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A Creative Writing degree will let you flex your storytelling abilities and study the work of literary legends.Our university rankings for Creative Writing include Scriptwriting and Poetry Writing.

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The 6 Best UK Universities for Creative Writing Degrees

The 6 Best UK Universities for Creative Writing Degrees

  • 13-minute read
  • 24th February 2023

A creative writing degree can unlock your potential and give you access to a world of career and writing opportunities. So if you’re an avid writer looking to develop your skills , a university-level degree might be the perfect next step.

But with so many options for studying creative writing in the UK, you might be wondering where (and how) to start. Your course and university choice could impact the skills you develop, the connections you make, and the direction in which your career takes off.

That’s why, in this post, we break down what a creative writing degree is, explain what you need to look out for when choosing a university, and finally, offer an overview of some of the best UK universities for creative writing degrees.

When you’re done reading, we hope you’ll be one step closer to starting your ideal creative writing degree.

What Is a Creative Writing Degree?

A creative writing degree is an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification in creative writing. The degree may focus on creative writing alone, or an institution may combine creative writing with related subjects, such as English language and literature, film studies, or journalism.

The purpose of a creative writing degree is to help students develop their writing skills, establish their authorial voice, and equip themselves with an understanding of different writing styles and techniques. Degree material may also cover practical concerns, such as how the publishing industry works.

Entry requirements for a creative writing course vary, but most institutions will ask for an A-level or the equivalent in English language and/or literature. Creative writing programs cover many forms of writing and can include modules in:

●  Prose

●  Nonfiction

●  Poetry

●  Scriptwriting

●  Writing for an online audience

●  Narrative theory

●  The creative process

●  Getting published

●  Teaching creative writing

As they progress through the course, creative writing students will produce essays alongside a portfolio of creative work, which they will then submit for assessment.

The Benefits of a Creative Writing Degree

While you don’t need a creative writing degree to publish your work, having one can provide you with unique benefits and career opportunities. Creative writing students can expect to:

●  Work with published authors and literary professionals

●  Develop contacts within the publishing industry

●  Experience dealing with and responding to feedback

●  Encounter opportunities to publish their work and establish a reputation as a writer

●  Explore the theory behind writing in depth

You will also develop transferable talents such as time management, communication skills, and self-discipline. These will help you develop your career and stand out to potential employers.

Career Opportunities for Creative Writing Graduates

Becoming an author might be the most obvious career path for creative writing graduates, but you can access plenty of other career choices with your degree. Potential careers include:

●  Editorial assistant

●  Copy editor

●  Publisher

●  Literary agent

●  Copywriter

●  Marketing assistant

●  Journalist

●  Teacher

●  English or creative writing lecturer

Things to Consider When Choosing a University

When you choose a creative writing degree, you’re also choosing the university where you will study. Each institution has its own benefits and approaches, so to make sure you select the right university for you, consider the following factors.

Location and Campus Culture

Some universities are campus-based; that is, lecture halls, accommodations, entertainment, and other facilities are all located in one place. Other institutions are spread across the town or city where they are based.

Each location will have its own atmosphere, so visiting for an open day will help you get a better idea of what attending that university would be like. You should also consider how far away from home you want to study and how easily you can travel between your university and your hometown.

The faculty members of different universities will have their own specialist subjects, research interests, and writing experience. Look for a university where the faculty members specialize in areas of writing you’re interested in. Doing so is especially important if you’re pursuing a PhD in creative writing, as you’ll need to find an appropriate PhD supervisor.

Available Resources and Facilities

While most universities are equipped with a well-stocked library, some may be more suited than others to your subject. A university library that specializes in the humanities, for example, will complement a creative writing degree well.

A university publishing press can also be a useful resource that provides work and publishing opportunities for creative writing students. University publications and magazines are good places to submit writing as well.

Professional Connections and Internships

Some universities incorporate internships into their creative writing degrees. The internships are work placements that will provide you with on-the-job skills and experience and can help you develop professional connections within the publishing industry.

1. University of East Anglia

The University of East Anglia (or UEA) was the first university in the UK to offer degree-level courses in creative writing, introducing an MA in creative writing in 1970, then following suit with the first creative writing PhD in 1987.

UEA’s courses combine creative writing with the study of literature or drama at an undergraduate level. Each of the university’s postgraduate courses focuses on a particular form of writing, such as fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.

Based in Norwich, a UNESCO City of Literature , UEA is able to provide a variety of resources and opportunities for creative writing students, including:

●  The National Centre for Writing and the British Archive for Contemporary Writing

●  The UEA Publishing Project , which runs three publishing presses and publishes student writing in an annual anthology

●  The UEA Award , which helps employers recognize students’ achievements

●  A variety of writing fellowships

●  Year-round literary events and festivals for students and published authors, such as UEA Live and the Norwich Crime Fiction Festival

Notable UEA alumni include Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro and Booker Prize winner Anne Enright .

2. University of Leeds

The University of Leeds is one of the UK’s largest universities and belongs to the Russell Group . Leeds is a campus university, but it’s close to the center of the city.

Leeds offers an interdisciplinary BA in English Literature with Creative Writing , an MA in Creative Writing or Writing for Performance and Digital Media , and research degrees within the School of English or the School of Performance and Cultural Industries.

At the undergraduate level, Leeds offers a diverse range of creative writing modules (including science fiction, crime fiction, nature writing, and travel writing). Published writers and expert researchers teach all these modules.

The university has connections with a variety of creative writing projects, institutions, and festivals, including:

●  Ilkley Literature Festival

●  Leeds Playhouse

●  Leeds Grand Theatre

●  Leeds Poetry Centre

●  The School of Night , a fortnightly poetry seminar

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●  Brotherton Library, which features extensive archives and a collection of period printing presses

Leeds also has its own theater space, stage@leeds , and publishes the literary magazine Stand , both of which showcase students’ creative work. Notable Leeds alumni include playwright Wole Syonka and poet Geoffrey Hill . The university was also home to author J.R.R. Tolkien, who was a professor in the School of English and contributed poetry to the university’s newsletter.

3. University of Birmingham

Established in the West Midlands in 1900, the University of Birmingham is another campus-based Russell Group university.

Birmingham ranked first for creative writing in the Guardian University Guide 2023 . The university offers a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing or in Film and Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing.

The university’s creative writing modules and courses focus on exposing students to a broad range of writing styles and genres while offering workshops and professional skills training aimed at preparing students for the publishing industry.

The university also works closely with the local creative community to provide students with a range of opportunities, including:

●  The Cultural Intern Scheme

●  The Birmingham Project

●  Publishing opportunities with Nine Arches Press and Tindal Street Press

In addition, Birmingham runs the world-renowned Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, where students can experience unique writing workshops and a residential trip featuring seminars, theater visits, and other events.

For graduating students, the university currently boasts a 90% employment rate within 15 months. Birmingham is the UK’s fourth-most targeted university among the top employers of graduates.

4. University of Warwick

The University of Warwick is a slightly newer university, first offering courses in 1965. Based just outside the city of Coventry, the University of Warwick is a campus university. It is home to the Warwick Arts Centre , a purpose-built facility for cinema, theater, and the visual arts.

The Warwick Writing Program provides the creative writing courses at Warwick. Established in 1996, the project aims to inspire and develop writers internationally. Published authors, poets, and literary translators make up the staff.

Within the program, students can pursue a BA in English and Creative Writing or an MA in Writing . Students can pursue the MA as either a taught degree or a long project, with the aim of producing a long-form piece of writing.

The University of Warwick provides opportunities for students and graduates, such as:

●  The Warwick Prize for Women in Translation

●  The Sunday Times Young Writer Award

●  Workshops at the Warwick Arts Centre

●  Warwick Thursdays (weekly events hosted by publishing industry experts)

●  The option to study abroad for one year

Warwick’s alumni include novelist Sophie Mackintosh , as well as Gboyega Odubanjo and Michael Askew, winners of the Eric Gregory Award.

5. University of Reading

The University of Reading is a 100-year-old institution spread across multiple campuses. It ranks in the top 30 British universities.

Reading offers one of the most diverse and flexible ranges of undergraduate creative writing degrees in the UK. Prospective students can choose to pursue the following BAs:

●  English Literature with Creative Writing

●  Creative Writing and Film

●  Creative Writing and Theatre

●  Creative Writing and Film & Theatre

●  Art and Creative Writing

An MA in Creative Writing is also available and includes modules in the publishing industry and persuasive writing to help students find careers in publishing and journalism.

Reading is home to the Archive of British Publishing and Printing and provides access to collections of rare books and manuscripts that enable students to explore the creative process of famous authors, such as Thomas Hardy. Students also have the opportunity to publish their work in The Canvas , Reading’s online magazine.

6. University of Strathclyde

Based in the center of Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, the University of Strathclyde is a multi-award-winning university. And when it comes to creative writing, Strathclyde offers some unique areas of study for undergraduates , including Scottish literature and the Glasgow novel.

Strathclyde also offers postgraduate courses. As the university is Scottish, it offers a Master of Letters ( MLitt ) and a Master of Research ( M. Res .) in place of the more common MA in creative writing. MLitt creative writing students can choose to specialize in a research area and placement of their choice or take a module from other subjects within the School of Humanities.

The University of Strathclyde offers students numerous resources, opportunities, and connections across Glasgow. These include:

●  The Aye Right! Book Festival

●  Blaze , the university’s online creative writing classes

●  Creative Scotland

Strathclyde’s alumni include authors Ali Smith and Andrew O’Hagan . Among the current faculty members are screenwriter Andrew Meehan and poet David Kinloch .

To recap the main points of this post:

●  A creative writing degree will help you develop your writing skills, often in tandem with cultivating critical reading skills.

●  Creative writing degrees offer a variety of modules and allow you to specialize in a particular form or genre.

●  A creative writing degree can open many potential career paths.

●  The most important things to consider when choosing a university at which to study creative writing are location, staff, resources, and professional opportunities.

●  Six of the best universities for creative writing degrees in the UK are the University of East Anglia, the University of Leeds, the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick, the University of Reading, and the University of Strathclyde.

●  Many of these universities offer lectures, workshops, and seminars delivered by published authors.

Whichever university you decide to attend, make sure it’s the right one for you. Look for modules you’re interested in, writing forms you’d like to explore, opportunities you want to make the most of, and a university atmosphere you’ll thrive in.

And if you’re looking for more options, take a look at the Complete University Guide’s 2023 rankings for creative writing .

What types of degrees can I receive in creative writing?

As an undergraduate, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in creative writing. As a postgraduate, you can earn a Master of Arts (MA) degree or a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD).

If you’re studying in Scotland, the types of degrees may differ slightly.

How do I know whether I have what it takes to pursue a degree in creative writing?

Before accepting you for a creative writing degree, most universities will require that you have certain A-level or equivalent grades. But academic achievements aren’t everything. If you’re looking to pursue a degree in creative writing, it’s helpful to have:

●  An avid interest in reading (and, of course, writing!)

●  A portfolio to demonstrate your writing

●  The ability to meet deadlines

Be prepared to work hard, but remember, the point of a creative writing degree is to help develop your writing skills and style. You don’t have to be a perfect, polished writer to be a creative writing student!

Can I pursue a creative writing degree online?

Yes, many universities now offer online versions of creative writing degrees. This means you will be able to earn the same qualification by studying online as you would if you studied in person.

However, be careful to choose a properly accredited online creative writing degree.

Where can I get feedback on my university application?

A professional proofreader or editor is the best choice for getting feedback on your application.

Our team here at Proofed can help make sure your university application is clear and correct and meets the appropriate academic standards so that you can focus on preparing for university life.

We can even proofread the first 500 words for free – so why not submit a document ?

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Brunel University London

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Creative Writing BA

Key information.

Course code

W801 with placement

Placement available

Mode of study

3 years full-time

4 years full-time with placement

4.5-6 years part-time

International £19,430

Entry requirements

AAB - BBC (A-level)

Creative Writing is ranked 4th in The Guardian Subject Rankings 2024. 

Our Creative Writing BA course has been designed to inspire high levels of creativity, initiative and originality in the design, production, interpretation and analysis of creative writing along with a chance to develop interdisciplinary projects.

You will be taught the key genres of creative writing by some of the most talented and original writers working today. Between them, they’ve published over 100 books, produced countless scripts for TV, radio and film, and won umpteen awards. The teaching team includes renowned authors like Bernardine Evaristo, Hannah Lowe and Max Kinnings.

From week one you’ll write and interact with your peer group of creative writers. You will share ideas and give constructive feedback to others on their creative work.

In your first year you’ll gain a solid grounding in how to write fiction, drama and poetry, and study world literature. You can choose a variety of subjects in your second year such as journalism and screenwriting. In your final year, the Creative Industries module helps you consider your career options and shape your future. Your final year Special Project will allow you to specialise in your chosen field and choose from a wealth of specialist options.

We invite many successful authors to give guest talks covering different aspects of creative writing. Industry expert speakers include book publishers, screenwriters, poets and broadcasters. You have the advantage of Brunel’s close location to London, the literary capital of the UK. You’ll benefit from trips to the British Library, Shakespeare’s Globe and West End theatres.

Our BA in creative writing can be studied full-time over three years, four years with a placement year, or part-time over six years.

We encourage the placement year option. This time helps you to further prepare for the world of work and you’ll have a year’s worth of invaluable professional experience when you graduate. If you decide to go on a creative writing placement year, you could find yourself working at magazine publishers, film production companies, or even the London Screenwriters’ Festival. Some placements lead to jobs on graduation.

You’ll have the opportunity to get your work published before you graduate. At least one anthology of creative work is produced each year, curated and edited by our creative writing students. We run many literary events including performance showcases, film screenings, and a student-led e-magazine, so there will be many ways for you to share your creative work.

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour .

Course content

In the first year you will start building a portfolio of your creative writing. You will follow your interests in the second year and master the craft of creative writing in your final year. English is studied in all three years. Your final year major project is an in-depth study of a creative writing topic of your choice.

The purpose of this module is to enable Creative Writing and English Literature students to develop a grounding in effective writing practices and core competencies of textual production. Students will develop an understanding of the different stages of textual production, from prewriting, research, planning and outlining, to drafting, feedback and editing, polishing and submission, as well as an understanding of core writing mechanics. This module will enable students to explore and practice the differing conventions of textual production in a variety of areas of academia and the creative industries, from non-fiction modes such as the academic essay, critical and reflective writing, to screenplays and fiction manuscripts.

This module focuses on the key skills of critical and close reading, as central to the study of literature. Learning the skills necessary to read at a higher level, including the interpretation and analysis of literary texts, is a core competency for students of English literature. The central aim of this module, therefore, is to enhance and develop students’ engagement with primary and secondary texts. Students will learn how to analyse and interpret complex texts in various genres, making use of the established techniques and approaches of the discipline. Students will engage with the idea of critical reading as a practice-based and culturally-informed act that must be learned and developed. Teaching is shaped around the goal of developing students’ “reading resilience”, that is, the ability to read, discuss, and write about, varied and challenging texts with confidence. Through discussion, group workshops, lectures and individual tasks, students will become proficient in working with literary and rhetorical texts, learning skills that are essential throughout the degree. The module forms a foundational aspect of the degree programme, benchmarking skills such as time management, evidence-based analysis, and close reading.

This module is designed to introduce students to the core elements and skills necessary for writing fiction. Aided by close reading and discussion of fiction by published writers, students will develop knowledge and understanding of core elements of the craft, such

as character, setting, plot, dialogue, as well as key skills such as understanding audience, showing rather than telling, and writing to a specified word-count and brief. Students will practice these core competencies and also learn how to workshop their prose, developing skills for the giving and receiving of constructive feedback to enable redrafting of works-in-progress. Students will reflect upon their inspirations, reading and the development of their craft.

This module is designed to introduce students to the core elements and skills necessary for writing poetry. Aided by close reading and discussion of poetry by published writers, students will develop knowledge and understanding of core elements of the craft, such as the poetic line, working in form and free verse, sound and voice, as well as key skills such as concision and redrafting. Students will practice these core competencies and also learn how to workshop poems, developing skills for the giving and receiving of constructive feedback to enable redrafting of works-in-progress. Students will reflect upon their inspirations, reading and the development of their craft.

This module aims to introduce students to the study of World Literature, introducing key critical approaches and engaging with texts from contrasting cultural locations. Students will learn about rich and varied world literary traditions and forms; acquire theoretical perspectives; build a world literary critical vocabulary; engage in debates about the meaning and role of world literature and reflect on creative practice and literary production in world contexts.

This module aims to introduce students to the study of the literature of London, introducing key critical approaches and engaging with texts from a range of cultural backgrounds. Students will learn about London’s rich and varied literary traditions and forms; acquire theoretical perspectives; build a literary critical vocabulary; engage in debates about the meaning and role of London in literature and reflect on creative practice and literary production in relation to London’s diverse past and present.

This module will introduce you to the practice of creative journaling. You will explore the different ways this practice can support your personal and professional development as creatives. You will critically analyze the creative journals of writers, musicians, and artists, and keep a weekly creative journal, experimenting with different approaches and techniques for documenting and reflecting on their creativity.

It’s important in the film and television industry to consider whose stories are being told, who is in creative roles behind the camera and how people are being represented. This module will explore identity politics and consider theory such as feminism, queer theory, postcolonialism and disability studies, among others. We will consider how certain identities are portrayed onscreen both historically and now.

1. Developing a reflective mind and ways to think and discuss music

2. Learning to write about it with knowledge and critical depth

3. Understanding how music is made; its forms and structures

4. Experiencing music from a diverse range of musical genres

5. Comparisons of approaches across a range of styles and genres from Gregorian chant to Aphex Twin

6. Developing a clear and appropriate vocabulary for critical discussion and writing

7. Understanding the function of the music and its context in society

This module aims to help you think about your future and take proactive steps towards realising your aspirations after university. At the heart of this module are four professional development activities, which you will be selecting, completing, and reflecting on. These could range from gaining work experience in a field that interests you, to volunteering, learning a language, completing business or skills development courses, publishing a website or articles on a blog, or gaining editorial or media production experience. You are encouraged to think creatively: providing that each activity is developmental for you and your tutor agrees, the sky is the limit.

This module examines the shifting status of genre fiction in the late nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries by exploring a range of genres (Detective, Gothic, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and crossovers between these). Besides gaining an understanding of some of the key thematic and formal conventions of these genres, and how these have changed over time and with respect to shifting social and political contexts, you will gain an understanding of the critical public sphere that exists beyond academic institutions. Beyond academia, there is a world of reviews, blogs, conventions, and festivals relating to books. Therefore, while this module will cover the academic study of genre fiction and require you to write a conventionally structured and referenced academic essay, it will also branch out to consider this wider context by looking at some reviews and debates from the public sphere and require you to write a review of your own.

The short story is one of the most powerful and satisfying forms of writing to produce. This module focusses on writing and understanding intricate masterpieces in the short story form. We read a wide variety of powerful short stories together—by writers from across the globe, from the mundane and the moving to the strange and experimental— looking closely to help understand what techniques make them so effective, and how we can develop individual approaches to writing our own original stories in response. The exact structure changes each year, but some of the topics covered previously included: subverting and updating traditional fairy-tales; stories with unusual approaches to time; Weird Tales of the impossible and unexplainable; flash fiction; climate change fiction.

This module focusses on three popular and enduring genres—horror, science fiction, and fantasy— which provide endless fascination for readers and practitioners alike. We will explore these genres via lectures, seminars (including writing workshops) and the study of classic and emerging writers from each genre. At the end, you will have written a body of work in each genre, with a core understanding of their key features. The module has featured discussion of writers such as Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk, Angela Carter, Gwyneth Jones, William Gibson, Octavia Butler, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Brandon Sanderson, and more. Sub-genres and styles discussed include space opera, Grimdark, urban fantasy, utopian/dystopian fiction, cosmic horror, body horror, and weird fiction.

This module will allow you to explore a range of life writing practices such as memoir, autofiction, the personal essay, the lyric essay, confessional poetry and more in a safe and supportive environment. You’ll be inspired by a range of contemporary writers such as Rebecca Solnit, Ocean Vuong, Maggie Nelson, Patricia Lockwood, Nina Mingya Powles and others. You’ll consider the ethics of life writing such as writing about family, and draw on your own experiences, interests and passions throughout.

This module looks at a range of twenty-first century fiction originating from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, to explore diverse experiences of inequality in an era of globalisation. It interrogates a range of novels, stories, and poetry in light of theoretical concepts drawn from world-literary theory and materialist feminism, asking whether and how socially committed fiction can challenge the overlapping oppressions of contemporary times.

The purpose of this module is to study the interrelation of genre – the novel – and period – the nineteenth century. Through the chronological study of a representative selection of five texts, the module will introduce the key generic elements of the nineteenth-century novel, and chart changes in their deployment over the course of the century. Particular attention will be paid to Realism and Gothic. In addition to narrative form, a range of social and cultural contexts will be suggested as a means of accounting for, and understanding, textual features. Stress will be placed throughout on close textual analysis.

In this module we study the literature of the early twentieth century with particular emphasis on those authors who attempted to break away from received norms of literary style and content. As well as providing an overview of the defining textual features of modernism, the module is concerned with the interrelation of text and context, seeing modernist literature as both of, and self-consciously ahead of, its historical moment. We will take into account transnational and cross-cultural contexts, including discussions of the decline of empire, World War I, trauma, the expatriate experience, the legacies of slavery, changing attitudes to feminism, sexuality, class, and shifting constructions of identity.

The political events of the late eighteenth century – the American War of Independence, French Revolution, and Napoleonic wars – dramatically changed the lives, ideas, and aesthetics of the Romantic Britain. Evolving from the mid 1770s to the mid 1820s, the period we now call Romanticism signalled a profound change in the form and content of literature, breaking away from the neo-classical conventions of the Augustans which had dominated much of the eighteenth century, and turning to the regional, folkloric, and numinous traditions of British and European literatures. Working in a range of genres, including the novel, pamphlets, poetry, and philosophical, satirical, and travel writing, Romantic writers responded to a set of urgent, ethical, aesthetic, and environmental changes. In the module we consider the ‘first generation’ (Wordsworth, Coleridge, William Blake) and ‘second generation’ Romantics (Shelley, Byron, and Keats), and important political writers such as Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft, and William Godwin. Alongside these now-canonical names we read a diverse range of women and Black writers who contributed just as significantly to key Romantic debates: Anna Aikin, Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Ottobah Cugoano, Ouladah Equiano, Hannah More, Ann Radcliffe, Mary Robinson, Ignatius Sancho, Mary Shelley, Helen Maria Williams, Dorothy Wordsworth, Phillis Wheatley, and Anne Yearsley.

The aims of this module are:

  • To introduce the study of Shakespeare at an advanced level, in greater depth, with an emphasis upon the types of study skills required for advanced critical work in the fields of ‘book history’ and ‘performance studies’
  • To introduce and define both ‘book history’ and ‘performance studies’
  • To introduce advanced methods of analysis of early modern texts, both in their original context and in their subsequent manifestations in print
  • To introduce textual scholarship about language, performance and the visual layout of text – both in Shakespeare’s time and in the present day
  • The course will enable students to gain an understanding and experience of the concept of the Shakespearean text as an artefact and art form, one constantly evolving through criticism, editorial intervention and performance

This module introduces students to a range of contemporary British and Irish fiction, developing knowledge of the variety and complexity of contemporary writing and its relation to social and cultural context. The module examines texts which employ a range of themes, forms, and styles. It asks what we mean by the term ‘contemporary’ and encourages analysis of the relationship between texts and the historical moments in which they are produced and consumed.

Postcolonial writing often comes out of difficult circumstances. Writers studied on this module sometimes risked everything to publish what they needed to say. These are the new pioneers of Literature in English whose works would inspire and define the writings of the future. A central focus of the module is to get to grips with the key concepts encountered in postcolonial studies, which have been developed to investigate the phenomena of colonialism and resistance, multiculturalism and globalization, racism, and Islamophobia. Using these, we will be exploring the works of a series of important and fascinating writers. The texts which we will be studying show a variety of different perspectives on colonialism and its legacies, including those of imperialists and the peoples they tried to suppress.

The module introduces students to the professional practice and theory of screenwriting for film and television. Although the short film is the main focus of study, the classic, feature length narrative fiction film, television drama, and films from alternative and non- narrative traditions will also be considered. The module is substantially practice-based. All students will write an original screenplay to a maximum length of 10 pages. Students will also produce supporting documents, such as a Story Proposal, Beat Sheet, and Scene Outlines. The module also requires students to analyse films and scripts – including their own and contemporaries’ – from a screenwriting perspective. Students will produce analyses of key features of films and screenplays and write the screenplay for a short film.

This module is designed to build upon foundational skills and knowledge acquired on the first-year poetry module. You will continue to write in increasingly exciting new ways to

liberate the poet within. You will also expand your awareness of work that is being produced in the current world of UK poetry, the manner in which new mediums and technologies are being employed, and the manner in which this work might challenge previous conceptualisations and traditions in the field. In conclusion, you will acquire crafting tips while trying out traditional and innovate ways to write. There is no expectation of a house style. Your own approach to poetry based on what you will have learned is all that is required. Be excited by your own work, and I (Daljit) will be excited in turn to read it.

This module is double-weighted and is your chance to pursue your own creative project with support from a supervisor. You’ll meet regularly with your supervisor to plan, draft, and edit your work, and there will also be Zoom sessions to support your learning throughout that focus on planning, researching, carving out time to write and more. Some students write the opening chapters to a novel and submit this along with an industry standard synopsis, having researched potential agents and publishers. Others submit poetry pamphlets, screenplays, collections of short stories, illustrated children’s books, YA novels, interactive fiction projects and more.

This module is focused on your professional development. It will enable you to understand the creative economy and the ways in which people develop careers within it. You will be able to plan your own career after graduation, to identify your goals and write the documents you will need to achieve them. Members of the Creative Writing department at Brunel along with visiting speakers will help you to become familiar with the creative industries through which writers reach their audience. By exploring all areas of your professional development, we will enable you to make a career plan for the next five years, to identify the opportunities and skills you will need and to research the choices you will make in the immediate future.

This module aims to expand your understanding of all aspects of contemporary fiction. It will give you a solid grounding for your longer future creative writing projects, and also give you a chance to read and discuss a variety of fiction genres. You will analyse a range of fiction from a craft perspective which will deepen your understanding of how novels are constructed, and you can then apply this knowledge to your own fiction writing practice. Topics under discussion will also include the specific techniques involved in making your own writing more compelling such as story structure, characterisation, point of view, setting, and dialogue.

This module enables students to explore and develop the theory and professional practice of contemporary screenwriting. By the end of the module, students who participate in weekly assignments will produce a marketable pitch deck/series bible for a film or TV project, along with the first 15-20 pages of the script. The module is substantially practice-based and requires students to analyse screen works and scripts (including their own and peers’) from a screenwriting perspective.

This module gives an introduction to the field of psychology, exploring the basics of human behaviour and mental processes, important contributions to the field of psychology and the different approaches and goals of the various therapeutic orientations. Additionally, the module will introduce students to the field of creative writing for therapeutic purposes, including personal practice while studying examples of writing that illustrate the links between creativity and therapeutic outcomes. Some dramatherapy and art therapy techniques will be used during the workshop, although the primary focus is creative writing.

This module is structured around three ‘case studies’, each focused on a specific aspect of Victorian literature and culture:

  • Class, Conflict, Identity
  • Crime and Sensation: The Newspaper and the Novel
  • Women and Society

The aims of the module are:

  • to explore some of the ways in which Victorian literature might encode or challenge particular cultural assumptions
  • to analyse some of the relationships between literary forms and genres, ideological values and changing social and aesthetic contexts of the Victorian period
  • to consider how the knowledge of the Victorian period may contribute to the interpretation of texts produced during this time

This module considers twentieth century and contemporary writing in dialogue with feminist waves and movements as well as relevant theory. It focuses primarily on the Second and Third Waves of feminism, but with a broad recognition of First Wave influences and debates about an emergent Fourth Wave in the contemporary period. Feminism’s relationship to related and other gender/sexual equality movements will be considered along the way, most particularly in connection with LGBT perspectives and masculinity studies. Each week of the module brings theory into dialogue with literature pertaining to feminist perspectives, with an emphasis on women’s writing. The module considers key concepts, such as patriarchy, desire, social and biological claims about gender/sex, and intersectionalism. It pays close attention to the interrelationship between literature and activism, reflecting on the text’s potential to register and remediate the patriarchal order. An indicative reading list might include theorists such as

Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan, Patricia Hill Collins, Judith Butler, Susan Faludi, Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Rebecca Walker. Literary texts will address the range and diversity of multiple feminisms as articulated from the 20th century to the present, with attention to the pluralisms and diversification of feminisms.

This module will introduce third-year students to the early modern interaction between Christians and Muslims, viewed from the perspective of both. It will introduce students to these interactions via English drama. It will explore how post-Reformation England learned to redefine itself as a Christian nation and how it dealt with increased trade and negotiations with Muslim nations. Main topics of study are:

  • Common literary tropes about Muslims in early modern literature
  • Christian and Islamic beliefs and fears in literature
  • Travel writing – interaction of west and east
  • Prose propaganda and multicultural London
  • Writings in captivity
  • The Muslim world in early modern English Literature

This module aims to develop your critical, cultural and aesthetic awareness of Post-War and Late Twentieth-Century Fiction by examining the work of both established and more experimental writers. The module focuses first on the sensibilities of the postwar period before exploring the emergence of the ‘postmodern’ as a way of understanding later twentieth century experience. It concludes by exploring the experimental fiction of three leading British writers, Ian McEwan, Angela Carter and Jeanette Winterson. Two particularly influential late-twentieth century theorists are encountered in detail, Jean Baudrillard and Judith Butler.

This module aims to develop students’ awareness of the representations of violence within modern culture. We engage with a variety of cultural materials—literary, visual, conceptual and technological—to ask a series of questions as regards the role of violence and coercion in our culture and everyday lives. The module is split into two parts. Part one, Bioviolence and Biopolitics looks at biopolitical theories of power, force, violence, coercion and exclusion. The second, Discourses of Coercion 2015-2020 applies the theory to case studies taken from events on the last five years or so such as #Blacklivesmatter, Grenfell Tower, and Coronavirus.

Focusing on Austen’s work in relation to adaptation, this module explores the forms of fiction she inherited as a young writer – the novels of Frances Burney and Ann Radcliffe – and how she adapted these models to her own work and concerns. It then considers how Austen was adapted in her turn, in a number of extremely popular films and series, to think about how the late eighteenth century ‘courtship’ and marriage plots continue to be reinvented through to the contemporary period. Texts may include: Radcliffe The Italian 1796, Austen Northanger Abbey (1803/ 1818), Frances Burney Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World (1778), Austen Lady Susan (1794/1871), Austen Pride and Prejudice (1813), Robert Z. Leonard d. Pride and Prejudice (1940), Simon Langton d. Pride and Prejudice (1995), Sharon Maguire d. Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001), Chris Van Dusen’s Bridgerton Season 1 (2020).

The module examines Ireland’s rich literary tradition via key historical touchstones including the Easter Rising of 1916, the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the rise and fall of the Celtic Tiger. Theorised discussions of the meaning of Irish identity, intersections with colonialism, the Irish language and the worldwide diaspora will be framed via readings of poetry, novels, short stories, autobiography and drama. The principle aims of Writing Ireland are:

  • To undertake a critical survey of a wide range of Irish writing in the English language including depictions of Ireland in poetry, drama and prose genres
  • To explore the key political events which led to Ireland’s independence and to consider the role of literature in this and beyond
  • To analyse the preconceptions, stereotypes and literary expectations of Irishness through identity debates and close reading

This course can be studied undefined undefined, starting in undefined.

This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Read more about the structure of undergraduate degrees at Brunel.

Careers and your future

A creative writing degree from Brunel is your passport to a wide range of career destinations within the literary and creative industries.

Our graduates are working in the arts, publishing, journalism, advertising, marketing and teaching. They have successful careers as novelists, journalists, screenwriters and travel writers. Others opt to follow Brunel’s career-focused MA in Creative Writing.

UK entry requirements

2024/25 entry.

  • GCE A-level AAB-BBC.
  • BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DMM in any subject.
  • BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM in any subject, with an A-Level at grade C.
  • BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma M in any subject, with A-Levels grade BB .
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma 29 points.
  • Obtain a minimum of 112 UCAS tariff points in the  Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
  • A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.
  • T levels : Merit overall

Brunel University London is committed to raising the aspirations of our applicants and students. We will fully review your UCAS application and, where we’re able to offer a place, this will be personalised to you based on your application and education journey.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants within our grade range as well as our full GCSE requirements and accepted equivalencies in place of GCSEs.

EU and International entry requirements

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by  UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list . This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
  • Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
  • BrunELT : 63% (min 55% in all areas)
  • TOEFL: 90 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)  

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our  English Language Requirements  page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our  Brunel Language Centre .

Please check our Admissions  pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

Fees and funding

£9,250 full-time

£6,935 part-time

£1,385 placement year

International

£19,430 full-time

£14,570 part-time

Fees quoted are per year and may be subject to an annual increase. Home undergraduate student fees are regulated and are currently capped at £9,250 per year; any changes will be subject to changes in government policy. International fees will increase annually, by no more than 5% or RPI (Retail Price Index), whichever is the greater.

More information on any additional course-related costs .

See our fees and funding page for full details of undergraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Please refer to the scholarships pages to view discounts available to eligible EU undergraduate applicants.

Teaching and learning

Module teaching across the programme (lectures/seminars/tutorials) will take place in person on campus, and will be supported by the provision of asynchronous materials (e.g. lecture recordings etc.).

Other activities, including dissertation drop-ins, personal tutor meetings, assessment workshops, guest speaker events, and one-to-one tutorials may take place in person or online, as appropriate. We'll endeavour to take into account student preferences when arranging these activities, as well as other practical considerations, with an eye firmly on providing an excellent student experience at all times.

Students are advised to purchase core texts from module reading lists, although copies are also available via Brunel Library. In addition, academics will share samples of texts in the class so core texts may not be essential for all modules.

Access to a laptop or desktop PC is required for joining online activities, completing coursework and digital exams, and a minimum specification can be found here.

We have computers available across campus for your use and laptop loan schemes to support you through your studies. You can find out more here .

Our creative writing degrees are delivered by professional writers. This means you’ll be learning from staff who are publishing work and have high-level experience, knowledge and expertise in the creative industry. They'll support, encourage and coach you to become a brilliant writer.

Study will combine lectures, group seminar discussions, tutorials, writing workshops, practical performance sessions, group research sessions, guided independent learning, and field trips.

Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.

Assessment and feedback

Your progress will be assessed via essays, coursework portfolios, journals, group practical exercises, individual and group presentations, and the final year project.

Read our guide on  how to avoid plagiarism  in your assessments at Brunel.

Related courses

English with creative writing ba, games design and creative writing ba, theatre and creative writing ba.

Study Undergraduate

English literature and creative writing ba (ucas qw38).

A English Literature and Creative Writing student reading in the library at the University of Warwick

22 September 2025

3 years full-time

Qualification

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Warwick Writing Programme

University of Warwick

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Find out more about our English Literature and Creative Writing degree at Warwick

Studying English Literature and Creative Writing (BA) at Warwick will transform your understanding of literature, of yourself, and of the world. It will also fully prepare you to thrive in any profession that values intellectual rigour, creativity, and the ability to communicate a message that matters.

General entry requirements

A level typical offer.

AAA or A*AB to include grade A in English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined).

