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1. Admissions/ Management Information
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Title of the programme – including any lower awards
Please provide the titles used for all awards relating to this programme. Note: all programmes are required to have at least a Postgraduate Certificate exit award.

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Postgraduate Diploma Postgraduate Diploma in Creative WritingPlease indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Both
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Postgraduate Certificate
Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Writing
Please indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
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Level of qualificationLevel 7
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This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:2021
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Awarding institutionTeaching institution
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University of York University of York
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Department(s):
Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department		Board of Studies
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Lead Department Lifelong Learning
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Other contributing Departments:
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Route code
(existing programmes only)		PDCLLSCRW1
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Admissions criteria
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Normally students will be expected to hold a Bachelor’s Degree in a related subject area (such as English). CLL will also favourably consider any student previously awarded a BA/BSc in any subject, and with evidence of recent HE level creative writing study.

As a Centre based upon the cornerstone of open access, CLL will also seek to ensure that those without the qualifications highlighted above, but with the obvious ability to succeed, have the opportunity to engage.

In such instances, a portfolio of recent creative/imaginative writing and/or the presentation of a critical literary essay may be requested and considered by the admissions panel; CLL reserves the right to ask any student for such a portfolio to support their application.

Any student may be called to interview.

Students must have an IELTS score of 7.0 where appropriate.
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Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
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ProgrammeLength (years/ months) Status (full-time/ part-time)
Please select		Start dates/months
(if applicable – for programmes that have multiple intakes or start dates that differ from the usual academic year)		Mode
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Face-to-face, campus-basedDistance learningOther
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Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing2Part-timeSeptemberPlease select Y/NNoPlease select Y/NYes
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Language(s) of study
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English
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Language(s) of assessment
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English
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2. Programme accreditation by Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)
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2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
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Please Select Y/N: Noif No move to section 3
if Yes complete the following questions
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3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
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Are there any additional requirements of accrediting bodies or PSRB or pre-requisite professional experience needed to study this programme?
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Please Select Y/N: Noif Yes, provide details
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4.a. Please name the programme leader for the year to which the programme design applies and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
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Iain Barr
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5. Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
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5.a. Statement of purpose for applicants to the Masters programme
Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective masters student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
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This two year part-time postgraduate diploma in creative writing is designed to assist you in building up your creative and critical skills. Unlike many other postgraduate writing programmes it adopts a comprehensive approach to the discipline, incorporating the study and practical application of its major forms: long fiction, short fiction, poetry and scriptwriting (for radio, television, film and theatre), alongside the lively examination of contemporary and classic writers. You will study online with the addition of bi-annual, optional, Writers’ Weekends. At these weekends your online relationships will be reinforced, real-time writing tasks will be jointly experienced and engagement with practising writers, publishers and directors enjoyed. In addition, opportunities to build on your performance skills are offered. Overall, your personal writing, combined with exposure to critical and established creative works, will form the bedrock of best practice. Technical mastery and the nurturing of creative innovation will fuse to develop your confidence as you learn the art of solid craftsmanship. Group interaction through guided peer-led critiques, the writing and sharing of blogs, and of group-based research projects sets an atmosphere of stimulating intellectual challenge. Self-reflection is a strong feature and you will learn to assess your own creative and critical growth within an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. Throughout the programme, publishing, performance and writing opportunities are regularly made known in order to fortify your ongoing awareness of and involvement in the literary arena. Through this cognisance you will be better placed to seek publication and possible employment in the creative industries. Further, you will be familiar with the expectation of the writer as marketeer, confident orator and self-promoter in today’s publishing climate and thus be more prepared to meet its demands.
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5.b.ii. Programme Learning Outcomes - Postgraduate Diploma
Please provide four to six statements outlining what a graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma programme will be able to do.
Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
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PLOOn successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
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1Write convincingly in an array of literary forms, with a comprehensive knowledge of the techniques and conventions involved in their production.
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2Communicate effectively to present a complex argument or a creative conceit.
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3Apply scholarly and creative techniques to their own critical and creative writings.
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4Critically reflect upon peer feedback and its appropriateness to the development of their own practice, and manage the process of moving inspirational ideas from initial concepts to literary realisation.
