Creative Writing (including a Foundation Year)

On our course, you will develop as a creative writer with tuition and guidance from our team of professional writers.

In your first year, you will be introduced to the basic principles of Creative Writing with seminars, lectures and workshops on writing Poetry, Prose Fiction and Drama.

In year two, you will build upon this foundation with more complex learning and writing in flash fiction and poetry.

In your third and final year, you will be able to develop further your scriptwriting, poetry and longer fiction writing, tackling a large-scale writing project under expert supervision.

You also have the opportunity to spend five weeks working for a host organisation in this course. You’ll have the chance to test-drive a future career, boost your CV and gain real work experience. There is also the opportunity to undertake an Experiential Learning module, where you’ll apply what you’ve learned on the course to real-life scenarios and projects.

Our Experiential Overseas Learning module offers a unique opportunity to participate in a short-term placement around the world. This course also offers the exciting opportunity to study abroad for a full academic year at one of our bilateral exchange partners or through ISEP (International Student Exchange Programs), a network of over 300 additional higher education institutions worldwide.

If you choose a degree with a Placement Year, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year’s paid professional placement at the end of your second year, where you’ll experience the workplace, apply your learning and build connections for your future.

Foundation Year courses have been designed for students who do not have the necessary academic qualifications needed to enter directly into the first year of a degree but who have the ability and commitment to do so. Once the Foundation Year has been completed successfully, you can then go on to complete your degree.

BA Creative Writing contains core modules at each level of study.

At Level 4, students are introduced to basic principles of creative writing, with seminars and lectures on writing poetry, prose fiction and drama.

Level 5 builds upon this foundation with more complex learning and writing in flash fiction and poetry.

At Level 6, students are able to develop further their scriptwriting and longer fiction writing. They will tackle a large-scale writing project under supervision.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

This course is delivered in three terms of ten weeks each. In each term students study up to 40 credits.

Students should expect to spend an average of 40 hours per week on their studies which is made up of a mix of lectures, workshops, peer-led seminars, asynchronous learning, tutorial time with staff, using the University’s library, working with peers and preparing work for assessment and independent study.

Teaching will be delivered by experienced academics and practitioners in the subject. This will be supplemented by occasional guest lecturers and speakers.

There will be a broad range of assessment methods so that students are exposed to the different types of task they might encounter in subsequent studies or future career development. These will include coursework in the form of written essays, performed and pre-recorded performances. portfolios of writing, creative and reflective pieces (both long and short form) and artifact manufacture. We continuously review the assessment methods used in order that they adequately prepare students for graduate-level employment.