MPhil/PhD in Creative and Critical Writing
Director of Postgraduate Studies: Dr Carl Plasa
The Colour of a Dog Running Away by Dr Richard Gwyn
Cardiff was one of the first universities in the UK to offer a PhD in Creative Writing, and over two decades we have prepared graduates for careers as writers and in the publishing industry. In recent years our graduates have acquired publishing contracts with major publishers and have taken up teaching posts in British universities and overseas.
The PhD programme involves the preparation of an original piece of creative work – a novel, collection of poems or short stories – and an accompanying critical text which may serve either as a critical commentary on the creative component or else a critical essay on a theme related to, if not necessarily the core subject material of, the creative work. Recent examples include novels, collections of short stories, microfictions and poetry, with critical components titled: Taking the index back: what the internet has to offer print fiction; The question of genre, meanings and incompleteness in the novella and microfiction and Crossed tongues: the crisis of speech in the prose poems of Francis Ponge. Click here to see a list of current and recent PhD topics in the School.
As from their second year, students have the opportunity for teaching on the undergraduate English Literature degree and receive mentoring sessions from a full-time member of staff. Full-time PhD students are allocated study space, which provides computing facilities, networked information and access to email and the internet.
PhD students are encouraged to participate in the Open Mic session organised for the MA in Creative Writing (see below), and to attend workshops and readings given by visiting writers.
Admissions Information
Applications are welcome from graduates with at least a 2.1 in English Literature (and/or a relevant discipline) and an MA in Creative Writing, English Literature or a relevant discipline
Our own MA in Creative Writing provides an ideal basis for students wishing to undertake a PhD. Alternatively, in certain cases PhD students attend the first two terms of the MA course, and submit the assessed essays, before proceeding to full-time work on the thesis. Essays take account of the material taught in the course, but may also constitute draft sections of the doctoral project.
The School welcomes applications from students from outside the United Kingdom. More information is provided on our International Students page.
Funding
There are two President's Research full scholarship in the area of Multi-culturalism for the academic year 2013/14. For further information please visit the following sites:
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