Rhyme and reason

Q. I'm in my early fifties and am interested in an MA in creative writing. My undergraduate degree (English) was taken many years ago, but I am a practising poet and have had poems published. Now my two children have started university, I feel free to return to studying. I am not sure what I need to get on to an MA. I'd quite like to study from home and do a distance-learning course.

A. Congratulations; you've managed to keep up your writing despite the demands of being a parent. To submit your work and get it published is a major achievement. It shows you have the discipline.

The question now is what you want from a creative writing course. Is it the chance to share your work and receive constructive criticism, or is it to get commercial contacts? There are about 200 creative writing postgraduate courses in the UK, whereas 10 years ago there were only a handful. Some of the older programmes, such as at the University of East Anglia's, remain the most prestigious. Wherever you choose, look carefully at the tutors' expertise and what alumni have gone on to do. Some programmes (for example, Birkbeck College) have anthologies of students' writing.

Writing can be a lonely business, and meeting other writers to discuss your work and theirs can be valuable. But some writers prefer to work at a distance with more limited contact. There is no right way to study; you need to find the sort of programme that suits you.

There are only a few distance-learning MAs; for example, at Lancaster and at Manchester Metropolitan. Lyn Kellett, course officer at Lancaster, explains that you would be assigned a supervisor who is a practising poet, and you can read other work by logging on to the conference site. The Open University has a new postgraduate course starting in February.

To get on to an MA, you usually need a good honours degree together with a substantial portfolio (about 20 pages of poetry). The magazine Mslexia ( www.mslexia.co.uk) is full of tips for women writers.

Agent of change

Q. I've worked as a travel agent for a decade since leaving university with a geography degree. I'm in a small firm and feel I'm not getting anywhere. A postgraduate qualification might help me get a management position in a larger firm. What are my options? I know a lot about marketing and customer relations, and I speak Spanish, but my IT and financial skills could be better. Ultimately, I'd like to run my own business.

A. Your situation is not uncommon among travel agents. You have three issues to address: getting a management position in a larger firm; improving your IT and finance skills; and preparing yourself to set up your own business.

Postgraduate study can help with the first two, but not necessarily the third. Setting up your own business involves different range of skills.

As for whether a postgraduate qualification will help you get a more senior position in a larger firm, opinions are divided. Bridget Major, principal lecturer at Newcastle Business School, says it's worth pursing out of academic interest, although she also suggests taking an MBA. It would be better to find a new position in another organisation where you can gain the sort of experience you need, she thinks.

Recruitment specialist Ian McHaffie suggests you keep working and invest in a postgraduate course part-time. Identify what interests you in the long run - marketing, customer relations, general management - and focus on this when you investigate courses. There are many Masters in Finance and Management, Tourism Management and IT conversion and you can search for courses at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Pgdbase, or at www.springboard.org.uk. And don't forget to network.

Careers consultants: Nan Sherrard and Michael Cox, Graduate Prospects

Send your queries to Caitlin Davies at 'The Independent', Education Desk, Second Floor, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS; or e-mail to caitlind1@aol.com