university of bath creative writing

Creative Writing BA (Hons)

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Entry requirements, popular a-level subjects, tuition fees, latest reviews.

- Wide choice of fiction, performance poetry and graphic novels to scriptwriting, nature writing and memoir.- Industry focused with an emphasis on developing your professional practice and employability.- Your projects, your way, with our support. Literary festivals, publications, podcasts - we’ll help you find your voice.Join us at Bath Spa University where writing is the thing we love to do and the thing we love to talk about. In our workshops, you’ll find friends for life who, like you, want to spend time in a writing world of imagination, creativity and experimentation.You’ll enjoy working on our unique campus, surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th-century landscape, perfect for creative inspiration. You might experiment with nature writing or discover poems and stories you’re driven to write as a response to climate change and environmental issues.Creative Writing at Bath Spa University is a challenging, exciting and flexible programme, designed to help you develop your writing craft and find your writing path. You’ll be taught by exceptional published writers with years of industry experience and knowledge to share with you.It’s not just about writing craft - you’ll also learn vital professional skills. We'll help you gain experience in industry and meet writers and creative practitioners from the professional literary world. Through your modules, projects and student society activities, you’ll leave with a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills and abilities. Like so many of our graduates, you’ll be ready for a career in the creative industries or postgraduate study.

Creative Writing

Average salary, £15,000, £16,000, what students say.

The campus is absolutely gorgeous! A wonderful mix of old and new, castles and modern buildings. Reserving rooms encourages students to get out of their rooms and study anywhere.. Read more

Love the campus but a pain getting bus all the.. Read more

Modules (Year 1)

Modules (year 2), modules (year 3).

BCC - BBB Grades / Points required

Access to HE Diploma:

M:45 Grades / Points required

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme:

32 Grades / Points required

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

DDM - DMM Grades / Points required

M Grades / Points required

A Level - grades BBB-BCC including a Grade B in English or a related subject.

Typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher). Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.

A minimum of 32 points are required.

Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) in any subject. Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.

Grade Merit is preferred in a relevant subject.

Top 5 A-levels taken by students who study this subject at uni.

Students living in

£9,250 per year

Students from England

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from Scotland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from Wales

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from Northern Ireland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from Channel Islands

This is the fee you pay if you live within Channel Islands. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£16,905 per year

Students from EU

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from International

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Latest Creative Writing reviews

Review breakdown, how all students rated:.

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Bath spa university: writing for young people.

A specialist creative writing MA for writers for children and young adults, taught by published authors. - Taught by published children’s and young adult authors with a wealth of industry experience.

Small-group workshops and one-to-one tutorials lie at the heart of this course.

Over 70 alumni are now traditionally published authors.

This specialist creative writing MA is designed for writers for children, teenagers and young adults who aim to complete a novel, series of picture books or shorter stories for young children. Taught by published writers for children and young people and by publishing professionals, this practical course will help you refine your craft while learning about the interaction of creative and business considerations in the modern publishing industry.

This course is available both on campus and online so you can work in the way that suits you best.

Distance Learning (Part-Time), 2 years starts Oct 2024

Full-time, 1 years starts sep 2024, part-time, 2 years starts sep 2024.

Bath Spa University is about more than studying. It’s about getting stuck in: thinking, making and doing. About bumping into friends on campus, embracing challenges and genuinely caring. We push boundaries and ourselves. If that sounds good to you, you’ll fit in well.

Why Bath Spa?

Excellent Reputation Our origins date back to 1852 and the original Bath School of Art, so we've built our reputation on more than 160 years of tradition and success. We're growing steadily too, with exciting courses and areas of research. 

Well connected We have partnerships with businesses, organisations and institutions in every corner of …

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Creative Writing and Publishing BA (Hons) Bath Spa University

Key course facts.

• Admission advice for international students

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 45 graduates of Creative Writing and Publishing BA (Hons) and other courses in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Creative Writing.

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students .

Salary of Graduates in Creative Writing

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Creative Writing at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students .

Salary of all UK Graduates of Creative Writing

Course description.

Publishing is one of the UK’s largest creative industries. The Creative Writing and Publishing combination course highlights the collaborative creative process between authors and publishers, and the important contribution they make to our culture.

This flexible course can be tailored to your unique personal interests and career ambitions. In Publishing, you'll learn how to engage intellectually with research, ideas and stories. You'll apply creativity and critical judgement in conceptualising, shaping and disseminating commercially-viable, engaging content for different audiences.

These qualities, combined with wide-ranging interests and an imaginative approach to cultural creation, are typical of our Creative Writing curriculum, and will help you to develop into an entrepreneurial, creative maker and producer.

Combined Honour Awards

At Bath Spa University many of our undergraduate programmes can be combined, so you don’t have to limit yourself to one subject. If you choose to study a combined award then in Year One you’ll start by studying both subjects in equal depth, then from Year Two you can choose whether to continue with an equally joint course, or a Major/Minor route.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

What graduates are doing after 15 months

Current jobs, job in line with future plans, utilise skills from studies, work is meaningful, required skill level of job after 15 months, % skilled jobs, jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation).

Example below based on all graduates of Creative Writing and Publishing BA (Hons) at Bath Spa University

Grading & Study Time

Assessment methods, study time distribution, entry requirements / admissions, ucas tariff of accepted students for this course, english language requirements, tuition fees creative writing and publishing ba (hons), average student cost of living in the uk.

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:.

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

• year 1 (Default entry point)

University Rankings

Positions of bath spa university in top uk and global rankings., rankings of bath spa university in related subject specific rankings., arts visual & performing, languages & literature, about bath spa university.

Bath Spa University is located in the rural outskirts of the English city of the same name, Bath. This institution of higher education takes pride in that they have the faculty resources and initiative to treat students as individuals, by learning their strengths and weaknesses, and thus being able to help them find work placements that align with their goals. In your free time, you can find academic and social experiences through Bath Spa’s more than 70 student clubs and societies.

List of 240 Bachelor and Master Courses from Bath Spa University - Course Catalogue

Student composition of Bath Spa University

Where is this programme taught.

Similar courses

Ranking publishers, the university league tables, cug the complete university guide - by subject  (published: 08 june, 2023).

view methodology

Arts & Creative Societies for Students

Meet new friends and learn creative skills by joining a wide range of arts-based student societies..

• Arts Societies

The Students' Union (The SU) has lots of student societies for the arts, many of whom regularly organise and present arts events and performances including:

• Backstage Technical Services (Lighting, Sound, Technical Support for Student Arts Shows)
• Bath University Student Theatre (BUST)
• Bath University Student Musicals Society (BUSMS)
• BURBAN Dance Society
• Chamber Choir
• Choral & Orchestra Society (ChaOS)
• Comedy Writing, Improvisation & Performance Society (CWIPS)
• Fine Art Society
• Salsa Society

Many use the rehearsal rooms, studios and theatres at The Edge and also Dartmouth Avenue , The SU’s student space in Oldfield Park.

Awards are available for student groups to gain mentorship from professional artists and performers, which The SU can advise on.

As well as those listed above, many other Societies affiliated with The SU cover Arts and Cultural activities. For a full list of Societies, see The SU's website .

• A cappella & Choir Groups

Some special choral groups have their home at Bath, regularly performing in the city and elsewhere, encouraging their members towards exceptional group sounds.

The University Chamber Choir : Numbering around 35 students and staff members, co-ordinated by a student-run committee. The chamber choir sing a wide range of choral music - from Tallis to Rutter, Vivaldi to Whitacre - and have been doing so since 1977.

Aquapella : National champions of a cappella singing many times over, Aquapella are a student-led group who've performed internationally, released an album and often sing at high profile University events.

ChaOS : the Choral & Orchestral Society has a number of vocal groups to join, including male and female barbershop/a cappella groups, chamber choir and contemporary choir.

On this page

‘Creative writing can be as impactful as an academic paper’

Grassroots initiatives can promote visibility of marginalised groups, self-expression and community, writes Emily Downes. Here are her key tips from running a creative writing competition to mark LGBTQ+ History Month

Emily Downes

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Last year marked two decades since the repeal of Section 28, a UK law that prohibited what was described as “the promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities. What this meant, in practice, was that generations of LGBTQ+ children grew up with no safe access to information about LGBTQ+ issues, no role models, no representation. They had no indication, in fact, that they could have a successful life that included employment, acceptance and community. 

Surely, as hubs of knowledge production, higher education institutions have a social and ethical responsibility to actively repair some of the damage wrought by this law. As LGBTQ+ staff in the sector continue to report  discrimination and erasure , are we providing enough opportunities for our students to see their own lived experiences roadmapped and reflected? 

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While institutional support and backing are essential in amplifying LGBTQ+ representation and visibility, staff on the ground can also make an impact through grassroots initiatives. And where better to push back against the fearmongering of Section 28 than from a place of love? For author, theorist and educator  bell hooks , all key social justice movements have promoted a love ethic: a practice that seeks to use knowledge, responsibility, care, trust, respect and commitment. How might that look in your professional context? 

In mine, I have had the privilege of coordinating a creative writing competition for LGBT+ History Month . Here’s some of what I learned.

Knowledge and responsibility

It’s natural to feel powerless against discrimination. However, take heart – there’s no one defining form of activism. You may not feel you have the capacity or physical ability to protest in the streets or the wherewithal for a strategic campaign. That doesn’t mean you have nothing to contribute to the cause of a more inclusive landscape in higher education. We each have our own offering of knowledge, skills and interests to share. These needn’t exclusively be academic pursuits.

What brings you joy? Perhaps it’s a gentle walk in nature or listening to a podcast or crocheting. I’m partial to all three…and I also enjoy using writing to make sense of my inner and outer worlds. A couple of years ago, I started facilitating LGBTQ+ creative writing for well-being sessions in my local community. Last year the chair of our university LGBTQ+ focus group asked if I would use this experience to make our campus more inclusive. We agreed that I would deliver a drop-in session exploring the importance of queer representation , and that I would coordinate a creative writing competition around the same theme. As a “late bloomer” bisexual who grew up with a dearth of positive representation, I felt a responsibility to be visible in our university community. I had first-hand experience of the possibilities that creative writing affords for healing and growth. I am also well aware of how stifling and impenetrable academic writing can feel for many. I saw the creative writing competition as an opportunity to put self-expression firmly back into the hands of a marginalised community. 

