Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing)
Student type:
Quick facts
- Entry score
-
Duration Full-time 3 years
-
Location Melbourne City
-
Fees
-
Next intake February, July
-
Entry score
IELTS 6.5
-
Duration Full-time 3 years
-
Location Melbourne City
-
Fees
AU$28,800 (2018 annual)
-
Next intake February, July
Program brochure
Create a personalised brochure
Overview
In this program you’ll be surrounded by a group of passionate writers of different levels and experience, led by lecturers who are skilled industry practitioners.
You’ll become an adaptable creative writing professional by learning the skills to adjust to a constantly changing industry. Your flair for creative expression will be complemented by becoming proficient in the business side of writing, allowing you to understand the publishing process as well as learn the skills required to become a freelance writer.
With a strong emphasis on industry connections, you will develop a large network of relationships throughout the program, maximising your opportunities to gain employment upon graduation.
Graduates in this program can expect to work in a variety of roles, including working as writers, editors, publishers, screenwriters, or screen producers.
Details
You will learn how to develop your creative, critical and professional skills as a creative writer in a range of environments including workshops, studios and seminars. You’ll undertake individual projects and work in teams.
Our key staff are authors, screenwriters, essayists, playwrights, reviewers and researchers. They work across online, screen and print writing platforms, and integrate their creative practice with a dedication to teaching and research.
This program offers guest lectures and master classes taken by industry professionals from Australia and around the world. The work you produce will be assessed by peers, guests and you will receive feedback from industry practitioners.
You’ll also have the opportunity to work in studios with students from other communication disciplines to work together on projects such as short films and book production.
Internships and work placements are offered as part of the program to help you develop connections to the industry while you study.
All programs are delivered in English. You can access online and digital resources through the myRMIT student portal. Additional assistance is available from the RMIT Study and Learning Centre.
This program has close ties with Hachette, Hardie Grant Books, Film Victoria, Allen and Unwin, Channel Seven, Text Publishers, Melbourne Writers Festival, Emerging Writers Festival, Sleepers Publishing and leading literary journals such as Griffith REVIEW, Overland, The Lifted Brow and Kill Your Darlings.
You will have the opportunity to meet and engage with guest lecturers and writers-in-residence to gain insight into the world of writing and possibilities of production and publication.
RMIT University is committed to providing you with an education that strongly links formal learning with professional or vocational practice.
You will have the opportunity to participate in overseas student exchange and volunteer for events that expose you to local and international writing opportunities and industry professionals. RMIT’s Creative Writing programs have links with many leading Creative Writing programs in North America and Asia, which students can take advantage of.
In 2014 a number of writing students had the opportunity of participating in the Writers Immersion Cultural Exchange (WrICE) when they visited Singapore and Penang, Malaysia. Prestigious WrICE Student Fellowships are currently offered each year.
Creative writing studios
Each semester, you’ll be immersed in a new creative writing Studio. Across the three years of the program, these Studios will take you from the foundations of creative writing practice to the production of a major folio of work in your chosen form of creative writing. Studios will enable students to learn and apply the forms of four key genres: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction and Screenwriting, in the context of their histories and the work of leading contemporary practitioners.
You will then be able to choose which genres you would like to focus upon to explore in more detail. You will apply your writing and professional skills in collaborative and real-world industry contexts, as well as develop your own individual career vision.
Contextual studies
You will study one of five contextual strands as part of your degree program. The five contextual strands are: Asian Media and Culture; Cinema Studies; Politics Economies Communication; Literary Studies; Approaches to Popular Culture.
Electives
Creative Writing students can also take advantage of a rich choice of electives offered in the School of Media and Communication, as well as from across the University. You can pursue studies in your areas of interest including screen production, games, journalism, editing, advertising and design, as well as choose from a range of specialist creative writing electives.
Choose a program structure
Title | Location | Duration | Plan code | CRICOS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) | City Campus |
3 years (6 semesters) full-time
|
3 years (6 semesters) full-time
|
BP257 | 065130G |
Choose a program structure
Program code: BP257
Career
Typically there are three broad areas of work in the creative writing industry:
- writing for publication in print and online media
- writing for screenplay and script development
- writing for and about education and other research fields.
There are increasing opportunities arising in online and mobile media platforms through interactivity, games and apps as well as emerging opportunities for self-employment through ebooks and ezines, and self-publication via the internet. There are also career opportunities resulting from emerging trends such as boutique publishing.
The writing industry is a constantly changing and competitive environment as more and more people want to create their own work and see it published. Local and international projects and events are well supported through government and private funding.
This program will prepare you for roles such as:
- writer
- editor
- publisher
- events/festival manager with writing focus
- screenwriter
- screen producer.
