BA English Literature with Creative Writing / Course details

BA English Literature with Creative Writing is a small, specialised creative writing pathway within an English Literature degree, in which you will take 33% of your credits in creative writing in your second and third years. 

The course covers the full range of English literature from Old English to the present day.

The creative writing component of the course focuses on fiction and poetry writing.

The course will introduce you to techniques of fiction and poetry writing, and develop your understanding of the craft of writing, the nature and necessity of revision, and the importance of being able to give and receive constructive feedback.

The creative writing component of the degree will be taught in small group workshops.

You will write your own poems and stories regularly, read relevant work from established writers, and respond to examples of contemporary poetry and fiction.

There will be in-class writing exercises and an introduction to workshopping.

You will become part of a thriving community of students, lecturers, and writers at The University of Manchester, based in the heart of a UNESCO City of Literature that has produced some of the world's greatest writers and has a thriving literature and arts scene, including major events like Manchester Literature Festival.

Placement year option

Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a  placement year  in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals, and build your external networks.

Study abroad

You can apply to spend one semester  studying abroad  during the second year of your degree.

Exchange partners are offered in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Literature events

Manchester Literature Festival holds literary events across Manchester throughout the year, many in partnership with the University.

The Centre for New Writing  also hosts a regular public event series, Literature Live, which brings contemporary novelists and poets to the University to read and engage in conversation.

Meet like-minded students

You can get to know your fellow students outside of your course by joining the English Society.

Learn more on our Societies page .

You will be taught mainly through lecture and tutor-led sessions. 

Tutorials will give you the opportunity to consider the same texts and topics as the lectures, but with a different approach. 

Tutorial groups usually meet at least once a week, and numbers are kept as low as possible so that you can get to know one another and share your ideas. 

Other course units (mainly those in your final year) are taught through a weekly seminar led by a specialist member of staff. 

For some course units, you will join in group work and other forms of collaborative learning. 

You'll also have access to our virtual learning environment and other digital resources to support your learning. 

You will spend approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions. 

For every hour spent at University, you will be expected to complete a further two to three hours of independent study. 

You will also need to study during the holiday periods. 

The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, or revising for examinations. 

A significant part of your study time will be spent reading, taking notes, preparing presentations and writing essays (which examine aspects of a subject in greater depth).

You will be assessed using a variety of formats, including:

• written examinations;
• coursework essays;
• research reports;
• practical tests;
• learning logs;
• web contributions;
• oral presentations;
• final-year long essay.

Your second-year work counts toward 33% of your final degree result.

Your third-year work accounts for the remaining 67%.

The John Rylands Library

Home to one of the world's richest and most unique collections of manuscripts, maps, works of art, and objects.

You'll have access to the Library's impressive special collections, including papyri, early printed books, key archives such as the Women's Suffrage Movement archive, and Shakespeare's first folio.

Find out more about the John Rylands Library .

The Centre for New Writing

The University is home to a major hub for new writing excellence and award-winning teaching staff, including Granta Best Young British Novelist Kamila Shamsie and Jeanette Winterson CBE.

The Centre also hosts Literature Live - a public event series which brings contemporary novelists and poets to the University to showcase their work.

Find out more about the Centre for New Writing .

The University of Manchester Library

One of only five National Research Libraries; you'll have access to our internationally renowned archival collections which range from the medieval period to the present day.

From a miniature 'Book of Hours' which once belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, through major Victorian novelists such as Elizabeth Gaskell and George Gissing, key American writers including Walt Whitman and Upton Sinclair, and up to the present day with our Modern Literary Archives, you'll be amazed by the treasures on offer.

Find out more about The University of Manchester Library .

You'll also have access to other cultural assets on campus, including the award-winning  Whitworth Art Gallery  and  Manchester Museum .

Find out more about our facilities .