A level contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is ABB, including A in English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined). See if you’re eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

IB typical offer

36 to include 6 at Higher Level in English Literature or combined English Language and Literature.

IB contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 32 including grade 6 in Higher Level English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined). See if you’re eligible.

Other UK qualifications

We welcome applications from students taking BTECs alongside A level English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined).

Scotland Advanced Highers

AA in two Advanced Highers including English, and AAB in three additional Highers subjects.

Welsh Baccalaureate

AAB in three subjects at A level including A in English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined) plus grade C in the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate.

Access to Higher Education Diplomas

We will consider applicants returning to study who are presenting a QAA-recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma on a case-by-case basis.

Typically, we require 45 Credits at Level 3, including Distinction in 33 Level 3 credits and Merit in 12 Level 3 Credits. We may also require subject specific credits or an A level to be studied alongside the Access to Higher Education Diploma to fulfil essential subject requirements.

International qualifications

  • English Language requirements

All applicants have to meet our English Language requirements Link opens in a new window . If you cannot demonstrate that you meet these, you may be invited to take part in our Pre-sessional English course at Warwick Link opens in a new window .

This course requires: Band B

Learn more about our English Language requirements Link opens in a new window .

Frequently asked questions

Contextual data and differential offers.

Warwick may make differential offers to students in a number of circumstances. These include students participating in a Widening Participation programme or who meet the contextual data criteria .

Differential offers will usually be one or two grades below Warwick’s standard offer.

Warwick International Foundation Programme (IFP)

All students who successfully complete the Warwick IFP and apply to Warwick through UCAS will receive a guaranteed conditional offer for a related undergraduate programme (selected courses only).

Find out more about standard offers and conditions for the IFP .

  • Taking a gap year

We welcome applications for deferred entry.

We do not typically interview applicants. Offers are made based on your UCAS form which includes predicted and actual grades, your personal statement and school reference.

Course overview

Creative work can happen anywhere, but in our School of Creative Arts, Performance and Visual Cultures you can learn the craft of writing and work with other emerging writers in a place of energy and ideas.

If you intend to pursue a career as an author, or to work in the creative industries or teaching, this practical course will teach you about the creative writing process and help you become a better reader, with a deeper understanding of literary history, literary theory and the past and future of creative writing. You will be taught by practising and award-winning writers, bridging the gap between academic and creative approaches to literature. Our course is number one for creative writing in the UK (The Times Good University Guide 2023) and has 91.7% overall student satisfaction in National Student Survey.

You will undertake real-world writing tasks and will regularly meet, engage with, and learn from industry professionals, including publishers, editors, literary agents, poets, and authors. Our graduates enter the world with advanced communicative, imaginative, and critical abilities, plus practical and vocational literary writing skills including composition, interpretation, and evaluation. In addition, you will develop argument, analysis and speaking skills, and a capacity for independent thought. Many of our graduates have become professional novelists, poets, dramatists, filmmakers, and performers.

Study abroad

As a student on our English degrees, you will have the opportunity to spend your third year at one of our partner institutions in Europe, China, or North America. You will then return to Warwick to complete your fourth and final year of your degree.

You will be able to apply to transfer to the four-year course when you are in your second year at Warwick, subject to availability of places from the University's International Office.

Core modules

In your first year you will gain the foundation you need to become a better reader and writer. In Modes of Writing, we explore writing in different forms, including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and writing for performance and new media. Through studying Medieval and Early Modern Literature, you will appreciate the context of contemporary beliefs and social developments. Epic into Novel will give you an understanding of some of the great texts of classical and modern times. The Written World will introduce you to some of the ideas and themes in literary theory, with a particular focus on texts that are important to writers.

As a second year you will progress to Composition and Creative Writing, in which you explore and deepen your practice of fiction and non-fiction. You will take an English Literature module focusing on texts from before 1900 , as well as any module from English Literature, Creative Writing, or another University department.

In your final year you will progress to the Personal Writing Project, your opportunity to work one-to-one with a tutor on an extensive piece of writing in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, screenwriting, or a genre of your choice. In addition, you will select a global literature module, as well as any module from English Literature, Creative Writing, or another University department.

Modes of Writing

This is a core module for first-year undergraduates reading for the degree QW38 English Literature and Creative Writing. The module is 100% fully assessed. The module complements The Written World and prepares you for the more specialist writing modules in years two and three such as Composition and Creative Writing, The Practice of Poetry, The Practice of Fiction and The Personal Writing Project. The module also complements other academic optional modules in which writing, imitation, rhetoric or translation may be practised or studied.

Read more about the Modes of Writing module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Medieval and Early Modern Literature

Taking you from the mythical court of King Arthur to the real world of ambition, intrigue, and danger in the courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, this module introduces you to early literature in a global context. You will study texts like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales , Thomas More’s Utopia , Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene , and Shakespeare’s sonnets to explore some of the period’s highest ideals—‘trawthe’ or integrity—as well as some of humanity’s darkest impulses: greed, deception, revenge, and desire.

Read more about the Medieval and Early Modern Literature module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Epic into Novel

Tracking the transition from the epics of the ancient world to their incarnation as texts of modernity, this module introduces you to some of the most influential and formative works of world literature. You will study central texts of the classical world, such as Gilgamesh , Homer’s Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid, and Catullus; ancient epics from India and Africa; Milton’s Paradise Lost ; as well as responses to ancient epic by Tennyson, Margaret Atwood, Seamus Heaney, and Maria Dahvana Headley. Reading across history and cultures, between languages and genres, you will develop the skills to analyse narrative, character, and style.

Read more about the Epic into Novel module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

The Written World

This module will introduce students on the BA in English Literature and Creative Writing to ideas and theories from literary studies, linguistics, critical theory, translation studies and cultural studies that will underpin more specialised scholarly and creative study in the second and third years.

Read more about the The Written World module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Composition and Creative Writing

You will develop your fiction and non-fiction writing through practice of the processes involved, from inception, through drafting and revision, to considerations of audience. You will gain insights into narrative form, including traditional and experimental methods.

Read more about the Composition and Creative Writing module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Personal Writing Project

The Personal Writing Project will see you working closely with a practitioner to advance your technical and critical skills in the development of a portfolio of work focused on a specific genre. You will gain an appreciation of the research and methodology needed for large-scale creative works and in so doing, gain the maturity and confidence to advance your career as a professional writer.

Read more about the Personal Writing Project module , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

  • The Practice of Poetry
  • The Practice of Fiction
  • Screenwriting
  • Advanced Screenwriting
  • US Writing and Culture 1780-1920
  • Romantic and Victorian Poetry
  • The Seventeenth Century
  • Game Theory: Interactive and Video Game Narratives

Assessment is a combination of creative projects, portfolios, essays, and optional performance. For example, in our Shakespeare and Selected Dramatists of his Time module, student creative work recently included film and radio adaptations, musical compositions, painting, sculpture and photography inspired by Shakespeare's texts.

Practising writers deliver teaching through workshops and seminars. Also, writers and publishers visit and engage with you at our weekly Warwick Thursdays events. Most core modules in your first year are taught through lectures and seminars. In your second and third years, optional modules are normally taught in seminars and workshops.

Working together, we seek to improve our students’ skills and confidence through writing workshops, peer review and live performances. You will be encouraged to attend and participate at spoken word events in the local area.

Class sizes

Targeted teaching with class sizes of 10 - 15 students (on average).

Typical contact hours

Guided learning of typically eight contact hours per week. Seminars are usually 1.5 hours each.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees cover the majority of the costs of your study, including teaching and assessment. Fees are charged at the start of each academic year. If you pay your fees directly to the University, you can choose to pay in instalments.

Home students

Undergraduate fees.

If you are a home student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be £9,250 . In the future, these fees might change for new and continuing students.

2+2 course fees

If you are a home student enrolling in 2022 for a 2+2 course through the Centre for Lifelong Learning, your annual tuition fees will be £6,750 . In the future, these fees might change for new and continuing students.

How are fees set?

The British Government sets tuition fee rates.

Learn more about fees from UCAS Link opens in a new window .

Overseas students

If you are an overseas or EU student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be as follows:

  • Band 1 – £24,800 per year (classroom-based courses, including Humanities and most Social Science courses)
  • Band 2 – £31,620 per year (laboratory-based courses, plus Maths, Statistics, Theatre and Performance Studies, Economics, and courses provided by Warwick Business School, with exceptions)

Fees for 2025 entry have not been set. We will publish updated information here as soon as it becomes available, so please check back for updates about 2025 fee rates before you apply.

Fee status guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status. Link opens in a new window

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on this web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue Link opens in a new window (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

  • Core text books
  • Printer credits
  • Dissertation binding
  • Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Further information

Find out more about tuition fees from our Student Finance team .

Scholarships and bursaries

Learn about scholarships and bursaries available to undergraduate students.

We offer a number of undergraduate scholarships and bursaries to full-time undergraduate students. These include sporting and musical bursaries, and scholarships offered by commercial organisations.

Find out more about funding opportunities for full-time students. Link opens in a new window

International scholarships

If you are an international student, a limited number of scholarships may be available.

Find out more information on our international scholarship pages. Link opens in a new window

You may be eligible for financial help from your own government, from the British Council or from other funding agencies. You can usually request information on scholarships from the Ministry of Education in your home country, or from the local British Council office.

Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship

We believe there should be no barrier to talent. That's why we are committed to offering a scholarship that makes it easier for gifted, ambitious international learners to pursue their academic interests at one of the UK's most prestigious universities.

Find out more about the Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship. Link opens in a new window

Part-time fee waiver

Find out more about the Warwick scholarship for part-time students. Link opens in a new window

Warwick Bursary for low income students

We provide extra financial support for qualifying students from lower income families. The Warwick Undergraduate Bursary is an annual award of up to £3,000 per annum. It is intended to help with course-related costs and you do not have to pay it back.

Find out more about your eligibility for the Warwick Undergraduate Bursary. Link opens in a new window

Sanctuary scholarships for asylum seekers

As part of the 'City of Sanctuary' movement, we are committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. We provide a range of scholarships to enable people seeking sanctuary or asylum to progress to access university education.

Find out more about the Warwick Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarships for asylum seekers. Link opens in a new window

Find out more about Warwick undergraduate bursaries and scholarships.

Eligibility for student loans

Your eligibility for student finance will depend on certain criteria, such as your nationality and residency status, your course, and previous study at higher education level.

Check if you're eligible for student finance .

Home students residing in England

Tuition fee loan.

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you can receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won’t have to set up any payments.

Maintenance Loan for living costs

You can apply for a Maintenance Loan towards your living costs such as accommodation, food and bills. This loan is means-tested, so the amount you receive is partially based on your household income and whether you choose to live at home or in student accommodation.

Find out more about government student loans for home students residing in England. Link opens in a new window

Home students residing outside of England

Find out more about student funding for home students residing outside of England. Link opens in a new window

EU students

If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you usually must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme Link opens in a new window to get student finance.

If you are an EU student and eligible for student finance you may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you may receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won't have to set up any payments.

Help with living costs

For the 2024 academic year, you may be eligible for help with your living costs if both of the following apply:

  • You have lived in the UK for more than 3 years before the first day of the first academic year of your course
  • You have Settled Status ( see further details on Settled Status) Link opens in a new window

If you are coming to the UK from 1st January 2021, you may need to apply for a visa Link opens in a new window to study here.

Please note: Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Find out more about government student loans for EU students Link opens in a new window

Repaying your loans

You will repay your loan or loans gradually once you are working and earning above a certain amount (for students starting their course after 1 August 2023 the repayment threshold is £25,000). Repayments will be taken directly from your salary if you are an employee. If your income falls below the earnings threshold, your repayments will stop until your income goes back up above this figure.

Find out more about repaying your student loan. Link opens in a new window

Your career

Graduates from our course have gone on to work for employers including:

  • Bloomsbury Publishing
  • British Council
  • Cambridge University Press
  • Civil Service
  • The Forward Poetry Foundation
  • Pan Macmillan
  • The Poetry Society
  • Penguin/Random House
  • Royal Opera House
  • The Society of Authors
  • The Sunday Times
  • Teach First

They have pursued roles such as:

  • Authors, writers, dramatists, poets, and translators
  • Journalists, newspaper, and periodical editors
  • Creative directors
  • Arts officers, producers, and directors
  • Musicians and composers
  • Marketing associate professionals
  • Academics and researchers
  • Higher Education administrators

Helping you find the right career

Our staff have excellent links not only with other writers but also with publishing houses, literary journals and agencies, with national and regional organisations such as the Arts Council, PEN, and with other creative writing programmes both in Britain and in the USA. We also run the Young Writer of the Year Award jointly with The Sunday Times and host the prestigious Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Our School of Creative Arts, Performance and Visual Cultures also has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant to support you. They offer impartial advice and guidance, together with workshops and events throughout the year. Examples of workshops and events include:

  • Discovering Careers in the Creative Industries
  • Careers in Publishing and Journalism
  • Freelancing
  • Careers in the Public Sector
  • Warwick careers fairs throughout the year

Find out more about careers support at Warwick. Link opens in a new window

Welcome to the Warwick Writing Programme, an internationally acclaimed writing programme that attracts writers and literary translators from across the globe. If you join us you will immerse yourself in contemporary and experimental narratives, including screenwriting, literary translation, gaming, spoken word and fieldwork.

We foster and maintain excellent creative industry links and networks to enable our students to achieve their career ambitions. We are title partner for The Sunday Times and University of Warwick Young Writer of the Year Award, whose recent winners have included Raymond Antrobus, Adam Weymouth and Sally Rooney. We are also the home of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Our teaching staff of novelists, poets, non-fiction writers, screenwriters and literary translators includes Lucy Brydon, A.L. Kennedy, Tim Leach, Nell Stevens, Maureen Freely, Gonzalo C. Garcia, David Morley, Dragan Todorovic and Jodie Kim.

Find out more about us on our website Link opens in a new window

Explore our new Faculty of Arts building

The department recently moved into the brand new £57.5 million Faculty of Arts building.

This means, as an Arts student at Warwick, you’ll find your home amongst brand new teaching, learning and social spaces, including specialist facilities, all designed to support collaborative working and to enable your creativity and innovation to flourish.

The sustainably built, eight-storey building is located next to the newly refurbished Warwick Arts Centre in the heart of the University’s creative and cultural arts quarter.

Explore our new Faculty of Arts building further.

best creative writing ba uk

Life at Warwick

Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities. A place where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. Our supportive, energising, welcoming space creates the ideal environment for forging new connections, having fun and finding inspiration.

Accommodation

  • Arts, Culture and Events
  • Clubs and societies
  • Food and drink
  • Sports and Fitness
  • Wellbeing support

Keep exploring life at Warwick

best creative writing ba uk

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

best creative writing ba uk

Warwick Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is key to helping you settle in quickly.

We have a range of residences for undergraduate students on campus.

Explore Warwick Accommodation

best creative writing ba uk

You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible new sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus.

Explore our campus

best creative writing ba uk

We have lots of cafés, restaurants and shops on campus. You can enjoy great quality food and drink, with plenty of choice for all tastes and budgets. There is a convenience store on central campus, as well as two supermarkets and a small shopping centre in the nearby Cannon Park Retail Park. Several of them offer delivery services to help you stay stocked up.

And don't miss our regular food market day on the Piazza with tempting, fresh and delicious street food. Soak up the atmosphere and try something new, with mouth-watering food for all tastes.

Explore food and shops

Explore Students' Union venues

best creative writing ba uk

We currently have more than 300 student-run societies.

So whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.

Or you could try something new, or even form your own society.

Explore our societies

best creative writing ba uk

Sports and fitness

Staying active at Warwick is no sweat, thanks to our amazing new Sports and Wellness Hub, indoor and outdoor tennis centre, 60 acres of sports pitches, and more than 60 sports clubs.

Whether you want to compete, relax or just have fun, you can achieve your fitness goals.

Explore sports at Warwick

Studying on campus

Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs.

You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.

  • The Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas.
  • The University Library provides access to over one million printed works and tens of thousands of electronic journals
  • Different study spaces offering you flexible individual and group study spaces.

Studying at Warwick

best creative writing ba uk

Travel and local area

Our campus is in Coventry, a modern city with high street shops, restaurants, nightclubs and bars sitting alongside medieval monuments. The Warwickshire towns of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth are also nearby.

The University is close to major road, rail and air links. London is just an hour by direct train from Coventry, with Birmingham a 20-minute trip. Birmingham International Airport is nearby (a 20-minute drive).

Travelling from campus

best creative writing ba uk

Wellbeing support and faith provision

Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.

Our Chaplaincy is home to Chaplains from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. We provide regular services for all Christian denominations and a Shabbat meal every Friday for our Jewish students. There is also an Islamic prayer hall, halal kitchen and ablution facilities.

Student support

best creative writing ba uk

How to apply

Learn more about our application process.

best creative writing ba uk

Key dates for your application to Warwick.

best creative writing ba uk

Writing your personal statement

Make an impression and demonstrate your passion for your course.

best creative writing ba uk

After you've applied

Find out how we process your application.

best creative writing ba uk

Our Admission Statement

Read Warwick's Admission Statement

Useful links

  • Access to Warwick degrees
  • Contextual Offers
  • Entry requirements
  • Exemption from part of a degree
  • Guidance for parents and carers
  • International applicants
  • Returners to study
  • Students with disabilities
  • Younger applicants

3 ways to connect

Join us at a live event. You can ask about courses, applying to Warwick, life at Warwick, visas and immigration, and more.

See event calendar Link opens in a new window

Warwick Experience

Take a virtual, student-led campus tour. Then join an interactive panel session, where you can hear from and chat to our current students and staff.

Book a tour Link opens in a new window

Student blogs

Explore our student blogs in Unibuddy. You can read about campus life from students themselves, and register to post questions directly to students.

Ask a student Link opens in a new window

Explore campus with our virtual tour

Our 360 tour lets you:

  • Watch student videos
  • View 360 photography and drone footage
  • Learn about facilities and landmarks

Explore our campus virtually through our 360 campus tour now

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Come to an Open Day

Don’t just take it from us, come and see for yourself what Warwick is all about. Whether it's a virtual visit or in-person, our University Open Days give you the chance to meet staff and students, visit academic departments, tour the campus and get a real feel for life at Warwick.

Open Days at Warwick

Sign up for updates

Discover more about our courses and campus life with our helpful information and timely reminders.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

About Warwick

Find out more about life at Warwick including:

Open days and online events

Sign up for emails.

Register to take part in our next Open Day

Page updates

We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history .

9th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2024) Link opens in a new window

67th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024) Link opens in a new window

6th most targeted university by the UK's top 100 graduate employers Link opens in a new window

(The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd. Link opens in a new window )

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2025 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

UCL logo

Creative Arts and Humanities BA

This is the programme information for 2025 entry.

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Creative Arts and Humanities BA (2024), click here

UCL's BA Creative Arts and Humanities is a bold and dynamic interdisciplinary undergraduate degree, uniquely bringing together the theory, practice and wider application of creative writing, film and moving image and performance. The course is the first of its kind in the UK.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, application deadline, ucas course code.

  • Entry requirements

Contextual offer information

Contextual offers are typically one to two grades lower than the standard offer. Grade and subject requirements for contextual offers for this programme will be published by 1 September 2024.

Contextual offer

Contextual offers are typically one to two grade boundaries (equivalent to A levels) lower than the standard offer. IB Diploma grade and subject requirements for contextual offers for this programme will be published by 1 September 2024.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 33 credits at Distinction and 12 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units. Please note, where subject specific requirements are stipulated at A level we may review your Access to HE syllabus to ensure you meet the subject specific requirements prior to a final decision being communicated.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, to include an essay-based Humanities or Social Sciences subject.

A,A,A at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher), to include an essay-based Humanities or Social Sciences subject.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades AAA, to include an essay-based Humanities or Social Sciences subject.

International applications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

Access and widening participation

Undergraduate preparatory certificates.

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc .

  • English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 3

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education .

Course overview

UCL's BA Creative Arts and Humanities is an interdisciplinary degree that will enable you to develop both your creative and critical skills, focusing on the role of narrative across three forms of creative practice:

  • Writing: narratives for paper, screen and the digital sphere in fiction and non-fiction genres.
  • Moving image: making narratives for screen, both fictional and documentary, from static images, storyboards, texts and scripts, to filming, final edit and display.
  • Performance: working with voice, body and movement to communicate ideas and emotions through performance for stage, film and digital media.

Working with academics as well as creative professionals, you will develop your knowledge and critical understanding of these modes of creative practice in historical, contemporary and future-facing contexts. You will also develop your own creative skills and explore what creativity means in different contexts and how it can be harnessed for meaningful impact in society.

The degree will encourage you to ground your creative expression in practical engagement, with audiences, with communities and with different organisations or employers. You will learn the skills of collaboration, learning how to create with and for others, and develop a range of skills that can be applied across a range of roles and sectors.

Based at our new campus in Stratford, UCL East , you will be part of a community of students studying interdisciplinary degrees in both arts and sciences subjects that are focused on creating, designing and making, with a strong emphasis on active engagement with the world to effect change.

What this course will give you

The BA Creative Arts and Humanities programme will give you advanced skills in narrative and other forms of communication across three different modes of creative practice: writing, performance and moving image. You will ex plore how these modes work with and influence one another, develop ing advanced critical and analytical skills . You will gain the technical and creative skills to develop your own powerful narratives . Alongside this  you will collaborate with each other and with partner organisations to apply these creative skills to real world problems.  

You will be able to specialise depending on your area of interest to develop high-level skills in writing, performance or moving image, to allow you to become a practitioner yourself or take your creative and critical skills into a wide range of sectors.

You will benefit from world-class research across the arts and humanities at UCL, as well as from creative practitioners working in different fields. You will also be part of a vibrant community of researchers, creators and makers at our new UCL East campus and have access to the rich variety of London's creative and cultural organisations.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Creative Arts and Humanities.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

The programme’s structure enables you to engage with three modes of creative practice (creative writing, performance and moving image), both critically and practically, alongside professional practice modules that develop your ability to apply your creative skills to local and global challenges.

You will explore the fundamentals of 'creativity' and creative experiment, and develop your understanding of key concepts such as the role of narrative within creative practice. You will be required to take compulsory modules in all three creative disciplines.

You will complete your module selection with one optional module subject to approval. This can include a language module taught at the UCL Centre for Languages and International Education (CLIE) or the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES).

You will be required to take compulsory modules: The Collaborative Economy and UCL East’s Collaborative Design for Society, along with at least one 'pair' of optional critical/practice modules, for example both writing modules or both performance modules, and at least one other practice based module. You will choose two further optional modules subject to approval.

Your choice of modules in your second year will determine the options available to you in your final year. For example, you will need to have taken performance modules in your second year to take final year performance modules. 

All students will take the module The Creative Professional, preparing you for today's rapidly changing world of work and the impacts of technology on working contexts and processes, along with a compulsory module in at least one creative discipline. Your learning will culminate in a final-year project to complete a substantial piece of independent creative work in one or more disciplines of creative practice. You will also collaborate with other students on a final degree show to exhibit your work. You will complete your module selection with two optional modules subject to approval.

In each year of study, you will also be able to select from UCL East electives open to students from different disciplines to explore themes of interest.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules, your learning.

This programme offers a distinctive humanities-based curriculum which will require you to engage with both theoretical/critical and creative/production elements of creative production, channelled through a focus on three forms of creative practice; writing, performance and moving image.

The teaching and learning methodologies used throughout the degree will vary depending on the creative discipline but will include lectures, seminars, practical workshops, peer-to-peer reading, collaborative enterprise activities and body, movement and voice training.

As a full-time student, you would be expected to spend approximately 40 hours a week studying. This is made up of a combination of contact hours and self-directed study.

The programme includes a wide variety of forms of assessment reflecting the different nature of outputs developed across creative disciplines. You will be able to demonstrate your learning through both group and individual assessment of group work outputs and processes, where you can develop and build skills relevant to employment, such as team-working, collaboration, organisational and personal time management.

You will be supported to understand assessment in these different areas and how they relate to real-world outputs. You will also be enabled to understand the processes of assessment and what it means to be successful at different levels of your degree programme through different approaches, like peer and collaborative assessment.

Example assessment types include critical essays, performance, short films, presentations and reflective learning diaries or picture essays.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

The foundation of your career

As a graduate of the BA Creative Arts and Humanities programme, you will develop the following skills and attributes to prepare you for a wide range of life and career choices:

  • A critical understanding of the complex, diverse and often tangled stories of the contemporary world, including who gets to tell these stories and why.
  • The ability to develop narratives clearly and innovatively in a range of creative forms, combined with an ability to combine, translate and switch between forms of creative practice.
  • The ability to transfer narrative and creative problem-solving skills into the workplace, understanding how they can of value in economic, cultural and social contexts.
  • Critical understanding of the creative industries as a major global sector, including current issues and future trends, and issues around diversity and inclusion.
  • Experience of creative production across a range of creative formats, including writing, performing, podcast and audio production, and film.
  • Skills in working collaboratively with, and for, others to produce creative outputs.
  • Creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to respond creatively and flexibly to briefs.

You will also be well placed to go onto postgraduate study, whether more specialised programmes in particular forms of creative practice (such as master's degrees in Creative Writing or Drama), more vocational programmes (Master's in Arts and Cultural Management, Master's in Journalism, for example), as well as more traditional master's programmes in the humanities.

Employability

Likely employment destinations for graduates will include the many possibilities contained in the creative economy, including all forms of media, social media enterprise, cultural heritage, journalism and digital content creation.

We believe that graduates of the programme will be valued anywhere that narrative insights are essential to communicating core purposes and where the ability to harness creativity is held in high esteem.

  • Fees and funding

Fees for this course

Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £9,250
Tuition fees (2024/25) £31,100

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website .

Additional costs

Media equipment will be provided for students to use as part of compulsory modules.

There may be additional costs to purchase entry to art galleries, museums or similar as part of field trips for some modules (such as Making Moving Images I and II).

Students may wish to purchase entry to other museums/galleries around London as part of their wider experience but this will not be a requirement of the programme.

There may be additional travel and expenses, such as refreshments or meals, associated with an internship or the undertaking of project work at an employer’s premises.

Students may incur travel costs if they wish to attend UCL events on the Bloomsbury campus or if they have permission to undertake a module or other learning on the Bloomsbury campus.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages . If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

  • Funding your studies

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Your application

Your application will be assessed on the basis of past and projected academic performance, your personal statement and your academic reference. Your application should provide evidence that the majority of the following qualities are applicable to you: - Prepared for critical enquiry into the arts and humanities. - Prepared for engagement with practical creative skills, such as in writing, performance and moving image. - Prepared to think critically and creatively to seek new connections between humanities knowledge and humanities practice. - Interested in engaging in wider societal, cultural and global issues from a humanities perspective. - Interested in careers involving cultural entrepreneurship and intercultural exchange. We are interested in your experience of critical thinking in arts and humanities and in areas of arts practice covered in the degree (creative writing, performance, moving image). While these may well be covered in your formal academic performance at school or college, we are also interested if you have developed skills outside of formal learning; for example, in developing practical skills in writing for school magazines or blogs, or participating in film, drama, dance or theatre clubs.

  • How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application .

Got questions? Get in touch

Arts and Sciences BASc

Arts and Sciences BASc

[email protected]

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students .

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University of Gloucestershire

Creative Writing

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Entry requirements

Course modules.

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Course overview

Our creative writing courses are ranked 7th in the UK for career prospects by the Guardian University Guide 2023, and top 20 for graduate prospects by the Complete University Guide 2024.

From poetry and playwriting to short stories and novels, you’ll focus on your existing creative passions and experiment with a wide range of styles, modes, and genres. You’ll be mentored by professional authors who can help you find your creative voice. You can see your work performed by actors in a staged reading, and get published in our annual paperback anthology, the New Writing Series, which is produced by our MA writers on our UoG Anthology website .

We’re a close-knit creative writing community and our students benefit from a high level of support from each other and staff. You’ll learn from award-winning lecturers who specialise in a variety of genres, including crime fiction, literary fiction, transgressive writing, and confessional poetry. These include Dr Michael Johnstone, shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and whose fourth novel Disnaeland was enthusiastically reviewed in The Times , among others.

Study style

The course includes a mix of lectures, seminars and one-to-one tutorials – all taught by professional authors. In lectures, you’ll learn the fundamentals of good writing by studying the greats, both classic and contemporary. In workshops, you’ll develop your own stories, plays, novels and poems. Regular writing workshops mean you can share your work with peers and get their feedback.

In your first year you’ll explore the fundamentals of prose, poetry and dramatic writing, before pursuing your chosen strand, (or multiple strands if you’re keen to combine a mix of creative areas). Your final year will have a professional focus to prepare you for your career in the creative industries. You’ll meet with established authors, agents, and editors – understanding the publishing industry, composing your writer’s biography and learning how to submit your work to relevant magazines and markets.

Get Creative Writing BA (Hons) course updates and hear more about studying with us.

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Don't meet the entry requirements?

Don’t worry about your results. We may be able to offer you a place on this course through UCAS Clearing even if you don’t meet the entry requirements below.

Call us on 03330 432 414 to discuss your options and become a Clearing VIP for your chance to win a rent-free year in halls .

96 – 112 UCAS tariff points, CCC – BBC  at A levels, MMM – DMM at BTEC or a Merit in your T-Level.

Entry can also be gained by portfolio if you can send us some of your writing (prose and/or poetry and/or scripts).

If you are unsure whether we could make you an offer or you have any questions, just get in touch with our  admissions team  who will be able to advise you.

English Language or Literature and Maths Grade 4/C in GCSE (or equivalent) are normally required.

This course is available with an additional integrated foundation year. This four year option has lower entry requirements – see below – than the other study type/s available.

Typical offers 32 UCAS tariff points, EE at A levels or a PP in a  BTEC Diploma.

To apply for the integrated foundation year degree, select the ‘With foundation year’ option from the study types listed at the top of this page before clicking ‘Apply’.

See course overview for more information about the interated foundation year option.

We welcome applications from mature students (aged 21 and over) and do not necessarily require the same academic qualifications as school leaving applicants, although some entry requirements may still apply for Professionally Accredited Courses. We accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas and make offers on an individual basis.

Please read the entry requirements for your country – and contact our admissions team if you have questions.

You're viewing course modules for the course option. Choose a different course option to see corresponding course modules.

Here's an example of the types of modules you'll study (the contents and structure of the course are reviewed occasionally, but it is unlikely that there will be significant change).

Module information is not available for this programme.

Fees and costs

You're viewing fees for the course option. Choose a different course option to see corresponding course fees.

Start date Location UCAS code Fee (UK)
Fee (international)
Sep 2024 Francis Close Hall, Cheltenham W800 £9,250 £16,600
Sep 2025 Francis Close Hall, Cheltenham W800 £9,250 TBC
Sep 2026 Francis Close Hall, Cheltenham W800 TBC TBC

International students can benefit from a range of scholarships and bursaries across many undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Ready to apply?

Uog career promise.

At UoG we create a climate for bravery and growth. We instil confidence in all our students, so you can graduate career-ready and meet your ambitions.

95% of our graduates are in work or further study* , but if you’re not in a job 6 months after graduating we’ll guarantee you 6 months of free support, followed by the offer of a paid internship to kickstart your career – plus we’ll commit to lifetime career coaching. Eligibility conditions apply.

*Graduate Outcomes Survey published 2024 and based on 2021/22 leavers

Designed for aspiring authors, playwrights, poets, screenwriters, and games writers, unleash your creative potential with our Creative Writing course. The course aims to nurture your talent and enhance your writing skills, preparing you for a successful career in various literary fields.

As part of the course, you will also have the opportunity to showcase your work at prestigious literary events and festivals, allowing you to gain exposure and expand your network within the literary community. Our course not only focuses on the art of writing but also provides practical guidance on establishing a career in the field. Whether you aspire to create immersive novels, captivating plays, meaningful poetry, compelling narratives for games, or explore new writing territories, we provide the necessary guidance and resources to help you achieve your goals.

Graduates of this program will be well-equipped to navigate and make an impact on the literary world, bringing their distinct voices to a wide range of platforms and audiences.

Stories from our students

I learned to create content for humans, chloe is shortlisted for the 2023 manchester writing prize, it’s genuinely the best thing i’ve ever done, i’ve had work published, and performed at the cheltenham literature festival, i now have over 40 short story publications, published poet anna is founder of the cheltenham poetry festival, finding joy in the written word, teaching staff.

Sorry there are no available teaching staff at this time.

Be taught by published writers

You will learn from published writers, including Dr Michael Johnstone whose fourth novel Disnaeland came out in July 2022, Dr Angela France who has published four poetry collections and whose work has appeared in many anthologies, and Senja Andrejevic whose short stories have appeared in various literary magazines and whose dramatic writing has been produced with funding from Arts Council England. On the English Literature team, staff include Dr Charlotte Beyer who is the author of three scholarly monographs and author/editor of six collections and Professor Arran Stibbe whose innovative work on ecolinguists is sector leading.

Photo of Dr Michael Johnstone sitting in front of bookshelves in a book shop.

Collaborate with professionals

On our dramatic writing modules you can work with Cheltenham’s renowned Everyman Theatre. You’ll develop your play with the artistic director, a playwright and resident actors – leading to a staged reading open to your peers, tutors and the public.

Students reading scripts in a theatre

Get your work published

The course offers a range of publishing opportunities such as our annual student paperwork anthology, The New Writing Series.

Student reading student creative writing magazine

School of Creative Arts

Explore and collaborate with creatives from across the spectrum. We offer the perfect environment to practice your craft and prepare you to graduate career-ready.

Ranked 11th in the UK for student satisfaction

Our creative writing courses are ranked 11th in the UK for student satisfaction by the Complete University Guide 2024.

Ranked 7th in the UK for career prospects

Our creative writing courses are ranked 7th in the UK for career prospects by the Guardian University Guide 2023.

Top 20 in the UK for graduate prospects

Our creative writing courses are ranked in in the top 20 in the UK for graduate prospects (on track) by the Complete University Guide 2025.

Related stories

Guaranteed accommodation.

We’ll guarantee you a place in halls on, or near to the campus you’re studying at if you accept a place through Clearing.

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Clearing places now available, other courses you might like, english literature ba (hons)  , english literature and creative writing ba (hons)  , creative and critical writing ma, pgcert, pgdip  , take a look at our social media.

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University of Brighton

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book on pebble beach

Creative Writing BA(Hons)

Unlock your creativity with our dynamic Creative Writing degree where you will experiment with styles, inspired by our diverse city, and develop your craft through an inclusive and encouraging approach. 

Engage in critical reading and innovative writing across various genres, applying your skills to real-world scenarios like publishing. 

Guided by supportive tutors, you will explore key texts and connect your work to political, social, and cultural theories. You will experience learning in museums, galleries, theatres, archives, and beyond.

You will collaborate with publishers and acclaimed writers, and participate in our Scrivener Series and spoken word nights. Specialise in a subject of your choice after year one or continue broad exploration.

At the end of year 1 you can choose a specialist subject that complements your degree or to carry on with the broader Creative Writing degree.

Creative Writing with Wellbeing BA(Hons)

  • Creative Writing with Comics and Graphic Novels BA(Hons)*

*The comics and graphic novels pathway is new for 2025. It is in the final stages of development and may change. Check back for updates, and if you apply for this course we will let you know about any new developments via Student View .

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code W800

Full-time 3 years

What are my next steps?

I'd like to start uni in: 2024 2025

Clearing 2024: Call now

Places are still available on this course to start in 2024.

