Course Overview

This unique degree unites UEA’s strengths in creative writing and in drama to give you an exhilarating immersion in writing and performance.

You will have the opportunity to study all kinds of creative writing, with a particular focus on writing for theatre, cinema, television, and radio. Alongside, you'll be exploring the contemporary practice, criticism, and history of dramatic writing and performance. Your writing will be enriched by an awareness of theatrical and literary traditions from around the globe. 

You’ll take practical drama modules, and you’ll have full access to our professionally equipped 200-seat Drama Studio. This comprehensive grounding in acting, directing, and all other aspects of stagecraft will enable you to graduate from this drama and creative writing degree as a writer with an instinctive feel for the world of theatre and performing arts. 

About

You'll gain a thorough grounding in writing for stage and screen, which will be complemented by opportunities to develop your skills in non-dramatic writing, too. Your stage and screen writing will be improved by getting to grips with the ins-and-outs of theatrical performance, while you become better able to analyse dramatic language by writing it yourself. 

At the heart of your drama and creative writing degree are scriptwriting masterclasses with practising writers, where you’ll discover the formats, conventions, and techniques of writing for different 

dramatic genres and media. You’ll learn by writing scenes and short scripts, offering critiques of each other’s work, and by working closely with other Drama students. 

In your second and third years, you'll be able to develop your craft as a writer by taking workshops in prose or poetry, working closely with our world-famous creative writing colleagues.   

Throughout your degree, you will gain hands-on experience by participating in production and practical project work. You’ll have the keys to our professionally equipped 200-seat Drama Studio, giving you the chance to control everything in your own productions. You’ll also be able to pursue performance and short-term placement opportunities, including a creative industries internship in your second year, which involves a short-term work placement in a drama-producing organisation or environment. 

At UEA, you’ll encounter an astonishing array of drama, theatre and performance. You’ll engage with major theoretical approaches, actor- and director-training, and techniques for creating and writing your own work. You’ll examine the politics of theatre and performance – and its use by the State, by political activists and by theatre and performance practitioners – to solidify or challenge structures of power. You’ll also discover the cutting-edge theatre companies that are shaping the contemporary performance landscape.  

You’ll benefit from our highly regarded student run Minotaur Theatre Company, which gives you the chance to gain additional performance, technical and scriptwriting experience, as well as exciting chances to share your writing at events such as New Writing Live. Find out more about life in the School of Literature, Drama, and Creative Writing on our Instagram @uealdc.

On Drama and Creative Writing 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.

Placement Year and Study Abroad

Want to graduate with professional experience? On this course, you will 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 will 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 will have at various stages of the process.

The field in which you will 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. Drama and Creative Writing 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 will conduct as part of your placement meet the required learning outcomes and are complex enough to help you develop a range of skills that you will be able to translate and use during the final year of your degree and 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 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.

Employability

After the Course

Some graduates go into careers in film, drama, radio, and scriptwriting, as writers, developers, agents, casting directors, or artistic directors of their own companies. Recent graduates from our drama degrees include the actor Matt Smith (famous for his portrayal of Doctor Who and his leading roles in The Crown and House of the Dragon), the presenter of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, Greg James, and the playwright Tom Morton-Smith (whose 2015 play Oppenheimer was performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company). For others, this degree is a stepping-stone towards careers in the arts, media, publishing, politics, charities, and NGOs, teaching, and the commercial sector. 

Our Careers Service is here to support you in launching your career by advising with CV writing, internships, and much more. Every year we run an event, Working with Words, which gives current students the chance to meet and hear from successful UEA alumni from across the creative industries. 

UEA also has its own in-house student publishing project, Egg Box, along with many other exciting initiatives that give you opportunities to turn your love of writing and performance into a foundation for your future career.

Careers

A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.

Examples of careers you could enter include: 

Scriptwriting 
Theatre and film 
Journalism 
Media 
Teaching 
Publishing

Discover more on our Careers webpages.

Entry Requirements

A Levels

ABB If you are taking an EPQ and three A-levels, we may offer you a one grade reduction on our advertised typical offer alongside an A in the EPQ.

T Levels

Not accepted

BTEC

DDM in an Arts/Humanities subject (usually Performing Arts). BTEC Public Services, Uniformed Services and Business Administration are not accepted. See below for accepted subjects and combinations.

Contextual Offer

A Level – BBC

BTEC L3 Extended Diploma – DDM

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.

Scottish Highers

AAABB

Scottish Advanced Highers

BCC A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable

Irish Leaving Certificate

3 subjects at H2, 3 subjects at H3

Access to HE Diploma

Access to Humanities & Social Sciences pathway. Pass Access to HE Diploma with Distinction in 30 credits at Level 3 and Merit in 15 credits at Level 3

International Baccalaureate

IB 32

GCSE

You are required to have Mathematics and English Language at a minimum of Grade C or Grade 4 or above at GCSE.

English Foreign Language

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

IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components) for year 1 entry

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

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

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

Interviews

Most applicants will not be called for an interview and a decision will be made via UCAS Track. However, for some applicants an interview will be requested. Where an interview is required the Admissions Service will contact you directly to arrange a time. 

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. 

Intakes

This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake is in September each year. 

Additional Information or Requirements

BTEC Combinations

Extended Diploma: DDM in an Arts/Humanities subject (usually Performing Arts).

Diploma: DD in an Arts/Humanities subject (usually Performing Arts) plus B at A-Level

Extended Certificate: D in an Arts/Humanities subject (usually Performing Arts) plus BB at A-Level

Special Entry Requirements

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

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as -

https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/ba-english-literature-with-a-foundation-year

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.

We welcome and value a wide range of alternative qualifications. If you have a qualification which is not listed here, or are taking a combination of qualifications, please contact us via Admissions Enquiries.

International Requirements

We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. View our International Students pages for specific information about your country.

Admissions Policy

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

Book a visit to discover more

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

View our information for Tuition Fees.

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 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:

How to apply through UCAS

BA (Hons) Drama and Creative Writing with a Placement Year

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