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Sheffield Hallam University

UCAS Code: W800 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Entry requirements

At least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2 from a relevant Open College Network accredited course.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language or English Literature at grade C or 4.

UCAS Tariff

112-120

This must include at least 2 A Levels or equivalent BTEC qualifications. For example: BBC-BBB at A Level. DDM in BTEC Extended Diploma. Merit overall from a T level qualification. A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels, EPQ and general studies.

About this course

This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2025

Subject

Creative writing

**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information**

**Course summary**
- Learn from award-winning staff on one of the top three courses in the UK

- Experience guest masterclasses from internationally acclaimed writers and creatives

- Sharpen your writing and editorial skills with work placements and live briefs

- Network with publishers, build your profile and develop as a professional writer

- Join Sheffield’s thriving creative community and take part in UK-leading literature events

This BA Creative Writing course is for those who want to harness the power of the written word and hone creative skills to connect with audiences. You’ll develop your individual writing style and understand the fundamentals of good style, structure and character development, in both traditional and future-facing writing formats.

You’ll graduate with the skills, confidence and contacts you need to thrive as a writer in all its professional forms.

**How you learn**
You’ll join a dynamic and collaborative writing community, working alongside illustrators, graphic designers and filmmakers to explore possibilities and challenge conventions.

Our team of award-winning writers will help you become confident and skilled in everything from prose fiction to publishing. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with our professional partners, so you can gain real-world experience of the creative industries and make the most of Sheffield’s vibrant cultural scene.

You learn through:

- Lectures, seminars and individual tutorials

- Workshopping your writing

- Modules focused on specific forms and styles

- Working with different organisations and audiences

- Generating and pitching ideas

- Live readings and performances

- Masterclasses from guest writers

- Writing trips and retreats

**Course topics**
In your first year you’ll learn the basics of a variety of forms – from poetry and fiction to script and creative non-fiction. You’ll think about what it means to be a writer and start to connect your writing with the real world by responding to a live brief from a publisher.

In your second year, you’ll continue to hone your skills across all the main forms of writing, developing your style as you find your audience and explore genres. During this time, you’ll workshop your writing with students and academics to develop essential skills in drafting and revising your work.

The final year of your course is your opportunity to focus on your creative future. In addition to refining your craft and developing your creative voice, you’ll explore different audiences and purposes for creative work. You’ll also develop and carry out a creative project that brings your passions and creativity together.

**Applied learning**
We think the best way to learn something is to do it in the real world. Studying in Sheffield puts you at the heart of a vibrant cultural scene, where you can put learning into practice through placements and live projects with our rich community of publishers and creatives.

**Work placements**
You’ll have the opportunity to complete a placement year between your second and third years – either a 25-week placement or multiple shorter placements. These give you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career – as well as an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV. You could also take the time to collaborate with external partners or develop your own creative enterprise.

Previous students have taken the chance to work at children's literacy charity Grimm and Co, exhibit work at Sheffield Museums, and create their own digital magazines.

Modules

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Year 1:
Compulsory modules
Becoming A Writer
Creative Sheffield
The Narrative Arc
Words In The World

Year 2:
Compulsory modules
Experimenting With Short Forms
The Writers’ Workshop
Writing Genre
Writing To Commission

Elective modules
Study Abroad - Creative Industries

Year 3:
Optional modules
Placement Year

Final year:
Compulsory modules
Collaboration And Audience
Creative Innovations
Creative Writing Portfolio
Environmental Writing

Assessment methods

Coursework

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
EU
£17,155
per year
International
£17,155
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

Extra funding

Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.

The Uni

Course location:

Sheffield Hallam University

Department:

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Read full university profile

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.

91%
Creative writing

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

97%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
94%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

74%
Library resources
66%
IT resources
71%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
44%
Male students
56%
Female students
92%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
C

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.

£14,500
low
Average annual salary
88%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

20%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
16%
Other elementary services occupations
14%
Customer service occupations

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

£16k

£21k

£21k

£23k

£23k

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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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the 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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here