Call us now on 01273 644000

Clearing 2024: Apply now

If you have your results you can apply online for a place through Clearing.

Apply online now

Our hotline opens .

Find out more about studying with us in our digital prospectus.

Access our prospectus

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-level or BTEC Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBB–BCC (120–104 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

A-levels must include English language, English literature, or combined English language and literature.

International Baccalaureate 26 points, with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma Pass with 60 credits overall. Humanities, history or politics courses preferred. At least 45 credits at level 3.

Studied before or got relevant experience? A qualification, HE credits, or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

English language requirements IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept .

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Flexible admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more

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Course content

Top reasons to choose this course

  • Staff are active writers – you will learn from published novelists, poets and screenwriters.
  • Strong local publishing connections – we organise a programme of visiting writers and publishing professionals. Take a look at some of our prizes and partnerships .
  • Scrivener talks give you the chance to speak to a professional writer about their work.
  • Our focus on employability, including a placement, ensures you will graduate as an emerging writer with a strong skillset.

Extracurricular activities such as t he Performance and Community Research and Enterprise Group and  the student-led Creative Writing Society.

  • Alumni making a difference – graduates from our programmes include Paris Lees, Merci Roberts, Munroe Bergdorf and Tanaka Mhisi.
  • Excellent student support and a warm and encouraging community.
  • Weekly roundup of writing competitions and opportunities to encourage you to promote your work and consider future careers.
  • Workshops and spoken word events help you find your writing voice.
  • Professional feedback on any aspect of your writing from our resident  Royal Literary Fund Fellow .

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on YouTube .

All students study the same modules in year 1, where you will develop your awareness of writing genres and work with local writers.

You will learn through lectures, seminars and workshops as well as small group and individual tutorials.

Explore the cultural and critical concepts of belonging and unbelonging. You'll situate yourself as an emerging, socially responsible writer in the wider world by engaging with diverse writings that explore themes of migration and movement, home and displacement, search for a community, and our relationship to the environment and different spaces.

Taking inspiration from Edward Said’s book The World, the Text, and the Critic (1983), this module enables you to explore some of the key debates in contemporary literary studies. Organised around decolonial, feminist, queer, ecocritical and other approaches to texts, you'll develop critical writing skills and knowledge of social, cultural and political contexts in the interpretation of literary works and the wider world. 

Explore the concept of a professional writerly identity, and consider a ‘writing life’ in personal, local and global terms. Through studying and by contact with professional writers, you will investigate writing as self-expression, craft, process and profession; curating a writerly identity/ persona; developing your writing towards your future career; and the writing life and its implications on the global stage, for example as an act of resistance to inequalities.

This module will introduce you to practices of storying the self in writing and digital media. Through creating a first person story combining audio script, music and still image, you will engage with the expressive complexities of autobiographical representation. The module will also give you the creative writing tools to experiment with storying the self in a variety of written genre.

How might theatre engage audiences with the politics of class, race, gender, sexuality and the environment? You'll examine a range of plays in context, exploring how provocative stories develop through characterisation, stage directions, dialogue and dramatic action. Learn to think critically and creatively about theatrical texts and how to write scripts for stage in inclusive collaborations with your peers.

Brighton is a vibrant and unique place that has impacted on British and European culture, as well being at the forefront of social changes since the eighteenth-century. This module is a literary and cultural exploration of Brighton as a place. You will engage and connect with Brighton’s history, literary culture and your own creative writing practice. The module benefits from several city trips, which will bring learning materials to life.

Our courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis in order to make sure that what you learn with us is relevant and that your course enables you to develop appropriate skills. When you apply to study with us, we will inform you of any new developments in your chosen programme through Student View .

Pier review cover, Brighton's West Pier at dawn

Pier Review, a literary magazine run by our students, teachers and alumni

There are placement opportunities available in the second year as well as field trips to theatres, museums, schools and community organisations. You are also welcome to study abroad for a semester during your second year.

You'll also choose to stay with the broad Creative Writing degree, or to specialise in wellbeing or comics and graphic novels.

Core modules for all pathways

  • Stories that Transform: Reading and Writing for Change

Creative writing

  • Research and Practice
  • Professional Placement and Practice

Creative writing with wellbeing

  • Childhood, Psychology and Society
  • Psychology, Mental Health and Distress

Creative writing with comics and graphic novels – new for 2025 This pathway is in the final stages of development and may change.

  • Comics, Cultures and Themes
  • Image and Text: The Language of Comics and Graphic Novels
  • Writing for Stage, Radio and Screen
  • Early Modern Literature
  • Twentieth Century Literary Experiments
  • Literature and Art History
  • Travel Narratives Through Time and Space
  • Contemporary Narratives and Society
  • Introduction to Journalism
  • Queer Writing
  • Power and Persuasion
  • Poetry and Process
  • Community Engagement: Theory into Practice
  • American Literature**
  • Modernism and Heritage**
  • Women’s Writing and Feminist Theory**

You can also choose option modules from across our humanities and arts subjects.

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

** available to students choosing the comics and graphic novels pathway

In the final year you take two core modules and choose from a selection of options. Publishers Epoque Press award a prize for the best dissertation.

Core modules – all pathways

  • Dissertation
  • Brighton Rocks: Final Year Show

Creative writing pathway options *

  • Community Placement: Theory in Practice
  • Russian Literature and Culture: The Golden Age and Beyond
  • (Re)viewing Shakespeare
  • Apocalypse, Utopia, Dystopia
  • Literature and Philosophy
  • Postwar American Literature
  • Literature and the World Wars
  • Women's Writing and Feminist Theory
  • Restoration Dramas
  • Adaptations
  • Citizen Journalism: Theory and Practice
  • From Script to Screen
  • Creative Writing Project
  • Conflict, Migration, Borders
  • Reading and Writing Landscape
  • Autoethnography
  • Gothic Texts and Contexts
  • Victorian Sexualities
  • Brighton Rocks
  • Writing the Contemporary
  • Postcolonial Literatures
  • European Literatures and Film

Specialist wellbeing pathway options* 

  • Community Wellbeing and Social Justice
  • Counselling Skills and the Therapeutic Relationship
  • Critical Addiction Studies
  • Cyberpsychology
  • Ecopsychology and Ecotherapy
  • Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Children
  • Psychology of Poverty
  • Sexualities

Specialist comics and graphic novels pathway options*

  • Contemporary Global Literatures
  • English Language Teaching
  • European Literature and Film
  • Gothic: Texts and Contexts
  • Literature and Social Change
  • Script to Screen

Specialise in wellbeing

At the end of your first year, you can carry on with your Creative Writing BA for a broad view of the subject along with your choice of option modules, or you can choose to specialise in creative writing combined with wellbeing.

Choosing to specialise means that your core modules and options focus on the subject that you choose, and you'll graduate with that subject in your degree title.

You'll explore specialist wellbeing-related modules alongside core creative writing modules and choose option modules in the subjects that interest you most.

You will link your knowledge of wellbeing to the craft of writing and consider texts and your own work in relation to political, social, cultural and medical theories. You will particularly focus on diversity and global challenges. You will identify underrepresented stories and question their absence, as well as thinking ethically and sensitively about addressing gaps in literature and writing that your work can fill.

Events such as our wellbeing walks will consider the impact of the outdoors and place on your writing and think about how eco-writing can raise awareness and spark dialogues. Our tutors will help you to develop techniques and skills involved in storytelling in a range of genres and encourage you to think about how your writing can and will impact on the world and how you can be part of, and also lead, better conversations about living well.

Through the university’s Centre for Arts and Wellbeing you will be connected with the latest national and international research and events that speak directly to your subjects. You will be encouraged to think how you can contribute to future work in these transformative and vital fields.

Specialise in comics and graphic novels

At the end of your first year, you can carry on with your Creative Writing BA for a broad view of the subject along with your choice of option modules, or you can choose to specialise in creative writing combined with comics and graphic novels.

Creative Writing with Comics and Graphic Novels BA(Hons)

Comics and graphic novels entertain and inform through a powerful and dynamic combination of visual art and narrative storytelling – and their cultural impact means they are recognised as an important art form. They are used to explore subjects from politics to mental health, social inequality to science, fantasy to fiction in ways that convey emotions, action and atmosphere with broad and inclusive appeal.

On this innovative specialist pathway you will be encouraged to experiment, whether that is creating long-form graphic novels or comic strips, engaging with subjects that excite and inspire you.

Our staff have extensive writing and publishing expertise in the field and they will develop your skills and knowledge, ensuring you understand specific storytelling techniques that create an emotional impact on the reader. You will also learn aspects of design such as panel layouts, visual pacing and composition.

As a student, you will be engaging with this evolving art form in a vibrant city where creativity is celebrated, benefitting from our connections to organisations and events in which you can participate and share your work.

This pathway starts in 2025 – students starting their creative writing degree in September 2024 will be able to choose to specialise in comics and graphic novels in year 2 of their course.

Lab facilities

Mithras House is home to all our School of Humanities and Social Science courses. It has a series of ‘labs’, which may be used for teaching on your course or in your independent research work. Life lab A comfortable space with lounge furniture intended for qualitative research with larger groups. Due to its relaxed layout and naturalistic environment, the space is suited to research using focus groups, research using observation-based methods and child research.

The space is also used for teaching on some social science courses, as well as for dissertation research for projects.   City lab A space designed for collaborative student learning. It is used by students and staff involved in the university’s Global Challenges programme, our collective mission to contribute towards solutions to tackling the pressing issues facing our world. Design lab A space housing our extensive collection of historic dress and textiles, which are used in some teaching on our History of Art and Design courses . It has the space and equipment to work on textile projects. Displays created by students on these programmes are on view in the social spaces of the building.

Stats lab A specialist workspace with computing equipment for statistical analysis and projects involving video and audio editing software. The lab is accessible as a study space to students on psychology courses. 

It is also available to students studying courses involving video and audio recording and editing, such as politics degrees and our creative writing programmes. The stats lab contains eight soundproof booths for recording or transcribing interviews undertaken as part of dissertation research.   VR and eye tracking lab This lab is used for psychological research, specifically eye-tracking research and virtual reality research. Equipment includes an electroencephalography (EEG) headset and Electrodermal Activity (EDA) equipment.

Take a virtual tour of the labs available

A core module in year 2 of the creative writing and the wellbeing pathways enables you to gain professional experience in industries such as publishing, broadcasting, social media marketing, PR and the charity sector. 

Recent placement hosts include:

  • Action Medical Research
  • Action Tutoring
  • Airstream Photo Booth
  • Brighton Dome
  • British Forces Broadcasting Services
  • Epoque Press
  • Factory Films
  • The Old Market Theatre
  • Little Green Pig
  • Men’s Health Magazine

In year 3 the Community Placement module is available for all pathways to choose. It is aimed at building your professional experience through 30 to 50 hours of voluntary work with a not-for-profit or community organisation. The placement is assessed and contributes to your degree.

Meet the team

Dr Bea Hitchman  is a novelist whose work focuses on gender, queer writing and historical fiction. Her 2013 novel Petite Mort was nominated for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Prize, the Polari Prize, the HWA Debut Novel Prize and the Desmond Elliott Prize, and serialised as a ten-part Radio 4 drama. Her second novel, All of You Every Single One (2021) was one of Vogue’s Best Novels of 2022, and was nominated for the Polari Prize and HWA Prize.  Read novelist and writing tutor Beatrice Hitchman's staff profile .

Read a Q+A with Bea Hitchman where she talks about her career and how she got into writing novels and teaching.

Dr Craig Jordan-Baker  is a writer of drama, fiction and non-fiction. His drama has been widely performed and his first novel The Nacullians was published in 2020 and his most recent work If the River is Hidden (2022) is hybrid work combining poetry and lyrical prose. He was the winner of the 2018 Excellence in Facilitating and Empowering Learning Award. You can read more about Craig's interests and background on his staff profile.  You can read more about novelist and creative writing tutor Dr Craig Jordan-Baker on his staff profile .

Dr Jess Moriarty researches in the field of teaching writing practice, especially in auto-ethnographical academic writing and in creative writing with undergraduates. Another winner of the Teaching Excellence award, she is also co-founder of Work Write Live, which provides a range of writing short courses and volunteering opportunities for students to develop vocational and academic skills. You can read more about writer and creative-writing tutor Dr Jess Moriarty on her staff profile .

Read a Q+A with Jess Moriarty where she talks about her career and how she got into writing novels and teaching.

Dr John McCullough is a Costa-shortlisted, Polari prize-winning poet who focuses on mental health, loss, the body, queer politics, queer history and Brighton as a centre for unique LGBT+ subcultures. He has written three collections: The Frost Fairs (Salt, 2011) which won the Polari First Book Prize and was a Book of the Year for The Independent and a summer read for The Observer. His second, Spacecraft (Penned in the Margins, 2016) was shortlisted for the Ledbury-Forte prize and was a summer read for The Guardian. His latest collection, Reckless Paper Birds (Penned in the Margins, 2019), was shortlisted for the Costa. Read more about poet and creative-writing tutor Dr John McCullough on his staff profile .

Julie Everton is a playwright and script editor. She teaches drama, script writing, and screenwriting. Her research includes writing about real events/people, models of script development and autoethnography. You can read more about playwright and writing tutor Julie Everton on her staff profile .

Dr Barbara Chamberlain teaches modules in creative writing, English language, media and literature and include cinema, landscape writing, intercultural communication, teacher training and comics. She co-curates the Graphic Brighton symposium which brings together comics scholars, creators, publishers and readers. Read more about  Dr Barbara Chamberlin in her staff profile.

Craig Jordan-Baker

Dr Craig Jordan-Baker

Reckless Paper Birds book cover

Reckless Paper Birds is the Costa-nominated book by lecturer Dr John McCullough.

More about this subject at Brighton

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How Brighton’s Creative Writing MA inspired Harry Hillery’s ongoing work

“My favourite part of the course was the Writer in Residence module because this established that there was an appetite for remembrance work around the HIV / AIDS epidemic in the Brighton area, which became the basis for my dissertation and led me to create an archive and remembrance page for Brighton.

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Geri Oida on what being a Story Mentor Volunteer can teach a Creative Writing student

“This role at Little Green Pig taught me that you can help the community with your skills, and as a writer it made me reflect about having no limits on telling a story, no matter what your age, background, and knowledge.

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Creative Writing MA students write on wellbeing

Take a look at some of the work produced by our Creative Writing MA students who have been spending time as writer in residence for the Centre for Arts & Wellbeing at the university.

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Reading to get you thinking for our Creative Writing MA

Whether you’re an applicant, or thinking of applying, why not whet your appetite with some of the course reading?

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What can I do with a creative writing degree?

Creative writing degree graduates gain a broad range of skills applicable in a variety of roles, such as:

  • editorial assistant
  • higher education lecturer
  • lexicographer
  • publishing copy-editor/proofreader

This degree opens up a range of postgraduate study options. At Brighton, for example, you could progress to:

  • Creative Writing MA
  • Journalism MA
  • Secondary English PGCE .

You could also choose to complete your PhD at Brighton alongside our team of world-leading researchers.

High-profile graduates from our English programmes include Paris Lees, Tanaka Mhishi and Munroe Bergdorf.

Graduates from our English programmes have gone on to careers in:

  • social media marketing
  • English tutorship
  • SEO Executive
  • broadcasting
  • public relations 
  • postgraduate studies in English language or related areas.

Professional advice and support 

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

  • Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
  • Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
  • Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
  • Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
  • Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
  • Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

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Fees and costs

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 15,900 GBP

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2024–25 .

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Your Brighton Boost 2024 – up to £1,750 to help new undergrad students with study, accommodation or travel costs. Find out more...

  • Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate students
  • Student finance and budgeting while studying
  • About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

What's included

Here you’ll find details of specific resources and services that are included in the tuition fee for our creative writing students. To help you to budget for your studies, there is also information on any additional costs that you may have to pay or can choose to pay in addition to your tuition fee.

Find out how tuition fees enable us to support all of our students with important services, facilities and resources across the university and check out our finance pages for info about fees, funding and scholarships along with advice on international and island fee-paying status.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information.

What's included in your tuition fee

  • Course books, magazines and journals are available in the university libraries. You do not need to have your own copies. See the subject area in the library for an up-to-date list of key subject journals and databases.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software on campus – and can borrow a laptop from us if yours is broken or you don’t have a computer at home. Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning.

Additional costs

  • Most coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget up to £100 for printing.
  • For some assessments you may be required to print large format posters for presentations at a cost of £5–£10 per poster.
  • Some courses include an optional placement module for which students will need to cover the costs of travel to and from the placement and DBS checks as required.
  • You may have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but if you choose to go on optional trips you can expect to pay either a contribution towards, or the full cost of, travel as well as for your food. Under normal circumstances we would expect a budget of approximately £150 per year will cover the costs of particular trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
  • You’ll need to budget for printing and stationery for personal study, and books if you decide to buy your own. Many of the set texts are available as cheap editions and we estimate that students will not need to spend more than £200.
  • Many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices, but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you'll find new Students' Union, events venue, and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

Two people walking past Mithras halls

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students . So if you applied for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence.

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Halls of residence We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

  • Mithras Halls are stylish new high-rises in the heart of the student village at our revitalised Moulsecoomb campus with ensuite rooms for more than 800 students.
  • Varley Park  is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting .

Relaxing in halls

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Mithras halls room with a view

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton

Moulsecoomb campus map

Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more .

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton .

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships .

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help. 01273 644644

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised , and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni enables you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Discover Uni data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course, and are updated following course changes.

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Make the right Clearing call

BA (Hons) Creative Writing and English Literature

Course options

Key Details

Book your Clearing campus visit

We are pleased to offer pre-booked guided tours during the Clearing period to give you the opportunity to get a real feel for our campus and life at UEA.

Why you should choose us

Course overview.

The writer's world has never been more diverse, exciting, and collaborative than it is today. UEA – which became the first UK university to teach creative writing over 50 years ago – has played a major role in shaping this world. Since then, countless writers have emerged from our seminars and workshops and made a lasting impact on the field of contemporary literature. Are you ready to join them?   

As a student of Creative Writing and English Literature, you'll hone your writing skills while exploring literatures from a host of genres, countries, and periods. You’ll take the same creative writing workshops as our English Literature with Creative Writing students. In addition, you'll dive into modules that will take your writing practice out of the classroom and into the working writer's world. Through seminars, workshops, and placements, you'll develop skills across disciplines and media, in community engagement, and in publishing and presenting your own work. In other words, you’ll be primed to enter a writer's world that is collaborative, thrillingly diverse, and endlessly exciting

‘To write is to practice, with particular intensity and attentiveness, the art of reading.’ So wrote Susan Sontag. In a similar way, at UEA we believe that good readers make good writers. It’s for this reason that we combine the study of Creative Writing with the study of Literature at all levels of our degree programmes. In this way, your creative and literary training go hand-in-hand. 

In addition to the creative writing workshops offered by our pioneering and world-famous English Literature with Creative Writing degree, this course offers you a suite of modules designed to help you enter the working writer's world once you graduate. You’ll become familiar with collaborative practice, working with makers and thinkers in other disciplines. On our innovative creative non-fiction module, you’ll experience writing in real-world contexts and learn how to make that world your subject. As your degree reaches its climax, you’ll learn how to produce, publish and perform your work to a professional standard.  

All along, you’ll be studying at a university rich in famous alumni, including Booker Prize winners Ian McEwan and Anne Enright, Forward Prize winner Mona Arshi, and Nobel Prize winner Sir Kazuo Ishiguro. You’ll draw inspiration from this lineage, while working closely with our many practicing novelists, scriptwriters, poets in seminars and workshops. 

In your study of English literature, you’ll discover a wealth of writers from the classical past right up to poets and novelists writing now. You might explore diverse literary traditions from across the globe, and you’ll tackle a heady mix of genres, which currently range from the gothic to contemporary fiction, crime writing to children’s literature, early modern women’s writing to modern Japanese fiction.  

Whichever modules you choose to study, you’ll be taught by our world-leading writers and critics. UEA’s School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing is famous for innovation in teaching and for cutting-edge research – that’s why in the most recent Times Higher Education Analysis (REF2021), UEA was ranked 19th in the UK for the quality of its research in English Language and Literature. 

When you’re not in the classroom, you’ll be able to explore the glories of Norwich, an extraordinary place in which to be a writer. Not only is it jaw-droppingly beautiful; it’s also England’s first UNESCO City of Literature – awarded in recognition of the city’s vivid literary heritage and vibrant contemporary writing scene – and home to the National Centre for Writing . You’ll immerse yourself in this community, perhaps sharing your work with a packed audience of students and professional writers at our UEA Live: New Writing series, or attending literary festival events with internationally renowned figures.  

We say that UEA is the place where literature lives – when you join the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing , you’ll join a unique and supportive community of critics, writers, and drama practitioners, who bring literature to life every day.  It’s a pretty good place to be, and you can find out more about the activities in our School by following us on Instagram . 

Placement Year and Study Abroad

You have the option to apply to study abroad for one semester of your second year. Study abroad is a wonderfully enriching life experience – you will develop confidence and adaptability, and will have the chance to deepen your understanding of writing while learning about another culture. At UEA, you’ll be surrounded by the many students we welcome from around the world to study with us.  

For further details, visit the  Study Abroad section  of our website.  

Study and Modules

During your first year, you’ll take three bespoke Creative Writing modules, in which you’ll develop your range of skills as a writer. The first semester is all about cultivating your craft, testing out the possibilities of different forms and techniques, pushing your boundaries as a writer, and using writing exercises to help you generate material. In the second semester, you will experiment with avant-garde techniques and engage with genre, while developing the ability to critically reflect on your own creative practice. 

You’ll also explore writing as a collaborative practice, working with UEA students from other disciplines – which might include media, or medicine, or environmental science – to broaden your scope as a writer, working on new forms for new audiences. At the same time, you’ll improve your skills as a close reader of literary texts and begin to get to grips with the span of English Literature in core literature-based modules. This is the start of the exciting interplay between reading and writing which you’ll draw upon throughout your degree. 

Compulsory Modules

Creative writing: beginnings, creative writing: experiments with genre, new forms: writing in collaboration, reading literature in history, reading now, slow reading.

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching 

Nurtured by our world-leading creative writing tutors (in seminars of around 15 people), you'll start to get to grips with creative writing's fundamentals, including strategies for creating character, writing dialogue, determining mood, and maintaining atmosphere. You'll be mentored as you collaborate with students in other disciplines – your first taste of the contemporary working writer's world. Lectures on literature will surprise you with new ideas, and seminar discussions led by your tutor will shape your thinking about what you've read that week. You'll meet your academic adviser who'll support you through your whole degree with everything from choice of modules to launching your career.  

Independent Learning 

You’ll spend time on your own writing and your collaborative projects. You'll throw yourself into the whirlwind of extra-curricular creative writing events and activities. You'll read some extraordinary books, with a framework of guided tasks to help you get the most out of them, and discover a wealth of new resources in the library. By the end of this year, you'll be equipped with the fundamental skills necessary for your creative and literary journey. 

Assessment  

Throughout your degree, all modules in Creative Writing and in English Literature have no exams – we believe that the best way to express your thoughts about literature and to show off your creative development is through carefully crafted pieces of written coursework. On the creative side, you'll start by writing your own prose and poetry, developing fundamental skills in drafting, keeping a writer's notebook, and submitting to deadlines, before embarking on more experimental exercises. You'll produce work collaboratively  and reflect on the collaboration process, developing a critical awareness of your creative practice. In your studies of literature, you'll develop renewed enthusiasm for writing academic essays, and express your thinking in a diverse variety of forms, from reviews to personal reflective writing.  

Feedback 

You'll receive feedback on your writing (creative and critical) from your tutors (e.g. in one-to-one tutorials) and your peers. Feedback on assessed work will be returned within 20 working days (after it has been carefully marked and moderated). As your first year does not count toward your overall degree result, it's a great time to experiment and take risks.  

You’ll begin to focus your creative writing on particular forms, choosing from prose, poetry, and scriptwriting modules. You’ll share your writing with your peers and with a published author in our creative writing workshops, receiving feedback and learning how to give constructive criticism to your peers, too. You might also take a module in creative non-fiction, which will develop your skills in life writing and hybrid forms, working both in the classroom and through a short placement that will give you direct experience of writing in the world.  

As a literary critic, you will be able to choose from all the available literature modules, gaining a grounding in a variety of literary periods and traditions. You might also choose to experiment with our innovative creative-critical modules, where the reading and writing of literature go hand-in-hand. Over the course of this year, you’ll take a module on Shakespeare or an historical period of English literature from before 1789.

Optional A Modules

Victorian writing, european literature, critical theory and practice, contemporary fiction, literature studies semester abroad (spring), medieval writing: quest, fable and romance (pre-1789), shakespeare (pre-1789), romantic transformations: 1740-1830, early modern writing 1600-1740: the making of english literature (pre-1789), optional b modules, reading and writing in elizabethan england (pre-1789), making it public: publishing, audience, & creative enterprise, literature and philosophy, reading and writing contemporary poetry, the writing of history, transatlantic literatures, the writing of journalism (aut), the short story (aut), lgbt and beyond: sexual cultures, queer identities, and the politics of desire, arts and humanities placement module, optional c modules, writing in the world: placements, podcasts, creative nonfiction, scriptwriting: tv/film, creative writing: prose fiction (spr), scriptwriting: stage/audio, creative writing: prose fiction (aut), creative writing: poetry (aut), scriptwriting: screen and stage.

Teaching  

Your creative work will now be taken to the next level through the 'workshopping' process (pioneered in the UK by UEA), where you'll get feedback on your writing from your peers under the direction of one of our creative writing tutors, and learn the art of offering constructive critique to your fellow writers. You might bring your writing into the wider world through a placement with an organisation or community group, supported by our creative writing team. Lectures and seminars will immerse you in particular eras of literature, and you may also take seminars in more vocational subjects like journalism or publishing (using our state-of-the-art Media Suite).  

Independent Learning  

You'll deepen your confidence in the craft of creative writing, gain real-world experience of the demands and exhilarating rewards of collaborating with others, continue to enrich your writing through the study of literature, and finish the year with a real sense of how your degree might open out into future careers.

You'll continue to submit 100%  coursework for all your creative writing and literature modules. Your creative writing will flourish as you produce more substantial pieces of prose (a 1250-word short story or longer 2000-word narrative), portfolios of poetry, or scripts for stage or screen (20-30 minutes in length), and write reflective pieces to understand better your own creative processes. Your writing will be energised by encounters with real-life subjects as you experience the writer’s world first-hand, and you'll write reflectively about the ethics and complexities of drawing on real life subjects. You'll continue to hone your critical essay writing, and you might experiment with 'creative criticism', for instance by writing a short story which reveals your critical understanding of that form.  

Feedback  

You'll continue to have the support and feedback of all your tutors, and your creative work will be deepened by your immersion in the workshop environment, where you receive feedback from your peers and learn to give feedback on their work, an enormously valuable skill in many careers.

.  

In your final-year creative writing modules you will focus intensively on your own practice. You’ll take a workshop, modelled on our world-famous Creative Writing MA. This will give you the chance to further develop your work in a particular form: prose, poetry, or scriptwriting. You’ll also have the chance to write a creative writing dissertation, in which you produce a substantial piece of poetry, prose or script, with one-to-one support from a tutor. Or you can choose a module in which you will be able to publish your own book  and develop skills in performing your own work for an audience. On the literature side, you’ll choose from a dazzling array of specialist modules organised into two option ranges – currently we offer topics covering everything from the global Middle Ages to contemporary children’s literature. 

CREATIVE WRITING: PROSE

Creative writing dissertation (aut), writing television drama, publication, production, performance, creative writing dissertation (spr), creative writing: scriptwriting, creative writing: prose (aut), shakespeare's dramatic worlds (pre-1789), the business of books (pre-1789), literature dissertation: post-1789 (spr), women's writing in early-modern britain: the emergence of female authorship (pre-1789), reading modern japanese fiction: translation and canonisation, literature dissertation: post-1789 (aut), nervous narratives, literature dissertation: (pre-1789) (aut), monsters, marvels and creative medieval heritage (pre-1789), the birth of the gothic: romance, revolution, empire, banned books, literature dissertation: (pre-1789) (spr), ghosts, haunting and spectrality, the art of murder, children's literature, imaginary endings: british fiction and the apocalypse, mythos: rewriting the classics (pre-1789), feminist writing, culture and performance, the art of emotion: literature, writing and feeling.

Your immersion in the writer's world culminates as you're mentored through the intensive editorial and revision process needed to ensure your work meets industry standards for publication or performance. You might take a three-hour workshop led by a member of our creative writing team, or choose to work one-on-one with a creative writing tutor to produce a substantial creative dissertation. Either way, you’ll be writing with confidence and a real sense of your writerly identity. Alongside this, you'll have the chance to explore cutting-edge literary topics in real depth, in three-hour seminars taught by specialists passionate about their subject.   

You'll work with increasing confidence and independence as a literary critic, and you'll have the option to bring together all your experience as a creative writer to complete the year (and the degree) with a tangible product of everything you've been learning – your own book and recorded performance piece.

You'll continue to be assessed by 100%  coursework. You'll have the option to take a module in which you turn your work into a book and performance piece that meets industry standards, and which is a full reflection of the writer you have become. You can also choose to participate in another workshop or to embark on a creative dissertation (6000 words writing / 2000 words reflection), the culmination of your achievements as a writer. Alongside your creative work, you'll have the chance to produce in-depth explorations of literature (3500-5000 words), and if you wish, you might continue to experiment with the forms in which you express your ideas about literary texts, writing Shakespearean sonnets or experimenting with the new boundary-defying genre of ‘auto-fiction’. 

You will continue to receive in-depth written and oral feedback, from both tutors and peers, in both workshops and one-on-one supervisions. All the feedback you've received will enable you to graduate with highly developed transferable skills in writing across a host of forms and for an array of audiences, together with an ability to give sensitive but incisive critique of others' work. 

Entry Requirements

A Level - ABB (subject specific requirements apply)

BTEC L3 Extended Diploma - DDM (subject specific requirements apply)

UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.  

You are required to have Mathematics and English Language at a minimum of Grade C or Grade 4 or above at GCSE.

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):  

IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components) 

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review  our English Language Equivalencies  for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement. 

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date. 

If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:  

Pre-sessional English at INTO UEA   

Academic English at INTO UEA   

Most applicants will not be called for an interview and a decision will be made via UCAS Track. However, for some applicants an interview will be requested. Where an interview is required the Admissions Service will contact you directly to arrange a time.  

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year.  We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.  

This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake is in September each year.    

Additional Information or Requirements

Extended Diploma: DDD plus A in English Literature including English Literature or one of the subjects listed: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.

Diploma: DD plus A in English Literature or one of the subjects listed: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.

Extended Certificate: D plus AA to include one of the subjects listed: English Literature, English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.

Special Entry Requirements

Candidates who are shortlisted will be asked to provide a sample of their creative writing:  we ask for around 5-7 pages of work, which can be on any subject and in any genre of the candidate's choice. Most choose to send poetry, prose, or a mixture of the two.

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our  Foundation Year programmes such as - 

https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/ba-english-literature-with-a-foundation-year

We welcome and value a wide range of alternative qualifications.  If you have a qualification which is not listed here, or are taking a combination of qualifications, please contact us via Admissions Enquiries . 

International Requirements

We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. View our International Students pages for specific information about your country. 

INTO University of East Anglia 

If you do not meet the academic and/or English language requirements for direct entry our partner, INTO UEA offers progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree: 

International Foundation in Business, Economics, Society and Culture (for Year 1 entry to UEA) 

International Foundation in Humanities and Law (for Year 1 entry to UEA)

Admissions Policy

Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.  

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees   

View our information for Tuition Fees .  

Scholarships and Bursaries  

We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates. 

Course Related Costs

Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs. 

How to Apply

Apply for this course through the  Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) , using UCAS Hub.  

UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom. 

Your application does not have to be completed all at once.  Register or sign in to UCAS  to get started.  

Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges. 

The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is  E14 . 

View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information: 

How to apply through UCAS  

Employability

After the course.

You will be a first-rate writer and an advanced critical thinker with an independent cast of mind; you’ll know how to manage your time, how to work collaboratively, and how to operate as a writer in the world of work. With the support of our Careers Service throughout your degree, you’ll have honed your CV and sought out internships. You’ll have attended Working with Words, an annual event in which you get to meet UEA alumni working in the creative industries. You might have got involved with the UEA Publishing Project, or its student arm,   Egg Box , or undertaken independent research in UEA’s British Archive of Contemporary Writing . In an increasingly text-based world, these skills and experiences are highly valued by employers.    

You could go on to work as a prose fiction or non-fiction writer, poet or scriptwriter, or go into many careers in arts, media, publishing, politics, charities and NGOs, teaching, or the commercial sector.  You’ll also be well placed to study for a postgraduate degree, including one of our world-famous Creative Writing MAs. Regardless of the direction you choose, you will be superbly placed to start writing your own story. 

A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.

best creative writing ba uk

Examples of careers you could enter include:  

Freelance writer   

Scriptwriter  

Publishing   

Community and Arts-related Projects 

Marketing  

Communication and PR  

Discover more on our Careers webpages . 

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Creative Writing and English Literature starting September 2024 for 3 years

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BA English Literature and Creative Writing

Annual tuition fees for 2024/25: £9,250 (UK) £22,860 (International) More detail .

  • Am I likely to receive an offer for 2024?
  • Course details
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Craft a future in storytelling and literary analysis through an undergraduate BA English Literature and Creative Writing degree at the University of Birmingham. Learn to relish writing in all literary genres from a wide range of critical perspectives while honing your creative skillset in imagining and communicating narratives across genres.

Our internationally renowned academic staff offer a huge selection of literary specialisms across the full historical range to the present day, including: 

  • Old English  
  • Shakespeare 
  • Gothic Literature  
  • Fantasy and fandom 
  • Dystopian fiction 
  • Poets and Poetry 
  • Women’s writing  
  • Children’s literature  

Make use of our wide-ranging work-based placements and employability focused modules and graduate with a detailed awareness of and sought-after experience with the creative industries, including:   

  • Editing 
  • Events management   
  • Film and TV  
  • Journalism   
  • Marketing   
  • Media   
  • Publishing  
  • Theatre  
  • Writing 

International undergraduate scholarships available in the College of Arts and Law

best creative writing ba uk

We are proud to offer 10 scholarships to international students in the form of £3,000 tuition fee awards for year one entry only.

Learn more about our scholarships and apply

best creative writing ba uk

The programme has built my confidence in genres and formats I never would have attempted otherwise. My knowledge and abilities are much more rounded now. The excellent contacts you make being taught by published writers has left me feeling positive about my opportunities after graduation. Emily

Why study this course?

Our undergraduate BA English Literature with Creative Writing degree is for you if you want to: 

  • Learn from bestselling authors and industry experts – including 2021 Forward Poetry Prize winner Professor Luke Kennard and one of Granta magazine’s 2023 best young novelists Dr Anna Metcalfe. 
  • Personalise your degree - read and write about the writing and authors that mean most to you: our course gives you the option to study everything from Old English to last year's novels; you can also incorporate optional modules across a vast range of literary genres. 
  • Go beyond the printed book - take advantage of the wide-ranging expertise within our academic community and explore the study of art, comics, film, marketing, music, social media, textual production, theatre, TV and video games.
  • Participate in RSC-led workshops – make use of our internationally renowned Shakespeare Institute, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, and take part in fun and interactive study trips with the Royal Shakespeare Company, such as the Stratford Residential .  
  • Live and study in a city that values the written word as much as you do – explore our exceptional resources, including our Cadbury Research Library, consisting of over 200,000 rare books dating from 1471, as well as the Library of Birmingham, Europe’s largest regional library. Get involved with the numerous on campus writers' groups, including our very own newspaper , radio and TV stations and delve into the various citywide literature festivals.

