Creative Writing and English Literature
Entry requirements
A level
Typical offer BBC (112 UCAS points from three or more A levels).
Access to HE Diploma
Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject is acceptable for entry. You will need 60 credits overall with 6 credits with Distinction and 24 at Merit and level 2 passes in Communication units.QAA accredited course required.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
A minimum of 15 points at the higher level and a minimum of 4 points in English.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
A minimum of 114 UCAS tariff points to include four passes at Higher level.
UCAS Tariff
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**Why study this course?**
Study on a degree that combines theoretical study with the development of your own creative voice as a writer. Taught by experienced poets and novelists, you'll increase your understanding of literature through the study of the historical and contemporary genres in national and international contexts. Publishing, the arts, education, communications and business sectors are just a few of the areas open to you after graduation.
**More about this course**
This combined degree in Creative Writing and English Literature gives budding writers the best of both worlds. You may want to be a performance poet, adapt a work of literature for the screen or stage, think about literature from a philosophical perspective or find out more about the publishing industry. The blend of modules on this course makes all of these goals achievable.
The English Literature modules cover all the major genres of poetry, drama and prose, which helps you gain an understanding of their development through history. You’ll study major literary and cultural movements such as romanticism and modernism, and will have the opportunity to choose niche specialisms such as the literature of childhood or the literature of London.
On the Creative Writing modules, you’ll learn how to edit your work and develop your writing across literary and commercial genres as well as developing the ability to think critically about the cultural, ethical and political dimensions of writing. The skills you'll gain by editing and critiquing your own work will be valuable when working on essays in other areas.
You'll benefit from our exceptional facilities and have the resources of the British Library at your fingertips. London is a vast hub of literary and cultural history, and you will benefit from organised visits to theatres, galleries, libraries, archives and events, giving context and support to your studies.
You'll be taught by experienced academics who are dedicated to undergraduate teaching, as well as published poets, novelists and dramatists, whose knowledge of the publishing industry can give you the valuable professional insight needed to kick-start your career. Staff are dedicated to helping you get the most out of your degree and the enthusiastic, high quality teaching on this course has been highly rated by students.
After you graduate you will be an excellent candidate for a career in publishing, the creative and cultural industries, the arts, education and the communications sector.
**What our students say**
"The lecturers and tutors have all been enthusiastic in both subjects and for the institution they are teaching in. The course has introduced me to works I would have otherwise not known and opened my mind to new areas in literature. The partnership between English Literature and Creative Writing has created interesting opportunities to explore my own creative writing."
Former student, National Student Survey
Modules
Example Year 1 modules include:
Romantics to Victorians (core, 30 credits)
Theory and Practice of Drama (core, 30 credits)
Theory and Practice of Poetry (core, 30 credits)
Writer's World (core, 30 credits)
Writing and Editing Fiction and Non-fiction (core, 30 credits)
Example Year 2 modules include:
Genre Fiction (core, 30 credits)
Victorians to Moderns (core, 30 credits)
Writing and Editing Fiction and Nonfiction (core, 30 credits)
Poetry and Performance (option, 15 credits)
Research Methodology and Ethics in Creative Writing (option, 15 credits)
The Craft of Fiction (option, 15 credits)
The Literature of Childhood (option, 15 credits), and The Short Story (option, 15 credits)
Example Year 3 modules include:
Project (Creative Writing and English Literature) (core, 30 credits)
Why Literature Matters (core, 30 credits)
From Life Writing to Fiction (alternative core, 30 credits)
Moderns to Contemporaries (alternative core, 30 credits)
From Page to Performance: Stage and Screen (option, 15 credits)
Literary London (option, 15 credits)
Publishing and the Industry (option, 15 credits)
Assessment methods
You'll be assessed through a mixture of critical essays on literary topics and portfolios of creative work produced in relation to workshops and critiques.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Holloway
School of Art, Architecture and Design
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Literature in english
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
Literature in english
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£18k
£21k
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.
Literature in english
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£21k
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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Teaching Excellence Framework (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?
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