Graduate Certificate of Writing and Literature
2024 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2024 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Graduate Certificate of Writing and Literature |
| Deakin course code | A535 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts and Education |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Online | Yes |
| Duration | 0.5 year full-time or equivalent |
| Course Map - enrolment planning tool | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2024. This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2024. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS course code | 083987J Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8 |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Fees and charges
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Other learning experiences
Course overview
Turn your love for reading and writing into a successful career with the Graduate Certificate of Writing and Literature. Get an introduction to the craft and conventions of creative writing, professional writing and publishing, and use this course as a stepping stone into the Master of Arts (Writing and Literature).
Ready to explore the work of great authors while developing your own writing skills?
If you’re looking to change the narrative of your career, the Graduate Certificate of Writing and Literature gives you the skills and practical experience you need to take the next step. Discover how to make your words stand out from the sea of content that exists in today’s digital age and gain a deep understanding of the theory and craft stemming from traditional literature. The course attracts a diverse group of students with a shared passion for writing, from authors to marketers, lawyers to teachers, all striving to become confident writers and brilliant communicators.
The course can be used as an entry point into the Master of Arts (Writing and Literature) and includes two core units from the Masters' program.
You’ll then choose your remaining two units from a broad list of writing and literature study areas. This allows you to build specialist skills and design a degree based on your career aspirations.
Importantly, the course provides more than just writing expertise. The projects and assessment tasks you work on train you in transferable skills, including critical analysis, communication, problem solving and research – incredibly valuable in every field of work. You’ll also get to debate literature, creativity and modern writing challenges with like-minded people from different corners of business and life. This exposure to new ways of thinking helps you develop as a writer and shows you how literature can be used to make sense of different aspects of culture, place and history.
Career opportunities
You’ll graduate from this course with more than just advanced writing skills. You’ll also have expertise in communication, problem solving, critical thinking and research – the kind of skills employers across all industries value.
This course puts you in a strong position to explore a range of career pathways, including:
- author
- editor
- literary critic
- publisher
- advertising executive
- communications specialist
- copywriter
- journalist
- public relations practitioner
- English teacher.
For more information go to DeakinTALENT
Participation requirements
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Mandatory student checks
Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.
Fees and charges
The available fee places for this course are detailed above. Not all courses at Deakin have Commonwealth supported places available.
The 'Estimated tuition fee' is provided as a guide only based on a typical enrolment of students completing this course within the same year as they started. The cost will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the length of your course and any approved Recognition of prior learning.
One year full-time study load is typically represented by four credit points of study for Graduate Certificates. Each unit you enrol in has a credit point value. The 'Estimated tuition fee' is calculated by adding together four credit points of a typical combination of units for your course. You can find the credit point value of each unit under the Unit Description by searching for the unit in the Handbook. Learn more about fees and available payment options.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Articulate specialist knowledge of a range of literary and creative writing theories, concepts, and approaches, and apply them to the study of literature and the production of written work |
| Communication | Communicate through writing that employs advanced command of the critical and theoretical vocabularies and language required to interpret, argue and fluently and persuasively transmit ideas about writing and literature. |
| Digital literacy | Employ a range of technologies and make evaluative judgments in the use of research databases, bibliographic and digital communication technologies to research, produce and present scholarly work in writing and literature. |
| Critical thinking | Utilise theory and research to critically analyse and apply appropriate forms and conventions in writing and to evaluate the influence of narrative strategies, genre conventions and cultural assumptions on works of literature. |
| Problem solving | Apply a range of theoretical, historical and contemporary critical and analytical approaches to the design and execution of solutions to a range of scholarly, aesthetic and ideological problems that emerge from the analysis and writing of literature |
| Self-management | Act with autonomy and initiative while being accountable for working effectively, efficiently and to a high standard to achieve goals in writing and literature. |
| Teamwork | Actively contribute to peer feedback activities and make constructive, respectful, and informed contributions to creative and critical collaboration in writing and literature |
| Global citizenship | Identify, select, critically analyse, and apply culturally relevant literary theories, concepts, and approaches to writing and interpreting works of literature. |
| Approved by Faculty Board September 2021 | |
Course rules
To qualify for the award of Graduate Certificate of Writing and Literature, students must successfully complete 4 credit points of study comprised of:
- 2 credit points of core units;
- 1 credit point of Writing units;
- 1 credit point of Literature units;
- DAI001 Academic Integrity Module (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
Course structure
Core Units
| ALL743 | Foundations in Narrative Theory |
| ALW740 | Foundations in Writing |
Writing and Literature units
Writing units
Select 1 credit point not previously studied from:
| ACA715 | Creating Your Arts Business |
| ALC708 | Social Media Content Creation |
| ALJ716 | Writing the News |
| ALW730 | Creative Nonfiction: The Personal Essay |
| ALW732 | Fiction Writing: Story, Structure and Starting Out |
| ALW738 | Editing |
| ALW739 | Publishing |
| ALL705 | Vision and Revision: Short Stories Now |
| ALL784 | Life Writing Now |
| ALL727 | Sex, the Body, and American Poetry |
Literature units
Select 1 credit point not previously studied from:
| ALL705 | Vision and Revision: Short Stories Now |
| ALL706 | Fantasy and Historical Fictions |
| ALL708 | Graphic Narratives |
| ALL721 | Writing for Children |
| ALL722 | Texts for Young Adults |
| ALL784 | Life Writing Now |
| ALL727 | Sex, the Body, and American Poetry |
Work experience
Elective units may provide the opportunity for Work Integrated Learning experiences.
Other course information
Course duration
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.
Further information
Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.
- Contact Student Central
Other learning experiences
There will be opportunities throughout the course for students to engage with industry professionals. These experiences will be integrated into units where students will have external clients or industry representatives provide content to more closely connect the learning experience with industry practices.