Creative Writing

Birkbeck, University of London
Undergraduate BA (Hons) Full-time 3 Years English literature and creative writing

A-Level Entry

BBC

UCAS Points

112 points

Avg. Graduate Salary

£30,000

About this course

Are you passionate about creative writing and looking to learn how to turn your ideas into texts? If so, Birkbeck’s BA Creative Writing will support you to develop your ideas further, refining your skills and sharpening your craft. You will have opportunities to experiment with and explore creative writing across a range of forms, including drama, poetry, fiction, screenwriting and non-fiction. Your studies will be enriched by being based in Bloomsbury in central London, home to some of the most exciting historical developments in literary and artistic production.

Why choose this course?

  • Creative Writing at Birkbeck is based in the heart of Bloomsbury, once home to the Bloomsbury Group, an influential group of writers, artists and philosophers including Virgina Woolf.

  • This course is distinctive for its practical approach to teaching creative writing, which centres around interactive, small group workshops and seminars in the development of your practice.

  • You will be taught by our esteemed faculty, which includes award-winning and published writers such as: novelist Luke Williams; playwright and screenwriters David Eldridge and Daragh Carville; poet, novelist and non-fiction writer Julia Bell; novelist Wes Brown; non-fiction writer Richard Hamblyn; and critic and writer Marina Warner. 

    What you will learn

    On this course, you will learn how to develop the creative writer’s key tools: voice, craft, technique, form, genre and style. You will also work with your peers to gain an understanding of what other creative writers do, to inform your own practice and approach.

    In addition to taking compulsory modules offering you key skills development, you will have the chance to select option modules on topics that interest you, including fiction, poetry, experimental writing and scriptwriting of drama, film and TV, while your final dissertation project allows you to specialise in an area of your choosing.

    How you will learn

    In small creative writing workshops you will share your writing and read the writing of your peers, often alongside published works. You will learn how to discuss your writing-in-progress and gain regular feedback from faculty members and from fellow students on your degree. Lectures and seminars from internationally renowned researchers and specialists will complement your learning.

    This course is available to study full- or part-time. Classes take place in the evening.

    Foundation Year

    If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

    Highlights

  • Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

  • You will be eligible to submit work to the annual Birkbeck creative writing journal, The Mechanics’ Institute Review.

  • Birkbeck is located in the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group.

    Careers and employability

    On successfully graduating from this BA Creative Writing, you will have attained an array of important transferable skills, including:

  • the capacity to think and communicate creatively and critically

  • a sophisticated use of written and spoken English

  • an ability to understand and apply complex ideas

  • effective organisation and time-keeping skills

  • facility and precision in the use of analytical tools

  • strong skills and initiative in collecting and organising complex materials and writing up clear reports.

    Studying this course will prepare you for a career in:

  • creative writing

  • publishing

  • journalism

  • media

  • academia.

    • Entry Requirements

    A-Level Grades BBC
    UCAS Tariff Points 112 points
    BTEC DMM

    Study Options

    This course is available in 2 study options:

    Full-time Shown above

    Duration: 3 Years

    Qualification: BA (Hons)

    Location: London

    Avg. Salary: £30,000

    Part-time

    Duration: 4 Years

    Qualification: BA (Hons)

    Location: London

    Avg. Salary: £30,000

    Career Prospects

    Graduates from this course typically go into the following occupations:

    3412 Authors, writers and translators
    4135 Library clerks and assistants
    2471 Librarians
    2492 Newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters
    2491 Newspaper, periodical and broadcast editors

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    Course Details

    Qualification
    Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
    Study Mode
    Full-time
    Duration
    3 Years
    Start Date
    2025
    Academic Year
    2025
    Campus / Location
    London
    Scheme
    Undergraduate
    Subjects
    English literature and creative writing
    Avg. Graduate Salary
    £30,000

    Offered by

    Birkbeck, University of London

    London

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