MA Creative Writing and Publishing

At BU, this MA isn’t just about writing essays or reading theory — it’s built for you to write, publish, and collaborate in real‑life publishing contexts. The programme gives you access to publishing workflows, industry‑style projects, and a living campus environment with media and digital facilities, so you graduate with both craft and experience under your belt.

Here’s how the experiential learning plays out in concrete ways:

• Real‑life publishing with the university press — you get to work on actual publishing projects for BU’s own press, Fresher Publishing. That means you don’t just write: you publish. You may contribute to books, anthologies, or other media, getting direct experience of how editorial, design, production and marketing come together in publishing. Working on a live student literary magazine / journal — you’ll have opportunities to work on The Bournemouth Journal: editing, curating, writing, and helping produce content for a real publication. This gives a hands‑on sense of deadlines, team editing, content selection, and working to audience standards.

• Participation in writing competitions and associated publishing events — as a student you can take part in BU’s own writing competitions (such as The Bournemouth Writing Prize and New Media Writing Prize), and — for winning or shortlisted entries — see your work published or showcased. This gives you public‑facing validation of your work and experience in the competitive side of literary publishing. 

• Training in the full spectrum of publishing skills — from writing to design, marketing, and digital publishing — The course includes units like “Design, Editing and Publishing” and “Marketing & PR for Writers,” so you don’t only write: you learn the business and practical side of getting writing out to readers (editing, layout/design, marketing, PR), which is essential if you aim to publish professionally or independently. Collaborative and cross‑disciplinary projects — via co‑creation initiatives with other degree programmes (media, communications, maybe digital media), students collaborate on short films, interactive multimedia stories, even AI‑animated photographs. So if you like multimedia storytelling or want experience beyond pure writing — that’s possible. 

• Flexible learning formats — campus‑based or online, full‑time or part‑time — for many students, flexibility is key. BU offers multiple attendance options (in‑person or online; full‑ or part‑time), combining lectures, seminars, small-group workshops, and virtual sessions (for remote students), which gives room to manage work or other commitments alongside the MA.

• Access to campus facilities and student resources  when on campus at BU’s Talbot Campus, you have access to the university’s library (for research, literary and publishing references), and the central student and campus infrastructure. The environment supports both individual writing time and collaborative work, important for both creative work and preparation for publishing tasks.

Graduates of MA Creative Writing and Publishing often go into roles such as editor, content creator, publishing assistant, or writer — giving you a strong base for careers in publishing, media, marketing, or communications. With real‑world publishing experience and a polished writing portfolio by graduation, you’ll be well positioned to work for publishing houses, magazines, digital media platforms — or even as a freelance author/editor.

Future Progression & Opportunities:

• University services & real‑life experience: BU lets you work on real‑life publishing projects — for example contributing to BU’s own publication The Bournemouth Journal — which gives you a practical portfolio and hands‑on publishing experience. Skillset that employers value: You’ll develop strong creative‑writing skills across genres, as well as publishing‑industry skills such as editing, marketing, design, and production — making you versatile and able to adapt to different roles in publishing or media. 

• Opportunities to showcase work and network: Through participation in BU’s writing‑competitions such as The Bournemouth Writing Prize and New Media Writing Prize, you can get recognition, build connections in the writing community and boost your profile among potential employers or collaborators.

• Flexible formats and global perspective: The programme supports both on‑campus and online study, full‑time or part‑time — which means you could study while working or from abroad. The internationally diverse student cohort also helps build a global perspective and network. 

• Versatile career and long‑term value: The MA is designed to produce “flexible graduates” who can work in writing, publishing, journalism, public relations, advertising, or content creation — giving you several career pathways. 

• Early‑career employment outlook: According to available data, about 15 months after graduation, the median reported salary for this course was ~£24,000.

Potential Roles Graduates Might Get:

• Publishing Assistant / Editor / Copy Editor

• Content Writer / Author / Creative Writer (fiction, non‑fiction, digital media)

• Digital Content Creator / Social‑Media Content Manager / Communications Officer

• Public Relations or Marketing Assistant (especially in media/publishing)

• Freelance Writer / Independent Publisher / Self‑Publishing Author

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the MA, you could progress to further academic study — for example a PhD in Creative Writing, Literature, Publishing Studies, Media/Communications, or related fields if you’re interested in research, teaching, or academic writing. Alternatively, you might pursue shorter professional development courses (editing, publishing management, digital media marketing) to deepen specialized skills — or even combine your MA with industry internships or freelance work to build experience while exploring publishing, writing, or content‑creation careers.