Program Overview

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English and Creative Writing BA (Hons)

Overview

Develop your creative skills under the guidance of published authors, poets, and playwrights on our English and Creative Writing degree course.

Key Information

UCAS Code:

QW38

Typical Offer:

112-120 UCAS points to include a minimum of 2 A levels

Study Mode and Duration:

• 3 years full-time
• 4 years sandwich with work placement

Start Date:

• September 2025

Course Information

Overview

Take your love of literature to a higher level and refine your writing skills with academic rigour on our English and Creative Writing degree course.

Explore literature through an academic lens in theory and in practice, enhancing your understanding of each through participation in the other.

You'll learn to analyse literature as a critic, historian, and linguist, and from the perspective of future creators, storytellers, playwrights, and poets – all of which will transform your writing skills.

Develop techniques for producing short stories, poetry, and plays, and learn to dissect, critique, and perform your own writing.

By the end of your degree, you’ll open up professional career paths and postgraduate routes eager for writing and literary expertise, including editing and publishing, teaching, and broadcasting.

Course Highlights

• Take part in Portsmouth's annual Comic Con for the latest developments in creative writing and literature, popular culture, fan communities, and technology – course lecturers and students are panelists
• Build your writing portfolio by contributing to our course blog The Eldon Review and our local news zine Star & Crescent
• Contribute to cultural preservation projects with staff members, such as the Portsmouth Literary Map and the Writing Literary Portsmouth blog, to enhance your research practice
• Learn from experts in both creative writing and English literature: from published novelists and industry-active writers, to renowned specialists of 19th to 21st-century literature and culture
• Gain valuable professional experience by taking an optional placement
• Spend a year or a semester studying abroad to discover another culture and way of learning
• Take advantage of our extra-curricular Institute-Wide Language Programme to improve your linguistic skills and earn credits

Entry Requirements

Typical Offer (September 2025 start)

• A levels - BBB-BBC
• UCAS points - 112-120 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent, including a relevant subject
• BTECs (Extended Diplomas) - DDM-DMM
• International Baccalaureate - 25

You may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs - see full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.

Selection Process

Applicants without a relevant subject or experience will be asked to provide a portfolio to support their application.

For more information on how to put together a portfolio, read our Creative Writing courses portfolio guide.

English Language Requirements

• English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Facilities and Specialist Software

Writing and Scripting Software

Pen film, TV, and stage masterpieces using industry-wide scriptwriting software such as Celtx and Final Draft.

Open Access Suite

Our open-plan space includes PCs and Macs equipped with Adobe Creative Suite and other professional software.

University Library

Our University Library is home to not only publications you'll need for your studies but also rare archives and special book collections that will help kindle your writing fire.

Careers and Opportunities

An excellent writer and speaker will prosper in a vast field of career opportunities.

You’ll graduate from this course with outstanding writing and speaking skills, as well as proofreading and grammar proficiency. All of these qualities will help you from the moment you write your first job application.

You’ll also have developed excellent skills in imagination, empathy, and research, which are valuable assets to any employer.

Graduate Areas

Areas graduates from our Creative Writing courses have worked in include:

• Creative writing (prose, poetry, script)
• Advertising and marketing
• Arts and events management
• Local and community broadcasting
• Teaching
• Stand-up comedy
• Travel industry

Graduate Roles

Roles graduates from our Creative Writing courses have gone onto include:

• Novelist
• Poet
• Playwright
• Teacher
• Copywriter
• Journalist
• Theatre manager
• Editorial assistant

Graduate Destinations

Some of our graduates have landed spots in big companies and organisations, including:

• BBC Radio 1
• Red Magazine

Modules

Year 1

• Body Politics - 40 credits
• Telling Tales - 20 credits
• The Short Story: Murder, Madness and Experimentation - 20 credits
• Tips, Tricks, Techniques - 20 credits
• True Stories - 20 credits

Year 2

• Literary Prizes and Public Acclaim - 20 credits
• Finding Form - Fiction - 20 credits
• Finding Form - Nonfiction - 20 credits
• Crime Writing - 20 credits
• Dystopian and Apocalyptic Environments: Ecocrisis in the Literary Imagination - 20 credits

Year 3

• Creative Writing Dissertation - 40 credits
• Dissertation (English Literature) - 40 credits
• Advanced Screenwriting - 20 credits
• Finding Form - Fact and Fiction - 20 credits
• Holocaust Literatures - 20 credits

How You'll Spend Your Time

One of the main differences between school or college and university is how much control you have over your learning.

We use a blended learning approach to teaching, which means you’ll take part in both face-to-face and online activities during your studies.

Supporting You

The amount of timetabled teaching you'll get on your degree might be less than what you're used to at school or college, but you'll also get support via video, phone, and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed.

You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

Types of Support

• Personal tutor
• Student support advisor
• Academic skills tutors
• Creative skills tutors
• IT and computing support
• Wellbeing and mental health support
• Disability advice and additional support
• Library support

Course Costs and Funding

Tuition Fees

• UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students - £9,535 a year (may be subject to annual increase)
• EU students - £9,535 a year, including our Transition Scholarship (may be subject to annual increase)
• International students - £17,200 a year (subject to annual increase)

Additional Course Costs

• Accommodation and living costs
• Recommended reading
• General costs
• Final year project
• Placements
• Placement year and study abroad tuition fees

Apply

To start this course in 2025, apply through UCAS. You'll need:

• the UCAS course code - QW38
• our institution code - P80

Apply now through UCAS

You can also sign up to an Open Day to:

• Tour our campus, facilities, and halls of residence
• Speak with lecturers and chat with our students
• Get information about where to live, how to fund your studies, and which clubs and societies to join

If you're new to the application process, read our guide on applying for an undergraduate course.

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