queen mary university english with creative writing

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To apply you’ll need to:

• Make note of the Queen Mary institution code: Q50

English with Creative Writing

• QW11 — BA (Hons)
• QW1Y — BA (Hons) with Year Abroad
• Click on the link below: Apply on UCAS

Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements

2 study options

English with creative writing ba (hons), key information, english with creative writing with year abroad ba (hons), year abroad cost.

Finances for studying abroad on exchange

Entry requirements

About the school.

Looking for a degree that will inspire your intellectual curiosity and spark your creativity?

Our BA in English with Creative Writing will give you a sound knowledge base in literature, along with the all-important tools you need to become a writer.

You'll gain a deeper understanding of literary history and theory, exploring subjects from medieval literature and Shakespeare to modernism, postcolonialism and contemporary writing.

Headed by acclaimed writer Professor Brian Dillon ( Essayism , Suppose a Sentence ), the creative writing element of the course is designed to help you find your voice, develop your practical skills and techniques, and give you an insight into the process of writing. The team comprises of poet Nisha Ramayya , novelist Michael Hughes and Goldsmiths Prize Winner, Isabel Waidner .

You'll have the opportunity to grow and flourish as a writer in a safe and supportive environment, whether in prose, poetry or creative non-fiction.

Register your interest

You can complete your English and Creative Writing degree in three or four years. If you choose to do a year abroad this will take place in Year 3 and Year 3 modules will instead be studied in Year 4.

You will take the following modules (all compulsory):

• Introduction to Creative Writing 
• London Global
• Reading, Theory and Interpretation: approaches to the study of English Literature
• Shakespeare

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

You will take the following two compulsory modules

• Creative Writing: Poetry and Performance
• Creative Writing: Prose

You then choose a minimum of two modules from across at least two of these lists:

List one: medieval and early modern studies.

• Chaucer: Gender, Faith, Identity
• Renaissance Drama
• Renaissance Literary Culture

List Two: Eighteenth-Century, Romanticism, and Nineteenth-Century Studies

• Representing London: Writing the eighteenth-century city
• Romantics and Revolutionaries
• Victorian Fictions

List Three: Modern, Contemporary and Postcolonial Studies

• Postcolonial and Global Literatures
• The Long Contemporary 

You then choose one or two modules from a wide range of options that changes each year.

Modules may include:

• American Romanticism
• Art Histories: an Introduction to the Visual Arts in London
• Global Shakespeare
• James Baldwin and American Civil Rights
• Terror, Transgresssion and Astonishment: the Gothic in the Long Nineteenth Century
• The Crisis of Culture: Literature and Politics 1918 - 1948
• The Thousand and One Nights

This is a sample of modules from our full module directory .

You will take two advanced creative writing modules from a list that changes each year. Modules may include:

• Creative Writing Advanced Fiction: Serious Play - Ludic Strategies for Writing Fiction
• Creative Writing Advanced Poetry: The Poetics of Translation
• Creative Writing and Performance
• Creative Writing Nonfiction: Illness and Experience
• Creative Writing: Innovative Ecologies

You then choose one from: 

• Creative Writing Dissertation
• English Research Dissertation

You choose the rest of your final year modules (including at least one 30 credit module) from a wide range of options that changes each year.

English Modules may include

• British Fictions of the 1960s
• Feminism(s)
• Guillotines, Ghosts and Laughing Gas: Literature in the 1790s
• Heroes and Outlaws in History and Fiction from 1100 - 1600
• Jane Austen: Regency Novelist
• Laughing Matters: Comedy and Contemporary Culture 
• Michel Foucault
• Reading William Blake
• Shakespeare: the play, the word and the book
• Time, Narrative and Culture
• Writing Black and Asian Britain
• Writing Empire: the eighteenth century 

This is a sample of modules from our full module directory .

Study options

Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.

Year abroad

Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our English with Creative Writing BA with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).

Find out more about study abroad opportunities with Queen Mary   and what the progression requirements are. 

Additional Costs

A few modules may require you to buy tickets to shows or exhibitions (often at a discounted rate) as well as pay for travel within London.

