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Literature and Creative Writing at UEA
Find out more about studying Literature and Creative Writing at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out moreBA (Hons) Creative Writing and English Literature with a Placement Year
Key details
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Arts
- UCAS Course Code
- W8QP
- Typical Offer
- AAB
- Contextual Offer
- BBB
- Course Length
- 4 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2025
Other Start Dates
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Other Start Dates
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!
On our BA Creative Writing and English Literature with a Placement Year, you’ll normally spend 9-12 months of your third year in a placement, gaining invaluable working experience and employability skills in a relevant area of your choice.
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Placement Year
Want to graduate with professional experience? On this course, you’ll normally spend 9-12 months of your third year* in a placement, gaining invaluable work experience and employability skills in a relevant area of your choice. You'll be expected to seek your own work placement and will be supported in doing so by UEA’s Career Central Service and your School. Support for you to find your placement will start early in the first year and will be tailored to the particular needs you’ll have at various stages of the process.
The field in which you’ll do your placement will depend on your own interests, and some of the preparatory workshops will help you have a clearer idea of what these are, what your values are, and which career they may lead to. Creative Writing and English Literature graduates go into a wide range of sectors, and so placements can be done in fields such as heritage, business, the public sector, creative industries and many more. We will, however, require that the tasks you’ll complete as part of your placement meet the required learning outcomes and be complex enough to help you develop a range of skills that you’ll use during the final year of your degree and into your post-graduation career.
*Placements may be shorter on some occasions, or take place during different years of the degree, but this has to be agreed to by the Placement Director and Learning and Teaching Services.
Have a business idea? If you have an idea you think would make a great business, you may be able to turn your Placement Year into a ‘Year in Enterprise’*. Your idea (business plan, budget etc.), motivation and academic record would have to be assessed by our team. Should you be given the go-ahead, you could use the year to start your businesses in a structured and supportive environment, accessing numerous training courses and extensive mentoring.
*Note that if you’re studying with us on a Student Visa, you can’t currently undertake a Year in Enterprise due to Visa rules.
This version of the degree gives you the opportunity and support to greatly enhance your employability by securing and undertaking a year-long placement in the third year of your degree. Find out more about this exciting opportunity on our 'Placement Years in Arts and Humanities' page.
Careers
Career Pathways
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.
After the Course
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.
Study and Modules
Entry Requirements
- 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.(opens in a new window)
- Contextual Offers
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes(opens in a new window).
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
A levels
AAB including English Literature or one of the subjects listed below.
Contextual offer: BBB 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.
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma: DDD plus A-Level grade B in English Literature or one of the subjects listed below.
Contextual offer: DDM plus A-Level grade B in 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.
Combinations of BTEC and A levels
Diploma: DD plus B at A-Level in English Literature or one of the above subjects.
Contextual: DD plus C at A Level in English Literature or one of the above subjects.
Extended Certificate: D plus AB at A-Level including English Literature or one of the above subjects.
Contextual: D plus BB at A Level including English Literature or one of the above subjects.
BTEC in Public Services, Uniformed Services and Business Administration are all excluded from our BTEC offers.
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities and Social Sciences Pathway. Pass Access to HE Diploma with Distinction in 36 credits at Level 3 and Merit in 9 credits at Level 3.
T levels
Not accepted
Foundation Year options:
If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as BA English Literature with Creative Writing with a Foundation Year (opens in a new window)
- Further Examples of Typical Entry Requirements
International Baccalaureate
33 points overall including 5 in HL English, History, Global Politics or Psychology.
Irish Leaving Certificate
4 subjects at H2, 2 subjects at H3 including English Literature or one of the following subjects: 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.
Scottish Highers
AAAAA including English Literature, or one of the following subjects: 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.
Scottish Advanced Highers
BBC, including English Literature or one of the following subjects: 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.
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable.
- 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.
- 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.(opens in a new window)
- Typical International Entry Requirements
A levels
AAB 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
33 points overall including 5 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(opens in a new window).
- 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):
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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(opens in a new window) 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.
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- 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.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
View our information for Tuition Fees(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships(opens in a new window) for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
Apply for this course through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS), using UCAS Hub.
UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started.
Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information: