Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing
Course details
Discover your voice, refine your craft.
Over two years of part-time study, the Diploma gives you the space, structure and expert guidance to grow as a writer. You’ll explore prose, poetry, drama and analytical reading, with the opportunity to specialise in the genre that excites you most.
You can choose between two pathways:
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In person in Oxford – weekend seminars, one-to-one tutorials, and lively group discussions in the city’s rich literary setting.
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Online with a summer school in Oxford – the same structure and support, delivered through interactive media that connect you with tutors and peers around the world.
Whichever option you take, you’ll benefit from small class sizes, close attention to your work, and the unique opportunity to share your writing with a supportive, skilled peer group. You’ll receive fresh perspectives on your drafts while developing confidence in your own individual voice.
Many students publish during or after the course, and a number go on to further study – including Oxford’s own Master’s in Creative Writing.
Online info session: Thursday 9 Oct, 12:00-12:45 BST
Discover what it’s like to study at Oxford University at our upcoming information session. Explore the Diploma in Creative Writing with insights from the Course Director, Dr John Ballam. Find out more about the programme and chat with our friendly team, who will be happy to answer your questions.
Quick links
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for enthusiastic writers with a strong commitment to improving their craft. Our students range in age from 18 to 80 and come from many walks of life – but all share a passion for writing.
Whether you’re an emerging writer looking to hone your voice or a professional returning to a long-held creative ambition, the Diploma offers you a supportive environment for you to write and learn alongside a community of writers.
We look for applicants who are active as writers and committed to improving their work. You don’t need formal qualifications or publication experience, but you should have an awareness of literary areas, an ability to discuss them thoughtfully, and the capacity for intellectual and imaginative growth.
The course is designed to challenge and inspire you. Expect to dedicate around 12 hours a week beyond class time to your writing – a commitment that will help you grow in confidence, skill, and discipline.
Student spotlights
Hear firsthand from our students about their views and experiences of the Diploma and how it helped them with their creative journey.
How you will study
There are two study options for the Diploma in Creative Writing.
Option 1:
Most terms you will attend four Saturday day schools, four per term in terms 1-5, two in term 6, which usually run from 9am - 5pm at Ewert House in Summertown, Oxford, or Rewley House in Central Oxford (TBC). Should circumstances dictate, the teaching can be moved online (either fully or partly).
In the day schools you will take part in:
- seminars, involving practical writing activities and lively group discussions;
- group discussions of each other’s work. This is because the value of group activity as a catalyst for the creative imagination is a central tenet of the course.
You will also attend one Sunday day school each term, which is paired with one of the Saturday schools. At the Sunday sessions, visiting writers, speakers and tutors provide a wide range of voices to counterpoint and amplify the insights and opinions of the Diploma’s regular teaching team. You can hear readings by well-known writers from all genres, and engage in discussions with them, as well as enjoying related workshop sessions.
There is a seven-day summer school (residence possible) at the end of the first year of study, in June, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to concentrate on living and working your craft. The summer school is a vibrant culmination to your first year, allowing dedicated time and space for your writing. Sessions for the whole group are balanced by individual sessions which allow you to focus on areas of your choice. There is time set aside for uninterrupted writing, and guidance will be given, as a group and individually, about how best to focus your efforts during the summer vacation so that you can get the most out of your second year.
The summer school is an integral part of the course and included in the course fee. It usually starts at lunchtime on a Saturday in June and finishes at lunchtime on the Friday. From Sunday, each day begins at 9.30 am and continues to 7pm, with breaks for tea/coffee and lunch.
Accommodation, should you require it for the summer school, is not included in your tuition fee but it may be possible to book accommodation for that period subject to availability.
Due to UK immigration and visa rules, Option 1 is normally more suitable for UK nationals and others who do not need a student visa or immigration permission to study in the UK, whereas Option 2 is normally suitable for all nationals. Please see www.ox.ac.uk/students/visa for more visa and immigration information.
Option 2:
The online study option repeats the course structure exactly as outlined above, but instead of in-person day schools in Oxford, nearly all of the work you do will be through online media and resources, including pre-recorded lectures. Each of the first five terms is comprised of ten weekly units focusing on individual aspects of the writer’s craft. Term 6 has five units instead of ten, mirroring the in-person option above. Each weekly unit has:
- experiments and exercises in reading, critiquing and practical writing activities as well as lively group discussions in focused study forums wherein your tutor is an active participant;
- group discussions in forums centred on each other’s work. This is because the value of group activity as a catalyst for the creative imagination is a central tenet of the course.
