Undergraduate Degrees
BA English Literature with Creative Writing ( Q3W8 )
- UCAS Course Code:
- Q3W8
- Duration:
- 3 years
- Attendance:
- Full Time
- Award:
- Degree of Bachelor of Arts
- School of Study:
- Literature, Drama and Creative Writing
- Brochure:
- Literature, Drama and Creative Writing Undergraduate Brochure (PDF)
- Typical A-Level Offer:
- AAA including English Literature
The University of East Anglia has a long tradition of providing courses in the writing of fiction, poetry and drama and has close and active links with the world of contemporary writing. As an introduction to the demands and challenges of creative practice, we offer Creative Writing as a subsidiary subject taken in conjunction with the study of English Literature.
This programme combines the study of English literature with the chance to develop your creative writing skills in classes usually taught by practising and published writers. There are classes in writing poetry, prose and drama, and in each case the aim is to complement the critical study of literature with insights gained from the practice of writing itself. Literature modules form about 75 per cent of the programme, creative writing about 25 per cent. If you are to be considered for this programme, you must be able to produce samples of your creative writing on request. Please note: creative writing modules are also available as options to students registered on other degree programmes.
The degree course is studied in an interdisciplinary atmosphere. Alongside specialists in English Literature, you will also work with teachers and students who are involved with Creative Writing, Drama, Philosophy, Modern Languages, American Studies, Film Studies, History and History of Art. The options system also allows you to explore one or other of these subjects yourself: in each of the three years, besides your options within the English syllabus, you can choose one module from another discipline, according to your own interests and aptitude.
The whole programme is based on the awareness that literature is not an abstract or unworldly pursuit, but something which happens in the real world. That is why we teach historically, so that literature is seen in larger contexts; and it is why we host regular extra-curricular visits by contemporary writers who read and discuss their work. We also emphasise making literature as well as studying it: there is the opportunity to extend your awareness of literature through your own writing. To facilitate all this we employ a variety of teaching strategies (small group seminars, larger-scale lectures, writing workshops, individual projects and dissertations). Assessment is carried out in each teaching module (either by coursework, assessed practical project or by occasional short exams) so that there are no ‘finals’.
Creative Writing is taught in seminar-workshops designed to help you develop your skills as a writer under the guidance of experienced practising writers. The workshops are designed to increase your ability to initiate and develop new creative material through technical exercises, group discussion and the exploration of strategies for drafting and re-drafting new work. You will be encouraged to initiate new ideas, develop appropriate formal strategies, address technical problems and tackle the demands of different literary genres, with a view to shaping and completing new creative work. The practical problems of creating character, writing dialogue, determining and maintaining mood and atmosphere, establishing visual and aural dynamics, and structuring the work will all be addressed, and the challenges of reading and researching as a writer will be explored.
For the Creative Writing minor part of the course, students take between 90 and 120 credits in Creative Writing within the total 360 credits that make up the whole degree programme.
Course Structure
Year 1
In addition to the literature courses (outlined in the entry for English Literature), a first-year creative writing module is made up of structured exercises using objects, handouts and visualisations to introduce you to the craft and discipline of writing prose and poetry. You will begin with writing ‘what you know’, using memories, family stories and your own notebooks. Later, you will encounter the works of other authors as stimuli for your own writing, learning among other things, to read as a writer.
Year 2
Second-year specialist work takes the form of practical modules taught by practising writers, the aims of which are to help you develop your expressive and technical skills and improve your abilities as an editor and critic of your own and other people’s writing. The emphasis throughout is on reading as a writer and writing as a reader. The first half of the semester is normally spent in the production of an exploratory series of exercises and analyses of examples of writing, leading to the submission of two short pieces of fiction, together with a critical self-commentary. There is the opportunity for constructive group discussion of your work as an aid to the editing and redrafting process. There are similar second-year modules for scriptwriting, poetry and journalism.
Year 3
In the third year, there are the options of an advanced course (which operates as a foretaste of the renowned MA in Creative Writing), and/or a creative writing dissertation which takes the form of a longer piece in any genre agreed with your supervisor (eg a 45-60 minute script, a collection of poems or a 6,000-8,000 word short story) accompanied by a critical self-commentary on your work.
Teaching and Assessment:
Key skills, issues and ideas are introduced in lectures given by all members of faculty, including literary critics, literary historians and writers. More specialist study is undertaken in small group seminars. These are chosen from a range offered within the School and across the University. You will also spend time studying and researching in the library or carrying out practical work or projects. In most subject areas, you are assessed at the end of each year on the basis of coursework and, in some cases, project and examination results. In your final year, you will write a dissertation on a topic of your choice and with the advice of tutors. There is no final examination. Your final degree result is determined by the marks you receive in years two and three.
Dr. Jake Huntley
The School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing brings together writers, scholars, teachers and students in an exploration of the powers and possibilities of literature. Our aim is to make creative writing and critical reading confront one another in ways that sharpen and enliven both. We teach and research across the range of English Literature from the fourteenth century to the twenty-first. This coverage is supplemented by our interests in European Literature, in postcolonial writing in English across the world, and in literary and cultural theory.
