BA (Hons) Creative Writing

• 96 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
• Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Subjects including experience of English language are preferred.
• You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
• We’re happy to consider your application if you do not have the standard qualifications, but have a strong portfolio of creative written work and/or relevant previous experience that demonstrates your capacity to succeed in this degree.
• You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Creative writing graduates demonstrate a range of subject-specific skills such as how to plan, research and develop ideas in writing, and the principles of writing for different audiences. Transferable skills include effective written and oral communication, creative thinking and creativity, planning and researching, presentation and proofreading, and effective social and digital media use.

Skills and experience gained outside of the curriculum are also fundamental, helping to showcase your interests and passion for writing. Many students write for and/or edit university newspapers or magazines, enter competitions or join a student writing group or society. Evidencing such activities will improve your chances of securing that graduate role, and help establish your reputation as a writer.

What can I do with this qualification?

There is a demand for good writers in every sector, and skills in this area will enable you to access many opportunities. In media, you could consider journalism, editing, researching or publishing. Copywriters also prepare advertising copy for use by publications or broadcast media to promote the sale of goods and services.

Business opportunities exist for writers in finance, professional services, administration, government, education and retail. Creative writers can write fiction or non-fiction, historical biographies or children's stories, poetry, lyrics or plays.

Technical writers develop scientific or technical materials, such as medical reports, equipment manuals, catalogues, operating and maintenance instructions, or project proposals. There are also opportunities to become self-employed and write on a freelance basis.

Some of our graduates have become professional authors. Our graduates have also moved into careers in script editing, arts administration, venue management, film and theatre, drama production, publishing, teaching, digital media content, local government and advertising.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of careers. For some of these roles, both relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. They include:

• Writer of/for prose, poetry, stage, screen, radio
• Publishing
• Script editing
• Libraries
• Education and training
• Arts administration
• Social media and search engine optimisation
• Content marketing
• Public relations
• Proofreading/copyediting

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

For 2023-2024 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2023-2024 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

We take a blended approach to teaching and learning that involves face-to-face sessions and online learning. You can expect a mix of seminars, lectures and tutorials, workshops, guest lectures, visits, live readings by authors and poets, self-directed study, IT sessions, library and guided study. The university’s e-learning portal Moodle supports online learning and we encourage you to use the internet for research.

Lectures introduce you to the core course content, while seminars allow you to explore subjects in greater detail, gain insights into professional practice and learn about the craft of writing for different audiences. Tutorials offer you one-to-one support, detailed feedback from tutors, and space for discussion. You’ll also undertake considerable guided, independent study; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for seminar and tutorial activities and, most importantly, your own creative writing and redrafting.

Guest lectures by speakers from a variety of creative disciplines and relevant employment areas will offer you the chance to develop your knowledge and understanding further.

Formal assessment determines your final marks and allows you to demonstrate that you’ve met the learning outcomes for the course. You’ll need to present coursework, for instance, creative pieces that you have written or critical commentaries on your own or other’s work.

We also use other means to help you learn, provide you with feedback and inform your development, though these don’t count towards your final module mark. In particular, you’ll receive feedback on first drafts. These will help to identify any areas which would benefit from extra attention on your part, or where you need extra support from your tutor. In your final year, you’ll benefit from direct feedback from both your tutors and classmates through the workshop method.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Scholarship
• Off the Page
• Writing Poetry and Fiction
• Stories and Narrative
• Writing Drama
• Writing for Short Form Media
• Critical Dialogues
• Writing Drama: The Turn of the Story
• Writing Fiction: The Character of the Writing
• Future Directions
• Writing Poetry: The Shape of the Voice
• Writing for Publication
• The Writers' Room: Drama
• The Writers' Room: Fiction
• The Writers' Room: Poetry
• The Writer's World
• The Professional Author
• Creative Dissertation

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.