Program Overview

The Master of Arts is ideal if you want to extend your skills and critical capacity in one of its discipline areas, add a new area of expertise to your repertoire, or if you are new to the arts and are looking for a career change.

The course is hands-on with a strong practical, industry and arts community focus, preparing you for a career in creative and professional practice. You will be taught by industry and academic experts who will pass on their insights and experience, and connect you to relevant industries and creative communities.

As part of this course you will undertake a major supervised creative project, which can become an important piece in your professional portfolio.

You will apply your practical skills and develop your networks by undertaking a professional placement with an industry organisation. You will also have an opportunity to engage with award-winning artists, writers and researchers through our on-campus residency programs.

Major: Creative Writing
This major will develop your practical skills and knowledge across a variety of writing styles, as well as range of emerging and experimental genres. You’ll learn through self reflection and working in groups; guided by expert teaching staff, many of whom are award-winning, published authors.

As you build your expertise in writing short fiction, long fiction, writing for performance, popular genre fiction and poetry, you will learn to shape your creative writing to meet publishing expectations and outcomes.

The Creative Writing Major encourages experimentation and creativity and stimulates critical awareness through discussion of relevant theory, and engagement with digital technologies. 

You will master writing skills and extend your creative and critical capacities by undertaking a project in your second year of study. You may also have an opportunity to practice these skills and develop your portfolio through internship with a professional organisation. 

The Creative Writing major is offered as part of the Master of Arts, a hands-on course with a strong practical and industry focus, to prepare you for a career in creative practice.

What you'll learn

• Understand the discipline of a selected field in the Arts, its theoretical underpinnings, ways of thinking and professional or creative approaches; understand and apply established knowledge, principles, and professional or creative practices in chosen aspects of the Arts
• Apply logical and rational processes to analyse the components of a subject or project and engage critically with the subject matter to respond creatively within a selected communication paradigm
• Determine what information is needed and where it might be found using appropriate technologies; make valid judgements and synthesise information from a range of sources and apply best practice in developing a professional or creative work in response to a particular situation
• Communicate appropriately with colleagues, professional and creative contacts and the general public and develop communication skills across one or more media forms appropriate to varying situations
• Assess the application of existing technologies as well as the impact of emerging technologies on a selected communication or media discipline to create an effective professional or creative work; develop the technology skills necessary for obtaining, assessing and representing relevant information. Decide on appropriate applications and systems for professional and/or creative needs
• Understand and apply a range of learning strategies; take responsibility for one's own learning and development; sustain intellectual curiosity and develop a commitment to professional research, publication or performance to engage with emerging forms of theory and practice in the Arts
• Think globally and consider issues from a variety of perspectives and apply relevant international standards, tools and practices to one’s professional or creative practice
• Acknowledge the interrelationship between local, national, and global perspectives and the impact of these the Arts: recognise individual human rights, and appreciate the importance of cultural diversity and the sensitivities which may be created when engaging with and representing issues pertaining to ethnic and community groups
• Demonstrate professional behaviour and standards and work collaboratively to apply them in all aspects of creative practice and production-related activities