There is a two-week residential summer school at the end of the first year of study, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to concentrate on living and working your craft. This is an integral part of the course. Please note accommodation is not included in the course fee.
The summer school is a vibrant culmination to your first year, allowing dedicated time and space for your writing. Sessions for the whole group are balanced by individual sessions shortly before or during the summer school which allow you to focus on areas of your choice. There is time set aside for uninterrupted writing, and guidance will be given, as a group and individually, about how best to focus your efforts during the summer vacation so that you can get the most out of your second year. Every day begins with a plenary lecture by a visiting speaker – most often these are professional writers in various media. There are eight two-hour in-person classes with your tutors one week, and seven in the other week. As well as your classes, you can spend your free time getting to know the world's most famous university city, visit Oxford’s outstanding museums and art galleries, gardens and enjoy tours of ‘literary/historical’ sites, concerts and theatre trips and so on in the evenings.
Throughout the course, whichever study option you take, you will be producing your own work (see below for more details). For each assignment, there is usually a one-to-one tutorial with a specialist in this type of writing, making an unrivalled opportunity for focused, developmental discussion of your own work in progress. Remember that you will need to devote a considerable amount of time to your writing outside the timetabled sessions — you should plan for at least 12 hours each week.
Course content
Year 1 teaching
The first term provides an introduction to the three main genres: prose, poetry and drama. From the outset you will be able to engage in practical activity and wide-ranging group discussions of aims, techniques and issues.
All good writers must first be skilled readers. Developing your strengths as a critical, intelligent reader allows you to consider and articulate the ways in which various kinds of writing work. In the second term, you can refine and develop your analytical skills with three weeks of Reading for Writers, followed by seven weeks of close attention to the structures and approaches of prose fiction.
The third term concentrates on how to address the challenges of writing poetry and stage drama.
Year 2 teaching
Year 2 allows you to consolidate and broaden the advances in skill, confidence and analytical ability you will have made in Year 1.
Term 4 provides in-depth concentration on short and long fiction, while Term 5 focuses on advanced Reading for Writers (three weeks) and further high-level consideration of the craft of poetry. Term 6 gives students up-to-the-minute experience of how to write broadcast drama.
Tutorials
Each term you will have two tutorials of around 45 minutes each. These one-to-one sessions allow time for concentrated appraisal of your work in progress, giving you feedback on the strengths of your work as well as those areas which may need improvement. The tutorials focus on work you have produced in relation to the genres studied during that term. This means that as early as Term 1 you have considerable freedom of choice to engage with prose, poetry or drama (though you should expect to engage with more than one category in that term). For those students pursuing Option 1 (in person) tutorials can be arranged in person or online; for those pursing Option 2 (online) all tutorials are online except for those at or around the summer school, where some will be online and others in-person, as circumstances permit.
Space for specialisation
At the end of both years you will be able to work more extensively in your own area of interest, producing a portfolio of around 6,000 words in the case of prose, or 30pp of drama, or around 300 lines of poetry. Your second-year portfolio is allocated four term weeks for concentrated attention, guided by a preliminary tutorial discussion of the content you are proposing, and a review tutorial on completion of the project.
Assessment
You will be assessed on:
- Two pieces of writing submitted each term. These are tied to that term’s seminar activities and are each expected to be about 2,000 words of prose, 15 pages of drama, or about 100 lines of poetry.
- The end-of-year portfolio submission, which will be around three times this length for prose and poetry, double this length for drama.
If you have not recently been involved in assessment of this kind, do not regard it as a barrier. Tutors and other specialist staff will be happy to offer advice and guidance at any time during the course.
IT requirements
To study at this level you are expected to have some IT skills, access to a computer and the internet. You will need to engage with the Virtual Learning Environment for course materials and use the Department’s online assignment submission system.
The computer you use should meet our recommended minimum computer specification.
Study skills
Before the start of the Michaelmas (autumn) term, we offer a Preparatory Study Skills course focusing on Academic Reading and Writing, which is free for students enrolled on our award-bearing courses. This can help students gain the confidence to read and follow academic assignment instructions and to respond to essay questions; and it discusses how to manage your time effectively, and how to locate and cite sources.
The Course Director and tutors will be able to help you with academic advice and support. In addition, there are academic literacy and academic English courses available to help you develop and improve the academic skills needed for effective study.
Teaching staff
Course Director
John Ballam is the author of two collections of poems, six stage plays, four screenplays, two novels and numerous reviews, articles and academic works. His best-known title is his memoir The Road to Harmony (1999; newest edn. 2013). He has been a script consultant/screenwriter for several major film producers in Hollywood, London and Mumbai. His latest work is a novel entitled The Mary House, published in NYC in 2019.