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5Articulate an understanding of critical traditions in shaping literary history, and the linguistic, literary, cultural and socio-historical contexts in which literature is written and read.
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6Interrogate and make incisive assessments of concepts and theories concerned with the practice of creative and critical writing.
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5.c. Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes
Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
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i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
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Students arrive on the programme with varying degrees of experience in creative and critical writing; published writers find themselves sitting alongside those with limited experience. An unusual feature of the programme is that it leads to the study and writing of the main literary forms: Long fiction, short fiction, poetry and scriptwriting for radio, stage and screen. This instantly propels writers into areas that are often unfamiliar, thus challenging their preconceptions and stretching their understanding and abilities. The consequence of this is a lively and experimental extension of their writing experience. Alongside this is the focus on critical writing which engages students in analysis and the skills of literary critique which sets the challenge of acquiring appropriate language for informed, constructive, useful comment. The PLOs relevant here are 1) 2) and 4).
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ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive anand advantageous to the student
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Distinctive aspects of the programme are: its inclusion of the main literary forms as opposed to the study of a solitary area, the emphasis on both creative and academic progression, the requirement for self-reflective learning (through the regular keeping and occasional sharing of two logs: a 'Writer's Diary' and a 'Thoughts on Theory' record), the bi-annual Writers' Weekends where students meet and learn from established writers and publishers, the use of shared blogs for online group research projects and the opportunity to share writing via low key performances. Each of these elements combine to build a sense of the writer as thinker, visionary, activist, philosopher and dramatic artist. In addition, because the programme is offered by CLL it attracts a wide range of learners from those in their twenties to those in their seventies with an eclectic mix of experiences, nationalities and a good mix of genders The PLOs relevant here are: 1) 2) 3) 5) and 6).
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iii) ... how the design of the programme enables students from diverse entry routes to transition successfully into the programme? For example, how does the organisation of the programme ensure solid foundations in disciplinary knowledge and understanding of conventions, language skills, mathematics and statistics skills, writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity
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The programme is designed in full recognition that entrants are from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and, in addition, are likely to have more knowledge and craftsmanship in one literary discipline than another. So it is, for example, that a published poet is a novice scriptwriter, or that a consummate novelist has never attempted to read nor write a poem. This being so, the importance of knowledge sharing is held in high regard and influences the ways in which certain curriculum areas are introduced, scrutinised and utilised. Positive peer sharing is paramount in the tone of the sessions wherein the tools for challenge, and encouragement are acquired and practised. Due to this diversification, the programme sets out to bring all students into a place where they participate fully, and with growing expertise, in each literary form regardless of their previous experiences. This is achieved through the completion of writing exercises, research tasks being completed, (often in groups, thereby necessitating that students collaborate with one another), with readings/viewings/audio recordings being interrogated, and (guided) responses shared. The individual student is regarded with sensitivity and nurtured as they experiment creatively and become accustomed to the discomforting process of normalising the emotional risk-taking that writing creatively necessitates. Opening oneself up to criticism of one's creative writing is a bold thing, and trust in the process is paramount. The forming of solid, enduring relationships between pedagogues and learners is, therefore, intrinsic to the success of the programme and, being online, this is especially delicate and liable to fracture. To guard against this, routes are made available from the outset between tutor and student wherein pastoral care combines with academic and creative support. The avenues for this are built into the programme's design via a Personal Journal and accessibility to the tutor via email Regular group announcements (at least three a week) ensure that students feel supported at all times. Each blog entry from every set task is responded to individually by the tutor with constructive feedback, and The Virtual Cafe offers a place for students to meet, discuss and share interests and observations. PLOs 2) 3) 4) and 6) are relevant in this section.
