Programme

At the international Master Creative Writing, you will become a critically engaged writer and researcher who contributes to the future of literature. This two-year programme is designed to deepen your craft, broaden your theoretical knowledge, and prepare you to create impactful artistic work in a global literary context.

All core courses are designed to develop an awareness of current debates within literature, and knowledge of the most important theories. You will practice formulating artistic research questions and you will be conducting artistic research. You will write and create an artistic project, and receive intensive tutoring and extensive, in-depth feedback sessions to guide the creation of your artistic work. Through these activities, you will develop skills in the collection, selection, and interpretation of sources, as well as writing, presenting and editing results to a professional and artistically high standard. You will participate in a two-week intensive residency three times a year. Students are expected to participate actively in the residencies and courses in the form of presentations as well as in the chairing of discussions. Reviewing and discussing artistic work is a structural feature of the courses that helps to enhance giving and receiving feedback in a meaningful way.

Curriculum

The curriculum focuses on critical narrative research, on the deepening and embedding of creative writing skills, knowledge, and techniques in the contemporary professional writing practice, and on innovative outreach to the wider European literary field.

What will you learn?

In this master, you will develop your artistic voice through critical narrative research and creative experimentation. You will work on a range of artistic outputs, from essays to literary projects, while engaging in meaningful discussions about the role of literature in today’s world.

Your learning will focus on:

Conducting artistic research and formulating research questions.
Writing and developing your own artistic project.
Engaging with European literary theory and debates.
Participating in community and collaborative projects.
Creating a professional portfolio, including essays, literary works, and collaborative outputs.
Receiving and giving in-depth feedback to enhance your practice.

Structure

Year 1

Residencies: 12 ECTS
Courses and contact hours: 26 ECTS
Research and writing: 22 ECTS

Year 2

Residencies: 12 ECTS
Courses and contact hours: 18 ECTS
Research and writing: 30 ECTS

Breakdown:

Lectures and residencies (30%)
Independent study, including essay and artistic work (70%)
Group work: integrated into the residencies and course assignments.

Programme overview

Learning line
Portfolio
Writing artistic work
Literary product
Artistic research
Essay
Tutoring
Process reflections
Three two-week site specific residencies each year, in Arnhem, Madrid or Torino, and a location picked by the students. These residencies include:
- Deep mapping: narrative research into hidden local linkages.
- Community outreach: create collaborative literary projects tied to the residency location.
The master combines online courses, residential workshops, and reading groups, divided into four main domains:
- Perspectives on artistic research: Explore methods of inquiry through writing.
- Perspectives on European literature: Engage with contemporary debates in European literary theory.
- Literature in motion: Examine evolving literary forms and media.
- Authorship in motion: Investigate the role of the writer in a changing world.
Example courses:
- Artistic research through writing: A 10-week course culminating in a research paper.
- Speaking fiction to power: A 5-week course exploring activism through storytelling.
- The body in writing: A 5-week course focused on embodied narrative practices.
- Narrative in digital spaces: A 5-week course on storytelling in virtual environments.

Schedule

You’ll attend in-person classes one day a week on Monday, complemented by online evening sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally, the residency period provides an immersive experience to deepen your craft.

Information guide

For more information about the programme, download the PDF of our information guide:

FAQ

Frequently asked questions:

Each year the so-called statutory tuition rates are established by the Dutch Government.
For the 2025-2026 academic year they mount up to € 2.601, - in total. Please note that study lasts TWO years, and you will again have to pay tuition for the second academic year.
To be eligible for the statutory tuition fee, you must meet the following conditions:
1. Nationality
- you are an EU/EEA, Swiss or Surinamese national, or
- you are from a non-EEA country but are recognised by the UAF as a refugee student, or
- you are entitled to student financeaccording to the Student Finance Act (WSF 2000), or
- you have a non-EU/EEA nationality but are a family member (see Directive 2004/38/EG) of a citizen with Dutch nationality and you both live in the Netherlands
2. No previous degree in the Netherlands
This means that you have not earned a Master’s degree in Dutch government-funded Dutch Higher Education after 31 July 1991.
In case you have already earned a Master Degree in the Netherlands (between 1991 and today), you will be required to pay the same tuition fees as the Non-EU / EEA students.
Each year the institutional tuition rates are established by the executive board of the ArtEZ University of the Arts. The rate was € 11.460,- in 2024 and will be set for the academic year 2025-2026 at the beginning of calendar year 2025.
Tuition fees can be paid annually in one lump sum, or, for students who have bank account in the Netherlands or in another SEPA country, can be spread over 10 installments. Read more about the payment of your tuition.
Please be aware that studying at the master requires an additional budget for the costs of living and travel during our residencies. There are 3 compulsory 12-day residencies every year. The cost of travel and accommodation differs depending on availability, personal preference and ways of traveling. We currently estimate the costs of travel and accommodation to add up to a minimum of € 1.800,-- per study year.
Dutch Universities fall under the responsibility of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
The Dutch Ministry of Education is the main funder of public education in the Netherlands. This means that the master Creative Writing is partially funded by the Dutch Ministry. In addition to that, students pay a tuition fee. This fee is established by the Dutch Government every study year.
Income from the Master of Creative Writing:
75% Seed Funding from the Dutch Ministry of Education.
25% Tuition Fees (collected by ArtEZ University of the Arts).
*Study Finance through the Dutch government applies to Dutch nationals, but sometimes extends to other passportholders as well. Your eligibility depends on your nationality or residency status, your age and your course. You can read more about this at: DUO
*An overview of scholarships available for international students who want to study in the Netherlands is available at Study in NL
*Refugee students are advised to get in touch with the University Assistance Fund (UAF) www.uaf.nl.
The Master programme at ArtEZ University of the Arts is fully accredited.
Students will graduate with a recognized MA Degree. Degree programmes in the Netherlands that are able to meet a set of standard criteria, are accredited by the The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). Accreditation makes these programmes eligible for structural Dutch state funding.
In line with official regulations, you must already have earned a BA, BFA or a degree-level certificate at a higher level of study in order to be accepted. Certificates will be verified by the Student Department at ArtEZ University of the Arts. Furthermore, language requirements are set in line with the requirements of ArtEZ University of the Arts.