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University of Plymouth

UCAS Code: W802 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Entry requirements

32-48 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels

Access to HE Diploma

P:45

Pass a named Access to HE Diploma (e.g. Preferably English, Humanities or Combined)

UCAS tariff points can be considered in combination with other qualifications

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

English and Maths within can be considered GCSE equivalent at required level.

32 - 48 UCAS tariff points from any subjects

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

PPP

From any subject

32 - 48 UCAS tariff points from any subjects

T Level

P

Pass (D o E on the core) 72 points or above. Any subject

UCAS Tariff

32-48

UCAS tariff points can be considered in combination with other qualifications

About this course

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

Course option

4years

Full-time including foundation year | 2025

Other options

5 years | Sandwich including foundation year | 2025

Subject

Creative writing

Writing is an age-old craft – and an essential skill in the 21st century. At Plymouth you will work with poets, novelists, journalists and digital writers to hone your ability as a writer, reader and editor, with a view to making your way in the many fields that now rely on these skills. Our accessible team of published authors has years of professional experience and are adept at nurturing talent, unlocking creativity and enabling future success.

* This four-year course is designed to give you the grounding necessary to progress through your undergraduate studies and, through the many opportunities we give you, find the best possible direction to grow your love of learning.

* Work with published and award-winning writers and journalists.

* Spend time in our nurturing, small-group workshops with staff, honing your craft.

* Learn and grow as a writer through trying out multiple forms and genres.

* Encounter digital writing and new ways of expressing yourself.

* Gain work-facing skills utilised in industries such as journalism, content-writing, publishing, editing, marketing and more.

This course is an integrated part of the BA (Hons) Creative Writing degree at the University of Plymouth. Successful completion of your foundation year (Year 0) will not lead to a separate award or qualification in its own right but provides progression onto Year 1 of BA (Hons) Creative Writing, or one of the following degree courses:

* BA (Hons) Anthropology

* BA (Hons) Art History

* BSc (Hons) Criminology

* BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychology

* BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology

* BA (Hons) English

* BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing

* BA (Hons) History

* BSc (Hons) International Relations

* LLB (Hons) Law

* LLB (Hons) Law and Criminology

* BSc (Hons) Politics

* BSc (Hons) Politics and International Relations

* BSc (Hons) Sociology

* BSc (Hons) Professional Policing

Modules

In your foundation year, you'll cover creative writing, English and history with a focus on the research and writing skills essential for success on your degree. Successful completion of the foundation year allows progression onto year 1.

In your first year, you'll study core modules introducing you to fundamental elements of writing in a wide range of genres including prose, poetry, drama and professional writing. You will also learn key research skills and begin your journey as a professional.

In your second year, you’ll develop your professional skills and have the opportunity to write creatively in many forms including theatre and script writing, autobiography and biography, travel writing, and literary adaptation. You will hone your skills as a writer in weekly workshops with tutors and peers. You’ll also have the option to take specialist modules in other subjects in the School, should you wish to broaden your horizons.

Undertake an optional placement year where you can build a number of key employability skills. Put theory onto practice, get a taste for your chosen career and expand upon your professional network.

In your final year, you’ll hone your reading and writing and start to find your specialist niche. You’ll study modern experimental writing and choose from literary and creative modules focusing on specific forms, from science fiction to modern poetry and screenwriting. You’ll have a further opportunity to choose a module from another subject in the school if you wish to branch out. You’ll also design and develop your own year-long dissertation project, which you'll work on with focused support from your personal supervisor.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website

Assessment methods

Assessment is 100% coursework

For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.

The Uni

Course location:

University of Plymouth

Department:

School of Society and Culture

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.

72%
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

67%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
67%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
56%
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

44%
Library resources
88%
IT resources
78%
Course specific equipment and facilities
56%
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?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
35%
Male students
65%
Female students
86%
2:1 or above
18%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
D

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.

£16,000
low
Average annual salary
88%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

24%
Other elementary services occupations
12%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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.

£15k

£15k

£19k

£19k

£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.

Explore these similar courses...

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Same University
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Lower entry requirements
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UCAS Points: 136-153

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