BA (Hons) English Literature with Creative Writing with a Placement Year
Course
options
Key Details
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Arts
- UCAS Course Code
- Q3WP
- Typical Offer
- AAB (specific subjects required)
- Contextual Offer
- BBB (specific subjects required)
- Course Length
- 4 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
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Why you should choose us
Course Overview
Do you love to write as much as you love to read? Do the books you read spark your imagination and inspire you to be creative? At UEA, we believe that good readers make good writers. That’s why we combine the study of English Literature and Creative Writing throughout all levels of this innovative course, allowing you to deepen your literary knowledge while developing your own creative voice.
You’ll immerse yourself in a thriving community of writers and thinkers. Learning from practicing writers and passionate teachers, you’ll sharpen your ability to sculpt language into stories, scenes, and images. You’ll build worlds, develop your voice and find ways to express yourself. Alongside this, you’ll study literature from around the world, past and present. You’ll discover how writers have expanded literary possibilities, made art out of lived experience and shown us what it means to be human. In doing so, you’ll become a more discerning and attentive reader and writer, ready to make your own mark on the literary world.
You’ll spend a third of your time on Creative Writing and two thirds on English Literature in your first two years of study. In your third year, you may increase the amount of Creative Writing that you do or focus more on Literature, developing a balance that best suits you. Your creative and literary training will go hand-in-hand, each enhancing the other, as you explore and experiment with diverse genres, forms, and subjects, from weird fiction, to lyric poetry, to the literature of emotion. You’ll normally spend 9-12 months of your third year in a placement, gaining invaluable work experience and employability skills in a relevant area of your choice.
You’ll be based in the UK’s original Creative Writing department, which is part of the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing. You’ll also have access to world-leading facilities and resources, from the technological delights of the Media Suite to the opportunities of our student-run publishing project Egg Box, from the riches of the British Archive for Contemporary Writing to the Sainsbury Centre. What’s more, you’ll live and work in the beautiful city of Norwich, a UNESCO City of Literature, and home to the National Centre for Writing.
Upon graduation, you'll have developed a wealth of skills that’ll open doors to many fulfilling careers, whether you want to work in the creative or cultural industries, or in business, marketing or social media management. Events such as Working with Words will give you the chance to connect with industry professionals and UEA alumni who have gone on to exciting careers in journalism, publishing, and freelance writing—offering invaluable insights and inspiration for your next steps.
Placement Year
This degree gives you the opportunity to greatly enhance your employability by undertaking a 9-12 month placement in the third year of your degree. You'll be expected to source your own work placement with the support of UEA's CareerCentral Service and your school.
Find out more about this exciting opportunity on our Placement Years in Arts and Humanities page.
Study and Modules
Structure
During your first year, you’ll take two bespoke Creative Writing modules designed to give you a strong foundation in both practical craft and critical theory. This combination will equip you with the essential tools to grow and refine your voice as a writer, providing the bedrock for your studies throughout your English Literature and Creative Writing with a Placement Year degree.
In the first semester, you’ll explore the fundamentals of prose fiction, poetry, and scriptwriting, guided by the work of some of today’s most exciting contemporary writers. Through seminars and writing exercises, you’ll experiment with different forms and techniques, sharpening your craft in a supportive, creative environment. In the second semester, you’ll dive into genre writing, from fantasy to crime fiction, and be encouraged to take risks, challenge conventions, and expand your creative horizons. Along the way, you’ll develop the critical skills to reflect thoughtfully on your own writing practice.
On the literature side, you’ll explore the breadth of English Literature across history. You’ll immerse yourself in the global history of English, from its origins in multilingual medieval society to the extraordinary literatures still being forged today from the legacies of colonialism and its resistance. At the same time, you’ll experience the thrill of close reading, sharpening your analytical skills and deepening your appreciation of language and form. As your writing develops, you’ll discover how both strands of your degree complement and enrich one another, fuelling your creativity and critical insight.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
The bulk of your teaching will occur in the seminar room. Here, alongside fellow creative writing students, you’ll experience the excitement of honing your craft and unlocking your imagination. One week you might dive deep into the inner world of a character, the next you’ll be chasing the perfect image to capture desire, fear, or hope. Every step of the way, you’ll be guided by a passionate tutor who shares your fascination with the art of putting words on the page.
Meanwhile, lectures on literature will surprise you with new ideas, and seminar discussions will shape your thinking about what you've read that week. If you’d like to get a sense of what sorts of books you might read in your first year, take a look at our list of suggested (but entirely optional) reading for incoming Creative Writing students!
At the start of your course, you'll also meet your academic adviser who'll support you throughout your degree with everything from choosing modules to launching your career.
Independent Learning
You’ll spend time working on your own writing and reading with the support of a framework of guided tasks. You'll explore the library and the Sainsbury Centre, discovering a wealth of resources and inspiration. You'll throw yourself into the whirlwind of extra-curricular creative writing events and activities. Sometimes, you might just sit and think, finding a still space to take it all in. By the end of this year, you'll be equipped with the fundamental skills you’ll need for your literary and creative journey.
