Creative Writing (Full-time) (BA Hons)
Our Creative Writing programme, guided by the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE), is designed to nurture and inspire budding writers. This course provides a supportive yet critical community where you can develop your skills and create new works. Through carefully designed modules, you will enhance your creative and critical awareness of the elements and techniques that make for effective writing.
In your first year, you will explore poetry, prose, and drama, laying a solid foundation in various forms of writing. As you progress into the second and third years, the focus broadens to include the writing of voice, form, and place, allowing you to refine and expand your creative abilities.
The programme includes specialised modules that focus on fiction and poetry writing. These modules are complemented by a strong emphasis on the critical, self-reflective, and editorial aspects of writing practice. You will also be able to use your research skills to produce an extended independent project, similar to a dissertation.
Core skills such as writing, research, and editing are essential parts of the course. These are further enriched by modules that introduce you to publication and performance. You will gain insights into the creative industries and understand how writing skills can be applied in different contexts.
Our programme also prepares you for real-world writing scenarios. You will have opportunities to explore digital content creation, screenwriting, journalism, and even writing for games. This diverse approach ensures you develop a versatile writing portfolio, making you well-equipped for various roles in the literary world and beyond.
By the end of this programme, you will have a thorough understanding of the writing craft, a strong body of work, and a clear sense of how to navigate and succeed in the creative sectors. Whether your goal is to become a professional writer, work in the publishing industry, or apply your skills in other creative fields, this programme offers the knowledge and experience to help you achieve your ambitions.
Course details
- Full-time
- Blended (On-campus)
- English
Tuition Fees 24/25
Home (Full-time): £9,000 per year
Overseas (Full-time): £13,500 per year
Why choose this course?
What you will learn
Our teaching philosophy is centred on fostering a supportive and engaging environment, where students are encouraged to develop their unique voice and skills. We believe in a balance of creative freedom and critical guidance, ensuring each student grows as a writer. Students will explore different genre options and will be supported by a range of different writers throughout the course.
In the first year, you will explore poetry, prose, and drama through introductory modules. These foundational courses will help you understand the basics of different genres and forms. You will also participate in workshop sessions, discussing your work with peers and receiving feedback from tutors to refine your writing skills.
(20 Credits)
(20 Credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 Credits)
This year broadens your focus, with an emphasis on the writing of voice, form, and place. You will delve deeper into fiction and poetry and begin to explore the critical and self-reflective aspects of writing. Modules on research and archiving will prepare you to produce an extended independent project.
(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)
In the final year, you will concentrate on creating a major piece of work, potentially leading to publication. You will engage in advanced workshops, receiving one-on-one tuition and support from various writers. Additionally, you will learn about different aspects of the writing industry, including reviewing, editing, and writing to brief, preparing you for a career in the creative industries.
(40 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
Course Disclaimer
-
We listen to student feedback and insights from industry and from professionals to ensure that course content is high-quality and up-to-date, and that it offers the best possible preparation for your future career or study goals.
For this reason, there might be modifications to the content of your course over time, to keep up to date with changes in the subject area or in the sector. If a module is no longer running, we’ll make sure to keep you informed, and work with you to choose a different suitable module.
testimonial
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
-
Grades are important; however, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We are interested in creative people that demonstrate a strong commitment to their chosen subject area and therefore we welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds.
To assess student suitability for their chosen course we normally arrange interviews for all applicants at which your skills, achievements and life experience will be considered as well as your qualifications.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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