The University of Galway, also known as National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), is a public research university located in Galway, Ireland. It was founded in 1845 as Queen's College, Galway, and became a constituent college of the National University of Ireland in 1908.

The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various disciplines, including arts, business, law, medicine, engineering, and science. NUIG is known for its strengths in research, particularly in the areas of biomedicine, environmental science, and human rights.

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This new course builds and expands on over a decade’s worth of experience in directing and fostering undergraduate talent specifically in Creative Writing at University of Galway. It provides a unique opportunity for students with an aptitude and passion for literary expression, and in keeping with the principle that ‘writers learn to write by writing’, the emphasis throughout is on practice-based learning and experience. You will study and practice all the major genres of Creative Writing: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Playwriting, Screenwriting. Within these broader genres, you will be helped discover, experiment with and strengthen your own individual strands of interest. During the course, your developing concentration on your own creative practice is paralleled by a focus on the practical imperatives and industry requirements in the many established and emerging writing-related fields. From the very start during your first year, a speaker from the writing professions visits the class each week for discussions, Q & A and informal conversation. This will help you begin to actively engage with the everyday routines and rhythms of writing-related professionals of all kinds. With your expanding knowledge of what it takes to write at a high level, by the end of second year you will be ready to embark on a third year that provides for a 100% focus on your personal Creative Writing project(s). By the end of this specialism year, students on the course have developed advanced drafts of, for instance, novels of various kinds, collections of stories and/or flash fiction, poetry collections, plays, screenplays, essay collections, podcast scripts. You decide on your creative direction and project focus for the year, and then we will engage with your ideas and provide the teaching, mentorship and all-in guidance to help you fulfil your vision for your work. Then, as you complete your studies in English and one other subject during your fourth and final year, you will build further on your third-year project(s) through modules that concentrate on further professionalisation, publication planning, social and public platforms and the various ways now of getting yourself and your writing out there. Show less

Year 1
You will study Creative Writing, English, and one other Arts subject. The focus in Creative Writing will be on the practice of Fiction and Nonfiction, and there will also be a weekly visiting-speaker series.

Year 2
You will study Creative Writing, English, and your other chosen Arts subject. For Creative Writing, second year concentrates on the writing of Poetry, Plays and Screenplays.

Year 3
Your Creative Writing work will be the exclusive focus, through mentored independent project(s) and/or study abroad and/or work placement. While mentorship with professional writers is the prime work experience for our Creative Writing students, other forms of work placement are possible. Your third year provides a major opportunity for guided self-directed learning, and your can discuss your plans and prospects in advance with your course director and/or mentor. If you are studying a language with English and Creative Writing, you may avail of an exchange at an EU university, and the Creative Writing study path you take while abroad will be planned in advance. Non-language students may also avail of an exchange with an English-speaking university abroad, most typically in the USA or Canada.

Year 4
Completion of your studies in Creative Writing, English and your other subject. For Creative Writing, your classes will centre on project and portfolio consolidation, professionalisation and publication planning.

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The National University of Ireland Galway, commonly known as University of Galway or simply NUI Galway, is a public research university located in Galway, Ireland. It was founded in 1845 as Queen's College Galway and became a university in 1908. NUI Galway is one of Ireland's leading universities, with a strong focus on research and innovation, and a reputation for excellence in teaching and learning. The university has five colleges - Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies; Business, Public Policy and Law; Engineering and Informatics; Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences; and Science. NUI Galway offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines, including humanities, social sciences, science and technology, medicine, nursing, and business. NUI Galway is known for its research excellence, with particular strengths in areas such as biomedical science, environmental science, humanities and social sciences, and information technology. The university has several research institutes and centers focused on these areas, and has established partnerships with leading research institutions around the world. The university is located on a beautiful campus on the banks of the River Corrib, just a short walk from the vibrant city center of Galway. With its lively cultural scene, excellent restaurants and pubs, and easy access to the stunning natural beauty of the west coast of Ireland, Galway is a popular destination for students from around the world.

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You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

How to book:

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it

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