Overview

Choose this master's in poetry to receive expert tuition from nationally and internationally renowned poets. They'll help develop your poetry-writing and reflective abilities through reading, discussion and revision. You'll progress to receive formal recognition for your work.

You can choose to study either in Newcastle or London. All classes are in the evening if studying at Newcastle and during the day in London. Newcastle University leads the North East cohort. The London course is run in collaboration with The Poetry School.

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course during COVID-19

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption.
Given the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commitments outlined are subject to guidelines that may be in place from time to time.

View our COVID-19 Study page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2021-22.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information

What you'll learn

By the end of this master's in poetry you'll have:

• advanced awareness of the processes of writing in your own work and that of others
• advanced your creative ability through practice, reading, discussion and revision
• learned new ways to generate work, and refine it through the development of enhanced revision skills
• a range of knowledge on the writing of poetry in English
• enhanced sensitivity to verbal creativity
• an advanced ability to understand and judge the timing and duration of creative projects
• the ability to revise and prepare poetry for submission and publication
• knowledge of the professional world of writing and publishing

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Course content changes

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

Writing Poetry (Newcastle) modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
MA Writing Poetry: Portfolio	60

Optional Modules	Credits
MA Writing Poetry: Workshop 1 NU	20
MA Writing Poetry: Summer School 1	20
MA Writing Poetry: Annual Submission 1	20
MA Writing Poetry: Workshop 2 NU	20
MA Writing Poetry: Summer School 2	20
MA Writing Poetry: Annual Submission 2	20
MA Writing Poetry: Masterclass 2 NU	20
Craft: Poetry	20

Writing Poetry (London Poetry School) modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
MA Writing Poetry: Portfolio	60

Optional Modules	Credits
MA Writing Poetry: Summer School 1	20
MA Writing Poetry: Annual Submission 1	20
MA Writing Poetry: Summer School 2	20
MA Writing Poetry: Annual Submission 2	20
Pattern, and Workshop 2	20
The Line, and Workshop 1	20
Metaphor, and Workshop 4	20
Voice, and Workshop 3	20

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

Delivery

This course is typically delivered through workshops and masterclasses. Workshops focus on:

• reading
• discussion
• revision of your own work

Masterclasses focus on:

• the generation of new work and new understanding, often through responses to published contemporary poetry
• place
• archives
• un-poetic texts
• translation
• the visual arts

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Portfolio

Student support

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• courses
• groups
• notifications
• messages

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• peers
• academics
• our University Student Services Team

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Our staff

This master's in poetry is rooted in the experience and expertise of our award-winning tutors:

• Glyn Maxwell (London)
• Tamar Yoseloff (London)
• Jacob Polley (Newcastle, Degree Programme Director)
• W N Herbert (Newcastle)
• Sinéad Morrissey (Newcastle)
• Tara Bergin (Newcastle)

Your future

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

Newcastle

The School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics is a lively and diverse community with over 700 undergraduates and 200 postgraduates. We are based in the Percy Building. Our purpose-built postgraduate suite includes:

• several dedicated computer clusters
• meeting rooms
• a kitchen and lounge area

Our award-winning Phillip Robinson Library has an extensive audio-visual collection.

The Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts (NCLA) is a world-class centre of excellence in the field of creative writing which contributes to the cultural life of the North East via:

• readings
• projects
• teaching
• research

The NCLA offers you the opportunity to get involved in our writing community through readings and events that feature:

• poets
• scriptwriters
• non-fiction writers
• novelists

Past speakers include:

• Paul Muldoon
• Claudia Rankine
• Carol Ann Duffy
• Carolyn Forché
• Jorie Graham
• Alice Oswald

These readings and events may be subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

London

You'll study at the Poetry School in Canada Water. The National Poetry Library British libraries and London's central cultural hubs are nearby. The Poetry School has a small but growing library.

You'll have the opportunity to enrich your practice through The Poetry School's many collaborations. The Poetry School is embedded in the poetry world with links to other poetry and arts organisations. You'll be situated at the centre of a thriving poetry community.

A large and varied short course programme runs alongside the MA. You can choose to access these courses for a supplementary fee.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2022 entry (per year)

Tuition fee increases

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Some of our degrees involve additional costs which are not covered by your tuition fees.

Find out more about:

• additional costs
• living costs
• tuition fees, including how to pay them and available discounts

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

Scholarship information

Seeking funding to support your postgraduate degree? Check out some of the scholarship opportunities we offer for our Writing Poetry MA course:

• School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics Scholarship (MA Writing Poetry)
• School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics Masters Scholarship
• Black Academic Access Scholarship (School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics)

How to apply

Using the application portal

The applicant portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the applicant portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

Apply Online  

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days
• webinars

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events