Program summary
Program overview
Admission requirements
Program objectives
Program structure
Notes
Program requirements
Enquiries

Program summary

Award abbreviation: GDCWriting
Degree type: postgraduate on campus coursework program
Mode of study: internal
Duration: 1 year minimum full-time, 4 years maximum part-time
Fee type: domestic fee-paying places, international fee-paying places
Total courses: 8
Total units: 96
Commencement: Semester 1 or 2
Program code: AR614
CRICOS code: 058883C

Program overview

The Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing provides opportunities to:

• develop skills and conceptual understandings in contemporary creative and professional writing relevant to careers in the communications industry or other sectors utilising well-developed communications skills
• identify and evaluate audience to determine appropriate style of written communication and delivery
• examine trade novel conventions and reasons for economic success in a global market
• discuss ideas and stories with an established creative writer
• pursue a personal interest or specific project in creative writing, including the opportunity to undertake two production workshops to develop a creative work

Graduates will be familiar with relevant major academic disciplines and possess knowledge and skills in creative writing as well as competencies enabling them to work effectively across a range of jobs requiring strong writing skills. The program imparts knowledge and skills for literary writing and for communication generally, including audience identification, genre trends, and drafting, revising and editing techniques.

Additionally, graduates pursuing the Diploma for self-development will have a greater understanding of the creative writing genre, allowing them to pursue personal writing projects and opportunities.

Admission requirements

Candidates for this award are normally required to hold a Bachelor's degree or a relevant Graduate Certificate. To be eligible to undertake this degree, students must not have undertaken a previous degree or a major or minor in creative writing. Students cannot undertake any course in this degree that they have completed previously at an undergraduate level. Students who have completed a relevant Graduate Certificate may apply to receive advanced standing into this award for coursework components only. Entry by non-graduates who have extensive relevant industry experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Program objectives

The program's objectives, in accordance with the University's Graduate Attributes, strive to enable students to acquire the knowledge, skills and values that are characteristic of the students' chosen specialisation.

Achievement of the objectives pertaining to the students' areas of specialisation will result in graduates of high academic standard, capable of competing for employment in a chosen professional area, pursuing career development in that or other related areas and undertaking further postgraduate studies.

The Graduate Diploma is specifically designed to enable students to:

• demonstrate proficiency in areas of professional and creative writing
• discuss ideas and stories with an established creative writer
• identify and evaluate a particular audience, and develop the styles of written communication and modes of delivery accordingly
• identify the generic conventions of different forms of trade novels and outline the reasons for their economic success within a global market
• discuss contemporary culture and social outcomes/reactions of trends in popular fiction
• describe the generic conventions of different types of novels such as horror, romance, crime and science fiction
• analyse written and oral communications in order to identify and implement proper drafting, revising, and editing techniques
• apply skills developed in on-campus courses to specific workplace environments
• graduate and pursue further vocational studies and apply theoretically advanced approaches

Program structure

5 required courses:
CMN515 Introduction to Creative Writing
CMN538 Creative Writing D: Paperback Hero
CMN541 Production Workshop (Creative Writing 1)
CMN546 Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults
CMN560 Creative Writing B: Novel Ideas
Plus select 3 courses from:
AUS530 Talking History: Memory and the Past
AUS560 Coast to Coast: Mystery, Crime and Writing the City
AUS585 Wonderworlds
AUS591 Otherlands: Myths and Legends from Homer to Disney
CMN510 Australian Media Industries: Intro to Communication Studies
CMN512 Creative Event Management
CMN513 Editing for the Communications Professional
CMN528 The Writer and the Law
CMN533 Non-Fiction Writing for the Small Screen
CMN535 News Writing: Print and Broadcast
CMN547 Creative Writing for the Illustrated Book
CMN566 Creativity and Literature: Chaucer to Romantics
CMN567 Creativity and Literature: Victorians to Moderns
CMN571 Production Workshop (Creative Writing 2)
CMN574 Research Design: Methodology and Literature Review

Program requirements and notes

1. The Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing is a 96 unit program. Students must complete five compulsory specialist courses in creative writing.
2. The courses that constitute the Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing are existing undergraduate courses but are assessed at a higher level.
3. The Graduate Certificate articulates into the Graduate Diploma. Students who undertake 48 units in the Graduate Certificate, can apply those units to the Graduate Diploma.
4. The Graduate Diploma articulates into the Master of Communication. Students who undertake 96 units in the Graduate Diploma (must include CMN510 and CMN574 ) may apply those units to the Master of Communication.

Enquiries

Bruce Williams
Academic Adviser
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Tel: +61 7 5430 2857
Fax: +61 7 5430 2859
Email: bwillia4@usc.edu.au