BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing Bachelor's degree at Cardiff Metropolitan University
BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing at CMU combines literary study with creative practice, covering core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.
About this course
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BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at CMU, based in Cyncoed Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Literature in English graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, typical earnings around £23,500. (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)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 65% (2021-23; 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.
Year 1 6 modules
- Reading Literature – From 'Beowulf' to 'The Bluest Eye'Core
Module details
This module will introduce you to a wide range of texts from the literary canon and give you a foundation in the study of literature.
- Shakespeare and his ContemporariesCore
Module details
This module explores Elizabethan and Jacobean theatrical practice by examining not only Shakespeare's dramas, but also his contemporaries' plays. You will examine the histories, comedies, city comedies, and tragedies before finally turning to modern productions of Shakespeare in the theatre and on the big screen.
- Stories Matter: Plot, Character & BeyondCore
Module details
This module will introduce you to the techniques of narrative construction. By focussing on writing short stories, you will have opportunities to explore the techniques of well-established masters of the form as well as contemporary writers experimenting with new ideas.
- Sex, Death and Everything in Between: Writing PoetryCore
Module details
This module offers a unique take on poetry and poetics where all the possibilities of the art form are considered. You will study craft, form and poetic movements and will be encouraged to experiment in order to find your own poetic voice and vision.
- Critical ApproachesCore
Module details
This module will introduce you to literary theory so that you become more alert and responsive to the ways in which texts work. You will also learn about the variety of critical and theoretical approaches there are to literature and have the opportunity to apply these approaches to your own creative work as well as key works in literary history, such as Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights' (1847).
- Say it Out Loud: Writing for AudiencesCore
Module details
This module will introduce you to the conceptual, creative, and practical elements of writing for performance as well as the many audiences who might engage with performed work. You will have opportunities to write, perform and play with scriptwriting, slam poetry and more.
Year 2 6 modules
- Romantic and Victorian LiteratureCore
Module details
This module invites you to consider poetry, fiction and non-fiction as generic responses to some of the century's most pressing social questions. Alongside the formal aspects of these texts, you will examine important themes and debates of the period, such as the role of the Imagination, the Nation, urbanisation and industrialisation, evolution and madness, class, gender and sexuality.
- Make it New Modernist Literature and CultureCore
Module details
This module is an exploration of revolutionary writing and culture from the first half of the twentieth century. You will explore a range of Modernist texts, including canonical as well as lesser-known texts, in order to understand the revolutionary changes taking place in literature at this time.
- Urban and ContemporaryCore
Module details
This module encourages you to delve into the modern evolution of the novel, short story and poetry, looking at new books and radical techniques almost as soon as they are penned. This unique module will expose you to the cutting edge of modern writing while also giving you the freedom to experiment and truly hone your own literary voice.
- Ghosts in the Machine: Writing Immersive and Chaotic SelvesCore
Module details
This module will provide you with the practical skills necessary to construct digital self-narratives. You will learn to combine traditional storytelling skills with a digital and interactive environment in order to explore ideas of multimedia, non-linearity and the chaotic complexities of writing the self.
- Imaginary World and Possible FuturesCore
Module details
This module explores literature that creates and studies new worlds. With a focus on the future and 'the fantastical', you will read a range of texts from the Fantasy, Science Fiction, Utopian/Dystopian fiction genre and even try writing some of your own.
- The Professional Critic and Creative: Work PlacementCore
Module details
This module will provide you with the opportunity to experience professional environments and expectations. Based on your career interests, you will be invited to pursue an external placement, a personal publishing goal or an approved project in archiving, copywriting, reviewing and more.
Year 3 7 modules
- Hyper-contemporary Literature and the Book PrizeCore
Module details
From the Nobel Prize to the Costa Awards, this module will explore the qualities inherent in brand-new, hyper-contemporary literature and prize-shortlisted writing. You will analyse the importance of contemporary book-prize culture to the success of a written text, both in popular and critical estimations.
