Master of Arts in Creative Writing

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

Indicative course structure

Careers in event management and tourism are full of possibilities, with exciting projects in interesting places, all over the world. Whether you want to organise festivals and sports fixtures or develop thriving tourist destinations, this course will help you launch a really successful career. It uses the latest theories and real- world case studies to explore their successes and failings, as well as their sustainability, impact, cultural attributes and community engagement.

It’s a multi disciplinary, globally focused course developed in collaboration with business leaders and professional bodies and taught by Hertfordshire’s highly regarded, experienced academics.

Partnerships and Opportunities
As part of our enterprise and employability focus, we give you many options to gain work experience.  You can undertake internships during the summer, engage in multiple work shadowing opportunities, and take on a year long placement between your second and third year. Our students have completed placements with a wide variety of businesses, such as Walt Disney, Bluehat Group, British Fashion Council, Givergy Events and charity organisations including Hope for Children.

Many students also choose to broaden their horizons through our study abroad programme in second year with one of our partner universities in Europe, North America or Australia. Some combine their language study options with a half-year of study in the language home country and then a further half-year work placement in the same country. Without a doubt, they come back with excellent skills in a second language in addition to fantastic memories, experiences and career skills.

Our partnership with Walt Disney World Resorts and the University of California Riverside gives our students the chance to study and work in the United States of America on this fantastic internationally renowned programme.

You may also be interested in the following courses:

• Tourism Management
• International Tourism Management
• Event Management
• Event Management and Marketing

5 Reasons to Study BA (Hons) Event Management and Tourism:

• The course is recognised by the Tourism Management Institute (TMI),  is a key partner of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and University is a member of the Association for Event Management Education (AEME).
• Studying Event & Tourism gives you the best of both worlds! You will follow two subjects that closely relate in both theory and in practice increasing your options for your future career choice.
• The course gives you the opportunities to do a work placement in small or large corporations, developing key employability skills, both domestically and internationally.
• All students have the option to study abroad to give you an edge in the job market.
• You will develop key management and business skills at a leading international business facing University on a course ranked 5th in the UK for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management.

The aim of this programme is to equip you to meet the stringent demands of today's highly competitive industrial environment. The programme provides a balance of theory, practice and participation and includes visits to a range of organisations within the manufacturing sector. It provides an excellent basis for employment which has resulted in student employment rates upon graduation of over 95%. The programme is taught by staff from the School of Engineering and Technology which was recently awarded an excellent grading in the HEFCE auditors' report. All study is assessed through continuous assessment.

Learn the fundamental skills and knowledge of a modern engineer. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to engineering, giving you the flexibility to work in a broad range of industries. Among the general topics, you’ll study engineering mathematics, materials and electrical science, mechanical science, manufacturing technology, computer-aided engineering and thermodynamics. During your MEng year, you’ll deepen your understanding of engineering through a selection of advanced modules. As with the BEng, you’ll get the chance to work on some impressive team projects, including designing a hovercraft, a Formula Student racing car and an unmanned aircraft. This course is the first step towards chartered engineer status.

• The MEng in Mechanical Engineering is a broad subject and there have been thousands of successful UH graduates of this discipline working in all fields of engineering
• You can apply your knowledge to typical mechanical projects such as the design of a hovercraft
• You may join the automotive students and help design, build and race single-seater race car in the UK Formula Student Competition
• You may join aerospace students on projects involving Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), rocketry and space tourism
• You will learn how to apply computer-aided engineering and industrial-standard software, recommended by the Automotive Industry Advisory Panel
• Students from the School of Engineering and Technology have previously completed work placement years at companies including: Rolls Royce plc, BAE Systems, and RP Aero Systems
• Recent Mechanical Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including: Ocado, Ford and General Electric

More about the Course
Our School of Engineering and Technology is well known for project-orientated learning, and mechanical engineers have the opportunity to take part in exciting team projects such as the UH Hovercraft, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ESCO-UAS) competition or the Formula Student competition. For more information see racing.herts.ac.uk

Our students can take the work placement option, spending their Third Year in industry. Some students take the opportunity to study part of their degree abroad through student exchange programmes with other universities in the EU, USA or Canada.

