Master of Arts in Professional Writing

at University of Westminster - Regent Campus United Kingdom

At Westminster, we'll train you to become a competent linguist in modern languages, ready to enter graduate employment.

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context, and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

Our course offers you an opportunity to study the Spanish and English languages and cultures in an integrated interdisciplinary way, exploring the connections between them and the broader historical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced.

This course will enable you to achieve a good or high level of linguistic competence in Spanish in all four skill areas (reading, writing, listening and speaking), enhance your skills in using English, and develop linguistic and cultural knowledge and understanding.

You’ll be able to thrive linguistically in different cultural situations, and you’ll also gain the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

We accept students at two different entry points – beginner or intermediate. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point.

You may have the option to spend a full academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or approved form of employment in a country where Spanish is the official language. You can also study an optional module from a range of topics across the University in each year.

Top reasons to study with us

• Opportunities to participate in a year abroad in a Spanish-speaking country
• Individually focused academic support through our tutorial modules
• Opportunities to practise one-to-one conversation with a native speaker through the Languages Plus programme
• Study English language with world experts in language and gender, and the history of English
• Combine Spanish with English language to enhance your skills in both subjects

If you want to practise as a solicitor in England and Wales you will need to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC) – the vocational stage of training that bridges the gap between academic studies and life in a law firm.

Westminster Law School has a well established reputation for the delivery of solicitors' vocational training and our LLM in Legal Practice equips you with the skills and knowledge needed to be a successful 21st-century lawyer.

Distinctive features of the course include:

• Highly experienced and approachable lecturers who are all qualified solicitors or barristers.
• Small, interactive group work, allowing you to benefit from individual guidance and help.
• All sessions are set within a balanced timetable to replicate the tasks undertaken in practice.
• A broad range of Stage 2 electives, reflecting areas of practice from high-street to city firms.
• The opportunity to undertake real client legal work under the supervision of tutors working in the Student Law Centre. The focus is on experiential learning through reflection, analysis and planning.
• A mentoring scheme which pairs you with mentors working in an area you are interested in. Our mentors are predominantly former Westminster LPC students who are now working in an area of legal practice.

Our English Literature BA gives you an opportunity to study English literature in its wider social, cultural, and historical contexts.

You'll be able to engage with an exciting variety of texts, both traditional (such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens) and non-traditional (such as queer fiction, graphic novels, and new forms of digital content) alongside other kinds of cultural works such as films, museums and art. You'll become a sophisticated reader of texts in their wider cultural contexts, at the same time as sharpening your skills in research. This training in critical and creative reading is particularly suitable if you are considering English teaching, the publishing or journalism industries, or any career that involves sophisticated communication skills and an advanced level of language use. It is of particular interest to those wishing to develop their skills as a writer. Our degree is strong in promoting the transferable and cognitive skills that employers value, and that contribute to lifelong personal and professional development. 

We begin the course with an examination of what literature is, what tools we use to discuss it, and how texts are related to the historical contexts from which they emerge. As you progress through the course, you'll be introduced to a wide variety of literature from Shakespeare to the Gothic, American fiction, Modernism and contemporary writing. You'll study different forms including poetry, prose, and drama, looking at texts from diverse periods and places.

We make the most of our central London location in the midst of galleries, museums, cinemas and theatres, and use the urban landscape as a resource for studying the social and theoretical issues relating to literature.

Top reasons to study with us

• Benefit from small group learning – We offer bespoke small group tutorials of around five students per tutor, which are designed to support your individual learning needs during the first two years of your degree, as well as academic skills support throughout your degree
• Engage with a variety of texts – You'll be studying both traditional and non-traditional texts alongside other cultural works such as films, museums and art
• Gain experience before graduating – you’ll have the option to do a work placement as part of this course
• Learn transferable skills – Our degree will prepare you for a variety of careers by helping you to build your communication skills, research skills and creativity in problem-solving
• Experience cultural London – Our unrivalled central London location allows us to take advantage of the wealth of cultural institutions and opportunities in London

The English Language and Literature MA aims to allow you to explore the interconnections between language and literature. It will provide you with a thorough understanding of the linguistic features of English from a wide range of perspectives (theoretical and applied, synchronic and diachronic), as well as leading you to explore a wide array of texts in connection with the social, historical and political circumstances from which they emerge. Furthermore, the MA will equip you with the intellectual perspectives and the scholarly skills that will prepare you to conduct independent research.

The MA is suitable for students who have taken English language and/or literature modules at undergraduate level, and others who have taken allied disciplines such as TESOL. It is of particular interest to those wishing to pursue further study and those teaching English who wish to gain a further qualification and investigate recent and current developments in the field.

The Translation and Interpreting MA is open to native and non-native speakers of English, who combine English with any of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish. The course provides you with extensive professional training aimed at the translation and interpreting markets, building on your existing language skills to develop a career in those sectors.

The course involves translation as well as conference and public service interpreting between one main language (Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish) and English. You will learn how to research specialised subjects for professional translation and interpreting purposes and hone your translation and interpreting skills by extensive practice, applying insights drawn from linguistics and translation and interpreting theory as well as from professional practice. You will also engage with a comprehensive programme of professional development activities and will further complement the knowledge and skills acquired on the core modules by choosing either Translation as Cultural Practice or International Liaison as an option module. At the end of the course, you will submit an MA Interpreting Project, an MA Translation Project, or an MA Dissertation.

Our Arabic and International Business BA will help you develop the skills and knowledge you'll need to succeed in the internationalised business world.

In today's global economy, language skills are of significant value to prospective employers when combined with business expertise. This combination can greatly enhance your career opportunities.

On our course, you'll have the opportunity to study Arabic language, culture and international business in an integrated way, exploring the relationships between these elements and the broader economic, financial and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced.

Our comprehensive language training places strong emphasis on the use of language in a professional environment, while our business modules will allow you to gain a solid understanding of international business – a combination that will enable you to gain the real-world skills required to progress to a rewarding career.

The training you'll receive in cross-cultural communication will equip you with the flexibility, adaptability and creativity required in global interactions.

You'll also have the opportunity to benefit from experiencing life, culture and the world of work or study outside the UK by taking part in an optional year-long placement overseas. Study placements take place at a partner educational institution in a country where Arabic is the official language.

On our French and English Literature BA, you'll develop the skills you need to become a competent linguist, ready to enter graduate employment. Our course places particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context of language learning, offering high-quality teaching in all language skills and a thorough knowledge of the way language is used in real-life situations.

The course will develop your French reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in a culturally aware style, giving you the ability to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations. You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign language skills in all areas.

In English Literature you'll have the opportunity to examine literary and non-literary works of all periods, from Shakespeare to the present day, taking in a wide range of authors and themes, with a full and balanced coverage of dramatic, poetic and prose works. You'll consider the wider historical and political contexts in which cultural and literary works have been produced and received, and relate the works both to intellectual history and to work in other arts and media, such as architecture and the visual arts. You'll also have the opportunity to consider the theoretical tools of textual, cultural and literary analysis in detail.

You'll have the option to spend a full academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or, depending on your language level, an approved form of employment in a country where French is the official language. A year abroad will not only improve your language skills but also contribute to your employability, encourage intercultural awareness, and build confidence. You can also study an elective module from across the University in each year.

We accept students at two different entry points – beginner or intermediate. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point.

On our French and English Literature BA, you'll develop the skills you need to become a competent linguist, ready to enter graduate employment. Our course places particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context of language learning, offering high-quality teaching in all language skills and a thorough knowledge of the way language is used in real-life situations.

The course will develop your French reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in a culturally aware style, giving you the ability to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations. You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign language skills in all areas.

In English Literature you'll have the opportunity to examine literary and non-literary works of all periods, from Shakespeare to the present day, taking in a wide range of authors and themes, with a full and balanced coverage of dramatic, poetic and prose works. You'll consider the wider historical and political contexts in which cultural and literary works have been produced and received, and relate the works both to intellectual history and to work in other arts and media, such as architecture and the visual arts. You'll also have the opportunity to consider the theoretical tools of textual, cultural and literary analysis in detail.

You'll have the option to spend a full academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or, depending on your language level, an approved form of employment in a country where French is the official language. A year abroad will not only improve your language skills but also contribute to your employability, encourage intercultural awareness, and build confidence. You can also study an elective module from across the University in each year.

We accept students at two different entry points – beginner or intermediate. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point.

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context, and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

Our course offers you an opportunity to study the Chinese and English languages and cultures in an integrated interdisciplinary way, exploring the connections between them and the broader historical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced.

This course will enable you to achieve a good or high level of linguistic competence in Chinese in all four skill areas (reading, writing, listening and speaking), enhance your skills in using English, and develop linguistic and cultural knowledge and understanding.

Top reasons to study with us

• Integrated curriculum – develop your Chinese language skills alongside your cultural knowledge of the Chinese-speaking world
• Opportunities to undertake a year abroad in a Chinese-speaking country where you can practise your skills
• Individually focused academic support through our tutorial modules
• Opportunities to practise one-to-one conversation with a native speaker through the Languages Plus programme
• Study English language with world experts in language and gender, and the history of English

The Art and Visual Culture MA is part of the Cultural and Literary Studies Suite, a cluster of four MAs that bring together academics, curators and practitioners who share a commitment to investigating modern and contemporary culture from aesthetic, critical, literary, and experiential perspectives. You will share classes with students from the Cultural and Critical Studies MA, the English Literature: Modern and Contemporary Fictions MA, and the Museum, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA, joining a fruitful and intellectually-rigorous environment designed to facilitate the sprouting of interdisciplinary thinking. As part of our Suite, you may also choose an option module from the other three MA programmes (what is referred to as an ‘elective’ module), a fantastic opportunity to explore a facet of culture outside of your chosen MA programme.