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What makes Creative Writing at Worcester special?

You will be given a foundation in the main genres of Creative Writing and the fundamentals of contemporary professional writing and editing. You will explore writing prose, poetry, life writing and media writing, taught by award winning writers and guest speakers from industry. You will have the opportunity to attend a vibrant series of lectures, workshops and readings from visiting writers.

At the University of Worcester our focus is to help you establish your own identity as a writer and enhance your skillset to enable you to pursue a career that utilises your excellent writing and communication skills. Throughout your degree you will be encouraged to experiment as you are mentored by professional writers who will help you to discover the variety of career choices available to you. 

You will be supported to develop a writer’s network and evolve your own distinctive writing practice and submit your work for publication.

Creative Writing is available as a Joint Honours degree with English Literature, English Language, Illustration, Screenwriting, and History. Please visit our Creative Writing website to read student testimonials and blog posts about studying Creative Writing at Worcester. There is also a link to our upcoming events that are free for students, staff and members of the public to attend.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • Available in a range of Joint Honours combinations to suit your interests and form a solid foundation for your future (English Language, English Literature, History, Media & Film Studies, Illustration, and Screenwriting)
  • Explore a range of different writing styles and platforms that are relevant to the contemporary ways in which writers communicate and showcase their creativity.
  • Study a flexible and vibrant portfolio of modules that is constantly developing and improving based on student feedback.
  • Learn from professional creative writers who are also experts in their academic fields (e.g. spoken word, contemporary poetry, hypermedia, historical fiction and environmental writing).
  • Work closely with small groups of peers who will provide feedback on your writing as well as experience one-to-one mentorship with writing tutors.
  • Gain valuable insight into the professional creative industry by participating in work placement opportunities, attending guest speaker events, volunteering, short internships and collaborations.
  • Become a part of a rich and vibrant writing community with a number of active clubs and societies.
  • Attend national writing events such as UniSlam and Verve Poetry Festival

Register your interest

Enter your details below and we will keep you up to date with useful information about studying at the University of Worcester.


For updates and general information concerning events and activities in the English Subject Area, including Creative Writing, see our official blog.

Creative writing students and lecturers at a social event at The Hive, Worcester

View of a room of students sat down talking student holding out his hand to camera A number of students sitting down smiling at each other student reading from a book woman who is holding an open book man with glasses leaning back
Entry requirements

Entry requirements

104
UCAS tariff points

Entry requirements

104 UCAS tariff points.

The normal minimum entry requirement for undergraduate degree courses is the possession of 4 GCSEs (Grade C/4 or above) and a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent Level 3 qualifications).

Other information

We also encourage mature and International applicants to apply with relevant qualifications and/or experience.

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905-855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk for advice.

Further information about the UCAS Tariff can be found on the UCAS website.

Visitors at a University of Worcester open day

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Miguel Guerreiro and Kelly Williams - Creative Writing degree graduates

Poetry prize winners 2019

Kellan Williams (winner) and Miguel Guerreiro Lourenço (runner-up) of the V.Press Prize for Poetry 2019.

Kellan's book, YNGORDNA, will be launched and celebrated at the Hive, 1st May 2020.

Miguel will be reading from his 2nd place collection, Writing the Truth, and will be presented with a prize from V.Press editor Sarah Leavesley. 

Olivia and Courtney. Creative Writing degree prize winners

Creative Writing prize winners 2019

Olivia Camozzi-Jones (winner) and Courtney Johnson of the Black Pear Press Prize for Fiction 2019.

Olivia's book, The Bad Birthdays Club, will be launched and celebrated at the Hive, 1st may 2020.

Courtney will be reading from her 2nd place novella, Embroidered Dolls, and will be presented with a prize from the editors of Black Pear Press. 

Course content

Course content

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. If there are insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this might not be offered, but we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative. 

