BA (Hons) Creative Writing and English Literature

Course Overview

Do you dream of being a writer? Fantasise about seeing your name on the cover of a book, up in lights in the West End, or on the spooling credits of a film? Wonder how to gain access to the creative industries? At UEA you’ll find a home to nurture your creative talent and deepen it with the study of English Literature.

From day one you’ll explore the arts of fiction, poetry and scriptwriting. You’ll discover new writers and have thrilling discussions about the way texts are made. You’ll share examples of your own work to a constructive and supportive audience of your peers. Outside the classroom, guided work patterns will help you develop a writing practice that will maximise your potential.

As a Creative Writing and English Literature undergraduate, you’ll spend half your time on Creative Writing and half on English Literature. You’ll explore and experiment with diverse genres, forms and subjects, from creative collaboration, to podcasting, to the fiction of the apocalypse.

You’ll be based in the UK’s longest-established and most prestigious Creative Writing department, which is part of UEA’s vibrant School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing (you can follow our activities on Instagram!). You’ll have access to world-leading facilities and resources, from the technological innovations of the Media Suite to the publishing opportunities of Egg Box, from the riches of the British Archive for Contemporary Writing to the world-famous Sainsbury Centre art museum. What’s more, you’ll live and work in the beautiful city of Norwich, a UNESCO City of Literature and home to the National Centre for Writing.

All the while, you’ll be acquiring vital professional skills and encountering people working in a host of creative and cultural industries. By the time you graduate, you’ll be a world-class communicator with a range of career paths opening to you, from publishing to journalism, from advertising to production – and, of course, being a published author!

This course is open to

UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.

We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.

You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.

English and Mathematics

All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade C or grade 4.

In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.

We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies page.

Typical International Entry Requirements

A levels

AAA including English Literature or one of the subjects listed below:

English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall including 6 in HL English, History, Global Politics or Psychology.

We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. For specific details about your country, view our information for International Students.

INTO UEA

If you do not meet the academic and/or English language requirements for direct entry our partner, INTO UEA offers progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree.

English Foreign Language

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading): 

• IELTS:  6.5  overall (minimum 5.5 in all components) 

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

  If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study.

Non-Academic Entry Requirements

Candidates who are shortlisted will be asked to provide a sample of their creative writing: we ask for around 5-7 pages of work, which can be on any subject and in any genre of the candidate's choice. Most choose to send poetry, prose, or a mixture of the two.

Deferred Entry

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.

Admissions Policy

Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.

Employability

You'll be a first-rate writer and an advanced critical and creative thinker with an independent cast of mind. You’ll know how to manage your time, how to work collaboratively, and how to operate as a writer in the world of work. With the support of our award-winning Careers Service throughout your degree, you’ll have honed your CV and sought out internships. You’ll have attended Working with Words, an annual event in which you get to meet UEA alumni working in the creative industries. You might have got involved with the UEA Publishing Project, or its student arm, Egg Box, or undertaken independent research in UEA’s British Archive of Contemporary Writing. In an increasingly text-based world, these skills and experiences are highly valued by employers.

You could go on to work as a prose fiction or non-fiction writer, a poet or a scriptwriter, or go into many careers in arts, media, publishing, politics, charities and NGOs, teaching, or the commercial sector. You’ll also be well placed to study for a postgraduate degree, including one of our world-famous Creative Writing MAs. Regardless of the direction you choose, you'll be superbly placed to start writing your own story.

Examples of careers you could enter include: 

• Freelance writer  
• Scriptwriter 
• Publishing  
• Community and Arts-related Projects
• Marketing 
• Communication and PR 

Discover more on our Careers webpages.