Please note: You will take 120 credits of modules in each year of study. The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2025. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

Compulsory modules

  • Literary Worlds 900-1770
  • Literary Worlds 1770-Today
  • Critical Environments
  • Cultural Environments
  • Contemporary Creative Writing
  • Creative Writing Foundation

Detailed descriptions of first year compulsory modules

Second year 

Optional modules 

  • 120 credits of optional modules

List of second year optional modules

Year Abroad

You can apply to study abroad for a year in an approved university around the world. If you achieve a grade of 2.1 or above in your first year, you will be eligible to apply for a Year Abroad in your second year. If your application is successful, you will go abroad in your third year and return to us for your final year.

More about a Year Abroad

  • Creative Writing Project or Dissertation in English Literature  
  • 80 credits of optional modules

Detailed descriptions of final year compulsory modules and list of optional modules

For UK students beginning their studies in September 2024, the University of Birmingham will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. The fees for your first year of study will therefore be £9,250. Visit our tuition fees page for more information .

Fees for 2024/25 are as follows:

  • UK: £9,250
  • International: £22,860

Eligibility for fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students .

For further information on tuition fees, living costs and available financial support, please see our pages on undergraduate fees and funding .

Tuition fees when studying abroad

For those spending a whole academic year abroad (where available):

  • Students who are classed as UK for fees purposes are required to pay 15% of their normal annual tuition fee
  • Students who are classed as International for fee purposes are required to pay 50% of their normal annual tuition fee

For those studying abroad for just one semester (where available), normal annual tuition fees apply.

Note - Study abroad opportunities vary between courses; please see the course description for details of study abroad options offered.

How To Apply

  • Apply through UCAS at www.ucas.com .
  • Learn more about applying .

english-springpod

Standard offer

International requirements.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB). Holders of the Baccalauréat de l'Enseignement Secondaire (School Certificate) are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate programmes without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

Please note:

  • For Medicine country specific requirements, please visit our Applying to Medicine website .
  • For Dentistry, please see the general entry requirements listed on the Dental Surgery course page

English Language

Students from Algeria need to meet the standard English language requirements for international students. 

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Holders of the Bachillerato together with a recognised foundation programme, such as the Birmingham Foundation Academy, will be considered for entry to our Bachelor degree programmes.

Students who have completed the Senior Secondary School Diploma will be considered for entry to year 1 of an undergraduate programme based on the ATAR or OP score achieved as follows: A*AA = ATAR 94 or OP 1-3 AAA = ATAR 92 or OP 4 AAB = ATAR 90 or OP 4 ABB = ATAR 87 or OP 5 BBB = ATAR 85 or OP 6 Where a specific subject is required at A level this subject is required at grade 12 with an equivalent grade.

  • For Dentistry, please see the general entry requirements listed on the Dental Surgery course page.

Holders of the Matura/Reifeprüfung with a minimum overall score of 'pass with distinction' (mit gutem Erfolg bestanden) and subject grades between 2-1/5 (gut-sehr gut - good-very good) will be considered for entry to the first year of our undergraduate degree programmes.  Please refer to the information below as guidance for grade comparisons to A-level entry requirements:  Holders of the Matura/Reifeprüfung will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 1 overall plus 1, 1, 2 in elective subjects (inc any required subject/s)  AAA - 1 overall plus 1, 2, 2 in elective subjects (inc any required subject/s)  AAB - 1 overall plus 222 in elective subjects (inc any required subject/s)  ABB - BBB - 2 overall plus 222 in elective subjects (inc any required subject/s)  Subject specific grade equivalencies:  A* - 1  A - 1.5  B - 2 

  • For Medicine country specific requirements please visit our Applying to Medicine website .

We may accept your English language grade from the Austrian Matura/Reifeprüfung if you achieved 2/5 (gut) in English (both written and oral examinations). Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as the Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Al-Thanawiyan are not normally eligible for direct entry onto an undergraduate course without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our own foundation pathways.

Higher Secondary Certificate students will be required to take an approved Foundation Programme before they can be considered for entry to the first year of our Bachelor degree programmes (see Birmingham Foundation Pathways).

Holders of a Bachelor of Science, Arts or Commerce degree (with honours) of two, three, or four years in duration from a recognised institution in Bangladesh with a CGPA of 3.0/4 or 65% or higher may be considered for entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree programme.

For Medicine country specific requirements, please visit our Applying to Medicine website.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

For study on our Foundation and Undergraduate programmes, English language at grade C/6 or above in the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education Examination is sufficient to meet the standard English language requirements.

For Postgraduate programmes, Botswanan nationals with a degree from Botswana or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

GCE A Level examinations (BBB to A*AA), the International Baccalaureate (IB) (32 points overall. HL 5,5,5 to 7,7,6), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways. Students who have successfully completed the first year of a Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree with an overall score of 7.5/10 or higher can be considered.

  • Our BNurs and MNurs Nursing courses are only available to home/EU students.

The University will consider students who have taken A Level examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to undergraduate programmes. Students from Brunei will usually undertake Brunei/Cambridge GCE A level examinations or Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational Educational Council (BDTVEC). Both qualifications allow students to apply for undergraduate degree courses.

Holders of the "Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie, Diploma za Zavarsheno Sredno Obrazovanie, or Diploma za Sredno Spetzialno Obrazovanie" (Diploma of Completed Secondary Education) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:

  • A*AA = 5.8 overall with 5.8 in 2 Matura exams (to include any required subjects)
  • AAA = 5.8 overall with 5.6 in 2 Matura exams (to include any required subjects)
  • AAB = 5.6 overall with 5.6 in 2 Matura exams (to include any required subjects)
  • ABB = 5.4 overall with 5.5 in 2 Matura exams (to include any required subjects)
  • BBB = 5.2 overall with 5.5 in 2 Matura exams (to include any required subjects)

Students who hold Cameroon GCE A Levels with good grades or French Baccalaureat with minimum grades of 12/20-15/20 will be considered for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programme.

Cameroon has two systems of education, one based on the British model, the other on the French - as long as a student has studied under the British system, they will be exempt from the standard international English requirements with the following grades:

For study on our Foundation and Undergraduate programmes, English Language at grade C or above in the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level is sufficient to meet the standard English language requirements.

For Postgraduate programmes, Cameroonian nationals with a degree that was completed in English from Cameroon or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

The University will consider students who have achieved good grades in their High School Graduation Diploma with at least 5 university-preparatory level (Grade 12) courses. For many of our programmes of study, students will need at least a B average, and possibly higher. 

Qualification Guidance

Unless otherwise stated qualification guidance is as follows:

Ontario System

A level requirements of AAA  = 85% overall in 6 x grade 12 U or U/C courses. Where an A level subject is required, the course must be at U or U/C level. 

A level requirements of AAB  = 80% overall in 6 x grade 12 U or U/C courses. Where an A level subject is required, the course must be at U or U/C level. 

A level requirements of ABB  = 75% overall in 6 x grade 12 U or U/C courses. Where an A level subject is required, the course must be at U or U/C level. 

For Maths and English GCSE equivalency the student must offer Maths and English at grade 11 minimum. (For UG programmes that require GCSE grade A equivalence, suggest 80% minimum). 

Other Canadian Provinces

British Columbia  - Grade 12 Senior Secondary Diploma with an average of at least 75% (ABB), 80% (AAB) and 85% (AAA) in 5 grade 12 subjects or Senior Secondary Graduation Diploma if awarded with at least five Bs (BBBBB) or above in acceptable grade 12 courses.

Manitoba - High School Graduation Diploma with an overall average of 75% (ABB), 80% (AAB) and 85% (AAA), including 5 credits awarded at the 300 level in at least 4 subject areas, and at least 65% in each subject.

Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northern W. T., Nova Scotia, P. Edward Island, Saskatchewan - General High School Diploma with an overall average of 75% (ABB), 80% (AAB) and 85% (AAA) in 5 subjects at Grade 12.

Nunavut - General High School Diploma with an overall average of 75% (ABB), 80% (AAB) and 85% (AAA) across five subjects at grade 12.

Québec - Diplôme d'Etudes Collègiales (DEC) with an overall average of 75% (ABB), 80% (AAB) and 85% (AAA).

Yukon - Senior Secondary Graduation Diploma with an overall average of at least 85% in 5 grade 12 subjects (including provincial examinations where applicable).

Entry to LLB for Graduates

We require a B+ average or a GPA of 3.0/4 in any non-law degree subject.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as the Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes. 

We will consider students who have completed GAOKAO for entry to our Undergraduate Programmes. Please refer to our  GAOKAO entry requirements  for further information.

Holders of the Chinese High School Certificate/Senior Middle School Graduation and a suitable foundation programme, and holders of two/three year Diplomas, with a good performance (80% average or above) from a recognised institution, will be considered for entry to undergraduate programmes.

If you have taken A level or IB diploma, please refer to the course you are interested in on our course finder and you will find entry requirements.

If you have taken exams which are from another country's national education system (e.g. the Arbitur from Germany or SAT and AP exams from the USA) you should consult that specific country page on our website for entry requirements.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Bachillerato together with a recognised foundation programme, such as the Birmingham Foundation Academy, will be considered for entry to our Bachelor degree programmes.

Candidates from Costa Rica generally require a) A levels or IB Diploma or b) Bachiller en la Enseñanza Media plus a recognised foundation programme or c) successfully completed the first year of the Bachiller or Licenciado with 8/10 or higher.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as the Birmingham Foundation Academy, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Holders of the Maturatna Svjedodzba (Matriculation Certificate) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA-AAA= 5/5  AAB = 4.5/5  ABB-BBB = 4/5  Subject specific requirements:  A* - 5  A - 4.5  B - 4

Candidates offering the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) qualification can be considered for entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree programme. CAPE is graded on a I to VI scale (I being the highest) and we would typically look for a minimum of II in each subject taken to include I in any required subject and for AAA-AAB offers to include a at least half the subjects at grade I.  Candidates offering an Associate degree from a recognised institution may also be considered for entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree programme. We would typically require a minimum GPA of 3.0 to include high grades in relevant and required subjects.

Holders of the Apolytirion of Lykeion with a minimum overall score of 18+/20 plus 2 GCE A levels will be considered for entry to the first year of our undergraduate degree programmes. The Apolytirio + 1 A level may be considered at the discretion of departments, if high grades and required subjects are offered.

Equivalent grades:

A*AA = 19/20 + A*A AAA = 19/20 + AA AAB = 18/20 + AA ABB = 18/20 +AB BBB = 18/20 + BB

Specific subject requirements:

A* - 19 A - 19 B – 18

Holders of the Vysvedceni o Maturitni Zkousce-Zkouška / Maturita will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA-AAA: 1 overall  AAB: 1.5 overall  ABB-BBB: 2 overall  Specific subject requirements:  A* - 1  A = 1.5  B = 2

Holders of the Bevis for Studentereksamen (STX), Hojere Forberedelseseksamen (HF), Hojere Handelseksamen (HHX) or Hojere Teknisk Eksamen (HTX) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies in Level A Subjects (including any required subjects):

A*AA - 12,10,10 AAA - 10,10,10 AAB - 10,10,7 ABB - 10,7,7 BBB - 7,7,7

A* = 12 A = 10 B = 7

We may accept your English language grade from the Danish Studentereksamen if you achieved 10 in English. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

Candidates from Ecuador generally require a) A levels or IB Diploma or b) Senior Secondary School (Titulo de Bachiller en Ciencias) plus a recognised foundation programme or c) successfully completed the first year of the Licenciado (with 70% or equivalent GPA)

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entry onto our undergraduate programmes.

Holders of the Thanawiyan are not normally eligible for direct entry onto an undergraduate course without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our own foundation pathways.

  • For Medicine country-specific requirements, please visit our Applying to Medicine website .

Holders of the Riigieksamid (State Examinations) plus the Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus (GI) (Secondary School Certificate) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:

  • A*AA - 4.5 average for GI and 83% average for 3 best state exams (excluding English taken as a SELT)
  • AAA - 4.4 average for GI and 80% average for 3 best state exams (excluding English taken as a SELT)
  • AAB - 4.3 average for GI and 79% average for 3 best state exams (excluding English taken as a SELT)
  • ABB - 4.2 average for GI and 78% average for 3 best state exams (excluding English taken as a SELT)
  • BBB - 4.1 average for GI and 77% average for 3 best state exams (excluding English taken as a SELT)

Specific subject requirements - required subjects must be studied at the highest level possible at school (year 12) with following grade equivalencies: A* = 90% A = 85% B = 80%.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Students who have completed one or two years of a Bachelors degree from an Ethiopian university with excellent grades (A or 4 points) can be considered for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Overall successful completion of Ylioppilastutkinto / studentexamen (Matriculation Examination) with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 766  AAA - 666  AAB - 665  ABB - 655  BBB - 555  Subject specific requirements:  L (Laudator) = 7 = A*  E (Eximia cum laude approbatur) = 6 = A  M (Magna cum laude approbatur) = 5 = B

We may accept your English language grade from the Finnish Ylioppilastutkinto/Studentexamen if you achieved 5 (magna cum laude approbatur) in English. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

Holders of the Baccalauréat Général / Baccalauréat Technologique (BTn) / Baccalauréat de l'Enseignement du Second Degr and Diplôme de l'Enseignement du Second Degr / Option International du Baccalauréat (OIB) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA: 15/20  AAA-AAB: 14/20  ABB - BBB: 13/20  Option International du Baccalauréat (OIB)  A*AA: 14/20  AAA-AAB: 13/20  ABB - BBB: 12/20  Specifc subject requirements:  A* = 15/20  A = 14/20  B = 12/20  We will consider holders of the European Baccalaureate (EB) with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 88  AAA - 85  AAB - 80  ABB - 77  BBB - 75  Subject specific requirement:  A* - 9  A - 8  B - 7

We may accept your English language grade from the French Baccalauréat de l’Enseignement du Second Degré if you achieved 14 (bien) or above. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

Holders of the Abitur/Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, Zeugnis der Fachgebundenen Hochschulreife or Zeugnis der Fachhochschulreife will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA: 1.4 overall in the Abitur  AAA: 1.5 overall in the Abitur  AAB: 1.6 overall in the Abitur  ABB: 1.7 overall in the Abitur  BBB: 1.8 overall in the Abitur  Specific subject requirements:  A* = 14/15  A = 13/15  B = 11/15  Please note: For applicants taking the Fachhochschulreife, we wouldn’t normally accept this qualification for entry to undergraduate programmes.  We will consider holders of the European Baccalaureate (EB) with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 88  AAA - 85  AAB - 80  ABB - 77  BBB - 75  Subject specific requirement:  A* - 9  A - 8  B - 7 

We may also accept your English language grade from the German Abitur if you achieved 10 (gut) in English (taken as an achievement/main/ intensive course. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Higher National Diploma with a good profile of grades (distinctions and credits, or grades 1-3) will be considered for entrance to undergraduate programmes (first year entry).

Students who have completed the first year of a 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised institution in Ghana with excellent grades (2.1, 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5.0) will be considered for entrance to undergraduate programmes (first year entry).

For study on our Foundation and Undergraduate programmes, English language at grade C or above (or in numerical terms, grade 6 or above) in the WAEC SSCE is sufficient to meet the standard English language requirements.

For Postgraduate programmes, Ghanaian nationals with a degree from Ghana or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

Holders of the National Apolytirion of Geniko Lykeio, including three Pan Hellenics examinations will be considered for undergraduate programmes with the following overall average grade equivalencies in the Apolytirion:

A*AA – 19 AAA – 18.5 AAB – 18 ABB - BBB – 17.5

Plus, an average of 17+ from Pan-Hellenic exams (3 subjects)

Specific subject requirements (required both within the Apolytirio and as a Panhellenic exam):

A* - 19 A - 18 B – 17.5

The Apolyterion of Geniko Lykeion will also be considered alongside two A levels.

Candidates from Guatemala generally require a) A levels or IB Diploma or b) Bachillerato + foundation programme or c) Successful completion of first year of the Licenicado (with score of 70 or higher)

We will consider holders of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) for entry to our undergraduate programmes with the grade equivalencies shown below (excluding Chinese and Citizenship and Social and Development).

A*AA = 5*55

Applicants for programmes with subject specific requirements will need to offer these as normal (please note that combined or integrated science will not normally be acceptable where a stated science is required i.e. Biology or Chemistry). Programmes requiring Mathematics as a specified subject will require both the Compulsory and either M1 or M2.

Higher level Diplomas and Associate Degrees can be considered for year one entry. A typical requirement would be an average grade of B (70-79%) or a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 in a relevant subject.

Holders of Higher Diplomas with a good performance (at least B+ or GPA 3.2 above) will be considered for entry to year 2 of relevant undergraduate degree programmes within Engineering and Computer Science.

Holders of the HKU SPACE Associate Degree programme with a good performance (at least B+ or GPA 3.2 above) throughout their studies may be considered for entry to year 2 of relevant undergraduate degree programmes.

Holders of the Erettségi / Matura with at least two subjects at advanced level (emelt szint) plus any required subjects at advanced level will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 85%, 80% (Advanced level) plus 80%, 80%, 80% (Intermediate level)  AAA - 80%, 80% (Advanced level) plus 80%, 80%, 80% (Intermediate level)  AAB - 80%, 80% (Advanced level) plus 80%, 80%, 80% (Intermediate level)  ABB - 80%, 75% (Advanced level) plus 80%, 80%, 80% (Intermediate level)  BBB - 75%, 75% (Advanced level) plus 80%, 80%, 75% (Intermediate level)  Subject specific requirements (Advanced level):  A* - 85%  A - 80%  B - 75%

Holders of the Indian Standard XII will be considered for entry to the first year of our undergraduate degree programmes. 

  • A*AA = 90% ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra or 85% West Bengal or 95% Other State boards
  • AAA = 85% ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra or 80% West Bengal or 90% Other State boards
  • AAB = 80% ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra or 75% West Bengal or 85% Other State boards
  • ABB/BBB = 75% ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra and West Bengal or 80% Other State boards

Where a programme requires a specific A'level subject grade please refer to the guidance below for Indian Standard XII equivalent.

  • A* = 90% ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra or 85% West Bengal or 95% Other State boards
  • A = 85% ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra or 80% West Bengal or 90% Other State boards
  • B = 80% ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra and 75% West Bengal or 85% Other State boards

Applicants with appropriate grades in Standard XII English (English Core/English Elective/Functional English in CBSE) do not require additional SELT qualifications.

  • GCE A Level in three acceptable subjects.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) with 32 points overall.
  • A Diploma (D3/D4), with good grades, from a recognised Indonesian institution.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes.

Holders of the Diplom-Metevaseth are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our own foundation pathways. 

Students who have completed the Pre-University Certificate (Peeshdaneshgahe) with a minimum overall GPA of 16/20 and students who have successfully completed the National Entrance Exam (Kunkur) will be considered for entry onto our undergraduate programmes.

Holders of the Sixth Form Baccalaureate/Iraqi high school leaving certificate are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

We will consider students who have completed the Bagrut and achieved grade 8 or above in 6 subjects.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our own foundation pathways, for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes.

Holders of the Diploma di Esame di Stato will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 95  AAA - 92  AAB - 90  ABB - 88  BBB - 85  Subject specific requirements:  A* - 15/15 OR 10/10  A - 14/15 OR 9/10  B - 13/15 OR 8/10

Students who hold the French Baccalaureat with minimum grades of 12/20-15/20 will be considered for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as the  Foundation Pathways  at the BIA, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

  • GCE A Level examinations or a recognised foundation programme
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) - 32 points overall for entrance to most of our undergraduate programmes, certain courses will require specific grades and subjects at Higher Level

Many students who have studied in Japan have followed a 12 year education system. For admission onto an Undergraduate degree programme, the University of Birmingham requires all applicants to have studied for 13 years, and therefore you may need to take a foundation year before commencing your undergraduate programme. 

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB). Holders of the Tawjihi are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate programmes without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as the  Birmingham International Academy , for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our  Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

For study on our Foundation and Undergraduate programmes, English language at grade C or above in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) is sufficient to meet the standard English language requirements.

For Postgraduate programmes, Kenyan nationals with a degree from Kenya or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examination, or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Shahadat-al-thanwiia-al-a'ama are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

Candidates from Latvia generally require either A levels, an IB Diploma or a recognised foundation programme qualification in order to be considered for entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree programme. Holders of the Atestats par visparejo videjo izglitibu (Certificate of General Secondary Education) are not eligible for entry to the first year of our undergraduate degree programmes.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entry onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Baccalaureat General (School Certificate) are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without prior completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examination, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme (such as the Birmingham Foundation Academy), for entrance to undergraduate programmes.  Students who have completed a Higher Technician Diploma with minimum GPA of 65%, or a Bachelors degree from a Higher Technical or Vocational Institution with minimum GPA of 65%, may be considered for entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree programme.  Students who have the Secondary Education Certificate plus one year of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university with a minimum GPA or 65% may also be considered.

Holders of the Brandos Atestatas (Secondary School Diploma/Maturity Certificate) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 9.5 with 95% average in 3 state exams  AAA - 9.0 with 90% average in 3 state exams  AAB - 9.0 with 87% average in 3 state exams  ABB - 8.5 with 85% average in 3 state exams  BBB - 8.0 with 80% average in 3 state exams  Subject specific requirements (state exam):  A* - 95%  A - 90%  B - 85% 

Holders of the Diplôme de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 50/60  AAA - 48/60  AAB - 46/60  ABB - 44/60  BBB - 42/60  Subject specific requirements:  A* - 52  A - 48  B - 42 

In addition to the standard qualifications that we accept as proof of English language proficiency, the University accepts the following as proof of English language for students from Luxembourg: 6/10 in English Language I in the European Baccalaureate; or 8/10 in English Language II in the European Baccalaureat

We may also accept your English language grade from the Luxembourgish Examen de Fin d'Études Secondaires 45 (bien) in English. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

The University will consider students who have taken A Level examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Sigjil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysian (STPM)

STPM is considered equivalent to A-levels and is acceptable for admissions to the first year of an undergraduate programme. Grades equivalent to the A-level requirement should be achieved in three out of the five subjects studied.

Malaysian Ministry of Education Matriculation Programme

Holders of the Malaysian Ministry of Education Matriculation Certificate in Science can be considered for entry to year one of Biosciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

Certificates in Accountancy

Students with Certificates in Accountancy can be considered for entry to year one of the Accountancy, Economics, and Money, Banking and Finance programmes, provided a minimum GPA of 3.5 is obtained. In addition, a candidate must reach the appropriate level of English requirement for the particular course.

Canadian Pre-University (Ontario Grade 13)

A pass in 6 OACs (minimum of three at grade B, and three at grade C) is generally acceptable for admission to the first year of an undergraduate programme, although, some programmes may require higher grades.

South Australia Matriculation Programme (SAM)

For candidates offering the South Australian Matriculation qualification, a TER of between 90 to 98 is required.

Diploma and certificate

If you have completed a 2 year certificate or diploma at a local college, you may be considered for admission to undergraduate programmes in some subjects.

If you have obtained a 3 year diploma it is sometimes possible to gain 'advance standing' to the second year of some undergraduate programmes.

Unified Examination Certificate (UEC)

Holders of the UEC may be considered for entry onto the first year of an undergraduate degree course (except Medicine & Surgery or Dentistry) on the following basis:

 

A*AA

A1 A1 A2 A2 A2

AAA

A2 A2 A2 A2 A2

AAB

A2 A2 A2 B3 B3

ABB

A2 A2 B3 B3 B3

BBB

B3 B3 B3 B3 B3

BBC

B3 B3 B3 B6 B6

Where a specific subject is required the following grades should be attained:  A Level grade A* -  UEC grade A1, A Level grade A - UEC grade A2, A Level grade B - UEC grade B3.  Where Maths A Level is required UEC Advanced Maths (I) or (II) should be provided at the appropriate grade.

For all courses not requiring A Level Maths UEC Maths must be studied, the grade required will vary by programme (C8 required for most programmes, some may require B6 or B3).

Direct entry to second year

Taylor's university.

The University has various twinning programmes with Taylor's University which can allow Taylors students entry into year 1, year 2 or year 3 of an Undergraduate Degree course, depending on their choice of subject and GPA score. Degree courses available through twinning agreements are: Biosciences, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.  We have a longstanding relationship with Taylor’s University (TU), and many students have joined us for a variety of Engineering and Computer Science programmes. Students from TU can enter Year 2, or Year 3 of a number of programmes. For more information please refer to the table below, or contact the TU University Placement Services office, or  [email protected] .

Taylor's specific requirements
Year 1 Mechanical Engineering Year 2 entry:
- BEng Mechanical Engineering (1+2)
- BEng Civil Engineering (1+2)
- MEng Mechanical Engineering (1+3)
- MEng Civil Engineering (1+3)
- MEng Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering (1+3)
Year 1 Electronic and Electrical Engineering Year 2 entry:
BEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering (1+2)
MEng Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering (1+3)
Year 1 Computer Science Year 2 entry:
BSc Computer Science (1+2)
MSci Computer Science (1+3)
Years 1 and 2 Chemical Engineering Year 3 entry: 
- MEng Chemical Engineering (2+2)
Years 1 and 2 Mechanical Engineering

Year 3 entry: 
- MEng Mechanical Engineering (2+2)

Years 1 and 2 Electronic and Electrical Engineering

Year 3 entry: 
- MEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering (2+2)

Students from UCSI are able to join Year 2 of the following Birmingham programmes:

  • BEng or MEng Mechanical Engineering
  • BEng or MEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering.

For more information please contact the UCSI Global Engagement Office, or  [email protected] .

 USCI specific requirements
Year 1 of Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering with Honours programme Year 2 entry: 
BEng Mechanical Engineering (1+2)*
MEng Mechanical Engineering (1+3)
Year 1 of Bachelors of Electrical and Electronics Engineering with Honours programme

Year 2 entry: 
BEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering (1+2)
MEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering (1+3)

INTI College and Prime College 

Students from INTI College and Prime College may be considered for direct entry to the second year of our Engineering programmes.

HELP Institute

Students from HELP Institute may be considered for direct entry to the second year of Computer Science programmes and those students completing the LSE Diploma may be admitted directly to the second year of Economics and Money, Banking and Finance programmes.

Direct entry from other colleges is unusual. If you are a student of any other college and you wish to be considered for second year entry, you must submit your full transcript and a copy of the syllabus you have followed so that we can assess your suitability.

  • For Medicine country specific requirements, please visit our  Applying to Medicine website .

A*AA

A1 A1 A2 A2 A2

AAA

A2 A2 A2 A2 A2

AAB

A2 A2 A2 B3 B3

ABB

A2 A2 B3 B3 B3

BBB

B3 B3 B3 B3 B3

BBC

B3 B3 B3 B6 B6

SPM 1119 or GCSE/IGCSE minimum grade C may be accepted for a range of programmes with a four year validity period. 

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as the  Birmingham Foundation Academy , for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Holders of the Advanced Matriculation will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - AA (Advanced level) + AAA (Intermediate level to exclude Systems of Knowledge)  AAA - AA + AAB  AAB - AA + ABB  ABB - AB + BBB  BBB - BB + BBB  Subject specific requirements:  A* & A - A  B - B  NB no overall score given as of 2012.

Applicants with a GCSE English grade 4/C equivalent or a degree from the University of Malta are exempt from taking an English proficiency test.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), the French Baccalaureate, or a suitable foundation programme, such as our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

For study on our Foundation and Undergraduate programmes English language at grade C or above in the CIE O Level or Cambridge High School Certificate is sufficient to meet the standard English language requirements.

For Postgraduate programmes Mauritian nationals with a degree from Mauritius or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

  • For Dentistry, please see the general entry requirements listed on the Dental Surgery course page .

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB). Holders of the Diplôme du Baccalauréat / Diplôme du Baccalauréat Technique (School Certificates) are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate programmes without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

A High School Leaving Certificate is not sufficient for undergraduate courses. Applicants for UG study will require additional qualifications, such as A Levels or the IB.

Holders of the Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO - University Preparatory Education) Diploma (Gymnasium A/B and Atheneum A/B) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 8.0  AAA - 7.7  AAB - 7.5  ABB - 7.2  BBB - 7.0  Subject specific requirements:  A* - 8.5  A - 8  B - 7.5 

NB Grades 9-10 rarely awarded

We may accept your English language grade from the Dutch Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO) diploma if you achieved 8 (good) in English. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

The University has a number of agreements with foundation providers in Nigeria which allows students to be considered for admission to undergraduate programmes. Please contact us for more information.

Students who have completed the first year of a 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised institution in Nigeria with excellent grades (2.1, 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5.0) will be considered for entrance to undergraduate programmes (first year entry).

For Postgraduate programmes, Nigerian nationals with a degree from Nigeria or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

Holders of the Vitnemål for Videregående Opplaering (VVO – Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate) with a minimum overall average score of 4/6 will be considered for entry to the first year of our undergraduate degree programmes.

Please refer to the information below as guidance for grade comparisons to A-level entry requirements:

A*AA = 5.0 overall in the Vitnemål for Videregående Opplaering AAA = 4.5 overall in the Vitnemål for Videregående Opplaering AAB = 4.5 overall in the Vitnemål for Videregående Opplaering ABB = 4.0 overall in the Vitnemål for Videregående Opplaering BBB = 4.0 overall in the Vitnemål for Videregående Opplaering 

Specific subject requirements: A*= 6, A=5, B=4

For GCSE, from the lower school leaving certificate (first year of the Vitnemål), the same equivalences would apply.

We may accept your English language grade from the Norwegian Vitnemål fra den Videregående Skole if you achieved 3 in English. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Thanawiyan are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

We will consider students who have taken A Level examinations and/or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to undergraduate programmes. We will also consider students who have successfully completed a Bachelors (Honours) degree of at least two years duration. Degrees must be from a Higher Education Commission recognised institution in Pakistan.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Tawijihi are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

Candidates from Paraguay generally require a) A levels or IB Diploma or b) Título de Bachillerato Científico plus a recognised foundation programme  Candidates who have completed the Título Intermedio (2-3 years) can be considered for first and/or second year entry, depending on subject fit.

Candidates from Peru generally require a) A levels or IB Diploma or b) a recognised foundation programme or c) successfully completed the first year of the Título Profesional, Bachiller or Licenciado with at least 13/20.

Holders of the Matura / Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci (Secondary School Certificate) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - 90%, 85%, 85% (extended level subjects) plus 75% overall  AAA - 85%, 85%, 85% (extended level subjects) plus 75% overall  AAB - 85%, 85%, 80% (extended level subjects) plus 70% overall  ABB - 85%, 80%, 80% (extended level subjects) plus 70% overall  BBB - 80%, 80%, 80% (extended level subjects) plus 70% overall  Subject specific requirements at extended level:  A* - 90%  A - 85%  B - 80%

Holders of the Certificado de fim de Estudos Secundários / Diploma de Ensino Secundario (previously Certificado do 12 ano) will be considered with the following grade equivalencies: 

A*AA - 18/20 overall with 19, 18, 18 in 3 year 12 subjects  AAA - 18/20 with 18, 18, 18 in 3 year 12 subjects  AAB - 17/20 with 18, 18, 17 in 3 year 12 subjects ABB - 17/20 with 18, 17, 17 in 3 year 12 subjects  BBB 17/20 with 17, 17, 17 in 3 year 12 subjects 

Subject specific requirements: 

A* - 19  A - 18  B - 17 

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Qatar High School Certificate, or the Thanawiyan Mustaqala are not usually eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without the completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

Holders of the Diploma de Bacalaureat with a minimum overall score of 8/10 will be considered for entry to the first year of our undergraduate degree programmes.  Please refer to the information below as guidance for grade comparisons to A-level entry requirements:  A*AA - 9  AAA – 8.5  AAB - 8.3  ABB - 8  BBB - 7.5  Specific subject requirements:  A*/A - 9  B - 8

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as the  Birmingham International Academy , for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

The University will consider students who have taken A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB) or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Thanawiyah are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without the completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), West African Higher School Certificate (WAHSC), Cambridge Overseas Higher School Certificate COHSC), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

For Postgraduate programmes, Sierra Leonean nationals with a degree from Sierra Leone or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

Students with suitable grades at A level or International Baccalaureate (IB) may be considered for entry to an undergraduate degree programme.

Students who have successfully completed a Polytechnic Diploma may be considered for entry to our undergraduate degree programmes (applicable subjects only). Students who achieve a B grade average or above with good scores in relevant subjects can be considered for direct entry to the second year. Students who achieve a C grade average should be considered for year one entry (a few exemptions apply for certain departments).

The University has established Advance Standing Agreements with 5 Polytechnics in Singapore (Singapore, Ngee Ann, Temasek, Nanyang, Republic) which provide guidelines for some of the Diplomas we will accept and scores required by certain departments (Business, Life Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science). Please contact your institution for further information. Departments that are not part of this list can still consider Diplomas for entry to undergraduate programmes. Diplomas that are not on the list will be considering on an individual basis and may require you to provide further details such as the curriculum and module transcripts to identify suitability.

Holders of the "Vysvedcenie o Maturitnej skúska/Maturita" will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA: 1/výborný in four subjects (if any other subjects have been taken they must be graded no lower than 2)  AAA: 1/výborný in three subjects, other subject(s) taken must be graded no lower than 2  AAB: 1/výborný in two subjects, other subjects taken must be graded no lower than 2  ABB: 1/výborný in one subject, other subjects taken must be graded no lower than 2  BBB: 2 in all subjects   Subject specific requirements:  A* & A - 1  B - 2

Holders of the "Maturitetno Spricevalo"/"Matura"/Secondary School-Leaving Diploma/Technical Matura will be considered with the following grade equivalencies:  A*AA - Total score of 28/34  AAA - 27/34  AAB - 26/34  ABB - 24/34  BBB - 22/34  Required subjects need to have been at Higher Level:  A* - 8  A - 7  B - 6

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes. Applicants who hold the South African National Senior Certificate (SA NSC or IEB) (or pre-2008 the Senior Certificate with matriculation) will be considered for entry onto our undergraduate degree programmes. Students need these grades in 5 subjects, not including Life Orientation.

Grade equivalencies are as follows: A*AA = 77766 AAA = 77666 AAB = 76666 ABB-BBB = 66666

For study on our Foundation and Undergraduate programmes, English language at grade 5 (or C) or above in the South African National Senior Certificate (SA NSC or IEB) (or pre-2008 in the Senior Certificate) is sufficient to meet the standard English language requirements.

For Postgraduate programmes, South African nationals with a degree from South Africa or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

Students with A levels, the International Baccalaureate, a 2 year Junior College Diploma, the NCUK International Foundation Year, a suitable foundation programme, or one or two years of university level study at a recognised institution in South Korea will be considered for entry to an undergraduate degree programme. Students need a sufficiently high score in their Diploma or University level study (3.0+/4.0 or 3.2+/4.5).

