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BA - Writing Studies as a major

If you’re fascinated by the history and creative activities of humankind and how this shapes societies and our future, then a Bachelor of Arts (BA) is for you. Our graduates are in demand for their flexible skills, practical outlook and depth of understanding they bring to their roles.

Do you love expressing yourself in words? Enjoy a learning environment in which you can explore your creativity as a writer of poetry, fiction or creative non-fiction. Acquire the skills in written communication that you can apply in business environments, or learn to write for digital media or for the screen.


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Key information

Years: 3
Points: 360
Start Dates: Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July)
Estimated Fees* (Domestic): $6,776 - $7,821 per year
Estimated Fees* (International): $29,425 - $38,305 per year
Entry Requirements: Undergraduate International
Area of Study:
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). *Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees.

Career opportunities

  • Copy Writer
  • Digital and Broadcast Media Writer
  • Journalist
  • Literary Non-Fiction Writer
  • Public Relations Practitioner
  • Report Writer
  • Speech Writer
  • Teacher

Degree Planner

Degree planner — BA in Writing Studies

Year 1

Any 100 level
paper listed below

Any 100 level
paper listed below

One from List A

Field of the Degree
100 level

Field of the Degree
100 level

Elective

Elective

Year 2

Any 200 level
WRITE paper

Any 200 level
paper listed below

One from List B

Field of the Degree
200 level

Elective

Elective

Elective

Year 3

Any 300 level
WRITE paper

Any 300 level
paper listed below

Any 300 level
paper listed below

One from List C

Elective

Elective

Elective

  • Major
  • Compulsory
  • Elective

Effective writing, and the critical and analytical skills it demands, is as essential for a university education as it is in professional life beyond the university. Taken either as a stand-alone major or as a supporting subject, Writing Studies foregrounds critical and cultural awareness, develops an understanding of how language works, and fosters the creativity and intellectual independence which are the prerequisites for excellent academic, professional and creative writing.

Writing Studies is available as a first major for the Bachelor of Arts (BA). Writing Studies may also be taken as a second major or minor in other undergraduate degrees, subject to approval of the Division in which the student is enrolled.

To complete Writing Studies as a single major for the BA, students must gain 135 points from the papers listed for Writing Studies including 105 points above 100 level, and 60 points above 200 level. Students must complete WRITE202 and WRITE390, 15 points at 300 level from ENGLI papers listed for the Writing Studies major and at least 15 further points in WRITE papers at 300 level.

To complete Writing Studies as part of a double major for the BA or other undergraduate degree, students must gain 120 points from the papers listed for Writing Studies, including 90 points above 100 level, and 45 points above 200 level. Students must include WRITE202 and WRITE390.

To complete a minor in Writing Studies, students must complete 60 points from the papers listed for Writing Studies, including WRITE202 and a further 15 points above 100 level.

A graduate programme in Writing Studies is also available through the Master of Professional Writing. For further details, see Professional Writing, or contact the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences Office.

100 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
ARTSC105Language in Context15.024A (Online)
Language in Context is an essential paper for students of a broad range of disciplines where language and communication are a focus. Students are given the tools to examine how human language reflects our histories, our social selves, and our immediate physical contexts. We observe how language is used to reinvent and to reinforce ...
ENGLI100Telling the Story15.024A (Hamilton)
This paper examines the deep stories which are at the core of the English literary tradition and the wider Western canon, using picturebooks, fairytales, popular film, detective fiction and short stories.
WRITE100Writing for Academic Success15.024A (Hamilton), 24A (Online), 24A (Tauranga), 24B (Hamilton), 24B (Online), 24B (Tauranga), 24JS (Hamilton), 24JS (Online) & 24JS (Tauranga)
The paper gives opportunities for undergraduate students to develop their academic literacy skills. It begins with general academic communication and research skills and then embeds academic literacy practice within disciplines of study.

200 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
ENGLI201Utopias and Dystopias15.024B (Hamilton)
This paper provides an introduction to utopian and dystopian writing and the way in which literature gives voice to the dreams and fears of humanity.
LINGS203Language, Society and Culture15.024B (Hamilton)
In this paper, we explore cultural diversity through language. We develop understandings of the way that language both reflects, and is used to construct diverse social and cultural identities and practices. We will look at multiple examples of both linguistic and cultural research, as well as learning from our own diverse experien...
PUBRL204Contemporary Public Relations Writing15.024A (Hamilton)
Modern communications professionals write to represent organisations across many different audiences, purposes and contexts. PUBRL204 teaches students to select and use a range of genres from established media to emerging digital platforms.
WRITE201Food Writing15.024A (Hamilton)
This paper uses writing about food, including recipes, memoirs, restaurant reviews and researched food writing, as the primary materials in a learning experience with an intensive applied writing focus.
WRITE202Creative Writing: Voice and Image15.024B (Hamilton)
This course explores the basic elements of imaginative writing - image and voice - concentrating the student's attention on the central writing practices of 'seeing' and 'saying.'
WRITE203Creative Writing: Inspiring Work15.024G (Hamilton)
This intensive, workshop-based paper, taught by award-winning novelist Catherine Chidgey, examines the concept of inspiration as it applies to creative writing. Students will consider historical theories of artistic inspiration as well as the methods of practising writers. Thematic lectures around the central topic will address rit...
WRITE205Writing for the Screen15.024A (Hamilton)
This paper explores foundational concepts in writing for the screen and develops practical skills in the application of these concepts during workshop sessions. The paper is organised around four main topic areas: world-making, characters, structures, and scenes/sequences. Students will produce a portfolio of writing, including pro...

