Is the MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies an academic or a creative-practice degree?

Both. The taught modules sit at the academic-research / applied-practice interface, and the final assessment can be either a 15,000-word academic dissertation OR a long-form creative narrative project with a 5,000-word critical commentary. Most students lean toward one but engage seriously with the other.

What kind of long-form creative projects do students do on the MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies?

Recent projects include a serialised longform podcast, a novella, a transmedia narrative across audio and short-form video, a long-form documentary script with a research bible, and a branded narrative campaign with critical commentary on the underlying theory. The form is your choice, agreed with your supervisor.

Do I need to be a writer to enrol on the MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies?

Not specifically — but you do need to work with narrative as a professional method. Documentary producers, brand strategists, game designers, journalists, educators and healthcare communicators are all welcome. The MA expects you to bring an existing narrative practice and to deepen it.

Can I do the MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies part-time alongside creative work?

Yes. The two-year part-time route is widely taken by working creative professionals, with most teaching in evenings and weekends. The final long-form project benefits from being run alongside professional work — many students integrate the two.

Will the MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies prepare me for a PhD?

Yes — particularly for doctoral work in narratology, literary studies, media studies, communication or creative-writing research. The research-methods training and the academic dissertation route are designed with PhD application in mind.

MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for writers, producers, brand strategists, documentary makers, journalists and educators who use narrative professionally and want to ground that practice in narrative theory. The course covers classical and contemporary narrative theory (Aristotle, the Russian formalists, structuralism, post-structuralism, cognitive narratology, transmedia narrative), applied storytelling across genres and a final 15,000-word dissertation or long-form creative project.

Storytelling is now the cross-cutting craft of journalism, branding, documentary, fiction, game design, healthcare communication and political campaigning. This MA takes that seriously — and trains you to write, analyse and design narrative work with the rigour the field's strongest practitioners actually use.

Key Features

UK master's degree from a specialist humanities institution in central London — one year full-time, two years part-time, with online and distance routes.
Narrative theory module — Aristotle, Propp, Genette, Bal, contemporary cognitive narratology, narrative-as-rhetoric (Phelan, Booth).
Applied storytelling module — narrative across journalism, documentary, branding, game design, education, healthcare communication, political campaigning.
Long-form craft workshop — sustained writing or production work across the year on a chosen narrative project.
Transmedia and digital narrative — interactive narrative, podcast serialisation, social-first storytelling, narrative in games.
Choice of final assessment — 15,000-word academic dissertation OR a long-form creative narrative project with a 5,000-word critical commentary.

What You Will Learn

The MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies is structured around the working life of a narrative professional — analysing narrative work, designing narrative across formats, and producing extended narrative pieces to publishable standard. You graduate able to apply narrative theory to your professional practice and to defend the craft choices behind a piece of work with reference to the literature.

Classical narrative theory — Aristotle, the Russian formalists, structuralism.
Contemporary narratology — Genette, Bal, cognitive narratology, post-classical narrative theory.
Story across media — written, spoken, audiovisual, interactive, transmedia.
Applied storytelling — what storytelling does in journalism, documentary, branding, education, healthcare, advocacy.
Long-form craft — sustained construction of extended narrative across the academic year.
Adaptation and remix — taking narrative across forms and platforms.
Ethics of storytelling — representation, consent, the question of who gets to tell whose story.
Research methods in narrative studies — qualitative analysis, audience research, archival narrative analysis.

Who This MA Is For

Working writers and journalists wanting theoretical grounding for their craft.
Documentary producers, podcast makers and content strategists moving into senior creative roles.
Brand strategists and creative directors using narrative as their core method.
Educators, healthcare communicators, civil servants and campaigners using narrative as a strategic tool.
Prospective doctoral researchers using the MA as research-training year toward narrative-focused PhD work in literature, communication or media studies.

Career Pathways

The MA Storytelling and Narrative Studies is a credential that adds intellectual depth to creative careers and opens doors to senior strategic-creative work. Typical destinations include:

Senior Creative Director (creative agency, brand consultancy, in-house studio)
Longform Podcast Producer (independent network, broadcaster-affiliated)
Documentary Director (factual production company, broadcaster, streaming platform)
Editor (literary magazine, longform digital publisher, narrative-led publishing imprint)
Narrative Designer (game studio, interactive-media company)
Strategy Consultant (brand strategy, communications, public-sector innovation)

The MA is also recognised foundation for doctoral work in narratology, literary studies, media studies and adjacent fields.

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 in a narrative-led field.
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 or production 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.