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iv) ... how the programme is designed to enable students to progress successfully - in a limited time frame - through to the end of the award? For example, the development of higher level research skills; enabling students to complete an independent study module; developing competence and confidence in practical skills/ professional skills. See QAA masters characteristics document http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
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All students enter the programme as writers. They either possess a first degree (or higher) in English, and/or they are practising writers who have been building up the skills of their craft for many years.Some will be published by recognised publishers, others self published and others not at all. They wish to improve their practice and to be in the company of those who share their goals. They have a range of different writing and reading experiences and hold varied aspirations, motivations, learning needs and, of course, personal circumstances. The programme systematically allows progress through the six modules to offer in-depth and advanced knowledge and understanding of creative writing, informed by current practice, scholarship and research. This takes its shape by leading students, from the point at which they begin, to develop a critical awareness of current issues and developments in the literary world, and in learning to view themselves as disciplined professionals. Skills to assist in this include the stretching of creativity through: writing to task, to deadline, to wordcount and to subject, and, in the ability to be selective in which literary techniques most suit a particular piece of imaginative work. Critical faculties that push the level of learning up revolve around knowledge of professional responsibility, integrity and ethics; and the ability to reflect on their own progress a learners. Research projects are set that demand high levels of scholarship and academic performance.These cause students to interrogate relevant subjects against the background of critical literary traditions. Each module assesses both creative and critical development through assessments that embrace both areas of cognitive enhancement. By the last module of the programme students are behaving more like professional writers; they know what the markers of good writing are within each of the forms studied, they have internalised the notion that the only hope of pinpointing exact reasons for the success of a piece, (or not), is through an intuitive, emotional response yoked with careful, perceptive scrutiny, and they have owned the language that accompanies literary critique, discussion and review. PLOs 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) are relevant in this section.
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v) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will develop students’ digital literacy skills and how technology-enhanced learning will be used to support active student learning through peer/tutor interaction, collaboration and formative (self) assessment opportunities (reference could be made to such as blogging, flipped classrooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
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With the exception of the bi-annual Writers' Weekends, the entire programme is delivered online. Therefore, after some inevitable initial induction hurdles, students quickly acquire the required skills to negotiate the VLE site as necessary. The modules are designed to excite, lure, engage and inspire them. This is achieved visually, sonically, and through digital interaction. For example, through the use of colourful, creative images linked in some way to the work underway in any given week. Abstract art, classical art, images of nature, architecture, weather, of writers and thinkers, of beasts and of humanity, all these feature and more. These are deliberately selected and placed to incite interest. Videos of interviews with writers, with actors, podcasts of poets living or dead, films of literary readings and contemporary poetry performances; these are woven into the structure of sessions and require students to not only access them, but to alert the support team when these links break. On the critical thinking side, there are interactive quizzes on set literary /critical texts and tests on cognitive responses and comprehension. Straddling critical and creative are lectures, Ted Talks from practising writers and theorists. Digitaltheatreplus.com presents writers with stageplay scripts, which having been studied, can be brought to life via qualitative filmed stage plays (often the RSC or The National Theatre). Similarly, sonic links are supplied for radio drama. For radio, television and the cinema, use is made of the richly equipped BBC Writers Room http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/ which offers a diverse store of material, and where students are offered routes to view/listen to scripts and to their accompanying productions. The recent acquisition of Box of Broadcasts by the university will enhance these opportunities. Each week, set writing tasks entail at least three blogs where students upload their responses (all which are checked and commented on by the tutor), and then blog to comment on each other's responses. Wikis are also used. Currently, summative assessment can only be in the form of the written word, since it is predominantly a writing course, however students are offered the chance to create acted-out videos or pods of their scripts if they wish to, in order to bring them to life. Whilst this does not affect their grades it certainly provides those who have taken advantage of the suggestion a more rounded understanding of how a script goes from page to stage (or radio, or screen). Student led publishing opportunities and literary events are provided and shared via links put up in the Virtual Cafe, as are literary news items worthy of interest. The students also follow CLLs 'Wednesday Wisdom' which is blogged each week by the programme leader and made available via CLL's Twitter and Facebook pages. The purchase of the online creative and critical writing journal 'New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing' is made available to the students who are guided to read and review the articles. As far as possible texts are digitised or offered as e-books to the students although the programme is a very long way off from providing these in their entirety. PLOs 3) 4) 5) 6) are relevant in this section.
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vi) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)?