300 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
ENGLI301Genre Studies: Challenging Forms15.024A (Hamilton)
This paper is an intensive study of specific literary forms such as tragedy, poetry, travel writing, autobiography, and crime writing. The focus will vary from year to year.
LCOMM301Professional Speaking15.0No occurrences
This highly practical paper focuses on the skills, principles, and practices of developing and delivering professional speeches and presentations across a wide range of professional purposes and contexts
LINGS301Research Apprenticeship15.024B (Hamilton)
This paper provides students with an opportunity to pursue an extended research project, in a sub-discipline of linguistics or anthropology (e.g. sociolinguistics, typology, documentation, anthropology), focusing on a heritage language/culture.
LINGS304Applied Linguistics15.024A (Hamilton)
This paper provides an introduction to areas of research and professional practice in applied linguistics, including language acquisition, second language teaching, language planning, lexicography, translation, forensic linguistics and speech language therapy.
SCIEN300Science Communication15.024G (Hamilton)
This paper discusses different ways in which science can be communicated by scientists to others. It gives students opportunities to practise verbal, written, visual and other forms of communication. The paper includes interacting with mainstream media, how to construct compelling stories, dealing with controversial topics, and pre...
WRITE300Creative Writing: Creative Non-fiction15.024B (Hamilton)
This course explores the key elements of creative non-fiction writing, engaging with a variety of non-fiction texts including memoir, biography, the personal/lyric essay, and auto/biographical meta-fiction.
WRITE390Directed Study15.024A (Hamilton) & 24B (Hamilton)
This independent but guided writing project is compulsory for students majoring in Writing Studies and is only available to students majoring in Writing Studies.
WRITE396Writing Studies Work Placement15.024X (Hamilton)
In this paper, students work as interns in a professional workplace where excellent writing is core business. Assessment is based on a written report and on workplace performance.

500 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
ALPSS591Research Project30.024X (Hamilton) & 24X (Tauranga)
A research report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical or practice-led investigation (up to 12,500 words maximum).
ALPSS592Dissertation60.024X (Hamilton) & 24X (Tauranga)
A research report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical or practice-led investigation (up to 25,000 words maximum).
APPLN501Research Methods in Applied Linguistics30.024B (Hamilton) & 24B (Online)
The overall aim of this paper is to provide students with a critical awareness of a range of issues and skills associated with carrying out research in the area of applied linguistics.
CWRIT594Creative Writing Thesis120.024X (Hamilton)
This paper will provide students the opportunity to devise, carry out and revise an independent and original creative writing manuscript, while receiving supervision and peer feedback within a creative workshop environment. Students are selected by portfolio assessment: application portfolios due by the first Friday in June.
LCOMM583Leadership, Communication and Transformation30.024A (Hamilton)
Our focus in this paper will be on leadership communication, or the ways leaders and followers interact and the ways leaders attempt to create and shape meanings through images and words. We will also explore a range of ideas about what it means to lead and the assumptions, beliefs, and values embedded and shaped in diverse leaders...
LLTED522Teaching Writers30.024A (Online)
This paper provides an opportunity for participants to build a professional community in which they critically consider theories, discourses, and experiences that influence writers and teachers of writing. This class layers conceptual and practical elements of writing and teaching writers, and participants are expected to develop d...
LLTED523The Joy and Disruption of Children's Literature30.024B (Online)
In this paper we engage with the depth and traditions of current scholarship in the field of children's literature using texts from a wide range of contexts. The course begins by covering a wide scope of current issues in children's literature and ends with an opportunity for students to gain deep knowledge of a topic of their choi...
MEDIA501Critical and Creative Approaches to Research30.024A (Hamilton)
This paper identifies the constraints and freedoms of research methods, and places a strong emphasis on research as an intellectual, theoretical, and processual activity as well as the roles of interdisciplinary projects in creating unique methodological and conceptual media research.
MEDIA507Theory and Research in Action30.024A (Hamilton) & 24B (Hamilton)
In this supervised paper, students will produce a pilot study utilising appropriate research frameworks and methodologies to form the basis of a topic which will support the completion of a robust dissertation.
WRITE503Professional Writing Internship30.024X (Hamilton)
This paper allows students to gain professional writing experience in the workplace, under the guidance of an academic supervisor and the specialist supervision of a workplace mentor.
WRITE546Creative Writing: Writing and Embodiment30.024A (Hamilton)
A writing-intensive paper focused on the ways in which 'embodiment' is key in generating vital characters, shaping dramatic narratives, and crafting resonant sentences aware of the sensory impact of language.
WRITE590Directed Study30.024A (Hamilton) & 24B (Hamilton)
This paper involves an independent but guided writing project on a topic of the student's choice.
WRITE593Professional Writing Thesis90.024X (Hamilton)
This paper will provide students the opportunity to devise, carry out and revise an independent thesis focussed on a specialised field of writing studies, under appropriate supervision and guidance.

900 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
CWRIT900Creative Writing PhD Thesis120.024I (Hamilton), 24J (Hamilton), 24K (Hamilton) & 24X (Hamilton)
No description available.

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Subject Requirements

For more information about subject requirements, please refer to the Catalogue of Papers for the most up to date information. If you have any questions and need more advice, contact one of our friendly student advisors on phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4080 or email: [email protected]


Contacts

School of Arts
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4922
General and Undergraduate Email Enquiries: [email protected]