The Professional Writing MA is designed for those who want to turn their love of words and writing into a dynamic and fulfilling career. It will give you the skills, motivation, networks and connections to work across a wide variety of industries – in publishing, journalism, public relations, advertising, as literary agents, copywriters and copyeditors. It will also allow you to explore the history and future of writing and the writing industries from a variety of perspectives, and to develop your own interests and specialisms.Professional Writing takes a broad, holistic view of writing, because writing is not just about writing. It is about editing, about working with the words of others and with other languages, it is about the reader, it is about the form into which the words are packaged. It is about essays and tweets, novels and headlines, criticism and advertising, prizes and publicity. As a result, the course brings together the combined expertise of English, Creative Writing, Media, Communication, and Film and Cultural Studies to offer a truly interdisciplinary MA.On the course you'll examine the changing role of professional writing through historical and theoretical debates and examples of contemporary professional practice across languages. From the story of the book to multimedia journalism, your modules will allow you to develop your skills and interests in a range of relevant professional contexts. You'll be taught through seminars, one-to-one and small group tutorials, practical sessions and workshops, together with independent, student-directed study where you'll develop your own project or special topic with the help of an expert mentor. You'll work with academics, practitioners and industry professionals to gain an understanding of vocational issues, practices and concerns, and willbuild up a network of contacts and connections within your chosen industries.Careers:Graduates will have the knowledge, skills and experience to work in a variety of positions within and beyond the literary and arts sectors, including in publishing, journalism, public relations, advertising, as literary agents, or as copywriters and copyeditors.You'll graduate from the course ready to enter or re-enter the job market with a wealth of experience and knowledge, equipped to challenge and diversify the literary and creative industries and shape the future of writing.Job roles:This course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:CopywriterCopyeditorProofreaderJournalistLiterary agentPublic Relations PractitionerAdvertising ProfessionalPublishing Professional
