Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

English and Creative Writing

Entry requirements


104-112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels, including Grade B at A level English Language, Literature or Creative Writing, or a related subject (e.g. History, Philosophy, Film Studies, Sociology)

Pass a named Access to HE Diploma (e.g. Preferably English, Humanities or Combined), with at least 33 credits at Merit and/or Distinction.

Considered in combination

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26-28

Including Higher Level English or a related subject (e.g. Creative Writing, History, Philosophy, Film Studies, Sociology) at Grade 5. Mathematics accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H3,H3,H3,H4,H4

104-112 UCAS tariff points, including H3 or above in English Language, Literature or Creative Writing, or a related subject (e.g. History, Philosophy, Film Studies, Sociology). Mathematics accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

Considered in combination

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D-D*D*

Usually in combination with other qualifications, please contact the Institution for further information.

Considered in combination

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Usually in combination with other qualifications, please contact the Institution for further information.

Considered in combination

104-112 tariff points from a minimum of two Advanced Highers, including Grade B in English Language, Literature or Creative Writing, or a related subject (e.g. History, Philosophy, Film Studies, Sociology) English and Mathematics accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

In combination with Advanced Highers

As a University we will continue to review T Level qualifications as more information becomes available in the couple of months. Please refer to individual course pages on our website for specific entry criteria

UCAS Tariff

104-112

Including a minimum of 2 A Levels, including Grade B at A level English Language, Literature or Creative Writing, or a related subject (e.g. History, Philosophy, Film Studies, Sociology), excluding General Studies.

Considered in combination

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subjects

Creative writing

English studies

Want to find your voice? Immerse yourself in the literature and culture that shaped who we are now, while honing your own craft as a writer. Learn how to write poetry, fiction, non-fiction, screenplays and more. Become an effective researcher and experience the professional writing process. Read, write, think and grow – set your imagination soaring. Studying English and Creative Writing broadens your horizons while giving you the skills needed to excel in the contemporary world.

* Personalise your degree by choosing from **a wide variety of optional modules** in literary studies and creative writing, or widen your horizons by taking specialist modules in other subjects in the school.

* Learn from **internationally recognised research-active staff** and **published and award-winning writers and journalists**.

* Benefit from **assessment through coursework**, with no written exams.

* Make the most of **a rich cultural life** with The Arts Institute programme and the University’s links with local cultural organisations, like The Box and Theatre Royal.

Modules

In your first year, you'll study historical, theoretical, aesthetic and creative approaches to literary analysis. You’ll read literature which investigates the making of the modern world; engage with exciting theories of reading such as eco-criticism, psychoanalysis and Marxism; and write creatively in a wide range of genres including prose, poetry, drama and professional writing. You will also learn key research and essay-writing skills.

In your second year, you’ll write creatively in many forms including theatre and script-writing, autobiography and biography, travel writing, and literary adaptation. You will hone your skills as a writer in weekly workshops with tutors and peers. You’ll also study the writers who've shaped our literary canon, taking core modules in Romantic and Victorian literature, and selecting from a range of specialist creative, literary and work-based learning options. You’ll also have the opportunity to take specialist modules in other subjects in the School.

Undertake an optional placement year where you can build a number of key employability skills. Put theory onto practice, get a taste for your chosen career and expand upon your professional network.

In your final year, you’ll hone your reading and writing. You’ll study modern experimental writing and choose from literary and creative modules focusing on specific forms, from science fiction to modern poetry and screenwriting. Or, you’ll have a further opportunity to choose a module from another subject in the school if you wish to branch out. You’ll also design and develop your own year-long dissertation project, which you'll work on with focused support from your personal supervisor.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

Assessment methods

100% of assessment is by coursework.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Plymouth

Department:

School of Society and Culture

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.

72%
Creative writing
77%
English studies

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

67%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
67%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
56%
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

44%
Library resources
88%
IT resources
78%
Course specific equipment and facilities
56%
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?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
35%
Male students
65%
Female students
86%
2:1 or above
18%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
D

English studies (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

84%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
73%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
61%
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

71%
Library resources
96%
IT resources
85%
Course specific equipment and facilities
69%
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?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
20%
Male students
80%
Female students
89%
2:1 or above
14%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
D

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.

£16,000
low
Average annual salary
88%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

24%
Other elementary services occupations
12%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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.

English studies (non-specific)

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.

£16,000
low
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
37%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Other elementary services occupations
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
10%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

English is one of the most popular degree subjects and in 2015, more than 11,000 students graduated with English degrees - although this does represent a fall from recent years. As good communication is so important to modern business, you can find English graduates in all parts of the economy, although obviously, you can't expect to get a job in science or engineering (computing is a different matter - it's not common but good language skills can be useful in the computing industry). There's little difference in outcomes between English language and English literature degrees, so don't worry and choose the one that suits you best. More English grads took another postgraduate course when they finished their degree than grads from any other subject - this is an important option. Teacher training was a common choice of second degree, as was further study of English, and journalism courses. But many English graduates changed course and trained in law, marketing or other languages -or even subjects further afield such as computing, psychology and even nursing. This is a very flexible degree which gives you a lot of options

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.

£15k

£15k

£19k

£19k

£23k

£23k

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.

English studies (non-specific)

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

£15k

£15k

£19k

£19k

£23k

£23k

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.

Share this page

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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