My favourite thing is definitely the inclusivity on campus, there's a huge diversity of people from across the world...There's no better place to be I feel like. It's one of the best decisions I've made. Mahima Tyagi, English with Creative Writing (2021)

Teaching and learning

You'll receive approximately 10 hours of weekly contact time, comprising lectures, smaller seminar groups, field trips, tutorials and workshops.

For every hour spent in class, you'll complete a further four to six hours of independent study.

Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework including essays, projects, presentations, log books and portfolios.

Resources and facilities

The School offers excellent on-campus and London-based resources to support your studies, including:

• creative writing events, support systems and experts on campus
• access to Senate House Library and the British Library – the most important intellectual resources in London
• opportunities to meet visiting experts including publishers, curators, archivists, poets, novelists, activists and filmmakers
• proximity to specialist archives and collections such as the BFI National Archive, Poetry Library, Women’s Library, National Art Library and the Warburg Institute
• opportunities to write, edit and publish for student newspapers and magazines

English with Creative Writing at Queen Mary University of London. Hear from our students Mahima, Jess and Christian about why you should join the #QMULfamily .

English with Creative Writing - BA (Hons)

English with Creative Writing with Year Abroad - BA (Hons)

Non-UK students

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.

If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.

English language

Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.

You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.

Further information

See our general undergraduate entry requirements .

Loans and grants

UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.

Scholarships and bursaries

Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.

Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.

Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.

Support from Queen Mary

We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service , which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:

• additional sources of funding
• planning your budget and cutting costs
• part-time and vacation work
• money for lone parents.

Our English graduates go on to work in all sorts of sectors, including teaching, publishing, media and communications, and arts and heritage. Some of our most well-known alumni include authors Sarah Waters, JG Ballard and Conn Iggulden, and TV comedy writer James Lamont.

Recent graduates from the School of English and Drama have gone on to work for:

• Harper Collins
• Historic Royal Palaces
• The Independent
• London and Partners
• Penguin Random House
• Shakespeare’s Globe.

Career support

You’ll have access to bespoke careers support during every step of your English degree, and a practical third-year module will prepare you for the transition from university to working life by researching career, entrepreneurial and postgraduate study prospects.

The Department of English has strong links with the worlds of publishing, performance and poetry, and experts regularly deliver talks and lectures.

Our careers team can also offer:

• specialist advice on choosing a career path
• support with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
• feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
• interview coaching.

Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.

Data for these courses

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)

The School of English and Drama provides a first-class learning environment -- the Departments of Drama and English are in the top 40 in the world (QS World Rankings by Subject 2019). And you’ll learn from leading experts: Drama is ranked first and English fifth in the UK for research quality (Research Excellence Framework 2014). We are a large school, with a lot of specialist staff, enabling us to offer a wide range of topics and approaches. You’ll have tailored support, including individual feedback on your work, and there are opportunities to contribute to student performances and publications. We regularly host prominent writers and performers and collaborate with leading organisations such as the V&A, the Barbican, the Live Art Development Agency and Shakespeare’s Globe. Our course makes full use of London’s exceptional theatre and performance resources (e.g. theatres, galleries, museums, libraries, archives, site-specific performance, festivals). The School runs several innovative research centres, including the Centre for Poetry; the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies; the Centre for Religion and Literature in English; and the Sexual Cultures Research Group.

School of English and Drama

Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 2901

Accommodation

Why Queen Mary

How to apply

International Students

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Creative Writing MA

Queen mary university of london, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, university information, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Creative Writing

Course type

This programme is ideal if you are keen to explore genres such as fiction, nonfiction and poetry, and the creative and critical connections between them. We will introduce you to a wide variety of approaches to writing and contemporary examples.

Develop your creative work with the support of internationally renowned, award-winning novelists, poets and nonfiction writers. The Creative Writing team at Queen Mary includes Rachael Allen, Katherine Angel, Brian Dillon, Michael Hughes, Nisha Ramayya, Rivers Solomon, and Isabel Waidner. Guest speakers on the programme have included Alexander Chee, Olivia Laing, Darran Anderson, A.K. Blakemore and more.

Consider fundamental questions about contemporary writing.

Complete a substantial independent writing project in your chosen genre, with one-to-one support and supervision.

Study on the only Creative Writing MA offered by a Russell Group university in London.

