Is the MA Academic Writing the same as a Creative Writing MA?

No. Creative writing teaches fiction, poetry and literary non-fiction. The MA Academic Writing teaches scholarly and research-related writing — journal articles, monographs, research communication, editorial work. The two share craft principles but the career outcomes are different.

Does the MA Academic Writing prepare me for doctoral research?

Yes — directly. The advanced writing, citation discipline and peer-review modules are calibrated to the standards of UK doctoral examination. Several MA Academic Writing graduates each year move into PhD-track research at LSJHML or partner universities.

Will the MA Academic Writing help me get scholarly editing work?

Yes. The advanced academic editing module is built to journal-publisher standard, with structured supervision from working editors at UK academic publishers. Several graduates move into senior editorial roles at scholarly publishers within a year of finishing.

Can I take the MA Academic Writing online?

Yes. The MA's reading-and-writing structure suits online delivery particularly well, with synchronous seminars, recorded skills sessions and structured dissertation supervision. Distance learners complete on extended deadlines with named tutor support.

What is the dissertation on the MA Academic Writing?

An independent 12,000–15,000 word research piece. Recent topics have included open-peer-review reform, citation politics in interdisciplinary scholarship, academic-writing pedagogy for non-native English speakers and the rise of preprint culture in the humanities.

MA Academic Writing in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA Academic Writing at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for early-career academics, doctoral candidates, academic editors and research communicators who need an advanced, structured grounding in the writing and editing conventions of the contemporary scholarly world. You will work across disciplines, learn the publishing pipeline as a practitioner inside it, and produce a 12,000-to-15,000-word dissertation that itself contributes to academic-writing scholarship.

The MA Academic Writing is taught in dialogue with the English Association, the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the British Council's academic-English standards. It assumes you already write at undergraduate level and exists to take you to a working scholarly standard publishers, journals and senior academics will recognise.

Key Features

UK postgraduate degree — one year full-time or two years part-time, with online and distance routes.
Cross-disciplinary writing workshops covering humanities, social sciences and selected sciences.
Advanced academic editing module — structural editing, copy-editing, journal house style, peer-review interaction.
Open-access and scholarly publishing strand — preprint culture, REF impact case studies, current open-research conventions.
Public-facing research communication module — op-eds, longreads, policy briefings, public talks.
Dissertation — an independent 12,000–15,000 word piece of research with academic writing as its primary subject or main vehicle.

What You Will Learn

The MA Academic Writing is structured around the advanced competences of a research-active writer, editor or scholarly communicator — disciplinary literacy, editing discipline, publishing-process awareness and the ability to translate research across audiences. You graduate able to produce journal-ready writing, edit somebody else's manuscript intelligently and contribute to scholarly-publishing decisions.

Advanced academic writing conventions across humanities, social sciences and STEM — voice, citation, argument.
Citation systems at advanced level — Harvard, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver, current open-citation standards.
Structural and copy-editing at journal-publisher standard.
Peer review — writing reports, handling reviewer responses, editor-mediated revision.
Scholarly publishing — open access, preprint culture, copyright literacy, REF impact case studies.
Public-facing research communication — op-eds, longreads, policy briefings, public talks.
Academic English for non-native speakers at advanced level — register, hedging, idiomatic precision.
Research methods for writing-focused dissertation work — discourse analysis, corpus methods, interview studies.

Who This MA Is For

Early-career academics and doctoral candidates wanting structured advanced writing training.
Working academic editors at journal publishers and university presses formalising senior practice.
Research communications officers at universities, research institutes and learned societies.
International scholars writing for UK and global academic audiences.

Career Pathways

Academic-writing careers span universities, publishers, research institutes, learned societies and policy bodies. Typical post-MA destinations include:

English Teacher (UK secondary, international schools, university EAP units)
Senior Academic Editor (journal publisher, university press)
Examinations Officer (qualifications body, secondary or tertiary institution)
Lecturer (post-PhD; further education, university EAP units, modern languages departments)
Educational Materials Writer (publisher, edtech, qualifications body)
Research Communications Manager (university, research institute, learned society)

The MA serves as preparation for doctoral research, for senior editorial roles in scholarly publishing, and for academic-development positions in UK and international universities.

Entry Requirements

A UK 2:2 honours degree (or international equivalent) in a related subject, OR a 2:2 in any subject with two years of relevant professional experience.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement (max 1 page) outlining your motivation, relevant experience and intended specialism.
Two academic or professional references.
Applicants without a related undergraduate degree may be considered with significant industry experience and a written sample.

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.