This programme is aimed at those who wish to develop their creative writing and enhance their understanding of creative writing as practice-led research; as such, it aligns creative work with a scholarly-informed critical reflection upon the creative process and its outcomes; it is designed to act as a stepping stone to the PhD but also serves as ideal preparation for those wishing to pursue careers in professional research, teaching or the creative industries; students are provided with the support and structure to enable them to work effectively not only as individual practitioners but as part of a community of students contributing to the rich research culture in the Department of Humanities; in this collaborative learning environment the emphasis is on students' own research programmes and the problems they encounter as they develop their projects; each student works on their own creative writing project throughout the year but are given additional taught sessions to provide a contextual framework for understanding how their work relates to broader issues and debates.