Translation
UEA is home to the British Centre for Literary Translation, which is both a forum for professional translators and a focus for translation work with undergraduate and postgraduate students of literature. The School of Literature & Creative Writing runs the MA in Literary Translation course.
Creative Writing
For over thirty years UEA has been an important centre for established and upcoming writers, whether they come here as teachers, as students, as writers in residence, or to take part in the long-running literary festival organised by the Arthur Miller Centre and the Centre for Creative and Performing Arts.
Drama
Our drama programmes combine critical study with creative practice. The theoretical aspect draws on the expertise of LIT as a whole; the practical work is based in the purpose-built Drama Studio.
Literature
Literature at UEA is not a complete, finished object of study, but a living practice. Because we also do creative writing, translation and drama, we are aware that imaginative writing is not fixed; it is constantly being transformed, adapted, rewritten and reread. Students are invited to study these processes, and also to be part of them.
Among a diverse group of about twenty literature lecturers, there are experts on the various roles that the practice of literature can play, and has played, in society — how it can be something like praying, or like journalism, or like conversation, how it can be a form of political action, or a vehicle for ideas, or a working out of unmanageable experience, or a way of negotiating (or inflaming) differences of class and race and gender. We teach literature not in isolation, but in relation to this untidy bundle of social and psychological purposes.
It follows that we have no great respect for the boundaries that divide one academic discipline from another. We take a lively interest in the work of our colleagues in history, philosophy, film, the visual arts and music, and we encourage our students to do the same. That is why we offer a range of degree programmes which combine literature with other, related subjects. Our largest programme is the BA in English Literature: this is a single subject degree, but we work to keep it open and responsive to its multi-disciplinary surroundings.
UniStats Information
Compulsory Study (120 credits)
Students must study the following modules for 120 credits:
| Name | Code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CREATIVE WRITING: FIRST YEAR | LDCC1W01 | 20 |
| LITERATURE IN HISTORY 1 | LDCE1F01 | 20 |
| LITERATURE IN HISTORY II | LDCE1F10 | 20 |
| READING TEXTS II | LDCE1F08 | 20 |
| READING TEXTS: TUTORIAL CLASS | LDCE1F03 | 20 |
| WRITING TEXTS | LDCE1F14 | 20 |
In Year 2 students must accumulate at least 20 and not more than 40 credits in Creative Writing (modules with LDCC- prefix). In years 2 and 3 combined, students must accumulate at least 40 credits in writing before 1789 (modules with a 'Y' prefix, e.g. LDCE2Y04 Shakespeare). Students can also choose to enrol for the 60-credit ERASMUS and Australia Semester Abroad modules, but must first seek approval from the Course Director.
Option A Study (40 credits)
Students will select 40 credits from the following modules:
| Name | Code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 17TH-CENTURY WRITING: RENAISSANCE, REVOLUTION, RESTORATION | LDCE2Y13 | 20 |
| CRITICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE | LDCE2X15 | 20 |
| EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY WRITING | LDCE2Y11 | 20 |
| EUROPEAN LITERATURE: ENCOUNTERS WITH 'OTHERNESS' | LDCE2X24 | 20 |
| GOODBYE TO BERLIN? LITERATURE & VISUAL CULTURE IN WEIMAR GERMANY | LDCE2Z40 | 20 |
| MEDIEVAL WRITING | LDCE2Y15 | 20 |
| MODERNISM | LDCE2Z15 | 20 |
| NINETEENTH-CENTURY WRITING | LDCE2Z30 | 20 |
| ROMANTICISM 1780-1840 | LDCE2X26 | 20 |
| SHAKESPEARE | LDCE2Y04 | 20 |
Option B Study (20 credits)
Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:
| Name | Code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ADAPTATION: SHAKESPEARE ON STAGE AND SCREEN | LDCD2X45 | 20 |
| AUSTEN AND THE BRONTES: READING THE ROMANCE | LDCE2X28 | 20 |
| CONTEMPORARY WRITING | LDCE2Z34 | 20 |
| CULTURAL THEORY AND ANALYSIS | LDCE2X17 | 20 |
| FROM PUSHKIN TO CHEKHOV: NINETEENTH-CENTURY RUSSIAN FICTION | LDCE2Z33 | 20 |
| FROM TRAGIC TO EPIC PERFORMANCE | LDCD2X47 | 20 |
| GOODBYE TO BERLIN? LITERATURE & VISUAL CULTURE IN WEIMAR GERMANY | LDCE2Z40 | 20 |
| LITERATURE AND VISUAL CULTURE II: AT THE FIN DE SIECLE | LDCE2Z24 | 20 |
| PUBLISHING (AUT) | LDCE2X05 | 20 |
| PUBLISHING (SPR) | LDCE2X06 | 20 |
| THE WRITING OF JOURNALISM (AUT) | LDCC2W27 | 20 |
| THE WRITING OF JOURNALISM (SPR) | LDCC2W28 | 20 |
| THEATRES OF REVOLT: NINETEENTH-CENTURY EUROPEAN DRAMA | LDCE2X07 | 20 |
| THREE WOMEN WRITERS | LDCE2Z38 | 20 |
| WAR LIVES: WRITING BRITAIN IN WORLD WAR II | LDCE2X34 | 20 |
| WORLD LITERATURE: READING GLOBALLY | LDCE2X29 | 20 |
Option C Study (20 credits)
Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:
| Name | Code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CREATIVE WRITING: DRAMA (AUT) | LDCC2W05 | 20 |
| CREATIVE WRITING: DRAMA (SPR) | LDCC2W24 | 20 |
| CREATIVE WRITING: POETRY (AUT) | LDCC2W07 | 20 |
| CREATIVE WRITING: POETRY (SPR) | LDCC2W20 | 20 |
| CREATIVE WRITING: PROSE FICTION (AUT) | LDCC2W01 | 20 |
| CREATIVE WRITING: PROSE FICTION (SPR) | LDCC2W14 | 20 |
Free Choice Study (40 credits)
Students will select modules worth 40 credits from the course catalogue with the approval of their School
In Year 3 students must accumulate at least 30 and not more than 60 credits in Creative Writing (modules with LDCC- prefix), including LDCC3W18. In years 2 and 3 combined, students must accumulate at least 40 credits in writing before 1789 (modules with 'Y' prefix, e.g. LDCE2Y04 Shakespeare).