Care and trust

Over the past two academic years, I have gained important insights into developing the competition process with care and establishing trust with our participants. Working with students with protected characteristics means a vital aspect of care is gaining consent at multiple stages. For trans students , for example, being named in certain contexts could have immediate and severe material consequences. One student sought me out during graduation week last year to ensure they would be  dead-named – otherwise, they said, they wouldn’t be able to return home with their parents after the ceremony. 

This has fed into my experience with the competition. Just because someone has entered doesn’t mean they will feel willing or able to be named in a university update or read their piece at a public event. However much you think you’ve tied up loose ends, please double-check. It’s better to be mildly irritating with an abundance of care.

That said, please don’t let the need for caution be off-putting. Demonstrating this level of care is foundational to developing trust. Repeatedly checking in with participants about how they are represented also helps to build a sense of agency they may not always feel they have in wider society. Liaise with those in your initiative whenever a new context arises in which they may be named. 

Respect and commitment

University community members who participate in our writing competition are occupying a  brave space , and this demands our respect. We value our staff and students’ intersectional identities and recognise how vulnerable it can feel sharing those parts of yourself in your place of work or study. I have shared some of my own LGBTQ+ journey during the drop-in sessions. Another sign of respect has been the active and enthusiastic engagement from our executive director of communications and development, who has sat on the judging panel both years. Having buy-in from senior management is indescribably validating not just for our entrants but for the wider LGBTQ+ community at the university.

Commitment to such an initiative can take many forms, the most essential of which are reflection and learning. For example, our inaugural winner, Allison Rosewood, submitted a non-fiction piece about becoming the trans role model she had always sought herself. We platformed her work at the university Pride event – she was unable to speak in person, so we recorded her reading her work and played it during the Pride Literary Hour. We invited Allison to sit on the 2024 judging panel, and the award has been named the Allison Rosewood LGBTQ+ History Month award. Now, our winner will always be invited to read at Pride and to sit on the panel. Allowing the project to evolve has helped create space for students to have their experiences and identities validated, and to build an archive of visible role models. 

This year, our prompt invited entrants to imagine a world where Section 28 had never existed. Mac McClelland’s winning entry,  Brianna , is staggering. The piece eloquently draws a line from past to present, highlighting just how far-reaching and damaging legislation in this vein can be. Opening the door for this creative expression has resulted in something that, in my opinion, is as impactful as an academic paper. 

Knowledge, responsibility, care, trust, respect and commitment, then…what’s coming to mind for you? Perhaps you owe it to yourself and your community to explore your own initiative. One caveat to this: please also apply a love ethic to yourself. Does the thought of a project like this make you weary? You may be running low on reserves, especially as we so often expect members of marginalised communities to advocate and enact positive change themselves. Someone else can take up this mantle, and that’s fine, too. 

The legacy of Section 28 is a traumatised, under-represented LGBTQ+ community and a wider UK society that still often struggles to accept those living outside a heteronormative, cisnormative version of reality. But if you do have the energy and resources, projects like ours can be transformative for individuals and institutions. As bell hooks wrote: “When we are taught that safety always lies with sameness, then difference, of any kind, will appear as a threat…The choice to love is a choice to connect – to find ourselves in the other.” Let’s work to make our institutions a place of connection and relish all the richness of experience that entails. 

Emily Downes is senior student success tutor (academic writing) and LGBTQ+ Focus Group co-chair at Teesside University.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week,  sign up for the Campus newsletter .

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About the Program

While pursuing a BA in Creative Writing, students study literary texts and then produce their own poetry or fiction. The creative writing student is an artist. This major is perfect for those who love to write poems or stories, and who plan to do so no matter what. In addition to the required five courses in poetry or fiction writing, students must take five courses in English Literature or English Language. While some creative writing students attend graduate school to hone their skills and develop their art, others practice their craft in commercial industries like marketing or publishing. Ultimately, creative writers learn many skills that employers find desirable.

The Bell Tower , an undergraduate-run magazine for the arts affiliated with Purdue University’s Department of English, was founded in 1995 and is published yearly.

Books and Coffee talks (hosted by the Department of English) are held several times throughout the school year. Coffee and tea are available, followed by a half-hour talk about a selected work. The series is popular with faculty, staff, and students.

College of Liberal Arts

Degree Requirements

120 credits required, liberal arts curriculum.

Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.

Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.

Departmental/Program Major Course Requirements (30 credits)

Required course (3 credits).

A grade of “B-” or better is required before attempting courses in Area A.

• ENGL 20500 - Introduction To Creative Writing Credits: 3.00 ♦

A. Creative Writing Courses - Choose Four (12 credits)

All Creative Writing courses except 20500, 31600, and 31700 may be repeated once by Creative Writing majors for credit. (The 40000 and 50000 level courses should be taken in order in any given genre; exceptions are granted by the permission of instructor.)

