Creative and Professional Writing - BA(Hons)

Year one

In your first year, modules are designed to provide a solid foundation for your creative practice, to strengthen your technical expertise as a writer and to give you an overview of the professional landscape.

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Creative Practice and Writing Mechanics
• Essential Scriptwriting Skills and Techniques
• Narrative Non-fiction and Copywriting
• Writing Fiction: Contemporary Practice in Context.

Year two

As you progress into your second year, you will hone your writing skills by exploring and engaging with a variety of structures and contexts. You will develop a critical awareness of your work in the context of other writing, and undertake a major creative project.

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Ideation, Platforms and Commercial Writing
• The Novelist's Workshop - Genre, Form and Editorial Techniques
• Professional Portfolio Development 1
• Writing for Stage, Screen, Radio and Digital Media.

Final year

In your final year, you will work on a second major creative project, which will give you the opportunity to focus on the style of writing you most enjoy. Employability is a central focus of this course and you will gain a thorough understanding of the expectations of industry professionals.

You will study the following compulsory module:

• Professional Portfolio Development 2.

In addition, you will study three optional modules from the list below OR two if a Study Year Abroad (SYA) or Placement Year has been completed:

• A Career in Fiction - Publishing, Self-publishing and Promotion
• Copywriting - The Professional Nexus
• The Working Scriptwriter - Commissions, Briefs and Audiences.

Please also note this structure is for the full-time course delivery only. For part-time delivery, the same modules will be studied. However, the structure will differ.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we will inform you.

You will be taught and assessed by leading academics and practising professionals from across the cultural industries.

Learning takes place through a range of methods including practical workshops, discussion-based seminars, lectures and one-to-one tutorials. Independent study is also a key part of the course and you will complete weekly exercises outside of class time. An Academic Personal Tutor (APT) is available to provide individual advice and support throughout your course.

For more details see our glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Workshops, seminars, lectures, project work and tutoring account for an average of 12 hours of contact time per week. However, you will be expected to spend at least as much time again in essential independent study.

We use various methods of assessment, helping you develop a range of critical, creative and practical skills. Assessment types may include creative writing, portfolios, projects, digital content production, essays, case studies, examinations, oral presentations and self-evaluations.

For more details see our full glossary of assessment terms.