Overview
Course In Depth
Modules
Entry Criteria
Careers and Employability
Finance
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Related Courses
Overview
UCAS Code: | W800 |
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Course Length: | 3 Years Full-Time |
Start Dates: | September 2019, September 2020 |
Department: | Department of English, History and Creative Writing |
Location: | Edge Hill University |
- Gain insights into publishing, broadcasting and professional production which will prepare you for a career in the creative industries;
- Guest writers, visiting industry professionals, readings and workshops bring this degree to life;
- Taught by a world-class community of writers.
As a Creative Writing student you will work with, and become part of, a world class community of writers who will help you develop your skills in areas such as fiction, script, poetry, writing for games and non-fiction. For almost three decades we have enabled students to find their creative voices, pioneering the use of reflective work to enhance their progression. Our aim is to help you to develop your writing in innovative and exciting ways, becoming the best writer you can be. In addition to this, we offer you opportunities to take part in readings and events, and to benefit from the experience of a range of writers, editors, dramaturges, producers and directors who come to Edge Hill University as visiting lecturers.
Student and Alumni Profiles

In Depth
What will I study?
The course is designed to enable you to become a versatile, skilled and self-reflective writer. It encourages you to find your own creative voice, developing a creative practice that is professional and adaptable and extending your knowledge of contemporary writing and its relevance to your own work. You will also gain a critical awareness of a range of markets for your writing and discover how to submit your work for publication or production.
You will write, critically reflect upon, and revise your work to hone your creative and editorial skills, as well as reading widely to explore the techniques and approaches of published writers.
Year 1 introduces you to the art of writing fiction, poetry and script, and outlines the business of writing. You will start keeping a writer’s journal and begin to engage with the wider world as a writer. In addition, you will study world building and practice how to construct your own fictional worlds. Your first year provides a solid foundation for your development as a writer.
Year 2 extends and deepens your creative abilities through writing short stories, innovative poetry, and scripts for the stage. You will also study the publishing industry and obtain a greater understanding of the creative industries and the role of the professional creative writer by either taking on a placement or participating in the creation of a group project. Your growing skills as a writer and your broader experience of the range of forms of creative writing prepare you for your final year and for greater creative freedom.
With a more distinct, developed voice and enhanced creative skills in Year 3, you will write a longer piece of work in your preferred medium (for example, fiction, poetry, script or game) to highlight your talents. Optional modules enable you to focus on longer work in fiction, pursue further experimentation in poetic style, work on more complex stories or the chapters of a novel, engage in writing scripts for film and television, or enhance your skills and strategies as a playwright.
How will I study?
Teaching and learning is centred on the writer’s workshop, where your writing will improve through practical exercises and the analysis of existing work. The workshop is a vital element in your development as a writer and your participation through self and peer appraisal will provide opportunities for improving your work and commenting constructively on that of fellow writers.
Working individually, in pairs and in larger groups, you will analyse your own and other writers’ creative practice. You will learn the habits and methods of a professional writer through activities such as keeping a writer’s journal, research and observation, re-drafting and editing, and presenting work to a high standard.
There are also opportunities to undertake work-based learning through independent and employability-focused projects. Past projects have included setting up and running an online literary magazine, writing and producing a play, and developing and delivering a series of creative writing workshops in schools.
How will I be assessed?
All modules are assessed by coursework, which includes creative practice, critical practice, essays and a reflection on the creative process.
There are no formal written examinations as part of the current assessment methods on this programme.
Who will be teaching me?
You will be taught by tutors who are practising, professional writers. They include widely produced and published novelists, short-story writers, poets, dramatists and games writers. The programme team are also practising researchers and scholars, publishing work in a variety of academic and literary journals. This means that you will be taught by people who know how to succeed in the creative industries as well as academia. There will also be opportunities to meet with a range of guest speakers and visiting lecturers.
A Great Study Environment
The Department of English, History and Creative Writing is based in the Main Building at the centre of the campus, near the £26m Catalyst building which includes the University library.
A prime example of 1930s architecture, the Main Building has undergone extensive refurbishment to combine a traditional setting with modern facilities, including the £15m Student Hub.
The building includes lecture theatres, seminar and tutorial rooms, which are ideal for group discussions and one-to-one tuition, as well as IT resources and social learning spaces.
As a Creative Writing student at Edge Hill University, you will have the opportunity to attend workshops and readings with a variety of guest writers at the Arts Centre. Close links have also been established with Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre as well as other poetry venues across Merseyside.
The University hosts the annual Edge Hill Short Story Prize and runs a number of research groups, as well as events, and has recently set up the Edge Hill University Press, which offers students the opportunity of internships working on the editorial team. You may also wish to get involved with editing the student online literary magazine, The Black Market Re-View.
