Master of Arts in Creative Writing

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

Some of the greatest mathematicians have also been philosophers, and vice versa. On this joint BA Philosophy and Mathematics degree you’ll explore the close relationship between the two, tackling some of the biggest questions in philosophy - is there a god? What is morality? What does it mean to be human? - while developing advanced maths skills. You'll get to spend a placement year abroad at a university in Europe.

This degree will give you an excellent education in mathematics and philosophy. In your degree you can:

• Develop an understanding of philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Gain a thorough understanding of key mathematical areas, including linear algebra, calculus, statistics and differential equations
• Apply philosophical thought to language, morality, sex and other important aspects of life
• Learn skills in mathematical investigation and research
• Study abroad at one of our partner institutions

You’ll be taught in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment, and benefit from the expertise of academic staff whose researches feed directly into the course content.

You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules. These include topics such as social enterprise, risk management, and living and working on the web.

Enhance your skills with a master's in creative writing at the University of Southampton. This programme challenges you to cross boundaries and become an expert in 5 areas of contemporary writing:

• Fiction
• Scriptwriting
• Creative non-fiction
• Writing for young people
• Poetry

You’ll also be able to tap into the University’s rich resources in theatre, music, art, and the sciences. On completion of your degree, you’ll be ready for careers in publishing and arts administration.

Our Master of Arts in Creative Writing is a stimulating course which will prepare you to be a professional writer. You’ll have opportunities to publish and edit an anthology, take part in a literary festival, and pursue creative collaborations with everyone from scientists to visiting actors. Your fellow students will come from all over the world and bring with them a wide range of experiences and writing traditions.

You'll be taught by practicing writers, focusing on your own creative writing as well as studying contemporary work. Your lecturers will include four-time novelist Rebecca Smith, award-winning fiction writer and Washington Post freelancer Carole Burns, experimental poet Sarah Hayden, and the highly acclaimed non-fiction writer Philip Hoare.

You'll study with faculty staff and students from countries all over the world, including India, Columbia, Pakistan, Iceland, the USA, Nigeria, and of course the UK. This gives the programme an international focus, and will expose you to a wide range of experiences and writing traditions.

You can take part in a lively programme of literary events, including our own 'Writers in Conversation' reading series. We hold this event 3 times each semester, featuring authors such as Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan, American writer Gish Jen, and BBC scriptwriter Stephen M. Thompson. We'll also encourage you to take advantage of the University's rich arts environment, including the on-campus Turner Sims Concert Hall and affiliation with Southampton's John Hansard Gallery.

Our Centre for Modern and Contemporary Writing also hosts regular events, readings, and conferences. Recent visitors to the centre include Caroline Bergvall, Lavinia Greenlaw and Amitav Ghosh.

We’ll provide you with a supportive environment in which to learn, grow and develop your writing skills, and help you think deeply and critically about your work. You can specialise in topics that interest you, and choose from a wide variety of optional modules offered by the School of Humanities.

Study film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record with our Film Studies degree. Immerse yourself in the subject, from the earliest projected images to the present day. Learn how to view Hollywood blockbusters, European and world cinema with a critical eye.

You’ll study familiar classics alongside contemporary cinema, and genres including:

• film noir
• horror
• science fiction
• documentary
• animation

You’ll deepen your understanding and enjoyment of film and develop your critical thinking as part of a lively community.

You can choose to spend a semester or a summer abroad at one of our partner universities, including: South Korea, Sweden, Ireland, Hong Kong and the Czech Republic.

You can also hone your filmmaking skills with our student-led filmmaking, TV and radio societies. They offer training and equipment to help you try out directing, producing, scriptwriting, sound or camera work.

As part of this film degree you can:

• explore British, European and world cinema
• discover early film through archive visits
• use our extensive library resources, including over 5,800 films from around the world
• take modules from other courses, such as English, history and music
• volunteer at a cinema to develop new skills, such as team leading, projection and digital design
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

We offer a 4-week summer school at Dongguk University in Seoul. This includes film and cultural orientation courses.

Learn about the ancient world and find ways to understand the foundations of how we live today. On BA Ancient History and Archaeology, you'll develop specialist knowledge in your chosen areas of study and learn in an engaging and supportive research environment. Your research and archiving skills will prepare you for further study, or for a variety of career options. These include heritage management and archaeological research.

Studying archaeology and ancient history will give you an insight into both subjects and you'll be able to explore the topics that interest you through optional modules.

You'll have the choice of a wide range of historical topics, from Ancient Egypt to the rise of Islam in the Middle East. You can also learn what happened during the conquests of Alexander the Great and at the end of the Roman Empire.

The complementary subject of archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains. These include buildings, monuments, artefacts, biological remains, written sources and landscape. On this ancient history and archaeology degree you can:

• Learn from experts in the ancient world (including history, archaeology, ancient and modern languages and literatures, philosophy and film)
• Use cutting-edge technology to discover and map new sites, or develop research skills
• Do at least 3 weeks of field work, including excavating archaeological sites or collecting archaeological material from ploughed fields
• Challenge yourself by learning Latin and Ancient Greek

Develop the knowledge and skills you’ll need to become an entrepreneur in the global music industry on our MA International Music Management master's degree. On this UK course you'll learn about all aspects of the music business, from live performance and streaming to advertising and video games. Industry professionals will help you discover the careers you can go into. We were number 1 for music research in the most recent UK Research Excellence Framework (REF).

This International Music Management master’s course will prepare you for a management career in the global music business.  

You’ll develop critical understanding of the legal, economic, social and cultural frameworks that support the music industry.

