Program Overview

English Literature with Creative Writing BA Honours

Overview

The English Literature with Creative Writing BA Honours degree at Newcastle University combines critical and creative approaches to literature, allowing students to develop their writing skills and explore a wide range of literary texts.

Quality and Ranking

• 19th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2026 (English category)
• 7th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2026 (Creative Writing category)
• Global Top 140 University – QS World University Rankings 2026
• Top 85 for English Language and Literature - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• Top 75 for Arts and Humanities - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• 42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• 14th in the UK – Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026 (English category)
• 3rd in the UK – Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026 (Creative Writing category)
• Top 25 in the UK and Top 100 in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024
• Top 125 for Arts and Humanities – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• Global Top 160 University - Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Modules and Learning

The degree is divided into three stages, each lasting one academic year. Students will take a combination of compulsory and optional modules, including:

• Introduction to Creative Writing
• Transformations
• Drama, Theatre and Performance
• Doing Criticism
• Beginnings
• Revolutions
• Creative Practice
• Poetry Workshop
• Theatre Script Workshop
• Prose Workshop
• Screenwriting Workshop
• Renaissance Bodies
• Writing New Worlds
• Revolutionary Britain
• Stagecraft in Early Drama
• Victorian Passions: Victorian Values
• Contemporary Cultures
• Literatures of Decolonisation
• Early 20th Century American Literature
• Documentary Storytelling: Theory and Practice
• Landscapes of American Modernism
• Planetary Imaginations: Literature in the Time of Environmental Crisis
• Literature and Human Rights
• Reading Freud: An Introduction to the Principles of Psychoanalytic Theory
• Freedom and Imagination: US Literature
• Popular Romance and Contemporary Political Discourse
• Exposing Ourselves: Privacy, Contemporary Performance and the Public Sphere
• Devolutionary Fictions: Literature, Politics, and the British State since 1960
• Border Fictions: Migration, Memory, and Transgressions in Global Anglophone Literatures, 1900-Present Day
• Growing Up Global: Children's Literature and the Child

Teaching and Assessment

• Teaching Time: 18%
• Independent Study: 82%
• Assessment methods: Written Exams, Coursework, Essays, Examinations, Group work, Portfolio submission, Presentations, Reflective report/journal, Seminar tasks/exercises

Skills and Experience

• Practical experience: Students will have the opportunity to develop their writing skills and explore different forms of creative writing.
• Business skills: Students will learn to work independently, manage projects, write clear and persuasive prose, and analyze complex datasets and sources.
• Employability: The degree provides a range of transferable skills, including critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving.

Opportunities

• Study abroad: Students can spend one semester in their second year studying abroad at a partner university.
• Work placement: Students can undertake a work placement in the cultural industries, which can be taken as a 9-12 month placement between stages 2 and 3.

Facilities and Environment

• The School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics is located in the Percy Building, which is at the heart of the city-centre campus.
• Students will have access to a digital media lab, a PC cluster, a student-led café, and plenty of spaces to work and socialize.
• The University's award-winning Library Service provides exceptional library provision, with over one million books and a huge range of electronic resources.

Your Future

• Industry links: The University has links with a range of industries, including journalism, broadcasting, sustainable energy, politics, digital media, and marketing.
• Careers support: The University's Careers Service provides support and guidance to help students achieve their career goals.
• Alumni: The University's alumni include a range of successful individuals, including Peter Straughan, Andy Bird, Neil Astley, Teresa Graham, and John Yorke.

Entry Requirements

• A-Level: AAB, either including English Literature or English Language and Literature, or including evidence of readiness to begin university-level study in literature.
• International Baccalaureate: 34 points, either including English Literature or English Language at Higher Level, grade 5, or including evidence of readiness to begin university-level study in literature.
• Other UK and the Republic of Ireland qualifications: Select your qualification to see the specific requirements.
• English Language requirements: IELTS, TOEFL, Pearsons, Duolingo English Test, or other qualifications.

Tuition Fees and Scholarships

• Tuition fees for academic year 2026: Home students: Not Set, International students: £24,500.
• Scholarships: The University offers a range of scholarships, including Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships.