Writing Genre Fiction MA



Our industry-informed teaching and one-to-one mentoring aims to help you establish or enhance a career in commercial genre writing.

Overview

This course is ideal for writers of commercial genre fiction who are looking to take their craft to the next level. 

If you already have talent and ideas, this online programme is designed to add the expertise you need to approach your chosen market with confidence, originality and skill.

During your studies you will focus on popular fiction genres enabling you to professionalise your practice as a writer; be it science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime, horror and historical fiction — you choose which to put at the heart of your learning journey.

In addition, our team of award-winning and bestselling authors will give you regular one-to-one creative and editorial mentoring sessions to support your development.

This MA is designed to be studied part-time over five trimesters. In the first, second and third trimester, you will study two modules each trimester. In the fourth and fifth trimester, you will undertake a single module: Major Project. This programme has a start date in January every year.

During the first trimester, the two modules you take (Creating Narrative, and Narrative Position) each have one live weekly online seminar, which will be timetabled for a time which aims to suit the whole cohort depending on geographical locations. There is also one module with a live weekly seminar in the second trimester (Writing Genre Fiction) and third trimester (Authorship), again timetabled for a mutually suitable time. For other modules (Creative Development, Editorial Development and Major Project), you will have occasional live events again the time of these will aim to suit the geographical locations of the cohort. Mutually convenient times for one-to-one meetings with your programme tutor will be arranged in advance.

Before applying for the programme please ensure you are have flexibility to attend the live online sessions which will most likely take place within the UK business day (9.00 – 5.00 p.m. UK time), allowing for relevant daylight savings hour changes at different points of the year. All other modules are taught one-to-one, with live online meetings arranged individually with your tutor at mutually convenient times within the UK business day (9:00am - 5:00pm UK time).

Mode of Study:

Online learning (Part-time)

Duration:

2 years

Meet your tutors

Introducing our Creative Writing tutors - David Bishop, Elizabeth Dearnley, Nicholas Binge and Noelle Harrison. Learn more about their backgrounds and their impressive careers in writing so far.

Course details

Uniquely, the course offers a dynamic and pioneering range of popular genre fiction specialisms. Students can pursue their passion for fantasy, crime, mysteries and thrillers, historical, romance, science fiction, horror and writing for young adults.

We host an exciting array of guest speakers each year, ranging from award-winning authors to high-profile industry experts. Recent visiting speakers have included authors Victoria (V.E.) Schwab, L.R. Lam, Sandra Ireland, comics creators Emma Beeby and Will Morris, agents Jenny Brown and Juliet Mushens, and editor Frankie Edwards.

Our approach to full-length narrative development enables you to deploy a range of unique and dynamic pre-writing techniques invented by our programme. This energetic combination of conceptual development and critical self-reflection aims to transform you into a technically adept, purposeful writer ready to make your mark.
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    How you’ll be taught

     This part-time course takes five trimesters to complete, spread across 20 months.

    It is structured to support you through your journey. You will learn by a variety of teaching methods including pre-recorded lectures accessed on demand via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), live online seminars and independent study. 
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    Assessments

     Throughout the course, there will be formative and summative assessments. The summative assessment for each module will be a portfolio of creative and critical written work.

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

What are the entry requirements for Writing Genre Fiction?

To apply you will need a Bachelor Degree with honours in any discipline or other qualifications/experience which demonstrate through our recognition of prior learning process that you have appropriate knowledge and skills in Writing Genre Fiction equivalent to SCQF level 10.

Can I get admission into Writing Genre Fiction based on my working experience in this sector?

This course has academic entry requirements which are assessed alongside relevant work experience. Full details of any relevant work experience, including references should be submitted with your application and may be considered for entry where the minimum academic entry requirements are below those required.

Usually, unrelated work experience is not considered sufficient for entry without meeting the minimum academic entry requirements. Please contact us with your specific circumstances by submitting an enquiry form above and we will be happy to discuss your options.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the Postgraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

As all learning, teaching and assessment activities are conducted in English, if your first language is not English you must have a minimum International English Language Testing System score of 7.0 with all four elements having a score of no less than 7.0.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
All Students 2023/24 2024/25
All students *£860 *£tba
Modules are purchased via our online store and paid for in full at time of enrollment. Rate shown above is for 20 credits*; as course comprises 180 credits, the total cost is currently £7,740.
Please note tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other Tuition Fee matters please see Frequently Asked Questions about Fees Click this link for Information of Bursaries and Scholarships


Please note:

The discount for Edinburgh Napier alumni can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount.

For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.

Please read our full T&C here

Careers

What can you do with the Writing Genre Fiction postgraduate degree?

 
The Writing Genre Fiction postgraduate program is designed for individuals seeking to establish or advance their careers as commercial genre fiction authors. It stands out as a unique programme in the UK and worldwide for its focus on a wide range of genres including crime, fantasy, horror, science fiction, historical and romance.

The programme emphasizes industry relevant learning approach. It provides graduates with knowledge and skills to navigate the evolving publishing landscape effectively. This knowledge is invaluable for those aiming to succeed in the publishing industry.

Furthermore, the program provides expertise for self-publishing, enabling students to bring their creative works to the market independently. Graduates also have the option to pursue a PhD in Creative Writing, contributing to the genre fiction and creative writing field.

What kinds of careers can you explore as a writer?

 
The world of writing offers diverse opportunities that can cater to a wide range of interests and talents. Writers can often transition between different roles throughout their careers, leveraging their writing skills in various contexts. As a writer, you can explore a wide range of careers and opportunities across various fields. Some potential career options for writers include:
  • Writer of commercial genre fiction
  • Screenwriter and adaptation
  • Playwriting and game writing
  • Teacher of Creative Writing
  • Editor
  • Proofreader
  • Book coach or mentor
  • Working in the publishing industry
  • Work in literary arts community
  • Arts administration
  • Copywriting
  • Brand storytelling
  • Journalism