Creative Writing Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

Our PhD in Creative Writing offers committed and talented writers the opportunity to study creative writing at the highest level. For 2027, we are accepting applications to specialise in poetry only.

Join our community of writers and readers based in a UNESCO World City of Literature. Our creative writing team includes well-published and prize-winning writers of poetry and a dedicated Writer-in-Residence. They include:

* Dr Patrick Errington

* Dr Miriam Gamble

* Professor Alan Gillis

* Dr Jane McKie - Poetry

Find out more about the programme and our team

Supported by us, you will work independently towards the production of a substantial, publishable piece of creative writing (poetry), accompanied by a sustained exercise in critical study. 

The University is home to multiple groups and societies dedicated to publishing, reading and performing, as well as to discussion and debate. Our resources for the study and enjoyment of literature are exceptional.

Over the course of your PhD, you will write a manuscript consisting of two components:

* a creative component (75%)

* a critical component (25%)

Creative component

You will write a collection of poetry of a maximum of 75 pages.

Critical component

You will write an essay of approximately 20,000 to 25,000 words. This can take a number of forms, from traditional academic to critical-reflexive (in which you situate your creative project in a critical context).

It is important that your creative and critical components are sufficiently connected for your manuscript to form a coherent body of work.