Year 1

Mandatory

  • Introduction to Writing
  • Writer’s Toolkit
  • Writing Poetry
  • Writing Fiction

Optional

Year 2

Mandatory

  • Writer as Researcher
  • The Writing Professional
  • Collabowriting

Optional

Year 3

Mandatory

  • Extended Writing Project

Optional

  • Hypermedia - Creative Writing in a Digital Culture
  • New Nature Writing
  • Contemporary Poetry
  • Creative Non-fiction
  • Writing for Performance
  • Indie Publishing
  • Writing Witchcraft
  • International Exchanges

Student work

Watch Sophie Hartland give a reading of her poem 'The Squirrel'.
2 female students and 1 male student working at table

Study Creative Writing as part of a joint honours degree

As well as a single honours degree, Creative Writing is also available as part of a number of joint honours combinations, allowing you to combine it with another subject to match your interests and career aspirations:

Creative Writing and English Language BA (Hons)

Creative Writing and English Literature BA (Hons)

Creative Writing and History BA (Hons)

Creative Writing and Illustration BA (Hons)

Creative Writing and Screenwriting BA (Hons)

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, interactive workshops, individual tuition and blended learning.

You will be exposed to new ideas, concepts and examples of creative writing through lectures. You will have the opportunity to discuss this new content and explore ideas further through guided seminars. Practical writing exercises will be embedded to ensure that you have the opportunity to contextualise and apply what you have learnt. Interactive workshops provide a space for you to share your work and receive peer and tutor feedback. This is often conducted in smaller groups to ensure everyone has a chance to participate. Interactive workshops may also involve practical field trips to inform and gather inspiration for your writing. Individual tuition will enable you to develop a strong relationship with your tutors and create a space for focused individual development. All learning is supported through the use of online learning platforms where you can access previous lectures, seminar material and further relevant resources in your own time.

You will be assigned a personal academic tutor who will support you during your studies. You are expected to meet with your personal academic tutors at least four times in the first year, and three times in subsequent years, though your personal academic tutor will be available to support you to develop and should you encounter difficulties at any time during your studies. During the course of your studies you will have the opportunity to engage in work-based learning and project placements where you will be able to develop your professional networks and gain valuable experience for the employment market.

Contact time

In a typical week, students will have around 12 contact hours of teaching. The precise contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected and in the final year there is normally slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study.

Typically, class contact time will be structured around:

  • 4 hours of lectures
  • 8 hours of seminars (including workshops and other interactive formats)

Alternatively, Creative Writing sessions may blend lecture, seminar, and interactive workshops into 3-hour sessions. 

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, students are expected to undertake around 25 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve reading, research and critical reading, group work, directed study tasks, and editing and redrafting creative work.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources. 

Duration

  • 3 years full-time
  • 4-6 years part-time
  • 4 years full-time including one year of placement

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to evaluate progress informally and prepare for formal assessments through the completion of formative assignments. Most modules will encourage you to complete weekly assignments that will be used as the basis for workshops and feedback exercises in the following week.

Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment which will be graded and which will count towards your overall module grade. Assessment methods include creative submissions, essays, portfolios, presentations, group projects and a final year independent studies project. There are no examinations in Creative Writing.

The precise assessment requirements for individual students will vary depending on the optional modules taken, but the following is a typical summative assessment pattern for each year of the course:

Year 1
  • 5 creative writing extracts
  • 3 reflective commentaries
  • 3 project outlines
  • 1 blog post or feature article
  • 1 individual or group presentation
Year 2
  • 3 creative writing extracts
  • 4 reflective commentaries
  • 3 individual or group presentations
  • 1 project outline
  • 1 CV and writing profile
  • 3 research portfolios
Year 3
  • 1 major independent study project of approximately 8,000 words
  • 4 creative writing extracts
  • 4 reflective commentaries
  • 2 digital projects
  • 1 critical essay
  • 1 individual or group presentation

Feedback

You will receive feedback on formative assessments and summative assessments undertaken. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on summative assessments 20 working days after the submission deadline.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Meet the team

You will be taught by a team who are not only professional writers, but who are research active scholars contributing to the international research profile of the university. Members of the team have won numerous awards for their teaching including the Deputy Vice Chancellor Award for Excellence in Teaching (2019).

Staff members have creative outputs and publications in a wide range of creative fields and have a large network of professional connections in writing and associated industries such as publishing, editing, and advertising. All permanent members of the Creative Writing team are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy or an equivalent teaching qualification.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Dr Jack McGowan

Dr Jack McGowan

Jack’s research focuses on contemporary poetry and poetics, and he specializes in the development of performance poetry in the UK since the mid-20th century, and the oral roots of poetry.