Holders of the Título de Bachillerato will be considered for undergraduate programmes with the following grade equivalencies:

A*AA - 9.0 AAA - 8.5 AAB - 8.2 ABB - 8.0 BBB - 7.7

Required subjects must be studied in Year 2 of the Bachillerato and the subject grade equivalencies are:

A* - 10/9 A - 9 B - 8

The Sri Lankan system is based on the English system. Holders of the Sri Lankan A-Levels will be considered for undergraduate programmes as an equivalent to GCE A levels. We accept local or Cambridge A Levels for entry.

Please note however that grading systems for local A Levels are as follows:

A = A grade B = B grade C = Credit S = Simple pass

For Medicine country specific requirements, please visit our Applying to Medicine website. For Dentistry, please see the general entry requirements listed on the Dental Surgery course page

Holders of the Fullständigt Slutbetyg från Gymnasieskolan / Slutbetyg från Komvux / Avgangsbetyg (previously Studentexamen) with the following grade equivalencies: A*AA: 10 subjects at A and the remainder at B. AAA: 10 subjects at A and the remainder at B. AAB: 9 subjects at A and the remainder at B. ABB: Majority of subjects at A, remainder at B BBB: Majority of subjects at B. Subject specific requirements: A*/A - A B - B 

We may accept your English language grade from the Swedish Fullständigt Slutbetyg från Gymnasieskolan/ Slutbetyg från Komvux / Avgangsbetyg if you achieved Grade C in English (numerical grade 15). Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

Holders of the Federal Maturity Certificate/ Maturitatszeugnis can be considered for entry to year 1 of our undergraduate degrees. Grade equivalences: AAA* = 5.0 overall to include 5.5 in one subject and 5.0 in two further subjects AAA = 4.8 overall to include 5.0 in 3 subjects AAB-ABB = 4.8 overall to include 5.0 in 2 subjects BBB = 4.8 overall to include 5.0 in 1 subject Grade requirement for required subjects: A* = 5.5 A/B = 5.0

We may accept your English language grade from the Swiss Maturitätzeugnis / Certificat de Maturité / Attestato di Maturità (federal maturity certificate or federally-recognised cantonal maturity certificate) if you achieved 5 (gut / bien / bene) in English. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Thanewiyah are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

We will consider students who have taken A Level examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Students with 2 year Junior College Diplomas may be considered for entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree programme, where the college is recognised by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan and/or the BTCO and where the student achieves a sufficiently high score overall.

Students with 5 year Junior College Diplomas may be considered for entry to the first and/or second year of an undergraduate degree programme, where the college is recognised by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan and/or the BTCO and where the student achieves a sufficiently high score overall.

Students who hold the East African Advanced Certificate of Education (EAACE), Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education (ACSE), Cambridge Higher School Certificate (COHSC) and National Form VI Examination will be considered for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

For study on our Foundation and Undergraduate programmes, English language at grade C or above in the ACSE is sufficient to meet the standard English language requirements.

For Postgraduate programmes, Tanzanian nationals with a degree from Tanzania or another English speaking country (as on the University's approved list) are not required to submit an English Language test.

We will consider:

  • GCE A Level we will usually consider students with 3 good subjects
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) we will normally consider students with 32 points overall for entrance to most of our undergraduate programmes, certain courses will require specific grades and subjects at Higher Level
  • High School Certificate (M6) and a recognised one year foundation qualification may be considered
  • One or two years of university level study at a recognised university in Thailand, with a sufficiently high score overall in their university level study (3.0+/4.0), may be considered for entry to an undergraduate degree programme.

Candidates from Caribbean and West Indies generally require The Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

The University will consider students who have grades required are I – II in six CAPE units, including 2 double-unit level courses with a minimum of II in each of these double-unit courses. The requirement for a subject taken to include I for A (A-level equivalent) and II for a B (A-level equivalent) in any required subject.

 

 A*AA:  I*I*, I, I, I, I or I, I, I, I, I, I (including a I* or I with an all grade A profile in a double unit)
 AAA:  I, I, I, I, I, I
 AAB:  I, I, I, I,  II, II
 ABB:  I, I, II, II, II, II
 BBB:  II, II, II, II, II, II

For any courses that accept general studies, we will consider the Caribbean studies and Communication Studies additional to the 2 double-unit level courses, to make up the six required units.

Candidates offering an Associate degree from a recognised institution may also be considered for entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree programme. We would typically require a minimum GPA of 3.0 to include high grades in relevant and required subjects.

For Engineering and Physical Sciences degree programmes that require an A level in Mathematics, we require CAPE Pure Mathematics.  

The University will consider students who have taken A level examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to undergraduate programmes.  Students educated in the Philippine system require at least two years post-high school education at a recognised institution before entering a Bachelors degree programme at Birmingham.  Many students who have studied in the Philippines have followed a 12 year education system. For admission onto an undergraduate degree programme, the University of Birmingham requires all applicants to have studied for 13 years, and therefore you may need to take a foundation year before commencing your undergraduate programme.  We will consider students for entry to the Birmingham International Academy who have completed their first year at a recognised institution in the Philippines and obtained good grades in all subject areas. 

The University will consider students who have taken the Lise Diplomasi and a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our  Foundation Pathways , or GCE A Level examinations, or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to our undergraduate programmes.

Students who have taken the Lise Diplomasi or Lise Bitirme Diplomasi from certain schools will be considered for entry to our undergraduate degree programmes.  The scores required in grade 12 on the high school diploma vary according to the A level requirement for that programme:

Entry Requirements
 A Level grades Lise Diplomasi
 A*AA  88/100
 AAA  85/100
 AAB  80/100
 ABB  75/100
 BBB  72/100

Alternatively students who have also taken SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and AP (Advanced Placement) tests will be considered for admission to Bachelor degree programmes.  For more details on SAT and AP requirements please refer to the USA country page. 

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entry onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Tawjihiyya are not usually eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

Pre-sessional programmes

The Birmingham International Academy (BIA) also offers pre-sessional English courses, which you can take to improve your spoken and written English in preparation for academic study. If you have a conditional offer you can attend one of these courses instead of retaking IELTS.

Our pre-sessional programmes

The University will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), Cambridge Overseas Higher School Certificate, East African Advanced Certificate of Education or a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our Foundation Pathways, for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

Applicants from the USA can  meet Maths and English (UK-GCSE) requirements with the following. We require Maths and English (or similar e.g. Calculus, Algebra) from any of the following: AP (min grade 4), SAT S/II (min score 650), Honours classes or College-level course (min B+), HSD (pass grade at grade 12 level), ACT composite score (min 28), SAT-R (min score 670), International Baccalaureate English, Standard or Higher Level, First or Second Language (min grade 5). Other English language requirements can be found here .

Applicants studying A levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma, will be eligible for direct entry if you meet your chosen programme’s entry requirements.

Alternatively, applicants should satisfy the following:

1. A minimum score of 3.2/4.0 GPA on the High School Diploma (HSD) (non-weighted )

2. Three distinct subject tests are required from a combination of either: (These options can be used in various combinations to meet our standard 3 subject A level requirement)

  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level (HL) Subject Tests
  • Advanced Placement tests (APs)
  • Honours classes (Year 11/12-(1 year duration)
  • College Level /dual level classes (academic, full year)
  • SAT II Subject Tests (prior to being discontinued in Jan 2021)

To offer greater flexibility, one of the following tests can be used to replace one of the three subject test requirements listed above:  (for a specific subject requirement this would not be accepted)

Composite ACT with a score of 28+ to replace one subject test ( not accepted to replace a subject requirement. )

  • SAT-R with a score of 1350+ to replace one subject test ( not to replace a subject requirement. )  (SAT superscores are not accepted)

For example:

(For a course that requires: A level AAA (with no specific subject requirements).  This means you could present with an HSD (3.3) + ACT (28), AP History (5) and an Honours Earth/Environmental Science (A).)

( For a course that requires: A levels AAB (A level Mathematics required). This means you could present with an HSD 3.2+, 2 subject test and as A level Mathematics is required AP Calculus BC.)                                                                      

A table of accepted A level grade equivalents can be found below. Use this table to work out the equivalents to the A level entry requirements to your preferred course(s).

Table of accepted A level grade equivalents
7 5   A+   A+ 720 29 1380 GPA 3.3
6 5 A A 700 28 1350 GPA 3.2
5 4   B+   B+ 650 28 1350 GPA 3.1
4 3  B- B 630 27 1320 GPA 3.0
  • Where a certain A-level subject is required for entry to the course students must present with a suitable subject test, or have studied that subject at Community College, at a USA University or during their Associate’s degree.  (We advise that you look at the  course pages  and select entry requirements to find out if there are specific subject requirements)
  • For subjects requiring A-level Mathematics applicants must present with AP Calculus BC or International Baccalaureate HL Mathematics.  (We do not accept AP Calculus AB to fulfil this requirement). Please check the individual course pages for our typical A-level requirements and see below for the corresponding scores.
  • IB Higher Level (HL) Subject Tests  should be shown on the transcript or through a certificate.
  • Advanced Placement tests (APs)  should be the certified test, we will not accept just the classes. 
  • Honours classes (Year 11/12-(1 year duration)  these should be shown on a HSD transcript named as 'H' Honours', 'Hons' and to be taken in the USA.
  • College Level /dual level classes (academic, full year)  should be shown on a transcript or certificate and named as academic subject (rather than practical or recreational) to be taken in the USA.

As an alternative to the above HSD and 3 tests, we can accept an Associate’s Degree, or one year at a Community College or a USA University to be accepted onto the first year of an  undergraduate degree. 

A*AA

3.3 - Plus English and Maths requirements

AAA

3.2 - Plus English and Maths requirements

AAB

3.1 - Plus English and Maths requirements

ABB

3.0 - Plus English and Maths requirements

Entry requirements for Medicine and Surgery MBChB :  SAT1 score of 1380 or ACT score of 29. Three AP subjects at grade 5, including Biology and Chemistry or three SAT subject test scores of 700, 700 and 700, including Biology and Chemistry. We will also accept appropriate combinations of SAT and AP scores (We cannot accept other test for this programme)

  • For Medicine country specific requirements, please visit our Applying to Medicine website  look for International Applicants.
  • Our BNurs -Adult courses detail international entry requirements and useful tips. 

As a reminder you don't need to have completed all of these tests to apply through  UCAS . So our admissions team can fully review your application, please include your already achieved academic qualifications and tests up to your senior year (including all target/predicted results for tests you are yet to complete)   in the Education section of UCAS. 

The Designated Institution Code for College Board: The University of Birmingham is 7390.

We are registered with  ACT , therefore if you wish to provide your qualifications to us you can find our details on their website.

Applicants from the USA may already meet the English language  requirement (UK-GCSE equivalent ) through one of the following English  related tests:  SAT II Subject test (min score 650), AP (min grade 4),  Honours classes or College-level course (min B+), HSD (pass grade at grade 12 level), ACT English composite score (min 28), SAT-R Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (min score 670), International Baccalaureate English, Standard or Higher Level, First or Second Language (min grade 5). Other English language requirements can be found  here .

We will consider students who have taken A level examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to undergraduate programmes.  Holders of the Certificate of Secondary Education (Attestat o srednem obrazovanii) at grade 11 and a suitable foundation programme (or 2 years study at a recognised higher education institution) will be considered for entry to our Bachelor degree programmes.  For more information on our foundation programme, please visit the  Foundation Pathways  website.

Candidates from Venezuela generally require a) A levels or IB Diploma or b) a recognised foundation programme or c) successfully completed the first year of the Licenciatura/Título with 70% or equivalent overall.

  • GCE A Level in three acceptable subjects, certain courses will require specific grades and subjects.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) with 32 points overall for entrance to most of our undergraduate programmes, certain courses will require specific grades and subjects at Higher Level.
  • Students who have completed the first year of a University programme in Vietnam will be considered for direct entry of the undergraduate programme at the University of Birmingham.

Students holding the Cambridge Higher School Certificate (HSC) or ZIMSEC A Levels will be considered for entrance to undergraduate programmes.

IB Diploma : 6,6,5 in Higher level subjects plus 32 points overall, to include Literature or Literature and Language at HL 5.

  • BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM, plus a B at A level in the required subject/s mentioned above.
  • BTEC Diploma: DD, plus a B at A level in the required subject/s mentioned above.
  • BTEC Subsidiary Diploma: D, plus AB at A level, including the required subject/s mentioned above.

Other qualifications are considered - learn more about entry requirements .

Alternative offers through our Pathways to Birmingham programmes and our Contextual Offer scheme

Students who are eligible and successfully complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme will receive special consideration from admissions tutors and an alternative offer (typically two grades below the standard offer). In addition, our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement in school or college. If you are eligible to benefit from the contextual offer scheme, you will receive an offer which is one grade lower than the standard offer.

International Students

We welcome applications from international students and invite you to join our vibrant community of over 4500 international students who represent 150 different countries. We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages .

You will have access to a comprehensive support system to help you make the transition to higher education when you start at Birmingham. 

Personal tutors – You will be assigned your own personal tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies. They will provide academic support and advice to enable you to make the most of your time here at Birmingham.

Wellbeing Officers –You will also have access to dedicated wellbeing officers who provide professional support, advice and guidance to students across a range of issues. They can meet with you to discuss extensions, disabilities, reasonable adjustments, extenuating circumstances, or to talk through any problems you might be experiencing, and help you access wider support on campus and beyond if you need it.

Our Academic Skills Centre helps you to become a more effective and independent learner through a range of high-quality support services. The centre offers workshops on a range of topics, such as note-taking, reading, academic writing and presentation skills.

The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) provides guidance on writing essays and dissertations if you need it. You can receive individual support from an academic writing advisor and meet with postgraduate tutors who specialise in particular subjects too.

Our Student Experience Team will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They offer research opportunities, study skills support, and help you prepare for your post-university career. They also organise social events, including trips.

Teaching staff

Students at the University of Birmingham are taught by a mixture of professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and doctoral researchers, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience. Many of our teaching staff have published important works about their areas of expertise, whilst others have taught at international institutions and can offer unique perspectives of their subjects.

You can find out more about the members of staff (including their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest) in their academic profiles linked below.

  • Staff in English Literature
  • Staff in English Language and Linguistics
  • Staff in Film and Creative Writing

Contact Hours

All Birmingham degrees are set within a credit framework designed to measure your academic achievements. We expect all students to accumulate 120 credits in each full year of study which is equivalent to 40 hours of learning a week. Learning is considered to include contact learning (lectures and seminars), private study, revision and assessment.

For this programme, those 40 hours are estimated to be broken down and split into lectures, seminars and other guided teaching opportunities and then independent study. This is a general rule across the entire academic year and may change week by week.

  • Year 1 : 20% Lectures, seminars or similar and 80% Independent study
  • Year 2: 15% Lectures, seminars or similar and 85% Independent study
  • Year 3: 10% Lectures, seminars or similar and 90% Independent study

Assessment Methods

Assessments - you will be assessed in a variety of ways to help you transition to a new style of learning. At the beginning of each module, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed. Assessments methods will vary with each module and could include:

  • coursework, such as essays
  • group and individual presentations

Feedback - you will receive feedback on each assessment within three weeks, so you can learn from each assignment. You will also be given feedback on any exams that you take. If you should fail an exam, we will ensure that particularly detailed feedback is provided to help you prepare for future exams.

Studying for BA English and Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham is an unparalleled opportunity to engage with a diverse cultural, textual and linguistic discipline, at the same time as developing your own writing 'voice' and 'genre'.

You may go on to a career as a novelist, screenwriter, poet or journalist, but of course the skill of writing also qualifies you for a wide range of other careers. Whatever path you choose, you will also find the practical skills that you have acquired on your degree course extremely useful such as oral presentation, professional documentation, group work and the uses of information technology. 

Our graduates have started careers with employers including the BBC, Headline Publishing Group, Mirror Group Newspapers and Oxford University Press, in roles such as account executive, editorial assistant, marketing assistant and sales and events coordinator. Many of our graduates pursue postgraduate study to specialise in an academic area or prepare for careers such as law and teaching.

Developing your career

The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market 2024 report . Our Careers Network are here to offer you tailored, expert advice on your career plans and support you with finding and applying for jobs, internships and further study. There are hundreds of events to help you meet potential employers and learn more about the breadth of opportunities and career sectors available to you.

Support will be offered to you covering the whole job application process, including CVs, LinkedIn, application forms, interviews and assessment centres.  You can also email our experienced Careers Advisors and College Teams to review your applications or answer any careers related question, alongside our on campus and online 1:1 appointments.

We have a number of exclusive work experience programmes such as our B-Experienced programme, which will give you professional experience to set you apart in the graduate market. We also offer work experience bursaries, which allow you to apply for funding to support you during any unpaid internships in the UK and rest of the world.

First years can take part in The Birmingham Project , with themes including celebrating arts and culture and shaping a global society. There’s also a successful Mentoring Programme , where you can gain access to experienced Mentors who can empower, inspire and inform you about their experiences.  As a University of Birmingham student you will also be given access to LinkedIn Learning giving free access to real world training courses to kick-start your careers.

If you want to earn money WorkLink advertises convenient part-time job opportunities on campus to fit round your studies.  

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you may want to engage in extra-curricular activities to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. The Birmingham Award is the University of Birmingham’s employability programme, supporting you to develop and recognise the attributes you gain through extra-curricular activities. The award is supported by graduate employers and offers you an opportunity to showcase participation in activities outside of your degree programme.’

There are 300+ student groups and volunteering opportunities offered by the Guild of Students (our Students’ Union) so you’re bound to find activities that you want to be involved in whilst meeting friends who share your interests.

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  • BA (Honours) Creative Writing

Creative Writing

BA (Honours)

Creative Writing

Join a dynamic creative community and learn how to tell immersive stories through short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, new media and script – on a course ranked 3rd best in the UK.

Places available in clearing

Apply for a place on this course starting in 2024. Get started with our online form , or call 0330 024 6390 from 10am on Monday 19 August.

View phone line opening times .

We are no longer able to accept applications from international undergraduate students for 2024.

Everything you need to know...

What is the fee.

Home: £9,250 per year (£1,200 for placement year) International/EU: £16,655 per year (£1,200 for placement year)

How long will I study?

3 / 4 Years

Where will I study?

City campus, what is the ucas code, when do i start.

September 2024

Placement year available?

3rd best in the uk.

We're the 3rd best university in the UK for creative writing in the Guardian University Guide 2024.

Course summary

  • Learn from award-winning staff on one of the top three courses in the UK
  • Experience guest masterclasses from internationally acclaimed writers and creatives
  • Sharpen your writing and editorial skills with work placements and live briefs
  • Network with publishers, build your profile and develop as a professional writer
  • Join Sheffield’s thriving creative community and take part in UK-leading literature events

This BA Creative Writing course is for those who want to harness the power of the written word and hone creative skills to connect with audiences. You’ll develop your individual writing style and understand the fundamentals of good style, structure and character development, in both traditional and future-facing writing formats. 

You’ll graduate with the skills, confidence and contacts you need to thrive as a writer in all its professional forms.

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Come to an open day

Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Student view

How you learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

You’ll join a dynamic and collaborative writing community, working alongside illustrators, graphic designers and filmmakers to explore possibilities and challenge conventions.   

Our team of award-winning writers will help you become confident and skilled in everything from prose fiction to publishing. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with our professional partners, so you can gain real-world experience of the creative industries and make the most of Sheffield’s vibrant cultural scene.

You learn through:

  • Lectures, seminars and individual tutorials
  • Workshopping your writing
  • Modules focused on specific forms and styles
  • Working with different organisations and audiences
  • Generating and pitching ideas
  • Live readings and performances
  • Masterclasses from guest writers
  • Writing trips and retreats

Course topics

In your first year you’ll learn the basics of a variety of forms – from poetry and fiction to script and creative non-fiction. You’ll think about what it means to be a writer and start to connect your writing with the real world by responding to a live brief from a publisher. 

In your second year, you’ll continue to hone your skills across all the main forms of writing, developing your style as you find your audience and explore genres. During this time, you’ll workshop your writing with students and academics to develop essential skills in drafting and revising your work.

The final year of your course is your opportunity to focus on your creative future. In addition to refining your craft and developing your creative voice, you’ll explore different audiences and purposes for creative work. You’ll also develop and carry out a creative project that brings your passions and creativity together. 

Course support

You’ll be supported at every step of your student journey, with:

  • Access to our unique student support triangle to help with your personal, academic and career development
  • Access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources
  • Student-led social initiatives and feedback
  • Career support for up to five years after graduating

Course leaders and tutors

Dr Shelley Roche-Jacques

Dr Shelley Roche-Jacques

I bring to my teaching my interest in dramatic action and the spatio-temporal elements of texts. This approach often helps students unpick ideas around genre, narrat … Read more

Applied learning

We think the best way to learn something is to do it in the real world. Studying in Sheffield puts you at the heart of a vibrant cultural scene, where you can put learning into practice through placements and live projects with our rich community of publishers and creatives.

Work placements

You’ll have the opportunity to complete a placement year between your second and third years – either a 25-week placement or multiple shorter placements. These give you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career – as well as an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV. You could also take the time to collaborate with external partners or develop your own creative enterprise.

Previous students have taken the chance to work at children's literacy charity Grimm and Co, exhibit work at Sheffield Museums, and create their own digital magazines.

Field trips

We run regular local, regional and international field trips – from writing retreats to festivals and theatre visits. There’s also an opportunity to experience a writing retreat closer to home. Previously, this has included a residential in the Peak District – the stunning national park right on the border of Sheffield.

Networking opportunities

We work with renowned festivals held in the city, such as Off the Shelf literary festival and Doc/Fest, an international documentary film festival. 

These events attract literary agents, publishers and high-profile writers. Past students have volunteered as delegates – gaining experience working at the festivals while growing their professional network. Plus our innovative Masterclasses and alumni network will give you a headstart in the writing and publishing industries.

Competitions and galleries

Take advantage of regular opportunities to showcase your knowledge and skills to our industry and community partners – such as schools, museums, theatre companies and charities. You’ll work independently and in groups, bringing your ideas to life in response to real-world briefs. 

In a recent exhibition at Sheffield’s Millenium Galleries, students on the BA and MA Creative Writing courses worked together to curate an exhibition that more than 30,000 people attended.

Some of our students have also taken part in the Festival of Debate and we encourage students to enter competitions like Sheffield’s New Poet’s Prize and the Hive Young Writers Competition. 

Future careers

As well as written and spoken communication skills, you’ll develop the skills to understand different audiences and frame a persuasive argument.

Our students have gone on to exciting careers in:

  • Creative industries, such as theatre and media
  • Teaching and education
  • The charity sector
  • Arts organisations
  • Marketing, PR and communications
  • Local and regional government
  • Social work
  • Postgraduate study and academia 

Our famous Hallam graduates include:

  • Marina Lewycka – author of the prize-winning novel, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian 
  • Ben Wilkinson – renowned poet, critic and freelance writer
  • Frances Leviston – award-winning poet and novelist
  • Cherie Jones – author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House (shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, 2021)

Student's success story

Abi Milner

Abi Milner, a BA Creative Writing student, has always loved to use words and language in a creative way. Find out how she used poetry to reimagine the past and raise awareness about the future climate crisis. Read more

You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.

City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.

City Campus map | City Campus tour  

City Campus map

Howard Street Sheffield S1 1WB

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Adsetts library

Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.

Equipment and facilities

You’ll study in world-class learning facilities across the university campuses – including a 24-hour learning centre, Students’ Union, cafes and eateries, lecture theatres, exhibition spaces and more.  

You’ll have access to specialist facilities, such as:

  • The Culture and Media Lounge – an open space with flexible desks, large screens, laptop library, individual and collaborative workspaces, and a shared kitchen
  • An extensive collection of specialist books, databases and journals
  • Our award-winning iLab enterprise centre, with free studio and office space, freelance opportunities and a vast business network ready for you to tap into

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Creative writing students

Entry requirements

All students, additional information for eu/international students.

If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.

For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Compulsory modules

Being a writer, craft and form, writing for the screen, writing live, a fine line: poetry and poetics, half hour script, ideas into action, truth, half-truth and lies: creative non-fiction, what's the story long and short fiction, optional modules, placement year, creative writing major project, elective modules, counter-culture and creativity, games narratives, life on earth: writing and environment, make it new: experimental writing, writing for change: writing and advocacy, writing for young people, fees and funding, home students, international students.

Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2024/25 is £9,250 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and are therefore subject to changes in government policy. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.

If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions  under student fees regulations.

Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is £16,655 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.

Additional course costs

This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.

Legal information

Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations .

Apply now for a 2024 start

This course has places available in clearing.

Get started with our online form , or call 0330 024 6390 from 10am on Monday 19 August.

Not ready to apply?

Ask us a question about life at Sheffield Hallam.

Why choose us?

We are Gold rated in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and student outcomes

Accommodation

We guarantee to find you an affordable place to live that’s close to campus and comes with all bills included

95% of our UK graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (2020/21 Graduate Outcomes Survey)

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Want to know more about Sheffield Hallam? Get your questions answered with our tips, guides and information.

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Meet our students and staff, see our campuses and accommodation, and get all the information you need.

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BA (Hons) English with Creative Writing

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UK and international students need to apply through UCAS.  Except those inside the Crimea Region/Sevastopol, the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) / Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), Cuba, Iran, North Korea or Syria who need to use our  alternative application form.

Why study BA English with Creative Writing at Goldsmiths

The degree is ideal if you are curious about literature, with the imagination to turn that curiosity into creativity.

  • This flexible BA English with Creative Writing degree allows you to choose from a range of topics – comparisons of literature across different cultures and art forms (also known as comparative literature), American literature and culture, and diverse aspects of language use in linguistics modules.
  • Goldsmiths has one of the most established and long-running creative writing centres in UK Higher Education, and many of our graduates are now leading writers and editors in their field.
  • Our teaching staff of celebrated writers and scholars are ready to support you and your work as a Goldsmiths student.
  • We’re regularly visited by literary guest speakers, and our students have recently enjoyed events with Ali Smith, George Saunders, Bernadine Evaristo, Nikesh Shukla, Michael Rosen, Eimear McBride and Howard Jacobson.
  • Our forward-thinking approach to the fields of creative writing and literary studies is supported by our hosting and running of the Goldsmiths Prize , awarded annually to work that pushes the boundaries of the novel.
  • Your literary and creative studies will be supported by lectures and seminars that will give you practical advice to help you improve your essay writing and refine your research strategies.
  • Our location on the doorstep of central London means that you will have easy access to one of the most diverse, historic, and dynamic literary centres in the world.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Jack Underwood .

Entry requirements

A-level: BBB BTEC: DDM IB: 33 points overall with three HL subjects at 655

3 years full-time or 4-6 years part-time

Home - full-time: £9250 Home - part-time: £4625 International - full-time: £19640

English and Creative Writing

What you'll study

In your first year, you'll take the following compulsory modules:

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Module title Credits
Explorations in Literature

You'll focus on reading primary texts voraciously and discovering - or rediscovering - diverse writers and cultures so that you can make informed choices from more specialized modules later in your degree. Not being limited to a period, genre or single approach, this module cultivates difference and chronological sweep; it aims to challenge and surprise, as rewarding ‘exploration’ should.

Lectures and seminars sustain the thematic continuity of the module by encouraging you to consider contrasts and dialogues between texts. Cohesion is also supplied by the fact that many of the texts articulate literal and metaphorical ‘explorations’, quests and searches.

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30 credits
Genre --> 30 credits
Foundation Workshop in Creative Writing

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30 credits
Ideas in Practice --> 15 credits
Creative-Critical Project --> 15 credits

Note about optional modules (if available): The above is indicative of the typical modules offered, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. The module content and availability is subject to change.

Compulsory modules

In your second year, you will study the following compulsory module:

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Module title Credits
Creative Writing Workshop

You'll choose between a workshop in prose fiction and a workshop in poetry, so that you'll be able to specialise further in one genre; your course convenor will advise you in your choice. During workshops, writing exercises will be combined with critical analysis of literary works from a range of cultures and eras, and you'll be given the opportunity to discuss your own writing in a workshop setting. The focus will be increasingly on developing the body of your creative work.

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30 credits

You will also choose one module from each of the following pairs:

Module title Credits
Reading the Past --> 30 credits
The Long Nineteenth Century --> 30 credits
Communicating the Climate Crisis (Goldsmiths Connected Curriculum) --> 15 credits
The Goldsmiths Elective --> 15 credits
The Goldsmiths Project --> 15 credits
Work Placement (English) --> 15 credits

Optional modules

You'll then take modules worth 30 credits from an approved list. This list is published annually by the  Department of English and Creative Writing . Examples of recent modules include:

Module title Credits
Homer and Contemporary Literature --> 15 credits
Staging Women’s Voices: Feminism and Writing (Enlightenment to now)

This approach will be underpinned by a decolonial and imperial consequentialist ethics that enables reflection upon African-descent, Indigenous, LGBTQI+, and disabled perspectives as represented in the creative works and critical theoretical texts authored by womxn and the unsettling of `woman' as a category in contemporary cultural representation. Each week two polemical pieces: one on social history or feminist theory, the other a manifesto will be analysed in tandem with the creative text under discussion. We will aim to interweave ideas about women's status both in society and cultural legitimation processes, their positioning in relation to the canon as revisionists and rewriters of it.

-->
15 Credits
Poetry since 1945

 

We’ll trace patterns of influence and reaction within and across national traditions, diverse identities and among schools and evolving lineages including the American ‘confessionals’, the New York poets, the Northern Irish ‘renaissance’, feminist and LGBTQI+ poetics.

 

Authors for study include Philip Larkin, Ted Hughes, Carol Ann Duffy, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Lowell, Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Frank O’ Hara, Audre Lorde, Sharon Olds, Mark Doty, Rita Dove, Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon, and a range of poets emerging in the 21  century such as Terrance Hayes, Daljit Nagra and Danez Smith.

-->
15 Credits
American Gothic

In European Gothic, such tropes often symbolise social fears and disruptions brought about by modernity in its various stages and the consequent transformation of society. What, though, happens when the Gothic migrates to America? While early literary-critical opinion tended to find in American Gothic expressions of troubled moral landscapes – of psychological dramas, religious crises, or individual desires thwarted by the needs of the community – the critical consensus has since matured to understand the genre as just as driven by historical contexts as its European origins. Fundamentally, the genre expresses the contradictions between a mythologised national identity and the historical realities of the nation’s emergence and evolution.

In this module, we’ll attend to those contradictions in exploring American Gothic’s navigation of the following themes:

-->
15 credits
Language and Society --> 15 credits
Aesthetics  (pertaining to aesthetic judgment), key debates involved in the historical development of aesthetics as a science of sensation and judgments of taste, the ramifications for the theory of moral sentiments and the genesis of art criticism in early German Idealism, and contemporary interpretations of the significance of Kant's argument for human freedom and the autonomy of reason.

The second half of the module examines the aftermath of the revolution Kant introduced by focusing attention on various responses - and criticisms - that have arisen since the publication of the third  . Through close textual engagement, we will explore a variety of distinct views on the Kantian legacy, including the question of representation; civil imagination; technology and the aestheticization of politics; and race and the knowledge of freedom.

-->
15 credits
Black British Literature To build the chronological and thematic arc we investigate how her act of writing African-Romano presences into ancient contexts matches the archaeological findings that prove the presence of African people during the Roman occupation and earlier - although published writing by people of African descent in Britain is only available from the eighteenth century onwards.

While enslavement and colonial forces become the dominant oppressive determiners of Black people's lives, we will explore the rich aesthetic offerings in representation that important contemporary literary voices including Andrea Levy and Yrsa Daley-Ward inherit, and respond to, in their work. This enables us to consider the ways in which Black British literature positions the experience of 'being contemporary'.

While the cultural and critical theory by Stuart Hall, Paul Gilroy, Hazel Carby, Sara Ahmed and Kobena Mercer frames theoretical angles, the literary criticism by Black British scholars and a range of other scholars (who have been committed to recognising the importance of this field in literary studies) underpins the module's central focus: the discussion and analysis of the creative literature.

-->
15 Credits

In your final year, you'll take a compulsory Creative Writing: Project Development module for 30 credits. 

You will also choose one of the following modules:

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Module title Credits
Challenging World Literature: Diversity and Difference --> 30 credits
Modern and Contemporary Literatures --> 30 credits

You'll choose modules to a total value of 60 credits from a list provided annually by the Department of English & Creative Writing .

Recent examples include:

Module title Credits
Caribbean Women Writers --> 30 credits
Decadence .

The module is structured chronologically and the focus each week is on one or more set texts. The principal themes of decadence - degeneration, disease, sexuality, artifice, death- are traced in the work of nineteenth-century writers and artists and understood against the backdrop of contemporary cultural anxieties and controversies.

-->
15 credits
Writing Lives

Reading works will include Augustine’s Confessions, The Book of Margery Kempe (1430), Harriet Jacob’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861), Nabokov’s Speak, Memory (1951), Jan Morris’s Conundrum (1974) and Carmen Maria Machedo's In the Dream House (2020).

You’ll study how the genre has evolved and changed. We’ll pay attention to historical and political context as well as the formal and stylistic properties used to record a life and create a distinct voice. We’ll consider the importance of race, gender, religion, trauma, and mental health when writing a life. We’ll use careful close readings to consider how literary form shapes an autobiography’s perspective and tone, its description of varied temporalities, its documentary function, and processes of identity formation.

We’ll also explore how life writing relates to the development of the novel and autofiction. You’ll be encouraged to explore these works through an intersection of creative and critical practice, and this is reflected in the mode of assessment.

-->
15 credits
Discourse Analysis: Language, Culture and Politics

The questions that will be addressed may include the following:

What language techniques make us admire our favourite fictional works?

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15 credits
Shakespeare’s Sisters: Contemporary Women’s Writing 1960s to the present

In addition to providing a detailed knowledge of the intellectual and cultural history of second and third wave feminisms and contemporary gender theory, this module examines the aesthetic and intellectual diversity of women’s writing across several interconnected thematic headings including class, art, sexual violence, the queer child, ethics, memory, shame, and intimacy.

The module will help you develop an understanding of how social, political and cultural contexts have shaped (and constrained) women’s lives and have had different effects on their literary creation and production. The module encourages careful attention to the distinct aesthetic and intellectual concerns of the writing as well as to the ideological content of literary texts. We’ll also debate the political efficacy and continuing desirability of the term ‘women’s writing’ in the twenty-first century by considering questions of essentialism, marginalisation and the marketing of contemporary literature.

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15 Credits
Contemporary Indigenous Literatures and Cultures --> 15 credits
American Crime Fiction

In addition to the main texts, you’ll be expected to read a series of articles on crime and detective fiction on the VLE and to critically examine film versions of the novels read.

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15 Credits

Teaching style

This programme is taught through a mixture of scheduled learning - lectures, seminars and workshops. You’ll also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. This includes carrying out required and additional reading, preparing topics for discussion, and producing essays or project work.

How you'll be assessed

You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include portfolios of original creative writing and critical commentaries on your work for each of the workshops, coursework portfolios, long essays and examinations (various timescales and formats).

We accept the following qualifications:

A-level:  BBB BTEC:  DDM International Baccalaureate:  33 points overall with three HL subjects at 655 UAL Extended Diploma:  Merit overall Access:  Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modules Scottish qualifications:  BBBBC (Higher) or BBC (Advanced Higher) European Baccalaureate:  75% Irish Leaving Certificate:  H2 H2 H2 H2

Additional requirements

Grade B in A-level English Literature/A-level English Language and Literature/A-level English Language is required if you have studied A-levels.

Alternatively, an equivalent English subject will be accepted eg Grade 5 in IB Higher Level English.

Alternative qualifications

See our full list of  undergraduate entry qualifications .

