for your research project so you can successfully complete it on time.
Information for international students
If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification.
For this course we require IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band, which is equivalent to:
- TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 Listening, 22 Speaking and 21 in Writing
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
- Cambridge English: C1 Advanced - minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component
- LanguageCert ESOL SELT (UKVI): B2 'Communicator' with no less than 33 in each skill
Fees and funding
The College of Arts and Law is a vibrant community of students and academics, dedicated to ensuring that excellence is rewarded, and that fears about finance do not constrain current or prospective students. For this reason, in addition to University funding schemes, we offer our own College-specific funding initiatives.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- PhD
- full time36 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- Distance learningis available for this qualification
- part time72 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- Distance learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
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