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Apply for Creative Writing Major (BA)

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Creative Writing

Undergraduate major.

Develop your writing skills in fiction, poetry, and experimental and emerging genres.

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is used to determine eligibility for places in university courses.

• Qualification Creative Writing Major (BA)

A full-time study load usually consists of 200 credits (approximately eight units) per year, with 100 credits (approximately four units) in each semester.

Select your preferred degree

This course belongs to multiple degrees. Select the single degree or double degree below to see the application deadlines.

Do you enjoy expressing your creative side through writing? Are you an aspiring author or poet? The standout feature of a creative writing career is the ability to contribute to and influence culture through an understanding of writing conventions and literary techniques.

In this major you will gain the knowledge and techniques that writers need in the age of digital communication and entertainment. You’ll develop skills across various writing styles, including fiction, poetry and experimental and emerging genres.

You’ll benefit from the advice of Curtin’s experienced tutors (many of whom are acclaimed authors) and through critical engagement with your creative peer group.

Creative writing is offered as part of the Bachelor of Arts . You can enhance your studies with a second major or choose from a range of elective units that support your career goals.

You can also study this major as part of a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce double degree.

What jobs can the Creative Writing lead to?

• Copywriter / writer
• Advertising
• Creative arts

What you'll learn

• identify, explain and apply the key disciplinary concepts in Creative Writing
• integrate theory and creative practice; conceive, develop and evaluate innovative new writing
• access and evaluate the sources, authority and relevance of information and synthesise key facts, themes and ideas in writing
• communicate ideas to a range of audiences and in a variety of media and genres
• use technologies to access resources, communicate effectively and develop writing and research skills
• use disciplinary skills and knowledge to learn how to learn, and apply these insights to new writing and to the different intellectual and professional roles required of a writer in the broader community
• acknowledge the interrelationship between local, national and global perspectives and the impact of this on writing and the creative industries
• value a range of cultural knowledge and take care to represent these, where appropriate, in an ethical and professional manner
• work independently and/or collaboratively to produce innovative and informed creative writing that contributes meaningfully to contemporary culture

Why study Creative Writing

Transferable skills.

Humanities courses teach transferable skills for international careers. 

Get the Curtin edge

You’ll have opportunities to publish short stories and poems in the China Australia Writing Centre’s yearly anthology or the Curtin Student Guild’s Grok Magazine.

Industry links

Graduates of this course have gone on to have successful writing careers and won national literary awards. Our alumni include Ruth McIver, Tim Winton, Jon Doust, Deborah Robertson, Brooke Davis and Tracy Ryan.

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Admission criteria

What you need in order to get into this course. There are different pathway options depending on your level of work and education experience.

Select an option that best suits you:

Recently left high school

Work and life experience

TAFE or apprenticeship

Current or previous University experience

I’m not sure

You’re considered a high school leaver if you:

• Completed year 12 in Australia or overseas in the past two years, or
• Completed TAFE or VET studies in the past two years.

ATAR pathway

This course has a minimum ATAR of 70

Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

Subjects you must have studied in high school to be eligible for entry into a course.

English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

Desirable WACE subjects

High school subjects that aren’t essential for entry into the course, but provide a good foundation.

There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

StepUp Entry

StepUp grants additional ATAR points to help eligible students qualify for admission.

Successful StepUp Entry and StepUp Equity Adjustment Admission Pathway (StepUp Bonus) applicants will be eligible to be considered for admission into this course.

Alternative pathways

If you don’t meet our minimum admission criteria, the UniReady Enabling Program can help you qualify for entry into a range of undergraduate courses.

The certificate IV is the minimum requirement for university entry. It qualifies you for entry to Curtin courses with a 70 ATAR. You must also meet English language proficiency.

If you’re an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant who hasn’t met Curtin’s minimum admissions criteria, the Centre for Aboriginal Studies offers bridging courses that are tailored to help you gain entry into this course.

Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) is a national test for those who don't meet university admission criteria. STAT can be used to meet entry criteria for some courses, or as a way to satisfy Curtin’s English proficiency requirements.

Written English and either verbal or quantitative

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

How others gained admission

View the ATAR breakdown to see the low, median and high ATAR scores of students who started studying this course recently.

To see the other pathways students have taken, see the pathway breakdown .

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you with to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.

In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria . Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

You’re considered someone with work and life experience if:

You have left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.

How we define ‘experience’ ‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education such as mature-age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience. Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study.

You’re considered someone who studied at TAFE or have done an apprenticeship if:

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. This includes study at a public TAFE or other VET provider, whether a qualification was completed or not. Applicants with VET study may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.

AQF Certificate IV - Separate evidence of English language proficiency is required; or AQF Diploma; or AQF Advanced Diploma.

You’re considered someone who has recently left university if:

Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This may include applicants who are currently studying a higher education course at another education provider and want to transfer to Curtin University, or applicants who are currently studying at Curtin but want to switch to a different course. It may also include applicants who have completed past study with university and non-university higher education providers.

Curtin course switcher criteria

Our admission criteria for minimum entry apply to Curtin course switchers. For information on how to meet Curtin's minimum entry requirements, please see our admission criteria web page.

