Does the Diploma in Creative Writing focus on fiction, poetry or non-fiction?

All three are taught in the first half of the course; you specialise in the second half. The final portfolio is normally weighted toward your specialism but most students leave with work in at least two forms.

How does workshop critique work on the Diploma in Creative Writing?

Workshops follow the protocols used at major UK writing programmes — written feedback in advance, structured discussion led by tutor, author silent until summary. The aim is honest, useful critique that respects the writer's intent.

Can the Diploma in Creative Writing be done online?

Yes. The online route runs live workshops over video and uses the same critique protocols as on-campus. Distance learners follow a self-paced schedule with regular tutor checkpoints. Final portfolio standards are the same across all three modes.

Will the Diploma in Creative Writing get me an agent or a publisher?

No qualification can promise that. The Diploma in Creative Writing builds the craft, portfolio and industry literacy that put a writer in a position to be considered — submission, editor and agent meetings remain on the writer. Several recent graduates have signed with UK agents.

Do I need previously published work to take the Diploma in Creative Writing?

No. A 1,000–2,000 word writing sample is required at application; previously published work is welcome but not expected. Many Diploma in Creative Writing students enter with serious unpublished work and leave with publishable pieces.

Diploma in Creative Writing in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Diploma in Creative Writing at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a nine-to-twelve-month UK qualification for writers ready to take their craft seriously — across fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction. You will write every week, give and receive structured workshop critique, and finish the course with a portfolio you could submit to an agent, a literary magazine or a Master's programme.

This is craft taught as craft. Workshops follow the protocols major UK writing programmes use, set readings are chosen for what they teach the writer, and the work you produce is read with the seriousness it deserves.

Key Features

UK Level 4 qualification in creative writing — nine to twelve months full-time.
Three-form structure — fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction.
Workshop critique modules using protocols from major UK writing programmes.
Reading-as-a-writer modules — close study of contemporary and twentieth-century writers.
Industry-led masterclasses from working novelists, poets, agents and editors.
Final portfolio — a substantial body of work in your chosen form, agent-ready.

What You Will Learn

The Diploma in Creative Writing is structured around the practice of writing under deadline and reading like a writer. You finish able to produce work in your chosen form, defend it in workshop, revise it across multiple drafts, and submit it to a publisher, magazine, agent or Master's programme.

Fiction — character, voice, scene, point of view, dialogue, structure.
Poetry — image, sound, line, form, contemporary practice.
Creative non-fiction — memoir, essay, longform reportage.
Workshop critique — giving structured feedback, receiving it without defensiveness.
Reading as a writer — close reading set work for craft choices.
Revision practice — substantive editing, line editing, the discipline of cutting.
Publishing pathways — agents, small presses, literary magazines, residencies.
Professional practice — contracts, rights, working with editors.

Who This Diploma Is For

Serious early-career writers ready to commit to structured workshop practice.
Working writers wanting an industry-recognised credential and an agent-ready portfolio.
Career changers from journalism, teaching, law or finance moving into writing.
Mature applicants returning to writing after a hiatus, with a portfolio in development.

Career Pathways

Most working writers piece together a portfolio career. The Diploma in Creative Writing supports that path with a substantial portfolio and industry-readiness training. Typical first or next roles include:

Novelist (after agent representation and a book deal)
Poet (with magazine and pamphlet publication ahead of a first collection)
Creative Writing Tutor (further education, adult education, online programmes)
Literary Agent's Reader (entry route into the agenting business)
Editorial Assistant (literary publisher, magazine)
Screenwriter (with additional screenwriting-specific training)

Graduates progress to a Master's in Creative Writing or a related literary specialism at LSJHML or another UK university.

Entry Requirements

Completion of secondary school (A-Levels, BTEC, or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and a short sample of creative writing (1,000–2,000 words).
Mature applicants (21+) may apply with two years of relevant work experience.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.