Assessment
Throughout your degree, all modules in English Literature and Creative Writing have no exams as we believe that the best way to express your thoughts about literature and to show off your creative development is through carefully crafted pieces of written coursework. On the creative side, you'll start by writing your own stories and poems, developing fundamental skills in drafting, keeping a writer's notebook, and submitting to deadlines, before embarking on more experimental exercises, which invite you to take greater risks. In your studies of literature, you'll develop renewed enthusiasm for writing academic essays. You’ll also get to express your thinking in a diverse variety of forms, from reviews to personal reflective writing.
Feedback
You'll receive feedback on your writing (creative and critical) from your tutors (in one-to-one tutorials) and your peers. As your first year doesn’t count toward your overall degree result, it's the perfect moment to experiment and take risks.
Structure
Building on the skills you’ve developed in the first year, you’ll begin to focus your creative writing on a particular form (or two), choosing from prose, poetry, creative non-fiction, and scriptwriting modules, as well as options in publishing and journalism.
In the classroom, you’ll continue to explore and analyse outstanding works of literature. At the same time, your own writing will begin to take centre stage as you share it with peers and tutors in our supportive creative writing workshops. You’ll receive thoughtful feedback, while also learning how to offer constructive critique to others, which is a vital part of growing as a writer. It’s a key moment in your UEA journey, when your voice begins to emerge with confidence and clarity. You’ll also have the freedom to choose from a wide range of literature modules, building a strong foundation across different literary periods. You might also dive into our innovative creative-critical modules, where reading and writing go hand in hand in exciting new ways.
Over the course of this year and the next, you’ll also take at least two modules focusing on literature written before 1789. This will ensure that you graduate not only as a confident writer but as one who understands how your creative work is part of a broader literary tradition.
Optional A Modules
(Min Credits: 60, Max Credits: 80)Optional B Modules
(Min Credits: 20, Max Credits: 40)Optional C Modules
(Min Credits: 20, Max Credits: 40)Optional D Modules
(Min Credits: 0, Max Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Your writing will be taken to the next level through the 'workshopping' process (pioneered in the UK by UEA). You'll become accustomed to putting your work out into the world and getting feedback from your peers and your tutors. You’ll learn the art of constructive critique, helping your fellow writers to grow as they help you. Lectures and seminars will immerse you in particular eras of literature, and you'll also have the chance to take seminars in more vocational areas, such as journalism or publishing (using our state-of-the-art Media Suite). Or you might choose to take a short-term work placement as part of a Humanities-wide module.
Independent Learning
You'll continue to read widely, pursuing your own passions or discovering new ones. You’ll become adept at journaling, at looking at the world for inspiration. And you’ll work on your stories and poems and scripts, revising them towards submission. You'll finish the year with a real sense of how your degree might progress into a future career.
Assessment
You'll continue to submit written coursework for all your creative writing and literature modules. Your creative writing will flourish as you produce more substantial pieces of prose, portfolios of poetry, or scripts for stage or screen. You’ll write reflective pieces to better understand your own creative processes. You'll take your critical essay writing to new heights, and you might experiment with creative criticism, for instance by writing a short story which reveals your critical understanding of that form. You may take one module from another discipline this year, which might lead you to take an exam, but the majority of our students are assessed by written coursework.
Feedback
You'll continue to have the support and feedback of all your tutors. Your creative work will be deepened by your immersion in the workshop environment, where you receive feedback from your peers and learn to give feedback on their work, an enormously valuable skill in many careers.
Structure
Your third year will be spent on your placement, providing you with the opportunity to experience the world of work while applying some of the skills and knowledge you’ve developed during your first two years of study.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
You’ll spend your third year on a placement. You’ll be responsible for securing the placement, with the advantage of UEA’s well-established connections throughout the UK and beyond. During your placement, you’ll regularly review your progress with your placement mentor, and you’ll be able to access remote support from UEA as well to ensure your placement goes smoothly.
Assessment
You’ll be asked to reflect on your placement by, for instance, offering a self-appraisal of what you’ve learnt to demonstrate your broader commercial awareness of your placement’s sector.
Structure
In your final-year Creative Writing modules, you’ll focus intensively on developing your own voice and refining your craft. You’ll take part in a workshop modelled on UEA’s world-renowned Creative Writing MA, offering a professional and inspiring environment to push your work to new levels. You’ll also have the opportunity to undertake a Creative Writing dissertation, producing a substantial piece of original work with dedicated one-to-one guidance from a tutor who’ll act as your editor, mentor, and creative sounding board throughout the process.
On the literature side, you’ll choose from a wide and inspiring range of specialist modules shaped by the research interests of our expert academics – with current topics spanning everything from the history of banned books to feminist writing. You may also opt to write a dissertation on a literary topic of your choice, receiving one-to-one supervision from a dedicated tutor who’ll guide and support your independent research.