Higher education course switcher criteria

Our admission criteria for minimum entry apply to other higher education course switchers. For information on how to meet Curtin's minimum entry requirements, please see our admission criteria web page.

Unsure what option suits you?

We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of university admission. Choose the support you need from the options below.

You might find your answer in our frequently asked questions.

Ask a question

Submit your question via our online form and we’ll get back to you.

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Use your experience to get credit towards your degree

Finish your course sooner with credit for your previous study or work experience.

Fees and charges

Please view the Bachelor of Arts degree for indicative fees.

Looking for more detail on the course structure?

How to apply.

Please review information on how to apply for the campus of your choice

Frequently asked questions

There are 3 different categories of acceptance due dates:

• For countries listed here ( Country List ), acceptance due date is 7 weeks before course start date, as stated on your Offer Letter. If you have a GTE Finance or GTE Interview condition on your offer, you must submit the GTE documentation 2 weeks before the acceptance closing date.
• For all other countries which are not listed in the list, the acceptance due date is 3 weeks before the course start date.
• If you are currently in Australia on a valid visa, the acceptance closing date is 1 week before the course start date.

Curtin has a duty of care to ensure all international students have sufficient time to have their student visa issued and to arrive in Perth in time for the Orientation Week and the start of classes. The timeframes stipulated above allows Curtin to process your completed documents and for the Department of Home Affairs to issue your student visa in time. For more information on visa processing times, please refer to the Visa Processing Times on the Department of Home Affairs website.

For international application deadlines, please refer to: Key dates and university application deadlines | Curtin University

The offering information on this website applies only to future students. Current students should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information.

The information on this page may be subject to change. In particular, Curtin University may change the content, method or location of delivery or tuition fees of courses.

While Curtin uses reasonable efforts to ensure that the information provided on this page is accurate and up to date, errors and omissions sometimes occur. Curtin makes no warranty, representation or undertaking (expressed or implied) nor does it assume any legal liability (direct or indirect) for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information.

View courses information disclaimer .

• Curtin course code:  MJRU-CRWRI
• Last updated on:  1 April 2024

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Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Specialisations

Business specialisations available in the BBA:

• Accounting for Business Decisions Specialisation
• Business Law and Policy Specialisation
• Business Project Management Specialisation
• Business Strategy Specialisation
• Corporate Governance Specialisation
• Social Media and Digital Marketing Specialisation
• Event Management Specialisation
• Fashion Marketing Specialisation
• Information Systems in Business Specialisation
• International Management Specialisation
• Marketing Foundations Specialisation
• Property Investment Specialisation
• Public Relations Specialisation
• Small Business Start-Up Specialisation
• Social Leadership and Ethics Specialisation
• Taxation Law Specialisation
• The Business of Advertising Specialisation
• Tourism and Hospitality Essentials Specialisation
• User Experience for Business Optimisation Specialisation
• Workforce Management Specialisation

Specialisations available from Humanities and Science:

• Actuarial Financial Mathematics Specialisation
• Advertising Design Specialisation
• Animation and Game Design Specialisation
• Anthropology and Sociology Specialisation
• Asian Studies Specialisation
• Chinese Language Specialisation
• Construction Management Specialisation
• Creative Writing Specialisation
• Design Thinking and Visual Communication Specialisation
• Designing Fashion Specialisation
• Digital Design Specialisation
• Digital and Social Media Specialisation
• English and Cultural Studies Specialisation
• Environmental Planning Specialisation
• Fashion Design Specialisation
• Fine Art Specialisation
• Geography Specialisation
• Graphic Design Specialisation
• Graphics Specialisation
• History Specialisation
• Illustration Specialisation
• Interior Architecture – Applied Interior Design Specialisation
• Interior Architecture Specialisation
• International Development Specialisation
• Journalism Specialisation
• Landscape and Natural Resource Management Specialisation
• Photography Specialisation
• Principles of Planning Specialisation
• Professional Writing Specialisation
• Screen Production Specialisation
• Social Inclusion and Equity Specialisation
• Social Justice Specialisation
• Surveying and Spatial Sciences Specialisation
• Theatre Arts Specialisation
• Urban Design and Planning Specialisation
• Web Media Specialisation
• Web Presence Specialisation

Bachelor of Commerce Specialisations

Business specialisations:

• Applied Finance Specialisation
• Banking Specialisation
• Employment Relations Specialisation
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship Specialisation
• Corporate Screen Production Specialisation

Bachelor of Innovation Specialisations

Specialisations available from Humanities, Science and the Centre for Aboriginal Studies:

• Biological Diversity Minor
• Climate Change Science Minor
• Environmental Management Minor
• Food Science Minor
• Forensic Studies Minor
• Geophysics Minor
• Geospatial Technology Minor
• Go Global – Internship Specialisation 1
• Go Practice – Internship Specialisation 1
• Indigenous Australian Cultural Studies Specialisation
• Landscape Restoration Minor
• Mapping and Land Planning Minor
• Metallurgy Minor
• Mining Minor
• Optimisation Minor
• Strategic Studies Specialisation

Domestic students

You are considered a domestic student if you are:

• an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
• Humanitarian visa holder

Doesn’t sound like you? Switch to International content.

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