#1 in South West for Graduate Prospects
We’re #1 for Creative Writing Graduate Prospects in the South West.*
*Complete University Guide 2023.

BA (Hons)
Undergraduate degree - combined honours
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email admissions@bathspa.ac.uk with your specific details.
Join us at Bath Spa University where writing is the thing we love to do and the thing we love to talk about. In our workshops, you’ll find friends for life who, like you, want to spend time in a writing world of imagination, creativity and experimentation.
You’ll enjoy working on our unique campus, surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th-century landscape, perfect for creative inspiration. You might experiment with nature writing or discover poems and stories you’re driven to write as a response to climate change and environmental issues.
“As well as strengthening my skills and confidence as a writer, Creative Writing at Bath Spa opened my eyes up to the range of career paths I could pursue that I hadn’t considered before. The tutors and Careers team supported me after graduation, all the way to my first full time creative role.”
Nic Crosara, 2019 graduate, now Design and Production Assistant at SelectScience
Contemporary creative writing is diverse. It’s digital and on the page; social and singular. Our comprehensive programme includes prose fiction, YA, flash fiction, poetry, scriptwriting for live performance and screen, life writing and memoir.
In fact, whatever you want to write, you’ll find an opportunity to explore it with us. We have modules on graphic novels and comics alongside modules in live literature, creative enterprise and professional practice to support your career development. You'll have the opportunity to collaborate on creative projects with other students both within and outside Creative Writing.
You’ll be able to work on magazines, local literary festivals and podcasts, while collaborating with fellow students through our creative writing, publishing and journalism student-run societies.
Year one
The course is carefully designed to enable you to explore and experiment with your writing and understand the foundations of writing craft. In the Writer’s Workshop modules you’ll be introduced to an array of different writing forms and genres and you’ll be experimenting with them each week. You’ll have your first experience of the BSU writing workshop where you’ll learn how to work with other writers, giving and receiving feedback. You’ll have additional modules in poetry, fiction and script writing alongside a module where you’ll learn about the publishing industry and editing. You’ll also attend lectures from visiting writers and members of staff who will talk to you about their writing lives and experiences in the industry.
Year two
In the second year of the course, you have access to a range of modules that will enable you to specialise in a particular form or genre of writing. You’ll take a mixture of core and optional modules from a list that includes, for example, genre fiction, life writing, short stories, form and listening in poetry, and writing for screen. You will also take the project module, Professional Portfolio. This is an opportunity for you to develop your own creative project, designed to help you develop the skills you need as a professional writer. You will be assigned a member of staff to be your project supervisor. They will help guide and advise you as you develop your idea. If a collaborative project suits you, you can take a Publishing module where you work with a small team of fellow students to create your own independent magazine.
Year three
The final year of the programme is designed to consolidate your writing practice and support your progression into a writing-related career. You will take a dissertation-equivalent module in at least one of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, scriptwriting or writing for young people. These modules run through the year. Alongside that you have a choice of career-focused modules which include Live Literature and Professional Practice which offer you the opportunity to develop your own industry-facing creative projects. We also offer an extended project module, Creative Enterprise, over two semesters. This module helps you focus on developing a creative project into a commercial opportunity.
Assessment is based on 100% coursework (no exams). Most modules will require you to submit a portfolio of creative writing along with a reflective or contextual 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.
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.
To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.
This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.
“Bath Spa allowed me to choose a career with confidence, as I learned what I was good at and what I enjoyed doing. The best thing about the course is the support, the module choices (which can really inform your path) and the work experience offered with local publishers or events and festivals.”
Laura Garcia Moreno, 2022 graduate, now Production Assistant and Environmental Champion at Bath Festivals
The Creative Writing course is taught at our stunning Newton Park campus, where you’ll be surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th century landscape and lake.
You'll have access to a range of excellent facilities, including:
As a Creative Writing student, you'll be able to benefit from:
As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.
Creative Writing students often find exciting subject-related placements and we do our best to help students make connections and gain experiences in companies and organisations that interest them. Students often work with the Bath Literature Festival, for instance, or with production companies such as the BBC. The course team will help you on an individual basis as opportunities present themselves.
Past students have benefited from industry-based opportunities and experiences that have been incorporated into their modules, enabling them to secure credit for the time they have spent in industry environments.
Current graduate careers include:
Many of our students go on to study one of our specialist MA programmes in either Creative Writing, Writing for Young People, Screenwriting, Travel and Nature, or Children’s Publishing.
Each year Creative Writing awards a range of prizes to its students to celebrate the best writing produced in the final year. The department also awards the Les Arnold Prize for the 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 (Writer's Workshop One) to the second year core module and into several project modules in the third year. Student projects are a core part of the Creative Writing curriculum and students are assisted to develop project ideas that support their creative and career ambitions.