• ENGL 31600 - Craft Of Fiction From A Writer’s Perspective Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 31700 - Craft Of Poetry From A Writer’s Perspective Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 40700 - Intermediate Poetry Writing Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 40800 - Creative Writing Capstone Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 40900 - Intermediate Fiction Writing Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 50700 - Advanced Poetry Writing Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 50900 - Advanced Fiction Writing Credits: 3.00

B. Engaging English (3 credits)

May be taken concurrently with ENGL 20500.

• ENGL 20200 - Engaging English Credits: 3.00 ♦

C. Literature/Linguistics/English Education (12 credits)

• Any ENGL course not taken above; at least 9 credit hours must be at the 30000 level or above.

Other Departmental (31-55 credits)

The College of Liberal Arts Other Departmental area is designed to be experiential, informative, and relevant to life in a rapidly changing universe. It combines courses that fulfill University Core foundational outcomes, discipline diversity, social diversity, and other languages to produce a well-rounded background for students. Coursework is integrative and collaborative and fosters insight, understanding, independence, initiative, and the desire to reach across divides and redefine our relationship to the peoples and the worlds that surround us.

Core I: Disciplinary Diversity (6-18 credits)

Choose 1 course in 6 different disciplines within the College of Liberal Arts.

Note: Disciplines are differentiated by course prefix. Undistributed credit does not count to satisfy this requirement.

Core II: Social Diversity (1-3 credits)

Culture, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity all play a role in how others perceive us and how we experience the world, and as such, are meaningful categories for analyzing social change and social problems past and present. The purpose of this category is to acquaint students with the pluralistic nature of the world and foster an appreciation and awareness of the diverse range of lived human experience. Courses in this list will expose students to important aspects of human diversity and foster understanding about different world views.

Choose one course from this list: CLA Core II - Social Diversity Selective List   .

Core III: Linguistic Diversity (3-4 credits)

Proficiency through Level IV in one world language. Courses may be required to reach Level IV proficiency; these courses will be counted toward electives.

Foundational Requirements (21-30 credits)

Students must complete approved coursework that meet the following foundational outcomes. Many of these can also be used to fulfill Core I, Core II, or Core III.

• Humanities - all approved courses accepted.
• Behavioral/Social Science - all approved courses accepted.
• Information Literacy - all approved courses accepted.
• Science #1 - all approved courses accepted.
• Science #2 - all approved courses accepted.
• Science, Technology, and Society - all approved courses accepted.
• Written Communication - all approved courses accepted.
• Oral Communication - all approved courses accepted.
• Quantitative Reasoning - all approved courses accepted.
• Double counting of courses is allowed across the various categories.
• All accredited programs whose accreditation is threatened by CLA Core requirement, both professional BAs and BFAs, are exempt from Liberal Arts Core I & II in order to meet accreditation standards and requirements. Liberal Arts Core III: Linguistic Diversity is still required for such programs.
• “Degree +” students (students with a second major outside of Liberal Arts) are exempt from the CLA Core.

Electives (35-59 credits)

Grade requirements.

• A grade of “B-” or better in ENGL 20500 is required before attempting courses in Area A.

Course Requirements and Notes

• All Creative Writing courses (Area A) except 20500, 31600, and 31700 may be repeated once by Creative Writing majors for credit. (The 40000 and 50000 level courses should be taken in order in any given genre; exceptions are granted by the permission of instructor.)

College of Liberal Arts Pass/No Pass Option Policy

• P/NP cannot be used to satisfy Liberal Arts Core, Liberal Arts major, minor, or certificate requirements.

University Requirements

University core requirements, for a complete listing of university core course selectives, visit the provost’s website ..

• Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (BSS)
• Human Cultures: Humanities (HUM)
• Information Literacy (IL)
• Oral Communication (OC)
• Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
• Science #1 (SCI)
• Science #2 (SCI)
• Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
• Written Communication (WC) 

Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement

The civics literacy proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of purdue students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry. for more information visit the civics literacy proficiency  website..

Students will complete the Proficiency by passing a test of civic knowledge, and completing one of three paths:

• Attending six approved civics-related events and completing an assessment for each; or
• Completing 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship and Engagement that use C-SPAN material and completing an assessment for each; or
• Earning a passing grade for one of  these approved courses (or transferring in approved AP or departmental credit in lieu of taking a course).

Upper Level Requirement

• Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
• Students should be able to fulfill most , if not all , of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.

Additional Information

• Liberal Arts offers a streamlined plan of study for students pursuing a second degree outside CLA. Contact the CLA Advising Office for more information.

Sample 4-Year Plan

Fall 1st year.

• Written Communication - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00
• World Language Level I  - Credit Hours: 3.00
• Quantitative Reasoning - Credit Hours: 3.00
• Behavioral/Social Sciences (CLA Core I: 1 of 6) - Credit Hours: 3.00

15-16 Credits

Spring 1st year.

