Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing (D01LF)

You’re currently viewing the 2023 version of this course

Overview

Award title	Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing
Year & campus	2023 — Parkville
CRICOS code	058718E
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Graduate Coursework
AQF level	9
Credit points	200 credit points
Duration	24 months full-time or 48 months part-time

The Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing is designed to provide students with a vocational qualification where students take Creative Writing and Publishing and Editing subjects as part of their professional development. The degree demonstrates the links and shared skills between writer, editor and publisher as well as between fiction and non-fiction writing. On completion of the two-year Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing program, students with a 75% average pass, that have completed CWRI90015 Creative Writing Thesis Part 1 and CWRI90016 Creative Writing Thesis Part 2, and completed ARTS90032 Research Principles and Practices Graduate, will be eligible to apply for entry to a PhD.

Links to further information

http://arts.unimelb.edu.au/culture-communication

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

an undergraduate degree in any discipline with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%), or equivalent.

Meeting this requirement does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

prior academic performance; and
relevance of previous studies.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7 is required.

Applicants with the following may be awarded up to 50 points of credit:

an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%), or equivalent.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005) and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF127). For the purposes of considering requests for reasonable adjustments, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the overview, attributes, outcomes and skills of this entry. Further details about how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Intended learning outcomes

Students that complete the Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing should have:

acquired the capacity to develop significant and sustained research projects as either practice or theory or a combination of both;
developed flexible and sophisticated strategies for problem-solving, researching, writing and thinking critically in creative, editing and publishing projects;
advanced knowledge of editorial principles and methods including detailed understanding of the use of computers in editing and publishing for print and digital media;
acquired detailed knowledge of effective communication strategies and sound knowledge of the commercial and global organisation and operation of the publishing industries, with particular reference to Australia and the Asia Pacific region;
developed an understanding of print production and design including a knowledge of the history of print culture;
an understanding of ethical and legal standards in the creative writing, publishing and editing disciplines;
developed capacity for critical evaluation and creative self-awareness; and
a respect for communication, support, co-operation, constructive criticism and intellectual integrity within the discipline of creative writing.

Generic skills

On completion of this subject, students should have acquired skills in:

writing in a variety of genres;
project management;
innovative problem solving;
creative and critical thinking;
team work and liaison in professional contexts; and
research processes and applications.

Graduate attributes

Graduates of the Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing should have acquired the following attributes:

Academic distinction

They will be critical, creative thinkers with an in-depth understanding of creative writing and publishing across a range of media and genres, and the ability to apply their knowledge and skills in a broad range of professional contexts.

Active citizenship

They will be active ethical citizens with an engaged awareness of issues such as human rights, cultural identity, social inclusion, ethics and the environment, and the relationship between creativity, publishing, and citizenship.

Integrity and self-awareness

They will be self-critical, self-motivated writers with the capacity to work independently and collaboratively, and ability to demonstrate high levels of knowledge, adaptability and self-awareness, in a broad range of professional contexts

http://provost.unimelb.edu.au/teaching-learning

Course structure

Students are required to complete the program requirements/structure from the year that they commenced their program. All compulsory and capstone subjects must be completed to be eligible to graduate from the program.

200 point program

Duration: 2 years full-time / up to 4 years part-time

Students in the 200 Point Program must complete subjects from the first 100 points list of subjects prior to enrolling into subjects from the second 100 points list of subjects:

First 100 points:

Foundation Creative Writing subjects (50 points)
3 compulsory subjects (37.5 points)
1 elective subject (12.5 points) from two lists: Creative Writing Electives and Publishing and Editing Electives

Second 100 points:

Elective subjects: at least 12.5 points from the Creative Writing electives list, and at least 12.5 points from the Publishing and Editing electives list, with a minimum of 37.5 points and maximum of 75 points of elective subjects. (Elective subjects taken through the course will total a minimum of 50 points and a maximum of 87.5 points.)
• A Capstone option (minimum 25 points, maximum 62.5 points)

150 point program

Duration: 1.5 years full-time / up to 3 years part-time

3 compulsory subjects (37.5 points)
• Elective subjects: at least 12.5 points from the Creative Writing electives list, and at least 12.5 points from the Publishing and Editing electives list, with a total minimum of 50 points and maximum of 87.5 points of elective subjects
• A Capstone option (minimum 25 points, maximum 62.5 points)

Capstone Requirement:

Capstone subject options must be completed in the final hundred points of the program. All students are required to complete one Capstone subject option (at least 25 points). This requirement cannot be waived or replaced in any circumstances:

Capstone 1: Thesis - CWRI90015 Creative Writing Thesis Part 1, CWRI90016 Creative Writing Thesis Part 2 and ARTS90032 Research Principles and Practices (Total 62.5 points)

Purpose: An opportunity to integrate research and writing skills in the development of a major creative project. Pathway to apply for PhD.

Capstone 2: Creative project - CWRI90019 Advanced Creative Writing Project (Total 25 points)

Purpose: An opportunity to develop skills in the development of a major creative project.

Capstone 3: Publishing Project - (Total 25 points):

Complete one of these options:

PUBL90025 Grattan Street Press Extended (25 points) or;
PUBL90026 Publishing and Writing Summer School and PUBL90015 Grattan Street Press (25 points)

Purpose: An opportunity to develop skills in the development of a major publishing project, working in the School’s teaching press.

For policies that govern this degree, see the Courses, Subjects, Awards and Programs Policy in the University Melbourne Policy Library. Students also should also refer to information in the Enrolment and Timetabling Policy.

Majors, minors & specialisations

Name	Credit Points
200pt Program	200
150pt Program	150

Further study

Students who complete ARTS90032 Research Principles and Practices Graduate and the Creative Writing Thesis, and achieve a 75% average, may be eligible for entry into the PhD.

External Subject Rule

Student may undertake an external subject (not listed within the program structure) with the permission of the program and subject coordinator. All external subject requests must be for the elective subject requirement, not as a compulsory, core or capstone subject. The maximum external subjects allowed are as follows:

200 point program undertaken at University of Melbourne (2 years): maximum 25 points.
150 point program undertaken at University of Melbourne (1.5 years): maximum 12.5 points.
100* point program undertaken at University of Melbourne (1 year): 12.5 points
50*^ point program undertaken at University of Melbourne (0.5 years): 0 points.

* GC-ARTS, GD-ARTS, GCA-ARTS and GDA-ARTS students are not normally granted permission to undertake external subjects towards their degree.

^ Exception: Students admitted to 50 point programs may apply to take LING90002, Presenting Academic Discourse, as an external subject.

Please note that advanced standing contributes to a student’s remaining points undertaken at University of Melbourne, and may affect how many points the student can undertake outside the enrolled program.

Last updated: 1 April 2025