And you'll gain key business skills through exposure to local music venues such as Turner Sims, touring musicians, and masterclasses with industry partners like Sony, Universal, Google and YouTube.  

On this practical programme, you'll also learn about:

• How the music publishing industry makes its money
• Copyright and licensing
• Music event planning
• Adding music to a video game or tv show  
• The costs involved in making an album
• How music festivals and opera companies work

You'll learn from expert academics with plenty of music industry experience and connections. They'll teach you to the practical skills you need to work in a wide range of music management roles.

Examine the people and events of the past from different but complementary perspectives. On BA Archaeology and History with Year Abroad you'll take an in-depth look at your favourite historical subjects, choosing from options like the Cold War and 17th century witchcraft trials. You'll spend a year abroad at one of our partner institutions, such as the University of Malta or the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona.

Archaeology looks at the past through the study of physical remains, including buildings, artefacts and the landscape itself. History draws on written and oral sources.

This degree will give you in-depth knowledge of both archaeology and history, and develop your understanding of earlier human societies. You'll learn how to use and understand historical sources. You'll also learn how to identify and excavate archaeological sites, extracting as much information as possible from materials and records.

Study history with archaeology abroad in your third year at a partner institution to broaden your knowledge and experience.

Archaeology and History with year abroad includes a wide variety of optional modules, covering subjects such as:

• American slavery
• Women's history in modern Britain
• Apocalyptic visions of history
• The French Revolution
• Human origins
• Landscapes and seascapes
• Emergence of civilisation

As part of this course, you can choose to take a minor subject in an unrelated area.

You'll develop valuable skills for any future career, including:

• Problem solving
• Teamwork
• Project management

This degree in French, including a year abroad, will give you complete proficiency in a major international language. You’ll also gain a deep understanding of the cultures, histories and structures of French-speaking nations worldwide.

What you learn will open up a world of career opportunities. French is native to France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and the French Caribbean, and it’s an official language in much of Africa and Asia.

You’ll start at a level that matches your ability in French. You’ll also have excellent resources to support you. The Centre for Language Study at Southampton’s Avenue Campus is equipped with everything you need.

As well as studying French, you can choose from a range of subjects in Linguistics and modules such as Urban Culture, Ethnography and Film.

A special module in year 2 will make sure you’re ready for the following year abroad, including your academic work. This part of your course is the perfect opportunity to strengthen your linguistic skills and raise your cultural awareness.

We have partner universities in the Erasmus programme throughout France and in Switzerland.

Your final year also offers a wide range of module choices. This means you can specialise in an area that suits your interests and combines well with what you’ve studied so far.

Explore postcolonialism and world literature with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the chance to specialise in postcolonial and world literary culture, covering topics such as:

• Legacies of colonialism and imperialism
• Aftermath of decolonisation
• Relationship between gender and nationalism
• Fault lines in postcolonial national narratives

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for a career in teaching, librarianship, museums and galleries, publishing or heritage.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries.

This pathway is linked to the Southampton Centre for Imperial and Postcolonial Studies. This group brings together academics, writers and research students to explore the practices, experiences and legacies of imperial power in a global setting, from the early-modern period to the present. The centre also hosts events including seminars, workshops and conferences.

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method.

You’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

Is there a god? Are our minds separate from our bodies? How much can we ever really know? On this 3-year BA Philosophy degree, you'll grapple with some of the most profound questions. You'll also develop critical thinking and analysis skills that will be essential in your future career.

This course will help you develop your own thoughts on abstract issues and introduce you to philosophical debate. You'll explore questions in core areas, such as:

• Ethics
• Epistemology
• Metaphysics
• Philosophy of mind
• Political philosophy

You'll apply philosophical thought to practical questions on subjects including:

• Global poverty
• Future generations
• Sex and gender
• Artificial intelligence

As part of this course you can:

• Get involved in many events, including talks by visiting philosophers and activities arranged by the student-led Philosophy Society
• Take part in other Philosophy courses and events run by the Lifelonglearning team where you can discuss philosophy in an informal, relaxed atmosphere
• Develop research and presentation skills
• Choose from a wide range of optional modules to follow your interests
• Explore subjects as varied as scriptwriting and Islamic philosophy

This degree is also offered with a year studying abroad.

Explore how our ancestors engaged with the world, and gain a fascinating insight into what it means to be human. Studying archaeology and anthropology combines aspects of the humanities and the sciences. You'll study global human diversity in time and space, in a truly interdisciplinary way. Along with studying the theoretical background, you'll do fieldwork as part of an active research project in the UK or abroad.

Our BA Archaeology and Anthropology degree gives teaches you how human societies came into being, how they have changed over time, and the underlying reasons for human diversity today.

This degree integrates the disciplines of archaeology (the study of the human past through its material remains) and anthropology, which is made up of:

• Social anthropology (exploring how people in different places create meaning and build communities)
• Anthropological linguistics (the study of humans through the languages they use)
• Biological anthropology (looking at the physiological and genetic diversity in present and past human and primate societies)

We have a purpose-built archaeology building, equipped with the latest science-based laboratories. On this anthropology and archaeology degree you'll gain hands-on experience with archaeological artefacts and materials, and receive the practical training needed for a career in archaeology or anthropology.

Our archaeology and anthropology degree courses give you the opportunity to study a minor subject alongside the main programme.

We’re also offering up to 10 bursaries of £1000 each to incoming students (subject to criteria). These are from the Terry Mason Bursary and the University of Southampton Archaeology Bursary Fund.