Key facts
Duration
This course is 0.5 years full-time duration or equivalent. Please see the Pathways section below for more information.
Locations
*The next available Burwood (Melbourne) intake will be for 2027
Current Deakin Students
To access your official course details for the year you started your degree, please visit the handbook
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.
Course information
- Award granted
- Graduate Certificate of Writing and Literature
- Year
2025 course information
- Deakin code
- A535
- CRICOS code?
- 083987J Burwood (Melbourne)
- Level
- Postgraduate (Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma)
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8
Course structure
To complete the Graduate Certificate of Writing and Literature, you must pass 4 credit points. This includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- 2 credit points of core units
- 1 credit point from the writing course elective units
- 1 credit point from the literature course elective units.
Most units are equal to one credit point.
As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester.
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
2
Core units
1
Writing unit
1
Literature unit
4
Total
Core
Compulsory 0-credit point module
To be completed in the first trimester of study:
Core Units
Writing and Literature
Writing units
Select 1 credit point not previously studied from:
Literature units
Select 1 credit point not previously studied from:
Intakes by location
The availability of a course varies across locations and intakes. This means that a course offered in Trimester 1 may not be offered in the same location for Trimester 2 or 3. Check each intake for up-to-date information on when and where you can commence your studies.
Trimester 1 - March
- Start date: March
- Available at:
- Burwood (Melbourne)*
- Online
* Next intake available in 2027
Trimester 2 - July
- Start date: July
- Available at:
- Burwood (Melbourne)*
- Online
* Next intake available in 2027
Course duration
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.
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.
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.
Work experience
Elective units may provide the opportunity for Work Integrated Learning experiences.
Entry requirements
Selection is based on a holistic consideration of your academic merit, work experience, likelihood of success, availability of places, participation requirements, regulatory requirements, and individual circumstances. You will need to meet the minimum academic and English language proficiency requirements or higher to be considered for selection, but this does not guarantee admission.
A combination of qualifications and experience may be deemed equivalent to minimum academic requirements.
Academic requirements
To be considered for admission to this degree you will need to meet at least one of the following criteria:
- completion of a bachelor degree or higher
- at least two years' relevant work experience (or part-time equivalent)
English language proficiency requirements
To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:
- bachelor degree from a recognised English-speaking country
- IELTS overall score of 6.5 (with no band score less than 6.0) or equivalent
- other evidence of English language proficiency (learn more about other ways to satisfy the requirements)
Admissions information
Learn more about Deakin courses and how we compare to other universities when it comes to the quality of our teaching and learning.
Not sure if you can get into Deakin postgraduate study? Postgraduate study doesn’t have to be a balancing act; we provide flexible course entry and exit options based on your desired career outcomes and the time you are able to commit to your study.
Recognition of prior learning
If you have completed previous studies which you believe may reduce the number of units you have to complete at Deakin, indicate in the appropriate section on your application that you wish to be considered for credit transfer. You will need to provide a certified copy of your previous course details so your credit can be determined. If you are eligible, your offer letter will then contain information about your credit transfer. Your credit transfer is formally approved prior to your enrolment at Deakin during the Enrolment and Orientation Program. You must bring original documents relating to your previous study so that this approval can occur.
You can also refer to the recognition of prior learning (RPL) system which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree.
Fees and scholarships
Fee information
The tuition fees you pay are determined by the course you are enrolled in. The 'Estimated tuition fee' is provided as a guide only and represents the typical tuition fees for students completing this course within the same year 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 you have.
The 'Estimated tuition fee' is calculated by adding together four credit points of study. Four credit points is used as it represents a typical enrolment load for a Graduate Certificate.
Each unit you enrol in has a credit point value. 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 tuition fees.
Scholarship options
A Deakin scholarship might change your life. If you've got something special to offer Deakin – or you just need the financial help to get you here – we may have a scholarship opportunity for you.
Postgraduate bursary
If you’re a Deakin alumnus commencing a postgraduate award course, you may be eligible to receive a 10% reduction per unit on your enrolment fees.
Apply now
Applications can be made directly to the University through StudyLink Connect - Deakin University's International Student Application Service.
We recommend engaging with a Deakin Authorised Agent who can assist you with the process and submit the application.
For information on the application process, including required documents and important dates, see the How to apply webpage.
If you need assistance, please contact us.
Pathways
A shorter course duration is available to students entering from a same discipline background. A 'same discipline' award for this course is any tagged Bachelor degree (min 3 years) or Bachelor degree (min 3 years) with a major sequence in Editing, English Literature, Literary Studies, Children's Literature, Professional Writing, Publishing, Creative Writing, or Writing.
| Highest same discipline award held at point of Grad Cert entry | Reduction in course duration | Remaining course duration |
| Bachelor, Bachelor (Honours) same discipline | 0.5 year part-time (2 credit points) | 0.5 year part-time (2 credit points) |
Careers
Career outcomes
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.
Course learning outcomes
Deakin's graduate learning outcomes describe the knowledge and capabilities graduates can demonstrate at the completion of their course. These outcomes mean that regardless of the Deakin course you undertake, you can rest assured your degree will teach you the skills and professional attributes that employers value. They'll set you up to learn and work effectively in the future.
| 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 at Faculty Board September 2021
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