BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing
Course Overview
Literature is one of the most powerful ways we can experience other lives, enjoy worlds we've never visited, and develop an appreciation for the amazing capacity of words to move, inform, persuade and inspire. Through in-depth study and analysis of a range of texts, including fiction, poetry and drama, you'll cultivate your critical skills and hone your prowess as a creative communicator.Our innovative degree allows you to critically explore a variety of literary texts and to create imaginative works that develop your understanding of real-world issues. You'll encounter everything from fantasy prose fiction to creative nonfiction memoir, powerful poetry to cutting-edge screen and stage drama. You'll consider how crafted and artful language variously shapes our society. Live briefs developed from industry partnerships will offer choice and challenge, honing your communication and organisational skills ready for the world of work.
Creativity and critical thinking are graduate skills prized by employers. Studying literature and learning how to write imaginatively and persuasively will prepare you for a range of careers, whether as an inspirational teacher, prize-winning writer, or professional editor. Our graduates work as script editors for BBC television series, as teachers and advocacy educators, and win or are placed in major awards such as the Carcanet Prize and #Merky Books New Writers' Prize.
Highlights
- By studying for your undergraduate degree with us, you can deepen your knowledge of literature and develop your imaginative writing practice while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus in the heart of the North West of England.
- You'll be taught in small groups and workshops tailored to your interests and employability needs, including guest lectures from a range of industry specialists.
- Our dedicated and enthusiastic lecturers are professional writers and researchers whose work is widely 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.
- The programme includes live briefs developed from industry partnerships and offers in-house work experience opportunities, including on our arts and literary magazine The Bolton Review, the New Writing Showcase and the Victorian Bolton digital archive project.
Key Features
- Our exciting programme explores an array of literary topics and forms including fantasy fiction, life writing and memoir, screen and stage drama, nature writing and contemporary poetry, to help sharpen your critical thinking and expand your imaginative writing.
- You'll benefit from the latest thinking in English and Creative Writing, as our course tutors are prize-winning writers and active researchers in poetry, fiction and drama, and feed their knowledge back into the curriculum.
- We'll help you to 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.
- We offer a dynamic programme of guest readings from contemporary writers and lectures from literary scholars' work at our regular 'Live Literature' events, giving first-hand insight into the writing industry.
- We'll also support you in gaining lifelong learning skills, which will help you take ownership of your professional and creative development for the future, maximising your potential for success.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. The North West of England is also renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- 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.
Career Opportunities
This degree gives you a unique and exceptional opportunity to enhance your creative and analytical abilities, developing your imaginative writing talents alongside the critical study of English through literature. We'll help you hone the skills and knowledge to craft confident, evocative and persuasive writing across a range of forms, with live briefs that reflect an industry need for writers of all kinds to produce professional copy to deadline.
Creativity, curiosity and self-motivation are valuable transferable skills, along with the verbal and written communication, time management and organisational attributes sought by employers across many sectors.
What can I do with this qualification?
You may have ambitions to study for an MA or PhD in a variety of fields, or you may decide to undertake a more vocational route and study a postgraduate course 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
- Journalism
- Screen and play writing
- Professional author (novelist/poet/memoirist)
Fees & Funding
Home/EU 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 2024/25.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 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.
How to apply
Home Applicants
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:
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Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
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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
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Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
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Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
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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-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton BA(Hons) English and Creative Writing Part-time - 22 September 2025
International Applicants
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.
Partner Organisation Applicants
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.
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 inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton BA(Hons) English and Creative Writing Part-time - 22 September 2025
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
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 contexts 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 imaginative writing, 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.
Forms of assessment include portfolios, essays, anthologies, notebook, reviews, presentations, and written reflections upon your creative work, all of which will ultimately contribute to your final module marks. This 'summative' assessment is supported by more formative approaches that do not 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.
We adopt a blended learning and teaching style, including online delivery and engagement where appropriate.
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.
- Language and Style
- Writing the North
- Writing for Publication
- Critical Reading
- Narrating the Self
- Professional Practice 1
- Culture and Context
- Literary Communities
- Writing for Social Change
- Writing the Fantastic
- Major Project
- Articulating the Body
- Back to the Future
- Professional Practice 2
- Histories, Anxieties and Utopias
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 80% Practical exams 20% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 80% Practical exams 20% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 84% Practical exams 16% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 66% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 75% Placement/study abroad 4% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 21% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 79% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 21% |
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.
