Literature, creative writing and film studies
Develop your own creativity and examine that of others
Join us for a short course – in Oxford or online
Start (or finish) your own novel, poem or play; produce critical analyses of classic and contemporary literature; or explore the cinematic works of a country, genre or director.
- View all short courses in literature, creative writing and film
- Ways to study: how our short courses work
Gain credit from short courses
Many of our short courses, including weekly learning programmes (both in Oxford and online) and some summer schools, can be studied for credit, which means they can count towards a recognised qualification such as our Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education.
Part-time Oxford University qualifications
From undergraduate level study to advanced postgraduate courses.
- Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education (gain credit from short courses)
- Undergraduate Certificate in English Literature (choose from two study options including one mostly online)
- Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing (choose from two study options including one mostly online)
- MSt in Creative Writing (formed of short residencies and a research placement)
- MSt in Literature and Arts (formed of online modules and short residencies)
- DPhil in Literature and Arts
Upcoming courses
Online - live • Short courses • Hybrid - in person or online
Illness loomed large in the Victorian period, and in this day school leading scholars on the topic will introduce you to important ways in which it was a central preoccupation of Victorian literature.
- Sat 18 Jan 2025
- 9:45am – 5:00pm
Online - flexible • Short courses
How did three sisters living apparently secluded, eventless lives write such original, passionate and dramatic literature?
- Mon 20 Jan 2025 – 04 Apr 2025
In-person weekly • Short courses
Irish fiction has acquired a high international profile since the 1990s, by reflecting the major transformations that reshaped the culture. This course examines four novels that illuminate the present by re-reading the past on both sides of the border.
- Tue 21 Jan 2025 – Tue 25 Mar 2025
- 10 meetings
- 10:30am – 12:30pm
In-person weekly • Short courses
Have you ever wanted to know more about poetry but didn't know where to start? If so, this lively and accessible course is for you. Together, we will close read a selection of poems in English from the mid 16th to the late 18th centuries.
- Wed 22 Jan 2025 – Wed 26 Mar 2025
- 10 meetings
- 4:30 – 6:30pm
Online - flexible • Short courses
This course introduces you to Old English literature: from tales of heroism, courage and fellowship, to poignant elegies of love and loss.
- Wed 22 Jan 2025 – 04 Apr 2025
Part-time qualifications
Part-time undergraduate and postgradute programmes.
Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education
A flexible, part-time route to an Oxford University qualification. Gain credit from flexible short online courses, weekly classes, and the Oxford University Summer School for Adults. Explore a wide range of subjects in this multidisciplinary programme.Undergraduate Certificate in English Literature
A two-year part-time course, equivalent to the first year of a full-time undergraduate English degree. Two study options are available, including a mostly online option.Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing
For aspiring writers, the Diploma offers involvement in a wide range of literary projects over two years of focused part-time study. Two study options are available including an online option with a summer school in Oxford.MSt in Creative Writing
A two-year, part-time master's offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialization, and critical and creative breadth.MSt in Literature and Arts
An interdisciplinary programme which encompasses literature, history, art, architectural history, political thought and the history of ideas. Designed around 3 sequential periods of British history, from Early Modern to the early 20th century.