100-level

WRIT101
Writing for Academic Success
Description
Writing for Academic Success fosters the capacity for analytical thought about texts and language. The course also provides training in the writing of clear and effective prose, inculcates awareness of crucial structural and rhetorical features of expository writing, and encourages the application of that awareness to writing in a range of academic and professional contexts.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Semester One 2026 (Distance)
Semester Two 2026
Semester Two 2026 (Distance)
Points
15 points
Restrictions
ENGL117
WRIT118
Creative Writing: Skills, Techniques and Practice
Description
This course provides a grounding in the skills, techniques and tricks a writer needs to transform ideas and material into art. Guided exercises will develop students' creative practice of observation, play and experiment; the study of selected poetry, short prose and dramatic texts will introduce diverse forms and approaches. Students will also develop a feedback and revision practice at the weekly workshops; closely and sensitively engage with both published and peer texts.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
15 points
Restrictions
ENGL118

200-level

WRIT201
The Essay and Beyond: Creative Non-Fiction
Description
Non-fiction writing has a strong place within the traditions of literature, but has often tended to be neglected as a subject of study. To redress this, we will look at different genres of non-fiction: essays, popular science, travel writing, nature writing, and various types of 'life writing'. We will question the particular techniques and generic distinctions of texts studied, consider the specific subjects of non-fiction texts, examine how the texts are constructed and discuss their significance in the contexts most relevant to them. In addition, the course will explore the representation of place, displacement and placement; the history of subjectivity; recent interventions into postcolonial, globalisation and literary studies, and ecocriticism and human-animal studies; and the operation of gender and class as they apply to the production and readership of literary non-fiction.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Any 15 points at 100 level from ENGL; DISC101 or DISC102; or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
Restrictions
ENGL201
WRIT220
Creative Writing: Storymaking and the Short Story
Description
In this course students explore storymaking with a focus on the short story. The course is structured into three modules: 'the beginning', 'middle', and 'end', and each includes diverse readings, guided writing exercises, and discussion. Students explore character, place, plot, structure, voice, meaning, resolution and editing, and the weekly workshops offer space for supportive feedback and experiment. By the end, students will have drafted, re-crafted and completed a short story, developed their fingerprint storytelling voice and style.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Any 15 points at 100 level from WRIT or ENGL; DISC101 or DISC102; or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
Restrictions
ENGL220

300-level

WRIT301
Writing with Impact
Description
This course develops to an advanced level students' skills and knowledge in various forms of non-fiction writing. The aim is to produce graduates who can write with novelty, vitality, and versatility across a range of genres; who can evoke distinctive voices of many kinds; who can express subtle and individual nuances of emotion; who can produce real embodied descriptions of the world; whose work can undertake fresh formal experiments, produce unprecedented effects, and go in surprising directions. Genres covered, depending on the year, may include life writing (biography, autobiography, and memoir); the personal and informal essay; popular science and science communication; writing about nature, animals, and the environment; travel, food, and health writing; review writing; writing for and about the digital and online world; and professional writing (reports, funding applications, web content).
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from WRIT or ENGL, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
Restrictions
ENGL331
WRIT350
Creative Writing: New Narratives
Description
This course marks the culmination of students’ undergraduate creative writing journey, offering a focused experience in the development, drafting, and completion of a substantial creative writing project. Through a combination of readings, discussion, exercises, and practical workshops, students will explore new narrative forms such as the novelette, novella-in-flash, verse novel and poetic sequence. The course emphasizes revision and peer feedback, supports the development of practice-led research, and will prepare students for graduate study or continued creative practice.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from WRIT or ENGL, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
Restrictions
ENGL350

Not Offered Courses in 2026

200-level

WRIT204
Communicating with Data and Digital Media
Description
This course explores how to write clearly about numbers, data and descriptive statistics, how text is turned into data and what such 'datafication' implies for communication practices. The first part of the course covers writing techniques, introductory data visualisation, presentation approaches for different audiences, and issues of interpretation and bias. The second part of the course focuses on textual data more closely, introducing common methods for analysing and extracting information from texts, then turns to a critical examination of social and ethical issues that arise through data collection and analysis.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026
For further information see WRIT204 course details
Points
15 points
WRIT231
Creative Writing: Experiments in G.L.A.M Poetry
Description
This course offers instruction and advice in the practice of writing poetry. A number of forms and styles will be studied, and writing exercises will be used to extend and develop the individual student's range of competencies. The course will culminate in the production by each student of a portfolio of his or her original work.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026
For further information see WRIT231 course details
Points
15 points
WRIT233
Creative Writing: From Page to Stage
Description
This course offers a hands-on introduction to one-act plays, guiding students through the essentials of dramatic structure, character development, dialogue, and stage direction. Over five weeks, students will read, analyze, write, and perform short plays, gaining insight into both the creative and performance aspects of theatre. Emphasis is placed on collaborative work, practical exercises, and the development of original scripts. The course will culminate in a live showcase of student-written one-act plays, allowing students to experience the full arc of theatrical production - from page to stage.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026
For further information see WRIT233 course details
Points
15 points
WRIT239
Creative Writing: Eco-Lit in the Field
Description
In this course students will have a series of immersive experiences of the Aotearoa environment and explore a range of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction texts by key writers including pioneers of environmental writing, contemporary writers, and writers with a strong Aotearoa New Zealand connection. Students will participate in daily lectures, writing workshops and guided writing exercises and walks, will engage in close observation and explore ways to effectively and powerfully communicate ideas about the environment, landforms and lifeforms through creative writing.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026
For further information see WRIT239 course details
Points
15 points