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WHITIREIA

Porirua , Wellington Region ,New Zealand

Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing

Designed for experienced writers, you will work towards developing a manuscript – fiction, poetry, script or non-fiction – appropriate for submission to a publisher. Receive excellent mentoring and assessment from experienced writers and valuable feedback from workshopping with other students.

You can enrol on the Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing as a stand-alone one year, full-time diploma, or it can be credited towards the third year of the Bachelor of Applied Arts (Creative Writing).


Programme outline

Work with your tutor on:

  • craft and technique within your chosen genre 
  • strengthening the idea 
  • taking imaginative risk 
  • understanding the writing process 
  • planning and research 
  • reading and critique within your selected genre 
  • rewriting and editing 
  • knowledge and appreciation of the publishing/production process

The courses are delivered full-time over two trimesters and consist of one 15 credit course, two 30 credit courses and one 45 credit course.

Writing Process (30 credits) 
To assist writers to undertake the planning and development of a writing project

Writing Project: Workshop (30 credits)
To assist writers to strengthen their critiquing skills by analysing their peers’ work and a selection of works by published authors. To advance analytical skills necessary for developing the writer’s own work.

Writing Project: Manuscript (45 credits)
To consolidate technical and creative skills to produce a major writing project of a standard suitable to submit to a publisher.

Revising and rewriting (15 credits)
To develop analytical skill for the critique of a writer’s own work and revise work in response to critical analysis.

Our cross-genre classes provide a large amount of self-directed time for writing as well as structure and support for a first time manuscript writer. They are delivered as either a monthly weekend class or a weekly class. At the time of application these options will be discussed with you. 

Intakes

  • March
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

Application Processing Time in Days: 5

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

PSW Opportunity

  • During study, all students on a student visa can work up to 20 hours per week during semester and full time during vacations.
  • After completing Level 7 Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Qualification, a student will get a three years open post-study work visa.
  • After completing Level 8 Post Graduate courses of 1 year, students get 1 year PSW.