Jack is a performance poet with 10 years of experience on the UK spoken word scene and he writes for both performance and page publication.

Dr Ruth Stacey copy

Dr Ruth Stacey

Dr Ruth Stacey is an expert in poetry, historical fiction, fantasy fiction, and memoir. Her research is focused on the use of symbolist poetics to write imagined memoir of historical subjects.

An award-winning poet, with a background in copywriting and illustration, her teaching covers a wide range of subjects including genre fiction, creative nonfiction, contemporary poetry, professional practice, and writing for children.

Careers

Careers

Creative Writing is an extremely versatile degree programme. Employers in a wide variety of job markets value the creativity and creative thinking skills you will develop during the course.  Examples of careers you could enter as a graduate include:

  • Professional writing, including print publication, performance
  • Media, including publishing, editing, production, copywriting
  • Advertising, including digital content creation
  • Journalism, including print, broadcast, and digital media
  • Computer games design and development
  • Teaching, at compulsory and post-compulsory levels
  • Arts administration
  • Charitable and voluntary sectors
  • Civil Service
  • Human Resources
  • Doctoral research and academic careers

Creative Writing at the University of Worcester places a strong emphasis on developing your proficiencies in both oral and literate communication enabling you to express yourself with confidence and clarity.

Opportunities to expand your professional network at the University of Worcester will allow you to enter the workplace with valuable first-hand experience. Creative Writing students are also well suited to continue on to postgraduate study in a range of different disciplines. 

Student experience

Copywriter Raven Brookes from Creative Solutions Agency DRP, offering a masterclass in writing for clients.

Roy McFarlane reading from his collection, 'The Healing Next Time' as part of The Creative Writing Reading experience, a series of free events in The Hive.

Student Cath Darwen pitching to a literary agent at the Creative Writing Industry Day in Manchester 01/11/19. Please note, trips vary each year.

Raven Brookes speaking to students who are sat around a table Poet Roy McFarlane stood reading out poem Cath Darwen with literary agent sat at table facing each other
Two students are walking next to each other and smiling

Careers and Employability

Our Graduates pursue exciting and diverse careers in a wide variety of employment sectors.

Find out how we can support you to achieve your potential
Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The Government has announced that it will increase tuition fees and maintenance loans by 3.1% from the 2025/26 academic cycle. Subject to approval, the University intends to increase our tuition fees in line with this and as per our terms and conditions. This means that from September 2025 the standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees will be £9,535 per year.

For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2025/26 academic year is £16,700 per year.

For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.

Part-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The Government has announced that it will increase tuition fees and maintenance loans by 3.1% from the 2025/26 academic cycle. Subject to approval, the University intends to increase our tuition fees in line with this and as per our terms and conditions. This means that from September 2025 the tuition fees for part-time UK and EU students on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees will be £1,190.83 per 15-credit module, £1,587.77 per 20-credit module, £2,381.66 per 30-credit module, £3,175.55 per 40-credit module, £3,572.50 per 45-credit module and £4,763.32 per 60 credit module.

For more details on course pages, please visit our course fees page.

Additional costs

Students are encouraged to purchase their own copies of key texts. Briefing will be given by module tutors to ensure you are informed which texts are considered essential reading for their respective modules. All set and recommended texts are available as physical copies or e-copies through the university Library and other Learning Resources.

Students receive a standard allocation of credit in order to download and print digital resources from the Library or from module VLEs.

When trips and educational visits are arranged to enhance your learning experience, the School of Humanities will endeavour to ensure that these will be provided free of charge.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £131 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £228 per week (2025/26 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.
How to apply

How to apply

Applying through UCAS

Creative Writing must be studied as part of a joint degree with another subject.

UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for entry onto full-time undergraduate courses in Higher Education in the UK.

Read our How to apply pages for more information on applying and to find out what happens to your application.

Applying through UCAS

Creative Writing is available to study as a joint honours. Please visit the individual joint honours course pages for UCAS links.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Admissions Office

admissions@worc.ac.uk
01905 855111

Dr Ruth Stacey

Admissions Tutor
r.stacey@worc.ac.uk
01905 855138

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