The programme's employability objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
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Like any artist, or indeed any practitioner in any discipline, writers need time to develop their craft. This is apparent when an overall view of any cohort is taken which will reveal students at various stages of their writing life. The optimum outcome for a programme such as this is the offering to the student a contract, or acceptance of their work ,for publication. This would be: a publishing deal for a novelist, acceptance of poetry for a poet, the publishing of a short story for the short story writer, and, for the scriptwriter, the broadcasting of a radio drama, the staging of a theatre play, the screening of a TV script or the production of a film. Since the current programme does not extend to MA level (where projects such as these, having been started, might come to a place of semi-completion) this is unlikely. But it is not impossible. By the end of it the programme has certainly offered enough gritty content for students to become professional writers (if they have the talent and the tenacity). In today's world they would need to be professional writers who write, engage in marketing, know how it feels to read/perform and interact with a live audience and have some of the required skills to go into educational establishments and interact with children, adolescents, students and the public at large. Very few writers exist solely by their writing currently. Writing then, is a career possibility. Therefore sections of the programme deal with editing, marketing, publishing and self-promotion. Visiting publishers attend the Writers' Weekends to enable students to learn about the process directly, and all visiting writers give a talk about their route to literary recognition. Transferable skills from the programme can be used to utilise a writer's ability to communicate effectively and succinctly, to hit the appropriate audience, to have a heightened sense of the importance of the 'artistic eye', and to exploit their sensitivity to image, allusion and inference.In addition, the use of appropriate tone, pace and style add to the set of skills that may be considered transferable. The following areas of employment are common for those with degrees in Creative Writing:advertising copywriter, arts administrator, creative director, digital copywriter, editorial assistant, editor, proofreader, lexicographer, magazine journalist, newspaper journalist, professional blogger, web content editor, in SEO (Search Engine Optimism), social media specialist, literary criticism, artistic reviewer and creative writing teacher. PLOs 1) 2) 3) 6) are relevant in this section.
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viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
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Despite the fact that CLL is unrecognised as a research department, it is impossible to design and deliver the Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing without intensive research having taken place. Furthermore, in order to keep the programme fresh, relevant, edgy, contemporary, academically rigorous and alert to the best literary influences, research is, and has to be, ongoing.
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5.d. Progression
For masters programmes where students do not incrementally 'progress' on the completion of a discrete Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma, please summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of the PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of the set of modules or part thereof. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules and in circumstances where students registered on a higher award will exit early with a lower one.

Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each masters PLO, but this can be done if preferred.
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On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate students will be able to:
If the PG Cert is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the diploma/masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
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The programme is designed to allow students to build up understanding and expertise in the discipline of creative writing through carefully structured, multi-layered, consecutive modules. A student exiting after the first year, will, after successful completion, be eligible for the Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Writing. By this point, three modules will have been studied. They are listed here with a brief resume of the relevant skills that the student will be expected to have acquired: Creative Practice: Creativity, Theory and the Craft of Writing: Being the introductory module, students will have been led into developing the ability to: Navigate the VLE and be familar with Blackboard. Be accustomed to posting in the blogs and responding to others. Be independent learners. Engage in set reading tasks and formulate authentic opinions and discuss these within a group setting. Established the habit of journalling (a reflective Writer's Diary and a Thoughts on Theory record). Begun to experience the conventions, language and etiquette of peer critique. Know how to read poetry, fiction and scripts and have experience of writing them. Have skills that enable them to steer their way usefully through engagement with literary theory. Research on a given task and produce a scholarly report. Have learned the discomfort of sharing writing and be acquainted with the emotional risk-taking it necessitates.Fully participate in tutor guided peer critique via the Critiquing Workshops. Write a critically analytical reflective essay.Critical Approaches: Methodology, Research and Literature: Read, consider and evaluate class and contemporary literary texts. View or listen to dramatic productions. Exercise their developing analytical skills to identify key elements in each area mentioned. Formulate a considered academic, succinct and well-evidenced argument. Recognise what elements combine to create abiding literature. Use the language of critical literary analysis. Research purposefully and effectively. Have a broad grasp on literary schools of thought. Work in collaboration with a small group of peers to produce a team report following research. Have understanding of the literary timeline. Write a solid critical essay. Compressed Fiction: The Art of the Short Story: Focus here is on a deeper study of the short story following its introduction in the earlier modules. Read, give emotional response to and critically discuss a range of material from classic to contemporary from a range of genres. Recognise the elements of good story writing. Be familiar with the range of length of short fiction (one sentence/ twitterature / dribble / drabble / smoke-long / sudden /flash / short-short etc.).Understand the concept of minimalism and write imaginatively within it. Determine and quantify the components of a range of technical elements and be proficient in their utilization. Namely: Character, Dialogue, Perspective, Plotting, Description, Setting, Pace, Tone, Voice and Theme. By the close of this first year students will be proficient in the practice of creative writing in the area of the short story and had some practice of writing imaginatively in all other forms. They will be competent in writing critically and fully conversant with the historical, social and cultural influences of literary history in the areas so far considered. Be familiar with resources promoting the short story; websites, organisations, publishing houses, printed/ digital outlets, regular competitions etc. Having grown in expertise, creativity and knowledge they will possess greater confidence and be affirmed as writers. They will know the processes of drafting, redrafting and editing and hold that knowledge to perfect the stories written on the module.
