Program Overview

The University of Strathclyde offers a BA Hons English & Creative Writing program that combines critical analysis of language and literature with technical and artistic instruction in creative writing. This program allows students to develop their skills in reading, interpretation, and writing, preparing them for a range of careers in publishing, teaching, and more.

Key Facts

• UCAS Code: Q301
• Applicant Visit Day: March each year
• Ranked: 5th for English (Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024) / 1st in Scotland for Creative Writing (Complete University Guide 2025)

Study with Us

The program offers students the opportunity to study English language and literature while developing their voice as a writer. Students will work with experienced, award-winning published novelists, poets, and screenwriters to hone their creative practice in a range of literary genres. The program also provides a dynamic, creative community of emerging writers, allowing students to collaborate and share their work.

Course Content

The program covers a range of topics, including:

• Year 1: Introduction to the study of English at university level, including the historical and critical analysis of literary texts and creative writing.
• Year 2: Writing Through Time 1 and 2, which give students the confidence to discuss the historical range of English literature.
• Year 3: A range of options, including Writing Short Fiction and Poetry, Dramatic Writing, and The American Novel.
• Year 4: A dissertation in Creative Writing, as well as a range of research and practice-led options.

Assessment

Most classes are assessed by a mixture of essays or other written work. For some classes, there are exams and in some cases, oral work is assessed.

Learning and Teaching

In Year 1 and 2, core classes involve two lectures and one tutorial per week. In Year 3 and 4, most classes involve one lecture and one tutorial per week, with some involving two-hour tutorials and no lectures.

Entry Requirements

• Standard Entry Requirements: AAAA (1st sitting) or AAAAB (2nd sitting) in Highers, including English and at least one other social science subject.
• Minimum Entry Requirements: AABB (1st sitting) or AABBB (2nd sitting) in Highers, including English at B and at least one other social science subject.
• Preferred Subjects: Classical Studies, Drama, Economics, Gaelic, Geography, History, Modern Studies, Modern Language, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, and Sociology.

Fees and Funding

• Scotland: £1,820
• England, Wales & Northern Ireland: £9,535
• Republic of Ireland: If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status.
• International: £21,550

Careers

Graduates of the program have gone on to success in a wide range of careers, including publishing, the Civil Service, management, marketing, journalism, creative writing, administration, and teaching. Employers value the program's graduates for their ability to express themselves well and think critically.

• Year 2:
• Writing Through Time 1 & 2: Situate texts in context, from genre to historical period and theory.
• The Construction of Scotland: Explores how Scottish fiction and drama of the 20th and 21st centuries create the idea of Scotland.
• Making the Modern Human: Examines a range of literary texts and how they interpret and create the idea of ‘human’ at different points in history.
• Year 3:
• Writing Short Fiction & Poetry: Studies contemporary short stories and lyric poetry.
• The American Novel: Introduces major forms and themes in the 20th century American novel.
• Victorian Literature: Studies the literature of the Victorian period (1837-1901), focusing on fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fictional prose.
• Twentieth Century Literature: Explores twentieth-century English literature with a focus on fiction, poetry, and drama.
• Sex, Revenge & Corruption in Renaissance Drama: Focuses on drama, a key genre in the period from the 1580s to the closure of the playhouses in 1642.
• Language in Business & Organisations: Explores the ways in which language is used in businesses and other organizations.
• The Body: Theories & Representations: Examines how the world of sensory experience has been rendered in theory, literature, and film.
• TextLab: Brings together students and staff from English/Humanities and Computer and Information Science to work on research projects in the field of Digital Humanities.
• English & Creative Writing Work Placement: Offers practical, work-based experience in a field related to the degree.
• Year 4:
• The Dissertation: An individual project involving original academic research under one-on-one supervision with a member of staff.
• Writing Gender in Contemporary Literature: Examines how contemporary authors make sense of gendered experience.
• 21st Century Science Fiction: Introduces twenty-first-century science fiction from across the globe.
• New Narratives: Explores new possibilities and writing for new markets and platforms.
• Present Day Victorians: Considers how and why neo-Victorian cultural products have problematized Victorian discourses.
• Victorian Gothic: Traces the development of the Gothic across the nineteenth century, from its origins in the Romantic period to its heights in works like Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
• Wild in the Renaissance: Introduces key canonical texts from the period – plays, poetry, and court masques – by writers including Shakespeare, Jonson, and Milton.
• Sixties Britain: Literature, Culture, Counterculture: Explores the legacy of the 1960s, its representation through a variety of key literary, cultural, and critical texts.
• Soviet Literature in Translation 1917-1967: Uses a particular place and historical era (the first 50 years of the Soviet Union) to look at the relationship between socio-political context and literary form.
• Writing fiction and nonfiction: Focuses on the commonalities between, and differences between, fiction and nonfiction writing.
• Creative Writing Portfolio: Encourages students to look at work that is based on other work, examining the layering process involved in adapting a piece of underlying material either for literature or for the screen.

