Creative writing
Find your voice. Cultivate your craft. Make work that matters.
Study at St Andrews and become part of a thriving creative community. You will work with internationally renowned writers and develop your literary skills through close reading and discussion, group workshops and individual feedback.
You'll be part of the wider School of English, with its literary events, visiting writers and conversations about creative practice. And you'll be writing in St Andrews itself: a historic university town surrounded by beaches and coastal paths, with spaces to read, think and work – plus an international poetry festival on your doorstep.
The Creative Writing group at St Andrews was founded by poet Douglas Dunn in 1993. It is home to novelists, poets, non-fiction writers, playwrights and screenwriters. Current faculty includes winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the Forward Prize, the O. Henry Prize, the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize and many other awards.
Our alumni have gone on to publish novels, poetry, memoirs and other forms of creative work. They have pursued careers across writing, publishing, journalism, teaching and the wider creative industries.
Undergraduate
St Andrews does not currently offer a standalone Honours degree in Creative Writing. Students studying our English MA (hons) can, however, choose creative writing modules and receive instruction and mentorship in poetry, fiction and drama.
Postgraduate taught
Work towards a substantial portfolio of original poetry or prose on our Creative Writing MLitt, or develop your skills in writing for radio, theatre and screen with our Playwriting and Screenwriting MLitt.
Postgraduate research
Our MFA in Creative Writing and in Playwriting and Screenwriting offer an extended programme for writers who wish to develop a substantial body of creative work while deepening their literary and dramatic skills.
Your writing
At St Andrews, you’ll have the chance to develop your writing across different forms and discover where your interests and strengths lie. You’ll read widely and closely, learning how other writers experiment with voice, structure, narrative character and form, and applying those discoveries to your own work.
You’ll learn from established writers, who will help you strengthen your craft, challenge your assumptions and produce your very best work.
Our faculty
The work of our Creative Writing team spans novels, short stories, poetry, life writing, literary essays, travel writing, and drama for stage and screen. Members of the team have contributed to publications sush as The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Times, Harper's Magazine and The Paris Review, and their work has been recognised with major international prizes.
Where next?
Many of those who study Creative Writing at St Andrews go on to share their words with others. Some have published novels, memoirs and poetry, some have taken their writing into theatre, screen, journalism or other creative industries.
“The St Andrews Creative Writing Masters programme is life-changing. In close-knit, intimate group workshops and one-to-one tutorials, some of the country’s most acclaimed writers will go through your work word by word, offering thoughtful and incisive feedback. It’s often thrilling, sometimes nerve-wracking, and always enriching.
St Andrews will make you a sharper writer and a more attentive reader, and will give you the skills you need to get your writing out into the world.”
- Poetry critic for The Telegraph and author of Woodsong (2019), winner of the New Poets Prize
Awards
First in Scotland and second in the UK for English
The Complete University Guide 2027
First in Scotland and second in the UK for English
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026
First in Scotland and third in the UK for English
Guardian University Guide 2026
91% of research activity rated 3* or 4*
The most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021)
School of English
The School of English at the University of St Andrews has a long and distinguished history. Today, the School enjoys an international reputation as a centre for both academic research and literary creativity.
Visit St Andrews
If you’re interested in studying at St Andrews, join us at a visiting day or talk and tour to explore the town, find out about our courses and meet current students. You can also join us for one of our upcoming online events.
Studying in St Andrews
The University offers a variety of flexible entry options in order to allow all students, regardless of background or personal circumstances, to apply.
Scholarships and funding options are available at every level of study.
St Andrews has variety of accommodation options to suit all tastes and budgets.