A mechanical engineering degree will provide you with the flexibility to be employed in any industrial company irrespective of their product range. Mechanical engineers are involved in producing innovative designs, using the latest materials and Computer Aided Engineering systems to meet ever-increasing expectations in 21st century living.  With our excellent teaching standards and facilities, the University has a strong track record of providing industry with these highly skilled professionals.

In your first year you will study the fundamental skills and knowledge required by a modern engineer including principles of flight and an introduction to aircraft systems. In particular you will be introduced to computer packages commonly used in the aerospace industry.

In your second year the core themes from year 1 are further developed so that they can be applied to solve engineering problems encountered in industrial and commercial environments. You will learn about the design process, through both group design and detail design work, and will have the opportunity to work on the Class 200 Formula Student car.

In your third year you have the chance to work for an engineering company on placement.

In your fourth year you have the option of covering either manufacturing or the rapidly growing field of micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS). Project work, both in teams on design and individually on a topic of special interest, encourages you to develop valuable practical, interpersonal and communication skills. You also have the opportunity to work on the University's entry to the Formula Student competition.

In your final year you will study at Masters level, deepening your knowledge and understanding of engineering as well as developing your business and management skills. The Team Project is multidisciplinary and involves applying your skills to solve an unusual and challenging problem.

Study with a top History department and be taught from the cutting edge of historical research. Further your skills with a unique film course which combines the study of film as an art form with learning the practical skills of film making.

Through our diverse and inclusive History curriculum you will learn about an array of cultures and identities. What links our work is our focus on people’s history and everyday lives. This is represented strongly in our first year programme, which will give you an insight into the making of the modern world through exploration of faith, magic and medicine, campaigns for freedom and equality, Africa and the world, and America from Hamilton to Trump.

Our expert colleagues in Film take a similar international approach. You will explore the fascinating world of Hollywood, World Cinema, European Cinema as well as the film industry in Britain, so you have insider knowledge of what makes a successful film and appreciate diverse genres, contexts, cultures and filmmaking techniques. 

Throughout your degree, the common link between the two disciplines will be the development of analytical skills. As historians you will learn to analyse historical documents and debates among historians, while in Film you’ll develop the ability to analyse visual material, understand the craft of film making and gain new perspectives on the world.

These analytical skills, honed over the course of your studies, will benefit you in the final year of History if you choose to write a dissertation. This extended piece of work will grow out of a topic that interests you. Previous students have combined their Film and History studies to explore issues of propaganda or the depiction of historical events in film.

We give you:

• An exceptional History team, conducting world-leading research (REF 2014)
• Stimulating, innovative courses - our History students reported almost 94% overall satisfaction with their course (2018 National Student Survey)
• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• The scope to write a History dissertation on a topic about which you are passionate, potential blending your interests in film and history
• A mixture of intellectual and practical skills.
• An expert film team with in-depth knowledge of the film industry plus the opportunity to get involved with local cinemas and our own bespoke film club.
• CV-building potential and practical experience through work placements and extra-curricular activities. Previous students in this department have had year long paid placements at Warner Brothers in London, Hatfield House and local museums.

• BAFTA approved. BAFTA endorsement is a significant recognition of the industry focus of the course and means that you can be sure you will be studying on a course that has been recognised as fully industry-relevant by THE leading organisation in the sector. As stated on the BAFTA website, "The eligible courses have been identified by industry professionals as producing students ready to work in film, games or television".
• Develop a showreel demonstrating your creative talent in composing music and designing sound for a wide range of media (video, film, video games), opening up a 360º horizon of possibilities and opportunities for work.
• Collaborate with MA Film students in our School of Creative Arts.
• Learn in the university’s top-class facilities, assisted by tutors who are themselves industry professionals

Why choose this course?

• This course is conceived to meet the current industry’s demand for creative professionals who are equally versed in music composition as well as sound design, and can work effectively across a range of media – whether it’s video, narrative film or interactive games.
• All aspects of the soundtrack are systematically explored in both linear and non-linear environments, leading to a fuller understanding of the discipline, of the industry, and of the production processes.
• On this course, you will harness the whole gamut of sonic resources for your creative practice – from acoustic instruments to electroacoustic sound, utilising all the latest studio techniques and technologies.
• You’ll study in the University’s top-class studios, supported by tutors who are experienced industry professionals, with potential to collaborate with students from our MA Film course.
• With targeted sessions and expert guidance, you’ll develop a showreel demonstrating your creative talent in providing sound and music for a wide range of media (video, film, video games), opening up a 360º horizon of possibilities and opportunities for work.
• Explore our Master of Sound Student Success blog to find out how our alumni have progressed since completing the course.

