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Queen's University Belfast: English - Poetry
| Institution | Queen's University Belfast View institution profile |
|---|---|
| Department | School of Arts, English and Languages |
| Web | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ |
| askahss@qub.ac.uk | |
| Study type | Taught |
Summary
Poetry is, quite simply, the activity for which Queen’s University is best known around the world. Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney was both a student and lecturer here at Queen’s, and other famous poet-alumni of the university include Ciaran Carson, Paul Muldoon and Medbh McGuckian. Heaney was a founding member of the famous ‘Belfast Group’ in the 1960s, a forum in which young poets came together with critics to discuss their work and the craft of good poetry more generally. The fruitful interaction of creative and critical activity is at the heart of what this unique MA offers.
Drawing on our long-standing reputation for producing distinguished critics and poets, this programme's creative-critical intersections make it suitable for a new generation of poets and critics alike. Students will be joining an academic environment with a world-leading expertise in the critical appreciation, writing, and understanding of modern poetry.
As a poetry student you can choose to follow either a critical or a creative pathway, or a combination of the two. Students who follow a critical pathway will be joining an academic environment with a long-standing reputation for the critical appreciation, reception and understanding of modern poetry. Poets who come to develop their own creative writing have the unique opportunity of working with some of Ireland's most renowned poets.
MA
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University either in English, or in Comparative or World Literature, or in Creative Writing; or joint or combined Honours with English, Literature, or Creative Writing as a major subject. In addition, applicants are required to submit a sample of literary-critical written work (e.g. an essay on literature completed as part of an undergraduate degree), and, for those who also wish to pursue creative assessment options, a sample of 8-10 poems/pages of poetry, which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. Applicants who wish to pursue creative writing-only assessment normally require a 2.2 Honours degree (with a minimum of 55%) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in any discipline and are required to submit a sample of original written work (8-10 poems/pages of poetry) which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. Exceptions may be made in the case of applicants with a strong track record of publication, prize-winning, or relevant professional experience. The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB for more information. |
| Location | Main Site University Road Belfast BT7 1NN |
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University either in English, or in Comparative or World Literature, or in Creative Writing; or joint or combined Honours with English, Literature, or Creative Writing as a major subject. In addition, applicants are required to submit a sample of literary-critical written work (e.g. an essay on literature completed as part of an undergraduate degree), and, for those who also wish to pursue creative assessment options, a sample of 8-10 poems/pages of poetry, which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. Applicants who wish to pursue creative writing-only assessment normally require a 2.2 Honours degree (with a minimum of 55%) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in any discipline and are required to submit a sample of original written work (8-10 poems/pages of poetry) which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. Exceptions may be made in the case of applicants with a strong track record of publication, prize-winning, or relevant professional experience. The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB for more information. |
| Location | Main Site University Road Belfast BT7 1NN |
Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University either in English, or in Comparative or World Literature, or in Creative Writing; or joint or combined Honours with English, Literature, or Creative Writing as a major subject. In addition, applicants are required to submit a sample of literary-critical written work (e.g. an essay on literature completed as part of an undergraduate degree), and, for those who also wish to pursue creative assessment options, a sample of 8-10 poems/pages of poetry, which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. Applicants who wish to pursue creative writing-only assessment normally require a 2.2 Honours degree (with a minimum of 55%) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in any discipline and are required to submit a sample of original written work (8-10 poems/pages of poetry) which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. Exceptions may be made in the case of applicants with a strong track record of publication, prize-winning, or relevant professional experience. The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB for more information. |
| Location | Main Site University Road Belfast BT7 1NN |
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University either in English, or in Comparative or World Literature, or in Creative Writing; or joint or combined Honours with English, Literature, or Creative Writing as a major subject. In addition, applicants are required to submit a sample of literary-critical written work (e.g. an essay on literature completed as part of an undergraduate degree), and, for those who also wish to pursue creative assessment options, a sample of 8-10 poems/pages of poetry, which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. Applicants who wish to pursue creative writing-only assessment normally require a 2.2 Honours degree (with a minimum of 55%) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in any discipline and are required to submit a sample of original written work (8-10 poems/pages of poetry) which will be assessed to determine if an offer of admission can be made. Exceptions may be made in the case of applicants with a strong track record of publication, prize-winning, or relevant professional experience. The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB for more information. |
| Location | Main Site University Road Belfast BT7 1NN |
Queen's University Belfast, ranked in the top 200 in the world (QS World University Rankings 2026) is based in Belfast, at the heart of Northern Ireland.
Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast it became an independent university in 1908 and is the ninth oldest university in the UK. Today, Queen’s University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos.
Queen’s is ranked 6th in the world for international outlook (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025) and 13th in the UK for research intensity (Complete …
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