PhD in Creative Writing

A PhD in Creative Writing degree is the highest academic qualification offered by the Victoria University of Wellington. 

The PhD in Creative Writing PhD in Creative Writing programme at  Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington is designed for those who wish to write creatively and think in focussed and original ways about the critical contexts of their writing.

Key facts

• PhD students have two supervisors—a primary supervisor, and a co- or secondary supervisor.

• Your primary supervisor will normally be a member of the permanent academic staff of the IIIML: Ken Duncum, Tina Makereti, Chris Price or Damien Wilkins.

Courses include

• Your thesis will consist of a book-length creative project or the text of full-length works for stage or screen, and a substantial piece of critical research. 

• There are regular PhD group workshops, and the programme also requires an ability to work independently. 

• You meet at least once a month with your supervisor, and the supervisor-student relationship is crucial to the progress of your work for the PhD.

• PhD candidates must be registered for a minimum of 36 months full time, or equivalent, before they submit a thesis for examination. Under normal circumstances a PhD would be expected to take three years of full-time work.