Creative Writing and English Literature

Our comprehensive programme includes prose, poetry, scriptwriting for the stage and screen, feature journalism, writing for new media, life writing: in fact, whatever you want to write, you’ll find an opportunity at Bath Spa University. We also work with drama and film students to produce films and podcasts, and encourage you to get involved in a wide range of writing-related areas such as readings, performances and magazines.

Year one
Writer’s Workshop One (general workshop), Poetry, Fiction, Scriptwriting.

Year two
Specialist core modules (choose one of five) plus a wide range of specialist modules from journalism and new media, writing for young people, traditional “page” poetry, performance poetry, to genre fiction, short stories, nonfiction and more!

Year three
Creative Enterprise module, dissertation-equivalent modules in poetry, novel writing, nonfiction, and writing for young people. Independent project module, collaborative film module.

Assessment is based on 100% coursework (no exams). Most modules will require you to submit a portfolio of creative writing along with a reflective essay in which you describe what you have learned in class, what you have learned from the set texts and working on your own writing.

Creative Writing at Bath Spa University is taught through a mixture of workshops, lectures, presentations and tutorials. Workshops offer you the opportunity to read and discuss each other's work in a supportive, informal and informative atmosphere. Lectures are used to introduce techniques and themes in detail. Tutorials provide you with the opportunity to discuss your work with your tutor on a one-to-one basis. Advanced students may also get the chance to work with industry mentors on project work.

We believe that for you to achieve your maximum potential you have to take yourself and your writing seriously, and that the best way to do this is to develop a professional approach. Therefore, wherever appropriate, our modules run to industry standards and adopt industry practices.

• The Writer’s Workshop 1
• Explorations in Prose Fiction
• Songwriting
• The Writer’s Workshop 2
• Reading to Write Poetry
• Introduction to Scriptwriting

• Short Stories
• Form and Listening in Poetry
• Genre Fiction
• Lifewriting
• Writing for Performance 1
• Sudden Prose
• Scripting for Screen
• Professional Portfolio
• Writing for Performance 2
• Performance Poetry and Spoken Word
• Writing For Young
• Reading as Writers
• Creative Writing and Digital Media
• The Independent Magazine
• Professional Placement Year

• Extended Prose Fiction 1
• Poetry as Synthesis 1
• Advanced Script Project 1
• Advanced Nonfiction Project 1
• Planning and Writing a Novel For Young People 1
• Creative Enterprise Project 1
• Teaching Writing
• Strategy Camp
• Extended Prose Fiction 2
• Poetry as Synthesis
• Advanced Script Project 2
• Advanced Nonfiction Project 2
• Planning and Writing a Novel For Young People 2
• Creative Enterprise Project 2
• Interactive Storytelling
• Teaching Practice
• Professional Engagement
• Publishing Industry Project
• Children’s Publishing
• Writing and Directing for Performance 1
• Writing and Directing for Performance 2

The Creative Writing course is taught at our stunning Newton Park campus.

You'll have access to a range of excellent facilities, including:

• Commons building;
• state of the art classrooms – most under five years old;
• digital labs (Mac rooms) for students learning new media;
• our Virtual Learning Environment.

As a Creative Writing student, you'll be able to benefit from:

• Cameras, audio recording equipment available for students to borrow absolutely free.
• Full production and post-production facilities, soundstage, screening rooms.
• Technical staff to help students use hardware and software according to industry standards.

Erasmus and exchange opportunities to some of the world’s leading colleges and universities – for instance Queensland University of Technology, Australia, Stockholm University, Sweden, and Bennington College, USA.

Creative Writing has no work experience or placements embedded within the course, but students often find subject-related placements – for instance, with the Bath Literature Festival, or with production companies such as the BBC. The course team will help you on an individual basis as opportunities present themselves.

For instance, in 2012, one student was able to secure a film production assistant’s position working on the Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon on location in Southeast Asia. The course team was able to help him gain credit for this work through the Creative Enterprise and Independent Project modules. In 2014, another student was able to secure a paid placement at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York. His third year of study was tailored so that he could take advantage of that opportunity and graduate with the rest of his class. Yet another student secured a placement at the Old Vic Theatre where she also researched a project for her second-year independent project module.

Current graduate careers include:

• Novelist
• Children’s Author
• Playwright
• Poet
• Digital Marketing Executive
• Advertising Copywriter
• Bookstore Owner
• University Lecturer
• Editor (Random House)

Creative Writing awards almost twenty separate prizes to students each year – for the best short story, best poetry, best group project, best script, along with externally sponsored awards such as the Picador Prize for Fiction – given annually to the most promising work of fiction by an undergraduate – and the Les Arnold Prize for top student in the second year, honouring the memory of poet Les Arnold, who started the writing programme in 1992.

Students are given numerous opportunities to focus on project work – from the first year core module (Writers Workshop One) to the second year core module and into several project modules in the third year.

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of “with Professional Placement Year” to your degree title.

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.