• Oral Communication - Credit Hours: 3.00
• World Language Level II - Credit Hours: 3.00
• Humanities (CLA Core I: 2 of 6) - Credit Hours 3.00
• Science - Credit Hours: 3.00

Fall 2nd Year

• Area A Creative Writing Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
• Area C Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
• World Language Level III - Credit Hours: 3.00
• CLA Core I: 3 of 6 - Credit Hours: 3.00

Spring 2nd Year

• Area C Selective - Credit Hours: 3.0
• World Language Level IV (CLA Core III) - Credit Hours: 3.00
• Science, Technology, and Society - Credit Hours: 3.00
• CLA Core I: 4 of 6 - Credit Hours: 3.00

Fall 3rd Year

• CLA Core I: 5 of 6 - Credit Hours: 3.00
• CLA Core II: Diversity Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
• Elective - Credit Hours 3.00

Spring 3rd Year

• Area A Creative Writing Selective - Credit Hours 3.00
• CLA Core I: 6 of 6 - Credit Hours: 3.00
• Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

Fall 4th Year

• Area C Selective - Credit Hours 3.00
• Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

Spring 4th Year

Pre-requisite information.

For pre-requisite information, click here .

World Language Courses

World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS=Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish)

Critical Course

The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”

The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

Creative Writing and Film and Screen Studies

Undergraduate degree - combined honours

• UCAS codes: Institution B20, Course WW86 or SE58 (with professional placement year)
• Creative Writing - Programme Document
• Film and Screen Studies - Programme Document
• Book an open day
• About combinations

Key facts Close

Entry requirements.

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email [email protected] with your specific details.

• Creative Writing
• Film and Screen Studies

Join our vibrant writing community, supported by award-winning authors and creative practitioners.

• Wide choice of fiction, performance poetry and graphic novels to scriptwriting, nature writing and memoir.
• Industry focused with an emphasis on developing your professional practice and employability.
• Your projects, your way, with our support. Literary festivals, publications, podcasts - we’ll help you find your voice.

Join us at Bath Spa University where writing is the thing we love to do and the thing we love to talk about. In our workshops, you’ll find friends for life who, like you, want to spend time in a writing world of imagination, creativity and experimentation.

You’ll enjoy working on our unique campus, surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th-century landscape, perfect for creative inspiration. You might experiment with nature writing or discover poems and stories you’re driven to write as a response to climate change and environmental issues.

University of the Year for Social Inclusion

Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2024

#2 in the South West Overall

for Creative Writing (Complete University Guide, 2024)

#6 in the UK

and #1 in the South West for Creative Writing Graduate Prospects – Outcomes (Complete University Guide, 2024)

#10 in the UK

for Graduate Prospects in Creative Writing (Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2024)

“As well as strengthening my skills and confidence as a writer, Creative Writing at Bath Spa opened my eyes up to the range of career paths I could pursue that I hadn’t considered before. The tutors and Careers team supported me after graduation, all the way to my first full time creative role.” Nic Crosara, 2019 graduate, now Design and Production Assistant at SelectScience

What you'll learn

Contemporary creative writing is diverse. It’s digital and on the page; social and singular. Our comprehensive programme includes prose fiction, YA, flash fiction, poetry, scriptwriting for live performance and screen, life writing and memoir.

In fact, whatever you want to write, you’ll find an opportunity to explore it with us. We have modules on graphic novels and comics alongside modules in live literature, creative enterprise and professional practice to support your career development. You'll have the opportunity to collaborate on creative projects with other students both within and outside Creative Writing.

You’ll be able to work on magazines, local literary festivals and podcasts, while collaborating with fellow students through our creative writing, publishing and journalism student-run societies.

Year one The course is carefully designed to enable you to explore and experiment with your writing and understand the foundations of writing craft. In the Writer’s Workshop modules you’ll be introduced to an array of different writing forms and genres and you’ll be experimenting with them each week. You’ll have your first experience of the BSU writing workshop where you’ll learn how to work with other writers, giving and receiving feedback. You’ll have additional modules in poetry, fiction and script writing alongside a module where you’ll learn about the publishing industry and editing. You’ll also attend lectures from visiting writers and members of staff who will talk to you about their writing lives and experiences in the industry. Year two In the second year of the course, you have access to a range of modules that will enable you to specialise in a particular form or genre of writing. You’ll take a mixture of core and optional modules from a list that includes, for example, genre fiction, life writing, short stories, form and listening in poetry, and writing for screen. You will also take the project module, Professional Portfolio. This is an opportunity for you to develop your own creative project, designed to help you develop the skills you need as a professional writer. You will be assigned a member of staff to be your project supervisor. They will help guide and advise you as you develop your idea. If a collaborative project suits you, you can take a Publishing module where you work with a small team of fellow students to create your own independent magazine. Year three The final year of the programme is designed to consolidate your writing practice and support your progression into a writing-related career. You will take a dissertation-equivalent module in at least one of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, scriptwriting or writing for young people. These modules run through the year. Alongside that you have a choice of career-focused modules which include Live Literature and Professional Practice which offer you the opportunity to develop your own industry-facing creative projects. We also offer an extended project module, Creative Enterprise, over two semesters. This module helps you focus on developing a creative project into a commercial opportunity. 