Modules
Expand AllYear 1
WRI1014Building the World (20 credits)
WRI1018Introduction to Poetry (20 credits)
WRI1019Introduction to Fiction (20 credits)
WRI1020Introduction to Scriptwriting (20 credits)
WRI1021Reading the World and the Business of Writing (20 credits)
You will select one of the following modules:
WRI1017Introduction to Writing for Narrative Games (20 credits)
WRI1022Introduction to Non-Fiction (20 credits)
Language modules, delivered at the Edge Hill Language Centre, are available to study as an integral part of this degree. A single Language module can be studied instead of one of the optional modules above.
Year 2
WRI2018The Writer's Life (20 credits)
WRI2020Inside the Publishing Industry (20 credits)
WRI2023The Art of Poetry (20 credits)
WRI2024Writing Short Stories (20 credits)
WRI2025The Art of Scriptwriting (20 credits)
You will select one of the following modules:
WRI2026Writing for Roleplaying Games (20 credits)
WRI2027Genre and Popular Writing (20 credits)
If you studied a Language module in Year 1, you may wish to study a further Language module in Year 2. This would form an integral part of your degree in place of WRI2025 The Art of Scriptwriting.
Year 3
WRI3025The Writer's Workshop (40 credits)
You will select four of the following modules:
WRI3017Advanced Theatre Writing (20 credits)
WRI3018Expanded Writing (20 credits)
WRI3019Writing Comedy (20 credits)
WRI3020The Writer at Work (20 credits)
WRI3021Poetry and Innovative Form (20 credits)
WRI3022Advanced Fiction (20 credits)
WRI3023The Art of Screenwriting (20 credits)
WRI3024Writing for Digital Adventure Games (20 credits)
WRI3026Experiments in Writing (20 credits)
If you studied Language modules in Years 1 and 2, you may wish to study a further Language module in Year 3. This would form an integral part of your degree in place of one of the optional modules above.
Optional modules provide an element of choice within the programme curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements.
In addition to the optional module choices listed above, it may be possible to apply to take an alternative 20 credit module in Year 2 and/or an alternative 20 credit module in Year 3 from outside the programme curriculum. Some restrictions on this elective module choice may apply.
Timetables
Timetables for your first week are normally available at the end of August prior to enrolment in September. You can expect to receive your timetable for the rest of the academic year during your first week. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information, however our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
Entry Criteria 2019/20
Entry Requirements
Typical offer 120 UCAS Tariff points. No specific subjects are required but the study or experience of English Language, English Literature, Drama or Media would be preferred.
You will be asked to submit a sample of your writing.
Example Offers
Some examples of how you can achieve 120 UCAS Tariff points are detailed below.
- A Level: BBB;
- BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications): Distinction, Distinction, Merit (DDM);
- Access to Higher Education Diploma: 45 credits at Level 3, for example 24 credits at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.
Please note, the above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.
As long as you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as the Welsh Baccalaureate and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), AS Levels that haven’t been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards.
For further information on how you can meet the entry requirements, including details of alternative qualifications, please visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/offers.
EU students can get country-specific information about the University’s entry requirements and equivalent national qualifications at www.edgehill.ac.uk/eu.
International students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international for information on the entry criteria for overseas applicants.
English Language Requirements
International students require IELTS 6.0, with a score no lower than 5.5 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.
If your current level of English is half a band lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.
Are there any alternative ways to meet the entry requirements?
If you have the ability to study for a degree but lack the necessary qualifications or confidence, our Fastrack: Preparation for Higher Education course could be for you. This free, seven-week programme provides a great opportunity to enhance your study skills and subject knowledge and demonstrate that you are ready to study a particular subject with us, in lieu of achieving the UCAS Tariff points in the entry criteria.
Upon successful completion of a Fastrack course, you will be well placed to progress onto a corresponding Edge Hill University degree, although additional entry requirements may apply and the availability of specific programmes cannot be guaranteed. For more information, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/fastrack.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Edge Hill University recognises learning gained elsewhere, whether through academic credit and qualifications acquired from other relevant courses of study or through recognition of an individual’s professional and employment experience (also referred to as ‘experiential learning’).
Previous learning that is recognised in this way may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for a programme and/or for exemption from part of a programme. It is your responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning. For guidance, please consult the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning Policy and contact the faculty in which you are interested in studying.
Entry Criteria 2020/21
Entry Requirements
Typical offer 112-120 UCAS Tariff points. No specific subjects are required but the study or experience of English Language, English Literature, Drama or Media would be preferred.
You will be asked to submit a sample of your writing.
Example Offers
Some examples of how you can achieve 112-120 UCAS Tariff points are detailed below.
- A Level: BBC-BBB;
- BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications): Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM);
- Access to Higher Education Diploma: 45 credits at Level 3, for example 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit or 24 credits at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.
Please note, the above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.
As long as you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as the Welsh Baccalaureate and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), AS Levels that haven’t been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards.
For further information on how you can meet the entry requirements, including details of alternative qualifications, please visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/offers.
