Creative Writing with a Foundation Year (Foundation, BA Hons)
The Creative Writing with a Foundation Year degree offers an inspiring and supportive environment for aspiring writers. This programme, guided by the standards of the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE), is designed to build your confidence and skills while encouraging critical engagement with your creative work.
Through a thoughtfully structured curriculum, you will explore the fundamental elements of writing across various forms, including poetry, prose, and drama. As you develop your craft, the focus shifts to more advanced techniques, such as the writing of voice, form, and place, allowing you to experiment and refine your style.
Key to this programme are the specialised modules in fiction and poetry writing, where you will hone your skills in storytelling and self-expression. These are balanced by an emphasis on critical thinking and self-reflective practices, helping you to assess and improve your own work. You will also learn how to research effectively and apply these skills to create an independent project, showcasing your abilities as a writer.
The course goes beyond creative expression, equipping you with essential skills in editing, research, and publication. Dedicated modules on performance and publication provide insights into how to bring your work to audiences, while also offering a deeper understanding of the creative industries.
You will gain valuable knowledge about how writing can be adapted to different contexts, from digital platforms to traditional media.
With a focus on real-world applications, the programme introduces you to writing for diverse mediums, including screenwriting, journalism, digital content creation, and games. This varied approach ensures that your writing portfolio reflects both creativity and versatility, preparing you for opportunities in publishing, media, and beyond.
By the end of this degree, you will possess a comprehensive understanding of the writing craft, alongside a polished portfolio and a clear sense of direction within the creative sectors. Whether your ambition is to become a professional writer, contribute to the publishing world, or use your skills in other creative fields, this programme lays the foundation for success.
Course details
- Full-time
- Blended (On-campus)
- English
Tuition Fees 25/26
Home (Full-time): £9,535 per year
Overseas (Full-time): £15,525 per year
Why choose this course?
What you will learn
We believe in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression. Our teaching approach combines rigorous academic frameworks with opportunities for hands-on, practical application, ensuring you grow as both a writer and a thinker. Through supportive mentorship, we aim to develop your unique voice while equipping you with the skills to excel in diverse creative and professional contexts.
The foundation year establishes a strong base in academic skills and creative practice. You will explore core principles of writing, research, and critical thinking while building confidence in your ability to engage with various forms of creative and analytical expression. This year ensures you are well-prepared for the challenges of degree-level study.
(20 credits)
(10 credits)
(10 credits)
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(10 credits)
Optional
(20 credits)
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This year introduces you to key aspects of creative writing and you’ll explore poetry, prose and drama. Alongside studying literary traditions, you will learn to experiment with language, form, and voice. You will have an opportunity to develop your unique style while fostering an understanding of the craft’s broader contexts and conventions.
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 Credits)
This year dives deeper into specific genres, such as fiction and poetry, alongside a wide range of optional modules. Critical self-reflection becomes a central focus, helping you refine your writing process and editorial abilities. Collaborative projects and exposure to industry practices expand your awareness of real-world applications.
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(60 Credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
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Your final year centres on professionalisation and independence. You will undertake an independent project, similar to a dissertation, demonstrating mastery of your chosen genre or format.
(40 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
Course Disclaimer
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The modules outlined above provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this course based on recent academic teaching. We continuously review our courses to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
You’ll typically complete 120 credits per year of study on a full-time course. For more information visit our Student Agreement.
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Staff
Our People
You will be taught and supported by a wide range of professional staff and teams here to help you get the university experience you are looking for. Our teaching staff were ranked 2nd in Wales for Teaching, Assessment and Feedback and Academic Support (NSS 2024) meaning that the support and feedback you get will help you learn and develop strong academic skills. Our students have placed us 1st in Wales for Learning Opportunities and Student Voice (NSS 2024) meaning that there are a wide range of opportunities available to enhance your studies and that students play an active role in shaping their learning experiences. Our commitment to your learning has seen our students place us as 1st in Wales and joint 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction (Times Higher Education, 2024, ‘Overall Positivity’ measure). Find out more about our academic staff who teach across our courses.
Further information
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GCSEs or relevant professional experience.
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The programme is assessed in a variety of ways and will include several of the following types of assessment: essays of 1,000 to 4,000 words in length, document analyses, book reviews, short reports and reflective journals, timed tests, take-home exams, field journals, posters, group and individual presentations, dissertations of 10,000 words, wikis, commentaries and film evaluations.
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The Faculty has estimated on the assumption that students buy new copies of the books. Students may also choose to spend money on printing drafts of work.
Students may spend up to £300 per year on books and additional related materials.
Students are expected to submit two hard copies of their final project, the estimated cost for binding these is £20.
Optional Field trip:
Faculty works to ensure that there are a range of fieldwork and field trip options available both locally and internationally. Thus students can opt to take either more expensive or less expensive placements. The Faculty subsidises these but the cost each year is dependent on airfare, location, and currency exchange rates. Below are the upper end of expected costs based on where students have currently done placements.Fieldwork (depending on where student decides to do fieldwork): c. £500 - £1,500
Individual trips: c. £5 - £50 -
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit our Scholarships and Bursaries section.
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Career and employment opportunities are very broad and include:
- Administrative and managerial jobs
- Community Work
- Freelance work such as copywriting, editing
- Independent and commissioned creative writing
- Marketing and fundraising
- Publishing
- Teaching
- Writing for film, television and media