Get involved with our thriving practice and research culture, with special focus on innovative and hybrid writing. The Subtexts event series hosts the most exciting local and international writers in warm, accessible spaces in East London, as well as more intimate work-in-progress events for research students. Our brand-new Centre for Contemporary Writing has strong links to wider literary culture and publishing, and programmes public events, symposia, and interdisciplinary workshops. And you can join the editorial team or submit to our fabulous literary journal Subtexts, gaining vital experience in publishing from both sides.

Career paths

The MA Creative Writing provides a grounding in research methodologies and practices for students who intended to progress to doctoral work, an enhanced understanding of the study of literature relevant to students who intended to follow a teaching career, and improved competence in transferable skills valued more generally in the market place, including the analysis of complex evidence, the oral and written presentation of arguments and information, and effective time-management. Employer feedback has particularly valued the research skills and high level of critical thinking acquired by graduates of similar MA programmes and the contribution these make to the problem-solving abilities required of those who work at senior levels in complex organizations.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

Degree requirements: A 2:1 or above or above at undergraduate level in a humanities discipline such as English, History, Cultural Studies or Media Studies. Other routes: Promising applicants who do not meet the formal academic criteria but who possess relevant credentials and who can demonstrate their potential to produce written work at Masters level will also be considered. As part of the admissions process we may request examples of written and creative work and/or interview candidates. Applications from mature and non-traditional candidates are welcomed.

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is an internationally regarded public research institution based in London. It has a long history, dating back over 230 years, and is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of universities. Queen Mary has five campuses in the city of London and an international network of satellite campuses in China, Malta, Paris and Singapore. There is a population of around 16,000 students at the London campuses and... more

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English with Creative Writing BA (Hons) Queen Mary University of London

Course options

Qualification.

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

• TUITION FEES
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• UNIVERSITY INFO

Course summary

Application deadline

Modules (Year 1)

Modules (year 2), modules (year 3), tuition fees.

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£ 23,350 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

Entry requirements

Choose a qualification.

QUALIFICATION TYPE

• Access to HE Diploma
• Extended Project
• GCSE/National 4/National 5
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
• Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

A level : ABB

Including grade A in English Literature, English Language and Literature or English Language.Excluded subjects - General Studies and Critical Thinking.

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University information

Queen Mary University of London

University league table, campus address.

Queen Mary University of London, Admissions and Recruitment Office, Mile End Road, London, Tower Hamlets, E1 4NS, England

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34th out of 96 7

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Study options.

• International

What will I learn?

This programme is ideal if you are keen to explore genres such as fiction, nonfiction and poetry, and the creative and critical connections between them. We will introduce you to a wide variety of approaches to writing and contemporary examples.

Develop your creative work with the support of internationally renowned, award-winning novelists, poets and nonfiction writers. The Creative Writing team at Queen Mary includes Rachael Allen, Katherine Angel, Brian Dillon, Michael Hughes, Nisha Ramayya, Rivers Solomon, and Isabel Waidner. Guest speakers on the programme have included Alexander Chee, Olivia Laing, Darran Anderson, A.K. Blakemore and more.

Consider fundamental questions about contemporary writing.

Complete a substantial independent writing project in your chosen genre, with one-to-one support and supervision.

Study on the only Creative Writing MA offered by a Russell Group university in London.

Get involved with our thriving practice and research culture, with special focus on innovative and hybrid writing. The Subtexts event series hosts the most exciting local and international writers in warm, accessible spaces in East London, as well as more intimate work-in-progress events for research students. Our brand-new Centre for Contemporary Writing has strong links to wider literary culture and publishing, and programmes public events, symposia, and interdisciplinary workshops. And you can join the editorial team or submit to our fabulous literary journal Subtexts, gaining vital experience in publishing from both sides.

Career paths

The MA Creative Writing provides a grounding in research methodologies and practices for students who intended to progress to doctoral work, an enhanced understanding of the study of literature relevant to students who intended to follow a teaching career, and improved competence in transferable skills valued more generally in the market place, including the analysis of complex evidence, the oral and written presentation of arguments and information, and effective time-management. Employer feedback has particularly valued the research skills and high level of critical thinking acquired by graduates of similar MA programmes and the contribution these make to the problem-solving abilities required of those who work at senior levels in complex organizations.

Which department am I in?

Full time (1 year).

