BA (Hons) Creative Writing Bachelor's degree at Birmingham City University
BA (Hons) Creative Writing at BCU. You'll study core creative and critical theory, research approaches, and professional skills alongside hands-on practice in specialist areas of your choice.
About this course
Build your skills as a writer across fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and digital media. Our BA (Hons) Creative Writing course offers expert tuition, work-related experiences, and the chance to grow your creative and professional future. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Creative Writing is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at BCU, based in City Centre Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For English studies graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 80% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for English & Literature, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
First Year 6 modules
- Voices of BirminghamCORE20 credits
Module details
Explore Birmingham's status as a diverse and multicultural city. Consider the multitude of voices that form the city, their connections, and your positioning in relation to them. Learn about Birmingham's histories and communities, and acquire key skills and knowledge required for degree-level studies in English.
- Prose WritingCORE20 credits
Module details
Consider how we read and write prose. Develop understanding of the forms and conventions of narrative prose, discursive styles, and a range of prose types. Practice prose writing techniques and write creative prose of different kinds.
- AdaptationCORE20 credits
Module details
Adopts complementary perspectives on the transformation and re-creation of texts. Concentrates on close readings of translations and stage and film treatments. Covers linguistic approaches to literary analysis with focus on grammar, style, speech and thought presentation, point of view, and pragmatics.
- Key Critical ConceptsCORE20 credits
Module details
Focus on understanding and applying theoretical ideas and analytical approaches to develop close reading, interpretation, and analysis of literature. Critically reflect on how language and literature function and develop foundational knowledge of key critical concepts.
- Craft of WritingCORE20 credits
Module details
Explore key elements of effective creative writing and techniques used to create and control form and style, such as showing and telling, imagery, viewpoint, and narrative. Examine textual examples drawn from audio drama, screenplay, poetry, monologue, novel, short story, stage play and memoir. Write a personal Writer's Manifesto.
Assessment: Portfolio
- GenreCORE20 credits
Module details
Encourage exploration and experimentation with different kinds of stories, including crime fiction, science fiction, dystopian fiction, and fantasy. Introduce ways creative writing is classified through recognisable features and established conventions.
Second Year 4 modules
- Writing Short StoriesCORE20 credits
Module details
Introduction to writing short fiction. Learn from diverse short story writers and explore distinctive characteristics of the form. Identify, practice and apply elements of craft such as narrative structure, voice, diction, dialogue, characterisation and imagery. Share work in progress for constructive criticism.
- The NovelCORE20 credits
Module details
Study the novel's development and significance while gaining hands-on experience in planning, writing, and pitching your own creative work. Combines analysis, workshops, and industry insight to build skills in storytelling, character, structure, and voice.
- Creating Compelling ContentCORE20 credits
Module details
Develop writing and crafting skills for producing professional content across a range of platforms and channels, highly valued by media employers.
- ScreenwritingCORE20 credits
Module details
Teach essential skills and principles of writing short films. Study freely available short guides to screenplay layout and formatting and be trained in practical screenwriting for film and television.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course develops your writing across fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and digital media. You'll usually start with close reading and critical writing foundations, moving into literary history and theory. By the second year, a typical course like this includes practical creative and applied writing workshops alongside modern and contemporary literature study. Year 3 typically offers specialist options such as Shakespeare & early modern, contemporary fiction, critical theory, world literature, and publishing pathways, culminating in an advanced seminar and independent writing project. Throughout, you'll build both creative craft and the analytical skills to understand how writing works.
Who it's for
You're drawn to storytelling and language, with curiosity about how narratives work across different forms and platforms. You enjoy both the discipline of craft, studying what makes writing effective, and the freedom of experimentation. You're comfortable receiving critical feedback and using it to develop your work. You're likely to thrive if you're self-directed, willing to engage with theory as well as practice, and eager to understand the professional side of creative work. You may be exploring writing as a career, or you may want to deepen your practice while keeping other paths open.
Careers & job market
Across English and Literature courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of finishing their degree. Around 55% of those working are in highly skilled roles or continuing their education. Starting salaries typically range from £23,000 to £30,000 nationally; after five years, graduates in the field earn between £24,650 and £34,800. These figures reflect the broad range of careers that follow from a creative writing degree, from publishing and journalism to content creation, teaching, and further postgraduate study.
University & format
The BA (Hons) Creative Writing is delivered full-time over 3 years at Birmingham City University, a public university founded in 1971, based at its City Centre Campus. Taught in English, the degree is a nationally recognised UK qualification and carries Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. The university also offers bursaries and scholarships, consult its funding pages for details.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Professional placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| a Baccalaureate | 5% |
| an Access course | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at BCU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What English & Literature graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £19,000 – £28,000 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £21,000 | £15,500 – £25,000 | 130 |
| 5 years after | £25,000 | £18,500 – £30,500 | 145 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in english & literature · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs English & Literature nationally
National figures for English & Literature graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with English & Literature courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,436 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 60; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How English & Literature graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where English & Literature graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Publishers
- Media & broadcasters
- Marketing & PR agencies
- Charities & public sector
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit English & Literature graduates.
English GraduateRibbons and Reeves LimitedEnglish, Maths & Digital Skills ManagerHIT TrainingEnglish Certification Examiner (Written & Oral) – Paid TrainingPearsonEnglish Supply Teachers - Oldham and RochdaleTradewind RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.5 out of 10: NSS 90.7% · in work or study 85% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Birmingham City University
Language and area studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around City Centre Campus
4,178 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is English & Literature right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to BCU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £18,570 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check BCU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with BCU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at BCU
English & Literature at other universities
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
Request information about BA (Hons) Creative Writing
Prospectus, key dates, entry and funding, free to your inbox.