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.
Year 1 | £9,250 |
Year 2 | £9,250 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 1 | £9,250 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2026 |
Year 1 | £4,625 |
Year 2 | £9,250 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 1 | £9,250 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2026 |
Year 1 | £15,930 |
Year 2 | £16,675 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 1 | £16,675 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2026 |
During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. Otherwise, fees are the same as for full time study. This applies to UK, EU and International students.
Most of our applicants will have an A or a B in English Language and/or English Literature at A Level. That said, we do judge each application on its own merit and many of our most successful graduates have not fit neatly into standard criteria. Please write directly to the course leader or the admissions team to discuss your individual circumstances.
We also welcome applications from students who demonstrate real commitment to their writing. This commitment may be expressed in publications, awards, and/or engagement with the Apprentice of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below. Applicants without a relevant Level 3 qualification in English will be considered but will be required to submit a piece of their own creative writing as part of the selection process.
If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.
English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants
IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.
Course enquiries
For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.
Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page. Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.
Course leader: Ms Lucy Sweetman
Email: l.sweetman@bathspa.ac.uk
Apply your knowledge of philosophy to contemporary challenges, issues and debates. Our innovative Philosophy and Ethics degree has been designed to enable you to acquire specialised subject knowledge alongside practical and professional skills.
The course explores the assumptions, beliefs and values which shape human behaviour and our responses to it. You’ll address the key questions which underpin all academic disciplines and concepts, and how they are fundamental to our study of history, literature, the arts and sciences.
By working collaboratively across the Humanities, our Philosophers develop expertise in their own subject alongside the skills and approaches that will equip them for the next stage in their careers: learning to work with others, planning and implementing a project, making a pitch to a potential employer, and evaluating and acting on different options.
Rather than teaching philosophy primarily as a history of ideas – although we do explore this – we focus on the application of current philosophical thinking in contemporary settings and circumstances. You’ll consider our responses to environmental crises, for example, or questions of identity, belonging, social justice and the interplay between the personal and the political.
We consider Western philosophical and ethical perspectives, and introduce you to the systems of thought of India and China. This mix of content and the inclusiveness of our approach make the Philosophy and Ethics course particularly distinctive, vital and compelling.
Year one
Introductions and foundations: develop your skills in philosophical thinking, and follow a broad curriculum which allows you to ask questions, challenge your own assumptions, interrogate evidence, data and opinions.
Year two
Practical, applied, relevant: this year combines the academic study of Philosophy with the acquisition of professional skills and the application of your knowledge and understanding to a defined problem or idea.
Year three
Achievement, consolidation, creativity: your final project in the third year brings all this together. You’ll identify your own area of study, develop your proposal and put it into practice. This might be an extended piece of academic writing, an exhibition, community project, or the creation of digital resources.
Assessment is mainly through coursework such as essays, projects, presentations, or online discussion.
Our focus is on ‘doing philosophy’ and developing your confidence and capacity for philosophical analysis and debate. We’ll support you through lectures and seminar work, as well as individual tutorials and support.
Special projects in years two and three and the dissertation in year three provide opportunities for independent work which builds on your own interests, adds new dimensions to your thinking, or relates to plans for future careers and personal development.
To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.
This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.
As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.
Fieldwork and visits are an integral part of the course. We visit religious communities, mosques, temples, gurdwaras and churches.
We have excellent links with third sector organisations, working with environmental and educational charities, as well as others. These links support your study, as we’ll explore how religious, philosophical and ethical perspectives can be applied to current issues.
Our graduates have careers in:
The ability to combine this course with another subject makes it ideal for individuals considering a career in teaching. Many graduates go on to train as teachers – the course is widely respected as a foundation for a career in education.
If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.
You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.
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.
The Philosophy and Ethics course is based at our Newton Park campus, which combines outstanding modern facilities with a beautiful setting.
Year 1 | £9,250 |
Year 2 | £9,250 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 1 | £9,250 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2026 |
Year 1 | £4,625 |
Year 2 | £9,250 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 1 | £9,250 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2026 |
Year 1 | £15,930 |
Year 2 | £16,675 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 1 | £16,675 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Autumn 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Autumn 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Autumn 2026 |
During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. Otherwise, fees are the same as for full time study. This applies to UK, EU and International students.
Our students come from a range of different backgrounds. We look for individuals with an enquiring mind and a willingness to explore new areas of thought and belief.
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:
If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.
English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants
IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.
Course enquiries
For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.
Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.
Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.
Course leader: Dr Paul Reid-Bowen
Email: p.reid-bowen@bathspa.ac.uk
Website feedback to web@bathspa.ac.uk