Please check with institution

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

* View details on institution website

2 September 2024

16 September 2024

Mile End Road,

Tower Hamlets,

E1 4NS, England

Entry requirements

For international students.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

About Queen Mary University of London 14 Reviews

Students of all backgrounds can enjoy an exceptional education, and all the culture that London has to offer, if they choose to study at Queen Mary.

• A world-leading Russell Group university
• An exceptionally diverse student body
• Excellent facilities with lots of investment
• Has produced eight Nobel Prize winners

find your perfect postgrad program Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

Queen mary university of london: creative writing.

Craft works that transcend disciplinary boundaries.

This course is ideal if your interests are in a particular form of writing (fiction, poetry, nonfiction, performance), or if you are keen to explore the creative connections between genres. We will introduce you to a wide variety of approaches to writing, and contemporary examples.

Develop your creative work with the support of experienced and award-winning writers

Consider fundamental questions about contemporary writing

Study in a leading centre of creative practice and research, with a renowned teaching team

Complete a substantial independent writing project in your chosen genre, with one-to-one support and supervision

Gain specialised, transferable writing and research skills

Full-Time, 1 years starts Sep 2024

Part-time, 2 years starts sep 2024, full-time, 1 years started sep 2023, part-time, 2 years started sep 2023, queen mary university of london.

Queen Mary University of London was established in 1785 and is a leading research-intensive university with a difference – one that opens the doors of opportunity to anyone and supporting students to succeed. 

With schools split across five campuses in central and east London, students are able to select from an exceptionally broad range of subjects across three main faculties, including the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. 

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Drama with Creative Writing BA (Hons)

Want to know what it's like to study this course at uni? We've got all the key info, from entry requirements to the modules on offer. If that all sounds good, why not check out reviews from real students or even book onto an upcoming open days ?

Different course options

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

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Course info

Entry requirements, tuition fees, latest reviews, what students say.

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Modules (Year 1)

Modules (year 2), modules (year 3).

BBB Grades / Points required

Access to HE Diploma:

D:15,M:15 Grades / Points required

Extended Project:

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

GCSE/National 4/National 5:

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme:

30 Grades / Points required

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016):

including at least one arts, humanities or social sciences subjectExcluded subjects - General Studies and Critical Thinking.

We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. This must include at least 6 Level 3 credits in arts or humanities modules at Distinction.

We consider applications from students offering an EPQ and may make an alternative offer to include three A levels, one grade lower than our usual requirement, along with a specific grade in the EPQ. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq

A minimum of five GCSE passes to include English at grade C or 4 or an acceptable equivalent will be required.

5,5,5 in HL subjects, including at least one arts, humanities or social sciences subject at HL.

Queen Mary University of London welcomes applications from students currently studying Level 3 BTEC qualifications and will consider you for entry to the majority of our undergraduate courses. The typical entry requirements will vary according to the course you are applying for.Some of our courses require specific subject knowledge which you may not be able to cover as part of a Level 3 BTEC qualification and we may therefore require additional Level 3 qualifications to ensure that you are suitably prepared for relevant courses. A small number of our courses do not accept BTEC qualifications for entry, either as a standalone qualification, or in combination with other qualifications at Level 3.Information on our typical entry requirements and guidance for applying can be found at http://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/btec/If you are at all unsure about the acceptability of your BTEC qualification for entry, please contact the Admissions team for individual advice ([email protected]).

Students living in

£9,250 per year

Students from England

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this is subject to change. Please confirm the most up to date fee with the individual institution.

Students from Scotland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this is subject to change. Please confirm the most up to date fee with the individual institution.

Students from Wales

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this is subject to change. Please confirm the most up to date fee with the individual institution.

Students from Northern Ireland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this is subject to change. Please confirm the most up to date fee with the individual institution.

£23,350 per year

Students from International

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

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Queen Mary University of London is a Russell Group university with a difference – one that opens the doors of opportunity to anyone...

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Creative Writing

Kingston Writer’s Fest 2023

Professor Angela Facundo poses with J.D. Derbyshire 

Scotiabank Giller Prize Event 2024

Collections of graduate student writing

Alumni Publications

Read about our Creative Writing alumni and their publications in our featured alumni section.