There are opportunities to go onto further studies in Creative Writing, through RMIT's highly regarded Honours, Masters and PhD programs in the School of Media and Communication, in which students can choose to undertake research through creative practice, linked to internationally recognised research groups such as the nonfictionLab and Screen Cultures.
Admissions
You must have successfully completed an Australian Year 12 (or equivalent senior secondary school qualification) with a minimum 65% average (check calculator below).
Equivalent qualifications may also include completion of the RMIT Foundation Studies program or a recognised post secondary diploma in the relevant discipline with the required grades.
Meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee entry. Your application will still need to be assessed and accepted.
Entry requirements
Semester 2, 2018
You must complete and submit the Creative Writing selection kit as part of your RMIT direct application by no later than 5pm Wednesday 11 July, 2018*. Once you submit your online application, you will be prompted to complete the selection kit.
*Kits will be assessed in the order they are received until this date unless places are filled prior
Applicants who have successfully completed the Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing with a GPA of at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) or the Advanced Diploma of Professional Screenwriting with a GPA of at least 3.5 (out of 4.0) are guaranteed entry and are not required to complete the selection kit. Applicants who are not certain of their final GPA are advised to complete the selection kit for consideration.
Selection kit
The selection kit requires:
- a statement outlining your interests and background in creative writing, reading and/or film analysis, and how this has prepared you for this program including and relevant work experience in creative writing or a related field (maximum 500 words).
- a statement outlining your approach to creative writing, which may include reference to ideas and theories that inform your practice and future writing ambitions (maximum 500 words).
- Three to four different pieces of creative writing. This can be a combination of fiction or non-fiction, prose, poetry, script, essay (maximum 3000 words in total).
You must collate all of your responses, including sample writing pieces, in a single PDF.
To study this program you will need to complete one of the following English proficiency tests:
- IELTS (Academic): minimum overall band of 6.5 (with no individual band below 6.0)
- TOEFL (Paper Based Test): minimum score of 580 (TWE 4.5)
- TOEFL (Internet Based Test - IBT): minimum overall score of 92 (with minimum of 20 in all sections)
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) (PTE (A)): minimum score of 58 (with no communication band less than 50)
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): minimum of 176 with no less than 169 in any component.
For detailed information on English language requirements and other proficiency tests recognised by RMIT, visit English language requirements and equivalency information.
Don't meet the English language test scores? Complete an Advanced Plus Certificate at RMIT English Worldwide.
Pathways
Graduates of these programs may be eligible for exemptions:
- Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing
- Advanced Diploma of Screenwriting.
Fees
All undergraduate and honours degrees have Commonwealth supported places (CSP) available.
In a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), your tuition fees are subsidised by the Australian Government. Your share of the fee (student contribution) is set each year by the government and is determined by the discipline areas (bands) of your individual enrolled courses, not the overall program.
As a CSP student, you may be eligible to apply for a HECS-HELP loan, which allows you to defer payment of up to 100% of your student contribution.
Learn more about fees for undergraduate study.
How much can I expect to pay for my Commonwealth supported place?
Courses (subjects) fall into one of three bands. The band determines the student contribution amount for the course.
Amounts listed in the table below are based on a standard, full-time study load (96 credit points per year) with all courses in the same band. A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load or for enrolment in courses (subjects) from a combination of bands.
You can learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees for units from different bands at Fees for Commonwealth supported students.
Maximum student contribution amount for Commonwealth supported places in 2018
Student contribution band by course (subject) | Maximum annual student contribution amount in 2018 |
---|---|
Band 1: humanities, behavioural science, social studies, clinical psychology, foreign languages, visual and performing arts, education, nursing | $6,444 per standard year $805 per standard (12 credit point) course |
Band 2: mathematics, statistics, computing, built environment, other health, allied health, science, engineering, surveying, agriculture | $9,185 per standard year $1,148 per standard (12 credit point) course |
Band 3: law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, dentistry, medicine, veterinary science |
$10,754 per standard year $1,344 per standard (12 credit point) course |
HECS-HELP
The Australian Government provides financial assistance via the HECS-HELP loan scheme, which allows eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) to defer payment of up to 100% of their student contribution.
How does a HELP loan work?
If your HECS-HELP and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to 100% of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.
You will only start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is set each year by the Australian Government (this also applies if you are still studying).
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.
For more information about loan repayment options see Commonwealth assistance (HELP loans) or Study Assist.
In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student.
The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2018 is $298.
You may be eligible to apply to defer payment of the SSAF through the SA-HELP loan scheme. If you use SA‑HELP, the amount will be added to your accumulated HELP debt.
For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.
You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.
The total indicative tuition fee for 2018 commencement is AU$91,200.
In addition to tuition fees you also need to pay for:
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) in each calendar year.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) - Student visa holders must have cover for the total duration of their visa.
- Some programs incur additional expenses.
You also need to account for your living expenses. Estimate the cost of living in Melbourne.