You’ll be introduced to Linguistics, the scientific study of everything to do with language, from its structure and how it develops in children, to the ways it reflects society, how it’s used, and how it changes over time. You’ll be taught by research-active academics working in cutting-edge areas such as language and gender, formulaic language, corpus studies, bilingualism, bilingual processing and codeswitching.

What links our work is our focus on the applied use of English language, from English Language teaching to the use of forensic linguistics in solving language-related real-life problems such as plagiarism and crime investigation, to speech and language therapy and the study of language disorders.

In your first year, alongside core linguistics modules, you’ll study language and mind, where you’ll analyse child speech transcripts and consider language acquisition. You’ll also explore the diversity of use of the English language including regional variants, pidgin and creole English, language and ethnicity, and slang and street English.

Core modules in your second year focus on English grammar and the sounds of English. You can explore theories of how and why language developed and take a language competencies module leading to a work placement.

In your final year you can develop your own interests in short projects, or follow modules in different topics, including child language and communication, clinical linguistics, gender and language, and formulaic language, informed by our academics’ own research specialisms.

One final year option is corpus studies in English language, which will develop your research skills through your use of Sketch Engine, a text analysis tool that allows you to search vast samples of language, or corpora. Want to know when the word ‘Brexit’ first appeared in print or when ‘backstop’ acquired a new meaning? Find out by delving into databases of billions of words, to pursue your own original research projects.

Indicative course structure

Careers in event management and tourism are full of possibilities, with exciting projects in interesting places, all over the world. Whether you want to organise festivals and sports fixtures or develop thriving tourist destinations, this course will help you launch a really successful career. It uses the latest theories and real- world case studies to explore their successes and failings, as well as their sustainability, impact, cultural attributes and community engagement.

It’s a multi disciplinary, globally focused course developed in collaboration with business leaders and professional bodies and taught by Hertfordshire’s highly regarded, experienced academics.

Partnerships and Opportunities
As part of our enterprise and employability focus, we give you many options to gain work experience.  You can undertake internships during the summer, engage in multiple work shadowing opportunities, and take on a year long placement between your second and third year. Our students have completed placements with a wide variety of businesses, such as Walt Disney, Bluehat Group, British Fashion Council, Givergy Events and charity organisations including Hope for Children.

Many students also choose to broaden their horizons through our study abroad programme in second year with one of our partner universities in Europe, North America or Australia. Some combine their language study options with a half-year of study in the language home country and then a further half-year work placement in the same country. Without a doubt, they come back with excellent skills in a second language in addition to fantastic memories, experiences and career skills.

Our partnership with Walt Disney World Resorts and the University of California Riverside gives our students the chance to study and work in the United States of America on this fantastic internationally renowned programme.

You may also be interested in the following courses:

• Tourism Management
• International Tourism Management
• Event Management
• Event Management and Marketing

5 Reasons to Study BA (Hons) Event Management and Tourism:

• The course is recognised by the Tourism Management Institute (TMI),  is a key partner of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and University is a member of the Association for Event Management Education (AEME).
• Studying Event & Tourism gives you the best of both worlds! You will follow two subjects that closely relate in both theory and in practice increasing your options for your future career choice.
• The course gives you the opportunities to do a work placement in small or large corporations, developing key employability skills, both domestically and internationally.
• All students have the option to study abroad to give you an edge in the job market.
• You will develop key management and business skills at a leading international business facing University on a course ranked 5th in the UK for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management.

Literature can offer new perspectives on familiar themes, as well as open doors to unfamiliar ideas and cultures which are temporally or spatially remote from your own. It is an ideal source for philosophical reflection, exploring and challenging the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us.

Our BA Philosophy and English Literature degree encourages you to expand your imaginative capacities and to critically reflect on possibilities for how the world could be, by engaging with a wide variety of perspectives. You will gain skills in understanding how to read and interpret in context, and in how to formulate your own arguments, to arrive at your own conclusions.