Poetry Reading

Creative Writing professor and esteemed creative writer, Armand Garnett Ruffo, giving a reading of his poetry

Lake Effect 10

Collections of undergraduate student writing

A Brief History of Creative Writing at Queen’s

Professor Carolyn Smart has nurtured young writing talent at Queen’s for over 20 years, while championing the creative arts throughout the Kingston community and beyond. During this time, she has mentored over 1,000 aspiring authors—many of whom have gone on to acclaimed writing careers—led countless writing workshops, and generated numerous opportunities for students to publish and present their writing on well-recognized platforms.

Professor Smart initiated and has edited each edition of the Lake Effect anthology as the capstone of our Creative Writing curriculum. Students in CWRI 496 participate in an intensive seminar on writing for publication, culminating in a class-produced anthology and public reading. Lake Effect 10 , published in 2021, marks the 20 th anniversary of the Lake Effect project.

The Writer in Residence program would not be possible without Professor Smart’s drive, along with the support of successive Heads of the Department. The Writer in Residence program welcomes a renowned writer to the Queen’s community each year to participate in a range of literary events and offer advice and mentorship to Creative Writing students.

In 2009, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Queen’s hosted Kingston novelist and poet Helen Humphreys as Writer in Residence. In 2021, the Department of English is proud to welcome Professor Humphreys as an instructor for CWRI 295.

Read more about Carolyn Smart’s powerful legacy at Queen’s in the Queen’s University Alumni Review .

Creative Writing at Queen’s Now and in the Future

The Creative Writing program continues to expand and has been woven into the heart of the English Department’s identity and mission. Esteemed Anishinaabe poet, screenwriter, critic, and creative non-fiction writer Armand Garnet Ruffo joined the program in 2013.

Today we offer a scaffolded Creative Writing curriculum that builds student skill in a variety of genres and mediums. We also offer hybrid Creative Writing courses with both critical and creative components. Furthermore, in-class learning opportunities are supplemented by special events like the:

• The Annual Page Lecture Event which brings a renowned Canadian writer to campus to reflect on literary craft,
• The Scotiabank Giller Prize Event ,
• one-on-one mentorship with a visiting Writer in Residence ,
• an annual series of readings with writers from across Canada.

Learn more about our Creative Writing events .

Additionaly, Creative Writing courses count toward all English Plans , but students do not have to be registered in an English Plan to take these courses. Because most of our creative writing courses take an intensive workshop approach, they are limited-enrolment courses. Admission to some courses is by permission of the department, based on an assessment of a portfolio of samples of creative work.

Exciting developments to the Creative Writing program include:

• Professor Juliane Okot Bitek author of 100 Days joins the department to teach and supervise in Creative Writing and Black Studies
• Writer in Residence Omar El Akkad wins the 2021 Giller Prize for his novel What Strange Paradise  
• The development of a unique learning opportunity for graduating undergraduate students, culminating in an annual student-run Scotiabank Giller Prize Event .
• The Annual Readers’ Series, which brings writers to campus throughout the year
• Expansions to the Writer in Residence program, including the Welcome Reading Event
• The 10 th publication of Lake Effect anthologies
• The publication of The Lamp journal’s 10 th volume

Featured Alumni

Iain Reid’s novel was:

• An international bestseller
• Adapted into a Netflix original film in 2020.
• Selected by National Public Radio as one of the best books of 2021
• A finalist in the 2016 Shirley Jackson Award and appeared on the 2017 Ottawa Independent Writers Frank Hegyi Award for Emerging Authors longlist

Did you know…

Iain Reid studied history and philosophy at Queen’s, but after taking a writing course with Queen’s English Professor Carolyn Smart, he decided to postpone grad school and move to Toronto for a year to give writing a shot.

Read more about Reid’s writing career in the Queen’s Alumni Review.

Liselle Sambury

Sambury works in the the marketing industry as a video content creator and has also signed a two-book deal for a science fiction series.

Sambury’s novel was the:

• Amazon Editor’s Pick Best Young Adult Books of June
• Kobo June 2021 Best of The Month (Young Adult)
• Indigo’s Most Anticipated Young Adult Books of 2021
• Indigo Teen Staff Pick of the Month for July

Carolyn Smart’s Advanced Creative Writing class was the first time Liselle Sambury, ArtSci ’13, had her work published.