Tutors
Along with Dr Ballam, the teaching panel includes a number of experienced tutors – not only in their subject but in teaching adult students. They understand the learning needs of students returning to education and will be able to advise you on subject-based study skills throughout the course.
Contact information
If you have a query that is not answered by the information on this page, you may contact the Course Director, Dr John Ballam +44 (0)1865 280885 john.ballam@conted.ox.ac.uk
For general guidance, application and admissions advice, course specific information, or credit transfer: undergraduate@conted.ox.ac.uk, +44 (0)1865 270286.
For information about disability support or sources of funding: student.support@conted.ox.ac.uk, +44 (0)1865 280355.
How to apply
Click the 'Apply' button to request the online application link. We will email you the form and application guidance, usually by the next working day.
You should allow plenty of time to complete the application form and upload any supporting documents required. You should also allow sufficient time for your referee(s) to submit their reference by the application deadline.
You will need to upload the following documents as part of your application:
- a sample of your work: approximately 2000 words of prose fiction or dramatic dialogue, or about half a dozen poems
- a statement of between 300 and 400 words explaining why you wish to enrol on the course, and stating which pathway you are applying for.
- proof of English language ability if a non-native English speaker. Further information on English language requirements can be found here. Please note that candidates are required to have the higher-level score.
- contact details for one referee
Application deadlines
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12 February 2026, 12:00 GMT
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28 May 2026, 12:00 BST
Early application is advised. The sooner you submit your application, the sooner your place will be considered.
Referees
If possible, your referee should be able to comment on your academic ability and background, but where this is not appropriate, please choose a referee who can vouch for your motivation, commitment and potential. References from family members cannot be accepted.
Admissions decisions will be based on an assessment of knowledge, relevant experience, academic ability, potential and suitability for a course of study. We welcome applicants who may not hold traditional qualifications but can demonstrate relevant career experience or life skills.
Selection criteria
Even if a course has no specific academic entry requirements then: (a) assessment of an applicant’s academic ability and suitability for the course of study will still take place and (b) since applications for many courses often significantly exceed places available, each application will be judged against the gathered field of applicants for each course each year.
The University is committed to promoting diversity, equality, inclusion, and widening access, including during the admissions process. We fully endorse the Equality Policy and our admissions procedures are kept under regular review to ensure compliance with this policy.
Short-listed applicants will be invited for interview.
The final decision on admission to the course rests with the Department.
Please check the information on the specific English language requirements for this course. Applicants are required to have the higher level scores.
Award and credit transfer
An Undergraduate Diploma will be awarded on completion of the course. You will be invited to celebrate at the annual Awards Ceremony, held at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre.
Students who successfully complete this two-year course will be awarded an Oxford University Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing. The Diploma carries a Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) rating of 120 points at FHEQ Level 5. Outstanding performance will qualify for a Distinction.
Opportunities vary for the transfer of credit, so students who are considering taking this course in order to transfer credit are advised to discuss the possibilities with the Course Administrator on undergraduate@conted.ox.ac.uk or student.support@conted.ox.ac.uk.
Learn more about the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS points).
Fees
Fees for 2026-27 will be £4,095 (Home, Islands, and Republic of Ireland students) or £7,025 (Overseas students).
Please be aware that fees will usually increase annually.
Information for applicants from the EU, EEA and Switzerland
On 11 May 2021 the UK Council for International Student Affairs published new regulations and guidance to be used in assessing the fee status of students commencing courses in August 2021 and later. We will be using this guidance to carry out fee status assessments for students commencing courses in 2026/27 and later, including students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
If you are an EU national and do not live in the UK then you are likely to be charged Overseas fees. Students with settled and pre-settled status in the UK and some other categories of students who work in the UK can qualify for Home fee status as long as they meet the residence criteria.
Students from outside the UK/Republic of Ireland
If you are from outside the UK/Republic of Ireland, you will be classed either as an ‘Overseas’ or 'Islands' student.
Information on financial support can be found on our website here.
Financial Declaration
All undergraduate offer-holders are required to complete a Financial Declaration Form (FDF) to demonstrate how they will meet the financial conditions of admission. If you are offered a place on this course, you will be asked to complete this form. It demonstrates that you can, or are likely to be able to, afford the course, and must be accepted before you can be considered to have met the conditions of your offer.
Pathways
We offer many courses in English literature, creative writing and film studies, across various study formats and at different levels of study.
If you are planning on embarking on a new career as a result of your studies, or hope to progress in your current field, you can access help and advice through the University Careers Service.