- Narratives of Place and BelongingCore
Module details
This module will consider the relationship between identity and place in a range of literary and cultural sources from nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first-century literature. Using a variety of texts, you will interrogate the politics of space and the impact this has upon identities and belonging.
- Fact or Artful EnterpriseCore
Module details
This module will explore the blurred line between fiction and nonfiction. It provides a literary overview and analysis of writing in the auto/biographical modes encompassing memoir, life-writing, diary-writing, biography, autobiography, creative nonfiction and fiction inspired by life.
- Publishing and Digital HumanitiesCore
Module details
This module will provide you with the knowledge and skills your need to enter the creative and professional industries. You will build practical skills in the creation and publication of digital technologies; explore tools in practical, hands-on workshops and online tutorials; and work together to publish the annual 'Met' anthology.
- DissertationOptional
Module details
This year-long dissertation module will offer you the opportunity to undertake a sustained, rigorous and independent project within the contexts of Creative Writing or English Literature.
- The Major Project: Exploring Big IssuesOptional
Module details
This module uses literature and creative work to explore contemporary issues like gender inequality, decolonisation, climate change and more. Although the topic and big issues change, this taught module will provide you with the opportunity to undertake a sustained, rigorous and independent project within the contexts of English Literature or Creative Writing.
- Writing for WellbeingOptional
Module details
This unique module will consider how writing can be used for improving wellbeing in your own and others' lives. You will explore a variety of conceptual, theoretical, ethical and creative frameworks used for writing for wellbeing.
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
You'll study English literature and creative writing together, moving from foundational close reading and critical thinking to specialist options and independent research. A course like this typically begins with introduction to literary analysis across poetry, prose and drama, alongside the study of literature in its historical contexts, from medieval texts to contemporary writing. You'll usually develop your own writing craft through workshop-based modules. As you progress, you'll choose specialisations such as Shakespeare and early modern literature, contemporary fiction, world literature, critical theory, and publishing pathways. In your final year, you'll typically undertake an advanced critical seminar and complete an extended independent literary research project, exploring the field at greater depth.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Most accepted students entered with A-level grades equivalent to 64–79 UCAS tariff points. You should be interested in both analysing literature and developing your own writing across genres and forms.
Careers & job market
Across English and Literature courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. National earnings data shows starting salaries of £23,000–£30,000 at 15 months; after 3 years, £19,975–£28,200; and after 5 years, £24,650–£34,800.
University & format
This is a BA (Hons) degree in English and Creative Writing, taught full-time over 3 years at Cardiff Metropolitan University on the Cyncoed Campus. The course is delivered in English. Cardiff Metropolitan University is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your degree will be nationally recognised.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 100%.
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.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Work placement. 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 | 95% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
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 (code XEC2). 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
Set under Wales's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at CMU →If you normally live in Wales
2026/27 total maintenance support from Student Finance Wales. How much of it is grant and how much is loan depends on household income; the total does not. If you normally live elsewhere, use your home funding body.
Check your entitlement with Student Finance Wales →Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: paid directly to the university by Student Finance Wales.
- Maintenance support: a mix of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales, weighted to household income.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Wales runs its own system through Student Finance Wales; check studentfinancewales.co.uk for current rates.
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 | £23,500 | £22,500 – £27,500 | 80 |
| 3 years after | £22,500 | £17,000 – £28,000 | 30 |
| 5 years after | £25,500 | £21,000 – £33,500 | 30 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22.
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. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22. 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.
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.
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Fees for this course are set under Wales's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. If you normally live in Wales, Student Finance Wales can pay an eligible Tuition Fee Loan directly to the university, and maintenance support is a mix of grant and loan weighted to household income. You repay only above the income threshold.
Where graduates go
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £23,500. 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 8.0 out of 10: NSS 94.1% · in work or study 80% · continued 65%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Cardiff Metropolitan 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 Cyncoed Campus
506 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 CMU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by CMU; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. 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 CMU’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 CMU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at CMU
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?
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