Creative Writing [with Placement year]
Entry requirements
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above.
UCAS Tariff
from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent).
About this course
**Whether you like science fiction or poetry, or want to write for the stage or the screen, our BA (Hons) Creative Writing degree will support your development as a professional writer.**
Explore professional writing techniques at ARU in Cambridge. Learn to write compelling narratives whether you want to write poetry, drama, short fiction, or become a copy writer or a journalist. Based in the Cambridge School of Creative Industries and with a network of professionals with expertise in drama and performance, film, games development, journalism, publishing, and digital media, you’ll be equipped for a range of careers. You’ll explore complex types of communication, digital literacy and innovative storytelling developing your own skills in this area.
Throughout your Creative Writing degree you will progressively develop your skills in writing, preparing you for careers in teaching, editing, community arts, arts management, journalism, publishing, copywriting, and in related fields of advertising, film, video production and computer game production. You’ll get invaluable feedback on all of your written work from professional writers, including our teaching staff and Royal Literary Fund fellows, as well as your fellow students. This will offer you the unique opportunity to consider a range of responses to your writing, as well as sharpening your own critical skills.
In addition you’ll be part of our vibrant ARU writing community, including postgraduates and alumni, who will support you in building your own professional networks and the entrepreneurial skills required for freelancing and portfolio careers. Guest lectures include visiting authors, editors, agents, and other writing-industry professionals giving you key insights and networking opportunities.
You’ll prepare for work through key modules: Careers in Writing: Editing & Copywriting helps you develop skills wanted by industry and the professional environment such as understanding branding guidelines and how to write according to them. The Business of Being a Writer: Craft & Professional Practice (L6) will provide you with an understanding of the path to publication.
You can also choose to study abroad for a semester, with funding available to help cover the cost; which is shown to improve employability, and we'll help you to find placements and work experience.
**Outstanding student support**
Join our student community and:
- learn from experienced tutors, who'll provide encouragement and feedback
- benefit from a Personal Development Tutor from day one, who's there to support you throughout your time at university
- make full use of facilities including extensive library and IT resources
- access support, should you need it, with study skills, careers advice, health and wellbeing, and more.
**Careers**
As a BA (Hons) Creative Writing student you’ll develop many skills besides writing, including literacy, communication, research, creative thinking, self-reliance and teamwork – all of which can help you start a career in many different areas, including film, games development, journalism, publishing, digital media and marketing.
Graduation doesn't have to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to continue on to a Masters course, such as our MA Creative Writing or MA Creative Writing and Publishing. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
**Employability and personal career development**
Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.
Modules
Year 1 core modules: Introduction to Imaginative Writing; Screenwriting: The Short Film; Multiplatform Storytelling 1; Fundamentals of Publishing; Multiplatform Storytelling 2. Year 2 core modules: Ruskin Module; Writing Short Fiction; Careers in Writing: Editing and Copywriting; Writing for the Stage; Writing Creative Non-Fiction. Year 2 optional modules: Film Criticism and Reviewing; Science Fiction; Online Journalism; Performing New Writing; Special Subject in Creative Writing; Anglia Language Programme. Year 3: Work placement. Year 4 core modules: Major Project Writing; Worldbuilding 1 and 2; The Business of Being a Writer: Craft and Professional Practice; Writing Poetry. Year 4 optional modules: Publishing in Practice; Screenwriting: Writing and Selling the Feature Film; Careers with English; Screenwriting: Adaptation; Novel Writing: Long-Form Prose; Contemporary Fiction; Film Journalism; Anglia Language Programme. Modules are subject to change and availability.
Assessment methods
Many of our assessment methods mirror the process for writers working with editors and others in the publishing industry, with a high level of feedback through workshops and individual attention, in both written and in oral forms. You’ll be encouraged to engage with assessment as part of your learning rather than simply as an evaluation of the successful completion of tasks. Feedback is central to this idea, both in your own critical self-evaluation of your writing and professional progression, and your feedback on the work of fellow students in peer evaluation. Your final assessment in each module will usually consist of a creative piece or pieces, as well as an accompanying critical/reflective commentary, in which you will discuss the context, influences, and processes of your writing. There are no examinations on this course, as we do not believe they do not test the kind of skills you will need for professional practice as a writer.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Cambridge Campus
Cambridge School of Creative Industries
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Creative writing
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Creative writing
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
The jobs market for this subject - which includes creative writing and scriptwriting courses - is not currently one of the strongest, so unemployment rates are currently looking quite high overall, with salaries on the lower side. But nevertheless, most graduates get jobs quickly. Graduates often go into careers as authors and writers and are also found in other roles where the ability to write well is prized, such as journalism, translation, teaching and advertising and in web content. Be aware that freelancing and self-employment is common is common in the arts, as are what is termed 'portfolio careers', having several part-time jobs or commissions at once - although graduates from this subject were a little more likely than many other creative arts graduates to be in conventional full time permanent contracts, so that might be worth bearing in mind.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Creative writing
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£22k
£24k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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