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On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma students will be able to:
If the PG Diploma is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
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Augmenting the modules completed in the first year come the final three. These revisit aspects studied (as per the pedagogy of Jerome Bruner’s ‘spiral learning’) . Professional habits will become deeper rooted in the areas of journalling, self-reflection, wide reading, viewing and listening, disciplined writing sessions, peer critique and critical analysis. As in Module 3 where a more in-depth investigation of the short story was taken, so is the parallel approach in the remaining modules. The modules, accompanied with a brief description of the skills the student will have acquired upon completion of each are as follows: Poetic Power: Theory and Practice in Contemporary Poetry. Where to access a diverse range of poetry and poetic experiences ranging from: digital and printed magazines, poetry collections, organisations, respected websites, poetry/literature festivals. ( i.e. The Poetry Library: http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/, Poetry Out Loud http://www.poetryoutloud.org/ The Bridlington Poetry Festival http://www.litup.org.uk/bridlington-poetry-festival/ Poetry Society https://poetrysociety.org.uk/. )That contemporary poetry ranges widely from the poem on the page to the loud, competitive commotion of the poetry slam. That poets range in style from Andrew Motion to Kate Tempest. An historical overview of poetry. The difference between free verse and form in poetry. Experience of Ekphrasis. An understanding, and the practical application of, poetic devices, for example: metre, rhythm, rhyme, pace, imagery, allusion, themes, voice, context, structure, subject etc. The ability to critique poetry effectively and with confidence. Employ skills of engaging in close, comparative study of individual poems and/ or of poetry collections such as is offered on the module; Colette Bryce, Carol Ann Duffy, Seamus Heaney, Helen Mort and Matthew Sweeney. Know how to develop the collection of poetry they written to better effect.Sustained Fiction: The Novel as Narrative: The novel is examined in this module. An historical view leading up to the present time is taken alongside the writing practice and critique opportunities of all the above modules. Specifically, students will have the skills to: closely read and critically analyse novels (from having studied, for example F. Scott Fitzgerald, Donna Tartt and Emma Healey). Know what elements combine to create good quality fiction. Be knowledgeable regarding theorists. Examine and practically apply skills regarding plot, narration and structure and all other elements of fiction writing as experienced throughout the programme. Be able to write a professional synopsis. Have drafted out a plan for a novel. Have begun a novel, an extract of which are offered for assessment alongside a critical essay. Have been led to consider ways to publish or market their work (in all forms) after it has reached completion. Be aware of pathways toward publication. The final module Dramaturgy, Sound and Screen examines the area of scriptwriting for TV, stage, cinema and radio. As with all former modules there is a mix of exposure to a range of productions, attention to influential thinkers in the field, the writing of critical reviews and the compilation of a range of scripts. Skills specifically obtained are: A general comprehension of the history of drama. How to access and read a script. What a premise is and how to write one. How to write a synopsis. How to correctly format a professional script in each of the above dramatic spheres. What motivates a character. Why conflict is important. How to use dialogue, sound effects, visual effects, stage directions, character directions, sluglines etc. The importance of structure. How to look for meaning in visual/aural dramatic representations and create it. What specifically to look for in a production. Experience of Miller’s The Crucible, Buffini’s Jane Eyre, Wainwright’s Last Tango in Halifax and Harry Venning’s Clare in the Community. A grasp of the role of the playwright, director and actors. Cognisance of influential theorists and dramatists. To write a script in any of the mediums outlined. To write a critical essay.
