Be both a creative writer and a publisher. Customise your studies and prepare yourself for work in these increasingly entwined growth industries.
Our Cambridge Writing Centre is dedicated to sharing knowledge in the field of creative writing. It organises public-facing events for our staff, students and alumni, whose widely-published work – from novels and short stories to poetry and criticism – spans multiple genres.
Find out more about our Cambridge Writing CentreAlready have an ARU degree? You may be eligible for our Alumni Scholarship for students starting postgraduate courses.
Whether you want to join the traditional publishing industry, establish your own small press or set up a single-author imprint for your own novels, this Masters degree will help you meet your ambitions.
Taught in Cambridge, our MA is the only Creative Writing and Publishing course in the East of England and has been taken by many successful published writers.
It offers you an opportunity to develop your fiction writing in a supportive environment, while gaining key insights into publishing practice and international and digital rights.
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Jan graduated from our MA Creative Writing in 2010, and has since published four historical fiction novels through Aria (Bloomsbury), with a fifth to be released in 2024.
Find out how our course helped JanMA Creative Writing alumnus Leigh will publish her second novel Alice & Iris in June 2025. The book was shortlisted for the 2019 Bath Novel Award, and longlisted for the 2019 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award.
Find out more about Leigh’s workFind out how our creative writing degrees helped alumnus Jade land a role as Creative Content Manager for Scouts.
Read Jade’s spotlight interviewAlumnus Megan talks about how studying creative writing helped her career in marketing, and grew her confidence in sharing her writing.
ARU Spotlight Podcast: Megan HerdsonWriting Lecturer Jon talks about poetry in the digital age and the importance of communities for creative writing.
ARU Spotlight Podcast: Jon StoneScreenwriting Lecturer Toby talks about his creative work, including BAFTA-winning Netflix horror film ‘His House’.
ARU Spotlight Podcast: Toby VenablesAs a postgraduate student at ARU you’ll be able to:
Join our postgraduate student community and:
Our Creative Showcase shines a spotlight on what makes ARU creative and cultural – our spaces, places and people. Find out more about our community, the difference we make, the stories we tell, and the things that inspire us. You can also explore the work of our graduating students in our digital graduate showcase.
Senior Lecturer Practitioner
Royal Literary Fund Fellow
Our Masters degree in Creative Writing and Publishing will prepare you for employment in whichever aspect of the writing and publishing industries most interests you.
You’ll develop transferable academic and professional skills, including self-reflection, critical analysis and working to briefs and deadlines. You’ll also gain the research skills needed to produce creative work, professional publishing documents and critical writing.
MA Creative Writing students with successful writing careers include Costa Short Story Award winner Caroline Ward Vine, Guinevere Glasfurd, Penny Hancock and Natalya Anderson.
Our publishing graduates also have a track record of success, with most now in careers at companies such as Bloomsbury, Wiley Capstone, Pearson, Cambridge University Press and Macmillan.
Graduation doesn’t have to be the end of your time with us. You could choose to continue your academic career with a research programme at ARU such as our PhD Creative Writing or PhD Publishing. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and save £400 on your fees.
If you studied for the Postgraduate Certificate initially, you can choose to complete further modules and top-up to a full Masters degree.
“I’ve realised I’ve always loved stories – whether it’s reading or writing – because it’s a chance to make a connection with someone else. I’m not alone.”
MeganMA Creative Writing
Megan's storyDo you have a question that we haven't answered so far? Talk to our application experts. You can also ask our Student Ambassadors about life at ARU.
We're here Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm (please note we close at 3.30pm on the first and third Thursday of the month for staff training), and Friday 9am-4.30pm.
Our friendly, bustling campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.
Explore our Cambridge campus Did you know...? Facts about Cambridge Watch: Our CambridgeImprove your employability, progress in your career, and take on an intellectual challenge with our flexible postgraduate degrees.
Postgraduate study at ARU