Creative Writing, BA (Hons), with industry placement

Course summary

Writing is an age-old craft – and an essential skill in the 21st century. At Plymouth you will work with poets, novelists, journalists and digital writers to hone your ability as a writer, reader and editor, with a view to making your way in the many fields that now rely on these skills. Our accessible team of published authors has years of professional experience and are adept at nurturing talent, unlocking creativity and enabling future success.

• Work with and learn from published and award-winning writers and journalists.

• Spend time in our nurturing, small-group workshops with staff, honing your craft.

• Learn and grow as a writer through trying out multiple forms and genres.

• Encounter digital writing and new ways of expressing yourself.

• Gain work-ready skills used in industries such as journalism, writing content, publishing, editing, marketing and more.

In your first year, you will study core modules introducing you to fundamental elements of writing in a wide range of genres including prose, poetry, drama and professional writing. You will also learn key research skills and begin your journey as a professional. In your second year, you’ll develop your professional skills and have the opportunity to write creatively in many forms including theatre and script writing, autobiography and biography, travel writing, and literary adaptation. You will hone your skills as a writer in weekly workshops with tutors and peers. You’ll also have the option to take specialist modules in other subjects in the School, should you wish to broaden your horizons. Undertake an optional placement year where you can build a number of key employability skills. Put theory onto practice, get a taste for your chosen career and expand upon your professional network. In your final year, you’ll hone your reading and writing and start to find your specialist niche. You’ll study modern experimental writing and choose from literary and creative modules focusing on specific forms, from science fiction to modern poetry and screenwriting. You’ll have a further opportunity to choose a module from another subject in the school if you wish to branch out. You’ll also design and develop your own year-long dissertation project, which you'll work on with focused support from your personal supervisor. The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website