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Assessment:

• Most classes are assessed by a mixture of essays or other written work.
• Some classes have exams.
• Some classes assess oral work.

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Teaching:

• In Year 1 and year 2 core classes, each class involves two lectures and one tutorial per week.
• In the second year option classes there is one lecture and one tutorial per week.
• The rest of the teaching is in the other two subjects.
• In Years 3 and 4, most classes involve one lecture and one tutorial per week; some involve two-hour tutorials and no lectures.
• A large part of the week is spent reading in preparation for classes.

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Careers:

• Graduates have gone on to success in a very wide range of careers including in publishing, the Civil Service, management, marketing, journalism, creative writing, administration, and teaching.
• Employers' value graduates' ability to express themselves well and think critically.

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Other:

• The program combines critical analysis of language and literature with technical and artistic instruction in creative writing.
• Students will work with experienced, award-winning published authors to hone their creative practice in a range of literary genres.
• Students will develop their skills in presentation, verbal communication, and critical thinking.
• The program offers a work placement opportunity to gain practical experience.

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England, Wales & Northern Ireland

Assuming no change in fees policy over the period, the total amount payable by undergraduate students will be capped. For students commencing study in 2024/25, this is capped at £27,750 (with the exception of the MPharm and integrated Masters programmes), MPharm students pay £9,250 for each of the four years. Students studying on integrated Masters degree programmes pay an additional £9,250 for the Masters year with the exception of those undertaking a full-year industrial placement where a separate placement fee will apply.

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International

£19,600 University preparation programme fees

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Additional costs

International students may have associated visa and immigration costs.

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Overview:

• Founded in 1796 as Anderson's Institution
• Received its Royal Charter in 1964, becoming the University of Strathclyde
• Consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the UK for engineering and technology
• Home to the Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), a world-leading research center in metal forming
• Notable alumni include Sir James Black (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Sir David Murray (former CEO of Rangers Football Club), and Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell (astrophysicist)

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Student Life:

• Over 23,000 students from over 100 countries
• 150+ student clubs and societies, including sports teams, cultural groups, and academic societies
• Student support services include counseling, health, and disability support
• Campus facilities include a sports center, library, and student union

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Academics:

• Offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in engineering, science, business, law, and social sciences
• Faculty includes world-renowned experts in their fields
• Teaching methodologies emphasize hands-on learning and industry engagement
• Academic support services include tutoring, writing centers, and language support
• Unique academic programs include the Strathclyde MBA, which is ranked among the top 100 MBAs in the world

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Top Reasons to Study Here:

• Excellent reputation for teaching and research, particularly in engineering and technology
• Strong industry connections and opportunities for internships and placements
• Specialized facilities such as the AFRC and the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
• Vibrant student life with a diverse and inclusive community
• Located in the heart of Glasgow, a vibrant and cosmopolitan city

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Services:

• Counseling and mental health support
• Health center with a range of medical services
• Accommodation services with a variety of on-campus and off-campus options
• Library resources with over 1 million books and journals
• Technology support including IT services and free Wi-Fi
• Career development services with support for job searching, CV writing, and interview preparation