We welcome students with a range of educational experiences. If you believe you may not meet the standard qualification requirements we would still encourage you to apply because we consider all aspects of your application when making a decision.

We’ll pay particularly careful attention to your personal statement, which is your opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the subject you’ve applied for. Your referees are also welcome to include any relevant contextual comments around your academic achievements. We’ll look at all these things when making a decision on your application, as well as your qualifications and grades.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the  qualifications we accept from around the world .

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or  equivalent English language qualification ) of  6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0  to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of  courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study .

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees.

These are the UG fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £9250
  • Home - part-time: £4625
  • International - full-time: £19640

If your fees are not listed here, please check our  undergraduate fees guidance  or contact the  Fees Office , who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time if you require a Student Visa, however this is currently being reviewed and will be confirmed in the new year. Please read our  visa guidance  in the interim for more information. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our  Admissions Team  for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our  guide to making a payment .

Funding opportunities

We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries, and our  careers service  can also offer advice on finding work during your studies.  Find out more about funding your studies with us .

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our  study costs page .

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

We are a centre of excellence for poetry. Recent BA graduates include:

  • Rachael Allen, whose debut poetry collection ‘Kingdomland’ was published by Faber in 2019 to great acclaim, and who now works as Poetry Editor for Granta.
  • Poet and non-fiction writer Sophie Collins, author of the ground-breaking non-fiction work, ‘Small White Monkeys: On Self-Expression, Self-Help and Shame’ published by Bookworks in 2018, and a collection of poems, ‘Who Is Mary Sue?’ Published by Faber in 2018, and selected as a Poetry Book Society Choice. Sophie was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Society of Literature as part of its inaugural 40 Under 40 scheme in 2018, and is now a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glasgow.
  • Ella Frears is author of ‘Shine, Darling’, her debut collection published by Offord Road Books in 2020, which was shortlisted for both the Forward and TS Eliot Prizes, as well as being selected as a Poetry Book Society Recommendation.
  • Cecilia Knapp was named Young Person’s Poet Laureate for London in 2020 and has been widely commissioned and held residences internationally. Her theatre pieces ‘Finding Home’ and ‘Losing the Night’ both opened to sell out London runs at The Roundhouse before touring the UK. Her debut novel ‘Little Boxes’ is forthcoming from The Borough Press (Harper Collins) while her debut poetry collection ‘Peach Pig’ was published by Corsair in 2022. She curated the anthology ‘Everything is Going to be Alright: Poems for When you Really Need Them’, published by Trapeze in 2021.
  • Aria Aber is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection ‘Hard Damage’, published by University of Nebraska Press in 2019. After graduating from Goldsmiths, Aria left to study an MFA in Creative Writing at New York University, before winning a 2020 Whiting Award in Poetry and continuing her practice as a Wallace Stegner Fellow in Poetry at Stanford University.

Other recent poetry publications by former undergraduates include ‘Glass’ by Emily Cooper, published by Makina Books, ‘Platinum Blonde’ by Phoebe Stuckes, published by Bloodaxe, ‘Earth Sign’ and ‘HYPERLOVE’ by Naomi Morris, published by Partus Press and Makina Books, and ‘My Bodies This Morning This Evening’ by Eve Esfandiari Denney, 2022 published by Bad Betty.

Our poets’ successes have been matched in recent years by our prose writers. Four novels that began as creative writing dissertations and portfolios have since been published or acquired for publication.

  • Sara Jafari’s debut novel ‘The Mismatch’ was published by Penguin in 2021, started life on the Creating the Text module.
  • Marlowe Granados’ best-selling debut, ‘Happy Hour’, also published by Verso, formed part of Marlowe’s third year creative writing dissertation.
  • Abi Andrews debut, ‘The Word for Woman is Wilderness’, published by Serpent’s Tail in 2018, was first aired in a workshop taken during her third year on the BA Hons English Creative Writing programme.
  • Paddy Crewe’s debut novel, ‘Yip’, was published in 2022 by Penguin. It has been longlisted for the 2023 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, the Authors Club Best First Novel Award and the 2023 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.
  • Kandace Siobhan Walker’s short story ‘Deep Heart’ was winner of the 2019 4th Estate and Guardian short story prize (Kandace was also winner of the 2020 White Review Poetry Prize).
  • Goldsmiths Creative Writing BA and MA graduate Dizz Tate’s debut novel ‘Brutes’ was published by Faber in February 2023.

Non-fiction

Aside from literary forms, Goldsmiths undergraduate creative writing alumni also include a number of exciting non-fiction writers and journalists:

  • Daisy Jones, who is Associate Editor of VICE UK and author of ‘ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID: Everything I Know About Modern Lesbian and Bi Culture’, published by Hachette in 2021;
  • Charlie Brinkhurst Cuff is an award-winning journalist, book editor, columnist and podcast host. She is currently Managing Editor at Skin Deep and previously worked as a Senior Staff Editor at the New York Times and enjoyed a celebrated tenure as Editor-in-Chief at ‘gal-dem’ magazine. She has written for the ‘Guardian’, ‘Observer’, ‘ipaper’ and ‘Metro’, and has worked as weekend editor and writer at ‘Dazed’. Excitingly, her debut collection of non-fiction, ‘Black Joy’ was published under the Penguin imprint in hardback in September 2021.
  • Felix Petty, is head of content at ‘Kaleidoscope’ after working as executive editor at i-D magazine.

Prize-winning alumni

Since 2010, 12 of our alumni have gone on to win the prestigious Eric Gregory Award , awarded annually by the Society of Authors for a collection by British poets under the age of 30.

Other recent alumni have gone on to win the Ted Hughes Award for poetry, the Somerset Maugham Award, the Rathbones Folio Prize, the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, The Guardian & 4th Estate Short Story Prize, the European Union Prize for Literature, the Dylan Thomas Prize, the White Review Poetry Prize, with other graduates being shortlisted for the Forward Prize and the TS Eliot Prize.

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BA (Hons) English

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best creative writing ba uk

BA (Hons) English (with Integrated Foundation Year)

If you have been out of education or do not have the required A-level qualifications for degree-level study, this four-year course can help you realise your academic potential.

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Creative Writing BA (Hons)

Key information.

best creative writing ba uk

  • 94%   of our research overall in  English Language and Literature   was assessed to  be world leading or internationally excellent   (REF 2021)
  • Top 100  in the world for English Language and Literature   (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)

The world is strange, surprising and full of wonder. It is also in crisis: from climate change to social justice, imaginative minds and committed voices are needed to articulate this reality, and to forge spaces of consolation, repair or escape.

On this course, you’ll explore the powerful, complex and even weird world of literature and of writing in its broadest scope. What do you want to write? Modernist poem? Epic fantasy novel? Interactive ghost story? Sitcom screenplay? Compelling journalism? Wherever your interests lie, this BA is designed to help you develop your own ambitious projects, whatever the form, genre or theme. You will:

  • explore the fundamentals of creative writing
  • develop the powers of your imagination and your technical skills
  • complete your creative portfolio, a longer writing project supported by one-to-one advice
  • take electives from other subjects – from business to law and modern languages – to open your mind to other disciplines and tailor your degree to your interests.

This course is for you if you’d like to:

  • expand your capacities as a creator and communicator
  • see the world around you in new ways
  • articulate your critical insights in imaginative and creative writing, in any medium.

When you graduate, you’ll have the critical thinking and practical creative skills to make a valuable contribution to society.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

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Entry requirements

  • UK requirements
  • International requirements
Typical offer

ABB

Contextual offer

Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make as part of our

GCSEs

You should have a broad range of GCSEs 9-4 (A*-C), including good grades in relevant subjects.

Extended Project Qualification

We take the EPQ into account when considering your application and it can be useful in the summer when your results are released if you have narrowly missed the conditions of your offer.  We do not routinely include the EPQ in the conditions of your offer but we sometimes offer alternative conditions that include the EPQ. If you wish to discuss this further please

Other UK qualifications

Access to he diploma.

Typical offer

Pass Diploma with at least 39 level 3 credits at Merit or above including 24 credits at Distinction

Subjects

Humanities or social sciences.

Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects (including A-level mixes)

Typical offer

M1 M2 M2

If you have one A-level and two Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects we would expect you to have grade A at A-level and, M2 and M2 in two Pre-Us. 

If you have two A-levels and a Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject we would normally expect you to have grades AB at A-level and M2 in Pre-U.

GCSEs

You should also have a broad range of GCSEs grade 9-4 (A*-C), including good grades in relevant subjects.

International Baccalaureate

Typical offer

32 points overall from the full IB Diploma.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma and one A-level

Typical offer

Grade B in A-level and Distinction, Distinction in Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma.

 

Contextual offer

Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make as part of our

GCSEs

You should also have a broad range of GCSEs grade 9-4 (A*-C), including good grades in relevant subjects.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate and two A-levels

Typical offer

Grades BB in A-levels and Distinction in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate. 

Contextual offer

Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make as part of our

GCSEs

You should also have a broad range of GCSEs grade 9-4 (A*-C), including good grades in relevant subjects.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma)

Typical offer

DDD

Contextual offer

Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make as part of our

GCSEs

You should also have a broad range of GCSEs grade 9-4 (A*-C), including good grades in relevant subjects.

Scottish Highers

Typical offer

AABBB

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced

Typical offer

ABB from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate and two A-levels

GCSEs

You should have a broad range of GCSEs A*-C (9-4), including good grades in relevant subjects.

European Baccalaureate

Typical offer

Overall result of at least 77%.

Other international qualifications

Typical offer

Relevant state (Year 12) High School Certificate, and between 88% to 85% in the ATAR or UAI/TER/ENTER,  or a Queensland OP of 4 to 5 or better.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Reifeprüfung or Matura with an overall result of between 2.0 to 2.2 or better for first-year entry.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Certificat d'Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur (CESS) or Diploma van Hoger Secundair Onderwijs with a good overall average of 65% or more. 

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie with excellent final-year scores (normally 5.5 overall with 6 in key subjects).

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) 70%-75% from 6 grade 12 U, U/C or M courses.

British Columbia Certificate of Graduation AABBB-BBBBB from 5 grade 12 courses.

We also recognise the High School Diploma from other provinces -including Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick- where we look for strong performance in grade 12 subjects, and the Diplome d'Etudes Collegiales (DEC) from Quebec.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

If you have the Goakao, we will consider applications for direct entry to first year. You would normally need an overall average of 75%, including required subjects.

We are also pleased to consider applications if you are following a recognised International Foundation Year or you have one or more years of Higher Education in China at a recognised degree awarding institution.

The Senior High School Graduation alone would not be sufficient for entry to our undergraduate degrees, but you may be eligible to apply for our  . If you successfully complete an International Foundation Year, you can progress on to a relevant undergraduate course at Sussex.

Check which   for the International Foundation Year.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Maturatna Svjedodžba with an overall score of between 4 and 4.2

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Apolytirion of Lykeion with an overall average of between 18/20 and 18.5/20 will be considered for first-year entry.

 

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Czech Republic

Typical offer

Maturita with a good overall average.

Please note

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Højere Forberedelseseksamen (HF) or Studentereksamen with an overall average of at least 7 on the new grading scale.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Pass Ylioppilastutkinto with overall final result between MMMM - EMMM

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

French Baccalauréat with overall final result between 12/20 and 13/20.

Typical offer

German Abitur with an overall result of 2.0 to 2.2 or better.

Typical offer

Apolytirion with an overall average of between 18 and 18.5 will be considered for first-year entry.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) with grades of 5, 4, 4 to 4, 4, 4 from three subjects including two electives.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Erettsegi/Matura with a good average of at least 55544.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Standard XII results

 

Typical offer

Where direct entry is unsuitable, we'll automatically consider you for one of our Foundation Years. Or you might want to apply to one of our International Foundation Years at the international Study Centre on Campus. Visit isc.sussex.ac.uk/our-courses/international-foundation-year or www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/foundation-years

Please note

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher Level) at H1,H2,H2,H3,H3 to H2,H2,H2,H3,H3.

Typical offer

For first year entry at least 80% (or 8/10) in at least 6 subjects, including one 5 unit subject, in one sitting of the Bagrut.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Italian Diploma Di Maturità or Diploma Pass Di Esame Di Stato with a final Diploma mark of between 78/100 and 81/100.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Atestats par Visparejo videjo Izglitibu with very good grades in state exams.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Brandos Atestatas including scores of 80% in at least three state examinations (other than English).

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Pass the Diplome de Fin d’Etudes Secondaires with between 43-46 points overall.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) with grades of  ABB-BBB, Matriculation with a least a grade of 3.0 or UEC with an overall average grade B3 (75%).

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Netherlands

Typical offer

Voorereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO), normally with an average of at least 7.



Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

You are expected to have one of the following:

You must also have a score of C6 or above in WAEC/SSC English.

Where direct entry is unsuitable, we'll automatically consider you for one of our Foundation Years. Or you might want to apply to one of our International Foundation Years at the international Study Centre on Campus. Visit isc.sussex.ac.uk/our-courses/international-foundation-year or www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/foundation-years

Please note

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Norwegian Vitnemal Fra Den Videregaende Opplaering - Pass with an overall average of 4.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

You can apply for direct entry to Year 1 if you are completing at least two years of Bachelor degree studies.

You'll normally need to complete a Foundation year after taking Intermediate Certificate or the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC). You might choose one of our International Foundation Years at the International Study Centre on campus.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Pass Matura with least 3 Extended level subjects in the 75th percentile.

 

Typical offer

Diploma de Ensino Secundario normally with an overall mark between 16/20 and 17/20.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Diploma de Bacalaureat with an overall average between 8.0 and 8.5

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Applicants who have good grades in the Attestat o Srednem Obrazovami (Certificate of Secondary Education) and who have successfully completed the first year of a Russian University degree, with a minimum GPA of 4.0, will be considered for admission to the first year of our bachelor’s degree courses.

Please note

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

A-levels, as well as certain certificates and diplomas.

Please note

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Pass Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške (Maturita)  with an average grade above 2.0 from 4 subjects

 

Additional requirements

Please note: Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Secondary School Leaving Diploma or Matura with at least 23 points overall.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

South Africa

Typical offer

National Senior Certificate with very good grades. 

Please note

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Spanish Título de Bachillerato (LOGSE) with an overall average result between 7.5 and 8.0.

Typical offer

Sri Lankan A-levels.

Please note

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

Fullstandigt Slutbetyg/Högskoleförberedande Examen with a total of 2,500 credits to include B grades in the majority of subjects.

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Switzerland

Typical offer

Federal Maturity Certificate.

Please note

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

We'll consider students who have taken the Lise Diplomasi or Lise Bitirme, with a score of at least 4/5 or 80/100 in their final year, on a case by case basis for direct entry to year 1.

Where direct entry is unsuitable, we'll automatically consider you for one of our Foundation Years. Or you might want to apply to one of our International Foundation Years at the international Study Centre on Campus. Visit   or 

Additional requirements

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

Typical offer

We look at your full profile considering everything you are studying, including the High School Graduation Diploma, Grade 12 GPA, SAT tests and subject tests and/or ACT grades and AP tests. We expect to see a combination of these qualifications.

Alongside your High School Graduation Diploma, we would ideally like to see 3 good AP scores with either, a combined SAT test score (evidence-based reading and writing and mathematics) of 1300, or a combined ACT score of 26

Please check the individual course pages for our typical A-level offer and see below for the corresponding scores we would require from AP test scores:

A Level requirements

AP test grades

AAA

555

AAB

554

ABB

544

BBB

444

We will also accept a combination of any 3 AP tests and SAT subject test where a score of 600 in an SAT subject test can be substituted for an AP test in the above table

If you are applying for a degree with an A level subject requirement in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry or Biology will normally need to hold an AP test in that subject.

College level credits

We also accept college level 3-credit courses in academic subjects as the equivalent of a UK A Level on a case by case basis.  These can be combined with AP tests and or SAT subject tests

Associate degrees

An Associate degree with a GPA of 3.0 will meet our entry requirements for year 1.

Foundation Year entry

Students who have a High School Diploma and SAT or ACT tests only would be eligible to apply for our Foundation Year

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

My country is not listed

If your qualifications aren’t listed or you have a question about entry requirements, contact us

English language requirements

Ielts (academic).

6.0 overall, including at least 5.5 in each component

Check your IELTS qualification meets all of our language requirements

Find out more about IELTS

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.

We accept IELTS One Skills Retake.

We do not accept IELTS Online.

Other English language requirements

Proficiency tests, cambridge advanced certificate in english (cae).

169 overall, including at least 162 in each skill

Check your Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English (CAE) qualification meets all of our language requirements

Find out more about Cambridge English: Advanced.

We would normally expect the CAE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

Check your Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) qualification meets all of our language requirements

Find out more about Cambridge English: Proficiency.

We would normally expect the CPE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

Pearson (PTE Academic)

59 overall, including at least 59 in all four skills.

Check your Pearson (PTE Academic) qualification meets all of our language requirements

Find out more about Pearson (PTE Academic).

Please refer to our English language requirements above, and as listed for each of our  undergraduate courses , to find the appropriate English level for the course you are applying for.

PTE (Academic) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.

We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test.

TOEFL (iBT)

80 overall, including at least 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 20 in Speaking, 17 in Writing.

Check your TOEFL qualification meets all of our language requirements

Find out more about TOEFL (iBT) .

TOEFL (iBT) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.

We do not accept TOEFL (iBT) Home Edition.

The TOEFL Institution Code for the University of Sussex is 9166.

English language qualifications

As/a-level (gce).

Grade C or above in English Language.

Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE)/ AS or A Level: grade C or above in Use of English

GCE O-level

Grade C or above in English.

Brunei/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.

Singapore/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.

GCSE or IGCSE

Grade C or above in English as a First Language (grade 4 or above in GCSE from 2017).

Grade B or above in English as a Second Language

Ghana Senior Secondary School Certificate

If awarded before 1993: grades 1-6 in English language.

If awarded between 1993 and 2005: grades A-D in English language.

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)

 Level 4, including at least 3 in each component in English Language.

Indian School Certificate (Standard XII)

The Indian School Certificate is accepted at the grades below when awarded by the following examination boards:

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) – English Core only: 70%

Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - English: 70% or Grade 3

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

English A or English B at grade 5 or above.

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

Grades A – C in English

Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) 119/GCE O-level

If taken before the end of 2008: grades 1-5 in English Language.

If taken from 2009 onwards: grade C or above in English Language.

The qualification must be jointly awarded by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).

West African Senior School Certificate

Grades 1-6 in English language when awarded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Country exceptions

Select to see the list of exempt english-speaking countries.

If you are a national of one of the countries below, or if you have recently completed a qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree or higher in one of these countries, you will normally meet our English requirements. Note that qualifications obtained by distance learning or awarded by studying outside these countries cannot be accepted for English language purposes.

You will normally be expected to have completed the qualification within two years before starting your course at Sussex. If the qualification was obtained earlier than this we would expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have maintained a good level of English, for example by living in an English-speaking country or working in an occupation that required you to use English regularly and to a high level.

Please note that this list is determined by the UK’s Home Office, not by the University of Sussex.

List of exempt countries

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • New Zealand
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • United Kingdom

** Canada: you must be a national of Canada; other nationals not on this list who have a degree from a Canadian institution will not normally be exempt from needing to provide evidence of English.

Admissions information for applicants

Transfers into Year 2

Yes. . We don’t accept transfers into the third or final year.

For details on any additional costs, check out the Fees and scholarships section.

Don’t meet our entry requirements?

If you don't meet our entry requirements, we recommend our in-house Foundation Year course to prepare you for Year 1 of your chosen degree:

  • Arts and Humanities (with a foundation year) BA (Hons)

This is a single-honours course, allowing you to focus in depth on your core subject.

Find out about our types of undergraduate degrees, their structure, modules and credits

Please be aware that some module details are missing from our prospectus information at the moment. This is due to a technical problem that we are working hard to fix. Please check these pages again later for full course details. Thank you.

  • Year 1 at Sussex
  • Year 2 at Sussex
  • Experience Year
  • Year 3 at Sussex

Core modules

Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

Autumn teaching

  • Acts of Writing 1
  • Critical Approaches
  • Special Topic (Writing Workshop Autumn)

Spring teaching

  • Acts of Writing 2
  • Radical Theory
  • Special Topic (Writing Workshop Spring)

Explore modules from other subjects as part of your course

At Sussex, you can choose to customise your course to build the sort of degree that will give you the knowledge, skills and experience that could take you in any direction you choose.

As part of this degree, you explore subjects that are different to your course through electives that complement your main subject. Exploring different disciplines in two electives in Year 1 helps enrich your learning experience .

Discover our electives

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

Check back in January 2025 for more details of the modules running in the academic year 2025/26.

  • Advanced Writing Workshop: Process
  • Advanced Writing Workshop: Technique

Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

  • History and Practice of Songwriting
  • Media and Crisis
  • Screenwriting
  • Video Games: Creative & Critical Writing
  • Word & Image
  • Writing Fiction
  • Arts and Lifestyle Journalism
  • Communication Design
  • Contemporary Stylistics: The Discourse of Film and Drama
  • Writing on Performance: Critical and Creative
  • Writing Poetry

Study abroad (optional)

Apply to study abroad – you’ll develop an international perspective and gain an edge when it comes to your career. Find out where your course could take you

If your application to study abroad is successful, you’ll have to meet the academic requirements at Sussex and also at the partner university. Find out more about studying abroad as a Sussex student

Placement (optional)

To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can provide you with information and advice. If you’re successful in obtaining a placement, this will form part of your course.

Find out more about placements and internships

Please note that if you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t transfer to the version of your course with an optional study abroad period in any country or optional placement in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid

  • Writing Portfolio
  • Extra-Terrestrial Cultures: Imagining Outer Space and its Alien Inhabitants
  • Virginia Woolf
  • Writing the Environment
  • Championing Literacy Placement
  • Class, Culture and Contemporary Writing
  • Gender, Race and Society in Early Modern Drama
  • Modern Nature
  • Queer Fictions

Join our creative community

You’ll have access to talks, guest lectures and masterclasses across the subjects in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities , which includes the:

  • Centre for Modernist Studies
  • Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence .

You’ll be part of the community of research and creative practice based around the Centre for Creative and Critical Thought . We run annual events including the celebrated Sussex Poetry Festival and the innovative Quick Fictions. In 2022, we’re launching a brand new in-house poetics press.

TEF 2023 silver

The student experience and student outcomes are typically very high quality. This rating was awarded in 2023, for four years. ( Teaching Excellence Framework 2023 )

Find out more about our approach to teaching and supporting you to thrive

At Sussex, we’ve been teaching Creative Writing for over 20 years. Our faculty includes:

  • screenwriters
  • journalists
  • researchers in English literary studies.   

Prof Sara Crangle

Professor of Modernism and the Avant-Garde

View profile of Sara Crangle

Dr John Doyle

Senior Lecturer in Digital and Multimedia Journalism

View profile of John Doyle

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Mimi Haddon

Senior Lecturer in Music

View profile of Mimi Haddon

best creative writing ba uk

Prof Margaretta Jolly

Professor of Cultural Studies

View profile of Margaretta Jolly

Dr Sam Ladkin

Senior Lecturer in Creative and Critical Writing

View profile of Sam Ladkin

best creative writing ba uk

Dr John Masterson

Senior Lecturer in World Literatures

View profile of John Masterson

Dr Emma Newport

Senior Lecturer in English Literature

View profile of Emma Newport

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Rob Sharp

Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies

View profile of Rob Sharp

best creative writing ba uk

Mr Jeremy Sheldon

Lecturer in Filmmaking and Script Writing

View profile of Jeremy Sheldon

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Samuel Solomon

View profile of Samuel Solomon

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Bethan Stevens

Reader in English & Art Writing

View profile of Bethan Stevens

best creative writing ba uk

Prof Keston Sutherland

Professor of Poetics

View profile of Keston Sutherland

Fees are not yet set for the academic year 2025/26 – please check back in September 2024. Note that your fees, once they’re set, may be subject to an increase on an annual basis.

Find out about typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

Scholarships

Details of our scholarships are not yet set for entry in the academic year 2025/26.

Whatever writing specialism you choose during your studies, you’ll develop your ability to comprehend, to imagine and to create. These skills are valued by employers across a wide range of sectors. You’ll rely on your skills in any role where you’re expected to:

  • interpret complex information
  • connect with stakeholders
  • propose innovative solutions.

On your course, you’ll be able to choose options based on skills needed in arts organisations, charities and industry. This includes the opportunity to apply for placements.

As a graduate, you’ll have the real-world experience for a range of careers including:

  • (digital) media
  • policy research
  • the public and charity sectors
  • film and theatre
  • care professions.

Our undergraduate courses also prepare you for Masters degrees , such as our Creative and Critical Writing MA.

What to do with an English, Literature and Creative Writing degree

Explore the careers you might be interested in after studying for a degree in English, Literature and Creative Writing

Working while you study

Our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can help you find part-time work while you study. Find out more about career development and part-time work

A-level - contextual offer

Pearson btec level 3 national diploma and one a-level - contextual offer.

Grade B in A-level and Merit, Merit in Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate and two A-levels - contextual offer

Grades BC in A-levels and Merit in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate. 

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma) - contextual offer

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  • Undergraduate
  • Creative Writing

Creative Writing BA (Hons)

  • Find a course
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Undergraduate Course

Write your own poetry, find your way with fiction, shape scripts, explore creative non-fiction and try your hand at experimental writing.

Table of study materials with hands picking up paper

Discover your creative potential, experiment with form and genre and push boundaries with your writing. Our award winning team of writers and our supportive writing community will challenge you to develop your writing skills and find your own creative voice.

  • Available in Clearing

100% Creative Writing students responded with a 100% positivity score for how good teaching staff are at explaining things. (National Student Survey 2024)

91% 91% of Creative Writing students felt that their career prospects have improved as a result of their course. (National Student Survey 2024)

Course location York campus

  • UCAS code – 3S3S
  • Duration – 3 years full time, 6 years part time
  • Start date – September 2024, September 2025
  • School – School of Humanities

Minimum entry requirements

104 UCAS Tariff points

3 GCSEs at grade C/4 (or equivalent) including English Language.

Tuition fees

UK 2024 entry £9,250 per year full time

International 2024 entry £11,500 per year full time

Discover Creative Writing

Helen Pleasance, Course Lead, introduces us to Creative Writing at York St John University.

Course overview

We believe that good writing always comes from good reading. Our teaching emphasises the importance of engaging with the wider world of literature in order to develop your own style. On this course you will study varied and fascinating writing from the past, as well as learning from contemporary writers. You will build skills in reading  and analysing texts, to develop your understanding of creative processes and apply this to your own writing. 

When you study Creative Writing at York St John University you will become part of the York Centre for Writing. This is a lively, friendly community of writers which acts as a hub for producing innovative new work in the city. We have strong links with the wider literary community and publishing industry. This means you will have opportunities to enhance your learning through regular visits from industry professionals and innovators, including agents, publishers and literary activists.

Our involvement in the annual York Literature Festival gives you the chance to learn directly from popular and internationally-acclaimed writers. There are also plenty of events, performances and publications which you can get involved with throughout the year.

The skills you develop through a degree in Creative Writing matter in the workplace as much as on the page. Central to your learning are transferable skills such as:

  • Communication
  • Collaboration

Through our Working with Words: Publishing and Performance module you will gain real professional experience. This could include literary event organisation, as well as the production, editing, marketing, and launch of our annual student anthology, Beyond the Walls.

You can also choose to study Creative Writing alongside another subject:

Creative Writing and English Literature BA (Hons)

Creative Writing and Media BA (Hons)

Course structure

Our academic year is split into 2 semesters. How many modules you take each semester will depend on whether you are st­udying full time or part time.

In your first year, if you are a full time student, you will study:

  • 3 compulsory modules in semester 1
  • 3 compulsory modules in semester 2

If you are a part time student, the modules above will be split over 2 years.

You can find out which modules are available in each semester on the Course Specifications .

Credits: 20

Compulsory module

Good writers are good readers first and foremost. This module will introduce you to theories, debates and practices in narrative, enhancing your understanding of narrative as it functions both within literature and culture generally. You will examine some of the codes and conventions that govern the production, structure, reception and interpretation of narrative. To do this you will explore films, novels, poetry and plays, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses to Hitchcock’s Vertigo.  By engaging with these varied narrative forms you will consider the relationship between narrative and culture and think critically about the historical development of those forms.

This module introduces you to core skills in creative writing, including creating setting, poetic form, working with dialogue, and characterisation. You will also develop skills in workshopping and collaborating on creative work, familiarising yourself with the workshop environment which will be central to your learning on this course. You will have the opportunity to experiment with a range of forms and ideas in group writing activities, and through this module will become more confident in sharing your work with others.

This module will introduce you to the variety of professional contexts you could work in as a creative writer. You will start to develop the professional skills needed to work as a writer, working to deadlines and writing to briefs. You will engage with many different forms of writing, from memoirs to scripts and graphic novels to blogs. As part of this module you will have the chance to meet a variety of inspiring visiting writers, who can share their expertise with you. 

This module emphasises the role of research in the production of creative work. We will introduce you to a range of research techniques to help stimulate creative projects and contextualise your writing. There will be opportunities to use different types of research materials to generate your own work, as well as studying texts that have been produced using different research methods. You will have the opportunity to take part in creative projects based on archival work. 

This module will help you to become more confident in working with literature at degree level. You will engage with a range of texts written before the 19th century. This includes prose, drama, poetry, speeches, letters and articles. Through this you will start to think about how literature and history can be brought together, and why the study of English Literature remains a popular and important subject.

On this module we will examine some well known classic texts alongside more unusual selections. These texts will help you to question the social, political, cultural and historical values through which we approach literature. This includes an exciting range of texts across different media and forms, from 19th century poetry to early cinema and 1930s nonfiction. Along the way we will consider questions of gender, class, war, empire, form, genre and much more.

In your second year, if you are a full time student, you will study:

  • 3 optional modules in semester 1
  • 1 compulsory module and 2 optional modules in semester 2

1 of your optional modules can be a Literature module from Year 2. You can find them on our English Literature page .

Optional modules will run if they receive enough interest. It is not guaranteed that all modules will run every year.

This work-related module will develop your understanding of the relationship between creative writing practices and employability in the creative industries. It is an opportunity for you to explore the methods and means of literary publishing, production and performance, developing transferable and employable skills through project work. The module combines a broad exploration of industry aims and ethics with first hand experience of specific editorial, commercial, and practical processes. 

Optional module

This module is an opportunity to read and produce a range of fictional forms, from flash fictions to novellas, and short stories to novels. You will develop an understanding of:

  • Characterisation
  • Point of view

This will help you to produce your own fiction portfolio.

This module will give you the opportunity to explore a range of non-fiction texts including:

  • Creative non-fiction
  • Fictocriticism
  • Blogs and online journals
  • Documentary, travel and life writing

Through this you will develop your understanding of voice, structure and audience in relation to these forms, as well as considering the blurred lines between fact and fiction in non-fiction writing. By viewing, reading and watching a range of texts, we will ask you to make the links between creative and critical writing, and to produce your own nonfictional work.

From the sonnet to the prose poem, this module will broaden your understanding of the formal qualities of poetry, as you discover how to produce dazzling imagery and perfect rhythm, manipulating voice and pace. On this module you will study a range of contemporary poets, supplemented by visits and readings. You will produce your own portfolio of poetry by the end of the module.

This module addresses the essential elements of scriptwriting. This includes writing convincing dialogue, creating interesting characters, and constructing coherent stories. We will also introduce you to the cultural, theoretical and industrial contexts of scriptwriting. Through this module you will develop your expressive and technical skills in writing scripts for one or more of:

  • Stage and film

By the end of the module you will have produced your own original script.

On this module we will explore the different ways books and films tell stories, and what happens to literature and literary characters when they are translated onto the screen. We will introduce you to the theory, methods and conventions behind the process of adaptation. In addition to examining specific examples of film adaptation, you can choose to experiment creatively on an adaptation project of your own, using what you have learnt.

Science Fiction has a history of encouraging readers and viewers to reflect on their post industrial choices, and consider how they have affected the wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants. On this module we will draw on a range of critical perspectives around utopianism to approach landmark texts in the history of science fiction. You will have the opportunity to get involved with our ongoing science fiction writing project Terra Two: An Ark for Off-World Survival ( https://yorkstjohnterratwo.com/ ).

In your third year, if you are a full time student, you will study:

  • A dissertation module studied across semesters 1 and 2
  • 2 optional modules in semester 1
  • 1 optional module in semester 2

1 of your optional modules can be a Literature module.

Credits: 60

This extended project will see you independently research, plan and write a substantial piece of creative writing. This allows you to demonstrate technical mastery in your chosen forms and genres, as well as developing professional presentation skills. The creative work is accompanied by a contextual reflection, which will demonstrate your analytical and research skills. You will be guided by a supervisor with expertise in the area you focus on, and will have the option to take part in a weekend residential writing retreat.

On this module you will consider the historical, theoretical, cultural and political dimensions of genre, as well as exploring the conventions which are attributed to specific genres. You will also be given the opportunity to critically explore differentiations between high and low culture, and investigate genres such as tragedy, satire and the Gothic, romance, horror, and noir. The module will help you to develop an awareness of literary and generic concepts between and across different forms. Through this you will develop skills in original composition, drafting and editing. 

This module is an opportunity to explore and participate in contemporary literature. Through this you will start to develop the relationship between your creative practice and the theory, philosophy, and politics that uniform and inspire contemporary work. This will involve engaging with writing that challenges the traditional boundaries of literature and is fresh, exciting and innovative. You will also consider a broad range of materials and techniques that will help you to develop your own innovative creative practices.

On this module we will introduce you to a range of very contemporary publishing and literary cultures, helping you to position your own work in the contemporary literary landscape. You will be encouraged to think critically about literary culture, and develop a sense of how your own work might contribute to or challenge contemporary modes of writing. The module also has a practical focus which will help you to develop a professional portfolio you can use as a springboard into your career.

The Victorian poet Matthew Arnold said of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre that “the writer’s mind contains nothing but hunger, rebellion, and rage.” These are also themes that characterise much of the writing of the Victorian period. Whether the issues are societal or individual, many Victorian novels protest against the privations and injustices writers saw around them. At the same time, there were also funny, rude, and sensational texts, and texts which imagined a different kind of future in the emergent genre of science fiction. This module includes a variety of writing from across the Victorian era, and considers texts within the political, environmental, and social contexts in which they were produced.

This module takes literary trends, such as the vogue for young adult vampire fiction during the late 2000s, or the enthusiasm for fantasy fiction we’re experiencing in the 2020s, and situates them in a longer historical view. We will encourage you to consider broader narratives of subversion and experimentation, and confront questions about literary value, originality, and influence. We may look, for instance, at a recent work of Gothic fiction such as Colleen Hoover’s Verity (2018), alongside nineteenth-century sensationalist novels, eighteenth-century Gothic novels, the occult works of early modern figures, and even trace the novel’s influences all the way back to Dante’s thirteenth-century exploration of hell in Inferno. 

On this module you will investigate the theatrical experimentation that took place over the last century, and consider its impact on the contemporary stage. You will consider the major movements and perspectives of the period against the background of wider intellectual, cultural and aesthetic debates. Through this we will explore the creative dynamics between:

  • Tradition and innovation
  • Word and image
  • Writing and performance
  • Reading and spectatorship

This module will examine a selection of texts from 20th century American literature, and relate these works to their cultural, social and political backgrounds. We will focus on texts that demonstrate formal innovation and experimentation, and the selection will reflect the variety of twentieth century American experience. You will read Native American, African American and Chinese-American texts alongside literature produced in the wake of radical social change such as Beat writing, Vietnam narratives, and responses to 9/11.

On this module we will examine texts from the English speaking and Creole Caribbean, a region that has produced 2 Nobel Prize winners in Literature. We will introduce you to a range of writing from and about the Caribbean, allowing you to appreciate the longstanding global impact of this writing and how it is currently being marked and remembered. We will particularly focus on the close connections of the past and present between Britain and the Caribbean.

On this module we will explore issues surrounding gender and sexuality. We will debate whether various elements of gender are natural or cultural, as well as how different genders and sexualities are presented in film and literature. We will investigate how do different cultural groups use popular culture and literature to reinforce, challenge, transgress or disrupt traditional gender expectations. This module challenges you to draw on all of the skills, theories and approaches encountered throughout your degree to interrogate the representation of gender roles and sexuality in popular culture.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and learning.

The aim of our teaching is to help you to become a better writer. We want you to be an active learner who is engaged in every aspect of the course. You will have opportunities to share your work in progress in regular workshops, which will help you get comfortable with responding to feedback and reworking your writing. You will also take part in:

  • Masterclasses
  • Guest events

You will typically study 3 modules each semester. Each module will normally have 3 hours of contact time each week, so you will have a minimum of 9 hours each week of teaching.

Alongside your timetabled contact time, you will need to study independently. This means spending time reading around the topics we cover and preparing for your taught sessions. This will ensure that you get the most out of your degree, as well as building valuable time management skills. 

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages .

There are no exams on this course, as we believe there are better ways to assess creative skills. You will mainly be assessed through coursework, which will often take the form of a portfolio of original writing accompanied by a reflective commentary. You will also write essays, demonstrating your skill in literary analysis. Other assessment opportunities are designed to help you develop new skills and prepare for your career. This may include:

  • Project work
  • Organising events and publications
  • Giving presentations

Career outcomes

Your future with a degree in creative writing.

A degree in Creative Writing can help you become a professional writer, but the skills you learn on this course will also be relevant to many other professions. As you explore your creativity you will also build transferrable skills in analysis, communication, team working and presentation.

This degree could be the first step toward your career as a:

  • Marketing, PR or communications professional

Discover more career options on Prospects careers advice pages .

You could also progress onto a postgraduate degree and take your learning even further.

Postgraduate courses at York St John University

Creative Writing MFA

Publishing MA

Publishing and Creative Writing MA

Contemporary Literature MA

Whatever your ambitions, we can help you get there.

Our careers service, LaunchPad provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

  • Employer events
  • LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
  • Workshops on application writing and interview skills
  • Work experience and volunteering opportunities
  • Personalised career advice

This support doesn't end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain experience and confidence to succeed.

Entry requirements

Qualifications.

104 UCAS Tariff points See full entry requirements including GCSEs

Calculate your UCAS Tariff points

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 6.0 (with no skill below 5.5) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

This course is available with a foundation year

If you do not yet meet the minimum requirements for entry straight onto this degree course, or feel you are not quite ready for the transition to Higher Education, this is a great option for you. Passing a foundation year guarantees you a place on this degree course the following academic year.

Foundation year

Mature Learners Entry Scheme

If you have been out of education for 3 years or more and have a grade C GCSE in English Language or equivalent, you are eligible for our entry scheme for mature learners. It's a scheme that recognises non-traditional entry qualifications and experience for entry onto this course. Information on how to apply can be found on our dedicated page.

Mature entry offer scheme

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page .

Fees and funding

To study for an undergraduate degree with us, you will need to pay tuition fees for your course. How much you pay depends on whether you live inside the UK, or internationally (outside the UK). Tuition fees may be subject to inflation in future years.

UK 2024 entry

The tuition fee for 2024 entry onto this course is:

  • £9,250 per year for full time study
  • £6,935 per year for the first 4 years if you study part time

These prices apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students

You can find out more about funding your degree by visiting our funding opportunities page:

Funding Opportunities

Placement year funding

If you choose to take a placement year, and your course offers it, you can apply for the Tuition Fee and Maintenance Loan for your placement year. How much you are awarded is based on the type of placement being undertaken and whether it is a paid or unpaid placement. The tuition fee for your placement year will be reduced.

UK 2024 entry £9,250 per year full time

International 2024 entry

The tuition fee for 2024 entry to this course is £11,500 per year for full time study.

This price applies to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a Student Visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the  International Visa and Immigration  pages.

Find out more about funding your degree:

International fees and funding

Additional costs and financial support

There may also be some additional costs to take into account throughout your studies, including the cost of accommodation.

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Study Abroad

For more information on tuition fee reductions and additional costs for studying abroad, please visit our  study abroad pages .

Accommodation and living costs

For detailed information on accommodation and living costs, visit our Accommodation pages .

Financial help and support

Our Funding Advice team are here to help you with your finances throughout your degree. They offer a personal service that can help you with funding your studies and budgeting for living expenses. 

For advice on everything from applying for scholarships to finding additional financial support email [email protected] .

Course highlights

Unique work experience

On the Working with Words module you can get involved in editing, designing and publishing our annual anthology of student fiction and poetry, Beyond the Walls.

York Centre for Writing

When you join us you will become part of York Centre for Writing - d hub for exciting writing events, projects and publications, and collaborations with independent publishers, the York Literature Festival and community partners.

Find your creative voice

With specialist modules in fiction, non-fiction, script writing, poetry and more, there are plenty of chances to experiment with new forms and genres.

Student writing on whiteboard

Where ideas grow

Read some of our students' work and find out all the news from Creative Writing at York St John University on our blog.

Where ideas grow blog

Female student, working on a laptop, in front of a mural at Spark York

Lewis Creative Writing

--> Beyond being knowledgeable and excellent teachers, the lecturers here have a genuine passion and interest for the subject, and are very up to date with the scene as active writers and readers. They are genuinely enthusiastic about their students and their own work, and provide endless support. The course itself is incredibly diverse in the modules it offers. There is always something you will enjoy each semester or something you will come to enjoy thanks to the excellent course materials and teaching. I also found the assignments to be flexible, providing me with options to approach the course in my own way. The university is incredibly forward thinking and always adapting to ongoing changes.

Piaras Creative Writing

--> I chose to study Creative Writing because I have always loved telling stories, and the course helped me tell stories in a way I never imagined I could. It also helped me make that first move into allowing others to actually read my work which was such an amazing feeling. The best thing about Creative Writing is the tutors. Learning from people who have actually achieved in the field is such an honour. The feedback on my work was always constructive and made me a better writer.

More to explore

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Open College of the Arts

BA (Hons) Creative Writing

Part-time, online, study creative writing for your degree with oca.

Have you always wanted to write a novel, create a screenplay, or perfect your poetry? Whatever you’re looking to write, our BA (Hons) Creative Writing degree will give you the tools to achieve it.

Our BA (Hons) Creative Writing degree will empower you with effective practices, insights and skills, encouraging you to write more frequently and with more purpose than ever before. Shared experiences are reflected throughout the course, which is packed full of options so you can develop your writing in your own way and in your preferred genre.

You’ll study the basics of writing, how to remain engaged and will uncover different styles of writing, from poetry and scriptwriting to short fiction and children’s books. You’ll be encouraged to read the best writers, exploring what makes To Kill A Mockingbird so compelling, or why the script of Casablanca works so well, and then apply these techniques to your own writing.

Become the protagonist of your own story. Start writing today.

Unique online Creative Writing courses

Our BA Hons Creative Writing degree is a specialist degree covering scriptwriting, writing for children, life writing, writing a novel, poetry, and more. You can study creative writing online – completely at our own pace – while being supported by OCA’s tutors.

It aims to equip students with skills, confidence, motivation and ambition, through a learning design programme that starts from fundamental writing skills through to the contemporary professional practice in a form or genre of the student’s choice.

Students are equipped with some fundamental writing techniques applicable to all genres, before allowing students to sample poetry, screenwriting or prose writing, and can pursue the poetry or scriptwriting forms at a more advanced level and/or will have the option to try more niche forms of writing, to enable them to gain further skills and expertise.

The programme draws on creative writing pedagogy by utilising the group or workshop activity as well as the individual assignment and close study of others’ work, but accommodates OCA’s distinctive demographic and the desires of lone writers by enabling some to create alternative submissions in the form of traditional writing portfolios.

Course Structure

Our Creative Writing degree covers the full breadth of writing practice, allowing you to take the options that are of most interest to you. As of September 2021, the BA Hons Creative Arts course will deliver 3x 40 credit units in each Level of the course.*

Students are introduced to the basic skills and techniques of creative writing in the initial unit, Essential Writing Skills 1.1. In their second unit, Further Writing Skills, students will choose two options from a choice of three pathways: they can either try basic poetry or screenwriting or the prose option. These choices remain with them for their third unit at Level 1, Developing Your Writing Skills. By the end of Level 1, students will have the skills and knowledge needed to deepen their poetry, prose or scriptwriting craft at Level 2.

Students are supported in the transition from novice undergraduate to knowledgeable and independent learners, putting into practice skills acquired at Level 1 and developing a personal approach to their writing practice. The units at this stage allow students to develop skills from Level 1 in poetry or screenwriting or else to try something new and more specialised, such as writing narrative non-fiction, writing for children or teens or writing short fiction.

Students will begin to understand the iterative and skills-building requirements of creative writing, and will actively consider how their work may become outward-facing. Peer sessions with other writers will inform their writing and raise critiquing skills, with an understanding that in some cases alternative methods are more appropriate.

Level 3 equips students with knowledge, understanding and skills for continuing personal development and professional writing practice. The units provide a framework for the learners to generate projects based on the personal vision and ambition gained throughout Level 1 and Level 2. The aim is to strengthen each individual’s writing practice and inform their creative development through rigorous intellectual enquiry, resulting in a distinctive body of creative work.

*For current students enrolled to a Level of this degree prior to September 2021, existing units across all levels will remain available as ‘teach out’ units to ensure no students are disadvantaged due to the changes. Once enrolled to a new level, students will follow the new degree pathway. 

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available units – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which OCA might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us . This description was last updated on 14 December 2022.

Programme Specification 2024/25 New Curriculum

This Programme Specification is for all units on the new curriculum.

Programme Specification 2024/25 Running Out Curriculum

This Programme Specification details the units and learning outcomes that are being taught out.

Creative Writing Accessibility Statements

Accessibility statements give an indication of the type and format of content, teaching, and learning activities on the course, and how these are ordinarily delivered.

Foundations

Stage 1 (he4).

For the stage

Stage 2 (HE5)

Stage 3 (he6), breakdown of costs....

£2,062

Per course unit (4o credits)

All of the OCA’s Stage 1 (HE4) course units are worth 40 credits each. If you’re studying towards an Open degree, you’ll need three Stage 1 (HE4) course units to gain the necessary 120 credits to move on to Stage 2 (HE5).

If you choose to pay by instalments, each unit would be a deposit of £619 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £240.50.

£2,062

Per course unit (4o credits)

£3,093 for a 60 credit unit.

OCA’s new curriculum runs three 40 credit units at each stage of study. Some courses may run two 60 credit units instead.

You need 120 credits at this stage to advance to Stage 3 (HE6).

If you choose to pay by instalments, each 40 credit unit would be a deposit of £619 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £240.50. For a 60 credit unit, this would be a £928 deposit followed by 10 monthly instalments of £216.50.

£2,062

Per course unit (4o credits)

All of the OCA’s Level 3 (HE6) course units are worth 40 credits each. If you’re studying towards an Open degree, you’ll need three Stage 3 (HE6) course units to gain the necessary 120 credits (plus 240 credits at HE4 and HE5) to be awarded a Bachelor’s degree..

If you choose to pay by instalments, each unit would be a deposit of £619 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £240.50.

£2,362

Per course unit (40 credits)

All of the OCA’s Stage 1 (HE4) course units are worth 40 credits each. If you’re studying towards an Open degree, you’ll need three Stage 1 (HE4) course units to gain the necessary 120 credits to move on to Stage 2 (HE5).

If you choose to pay by instalments, each unit would be a deposit of £709 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £275.50.

£2,362

Per course unit (40 credits)

£3,543 for a 60 credit unit.

OCA’s new curriculum runs three 40 credit units at each stage of study. Some courses may run two 60 credit units instead.

You need 120 credits at this stage to advance to Stage 3 (HE6).

If you choose to pay by instalments, each 40 credit unit would be a deposit of £709 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £275.50. For a 60 credit unit, this would be a £1,063 deposit followed by 10 monthly instalments of £248.

£2,362

Per course unit (40 credits)

All of the OCA’s Level 3 (HE6) course units are worth 40 credits each. If you’re studying towards an Open degree, you’ll need three Stage 3 (HE6) course units to gain the necessary 120 credits (plus 240 credits at HE4 and HE5) to be awarded a Bachelor’s degree..

If you choose to pay by instalments, each unit would be a deposit of £709 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £275.50.

More Information

With the OCA, you can study a BA (Hons) degree in our flexible online learning model at approximately one third the cost of a degree at a traditional physical university.

Students study and pay for the course on a unit-by-unit basis, so you only pay for the course as you enrol to each unit.

This course is eligible for a part-time tuition fee loan from Student Finance England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or you can self-fund the course and break down costs even further through the deposit and instalment option.  Find out more about your funding options  here .

You will require regular use of a computer or laptop and internet access. Most essential reading materials can be accessed through the digital library services and eBooks.

Students are responsible for sourcing and, where necessary, purchasing any additional software and resources specified. These can be around £400 at Level 1, £500 at Level 2, and £550 at Level 3. Where possible, open or freeware equivalents will be discussed alongside industry standard options.

On this course, you’ll need some type of word document software, such as Microsoft Word and a place to keep your learning logs and journals – this could be digital or handwritten, though your assignments will need to be typed. If you choose to study Scriptwriting, you may need some software to support this.

You may be eligible for any student discounts on computer equipment and software by using your student email, and you can find out more information about student discounts  here .

Our courses are designed with open access in mind, meaning you don’t need specific subject qualifications to enrol.

You can review the study requirements  here so you’re prepared for online study at higher education. This will include a good standard of English and IT literacy skills.

We accept enrolments for our BA (HONS) courses in monthly intakes throughout the year.

Review the key enrolment deadlines on the link below.

How to Apply

Our part-time degree courses are completed on average between 6 and 9 years. The degree is structured into three levels (instead of three years) so you’re able manage study around other commitments.

Once enrolled, you’ll have a maximum of 12 years to complete your degree course. There are unit and level timeframes within the overall degree time frame, and you’ll need a minimum of 10 study hours per week to keep on track. To find out more about course duration and managing your time, click here .

Your course materials are accessible online through the virtual learning environment, OCA Learn, where you’ll also have access to student forums, a subject space, the student handbook and the online library. You’ll work primarily from a set text of course materials and resources, but can also sign up to webinars, workshops and study groups in addition to your core learning.

Once you’ve completed the required assignments within a course unit and received tutor feedback, you’ll submit a portfolio of work to an assessment event. This gives you the opportunity to develop your work before you have it formally assessed to achieve credits towards your degree.

Upon completing the BA (Hons) Creative Writing degree, as a fully-fledged creative writer you could embark on being a novelist, a poet, a scriptwriter – you name it, you can do it. Prospects have great tips on what it is to be a professional writer. They also cover the many roles you could take on, freshly equipped with your degree.

While you’re pursuing your dream of becoming a professional writer, you can find a range of options to support your art while you write that amazing script or novel. Some include:

  • Marketing Professional
  • Communications specialist
  • Editor / Copywriter

In May 2022 the Department for Culture, Media, & Sport  estimated there were some 2.3 million jobs  in the UK creative industries, and  post pandemic the Creative Industries are growing faster than the UK economy  as a whole.

The Academic Regulations for Subsidiary Institutions of The Open University are applicable to all taught courses offered by the Open College of the Arts (OCA).

You can review the Academic Regulations on our policy page .

Get started with our BA (Hons) Creative Writing degree here!

Step 1 of 14

Ba hons creative writing enrolment form.

  • I am a new student beginning a degree course
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About You: Student Details

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About You: Entry Requirements (1/3)

OCA offers open access courses, meaning you can start studying something you may have been interested in for years but haven't been able to pursue. What we are interested in is your aptitude and enthusiasm for your chosen subject.

You don’t need specific subject related qualifications to study with us, however there are minimum entry requirements you need to meet to ensure you have the right tools to get started.

English Language

As your legal nationality features on the majority English speaking countries list or you are a continuing student, you do not need to provide evidence of English Language proficiency. You will still need to confirm that you have a good standard of English to study this course.

You have indicated a legal nationality that is not featured on the majority English speaking countries list as provided by the CEFR. You must provide evidence of your English language proficiency equating to B2 of the CEFR.

You can evidence you meet this requirement through one of the following documents:

- A Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider, taken two years or less before the date of enrolment to the course. IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Academic may be accepted as meeting these requirements, provided the student has achieved a minimum score of 5.5 in each of the four elements of language learning. - Have successfully completed an academic course (not professional or vocational) at Bachelors degree level or above from an educational institution in the UK or in a majority English speaking country as listed below. - A passport provided as evidence of nationality of a majority English speaking country as listed above. - TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT taken two years or less before the date of enrolment to the course, with minimum scores in each of the four elements of language learning as follows: reading 18, listening 17, speaking 20 and writing 17. - Cambridge English B2 First qualification with scale range 160-179 taken in the last two years as of the date of enrolment to the course. - An online Duolingo test. You would need an overall score of 90 or above to meet Level B2 of the CEFR, and a minimum score of 85 in each category (providing your overall score is still above 90).

  • I confirm I have a good standard of English
  • Upload English Language Evidence Here (Required) We recommend uploading a PDF or image file. Max. file size: 100 MB.

About You: Entry Requirements (2/3)

As our courses are hosted on the virtual learning platform, OCA Learn, it is essential that you have access to a laptop or computer, and can easily manage a range of basic functions through ICT. This includes being able to;

  • I have a good level of IT literacy and am confident with using web-based technologies.
  • I have regular access to a computer/laptop with internet access.

About You: Entry Requirements (3/3)

Distance learning is great for anyone who wants to be creative, expand their skills and/or gain a qualification on your own terms. A lot of our ­­­students study alongside other commitments such as work, childcare and health issues, adding distance learning to their existing lifestyle.

Self-motivation is key to a successful distance learning student. You will be able to set aside several study hours per week and be comfortable working independently. As a higher education student, you are responsible for your studies and managing your time effectively, and will need a minimum of 10 study hours per week complete within the maximum time frames available.

  • I confirm I have at least 10 study hours a week available
  • I can dedicate this many study hours per week (Required)
  • You do not have enough study hours per week available. You need at least a minimum of 10 study hours to complete a degree within the available time frames.
  • Your dedicated study hours per week suggests that you will complete your degree course in 9 years.
  • Your dedicated study hours per week suggests that you will complete your degree course in 8 years.
  • Your dedicated study hours per week suggests that you will complete your degree course in 7 years.
  • Your dedicated study hours per week suggests that you will complete your degree course in 6 years.

About You: Issues that may affect your learning

  • 95 No known impairment, health condition or learning difference
  • 51 Learning difference such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
  • 53 Social/communication conditions such as a speech and language impairment or an autistic spectrum condition
  • 54 Long-term illness or health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
  • 55 Mental health condition, challenge or disorder, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety
  • 56 Physical impairment (a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, lifting or carrying)
  • 57 D/deaf or have a hearing impairment
  • 58 Blind or have a visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
  • 59 Development condition that you have had since childhood which affects motor, cognitive, social and emotional skills, and speech and language
  • 96 An impairment, health condition or learning difference not listed above
  • 98 Prefer not to say
  • 99 Not available

Learning Difficulty

If you think you may have a SpLD but do not have a formal diagnosis, please take a look at the Adult Checklist on the British Dyslexia Association website: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/screening

This does not confirm a diagnosis itself but may give an indication as to whether you should consider looking into a formal diagnosis.

A full diagnostic test is required for UK students to access support via the Disabled Students Allowance process. For OCA students who need help to pay for a diagnostic test, you may be able to apply for part-funding towards a diagnostic assessment via OCA’s Learner Support Scheme.

If you already have a full (post-16) diagnostic assessment, we would encourage you to apply for additional support via the Disabled Students Allowance process. You will need to get reassessed if you had this done when you were under 16 years old.

Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)

If you are eligible for Student Finance, you may wish to consider applying for Disabled Students Allowance (Student Finance). This has been invaluable to many of our students. Students may be awarded a mentor which provides regular face-to-face interaction to support you with your planning and motivation, or software and equipment may be awarded to help you study the course depending on your needs. It's all individual - they will look at what the requirements of the course are, where your areas of difficulty may be due to your symptoms and let you know what options there are that could help.

We advise students applying for DSA to enrol to the course when DSA is in place, however you can start before this - the decision is yours. DSA applications can take 14 weeks to process, so please consider this when selecting your start date later on.

You can still apply for DSA even if you are a part through your studies.

  • I have reviewed how DSA might be able to support me and do not wish to apply for DSA support.
  • Only when DSA is approved
  • On a set date regardless if DSA is in place or not
  • I have a medical condition or disability meaning I require physical course materials.
  • I do not have a medical condition or disability meaning I require physical course materials.
  • My residential address
  • Please provide a delivery address (Required) If you are have indicated you are studying this course in UK, your delivery address must also be UK address Street Address Address Line 2 City County / State / Region ZIP / Postal Code Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
  • Please tell us about any health issues, disability or caring responsibilities that may affect your learning.

Course Information

Students must achieve 360 credits to complete their BA Hons course, which is structured into three 120 credit levels. Students begin at Level 1, and enrol on a unit by unit basis. Each level is made up of three 40 credit units.

The first number of the unit name indicates the level of study, and the second number of the unit indicates what order they unit should be studied at that level e.g. unit 1.1 is the first unit at Level 1.

  • Select which course unit of the degree you are enrolling to (Required) Please select... 1.1 Essential Writing Skills (new students select this) 1.2 Further Writing Skills 1.3 Developing Your Writing Skills 2.1 Investigation and Experiment 2.2 Skill and Proficiency 2.3 Innovation and Challenge 3.1 Practice and Research 3.2 Your Work in Progress 3.3: Reaching Your Audience Writing 1: Writing Skills Visual Studies 1:  Creative Arts Today Writing 1: Starting Your Novel Writing 1: The Art of Poetry Writing 1: Scriptwriting Writing 2: Writing for Children Writing 2:  Writing Short Fiction Writing 2: Poetry – Form and Experience Writing 2: Life Writing Writing 2: Moving on with Scriptwriting Writing 3: Independent Project
  • Enrol before progression discussion complete
  • Enrol after progression discussion complete
  • Which Academic Year would you like to start in? (Required) 2024/25 (1st August 2024 to 31st July 2025)
  • Which intake point would you like to join? (Required) 7th October 2024 4th November 2024 6th January 2025 3rd February 2025 3rd March 2025 6th May 2025 2nd June 2025 7th July 2025 Please select an intake point to join. Please note that  the cut off to join an intake is two works before the stated start date of the course. If you select a start date after the deadline has already passed, you will automatically be deferred to the following intake.
  • I understand that the fee for this unit is £1,650, or a deposit of £495 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £192.50.
  • I understand that the fee for this unit is £2,475, or a deposit of £550 followed by 10 monthly instalments of £192.50.
  • I understand that the fee for this unit is £1,890, or a deposit of £567 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £220.50.
  • I understand that the fee for this unit is £2,835, or a deposit of £630 followed by 10 monthly instalments of £220.50
  • I understand that the fee for this unit is £2,062, or a deposit of £619 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £240.50.
  • I understand that the fee for this unit is £3,093, or a deposit of £928 followed by 10 monthly instalments of £216.50.
  • I understand that the fee for this unit is £2,362, or a deposit of £709 followed by 6 monthly instalments of £275.50.
  • I understand that the fee for this unit is £3,543, or a deposit of £1,063 followed by 10 monthly instalments of £248.00
  • Product Name

Funding and Payment

  • Student Finance (England, Wales and Northern Ireland only)
  • Self-funding
  • SAAS Part-time Fee Grant
  • Learner Support Scheme Bursary
  • What is your Student Finance Customer Reference Number? (Required) You'll be given a customer reference number (CRN) when an application to the Student Loans Company for financial support is made. You'll receive this CRN in a letter or email.
  • I understand that if applying for funding from SAAS, funding is confirmed after the start date of the course, and if unsuccessful for funding from SAAS I will remain liable for the fees of the course once outside the cancellation period, and that SAAS does not cover the full cost of the tuition fees .

You are responsible for submitting your own Student Finance funding applications. The month you begin your course will mark the start of your personal academic year with Student Finance. For instance, if you begin your course in October, your funding year runs from October to September. This means you need to apply for funding to begin every October for the relevant academic year for as long as you are studying your course.

Mark the month you start your course in your calendar, so you know when your funding the following year needs to begin. We recommend applying for the maximum amount available each year. We will only claim the amount required.

Review the 22/23 Student Finance Guidance Here

  • I understand that I will be confirmed as studying 40 credits in my first year when I start my course
  • I am applying for a maintenance loan or already receive one (check your eligibility with Student Finance)
  • I am not applying or in receipt of a maintenance loan
  • Deposit and Instalment
  • If paying for the course by instalments, I undertake to pay the full sum once outside of the 14 day cancellation period per the course fees structure , and if relevant, I give my permission for OCA to discuss my progress with a third party funder (e.g. employer, ELCAS).
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  • Have you previously studied at Higher Education Level in the UK before? (Required) A Has had prior HE experience in UK lasting 6 months or more B Has not had prior HE experience in UK lasting 6 months or more C Not known if has had prior HE exp in UK of 6 months or more
  • What is your Highest Existing Qualification? (Required) DUK UK doctorate degree DZZ Non-UK doctorate degree D80 Other qualification at level D MUK UK masters degree MZZ Non-UK masters degree M2X Integrated undergraduate/postgraduate taught masters degree on the enhanced/extended pattern M41 Diploma at level M M44 Certificate at level M M71 Postgraduate Certificate in Education or Professional Graduate Diploma in Education M80 Other taught qualification at level M M90 Taught work at level M for provider credit HUK UK first degree with honours HZZ Non-UK first degree H11 First degree with honours leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)/registration with a General Teaching Council (GTC) H71 Professional Graduate Certificate in Education H80 Other qualification at level H JUK UK ordinary (non-honours) first degree J10 Foundation degree J20 Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) J30 Higher National Diploma (HND) J49 Foundation course at level J J48 Certificate in Education (CertEd) or Diploma in Education (DipEd) (i.e. non-graduate initial teacher training qualification) J80 Other qualification at level J C20 Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) C30 Higher National Certificate (HNC) C44 Higher Apprenticeship (level 4) C80 Other qualification at level C C90 Undergraduate credits P41 Diploma at level 3 P42 Certificate at level 3 P46 Award at level 3 P47 AQA Baccalaureate (Bacc) P50 A/AS level P51 14-19 Advanced Diploma (level 3) P53 Scottish Baccalaureate P54 Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers P62 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma P63 International Baccalaureate (IB) Certificate P64 Cambridge Pre-U Diploma P65 Cambridge Pre-U Certificate P68 Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma (level 3) P80 Other qualification at level 3 P92 Level 3 qualifications of which none are subject to UCAS Tariff P93 Level 3 qualifications of which all are subject to UCAS Tariff P94 Level 3 qualifications of which some are subject to UCAS Tariff Q51 14-19 Higher Diploma (level 2) Q52 Welsh Baccalaureate Intermediate Diploma (level 2) Q80 Other qualification at level 2 R51 14-19 Foundation Diploma (level 1) R52 Welsh Baccalaureate Foundation Diploma (level 1) R80 Other qualification at level 1 X00 Higher education (HE) access course, Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) recognised X01 Higher education (HE) access course, not Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) recognised X02 Mature student admitted on basis of previous experience and/or admissions test X04 Other qualification level not known X05 Student has no formal qualification X06 Not known
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  • Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation? (Required) 10 Bisexual 11 Gay or lesbian 12 Heterosexual or straight 19 Other sexual orientation 98 Prefer not to say
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  • What do you consider to be your national identity? (Required) B British E English I Irish O Other R Information refused S Scottish U Unknown W Welsh
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Large goods vehicle drivers Van drivers Bus and coach drivers Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs Driving instructors Crane drivers Fork-lift truck drivers Agricultural machinery drivers Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. Train and tram drivers Marine and waterways transport operatives Air transport operatives Rail transport operatives Other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c. Farm workers Forestry workers Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations n.e.c. Elementary construction occupations Industrial cleaning process occupations Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c. Postal workers, mail sorters, messengers and couriers Elementary administration occupations n.e.c. Window cleaners Street cleaners Cleaners and domestics Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers Refuse and salvage occupations Vehicle valeters and cleaners Elementary cleaning occupations n.e.c. 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  • Please indicate your occupation type (Required) 01 Modern professional occupations 02 Clerical and intermediate occupations 03 Senior managers or administrators 04 Technical and craft occupations 05 Semi-routine manual and service occupations 06 Routine manual and service operations 07 Middle or junior managers 08 Traditional professional occupations 09 Never been in paid work 90 Not known 98 Information refused
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  • Would you consider yourself estranged from your family (i.e. not supported by your family)? (Required) 1 Yes 2 No 98 Prefer not to say An estranged person is someone who no longer has the support of their family due to a breakdown in their relationship which has led to ceased contact. This might mean your biological, step or adoptive parents or wider family members who have been responsible for supporting you in the past. Tick Yes if you feel this description applies to you.
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BA (Hons) Creative Writing

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Explore and define your creative skills as a member of our dedicated, diverse writing community, within a vibrant arts environment.

Our three-year degree programme is creatively stimulating, experimental and industry focussed. You will be part of a committed creative community, supported by our enthusiastic team of lecturers and visiting professionals to develop your own voice and understanding of who you are as a writer. The course delivers contemporary approaches, creative provocations and critical thinking across prose, poetry, script and beyond, allowing you to develop a striking portfolio of creative and critical writing.

Taking full advantage of our place within the North’s only dedicated arts university, you will engage with peers across the spectrum of arts practice, producing work that reflects real world, industry collaborations. Recent cross-course collaborations include Visual Communication, Photography, Illustration and Popular Music Performance.

Our writers fully engage with the lively arts and literary scenes in Leeds and beyond, where we run open mic nights, present work as part of literary festivals and spoken word nights, and support our writers to share their work. You will consider career paths and how to professionalise your creative practice, working with and gaining feedback from industry professionals. You will submit work to awards and competitions, supported by your peers and tutors, and make connections across the creative industries and literary world.

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How to apply for our undergraduate courses

The Structure

Writing workshops play a central role as a collaborative method to accelerate and consolidate student learning. It will expand your critical vocabulary and develop technical skills in the drafting and editing work required of a professional writer. Tutorials, lectures, seminars, masterclasses, and cross-disciplinary project work also feature in year one.

Course Facilities

BA (Hons) Creative Writing students are based in purpose-built classrooms in our modern university building.

Computer suites house networks of Apple Mac computers featuring regularly updated, industry-standard software for a wide range of creative applications that support all our courses, with equipment consistent with that used in the creative workplace. A purpose-built specialist library is open to all students and includes a range of carefully curated specialist resources. Digital Collections enable an enhanced learning experience and information literacy whilst our special collections include artists’ books, photobooks and illustrated books as well as the University archive. Self service facilities are available throughout, supported by a dedicated and experienced team of library staff.

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Study Abroad

Studying abroad can help Leeds Arts University students gain valuable experience, broaden their horizons, develop international networks and experience their practice from a different perspective. Leeds Arts University has a global network of international partner universities in 15 different countries. Students can apply for a semester abroad in their second year of study.

Regular event as part of Leeds Literature Festival, open to all students to perform.

Student secured a six month publishing mentorship with Penguin Random House.

Students have been published in Serious Flash Fiction and in Coffin Bell.

Students involved in the Bone Down Literary Affinity Group, a group aiming to reclaim public spaces for performance.

Student performed at Leeds Poetry Festival and Matt Abbot and Maria Ferguson’s Tub Thumping, a regular spoken word event.

Students published in the online music and culture magazine Hive.

Career Opportunities

Good writers are welcome everywhere; the arts sector requires a broad set of skills. Talented new voices with cultural awareness and critical thinking skills are also welcome in science, industry, commerce, education, research centres, journalism, editing, HR and marketing. You will benefit from the University’s already well-developed industry, commercial and creative links, and its strong careers advisory provision. Graduates may also continue to postgraduate study.

Student Stories

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Charlotte Scroogie

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Course News

best creative writing ba uk

05 Jul 2024

Creative Writing student writes and produces local play

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best creative writing ba uk

28 May 2024

Students collaborate with The Leeds Library to create chapbook

best creative writing ba uk

25 Mar 2024

Students design new Leeds Arts University tote bags

best creative writing ba uk

29 Jul 2022

BA (Hons) Creative Writing students to perform at Leeds Poetry Festival

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Academic Staff

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Dr Sean Gregory

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best creative writing ba uk

Grace Holliday

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Undergraduate entry requirements

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Higher Education Teaching and Learning at Leeds Arts University

Course Specification for BA (Hons) Creative Writing

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Creative Writing and English

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Application options include:

Course Overview

Birkbeck’s BA Creative Writing and English is an acclaimed course ideal if you are an emerging writer keen to develop your creative writing practice and expand your knowledge of literature.

Why choose this course?

  • This course offers you the chance to complement your creativity with critical reflection, learning about writers who think about culture and history and using your creativity to challenge or provoke readers to ask important questions.
  • You will develop your writing practice and your ability to critically respond to texts, reading and interpreting the works of other writers in order to become a better writer.
  • This BA Creative Writing and English is delivered by esteemed faculty and published writers with valuable industry connections and experience.
  • The expertise of our faculty staff feeds into our courses. They include some of the UK’s leading critics, such as Marina Warner and Roger Luckhurst, and creative writers including novelist Luke Williams ( Diego Garcia: a Novel ), playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge ( Beginning ), playwright and screenwriter Daragh Carville ( The Bay ), poet, novelist and non-fiction writer Julia Bell ( Attention ), novelist Wes Brown ( Breaking Kayfabe ), and non-fiction writer Richard Hamblyn ( The Sea: Nature and Culture ).

What you will learn 

In workshops you will develop your skills in writing drama, poetry, fiction and non-fiction, and in screenwriting, and deepen your understanding of these forms. In seminars and lectures, you will learn about storytelling, literary form, writing practices and literary cultures, and creative writing’s relationship to different cultural contexts. In Creative Writing, you will choose from a selection of modules offering practice and theory in drama, poetry, narrative fiction, script for film and TV, or experimental writing, eventually specialising in one of these genres for a final-year dissertation project. In English, you will take compulsory and option modules to help you think critically about texts, writing essays on a range of topics from feminism and sexuality to climate change and migration. 

How you will learn

You will attend creative writing workshops where you will share your writing and read the writing of your peers, often alongside lecture content and published works. In these workshops you will learn how to discuss your writing-in-progress and gain regular feedback from faculty members and from fellow emerging writers on your degree. You will complement this learning with lectures and seminars from internationally renowned researchers and specialists, with whom you will study and discuss literature, history and ideas.

This course is available to study full- or part-time.  It has an evening timetable with classes taking place in the evening.  

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. 

Discover the career opportunities available by taking Creative Writing and English (BA (Hons)).

Key information and modules

Creative writing and english ba (hons): 3 years full-time, on campus, starting october 2024.