Read more about Sambury’s Creative Writing journey and two-book series deal in the Queen’s Journal.  

Omar El Akkad

Omar El Akkad, former Creative Writing student with the Department of English at Queen’s University, is an acclaimed author and a journalist. We were proud to host Omar as our 2022  Writer in Residence .

“On a whim, Akkad applied to the Advanced Creative Writing course, ran by Professor Carolyn Smart. When Akkad logged into his student portal and discovered he had been admitted it was ‘the happiest day of my life.’”

Read the entire story on the Queen’s Alumni Review .

For me personally, and a lot of others in the class, it was the first time we had ever been published in a book.

Omar El Akkad’s first novel, American War , was:

• An International Bestseller
• Winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers’ Award, and the Oregon Book Award
• Selected as one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other publications
• Chosen by the BBC as one of 100 novels that changed our world

Omar El Akkad's second novel, What Strange Paradise , won the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Omar El Akkad published in the first ever Lake Effect anthology.

Read more about Akkad’s journey through Queen’s Creative Writing.

Anna Maxymiw

Maxymiw is an award-winning writer, with works published in The Globe and Mail , Hazlitt Magazine , Maclean’s , and The Washington Post .

Anna Maxymiw’s book was:

• Winner of the Louise de Kiriline Lawrence Award for Nonfiction

Carolyn was and is still the patron saint of undergrad writers.

Anna Maxymiw was a student in Carolyn Smart’s creative writing course at Queen’s University.

Read Anna Maxymiw’s full quote and other student testimonies.

Andrew Westoll

Andrew Westoll is an award-winning author and professor based in Toronto.

Andrew Westoll’s book was:

• A National Bestseller
• 2012 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction
• Finalist for the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction
• A Globe and Mail “Book of the Year”
• An Amazon.ca “Book of the Year”

Westoll got his start in writing with the help of Carolyn Smart, a creative writing professor at Queen’s.

Andrew Westoll did not do a degree in English, and started his career as a writer through the Creative Writing courses at Queen’s.

Read more about Westoll’s writing journey with his award-winning book in the Queen’s Journal.

• Faculty and Instructors
• Writer in Residence
• Publications

Department of English, Queen's University

Watson Hall 49 Bader Lane Kingston ON K7L 3N6 Canada

Undergraduate

Queen's University is situated on traditional Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe territory .

English Literature and Creative Writing (BA)

Subject area: english language and literature.

• UCAS code: QW11
• Next intake: September 2024
• Duration: 3 years
• Mode: Full time

Why study this course

Study abroad

Adventure into a new culture; open your mind to new ideas and experiences in life and learning.

Tailored to you

With primarily optional modules you have freedom to choose a personalised degree.

Industry experience

Gain skills, confidence and connections through a variety of literary and cultural internships.

Learn from the best

Benefit from research-led content; learn from world-renowned literary scholars and authors.

Our BA English Literature and Creative Writing programme allows you to study all periods of literature in English, from the Anglo-Saxon period to the twenty-first century, together with training in Creative Writing. We cover all genres, from contemporary and historical fiction to poetry, drama, film and music.

The Creative Writing element of the programme provides you with the opportunity to progress from introductory modules on reading and writing creatively to specialised work within specific forms and genres such as fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction and scriptwriting, culminating in the production of an extended collection of creative work.

Throughout the programme you will be encouraged to stretch yourself intellectually and imaginatively by exploring literature as both a practitioner and a critic. Our approach will help you develop an understanding of the creative process, as well as enhancing your knowledge of genre, literary history, and the varied and dynamic academic field which is English Literature.

You will focus on becoming a careful, attentive, and informed reader and writer, sensitive to the nuances of language and style and able to produce polished and sophisticated creative work, as well as to articulate your responses to texts in writing which is precise, stylish, and effective. 

You join a friendly and supportive environment with an international reputation for both teaching and research. Our talented Creative Writing team regularly scoop national and international awards, and collectively share experience in theatre, television and film. Our public platforms Cardiff BookTalk and Cardiff Poetry Experiment are popular and hugely engaging.

