Professional Writing with Extended Work Placement MA
London, United Kingdom
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Jul 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
Request tuition fees
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international | UK: £9,700
Open Days at University of Westminster
Undergraduate Open Day 23 November 2024/ Postgraduate Online Open Day 26 February 2025
Introduction
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.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.
There is a range of funding available that may help you fund your studies, including Student Finance England (SFE).
Curriculum
Course structure
Your placement or internship will be a sandwich element in addition to the taught component of the course. You'll complete your dissertation or project after the end of the placement.
You'll be expected to secure your own placement or internship by the end of the second semester and will be fully supported by the course team and the Career Development Centre in doing so. During the first semester, a series of coaching sessions will support you in making applications and regular tutorials throughout the placement ensure contact with the course team. Placements or internships need to be 550 hours (minimum) in a professional work environment in a context related to professional writing.
If a placement cannot be secured, you’ll be transferred to the MA Professional Writing.
The following modules are indicative of what you'll study on this course.
Core modules
- Extended Work Placement
- The Story and the Book
- The Writing Business
- Working with the Words of Others
- MA Dissertation or Professional Writing Project
Option modules
- English Worldwide
- Digital Magazine Publishing
- Mapping and Imagining the City: Non-Fiction and Poetic Writing
- Multi-Media Journalism Skills
- Persuasion, Propaganda and Influence
- Podcast Production
- The Small Press and Professional Writing
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
This course is intended to move you to a new level in your career as a writer. You’ll be taking an Extended Work Placement module, where you’ll do a placement or internship of a minimum of 550 hours in a professional work environment of your choice. It will help you develop sophisticated critical, creative, and professional skills, much sought-after in the highly competitive world after graduation.
You’ll be encouraged to network with your tutors, coursemates, and other writers and identify useful opportunities for career development, through seminars, workshops, tutorials, and group discussions. The critical and practical skills you’ll acquire by the end of the course will make you a strong candidate in areas like copy editing, copywriting, freelance writing, journalism, publishing, public relations, advertising, literary agencies, and many more.
The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.
Job roles
This course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:
- Copywriter
- Copyeditor
- Proofreader
- Journalist
- Literary agent
- Public Relations Practitioner
- Advertising Professional
- Publishing Professional
Program Leaders
Program delivery
Course Location
Our Regent Campus is composed of three sites, situated on and around one of the most famous and vibrant streets in London. Our Humanities and some of the Social Science subjects are based at 309 Regent Street, which includes recently refurbished social spaces, gym facilities and our Regent Street Cinema. Westminster Law School resides at Little Titchfield Street. Alongside a full mock courtroom, hi-tech learning spaces and a pro-bono clinic, it also houses our state-of-the-art, 382-seat lecture theatre.