On completion of the entire programme each student will be in possession of a portfolio of ‘works-in- progress’ for further development. Those polished to their current best would be those that have been used for assessment. They will comprise: short stories, a collection of poetry, a novel outline and extract, and a script synopsis and script. In addition there will be other examples from these forms written throughout the two years. Complementing these will be a range of critical reviews spanning all the forms and a set of critical, scholarly, academic essays.
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6. Reference points and programme regulations
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6.a. Relevant Quality Assurance Agency benchmark statement(s) and other relevant external reference points
Please state relevant reference points consulted (e.g. Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, National Occupational Standards, Subject Benchmark Statements or the requirements of PSRBs): See also Taught Postgraduate Modular Scheme: Framework for Programme Design:
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The discipline of creative writing secured undergraduate benchmarking by QAA subject statement in February 2016. http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=3050#.WWybA_nyvI. CLL has therefore drawn and amended the following learning outcomes from it whilst also taking into accounts suggestions from the National Association of Writers who have sought to establish a collection of shared anticipated outcomes for any student engaged in creative writing study (http://www.nawe.co.uk/writing-in-education/writing-at-university/research.html).
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6.b. University award regulations
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The University’s award and assessment regulations apply to all programmes: any exceptions that relate to this programme are approved by University Teaching Committee and are recorded at the end of this document.
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7. Programme Structure
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7.a. Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map
Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If the structure of your programme does not fit the usual academic year (for instance students start at the beginning of September or in January) please contact your Academic Quality Team contact in the Academic Support Office for guidance on how to represent the structure in an alternative format.

To clearly present the overall programme structure, include the name and details of each individual CORE module in the rows below. For OPTION modules, ‘Option module’ or 'Option from list x' should be used in place of specifically including all named options. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists by term of delivery or subject theme these lists should be provided in the next section (7.b).

From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of teaching delivery for the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA'). It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets).

Summative assessment by exams should normally be scheduled in the spring week 1 and summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7). Where the summer CAP is used, a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place. (NB: An additional resit assessment week is provided in week 10 of the summer term for postgraduate students. See Guide to Assessment, 5.4.a)
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Part time structures
Please indicate the modules undertaken in each year of the part-time version of the programme. Please use the text box below should any further explanation be required regarding structure of part-time study routes.
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Year 1 (if you offer the programme part-time over either 2 or 3 years, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term Summer Vacation
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CodeTitle12345678910123456789101234567891012345678910111213
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20CED00005MEffective Creative Practice: Creativity, Theory and the Craft of WritingSEA
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20CED00001MCritical Approaches to Creative Practice: Methodology, Research and LiteratureSEA
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20CED00002MCompressed Fiction: The Art of the Short StorySEA
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Please indicate when the Progression Board and Final Exam board will be held and when any reassessments will be submitted.
NB: You are required to provide at least three weeks notice to students of the need for them to resubmit any required assessments, in accordance with the Guide to Assessment section 4.9
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Progression BoardLate August 2019
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ReassessmentImmediately following module failure
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Exam BoardLate August 2019
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Year 2
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term Summer Vacation
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CodeTitle12345678910123456789101234567891012345678910111213
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20CED00004MPoetic Power: Theory and Practice in Contemporary PoetrySEA
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20CED00006MSustained Fiction: The Novel as Narrative SEA
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20CED00003MDramaturgy, Sound and Screen: Scripting for Theatre, Radio, Film and TelevisionSEA
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Please indicate when the Progression Board and Final Exam board will be held and when any reassessments will be submitted.
NB: You are required to provide at least three weeks notice to students of the need for them to resubmit any required assessments, in accordance with the Guide to Assessment section 4.9
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Progression BoardLate August
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ReassessmentImmediately following module failure
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Exam BoardLate August
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Year 3
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7.b. Optional module lists

If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
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Option List AOption List BOption List COption List D
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7.c. Explanation of the programme and assessment design
The statements should be in a form that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). It should make clear to students why they are doing the key activities of the programme, in terms of reaching the PLOs.
