Our BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing degree is designed to inspire and develop your interest and appreciation for the vast and enriching world of literature and ideas. Meanwhile, you’ll have extensive opportunities to develop and enhance your own approaches to expression and communication.

Key information

Award:

BA (Hons)

Mode of Study:

Part-time

Duration:

4.5 years

Location:

University of Bolton

UCAS points:

UCAS code:

QW38

Start date:

25/09/2023

Course Details

Literature is an extraordinary resource for broadening your intellectual understanding. It’s one of the most powerful ways we can experience others’ lives, enjoy worlds we’ve never visited, and develop our appreciation for the sheer power of words in expressing ideas and emotions. Through in-depth study and analysis of a range of texts and formats – including prose, poetry and plays – you’ll have the chance to hone your critical skills and develop your prowess as a creative communicator.

We’ll guide and support you through a rich course of study that should help you extend your understanding of language and how it can inform, persuade, shock and delight. Join us on a journey into the world of literature, where we’ll help you develop a deeper understanding of the social, political, historical and cultural contexts, and the impact of literary texts.

Our experienced and highly qualified team offers you a supportive environment in which to explore the central role of language in the creation of meaning. Through research, discussion, argument and analysis, you’ll have opportunities to learn to use language, effectively and powerfully, to achieve your goals.

Highlights

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 places us first in the UK for teaching quality and student experience for both the Creative Writing and English subject areas.
You’ll get the opportunity to benefit from our strong links with external creative organisations, including the nationally acclaimed Octagon Theatre, Bolton, where you can gain behind-the-scenes access and workshop experience.
To give you publishing experience, we encourage you to submit your work to our literary magazine The Bolton Review.
Our dedicated and enthusiastic lecturers are professional writers and researchers whose work is published or produced on stage, screen or radio.
We have excellent industry contacts and strong links to external creative organisations such as publishers, production companies, theatres, libraries, art galleries, schools, funding bodies and arts development agencies – so we can offer you work experience in a wide variety of settings.

Key Features

We offer popular options in women’s writing, Gothic fiction, children’s literature, film adaptation and contemporary poetry, as well as a range of creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction and drama.
You can benefit from the latest thinking and discoveries, as our course tutors are active researchers in poetry, prose and drama, and feed their knowledge back into the curriculum.
We’ll help you develop a range of skills highly valued by employers, such as written and verbal communication, presenting information and ideas, argument and persuasion, working to tight deadlines, and research and critical analysis.
You can attend guest lectures from literary scholars, and hear contemporary writers’ work at the University’s regular literature events.

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 and/or literature are preferred.
You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
If you don't have the above qualifications but have a strong portfolio of relevant work, we encourage you to apply.
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.

This degree gives you a unique and exceptional opportunity to enhance your creative and analytical abilities – by developing your creative writing talents alongside the critical study of English through literature. We aim to help you develop the skills and knowledge to craft confident, evocative and persuasive prose.

Creativity, curiosity and self-motivation are valuable transferable skills, along with the oral and written communication, time-management and organisational attributes sought by employers across the sectors.

What can I do with this qualification?

Many graduates seek work as a writer on a self-employed, freelance basis. Also, public and private sector organisations such as educational institutions, retail companies, local and national government, media companies, and charitable organisations employ graduates in a range of roles, including teaching, administration, editing and publishing, advertising, journalism, general management and marketing.

You may aim to go on and study an MA or PhD in a variety of fields, and teaching is also a popular option. Others may decide to undertake a more vocational route and study courses related to teaching, journalism, librarianship or publishing.

Alternative career options

The qualification can support a range of other career paths. For some of these roles, relevant experience or postgraduate study may be required. Potential careers include:

Libraries
Social media management
Information services
Leisure and tourism
Web content production
Public relations
Technical writing
Research
Strategic communications
Screen and play writing
Novelist/poet

Course fees

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £6,000 for the academic year 2023/24.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2022-2023 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 2022-2023 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 2022-2023 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.

For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:

You should have to hand:

Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BA(Hons) English and Creative Writing - 25 September 2023

International applications are not possible for this course

As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.

We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.

University of Bolton Group Partners

Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton

For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.

By selecting the link for your chosen course from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.

When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.

If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.

Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.

If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.

Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:

Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or UGadmissions@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BA(Hons) English and Creative Writing - 25 September 2023

We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!

To support you in reaching your creative and analytical potential, we call on a variety of teaching and learning methods. Lectures introduce selected literary works, and we begin making connections to critical, theoretical and historical information that will enrich your understanding. Seminars allow you to explore subjects in greater detail, and will incorporate small group working and whole group discussion.

Meanwhile, one-to-one tutorials give you an opportunity to clarify your learning, discuss your assignments and receive feedback on your work. To support your progress on this rich and rewarding degree, we recommend you set significant time aside for independent study such as library research and background reading, and preparing for seminars, tutorials and module assignments. Of course, we’ll provide tailored advice and guidance on finding the self-directed study approaches that best match your study goals and personal preferences.

The University’s e-learning portal, Moodle, is a great online learning tool that gives you access to additional resources for each module.

Assessment comprises essays, notebooks, reviews, presentations, portfolios, traditional exams, as well as draft creative work and reflective commentaries on your writing, which will ultimately contribute to your final module marks. This ‘summative’ assessment is supported by more formative approaches that don’t contribute to grades or marks, but support your progress towards success on this course. For example, personal feedback on your work and contributions, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and helping you find the most effective ways to make the most of your experience with us.

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
Stories and Narrative
Introduction to Literature: Form and Genre
Introduction to Literature: Text and Context
Writing Poetry and Fiction
Writing Drama
Future Directions
Critical Dialogues
The Literature of Love
Perspectives on Poetry
Aspects of Prose Fiction
Writing Drama: The Turn of the Story
Writing Fiction: The Character of the Writing
Writing Poetry: The Shape of the Voice
Writing for Publication
Approaches to Drama
Gothic Narratives
Adaptation
Ambivalent Intimacies: Reading Contemporary British Fiction
Virtual Victorians
Children's Literature
Narrative Representations of Female Desire
Special Authors
Renaissance Drama
The Writers' Room: Drama
The Writers' Room: Fiction
The Writers' Room: Poetry
The Writer's World
The Professional Author
Contemporary Poetry
Creative Dissertation
Dissertation and Research Skills

Assessment methods

Level	Assesment method
Level one	Coursework 91%, Practical exams 9%
Level two	Coursework 82%, Practical exams 9%, Written exams 9%
Level three	Coursework 90%, Practical exams 10%

Learning activities

Level	Learning activity
Level one	Guided independent study 66%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34%
Level two	Guided independent study 74%, Placement/study abroad 3%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23%
Level three	Guided independent study 80%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%

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.