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Writing and English Literature

Entry requirements


96 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent)

UCAS Tariff Points accepted.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above.

UCAS Tariff

96

UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent)

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Creative writing

**Develop as a creative and professional writer while exploring the writing that has shaped, and been shaped by, different societies by studying our BA (Hons) Writing and English Literature degree in Cambridge.**

Join a course that scored 92% for Academic Support in the National Student Survey 2023. Explore professional writing techniques and learn to write compelling narratives whether you want to write poetry, drama, short fiction, news, features, or something else. You’ll improve your writing skills with invaluable feedback from professional writers, and workshops with your fellow students.

You’ll also find out how English literature is shaped by its historical and cultural context, and how, in turn, it influences individual readers and the whole of society. You’ll also learn about many other subjects, including history, politics, religion, psychology and history of art, which will enrich your writing. Your deeper understanding of literary texts will improve your abilities as a writer.

You can tailor your Writing and English Literature degree to your ideal career with our wide range of optional modules, including work-based modules in Years 2 and 3. We’ll support you to find work placements relevant to your chosen career, and you’ll have opportunities to take part in live briefs with our partner organisations. Some of our students recently worked with Slow Theatre Company, producing a series plays for their Women in Red Wiki project to increase awareness of the under-representation of women on Wikipedia. Our course options also allow you to take a placement year as part of your course.

You’ll also have the option to learn a language with our Anglia Language Programme in Years 2 and 3, and/or study abroad for a semester and apply for funding to help cover the cost.

You’ll develop many skills besides writing, including literacy, communication, research, creative thinking, self-reliance and teamwork, all of which can help you start a career in many different areas.

The impact of our English Language & Literature research achieved 'world-leading' in the Research Excellence Framework 2021.

**Outstanding student support**

Join our student community and:
- benefit from award-winning learning facilities, including extensive library and IT resources

- learn from expert staff who will guide your research interests and career development

- access support, should you need it, with study skills, careers advice, health and wellbeing, and more.

- make the most of studying in the picturesque city of Cambridge, with its wealth of literary connections and opportunities

**Careers**

Our BA (Hons) Writing and English Literature students go on to successful careers in a variety of fields, including journalism, teaching, writing, television, radio, the music industry, gallery work and arts administration.

The literacy, creativity, problem-solving, research, analysis and communication skills our Writing and English Literature students gain are highly valued by employers. You’ll also learn to work well independently and as part of a team.

You could also learn more, develop a specialism or start an exciting career in research with our Masters degrees in English Literature or Creative Writing. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

**Employability and personal career development**

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

You will need to dedicate time outside of your course to develop your employability, through placements, internships or volunteering or through our partner scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). You can evidence this experience on your CV and talk about it in interviews to give you that all important edge.

Modules

Year 1 core modules: A History of English Literature 1: Writing Matters; A History of English Literature 2: Reading Literature and Theory; Introduction to Imaginative Writing; Screenwriting: The Short Film; Fundamentals of Publishing. Year 2 core modules: Writing Short Fiction; Romantic Conflicts; Victorian Literature and Culture; Writing for the Stage; Ruskin Module. Year 2 optional modules: Reading Beyond Britain; Writing World War One: Trauma, Memory, Resistance; Science Fiction; Contemporary Issues in Stylistics; The European Novel: Desire and Transgression; Modernism and the City; History of English; Dialogue and Debate: Renaissance Literature; Careers in Writing: Editing and Copywriting; Writing Creative Non-Fiction; Anglia Language Programme. Year 3 core modules: Writing Poetry; Contemporary Fiction. Year 3 optional modules: Major Project Writing; Major Project English Literature; Elizabeth Gaskell and the Brontës; Renaissance Magic; Spectacle and Representation in Renaissance Drama; Careers with English; Romantic Ideals; New Media Discourse; Literature and Exile: Displacement, Identity, Self; Film Journalism; Theorising Children's Literature; Anglia Language Programme; Worldbuilding 1 and 2; Publishing in Practice; The Business of Being a Writer: Craft and Professional Practice; Novel Writing: Long-Form Prose. Modules are subject to change and availability.

Assessment methods

You’ll show your progress through many methods, reflecting the varied nature of your course. These will include writing portfolios, critical commentaries, presentations, journals and log books, critical essays, film reviews and analyses, internet, print and video production, and commissions. You’ll also take part in 'crits', in which you’ll present and defend your work.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Cambridge Campus

Department:

Cambridge School of Creative Industries

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

90%
Creative writing

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Creative writing

Teaching and learning

90%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
95%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

90%
Library resources
80%
IT resources
75%
Course specific equipment and facilities
85%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

86%
UK students
14%
International students
31%
Male students
69%
Female students
77%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Creative writing

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
82%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

15%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
12%
Teaching and educational professionals
12%
Childcare and related personal services

The jobs market for this subject - which includes creative writing and scriptwriting courses - is not currently one of the strongest, so unemployment rates are currently looking quite high overall, with salaries on the lower side. But nevertheless, most graduates get jobs quickly. Graduates often go into careers as authors and writers and are also found in other roles where the ability to write well is prized, such as journalism, translation, teaching and advertising and in web content. Be aware that freelancing and self-employment is common is common in the arts, as are what is termed 'portfolio careers', having several part-time jobs or commissions at once - although graduates from this subject were a little more likely than many other creative arts graduates to be in conventional full time permanent contracts, so that might be worth bearing in mind.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Creative writing

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£16k

£16k

£22k

£22k

£24k

£24k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here