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i) Students’ independent study and formative work Please outline how independent study and student work has been designed to support the progressive achievement of the programme learning outcomes (for example, the use of online resources which incorporate formative feedback; opportunities for further learning from work-based placements).
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Throughout the programme, and in every module, ample opportunities are built in to the design to promote a culture of independent study, reflective learning and formative work. These operate in unison to foster an atmosphere of engagement, support and the boosting of academic vigour. Examples of these throughout the modules are as follows. In Module 1 (Creative Practice), in the first week, a section entitled How to Engage with a link to a paper; How to be an Active Learner outlines very clearly how students can achieve the best from their studies by creating a strong online presence. Conventions, etiquette, support channels are all clearly outlined here. In that same week students attempt their first creating writing exercise that’s shared for comment. They are also instructed to complete their first Writer’s Diary (Reflective Journal) entry. This habit leads students to take possession of their own learning by focussing in on areas that interest and/or discomfort them. Critiquing workshops are evidence of the need for students to learn the language and characteristics of effective critique. Full engagement in these, where critiques are given and received, enable writers to engage in writerly, academic behaviour. Module 2 (Critical Practice) takes the idea of independent research, already by now a feature of the programme, and develops it into the discipline of small group projects. A variety of routes to support students in this are offered; blogs, wikis, email exchanges and the café. This activity occurs twice in the module; once with regard to research into literary movements, and once when the novel under scrutiny is given very close study. This results in the cementing of relationships and the necessary co-operation of all participants in a group. Modules 3 (Short Story), 4 (Poetry), 5 (Novel) and 6, (Scripts) employ a similar approach. Students research and bring a literary piece within the form, this is critically reviewed and discussed, sometimes formally responded to via a critical or journalistic review. They are made aware of the conventions of each area via lectures, podcasts, readings, videos, interviews, talks etc. and led to form appropriate, coherent, authoritative responses to them. Because of the need for ongoing encouragement and support, every blog entry is read and commented on by the tutor, usually individually, (in sight of all the students to enable shared learning), and sometimes collectively. Feedback on creative writing is tailored and specific and, again, visible to all. Formative assessments are used to pin down students’ critiquing ability by giving specific students the task of offering a 500 word formal critique on a named student’s creative writing piece. This critique is structured to evidence a growing appreciation of what literary devices are present, which might be lacking and how comprehensive the piece is overall. As the programme progresses, critiquing, editing and redrafting skills become increasingly sophisticated as students internalise the requirements of a professional writer.
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ii) Contact with staff
Please explain how the programme’s design maximises the value of students’ contact time with staff (which may be face-to-face, virtual, synchronous or asynchronous), including through the use of technology-enhanced learning. For example, giving students resources for their independent study which then enables a class to be more interactive with a greater impact on learning.
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Contact time with students is ongoing. The release of the weekly online session is enabled with an announcement to the cohort by the tutor of any specific relevant points. The tutor offers private consultation with each student via the Personal Journal, or via email and responds as quickly as possible to initiated contact but always within 48 hours. Being online, it is especially important that the tutor is able to compensate for the lack of physical clues as to students' progress and is alert to picking up on these to resolve potential areas of difficulty. Resources are supplied, or are cited, to enable students to be interactive, especially in group projects, as mentioned above, and with regard to the development of creative pieces. The Virtual Cafe is a place where the tutor occasionally ventures but the goal here is to encourage students to use it as a place to interact with one another. The bi-annual Writers' Weekends serve to cement knowledge of, and trust in, the tutor as well as to bond the group overall. Pastoral care is undertaken by the tutor but in the event of an outside person being necessary (i.e for a period of study leave) the programme is allocated a lecturer from outside of the programme to act as and when required.
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iii) Summative Assessment
Please outline how summative assessment within and across modules has been designed to support and evidence the progressive achievement of the programme learning outcomes. (For example, the use of different assessment methods at the ‘introduction’ stage compared to those used to evaluate deeper learning through the application of skills and knowledge later in the programme).