Assessment is based on 100% coursework (no exams). Most modules will require you to submit a portfolio of creative writing along with a reflective or contextual essay in which you describe what you have learned in class, what you have learned from the set texts and working on your own writing.

Creative Writing at Bath Spa University is taught through a mixture of workshops, lectures, presentations and tutorials. Workshops offer you the opportunity to read and discuss each other's work in a supportive, informal and informative atmosphere. Lectures are used to introduce techniques and themes in detail. Tutorials provide you with the opportunity to discuss your work with your tutor on a one-to-one basis.

We believe that for you to achieve your maximum potential you have to take yourself and your writing seriously, and that the best way to do this is to develop a professional approach. Therefore, wherever appropriate, our modules run to industry standards and adopt industry practices.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement .

Course modules

This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.

• The Writer’s Workshop 1
• Explorations in Prose Fiction
• The Writer’s Workshop 2
• Introduction to Poetry
• Introduction to Scriptwriting
• Publishing and Editing for Writers
• Creative Enterprise 1
• Creative Enterprise 2
• Form and Listening in Poetry
• Genre Fiction
• Life Writing
• Writing for Theatre
• Writing Graphic Novels and Comics
• Short Fiction
• Scripting for Screen
• Performance Poetry and Spoken Word
• Writing For Young People: Reading as Writers
• The Independent Magazine

Professional Placement Year

• Professional Practice
• Extended Prose Fiction 1
• The Poetry Collection 1
• Advanced Script Project 1
• Advanced Nonfiction Project 1
• Planning and Writing a Novel for Young People 1
• Teaching Writing
• Extended Prose Fiction 2
• The Poetry Collection 2
• Advanced Script Project 2
• Advanced Nonfiction Project 2
• Planning and Writing a Novel for Young People 2
• Teaching Practice
• Live Literature
• Publishing Industry Project
• Writing Now - prizes, popularity and politics

“Bath Spa allowed me to choose a career with confidence, as I learned what I was good at and what I enjoyed doing. The best thing about the course is the support, the module choices (which can really inform your path) and the work experience offered with local publishers or events and festivals.” Laura Garcia Moreno, 2022 graduate, now Production Assistant and Environmental Champion at Bath Festivals

Facilities and resources

The Creative Writing course is taught at our stunning Newton Park campus, where you’ll be surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th century landscape and lake.

You'll have access to a range of excellent facilities, including:

• Commons building  with its state-of-the-art classrooms, study spaces and cafe
• Digital labs (Mac rooms) for students learning new media
• Virtual Learning Environment  to support you in your modules.

As a Creative Writing student, you'll be able to benefit from:

• Cameras, audio recording equipment available for students to borrow absolutely free
• Technical staff to help students use industry standard software
• Library with print and ebooks, digital resources, literary magazines and journals.

Opportunities

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities .

Creative Writing students often find exciting subject-related placements and we do our best to help students make connections and gain experiences in companies and organisations that interest them. Students often work with the Bath Literature Festival, for instance, or with production companies such as the BBC. The course team will help you on an individual basis as opportunities present themselves.

Past students have benefited from industry-based opportunities and experiences that have been incorporated into their modules, enabling them to secure credit for the time they have spent in industry environments.

Current graduate careers include:

• Science magazine editor
• Children’s author
• Digital Marketing Executive
• Social media writer
• Commercial copywriter for brands or charities
• Regional editor for an online magazine
• University lecturer
• Editor (Random House)

Many of our students go on to study one of our specialist MA programmes in either Creative Writing, Writing for Young People, Screenwriting, Travel and Nature, or Children’s Publishing.

Each year Creative Writing awards a range of prizes to its students to celebrate the best writing produced in the final year. The department also awards the Les Arnold Prize for the top student in the second year, honouring the memory of poet Les Arnold, who started the writing programme in 1992.

Students are given numerous opportunities to focus on project work – from the first year core module (Writer's Workshop One) to the second year core module and into several project modules in the third year. Student projects are a core part of the Creative Writing curriculum and students are assisted to develop project ideas that support their creative and career ambitions. 

Professional placement year

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee . This applies to UK and EU/International students.

• UK: £1,850
• International: £3,335

Interested in applying?

Most of our applicants will have an A or a B in English Language and/or English Literature at A Level. That said, we do judge each application on its own merit and many of our most successful graduates have not fit neatly into standard criteria. Please write directly to the course leader or the admissions team to discuss your individual circumstances.

We also welcome applications from students who demonstrate real commitment to their writing. This commitment may be expressed in publications, awards, and/or engagement with the Apprentice of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below. Applicants without a relevant Level 3 qualification in English will be considered but will be required to submit a piece of their own creative writing as part of the selection process.

• A Level - grades BBB-BCC including a Grade B in English or a related subject.
• BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) in any subject. Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.
• T Levels – grade Merit preferred in a relevant subject.
• International Baccalaureate – a minimum of 32 points are required with a minimum of grade 5 in English at Higher Level.
• Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher). Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.