EU students can get country-specific information about the University’s entry requirements and equivalent national qualifications at www.edgehill.ac.uk/eu.
International students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international for information on the entry criteria for overseas applicants.
English Language Requirements
International students require IELTS 6.0, with a score no lower than 5.5 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.
If your current level of English is half a band lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.
Are there any alternative ways to meet the entry requirements?
If you have the ability to study for a degree but lack the necessary qualifications or confidence, our Fastrack: Preparation for Higher Education course could be for you. This free, seven-week programme provides a great opportunity to enhance your study skills and subject knowledge and demonstrate that you are ready to study a particular subject with us, in lieu of achieving the UCAS Tariff points in the entry criteria.
Upon successful completion of a Fastrack course, you will be well placed to progress onto a corresponding Edge Hill University degree, although additional entry requirements may apply and the availability of specific programmes cannot be guaranteed. For more information, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/fastrack.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Edge Hill University recognises learning gained elsewhere, whether through academic credit and qualifications acquired from other relevant courses of study or through recognition of an individual’s professional and employment experience (also referred to as ‘experiential learning’).
Previous learning that is recognised in this way may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for a programme and/or for exemption from part of a programme. It is your responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning. For guidance, please consult the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning Policy and contact the faculty in which you are interested in studying.
Career Prospects
What are my career prospects?
All the skills you learn on the course are transferable to a variety of careers. These include working in media, education, community arts, advertising, business, information technology, the publishing industry, radio, television, and the theatre. Your tutors and the University’s Careers Centre will help you explore your future plans.
How can I enhance my employability?
It is useful to consider, even before you apply, how you will spend your time while studying and make the most of your university experience.
Optional, additional activities may be available on this degree which could help to prepare you for a stimulating and rewarding career. These include:
- Sandwich Years – you may have the opportunity to apply to complete a sandwich year placement, usually as the third year of a four year degree, and gain highly relevant work experience;
- Erasmus+ and Study Abroad – you may have the opportunity to apply to spend time studying or working abroad, usually as the third year of a four year degree, enabling you to immerse yourself in a different culture;
- Language Learning – you may be able to select language modules, delivered at the Edge Hill Language Centre, as an integral part of your degree (for which you will gain academic credits). Alternatively, it may be possible to participate in Language Steps classes as additional study;
- Elective Modules – you may be able to apply to substitute one optional module in Year 2 and/or one optional module in Year 3 with alternative elective modules from outside the programme curriculum.
Please note, the availability of these additional activities cannot be guaranteed for all students. Depending on availability and the number of students wanting to participate, there may be a competitive application process for sandwich year placements or studying abroad opportunities or you may be required to secure a relevant placement yourself.
Finance
Tuition Fees
If you are a prospective UK or EU student who will be joining this undergraduate degree in academic year 2019/20, the tuition fee will be £9,250 per annum (subject to final Government approval). Tuition fees for international students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2019/20 are £12,000 per annum.
The University may administer a small inflationary rise in tuition fees, in line with Government policy, in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.
Financial Support
Subject to eligibility, UK and EU students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK and EU students may also be eligible to apply for additional funding to help with living costs.
For comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK and EU students joining this programme in academic year 2019/20, together with details of how to apply for potential funding, please view our Money Matters 2019/20 guide at www.edgehill.ac.uk/undergradfinance2019.
Financial support information for international students can be found at www.edgehill.ac.uk/international/fees.
Scholarships
Edge Hill University offers a range of scholarships with a competitive application process for prospective full-time undergraduate students. These scholarships aren’t linked to academic success and celebrate determination, talent and achievement beyond your coursework, for instance in creativity, enterprise, ICT, performance, sport or volunteering.
Additional scholarships, which you may qualify to receive, reward outstanding grades and are available to eligible UK and EU students.
To find out more about scholarships, to assess your eligibility, and to meet some of our dedicated scholarship winners, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/scholarships.
Apply
How to Apply
Apply online through UCAS at www.ucas.com.
Visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/applyucas to find out more about the application process.
Further information for international students about how to apply is available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/applyinternational.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
Visit Us
If you are considering applying to study at Edge Hill University, the best way to gain an insight into student life is to discover our stunning campus for yourself by attending an open day. You can view dates and book your place at www.edgehill.ac.uk/opendays.
Alternatively, if you are unable to attend an open day, you can find out more about all of our events for prospective students, including monthly campus tours, at www.edgehill.ac.uk/visitus.
Request a Prospectus
If you would like to explore our full range of degrees before you apply, you can order an undergraduate prospectus at www.edgehill.ac.uk/undergradprospectus.
Get in Touch
If you have any questions about this programme or what it’s like to study at Edge Hill University, please contact:
- Course Enquiries
- Tel: 01695 657000
- Email: study@edgehill.ac.uk
International students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international or email international@edgehill.ac.uk with any queries about overseas study.