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 30)Optional B Modules
(Min Credits: 0, Max Credits: 30)Optional C Modules
(Min Credits: 30, Max Credits: 90)Optional D Modules
(Min Credits: 0, Max Credits: 60)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
In your final year, your time at UEA will reach its peak. You’ll bring together everything you’ve learned in one of our advanced workshops or in your dissertation, focusing on the form of your choice. Your writing and thinking will evolve to a level you never imagined, with continuous guidance from a practicing writer. Alongside this, you’ll have the opportunity to dive into cutting-edge literary topics in-depth, in three-hour seminars led by specialists who are deeply passionate about their subject.
Independent Learning
You'll bring together all the skills and confidence you've developed in critical and creative writing to master the forms of writing and fields of literary study that have come to matter to you the most. Perhaps you’ll also get involved in publishing the annual undergraduate anthology of creative writing. Either way, you’ll be feeling increasingly ready for what the world beyond UEA can offer.
Assessment
In your final year, you’ll continue to be assessed by written coursework, developing a more ambitious portfolio of writing. If you choose to complete a creative dissertation, it’ll serve as the culmination of your achievements as a writer. You’ll continue to perfect the craft of critical essay writing, and if you wish, you can experiment with new forms of critical expression, such as the boundary-defying genre of ‘auto-fiction’.
Feedback
All the feedback you receive throughout your degree will enable you to graduate with highly developed skills in writing and argument, across a variety of forms and for diverse audiences. You’ll also gain the ability to give sensitive yet incisive critique of others' work. These transferable skills are hugely valued by employers and will prepare you for a wide range of career opportunities.
Employability
After the Course
You’ll graduate as a first-rate writer, an advanced critical reader, and a thinker with an independent mindset. You’ll know how to manage your time, how to work as part of a team, how to state your position and how to defend it.
With the support of our award-winning Careers Service throughout your degree, you’ll have opportunities to hone your CV and seek out internships. You’ll also have the chance to attend Working with Words, an annual event in which you’ll meet UEA alumni working in the creative industries. This event will provide invaluable networking opportunities, allowing you to connect with professionals and gain insights into career paths in publishing, journalism, writing, and more. You’ll also have opportunities to get involved with the UEA Publishing Project, or its student arm, Egg Box, or undertake independent research in UEA’s British Archive for Contemporary Writing. In an increasingly text-based world these skills and experiences are highly valued by employers.
You could go on to work as a novelist or scriptwriter, or in many careers in arts, media, publishing, politics, charities and NGOs, teaching or the commercial sector. You’ll also be well placed to study for a postgraduate degree, including our world-famous Creative Writing MAs. Regardless of the direction you choose, you’ll be superbly placed to start writing your own story.
Careers
Examples of careers you could enter include:
- Freelance writer
- Publishing
- Journalist
- Media
- Marketing
- Teaching
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.
You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
- English and Mathematics
All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade C or grade 4.
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.
We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies page.
- Contextual Offers
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
A levels
AAB including English Literature or one of the subjects listed below.
Contextual offer: BBB including English Literature or one of the subjects listed below:
English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma: DDD plus A-Level grade B in English Literature or one of the subjects listed below.
Contextual offer: DDM plus A-Level grade B in English Literature or one of the subjects listed below:
English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.
BTEC in Public Services, Uniformed Services and Business Administration are all excluded from our BTEC offers.
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities and Social Sciences Pathway. Pass Access to HE Diploma with Distinction in 36 credits at Level 3 and Merit in 9 credits at Level 3.
Contextual offer: Access to Humanities and Social Sciences Pathway. Pass the Access to HE Diploma with Merit in 30 credits at Level 3 and pass in 15 credits at Level 3.
T levels
Not accepted.
Foundation Year options:
If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as BA English Literature with Creative Writing with a Foundation Year
- Further Examples of Typical Entry Requirements
International Baccalaureate
33 points overall including 5 in HL English, History, Global Politics or Psychology.
Irish Leaving Certificate
4 subjects at H2, 2 subjects at H3 including English Literature or one of the following subjects: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.
Scottish Highers
AAAAA including English Literature, or one of the following subjects: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable.
Scottish Advanced Highers
BBC, including English Literature or one of the following subjects: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable.
- Non-Academic Entry Requirements
Candidates who are shortlisted will be asked to provide a sample of their creative writing: we ask for around 3-5 pages of work, which can be on any subject and in any genre of the candidate's choice. Most choose to send poetry, prose, or a mixture of the two.
- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- Progression
Once enrolled onto a course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.
You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
- English and Mathematics
All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade C or grade 4.
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.
We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies page.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
A levels
AAB including English Literature or one of the subjects listed below:English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law.
International Baccalaureate
33 points overall including 5 in HL English, History, Global Politics or Psychology.
We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. For specific details about your country, view our information for International Students.
- UEA International Study Centre
If you do not meet the academic and/or English language requirements for direct entry our partner, UEA International Study Centre offers progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
-
IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components)
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, UEA International Study Centre offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:
-
- Non-Academic Entry Requirements
Candidates who are shortlisted will be asked to provide a sample of their creative writing: we ask for around 3-5 pages of work, which can be on any subject and in any genre of the candidate's choice. Most choose to send poetry, prose, or a mixture of the two.
- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- Progression
Once enrolled onto a course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
View our information for Tuition Fees.
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
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Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information: