15+ Best Accredited Creative Writing Courses Online [2021]

Find the best accredited creative writing courses online 2021 to study writing and gain a MA or BA degree, diploma, post graduate or certificate qualification.

​Whether you want to learn creative writing, develop your storytelling skills or boost your career prospects, check out these creative writing courses, which are mainly based in the UK but can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

All of these courses are available to study ONLINE!

​Improve your creative writing skills and become a successful writer with online writing classes. Study for a BA Degree, MA Degree, Post Graduate, Diploma, and Course Certification from top universities and established distance learning providers with these 15+ best accredited creative writing courses online.

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1. ​BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities (Creative Writing) – The Open University

​Set enrollment dates
Full-time - 3 years / Part-time - 6 years

Course overview​:

• Specialize in creative writing within a broad and flexible arts and humanities degree
• Develop and reflect on your own writing practice
• Have the opportunity to develop a project based on independent study
• Develop a range of skills that will be valuable in the workplace and to further study
• View course: BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities (Creative Writing)

More Creative Writing Degrees from The Open University:

• BA (Honours) English Literature and Creative Writing
• BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities
• BA (Honours) English Language and Literature
• BA (Honours) English Literature
• BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities (English Language)
• BA (Honours) English Language
• BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities (English Literature)
• BA/BSc (Honours) Open degree
• MA in Creative Writing  (Entry requirements: You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification.)

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• Discover Online Short Story Writing Courses (Free and Paid)
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• All Articles Detailing FREE Writing Courses

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2. Accredited Creative Writing Course: Master Tips For Writing – Udemy

​Enroll at any time
Self-paced course

Course overview:

• Turn your idea of Writing into a Reality!
• Understand the creative process
• Learn about how to build the characters in your book
• Know about which Publishing routes to follow
• Extend the plot development
• Understand the importance of the Beginning, Middle & End of the book
• Beat Your Writers Block
• And so much more!
• This course is fully accredited by CTAA - Complementary Therapists Accredited Association
  

View course: Accredited Creative Writing Course - Master Tips For Writing

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3. MA in Creative Writing – University of Hull

​Set enrollment dates
Part-time - 2 years

Course overview:

• Gain the editorial skills and confidence you need to be an active member of the writing community
• Push your own creative boundaries and demonstrate a strong and unique writing voice
• Transform your imagination into forms that are accessible to a reading public
• Broaden and sharpen your reading skills so you can practice skills used by writers to achieve certain effects
• ​Access a range of writing options and sustain work at a developed level

View course: MA in Creative Writing

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4. Diploma of Higher Education in English – The Open University

​Set enrollment dates
Full-time - 2 years / Part-time - 4 years

Course overview:

• Learn how to analyze a wide range of texts including fiction, poetry and drama
• Explore the work of some famous authors alongside some lesser known – but equally fascinating – writers
• Explore the history of the English language and understand its development as a global language
• Develop and reflect on your own writing practice
• View course: Diploma of Higher Education in English

More Creative Writing Diplomas from The Open University:

• Diploma of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities
• Diploma of Higher Education in English Language
• Diploma of Higher Education Open

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5. Certificate in Creative Writing Specialization – Coursera

​​Enroll at any time
Self-paced course

Course overview:

• This online creative writing certified course via Coursera from Wesleyan University covers three major creative writing genres: short story, narrative essay, and memoir. 
• The modules you will study are the craft of plot, character, setting and description, style, and then culminating in drafting a complete story, narrative essay or memoir of 8-15 pages.
• Beginner level.
• Study time approx. 1 hour per week will take 6 months to complete.

• View course: Creative Writing Specialization

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6. Creative Writing Diploma – NCC Home Learning

​​Enroll at any time
12 months tutor support

Course overview:

• Explore different texts and genres
• Help to begin the writing process
• Examine writing for different settings
• Nonfiction writing – writing for the web
• Build confidence in all kinds of writing, including script writing
• View course: Creative Writing Diploma

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7. Creative Writing PGDIP – University of York

​Set enrollment dates
Part-time - 2 years

Course overview:

• A flexible course which explores a variety of interesting genres and major forms of prose, poetry and scriptwriting.
• Guided by a supportive tutor, students will strengthen their writing style and sharpen critical prowess.
• Students will gain a wealth of technical and production convention knowledge and write convincingly in an array of literary forms. 
• This qualification is for writers of all levels.
• View course: Creative Writing PGDip

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8. Certificate of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities – The Open University

​Set enrollment dates
Full-time - 1 year / Part-time - 2 years

Course overview:

• Develops your understanding of our rich cultural heritage from fascinating and diverse perspectives
• Helps you practice and refine the skills of argument and analysis, enhancing your employability
• Gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of subjects to study in more depth
• Builds your study skills and knowledge giving you a solid foundation for further study
• View course: Certificate of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities

More Creative Writing Certificates from The Open University:

• Certificate of Higher Education Open

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9. Creative Writing: CPD Accredited – Reed.co.uk

​​Enroll at any time
Self-paced course

Course overview:

• 3 Course Bundle: Fiction, Short Story and Children's Book Writing from Course Cloud via Reed.co.uk
• "This Creative Writing Bundle: Fiction, Short Story, Children's Book is one of our best-selling bundles developed by industry experts, and it has already helped tons of students like you. It is suitable for anyone who wants to improve his/her knowledge and skills in the relevant sectors".

• Study method: Online, self-paced
• Duration: 10 hours
• Access to content: Lifetime access
• View course: Creative Writing: CPD Accredited

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10. Creative Writing MA – Teesside University

​Set enrollment dates
Full-time - 1 year / Part-time - 2 years

Course overview:

• This course is taught by tutors who are both practicing creative writers and experienced teachers of creative writing at postgraduate level.
• The emphasis is on developing practical writing skills and techniques whilst gaining an understanding of your own work within a critical context and framework.
• The course consists of four 30-credit taught modules plus the Creative Writing Project (60 credit), which is the final portfolio of your creative writing.
• Each module offers opportunities to experiment and develop your interests, whether these are in prose fiction, poetry, creative life writing, dramatic writing and screen writing, or in using writing to work with people in personal and professional development and healthcare settings.
• View course: Creative Writing MA

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11. Certificate in Creative Writing – ACS Distance Education

​​Enroll at any time
Self-paced course

Course overview:

• Nurture your creativity, and become a successful writer.
• Develop your writing skills with help from our highly qualified and experienced tutors.
• Understand different areas of fiction – find your niche.
• ​Study when and where you want to.
• The Core Modules are: Creative Writing, Writing Fiction, Children's Writing, Editing I, Dramatic Writing, and Poetry.
• This Certificate in Creative Writing course requires approx. 600 study hours.
• View course: Certificate in Creative Writing

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12. Creative Writing MLitt (Postgraduate) – University of Glasgow

​Set enrollment dates
Full-time - 1 year / Part-time - 2 years

Course overview:

• Experiment with a range of voices, techniques and genres and consider major creative and editorial engagements
• Develop a critical understanding of a diverse creative, theoretic and critical texts
• Develop editorial skills
• Gain an understanding of literary techniques and ideas
• Produce extended portfolios of creative and editorial work
• Understand the writing context (audience, publishing in all its forms, the legal framework, modes of transmission)
• Become disciplined in writing regularly in a stimulating workshop and tutorial environment in which writing skills can be acquired, discussed and honed
• And much more
• View course: Creative Writing MLitt

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13. Certificate in Creative Writing – The Blackford Centre

​​Enroll at any time
Self-paced course

Course overview:

• The subjects covered are fiction, nonfiction, poetry, autobiography, and biography.
• Participants can study screenwriting/screenplays in their chosen genre, including: crime, horror, and science fiction.
• Understand the requirements of publishers and how to submit a manuscript successfully.
• View course: Certificate in Creative Writing

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14. Creative Writing MA – Manchester Metropolitan University

​Set enrollment dates
Part-time - 2 years

Course overview:

• Students will specialize in one of the following: Novel Writing (including Short Fiction), Poetry, Writing for Children & Young Adults, Scriptwriting (for stage, screen or radio) or Creative Non-Fiction.
• This course is part-time over 2 years when undertaking online.
• On this course you will explore and practice techniques and styles of modern and contemporary writing, applying these through the development of your own creative work.
• You will undertake a taught element, blending writing workshops with reading units and an elective.
• Students will complete their studies through submission of an extended piece of writing from a proposed full-length book or script.
• View course: Creative Writing MA

More Creative Writing Courses from Manchester Metropolitan University:

• Creative Writing MFA (Online course is 3 years part-time)

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15. Novel Writing MA – Middlesex University

​Set enrollment dates
Full-time - 1 year / Part-time - 2 years

Course overview:

• There is a practical and contemporary approach to novel writing on this online writing course which ensures that students are able to hone writing skills and develop a book while also identifying gaps in the market and how to approach agents and publishers.
• From idea generation, to developing character and plot, to pitching your novel to publishers, this MA equips students to master their novel.
• The university teaching team are all experienced creative writing lecturers as well as being novelists – they include novelist, critic and TV director/producer Dr Adam Lively and fantasy novelist/critic Dr Adam Dalton.
• View course: Novel Writing MA

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Conclusion

Now that you’ve decided to develop your writing further and take it to a more advanced level, enrolling onto an accredited creative writing course will help you to reach your writing goals, such as crafting your novel, earning a living from writing, or boosting your career opportunities.
 
Also, on most courses there will be the opportunity to connect with other writers with the same interest and passion for writing who you can discuss ideas with or ask for advice and feedback.
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While you keep writing, learning, and developing, you’ll soon see the results and how much a difference practice and learning from a degree, post graduate, diploma or certificate qualification can make.