English and Creative Writing
University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: QW38 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
We also accept other combinations equivalent to 104-112 Tariff points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, including English at grade C. Applicants may be requested to provide a portfolio to support their application.
106-112 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma (relevant subject).
Cambridge Pre-U score of 44-48, to include a Principal Subject in Literature in English at M3.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English/3 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
26 points from the IB Diploma, to include 3 Higher Level subjects, with 5 points from Higher Level English.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H3,H3,H3,H4,H4
To include Higher Level English at H3.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications. To include an English Qualification.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications. Must be with an English qualification.
104-112 Tariff points, including English at grade D.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
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Present a portfolio
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**Overview**
Do you see yourself as the next JK Rowling? Have you always dreamed about writing your own novel or publishing your own work?
On this BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing degree course, you’ll fuel your writing with inspiration drawn from the study of great literature. You’ll develop your voice and hone your craft under the guidance of published authors, poets and playwrights.
This course provides you with the skills and market awareness to succeed in disciplines such as writing, editing, publishing and teaching.
**What you'll experience**
On this English and Creative Writing degree course you’ll:
- Develop your ability to write as a critic and creator, and become an expert in the history of literature, its modern trends and how the written word is evolving
- Learn techniques for producing short stories, poetry and plays and learn to dissect, critique and perform your writing
- Tailor your studies, choosing module options that match your interests and career ambitions
- Publish your work in our annual anthology and course blog
- Learn from visiting professional novelists, poets and playwrights, such as Andy McNab, Francesca Beard and Suzi Feay
**Careers and opportunities**
When you complete this course, you'll have the necessary knowledge, skills and market awareness to enter a variety of creative careers. You could also go on to postgraduate study or research.
Previous graduates have gone on to work in areas such as:
- creative writing (prose, poetry, script)
- copywriting
- publishing
- advertising and marketing
- arts and events management
- local and community broadcasting
- teaching
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- editor
- publishing assistant
- copywriter
- information abstractor
- narrator
- projects administrator
You'll get help and support from our Careers and Employability service in finding your first role and for 5 years after you graduate.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Introduction to Poetry and Poetics
- Literary Powers: Renaissance to Romanticism
- Critical Thinking
- Telling Tales
- Tips, Tricks, Techniques
- True Stories
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Styles And Subversions: Nineteenth Century To The Present Day
- Literary Prizes and Public Acclaim
- The Short Story
- Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Puritans To Postmodernists: American Literature
- Revolutions! Literature And Change, 1700-1830
- Nation and Travel
- Professional Experience
- Student Enterprise
- The Magazine
- The Script
- Victorian Literature and Visual Culture
- Making a Spectacle: The Ruse of English Drama
Year 3
Core and Optional modules in this year include:
- Consuming Fictions: Food and Appetite in Victorian Culture
- Creative Writing Dissertation
- Dissertation/Major Project (English Literature)
- Dwelling: Memory, Being, Place and the Modern
- Ecocritical Perspectives: Environment and Literature, 1820-1939
- Enlightenment: Literature, Culture and Modernity
- European Literary Decadence
- Fact and Fiction
- Holocaust Literatures
- Love, War and Friendship in Renaissance Poetry: John Donne to Katherine Philips
- Mortals and Immortals: Man, God and the Devil in Early Modern Literature
- The Literary Journalist
- Time, Temporality, Contemporary Fiction
- Tracing Borders: Women and Writing 1890-1940
- Travel Writing
- US Masculinities
- Writing Project (with Publishing)
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through:
- short stories
- a novel in progress
- a screenplay
- a collection of poems
- a video production
- presentations
- reports
- a research portfolio
- examinations
- dissertation/project
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
- Year 1 students: 8% by written exams, 17% by practical exams and 75% by coursework
- Year 2 students: 8% by written exams and 92% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 100% by coursework
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Creative and Cultural 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.
Literature in english
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)
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.
English studies
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
Imaginative 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.
English studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£24k
£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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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?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