In your first year, you might choose to study international and American literature or revisit Shakespeare and consider his cultural relevance today through fictional, cinematic and TV adaptations. In Philosophy, you might explore questions which lie at the heart of much literature, such as whether anything can give meaning to life, and whether our striving to achieve anything of significance is ultimately futile, even ridiculous. The philosophy of film and literature module addresses the assumption that anything is possible in fiction and considers the extent to which that is true.

All our English Literature and Philosophy lecturers are active researchers, so you’ll share the excitement of doing original work in a supportive and highly-rated academic community. Our Philosophy team is in the top 15 in the Guardian League Table 2019 and rates as one of the 100 best Philosophy departments worldwide in the 2017 QS rankings.

In your second year, you’ll focus on period-based literature from the Renaissance onwards and gain an understanding of literary history, from Elizabethan verse and drama, via Augustan poetry and the emergence of the novel in the 18th century, to the radical transformations of the Victorian age, and the emergence of modernity in the 20th century. In Philosophy, you’ll choose from a variety of topics, which includes a module on the nature of art, expression and representation (in literary as well as visual art), and modules on influential texts in philosophy, such as Plato’s Republic.

The final year allows for even more opportunity to tailor your degree to reflect your own interests. On the literature side, themed options include children’s literature, young adult fiction, Renaissance tragedy, 21 st century American literature, European crime fiction, literary adaptations and the culture of print in the 18th century. A wide variety of Philosophy modules are available, including modules on feminist philosophy, the nature of language and meaning, and a module on Nietzsche, who is well-known for his literary style.

• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
• Stimulating, innovative courses that allow you to make rewarding connections between two disciplines
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

While much of this course is common with BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering, this degree specialises in the design of space vehicles, with a particular emphasis on rocket propulsion, space flight control and satellite communication systems. For many of our students, the highlights of the course are the group design projects in the Third / Final Year, where you join with other aerospace students to design a complete aircraft. You’ll also work with astrophysicists to design a space vehicle in conjunction with a major space industry employer.

• This is a BEng degree course in aerospace engineering with a focus on space technology
• The University of Hertfordshire has produced aerospace engineers with practical experience of design and development for future aerospace systems
• Aerospace students from the University of Hertfordshire have previously completed work placement years at companies including: Airbus, Virgin Atlantic Engineering, and BAE Systems
• You will have access to the best equipment: flight simulator, wind tunnels, specialist laboratories and CAE software
• You will be offered a flying course at a local flying school with one-to-one instruction on both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters Our aerospace staff have a wealth of industrial experience which gives an applied approach to their teaching and their contacts prove invaluable to graduates seeking employment
• Recent Aerospace Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, Martin-Baker Aircraft Compnay, and BAE Systems

Study with a top History department and be taught from the cutting edge of historical research. Learn to write for a broad audience and communicate your ideas effectively with our colleagues in Journalism.

Our BA History and Journalism gives you the opportunity to study two subjects that will help you to hone your investigative and analytical skills, while developing your writing style.

Through our diverse and inclusive History curriculum you will learn about an array of cultures and identities. What links our work is our focus on people’s history and everyday lives. This is represented strongly in our first year programme, which will give you an insight into the making of the modern world through exploration of faith, magic and medicine, campaigns for freedom and equality, Africa and the world, and America from Hamilton to Trump.

Throughout your degree, the common link between the two disciplines will be the development of research skills. As historians you will learn to analyse historical documents and debates among historians, while in Journalism you’ll explore print, digital, photographic and broadcast journalism.

This ability to work as an effective and confident researcher, honed over the course of your studies, will benefit you in the final year of History if you choose to write a dissertation. This extended piece of work will grow out of a topic that interests you. Previous students have been inspired by their year of study abroad, while others have worked on the history of jiu jitsu, women code breakers at Bletchley Park, the Notting Hill riots, and vice and sexuality in 17th-century London. One of our final year students won the British Commission for Maritime History Prize in 2016 for his dissertation on the East India Company.

We give you: 

• An exceptional History team, conducting world-leading research (REF 2014), and a team of industry-experienced journalists,
• Stimulating, innovative courses - our History students reported almost 94% overall satisfaction with their course (2018 National Student Survey)
• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting and the scope to write a History dissertation on a topic about which you are passionate
• intensive, engaging modules in Journalism designed to help make you a confident journalist, ready for the digital age
• CV-building potential and practical experience through work placements and extra-curricular activities