Central London

Creative Writing and English BA (Hons): 4 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2024

Creative writing and english with foundation year ba (hons): 4 years full-time, on campus, starting october 2024, creative writing and english with foundation year ba (hons): 6 years part-time, on campus, starting october 2024, creative writing and english ba (hons): 3 years full-time, on campus, starting october 2025, creative writing and english ba (hons): 4 years part-time, on campus, starting october 2025.

Applications open in October 2024

Creative Writing and English with Foundation Year BA (Hons): 4 years full-time, on campus, starting October 2025

Creative writing and english with foundation year ba (hons): 6 years part-time, on campus, starting october 2025, other pathways for english (ba (hons)).

This course has additional Pathways to offer you the chance to specialise depending on your interests and career goals.

  • English and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish) (BA (Hons))

Find another course:

  • Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF).
  • Birkbeck is located in the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group. The building houses our own creative hub which includes the Peltz Gallery , the Gordon Square Cinema and a theatre and performance space .
  • You will be eligible to submit work to the annual Birkbeck creative writing journal, The Mechanics’ Institute Review . Read an account of how our students created the most recent issue of The Mechanics' Institute Review .

Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the Key Information section under Attendance.

Entry Requirements

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

All applicants, whatever their academic background, must submit a sample of 1000 words of creative writing (fiction, poetry, drama, or screenwriting).

For part-time courses, standard requirements are a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent.

UCAS tariff points

  • 3 years full-time: 96-128 points (e.g. A-levels CCC-ABB)
  • 4 years full-time with Foundation Year: 48 points

The UCAS tariff score is applicable to you if you have recently studied a qualification that has a UCAS tariff equivalence. UCAS provides a tariff calculator for you to work out what your qualification is worth within the UCAS tariff.

Foundation year degrees

Our 'with Foundation Year' route is designed to give you extra support as it provides you with an additional year (full-time) or two years (part-time) of supported study. This is an ideal route if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied this subject, or if you did not achieve the grades you need for a place on this degree. 

Once you successfully complete your Foundation Year studies, you will automatically advance onto the main degree. 

Alternative entry routes

3 years full-time and 4 years part-time: Access to Higher Education Diploma with a minimum of 15 credits achieved at Merit or Distinction in the subject area, although we may waive these formal entry requirements and make our own assessment based on the creative writing sample.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.  We also accept other English language tests .

If you don’t meet the minimum English language requirements,  please contact us  or see our  international study skills page  for more details of how we can help.

Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our  English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country .

Visa and funding requirements

If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

  • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
  • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck's part-time courses (with the exception of some modules).

For full information, read our visa information for international students page .

Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country .

Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits through the modules you studied. It may be possible to transfer these credits from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

Creative Writing and English BA (Hons): 3 years full-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25 or 2025-26

Academic year 2024–25, starting october 2024.

Full-time home students: £9,250 per year Full-time international students: £17,620 per year

Academic year 2025–26, starting October 2025

Full-time home students: £9,250 per year Full-time international students: £18,060 per year

Creative Writing and English BA (Hons): 4 years part-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25 or 2025-26

Part-time home students: £6,935 per year Part-time international students : £13,215 per year

Part-time home students: £6,935 per year Part-time international students : £13,545 per year

Creative Writing and English with Foundation Year BA (Hons): 4 years full-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25 or 2025-26

Creative writing and english with foundation year ba (hons): 6 years part-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25 or 2025-26.

Part-time home students, Year 1&2: £4,625 per year Part-time international students , Year 1&2: £8,810 per year Part-time home students, Year 3+: £6,935 per year Part-time international students , Year 3+: £13,215 per year

Part-time home students, Year 1&2: £4,625 per year Part-time international students , Year 1&2: £9,030 per year Part-time home students, Year 3+: £6,935 per year Part-time international students , Year 3+: £13,545 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy .

If you’ve studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a discount on the tuition fee of this course.

Tuition fee and maintenance loans

Eligible full-time and part-time students from the UK don’t have to pay any tuition fees upfront, as government loans are available to cover them.

Maintenance loans are also available for eligible full-time and part-time UK students, to assist with covering living costs, such as accommodation, food, travel, books and study materials. The amount you receive is means-tested and depends on where you live and study and your household income.

Find out more about tuition fee and maintenance loans for full-time and part-time students at Birkbeck.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

International scholarships

We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. Discover if you are eligible for a scholarship .

At Birkbeck, most of our courses are taught in the evening and all of our teaching is designed to support students who are juggling evening study with work and other commitments. We actively encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching, to ensure our students have the best learning experience.

Teaching may include formal lectures, seminars, and practical classes and tutorials. Formal lectures are used in most degree programmes to give an overview of a particular field of study. They aim to provide the stimulus and the starting point for deeper exploration of the subject during your own personal reading. Seminars give you the chance to explore a specific aspect of your subject in depth and to discuss and exchange ideas with fellow students. They typically require preparatory study.

In addition, you will have access to pastoral support via a named Personal Tutor.

Methods of teaching on this course

Teaching is varied and interactive and takes the form of lecturer-led sessions on elements of craft, workshopping of students' creative work, class and home exercises, student readings, and individual and group work.

The Foundation Year is composed mainly of interactive lectures for large groups and tutorial-style classes that support the development of knowledge, skills, confidence and self-awareness.

You will taught by successful, published authors and practitioners, including:

  • David Eldridge
  • Richard Hamblyn
  • Steve Willey
  • Luke Williams .

Teaching hours

Our evening hours are normally between 6pm and 9pm (6-7.30pm and 7.30-9pm). Some programmes also offer teaching during the day and this will be clearly signposted to you where it is available.

On our taught courses, you will have scheduled teaching and study sessions each year. Scheduled teaching sessions may include lectures, seminars, workshops or laboratory work. Depending on the modules you take, you may also have additional scheduled academic activities, such as tutorials, dissertation supervision, practical classes, visits and field trips. On our taught courses, the actual amount of time you spend in the classroom and in contact with your lecturers will depend on your course, the option modules you select and when you undertake your final-year project (if applicable).

Alongside your contact hours, you will also undertake assessment activities and independent learning outside of class. The amount of time you need to allocate to study both for taught sessions (this might include online sessions and/or in-person sessions) and personal study will depend on how much you are studying during the year and whether you are studying full time or part time.

Birkbeck’s courses are made up of modules and allocated ‘credit’. One credit is equivalent to ten hours of learning time. Modules are usually in 15, 30 or 60 credit units. A 15-credit module will mean around 150 hours of learning, including taught sessions and independent study or group work. This is spread out over the whole period of that module and includes the time you spend on any assessments, including in examinations, preparing and writing assessments or engaged in practical work as well as any study support sessions to help you in your learning.

On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, discussion, collaboration and interaction with your lecturers and fellow students is encouraged and enabled through various learning technologies.

Timetables are usually available from September onwards and you can access your personalised timetable via your My Birkbeck Profile online (if you have been invited to enrol).

Indicative class size

Class sizes vary, depending on your course, the module you are undertaking, and the method of teaching. For example, lectures are presented to larger groups, whereas seminars usually consist of small, interactive groups led by a tutor.

Independent learning

On our taught courses, much of your time outside of class will be spent on self-directed, independent learning, including preparing for classes and following up afterwards. This will usually include, but is not limited to, reading books and journal articles, undertaking research, working on coursework and assignments, and preparing for presentations and assessments.

Independent learning is absolutely vital to your success as a student. Everyone is different, and the study time required varies topic by topic, but, as a guide, expect to schedule up to five hours of self-study for each hour of teaching.

Study skills and additional support

Birkbeck offers study and learning support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed. Our Learning Development Service can help you in the following areas:

  • academic skills (including planning your workload, research, writing, exam preparation and writing a dissertation)
  • written English (including structure, punctuation and grammar)
  • numerical skills (basic mathematics and statistics).

Our Disability and Dyslexia Service can support you if you have additional learning needs resulting from a disability or from dyslexia.

Our Counselling Service can support you if you are struggling with emotional or psychological difficulties during your studies.

Our Mental Health Advisory Service can support you if you are experiencing short- or long-term mental health difficulties during your studies.

Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and examinations, although this will vary from course to course - on some of our courses, assessment is entirely by coursework. The methods of assessment on this course are specified below under 'Methods of assessment on this course'. You will need to allow time to complete coursework and prepare for exams.

Where a course has unseen written examinations, these may be held termly, but, on the majority of our courses, exams are usually taken in the Summer term, during May to June. Exams may be held at other times of the year as well. In most cases, exams are held during the day on a weekday - if you have daytime commitments, you will need to make arrangements for daytime attendance - but some exams are held in the evening. Exam timetables are published online.

Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.

Methods of assessment on this course

Creative writing modules are assessed by 100% coursework. This includes short creative projects, essays, presentations, a writer’s notebook, web publishing and an extended creative work in a specific genre.

English literature modules are assessed by essays, examinations and a range of other exercises.

An extended project forms part of the course in the final year.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this BA Creative Writing and English, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

  • the capacity to think and communicate creatively and critically  
  • a sophisticated use of written and spoken English 
  • an ability to understand and apply complex ideas 
  • effective organisation and time-keeping skills 
  • facility and precision in the use of analytical tools 
  • strong skills and initiative in collecting and organising complex materials and writing up clear, well-presented reports or fluent critical arguments. 

Graduates can pursue career paths in a range of different areas including: 

  • creative writing 
  • publishing 
  • journalism  

Birkbeck creative writing graduates include:

  • Niki Aguirre
  • Sarah Alexander
  • Laura Allsop
  • Iphgenia Baal
  • Phoebe Blatton
  • Nicole Burstein
  • Tray Butler
  • Melissa De Villiers
  • Liz Fremantle
  • A. J. Grainger
  • Emma Henderson
  • Sally Hinchcliffe
  • Heidi James
  • Olya Knezevic
  • Matthew Loukes
  • Nadim Safdar
  • Karin Salvalaggio
  • David Savill.

The School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication's specially designed Careers and Employability provision includes opportunities at all levels to support you in developing your career, including modules,  workshops, placements and other resources directly related to employability, in particular in the creative arts and cultural industries. 

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

You apply via UCAS for our full-time undergraduate courses or directly to Birkbeck for our part-time undergraduate courses.

Full-time (UCAS entry)

If you are applying for a full-time undergraduate course at Birkbeck, you have to apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). To apply, go to the UCAS website and click on ‘Sign in’. You will have to register, giving UCAS a few personal details, including your name, address and date of birth, and then you can start working on your application.

The first UCAS deadline is in January, and the majority of university applications through UCAS are made by then. Find the exact deadline date on the UCAS website . We welcome applications outside of the UCAS deadlines, so you can still apply through UCAS after the January deadline, depending on the availability of places. We also take late applications via the UCAS Clearing system in August.

If you are applying for a part-time undergraduate course (4 or 6 year), you apply directly to Birkbeck by using the Apply now button. You will need to prove your identity when you apply - read more about suitable forms of identification .

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link. Please note that online application will open in September.

When to apply

You are strongly advised to apply now , to ensure there are still places on your chosen course and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

You will also receive information about subject-specific induction sessions over the summer.

Help and advice with your application

Get all the information you need about the application, admission and enrolment process at Birkbeck.

Our online personal statement tool will guide you through every step of writing the personal statement part of your application.

Apply for your course

Apply for your course using the apply now button in the key information section .

Other pathways for English (BA (Hons))

Course structure, course structure listing, course structure and modules for creative writing and english ba (hons): 3 years full-time, on campus, starting october 2024.

You must complete modules worth a total of 360 credits.

  • Year 1: five compulsory modules
  • Year 2: two compulsory modules, one option module in scriptwriting or poetry and one or two option modules in English literature
  • Year 3: one compulsory module, one option module in scriptwriting or poetry, one or two English literature option modules and a dissertation

Year 1 compulsory modules

  • Doing English
  • Introduction to Playwriting and Poetry
  • Storytelling: Narrative Archetypes, Forms and Techniques
  • Writing for Film and TV
  • Writing London

Year 2 compulsory modules

  • Narrative Methods
  • The Novel: Writing the Modern World

Year 2 option modules

  • Poetry Workshop 1
  • Scriptwriting Workshop 1: The Essentials of Stage and Screen (The 30 Minute Script)

Year 3 compulsory module

  • The Creative Critical Seam

Year 3 option modules

  • Poetry Workshop 2: The Open Page
  • Scriptwriting Workshop 2: Writing for the Contemporary Stage

English literature option modules

  • Benjamin / Barthes
  • Contemporary British Fiction
  • Fin-De-Siecle
  • Geoffrey Chaucer
  • Gothic Romance 1764-Present
  • Literature and the Politics of Feelings
  • Medieval and Renaissance Body, Mind, and Soul
  • Reading Joyce's Ulysses
  • Shakespeare and Performance
  • Telling the self
  • Transcultural Encounters: Literature, Empire, Ethnicity

BA Creative Writing and English dissertation

  • BA Dissertation in Creative Writing and English

Course structure and modules for Creative Writing and English BA (Hons): 4 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2024

  • Year 1: four compulsory modules
  • Year 2: three compulsory modules
  • Year 3: one compulsory module, one option module in scriptwriting or poetry and one or two option modules in English literature
  • Year 4: one option module in scriptwriting or poetry, one or two English literature option modules and a dissertation

Year 4 option modules

English literature option modules, course structure and modules for creative writing and english ba (hons): 3 years full-time, on campus, starting october 2025.

  • Year 2: two compulsory modules, one option module in scriptwriting or poetry and one option module in English literature

Course structure and modules for Creative Writing and English BA (Hons): 4 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2025

  • Year 3: one compulsory module, one option module in scriptwriting or poetry and one option module in English literature

Course structure and modules for Creative Writing and English with Foundation Year BA (Hons): 4 years full-time, on campus, starting October 2024

For the Foundation Year, you undertake three core modules and choose one option module: either The Arts: Questioning the Contemporary World or a language module.

If you successfully complete these modules, you will automatically advance on to our three-year, full-time, evening study BA Creative Writing and English .

Foundation Year core modules

  • Breaking Boundaries of Knowledge
  • Fundamentals of Study
  • The Arts: Perspectives and Possibilities

Foundation Year option modules

  • French 3 (Level 4)
  • French 4 (Level 4)
  • German 3 (Level 4)
  • German 4 (Level 4)
  • Italian 3 (Level 4)
  • Italian 4 (Level 4)
  • Japanese 3 (Level 4)
  • Japanese 4 (Level 4)
  • Spanish 3 (Level 4)
  • Spanish 4 (Level 4)
  • The Arts: Questioning the Contemporary World

Course structure and modules for Creative Writing and English with Foundation Year BA (Hons): 6 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2024

Our part-time Foundation Year degrees allow you to spread out your Foundation Year studies over two years. As the 'Foundation Year' is made up of 120 credits, as a part-time student you can take 60 credits in each of your first and second years before starting the main four-year BA Creative Writing and English. This means that you can take six years to complete the part-time degree with Foundation Year.

In Foundation Year 1 you take two core modules and in Foundation Year 2 you take one core module and choose one option module.

If you successfully complete these modules, you will automatically advance on to our four-year, part-time, evening study BA Creative Writing and English .

Foundation Year 1 core modules

Foundation year 2 core module, foundation year 2 option modules, course structure and modules for creative writing and english with foundation year ba (hons): 4 years full-time, on campus, starting october 2025, course structure and modules for creative writing and english with foundation year ba (hons): 6 years part-time, on campus, starting october 2025.

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BA (Hons) Creative Writing

On BA (Hons) Creative Writing we tell stories by mastering the writing process, from research and ideas generation to editing a final draft. You'll draw inspirations from industry professionals, written form and collaborative feedback.

  • Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
  • Placement year: Optional 1 year
  • Course code: W800 (UCAS)
  • Institution code: A66 (UCAS)

Featured quick links

Course information, course team, how to apply, studios and resources, graduate success.

Stories are at the heart of how we communicate and understand the world. On BA (Hons) Creative Writing, you'll gain the skills to join the next generation of creative storytellers.

  • Register your interest
  • Book an Open day
  • View our prospectus
  • how to apply
  • Programme Specification
  • Course Costs
  • Admissions Policy

Your journey begins right here, right now.

Ba (hons) creative writing course information.

On this course, you’ll learn to draw inspiration from existing literature, before developing your own voice. Through a range of exciting projects, you'll explore the whole writing process – from idea generation and research to editing.

Course overview

Course content.

With visits from published writers and industry professionals, you’ll be able to explore career opportunities and build contacts. When you graduate, you’ll have a strong portfolio and a professional network to kick-start your career.

Writers rarely work alone, so BA (Hons) Creative Writing will give you the opportunity to collaborate with other courses. You might write scripts with animators or filmmakers, or explore narratives with illustrators.

Course duration

3 or 4 years (full-time)

Placement

Option of a 1-year placement

UCAS course code

W800

UCAS institution code

A66

Placement year

If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.

If you’re required to have a Student Visa to study in the UK, it won’t be possible to undertake the one-year placement option; there’ll be other opportunities for you to engage with industry during your study at AUB.

Level 4 (first year)

At the core of the course experience will be writing workshops that provide safe environment for you to share your work with lectures and peers, gaining invaluable constructive feedback. These workshops will build confidence in sharing your work with your peers and develop strategies for giving and receiving feedback.

Level 5 (second year)

Through a series of trips, you'll develop a more nuanced understanding of form, genre, and style while gaining first-hand experience of the different roles of a writer in today's world.

You'll be paired with a professional writer or editor, where possible, who'll guide you, alongside academic staff, as you undertake a project of your choice.

Level 6 (third year)

You'll actively explore the mechanics of being a professional writer, developing knowledge in the areas of self-promotion, marketing and managing finances.

Concluding the year, you'll work on an extended project in your chosen area of interest.

  • Bristol Writing Festival (2023) – third place
  • Peter Fraser Dunlop Queer Fiction Prize (2023) – shortlisted
  • International Book Awards – Poetry (2020) – finalist

Student gallery

Meet the ba (hons) creative writing course team.

BA, MA, PGCAP, PhD

PhD, MA, BA, FHEA

PhD, MA, BA (Hons), PGCE, CAPF

What makes a story great? It has to have heart in order to connect with an audience. As the poet Maya Angelou said — "People should hear the writing, it should slide through the brain and go straight to the heart". James Cole, Course Leader

View our course videos

Course leader Dr James Cole talks about what you can expect from studying BA (Hons) Creative Writing here at AUB. He also gives an insight into what makes a great story.

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Chat to a student

Our student ambassadors are here to answer any questions you might have on university life, our courses and all things AUB.

Student Stories

Ella shipley on scriptwriting – “the most important thing is to keep creating and to keep exploring”, nat hawrylak – “i want to create the kind of work i wish i could’ve seen when i was younger”, carmilla williamson on writing and identity – "i can feel pride in even the rawest work i create and never touch again", karishma natu on launching her debut anthology – "every quiet thought and detail of your daydreams amplified.", fin cattanach – writing and the pandemic, a summary of an unexpected second year, naomi mcclaughry is from northern ireland and knew she needed to go to england to study, application process.

Once you've found the perfect Undergraduate course, you can apply to study via UCAS, including direct entry applications to second and third year.

When you apply to one of our courses, it's important that you help us get a good picture of both you and your work – so you'll need a great personal statement. We want to know more about why you're interested in the course, your key influences, and what you hope to do after your studies.

If you're invited for an interview, many of our courses will ask to see a portfolio of your work so we can get more insight into your ideas and abilities. To help you, we've created guidelines outlining what we expect from your portfolio for each course.

Fees and Funding

The fee that you pay the Arts University Bournemouth provides the necessary equipment and training for you to complete your course.

If you decide to undertake an optional placement year, the tuition fee is £1,850. This is subject to inflationary increases based on government policy, and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Portfolio guidelines

Portfolios should show examples of your work – both finished and work in progress – that demonstrate your interests and skills. We expect to see around 10 slides/images in your portfolio that shows your identity as an artist.

If we ask for a digital portfolio then we'll give you 30 days to submit it. Sometimes we'll need a portfolio submitted quickly if there's a UCAS set deadline approaching, but if you need more time, just let us know and we'll try to help.

We've created specific portfolio guidelines for each of our courses, you can take a look at these below.

If you've applied to study an online postgraduate (MA) degree, please refer to the AUB Online portfolio guidelines .

Interviews and auditions

The only course requiring an audition is BA (Hons) Acting and if you're invited to one you'll have at least 10 days notice.

Interacting with a wide range of writing-related industries will equip you with the creative and critical tools for continuing your writing beyond the course into a professional context, whether in industry or further study and research.

You'll hear from and network with a variety of industry professionals including publishers, agents, arts organisations, and funding bodies to gain a solid understanding of possible ways to make an income as a writer.

Community Writing Groups

There’s also plenty happening in Bournemouth, Poole and the surrounding area to help you find your voice.

Dorset's History

Dorset has a particularly rich literary history, something you'll really be able to make the most of at AUB. 

The Library

The Library at AUB holds an excellent range of print and online collections

Drawing Studio

Our iconic blue Drawing Studio is used by student from all courses and was designed by alumnus Sir Peter Cook​...

Digital Suites

Our Digital Suites offer a digital post-production facility and digital teaching space.

Lecture Theatres and Seminar Rooms

We have a number of lecture theatres and seminar rooms scattered around campus to assist students with their studies.

Central Media Store

The Central Media store houses a diverse array of equipment, offering students the means to craft and capture...

Innovation Studio

The Innovation Studio operates as a lab for creative technologies, a nucleus for start-ups and enterprises and an industry engagement hub.

Our printmaking facilities are a hub of creativity on campus and have been inspiring students since 1964.

Letterpress and Bindery

The Letterpress and Bindery studio is a central resource, where students can learn and explore bookbinding and letterpress printing.

Teaching and learning

Each unit is assessed separately, and the assessment forms part of the unit. Assessment both provides a measure of your achievement and also gives you regular feedback on how your learning is developing.

Teaching will largely be delivered through lectures, seminars and workshops, supplemented by individual and group tutorials, presentations, and critiques. In consultation with the Course Leader, the teaching team is responsible for co-ordinating individual units of study, and for selecting appropriate methods of delivery according to subject matter and student experience. Level 4 provides you with an introduction to key writing and academic skills through the ‘Fundamentals’ series, while Levels 5 and 6 see a progression towards more independent learning and greater autonomy over projects and areas of interest.

The Writing Workshop

At the core of the course experience will be writing workshops that provide safe environments for you to read your work in front of your lecturers and peers, to gain invaluable constructive feedback. This is an essential part of the writing process and you'll be encouraged to translate the feedback into your practice through editing and redrafting, while also offering generous and critical feedback to others. The course aims to foster critically reflective writers and the workshop is an excellent space in which to develop these skills.

Independent learning

Crafting with writers.

The Level 5 experience offers an exciting opportunity to follow your independent interests and develop projects while guided and mentored by professional writers and/or editors. The aim here is to let you explore, experiment, and hone your craft, nurtured by experts in your chosen field of study.

Learning environments

Throughout all levels, your learning will be enhanced by opportunities to leave the campus and write on location, responding to different environments and geographies. Possible venues include the New Forest, the Jurassic Coast, the Earthouse at Cranborne, and Thomas Hardy’s Cottage, amongst others.

Collaboration

Collaboration with the film industry.

Many film schools can offer the opportunity to specialise and form production teams, but at AUB we forge collaborations like no other. Our productions don't just contain the work of Film Production, Visual Effects and Animation students. With Costume and Performance Design, Make-Up for Media and Performance, and Acting, a full complement of the creative industries makes for a truly unique filmmaking experience. Screenwriting sits at the heart of these productions and there will be collaborative opportunities with Film Production, Animation Production and Visual Effects throughout the course.

Academic support

The information provided below gives the proportion of your study time which constitutes contact hours. Where there are optional routes through the course, we've used the figures for the most popular option.

Year 1 (% time) Year 2 (% time) Year 3 (% time)

39

25

36

Assessment and feedback

For every unit of your course, we'll inform you of what you are expected to learn, what you have to submit, how your work will be assessed, and the deadline for presenting your work for assessment. This is made available through Unit Information, which is on your course blog.

How you're assessed

All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.

What our BA (Hons) Creative Writing graduates are doing

Career destinations.

  • Copywriting
  • Roles within the publishing sector
  • Translators
  • Journalists

Kayleigh Benham – BA (Hons) Creative Writing

Since graduating, Kayleigh's continued to develop an interest in making theatre...

Trips and visits

  • Portland Bill
  • Chesil Beach
  • Hengistbury Head
  • Brownsea Island
  • Points of interest in Bournemouth

*These trips are optional and some may incur additional costs

Latest from BA (Hons) Creative Writing

See more of our student work.

Through this course, you'll gain the skills to join the next generation of creative storytellers.

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Home > Kingston School of Art > Study > Humanities > Creative writing

Creative writing

At Kingston, you can study a wide variety of writing types, from romantic poetry to crime novels, whilst discovering more about writing processes from our experienced teaching team of award-winning published writers. You will be encouraged to discover and develop your own unique writing talent through practical workshops. You'll also join a flourishing writing community via Writers' Centre Kingston – a literary cultural centre dedicated to creative writing in all its forms, with an annual programme of events.

Creative writing provides preparation for many careers and pathways. The ability to think and write creatively is a valuable commodity in many professional arenas, from copy writing and advertising to teaching and therapy.

Undergraduate courses

The BA degree courses will allow you to study a wide variety of writing, and to focus on the styles that attract you most, from short stories, novels, life writing, poetry, plays or non-fiction.

There is a strong emphasis on employability for our graduates. Courses are devoted to professional writing, with talks from guest speakers who have expertise in publishing, including copy editors, producers, literary agents, reviewers and literary editors. At the same time you will be encouraged to produce your best work by following your creative impulses and writing experimentally.

best creative writing ba uk

Creative Writing BA (Hons)

Postgraduate courses.

The MFA (Master of Fine Arts) was the first of its kind to be offered in the UK. Across our range of creative writing courses, you'll have the chance to produce an extended piece of writing under expert supervision, attend a series of masterclasses with guest speakers including literary agents, publishers, writers and editors. There may also be opportunities to pursue a teaching certificate and gain work experience with Kingston University Press.

At masters level you can study the following degrees:

best creative writing ba uk

Creative Writing and Publishing MA

best creative writing ba uk

Creative Writing Distance Learning MA

best creative writing ba uk

Creative Writing MA

best creative writing ba uk

Creative Writing MFA

Postgraduate research

Postgraduate research

We offer MA by Research, MPhil and PhD degrees in English Literature and/or Creative Writing.

As a research student at Kingston University, you will become part of a strong and ambitious postgraduate community. You will be fully supported by a rich programme of research training, including research workshops, seminars, guest lectures, symposia, and related activities organised through the research centres.

Learn a language

Kingston language scheme (kls).

Kingston Language Scheme (KLS) offers courses in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, and English for academic study. Classes are taught at a range of levels, so you can start a new language from scratch or build on existing knowledge. All KLS classes are free to Kingston University students, and available at a discounted rate to staff and members of the public.

Centre for Academic Support and Enhancement (CASE)

Centre for Academic Support and Enhancement (CASE)

CASE offers students one-to-one help with their studies, supporting both undergraduate and postgraduate students with:

  • researching and presenting
  • structuring and editing traditional academic writing
  • structuring and editing multimedia texts
  • referencing.

CASE also provides a range of resources to enhance employability, including help with writing CVs, application forms and interview preparation. Results show that students who use the centre are significantly more likely to complete their degrees. As they are better equipped to act on feedback, they also tend to do better in their studies.

Creative writing news

best creative writing ba uk

Kingston University publishing expert Professor Alison Baverstock awarded MBE in King's Birthday Honours

best creative writing ba uk

Novella completed during lockdown by Kingston School of Art lecturer nominated for Republic of Consciousness award

best creative writing ba uk

Kingston University announces six-book shortlist for next Big Read

best creative writing ba uk

Blast off for Kingston University Big Read as interstellar coming-of-age novel named as this year's title

Creative writing staff.

best creative writing ba uk

Mr Oludiran Adebayo

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Adam Baron

Associate professor.

best creative writing ba uk

Mr Steven J. Fowler

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Meg Jensen

Professor in english literature and creative writing.

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Marina Lambrou

best creative writing ba uk

Dr James Miller

Senior lecturer.

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Helen Palmer

best creative writing ba uk

Mr Albert Pellicer

Lecturer in modern languages (spanish).

best creative writing ba uk

Professor Sara Upstone

Faculty director of postgraduate research and professor of contemporary literature.

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Wendy Vaizey

best creative writing ba uk

Professor Alison Baverstock

Professor of publishing, director of the kingston university big read, founder of reading force.

best creative writing ba uk

Dr Martin Dines

School head of department.

best creative writing ba uk

Ms Lynne Eve

Hourly paid lecturer.

best creative writing ba uk

Anna Johnson

best creative writing ba uk

Professor Hanif Kureishi

Professor of creative writing.

Heads of Department of Humanities: Matthew Birchwood and Martin Dines .

Department of Humanities undergraduate course administrator: Maggie Hughes .

Department of Humanities postgraduate course administrator: Kathryn Davies .

best creative writing ba uk

  • Creative and Professional Writing Prize
  • Postgraduate research in English literature and creative writing

best creative writing ba uk

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best creative writing ba uk

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Creative Writing courses

Whether you’re looking to develop your own writing skills and editorial practice for your profession or for purely personal interest, our creative writing courses have much to offer you. Choose below from our range of qualifications.

Student writing

Creative Writing Degrees  Degrees Also known as an undergraduate or bachelors degree. Internationally respected, universally understood. An essential requirement for many high-level jobs. Gain a thorough understanding of your subject – and the tools to investigate, think critically, form reasoned arguments, solve problems and communicate effectively in new contexts. Progress to higher level study, such as a postgraduate diploma or masters degree.

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.

How long will it take?

Creative Writing Diplomas  Diplomas Widely recognised qualification. Equivalent to the first two thirds of an honours degree. Enhance your professional and technical skills or extend your knowledge and understanding of a subject. Study for interest or career development. Top up to a full honours degree in just two years.

Creative writing certificates  certificates widely recognised qualification. equivalent to the first third of an honours degree. study for interest or career development. shows that you can study successfully at university level. count it towards further qualifications such as a diphe or honours degree., why study creative writing with the open university.

Since 2003, over 50,000 students have completed one of our critically acclaimed creative writing modules. 

The benefits of studying creative writing with us are:

  • Develops your writing skills in several genres including fiction, poetry, life writing and scriptwriting.
  • Introduces you to the world of publishing and the requirements of professionally presenting manuscripts.
  • Online tutor-group forums enable you to be part of an interactive writing community.
  • Module workbooks are widely praised and used by other universities and have attracted worldwide sales.

Careers in Creative Writing

Studying creative writing will equip you with an adaptable set of skills that can give entry to a vast range of occupations. You’ll learn to evaluate and assimilate information in constructing an argument as well as acquiring the skills of creative and critical thinking that are much in demand in the workplace.

Our range of courses in creative writing can help you start or progress your career in:

  • Arts, creative industries, culture and heritage
  • Advertising, marketing, communications and public relations
  • Journalism and publishing
  • Public administration, civil service and local government

Looking for something other than a qualification?

The majority of our modules can be studied by themselves, on a stand-alone basis. If you later choose to work towards a qualification, you may be able to count your study towards it.

See our full list of Creative Writing modules

All Creative Writing courses

Browse all the Creative Writing courses we offer – certificates, diplomas and degrees.

See our full list of Creative Writing courses

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IMAGES

  1. Creative Writing BA : University of Sussex

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  2. BA English Literature BA English with Creative Writing

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  3. Creative Writing and Journalism BA Honours

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  4. Creative Writing (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

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COMMENTS

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  2. The 6 Best UK Universities for Creative Writing Degrees

    6. University of Strathclyde. Based in the center of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, the University of Strathclyde is a multi-award-winning university. And when it comes to creative writing, Strathclyde offers some unique areas of study for undergraduates, including Scottish literature and the Glasgow novel.

  3. Creative Writing

    If so, Birkbeck's BA Creative Writing will support you to develop your ideas further, refining your skills and sharpening your craft. You will have opportunities to experiment and explore creative writing across a range of forms, including drama, poetry, fiction, screenwriting and non-fiction. Your studies will be enriched by being based in ...

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    Reasons to choose Kingston. Many of our graduates have had their work published. Oyinkan Braithwaite's multi-award winning debut novel My Sister, The Serial Killer, was longlisted for the Booker Prize 2019.; This course covers a range of formats, including digital writing, fiction and creative non-fiction, poetry, and screenwriting.

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  7. Creative Writing, BA

    Our degree in creative writing explores the written word across a wide variety of forms and genres. As well as studying fiction and poetry, you'll produce work for stage and screen and for online media. With option modules, you can expand your studies to include a foreign language or specialise in particular fields of writing, such as journalism.

  8. Creative Arts and Humanities BA

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  11. BA (Hons) Creative Writing and English Literature 2024/25

    UEA's School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing is famous for innovation in teaching and for cutting-edge research - that's why in the most recent Times Higher Education Analysis (REF2021), UEA was ranked 19th in the UK for the quality of its research in English Language and Literature. When you're not in the classroom, you'll ...

  12. BA English Literature and Creative Writing

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  13. BA (Honours) Creative Writing Full-time 2024

    Fees and funding. Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2024/25 is £9,250 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and are therefore subject to changes in government policy. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.

  14. BA (Hons) English with Creative Writing

    This flexible BA English with Creative Writing degree allows you to choose from a range of topics - comparisons of literature across different cultures and art forms (also known as comparative literature), American literature and culture, and diverse aspects of language use in linguistics modules. Goldsmiths has one of the most established ...

  15. Creative Writing BA : University of Sussex

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  16. Creative Writing BA (Hons)

    When you study Creative Writing at York St John University you will become part of the York Centre for Writing. This is a lively, friendly community of writers which acts as a hub for producing innovative new work in the city. We have strong links with the wider literary community and publishing industry. This means you will have opportunities ...

  17. BA (Hons) Creative Writing

    Start writing today. Our BA Hons Creative Writing degree is a specialist degree covering scriptwriting, writing for children, life writing, writing a novel, poetry, and more. You can study creative writing online - completely at our own pace - while being supported by OCA's tutors. It aims to equip students with skills, confidence ...

  18. BA (Hons) Creative Writing Degree

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  19. Creative Writing and English

    Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). Birkbeck is located in the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group.

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    Course details. This degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits. with a broad introduction to the arts and humanities before learning how culture affects the creative process of writing. , you'll focus on your creative writing and English literature studies with two compulsory modules. , you'll complete your degree with an advanced ...

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    On BA (Hons) Creative Writing we tell stories by mastering the writing process, from research and ideas generation to editing a final draft. You'll draw inspirations from industry professionals, written form and collaborative feedback. Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time. Placement year: Optional 1 year.

  22. Creative writing at Kingston University

    At the same time you will be encouraged to produce your best work by following your creative impulses and writing experimentally. Creative Writing BA (Hons) Postgraduate courses. The MFA (Master of Fine Arts) was the first of its kind to be offered in the UK. Across our range of creative writing courses, you'll have the chance to produce an ...

  23. Creative Writing Courses

    Creative Writing courses. Whether you're looking to develop your own writing skills and editorial practice for your profession or for purely personal interest, our creative writing courses have much to offer you. Choose below from our range of qualifications. Creative Writing Degrees. Stage 1 120 credits. Stage 2 120 credits. Stage 3 120 credits.