Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA

The Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA is designed for those who want to turn their love of words and writing into a dynamic and fulfilling career. It will give you the skills, motivation, networks, and connections to work across a wide variety of industries – in publishing, journalism, public relations, advertising, as literary agents, copywriters, and copyeditors. It will also allow you to explore the history and future of writing and the writing industry from a variety of perspectives, and to develop your own interests and specialisms.

The course takes a broad, holistic view of writing because writing is not just about writing. It is about editing, about working with the words of others, and with other languages, it is about the reader, it is about the form into which the words are packaged. It is about essays and tweets, novels and headlines, criticism and advertising, prizes and publicity. As a result, the course brings together the combined expertise of English, Creative Writing, Media, Communication, and Film and Cultural Studies to offer a truly interdisciplinary MA.

In the course, you’ll examine the changing role of professional writing through historical and theoretical debates and examples of contemporary professional practice across languages. From the story of the book to multimedia journalism, your modules will allow you to develop your skills and interests in a range of relevant professional contexts. You’ll be taught through seminars, one-to-one and small group tutorials, practical sessions, and workshops, together with independent, student-directed study where you’ll develop your own project or special topic with the help of an expert mentor. You’ll work with academics, practitioners, and industry professionals to gain an understanding of vocational issues, practices, and concerns, and will build up a network of contacts and connections within your chosen industries.

On the Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA, you’ll undertake a work placement or internship of 550 hours, during a 12-month period, in a professional work environment of your choice. Although the University is not able to guarantee a placement, we will support you to find a suitable position that appeals to your interest and specialism. Whilst you are on placement, your professional work will be directed by a mentor/manager within the host organisation and an academic supervisor will conduct regular tutorials to facilitate critical, reflective learning. Upon successfully completing the module, you’ll achieve an extra 60 credits and will be awarded the Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA. For more detailed information about the course and work placement, please refer to the programme specification.

Top reasons to study with us

Boost your employability with a work placement in a professional work environment of your choice.

• Access to Westminster’s fantastic facilities and connections
• You’ll be part of the student-led anthology, the Wells Street Journal, where you’ll experience what managing an actual magazine involves
• Some of the lectures will be delivered from our central London campus, which means ready access to the capital's excellent academic, social, and cultural opportunities

Why study this course?

• Established connections - We have links with London’s pre-eminent cultural institutions (e.g. The V&A, Tate Modern, BBC, The Guardian) and literary organizations (The Republic of Consciousness Prize).
• Greater individual focus - The course will be taught by experts through small group teachings, one-to-one mentoring, and collaborative and solo work, leading to greater individual focus.
• Fantastic facilities - Access to state-of-the-art facilities – TV and radio stations, design studios, exhibition spaces, libraries, archives, cinema, and theatre.