BA (Hons) English Studies: Creative Writing and Critical Practice

BA (Hons) English Studies: Creative Writing and Critical Practice
The unifying theme of the BA (Hons) in English Studies: Creative Writing and Critical Practice is the integration of writing and reading creatively, developing in you an understanding of the links between writing, reading, text and audience, to produce a sense of a readership, links to wider communities and an ability to test the limits of theory in imaginative and critically rigorous work.

You will engage with the complex response to social, economic, political and communications transformations demanded of writers and readers in the present and the recent past. The modules, while focussing on the literary content of these responses, examine the distinctiveness of critical analyses applied to them. In particular, they look at how these cultural transformations have affected theoretical approaches to inflections of individual and national identities, social class, gender and race.

In Creative Writing modules, as well as studying techniques and processes, you will examine your own writing in relation to some of the wider social and political contexts studied in the English modules.

Overall Course Aims
Year 1 (Certificate of Higher Education, CertHE)
* Develop your depth of knowledge and complexity of analytical skills in English literature, creative writing and critical practice
* Equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed on an appropriate level-2 course (for example the Dip HE) where this is the desired outcome for the student
* Develop your problem-solving skills and capacity for independent judgement, particularly in undertaking independent study and research
* Develop your comprehension and capacity to analyse issues in both creative writing and critical practice, and to understand the relationship between theory and practice/process
* Ensure that you can apply different theoretical perspectives critically to the analysis of literatures
* Equip you with personal and professional employment skills
* Empower you with the motivation, independent thinking and learning skills to enable them to become lifelong autonomous
Year 2
* Develop your depth of knowledge and complexity of analytical skills and an understanding of the cultural contexts in which texts are introduced
* Equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed on a level 3 course (for example BA) where this is the desired outcome for the student
* Develop your problem-solving skills and capacity for independent judgement, awareness of own interests within the fields of creative and critical writing in relation to other writers and critics, particularly in undertaking independent study and research
* Develop your comprehension and capacity to analyse issues in both creative writing and critical practice and to understand the relationship between theory and practice/process, in your own and other writers' texts
* Ensure that you can apply different theoretical perspectives critically to the analysis of literature in English in widely different contexts
* Equip you with the personal and professional skills to succeed in appropriate employment where this is the desired outcome for the student
* Empower you with the motivation, independent thinking and learning skills to enable them to become lifelong autonomous learners, and engage within specific fields of creative writing and critical practice
Year 3
* Develop your depth of knowledge, complexity of analytical skills, understanding of cultural contexts and a sense of readership/audience
* Equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed on a postgraduate degree course where this is the desired outcome for the student
* Develop your problem-solving skills and capacity for independent judgement, awareness of own interests in relation to other writers and defined audiences, particularly in undertaking independent study and research
* Develop your comprehension and capacity to analyse issues in both creative writing and critical practice, and to understand the relationship between theory/practice/process, in your own and other writers' texts for specified audiences
* Ensure that you can apply different theoretical perspectives critically to the analysis of literatures in English in widely different world contexts
* Equip you with a broad range of personal and professional aptitudes to succeed in appropriate employment where this is the desired outcome for you
* Empower you with the motivation and independent thinking and learning skills to enable you to become lifelong autonomous learners, and engage with the production/publication of literary and critical texts

Learning Methods and Strategies
You are set work that you bring to each tutorial for wider discussion and formative assessment. This work might include, for example, an essay plan and bibliography, a short essay/creative piece, observation or library research work.
You are typically paired for tutorials, allowing some student, as well as tutor, feedback on your work in a small supportive environment. Increasingly, at levels two and three you are required to initiate the content of tutorials. At level three much of the discussion and learning will centre on your individual plan of work.
You will be positively encouraged to attend formal and informal study groups in which you can discuss course content, ideas and the wider process of studying. Most of Ruskin's students are residential and will tend to discuss issues informally. Tutors encourage you to recognise and, at some stages in the course, log this process.
You will also be encouraged to become actively involved with the local community. At levels two and three this is built into the syllabus of the fiction and poetry writing modules. You are required to attend local readings, performances and events. There are also a number of guest lecture slots for talks by local writing practitioners, academics, musicians and people in the publishing industries.
In summary the main teaching and learning methods adopted across the modules are:
* Tutor-led seminar/lectures introducing texts, concepts and techniques
* Tutor-led seminars allowing students to contextualise and/or practice writing texts individually and in small groups. These sessions become increasingly student-led as the course progresses to levels 2 and 3
* Tutor led tutorials, becoming increasingly student led as the course progresses to levels 2 and 3.
Within these methods a range of strategies are adopted including:
* Encouraging engagement with texts through discussion with peers and tutor
* A range of writing/reading/researching/editing exercises
* Session objectives and summaries
* Mini tests
* Library based exercises
* Guest lectures
* Group and peer critiques and marking exercises
* Student performances/presentations of critical/creative works-in-progress
* Student guides to self-directed study including: giving and receiving critical feedback, reviewing, editing, summarising, project management, using a writer's notebook, researching (creative and critical) and presentation skills
Materials for sessions include handouts of theories and models, texts, audio tapes of spoken or performed texts, videos/DVDs of performances, interviews with authors and arts/culture programmes.

Requirement
All candidates must be able to satisfy the general admissions requirements for Ruskin College. These are: * You should be aged 19 or over * You must obtain medical clearance * You must demonstrate commitment to the ethos and vocation of Ruskin College * You must have the ability to benefit from study at this level Selection interviews are conducted as a two-way process in which you can make an informed decision about the suitability of the programme for you. You will find this process valuable. You will participate in an induction week, which includes sessions on all aspects of the college. If you have a Certificate of Higher Education or 120 CATS points in a relevant subject you may be eligible for direct entry onto year two of this course. Please contact our Admissions Officer for further information. Similarly, if you have a Diploma of Higher Education or 240 CATS points is a relevant subject you may be eligible for direct entry onto year three of this course.