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Wits University Faculty of Humanities
Creative Writing Improve your creative writing and learn to critically analyse your own work.
Creative Writing Improve your creative writing and learn to critically analyse your own work.

Qualification: MA 

Faculty: Humanities

Duration: 2 years

School: Literature, Language and Media

Study mode: Part-time

Overview

The dissertation will comprise a literary work (a novel, a collection of short stories, a collection of creative non-fiction, a collection of poetry, or a dramatic work) and a research/reflective essay that examines the process of the work’s composition in relation to contemporary theoretical and philosophical debates on the genre of the work and the themes and concerns it addresses. The qualification is awarded on the basis of the quality of the creative work and the research/reflective essay.

Candidates will be assigned to a supervisor by the course coordinator and will be required to attend a fortnightly writing seminar.

  • Candidates will write a creative literary work ( a novel, a collection of short stories, a collection of creative non-fiction, a collection of poetry, or a dramatic work) and a reflective essay.
  • All candidates are expected to complete their projects, on a part-time basis, over a two-year period.
  • Candidates will be required to attend the fortnightly seminars/workshops, complete a proposal by the end of April of the first year, and show significant progress on their creative project by the end of the second semester of the first year.

 

An Honours degree in literary studies, journalism or drama is a prerequisite for entry into the MA in Creative Writing. Occasionally a candidate without such a degree may, at the discretion of the course coordinator, be admitted to the MA on the basis of their submitted portfolio or an extensive publishing history.
Candidates may be called for an interview as part of the application process.

Application

STEP ONE: submit, to the course convenor, Professor Bronwyn Law-Viljoen,
bronwyn.lawviljoen@wits.ac.za:

• A full curriculum vitae
• A covering letter that includes a brief explanation of your reading and writing interests; details of your publishing history; a brief sketch of the project you would like to explore should you be accepted to the course; your personal challenges or obstacles to writing; any awards or accolades that you have received for your writing.
• A portfolio of writing comprising at least fifty pages (1.5 spacing) of prose (fiction or non-fiction), or, only if the student intends to write a play for the MA, a play manuscript, or, only if the student intends to write a poetry manuscript, a selection of at least twenty-five poems. Academic papers, journalism and press releases will not be accepted as part of the portfolio.
• The deadline for submission of portfolios is 15 September.

STEP TWO (to be undertaken at the same time as STEP ONE)

• Submit an online application for the MA BY RESEARCH in the FIELD OF CREATIVE WRITING to the University at www.wits.ac.za/applications


NB: DO NOT APPLY FOR THE MA BY COURSEWORK AND RESEARCH REPORT – THIS IS THE INCORRECT DEGREE.

• Check the deadlines for submission with the University Enrolment Office. If you are accepted into the programme, then your online application will also be accepted.


• All South African and international postgraduate applicants to the University are required to pay an application fee of R200.

• International students are required by the University to submit SAQA and IELTS English Proficiency certificates with their application to the University.

 

 

 

Check with Department.
  • Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
  • Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.