course OVERVIEW
Complete a Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAppA) majoring in Creative Writing, within the highly regarded Arts Faculty at Whitireia. If you're serious about writing, this degree will help develop your skills to produce a publishable manuscript by the end of year three.
You can enrol for the Bachelor of Applied Arts (Creative Writing)
* beginning in year one, full-time
* beginning in year one, part-time
* in some cases, beginning directly in year two or three if you are eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Course outline
Year one
• Work in short fiction, scriptwriting, poetry, and non-fiction; and discover where your strengths and interests lie. You can complete this on campus or online.
• On campus classes for year one of the degree are held between 9.00am and 3.00pm, 4 days per week. One day is a self-study day.
• The exit qualification for year one is the Diploma in Creative Writing (on-campus) or Diploma in Creative Writing (online)
• See the Diploma in Creative Writing (on-campus) or the Diploma in Creative Writing (online) for more information about year one.
Year two
• Focus on your selected genre, and create a first draft manuscript, working in a workshop environment and with a reader.
• Classes are held either over weekends (for writing a novel) or during weekly workshops for other genres. You’ll receive regular ongoing support but will need to be self-motivated.
• The exit qualification for year two is the Diploma in Creative Writing (Advanced).
• See the Diploma in Creative Writing (Advanced) for more information about year two.
Year three
• Research and create a major body of work suitable for submission to a publisher or equivalent, again working in a workshop environment and with a reader.
• Classes are held either over weekends (for writing a novel) or during weekly workshops for other genres. You’ll receive regular ongoing support but will need to be self-motivated.
• See the Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing for more information about year three.
entry requirements
Based on samples of your writing and an interview. For example, it may be a technical report or a collection of poems. Send work which shows your writing experience and represents you as a writer. You also need to send in a CV and covering letter.
Applicants for the Bachelor of Applied Arts (Creative Writing) need to meet the Whitireia Degree Entry Requirements.
Overseas students must meet the above criteria plus have IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
All applicants are interviewed; applicants from outside Wellington may be interviewed by phone/Skype. Interviews are held from late November through to January.
Students say....
A couple of years ago I decided to pursue writing more seriously and while it has been a pretty big change in terms of career it's exciting to have the opportunities that have come my way. I don’t think I could ever have got to this point without the tutoring and mentoring offered on the programme. For me it's a case of getting stuck into the projects I'm working on and continuing to develop the craft of writing. Ness Simons, BAppA and one of the winners of the New Zealand Film Commission’s First Writers’ Initiative
What I've really enjoyed about the last two years of the course is having the freedom to write most of the week rather than being in class, but also having the actual deadlines so the writing has to get done. This is a general comment for anyone who has just come out of Film School or wants to eventually make films - do this course. It’s a great way to both learn to write and make films in your spare time without having to work full time in a non-industry related job. And when you come out of it at the end, you’ve written one or two full features (something you need to have done to apply for Seed Development funding from the New Zealand Film Commission). It can be really hard to actually finish something when you're just starting out; this course has shown us how to get past the various road blocks and get things not only finished, but rewritten to the best they can be. Rebecca Barnes, selected for the Short Film Lab and the Emerging Artists Trust screenwriting workshop 2011, and winner in Radio NZ’s short play competition 2010
Read work by current and former students in the 4th Floor Literary Journal.
further information
Frequently Asked Questions about the Bachelor of Applied Arts (Creative Writing)
Overview of Creative Writing Programme
Diploma in Creative Writing [delivered on-campus]
Diploma in Creative Writing [delivered online]
Diploma in Creative Writing (Advanced)
Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing
Whitireia Writing Programme Success Stories