Compulsory Study (30 credits)
Students must study the following modules for 30 credits:
| Name | Code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CREATIVE WRITING | LDCC3W18 | 30 |
Option A Study (90 credits)
Students will select 90 credits from the following modules:
Disclaimer
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.
Year Abroad
You may choose to study at another European university for one or both semesters of the second year. Please see our Study Abroad website for further information.
Entry Requirements
- A Level:
- AAA including English Literature
- International Baccalaureate:
- 34 points overall with 6 in HL English
- Scottish Advanced Highers:
- AAA including English Literature
- Irish Leaving Certificate:
- AAAAAA
- Access Course:
- Please contact the university for further information.
- HND:
- Please contact the university for further information.
- European Baccalaureate:
- 85% overall, with 80% in English Literature
Entry Requirement
The combined English Language and Literature A-level is acceptable instead of English Literature. A second Arts or Humanities subject at A-Level is encouraged, alongside English Literature. Students studying the IB programme should offer a second Arts or Humanities subject at Higher Level.
Students for whom English is a Foreign language
We welcome applications from students from all academic backgrounds. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading). Recognised English Language qualifications include:
- IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in all components)
- TOEFL: Internet-based score of 88 overall (minimum 18 in the Listening and Writing components; 19 in the Reading component; and 21 in the Speaking component)
- PTE: 62 overall with minimum 55 in all components
If you do not meet the University's entry requirements, our INTO Language Learning Centre offers a range of university preparation courses to help you develop the high level of academic and English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study.
Interviews
The majority of candidates will not be called for an interview. However, for some students an interview will be requested. These are normally quite informal and generally cover topics such as your current studies, reasons for choosing the course and your personal interests and extra-curricular activities.
Gap Year
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year, believing that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry and may wish to contact the appropriate Admissions Office directly to discuss this further.
Special Entry Requirements
Candidates who are shortlisted will be asked to provide a sample of their creative writing: we ask for around 7 pages of work, which can be on any subject and in any genre of the candidate's choice. Most choose to send poetry or prose.
Intakes
The School's annual intake is in September of each year.
Alternative Qualifications
We encourage you to apply if you have alternative qualifications equivalent to our stated entry requirement. Please contact our Admissions team for details.
GCSE Offer
Students are required to have Mathematics and English at Grade C or above at GCSE Level.
Assessment
For the majority of candidates the most important factors in assessing the application will be past and future achievement in examinations, academic interest in the subject being applied for, personal interest and extra-curricular activities and the confidential reference. We consider applicants as individuals and accept students from a very wide range of educational backgrounds and spend time considering your application in order to reach an informed decision relating to your application. Typical offers are indicated above. Please note, there may be additional subject entry requirements specific to individual degree courses. For applicants to the English Literature with Creative Writing course, a crucial part of the admissions process is the submission of their creative writing portfolio.
Fees and Funding
University Fees and Financial Support: UK/EU Students
Further information on fees and funding for 2012 can be found here
University Fees and Financial Support: International Students
The University will be charging International students £11,700.00 for all full time School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing undergraduate programmes which start in 2012.
Please click to access further information about fees and funding for International students
Applications need to be made via the Universities Colleges and Admissions Services (UCAS), using the UCAS Apply option.
UCAS Apply is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time Undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom. It is made up of different sections that you need to complete. Your application does not have to be completed all at once. The system allows you to leave a section partially completed so you can return to it later and add to or edit any information you have entered. Once your application is complete, it must be sent to UCAS so that they can process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The UCAS code name and number for the University of East Anglia is EANGL E14.
Further Information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances with the Admissions Office prior to applying please do contact us:
Undergraduate Admissions Office (Literature, Drama and Creative Writing)
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
Please click here to register your details online via our Online Enquiry Form.
International candidates are also actively encouraged to access the University's International section of our website.


