Master of Creative Writing
PostgraduateMAQ-MCW-MAS2025
Elevate your writing to a professional level
Enrich your writing with academic perspectives. From print to digital, you’ll cover all the genres. Explore creative non-fiction and feature writing. Develop your manuscript. Edit. Revise. Give and receive feedback. Write with peers under expert guidance.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 20 July 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 1 year full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 8
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Master of Creative Writing
About this degree
On successful completion, students will be able to:
- Apply advanced skills in creative writing to research, write, and edit works of creative writing across a range of narrative and poetry-based genres.
- Develop digital and print-based editing, creative writing and production skills.
- Show an advanced capacity to read and analyse language, narrative and poetry, and other literary genres as creative writing practitioners.
- Demonstrate the capacity to think creatively, critically and imaginatively to research, evaluate and present complex ideas, concepts, problems and processes through creative writing.
- Identify, analyse and create written works that engage with relevant social, cultural, global and ethical issues.
- Have the capacity to work independently and autonomously as well as demonstrating skills in reciprocity, responsibility and collaboration within groups.
- Gain knowledge of and develop skill readiness for professional publication opportunities, and careers in the Arts and Communication industries.
The Master of Creative Writing is designed to extend and challenge emerging writers to hone their craft in a small community of writers. The focus is on developing your creativity and writing skills, and to provide expert training if you are aiming for professional publication. You are encouraged to experiment, hone your craft and to develop a technical vocabulary for critiquing your own work and the work of others. Specialist units in the degree engage with novel and short story writing, creative nonfiction (such as memoir, writing about place, personal essay), poetry, writing for young adults and manuscript development.
Recommended study pattern
Completion of 8 subjects
Essential subjects:
- ENGX8010 Creative Writing Sminar: Narrative Fundamentals
- ENGX8015 Writing Creative Non-Fiction - An Introduction
- ENGX8022 Short Form Writing - Short story, Novella, Poetry Cycle
- ENGX8075 Professional Contexts of Literary and Feature Writing
Award requirements
The Master of Creative Writing is a postgraduate coursework degree consisting of a minimum of 80 credit points.
Choose your subjects
Electives
Elective Subjects: (40 credit points)
Complete 4 subjects from the following options:
- ENGX8011 Word Essentials: Prose and Poetry
- ENGX8017 Writing the Past, Building New Worlds: Fiction and Non-Fiction
- ENGX8026 Developing the Novel or Novella
- ENGX8036 Manuscript Project
- ENGX8030 Digital Creative Writing
- ENGX8090 Research for Creative Writing
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Please note:
Once you have been admitted into your degree, you must enrol in at least one subject in the study term immediately following admission, and you must remain enrolled past the census date. If not, your admission will lapse and you will need to re-apply for the degree again. Deferment is not available for OUA students.
Visit Studying a degree through OUA for further information.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $24,560
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.
Learn more about Macquarie University.
Explore Macquarie courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 11
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 10
Entry requirements
- AQF level 8 bachelor honours or graduate diploma qualification in a related field or recognised equivalent, or
- Meet two of the following three criteria:
- AQF level 7 bachelor's qualification in a related field or recognised equivalent
- Approved work experience, professional certification or other recognised prior learning
- AQF level 7 bachelor's qualification or recognised equivalent with a WAM of 65
Related fields for prior qualifications
Creative Writing, Humanities, Arts, Literature, Languages, Cultural Studies, Media Studies, Communications, Journalism, Cultural Studies, Education, Librarianship, Creative Arts, History, Philosophy, Political and Social Sciences, Law
Relevant prior work experience, professional certification, or other recognised learning
Teaching (English, Humanities, Creative Arts, History), Editing/ Publishing Manager, Librarian, Published literary writing (fiction, creative non-fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, scripts, fiction or scripts for children or young adults)
The required standard of English for this program is:
Academic IELTS of 7 overall (with minimum 6.5 in each band) or equivalent.
All applicants to coursework programs at Macquarie University are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English.
For more information on accepted equivalents, please see English Language Requirements.
The Core zone is compulsory.
Career opportunities
Graduates in the Master of Creative Writing have the skills and knowledge to work in Arts industries as writers, editors and creative content producers; as technical, professional and creative writers; in publishing, marketing and publicity. Expertise in written composition and analysis also make the graduates employable in government and public service positions, and in industries which require high level communication skills not normally associated with written composition, such as the banking and financial sectors. Expertise in learning and teaching of creative writing and the analysis of contemporary literature enables graduates to work in primary and secondary school settings and libraries as heads of subject and mentors with advanced knowledge of their field.
Professional recognition
Units of study can contribute to primary and secondary teacher ongoing Professional Learning requirement.
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
| Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
| Authors, and Book and Script Editors | N/A^ | Down 8.5% |
| Bloggers, Critics, Sports and Other Writers | N/A^ | N/A^ |
| Copywriters | N/A^ | N/A^ |
| Journalists and Other Writers | $75K to $93K | Up 0.9% |
| Technical Writers | N/A^ | N/A^ |
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Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
How can I pay for my studies?
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
How does studying through Open Universities Australia work?
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
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Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Contact us to find out more.
When is my cut-off date for enrolment?
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to a student advisor and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.