• Telephone +44 (0)29 2087 4243
• Marker Colum Drive, Cardiff, CF10 3EU

Entry requirements

We accept a combination of A-levels and other qualifications, as well as equivalent international qualifications subject to entry requirements. Typical offers are as follows:

AAB-ABB. Must include Creative Writing, English Language and Literature, or English Literature.

Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.

Our grade range covers our standard offer and contextual offer. We carefully consider the circumstances in which you've been studying (your contextual data) upon application.

• Eligible students will be given an offer at the lower end of the advertised grade range.
• Where there is no grade range advertised and/or where there are selection processes in place (like an interview) you may receive additional points in the selection process or be guaranteed interview/consideration.

Learn about eligible courses and how contextual data is applied.

International Baccalaureate

34-32 overall or 666-665 in 3 HL subjects. Must include grade 6 in HL English Language and Literature, English Literature, or English Literature and Performance.

Baccalaureate Wales

From September 2023, there will be a new qualification called the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3). This qualification will replace the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (Welsh Baccalaureate). The qualification will continue to be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.

Chevron right Other essential requirements

You must have or be working towards: - English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements. We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects. We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements.

Chevron right English language requirements

Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.

IELTS (academic)

At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.

At least 90 overall with a minimum of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking.

PTE Academic

At least 69 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.

Trinity ISE II/III

II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits. III: at least a Pass in all components.

Other accepted qualifications

Please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our other accepted language qualifications .

Chevron right Criminal convictions

You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.

If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:

• access to computers or devices that can store images
• use of internet and communication tools/devices
• freedom of movement
• contact with people related to Cardiff University.

Other qualifications from inside the UK

DD in a BTEC Diploma in Humanities and Social Science subjects, and grade B in A-level Creative Writing, English Language and Literature, or English Literature.

Acceptance of T Levels for this programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic School. Consideration will be given to the T Level grade/subject and grades/subjects achieved at GCSE/Level 2.

Qualifications from outside the UK

Please see our admissions policies for more information about the application process.

Tuition fees for 2024 entry

Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.

Learn how we decide your fee status

Fees for home status

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase.

Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, your tuition fees for 2024/25 be in line with the overseas fees for international students, unless you qualify for home fee status. UKCISA have provided information about Brexit and tuition fees .

Fees for island status

Learn more about the undergraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man .

Fees for overseas status

Learn more about our tuition fees

Financial support

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

Additional costs

Accommodation.

We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages .

Living costs

We're based in one of the UK's most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff .

Course structure

This is a full-time undergraduate degree that takes three years to complete. You will study modules worth a total of 360 credits split evenly over the three years.

You must pass each academic year before proceeding to the next stage of your studies.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2024/2025 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2024.

Year one is a foundation year, designed to equip you with the skills and practice for advanced study and to give you an overview that will enable you to make informed choices from the modules available in years two and three while laying down the foundations of your engagement with Creative Writing.

You will take three core modules and three optional modules. These will provide you with a solid base for the next two years of your degree by offering the opportunity to develop your critical and creative skills through reading, analysing and producing imaginative work across a wide array of different genres.

In year two you select from a range of period-, genre- or theme-based modules in which you will build on the foundation year, reading a selection of texts in their historical and cultural contexts.

You also continue your studies of Creative Writing within a variety of forms and genres, including fiction, poetry and scriptwriting.

In your final year you will choose from a range of more specialised modules, allowing you to pursue interests developed in the previous two years. You will engage with current issues in research and scholarship, enabling you further to develop analytical and presentation skills that employers will value, as well as equipping you for postgraduate study.

You also undertake a portfolio dissertation in Creative Writing that complements your work in the English Literature modules and allows you to produce an extended piece of writing in a specialist genre. The dissertation also allows you to develop research and project management skills.

The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.

Module information

Learning and assessment

You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, with all modules including seminar or small-group teaching. In Creative Writing the small-group teaching takes the form of workshops based on peer review of student writing.

Teaching stresses the importance of the way texts interact with their contexts, and each module is designed to encourage you to focus on a number of specific texts and to prepare carefully a considered answer to specific topics dealt with in the module, while the workshops in Creative Writing ask you to engage with the critical creative process through evaluative discussion of peer writing.

Learning activities will vary from module to module as appropriate, but may include such activities as: interactive lectures, seminar discussions of prepared texts/topics, student individual or group presentations, small-group work within seminars, peer review in workshops, translation classes, formative writing exercises, journal entries, and film viewings.