If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.

English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants

IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at [email protected] .

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page. Need more guidance? Head to our  how to apply  pages.

Admissions: 

• +44 (0)1225 876 180
• [email protected]

Course leader: Ms Lucy Sweetman Email: [email protected]

Three year course

With placement year, immerse yourself in the study of film and the film industries. understand theory, criticism and the relationship between film, media and culture..

• An immersive experience in studying film and the film industries.
• You’ll have the opportunity explore your film interests and enthusiasms.
• Combines film theory and scholarship with film practice.

We want you to develop a critical understanding of film and screen theory and criticism and to appreciate the relationship between film, media and culture. But we also want to provide you with the conceptual tools for understanding how society and culture is mediated by cinematic, televisual and electronic images. In choosing this course you’ll be starting on a journey of critical understanding of the institutions of film and screen production, distribution and exhibition. As part of this we’ll develop your understanding of reception and consumption practices in film and screen.

for Satisfaction with Teaching in Media and Film Studies (Guardian University Guide, 2024)

Film and Screen Studies aims to produce graduates who have an informed, critical and creative approach to both understanding film and screen in contemporary society and to their own forms of critical, reflective and communicative practice. You’ll develop intellectual, analytical, research and creative skills that will help you to prepare for employment and have the opportunity to engage in practical filmmaking projects if you wish.

Year one You’ll investigate film as a specific academic discipline, alongside how meaning is conveyed through film form and content. As part of your work you’ll analyse how films are constructed and be introduced to ways of writing effectively about film. You'll also undertake an advanced investigation of key theoretical and methodological issues involved in the study of cinema, and explore film as a commercial, cultural and aesthetic institution.

Years two and three In years two and three you can design your programme from a range of exciting modules. You can also take part in organising LineUP, the annual Student Film Festival at Bath Spa University.

Our modules have well-defined teaching structures consisting of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, which give you wide opportunities to learn progressively, stretch your capabilities, test your ideas and methods and interact positively with staff and other students in the department.

As you would expect, Film and Screen Studies modules also use parts of the new media in their teaching practice. Students are encouraged to make use of the University's virtual learning environment, 'Ultra' and of the web in seminars and workshops.

Assessment includes essays, research reports, journals, group presentations and portfolios.

• The Moving Image
• Film Theory, Film Philosophy
• Framing Film: Silence, Sound and Spectacle
• European Cinema
• Introduction to Television and Screen Studies
• Digital Creativity and Content Creation
• American Cinema
• Key Movements in World Cinema
• Director’s Cut: Auteur Cinema
• Influencers and Contemporary Celebrity
• Media Ethics
• Untold Stories: Screen Industries Project
• Specialist Roles in Filmmaking
• Advanced Short Film Production
• Film and Screen Studies Dissertation
• Decentred Approaches to Film and TV
• Film Journalism
• Feminist Activism
• Rock n' Reel: Popular Music on Screen
• Major Project: Short Form Documentary Making
• Politics and Global Cinema

Visits may include tours of famous UK film studios such as Pinewood and key film centres such as the BFI.

The main focus of interest for our Film and Screen Studies graduates is the creative and cultural industries in the UK. These industries include advertising, journalism, publishing, film and film-related employments, television, radio and the heritage sector. However, there are also employment opportunities in local and central government and the voluntary sector.

Since 2011, employers such as BBC Bristol, Argonon and The Sheffield International Documentary Festival have recruited graduates from this course. Students have also gone into roles including Unit Assistant, Festival Assistant and Film Location Manager.

Work placements are available within the programme through the second year Work Placement model. They can also be facilitated on an extra-curricular basis through members of the teaching team.

We encourage our filmmaking students to enter material for film competitions and festivals.

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship , which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available . On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

"The tutors support you throughout, bringing their own specialist knowledge to the course to make it interesting and engaging." Claire Reynolds, Film and Screen Studies graduate

You'll be taught on our Newton Park campus, with access to a range of facilities including:

• Commons building
• Newton Park Library
• Our Virtual Learning Environment
• Studio and post-production facilities

We value applicants who are self-reflective, creative and have good teamworking skills.

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:

• A Level – grades BBB-BCC preferred.
• BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.
• T Levels – grade Merit preferred.
• International Baccalaureate – a minimum of 32 points are required.
• Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.

Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply  pages.

We recommend these two introductory texts:

• Jill Nelmes, Introduction to Film Studies , Taylor and Francis, 5th Revised Edition 2015
• Richard Barsom and David Monahan, Looking at Movies , WW Norton, 5th Revised Edition 2015

Course contact: Suman Ghosh Email:  [email protected]

Website feedback to [email protected]

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Creative Writing (Professional Placement Year) BA (Hons) Bath Spa University

Course options

Qualification.

