Master of Professional Writing

The University of Waikato

Master degree

18 months

Processing time: 30 days

Full-time

Intakes: February, July

International tuition: NZ$52,665

Domestic tuition: NZ$11,758

The Master of Professional Writing (MPW) involves taking a core paper, designed specifically to enhance your workplace readiness, as well as elective papers which range across a variety of fields from creative writing to writing for promotional purposes and advertising, for digital media and for scholarly and professional publication. If creative writing is your passion, then you will have the opportunity to specialise in this. The Creative Writing Thesis gives selected students the option of producing a manuscript of publishable quality – whether poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction – in a stimulating and supportive workshop environment of fellow writers, and supervised by award-winning authors. The selection of students for the Creative Writing Thesis is by assessment of a portfolio of poetry and prose, and a manuscript proposal outlining the creative project. When studying towards the MPW you will be able to include a professional writing internship and be offered an on-campus writing mentor, who will provide professional advice and direct you towards writing opportunities.

This program can be done

On campus

Exams:

IELTS
PTE
TOEFL iBT

To be eligible to be considered for enrolment in the MPW, a student must have completed either: a) a bachelors degree (or equivalent) with at least a B grade average across the 300 level papers, or b) a bachelors degree with Honours (or equivalent) with at least second class honours (second division). Students must complete 180 points from approved 500 level papers, and either a 120 point thesis, a 90 point thesis, a 60 point dissertation, or a 30 point dissertation. Candidates for the Creative Writing thesis are selected on the basis of assessment of a portfolio of work. For the latest information about admission requirements please refer to the catalogue of papers. If you have any questions and need more advice contact one of our friendly student advisors phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4080 or email: wfass@waikato.ac.nz.

MPW graduates will have excellent transferable skills in devising, producing and editing text. If you include a formal internship in your programme of study or take up the option of informal professional mentoring, you will make connections in the professional writing community, and enhance your CV with relevant work experience. Potential careers include editing, long-form researched journalism, policy analysis and policy writing, report writing, script writing, speech writing, teaching, website content editing, writing for digital and broadcast media, writing for stage and screen, writing for travel and tourism and writing for public relations and marketing. Potential employers include biotechnology industries; cultural sector/arts organisations; energy provision sector; higher education sector; libraries and archives; local and district councils; manufacturing and technology; national government, NGOs; non-profit and philanthropic sector; primary industries; print and digital news media; publishing industry; telecommunications; theatre, film and broadcast media production houses; transport, tourism and travel.

Hamilton , New Zealand