You are expected to do the reading and other relevant preparation to enable you to participate fully in these activities. You are encouraged to explore the resources of the library as appropriate. For the workshops, peer work is previously circulated and you are expected to bring prepared comments as part of the exchange of ideas informing the sessions.

How will I be supported?

You will be assigned a personal tutor and will meet him/her for regular academic progress meetings (one per semester). There is a form to fill in before each Academic Progress meeting which is designed to help you reflect on the written feedback and the reasons for the marks you have received from the previous round of assessment. You will discuss this feedback and your reflections on it with your personal tutor.

In addition, all staff have weekly office hours during teaching weeks and you may make appointments to see your personal tutor or module leaders on a one-to-one basis about any issues. Staff may also be contacted by email.

Key information for each module will be available on our Virtual Learning Environment, Learning Central, together with appropriate additional learning resources, such as lecture notes and slides.

The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.

Written feedback is provided on both formative and summative assessment and you are encouraged to discuss your ideas with module tutors in seminars and, where appropriate, on a one-to-one basis in office hours.

Your achievement and progress are also discussed in regular progress meetings with personal tutors.

How will I be assessed?

All English Literature modules offer you the opportunity to undertake unassessed formative work appropriate to the module. Most modules are assessed by essay and/or examination, but some include other forms of assessment such as journal entries, a portfolio, or presentations.

Creative Writing modules are assessed by short portfolios of creative work that include a critical commentary. The assessment strategy is structured to lead you from formative thinking throughout the module towards the production of an informed critical/creative response.

Your final year project consists of a substantial, independently-researched and original portfolio of creative work, produced under the guidance of a member of staff, in the field of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, or screenwriting. The portfolio includes a critical commentary on the work produced.

What skills will I practise and develop?

Knowledge and understanding

• Awareness of different literary periods, movements and genres and of the variety of English literature.
• Understanding of the importance of historical and cultural contexts.
• Ability to sustain a critical argument that is responsive to the workings of language and literary styles.
• Awareness of the bibliographic conventions of the discipline and their role in communicating information.
• Knowledge of the critical issues and/or debates surrounding or raised by texts.
• Understanding of the shaping effects of historical and cultural circumstances on the production and meaning of texts.
• Knowledge of appropriate critical vocabulary and terminology.
• An awareness of editorial approaches and processes.
• Understanding, through reading and your own practice, of the key elements of different forms of writing.
• Ability to produce original literary work in a variety of forms and genres.
• An awareness of tone, register, structure, genre and audience in your own writing.

Intellectual skills

• Ability to handle complex ideas with clarity.
• Ability to analyse and interpret material drawn from a diversity of literary periods.
• Ability to apply high level critical skills of close analysis to literary texts.
• Ability to select and organise material purposefully and cogently.
• Ability to use the views of others in the development and enhancement of practice; formulate considered practical responses to the critical judgements of others, while developing a generous yet rigorous critical scrutiny in peer review and workshop activities.

Professional Practical Skills

• Advanced communication skills (written and oral).
• Ability to give an efficient critical evaluation of documents in various styles.
• Ability to give oral and written feedback on others’ work.
• Ability to access, use and evaluate electronic data.
• Ability to interact effectively with others, in team or group work situations.

Transferable skills

• Plan, organize, and deliver work to a deadline.
• Initiate and take responsibility for independent projects.
• Respond creatively and imaginatively to research tasks.

Careers and placements

Career prospects.

Our graduates commonly go on to pursue careers in freelance writing, academia, teaching, publishing, arts management and administration, public relations and journalism.

Many employers welcome graduates with high-level literacy skills. Together with such skills, our students develop the kind of insights into the creative process that are valued by business, from design to sales.

Imaginative writing transfers readily into advertising and tourism as well as advertising companies. As a graduate of our School you will have a portfolio of creative writing to demonstrate to potential employers.

Our graduates find employment in HR, the book trade, professional areas such as librarianship but also local government and other areas of public life concerned with communication.

We have an established portfolio of internships with Wales-based literary/cultural magazines for which students can apply. 

You may also apply for exchanges with the range of University partners through the University’s Global Opportunities Centre.

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