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

• TUITION FEES
• ENTRY REQUIREMENT
• UNIVERSITY INFO

Course summary

- Wide choice of fiction, performance poetry and graphic novels to scriptwriting, nature writing and memoir.- Industry focused with an emphasis on developing your professional practice and employability.- Your projects, your way, with our support. Literary festivals, publications, podcasts - we’ll help you find your voice.Join us at Bath Spa University where writing is the thing we love to do and the thing we love to talk about. In our workshops, you’ll find friends for life who, like you, want to spend time in a writing world of imagination, creativity and experimentation.You’ll enjoy working on our unique campus, surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th-century landscape, perfect for creative inspiration. You might experiment with nature writing or discover poems and stories you’re driven to write as a response to climate change and environmental issues.Creative Writing at Bath Spa University is a challenging, exciting and flexible programme, designed to help you develop your writing craft and find your writing path. You’ll be taught by exceptional published writers with years of industry experience and knowledge to share with you.It’s not just about writing craft - you’ll also learn vital professional skills. We'll help you gain experience in industry and meet writers and creative practitioners from the professional literary world. Through your modules, projects and student society activities, you’ll leave with a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills and abilities. Like so many of our graduates, you’ll be ready for a career in the creative industries or postgraduate study.

A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where you undertake a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between your second and final years of undergraduate study. You can engage in up to 3 placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) yourself, with support from the Careers team.

Application deadline

Modules (Year 1)

Modules (year 2), modules (year 3), module options, tuition fees.

• Afghanistan
• Antigua & Barbuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Congo (Democratic Republic)
• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Ivory Coast
• Korea DPR (North Korea)
• Liechtenstein
• Marshall Islands
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
• Palestinian Authority
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Republic of Ireland
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• South Korea
• South Sudan
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• Switzerland
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Turkmenistan
• Vatican City
• Western Samoa

£ 16,905 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

Entry requirements

Choose a qualification.

QUALIFICATION TYPE

• Access to HE Diploma
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
• Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

A level : BCC - BBB

A Level - grades BBB-BCC including a Grade B in English or a related subject.

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University information

Bath spa university, university league table, campus address.

Bath Spa University, Newton Park, Newton St Loe, Bath, Bath And North East Somerset, BA2 9BN, England

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29th out of 50 3

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International Programs

Anne frank initiative welcomes over 250 clear creek amana eighth graders to university of iowa campus.

On Thursday, May 30, 2024, the Anne Frank Initiative (AFI) , an International Programs affinity group, welcomed 250+ eighth graders from Clear Creek Amana (CCA) Middle School. A strong mission of the AFI is to create outreach opportunities to share Anne Frank’s story, spirit, and her humanitarian message with our youngest generation. Some CCA students have read portions of Anne Frank’s diary during the spring semester. The AFI is directed by Kirsten Kumpf Baele, lecturer in the University of Iowa (UI) Department of German.

“As part of the English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum at CCA, Tollie Lancaster and I were able to teach the students about the Holocaust,” said Lindsay Herr, eighth grade ELA teacher and one of the organizers of the event. “We are honored that Dr. Kirsten Kumpf Baele partnered with us and took the time to teach our students about Anne Frank, and we are excited they were able to meet with and learn from other University of Iowa professors and current University of Iowa students.”

The middle school students began their day with an introduction to Anne Frank, her legacy, and her special connection with Iowa. Throughout the morning, students were divided into breakout sessions which ranged from a virtual reality tour of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, and Little Free Library design, to artificial intelligence, writing and identity, and learning about German/Jewish heritage in Iowa City. They also had a tour of the Iowa campus.

At the end the day, students gathered at the Anne Frank sapling on the Pentacrest where Andrew Dahl, the head UI arborist, talked about the white horse chestnut tree, the 13th sapling to be planted in the United States.

“This annual engagement with Clear Creek Amana brings eighth grade students face-to-face with pieces of history that most of them have only encountered through educational texts,” said Mallory Hellman, director of the Iowa Youth Writing Project and AFI advisory committee member. “By visiting the Anne Frank sapling, walking a path of significant locations in Iowa City's Jewish history (and present!), and learning of Anne Frank's Iowan pen-pal , students cement a lived connection between Anne's story and their own.”

The AFI is committed to investigating Anne Frank’s literary contributions, her ongoing legacy, and all that she represents in a more globalized, international, and contemporary context.

“Iowa has a special connection to Anne Frank and her story,” remarked Natoshia Askelson, associate professor in the UI College of Public Health and AFI advisory committee member. “The AFI works to highlight and strengthen that connection. It is vital that Iowans understand how interconnected all our stories and lives are, so that we can prevent violence.”

Organizers of this event included AFI Director Kirsten Kumpf Baele; Lindsay Herr, CCA eighth grade ELA teacher; AFI Advisory Committee members Natoshia Askelson, Carl Follmer, Mallory Hellman, Shereena Honary, and Ana Laura Leyser; and other UI faculty, staff, and students including Andrew Dahl, Glenn Ehrstine, Colleen Kollasch, and Kevin Zihlman. 

International Programs  (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.

• Anne Frank Initiative

International Programs at the University of Iowa supports the right of all individuals to live freely and to live in peace. We condemn all acts of violence based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and perceived national or cultural origin. In affirming its commitment to human dignity, International Programs strongly upholds the values expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights .