• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility options
University of Brighton
  • About us
  • Business and
    employers
  • Alumni and
    supporters
  • Current
    students
  • Staff
  • Accessibility
    options
Open menu
Home
Home
  • Close
  • Study
    • Courses and subjects
    • Find a course
    • A-Z course list
    • Explore our subjects
    • Academic departments
    • Open days
    • Order a prospectus
    • Ask a question
    • Studying here
    • Why choose Brighton?
    • Chat to our students
    • Accommodation and locations
    • Applying
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • The Student Contract
    • International students
    • Fees and finance
    • Advice and help
    • Advice for students
    • Advice for parents and carers
    • Advice for schools and teachers
    • Clearing
    • Managing your application
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
  • Research and enterprise
    • Research and enterprise
    • Brighton Futures – our themes
    • Centres of Research and Enterprise Excellence (COREs)
    • Research and enterprise groups
    • Our research in detail
    • Research and enterprise newsletters
    • Research and Enterprise Strategic Plan
    • Meet our professors
    • Inaugural lectures
    • Equipment for hire
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • Apply for a research degree
    • Funding opportunities and studentships
    • Meet our postgraduate research students
    • International community
    • Postgraduate research student development
    • Applying for Research Masters degrees (MRes)
    • Researcher development
    • Early career researchers
    • Investing in research careers
    • Research concordat
    • Academic staff search
  • About us
  • Business and employers
  • Alumni, supporters and giving
  • Current students
  • Staff
  • Accessibility options
Search our site
English Language

Creative Writing BA(Hons)

  • Intro
  • Course
    content
  • Careers
  • Entry
    criteria
  • Fees
  • Location
  • Stay in
    touch
  • Related

Intro

Our Creative Writing degree draws on the diverse city of Brighton & Hove as a source of inspiration that will develop your passion for writing. We encourage our students to experiment with a variety of styles, to develop an understanding of the art and craft of writing and consider its place and purpose in the world.

The course is for students keen to apply critical reading and creative skills to innovative writing practices. Covering a wide range of genres, cultures and identities, you will study techniques and develop expertise in writing that you will then apply to work-based scenarios including publishing opportunities and a module where you will become a writer-in-residence. You will consider a variety of key texts and be asked to connect your own imaginative work in relation to political, social and cultural theories.

The course has an emphasis on place, the self and practice-based work and you will engage with ideas to encourage your own creative processes, delivered in spaces such as museums, galleries, theatres, archives, the South Downs National Park and Brighton itself.

You’ll get the opportunity to work with local publishers and writers to further develop your professional understanding and love of the craft. Students benefit from activities, including open mic nights, a student-led conference, a collaborative anthology and our Scrivener Series of professional writers.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

UCAS code W800

Full-time 3 years
With year abroad 4 years     

This new course is in the final stage of development and may change. Check back for the latest information. 

Our next open day for this course will take place in the summer. Register your interest now and we will let you know when you can book your place.

Register your interest

Apply now with UCAS for 2019 entry

I have been thrilled by the diverse subjects we have worked on. Inspiring teachers tease out creativity and guest lecturers provide insight that I have carried into my creative writing process.

Veneta Neale, English Literature and Creative Writing BA(Hons) student 

Course content

Why study with us?

  • You’ll study at our Falmer campus on the edge of Brighton and the South Downs, with its outstanding modern facilities and easy access to the city centre, and its well-established arts and social scene.

  • Our talented teaching team create a dynamic and supportive environment where you will be challenged and helped to learn and grow. They will guide you to think critically and creatively, develop detailed methods of analysis and interpretation and precisely communicate your ideas.

  • You will be able to use skills acquired through this course and enhance your individual professional and personal development by taking advantage of volunteer placements with local community projects and city schools by becoming involved with local events.

  • Guest speaker sessions will give you the chance to meet inspirational writers such as bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler.

  • You will have chances for your work to reach a wider audience through submissions to an online journal, subject-related student societies and a student-led annual anthology.

Creative Writing Students 13

Course structure

Full-time students will have a minimum of nine hours' contact time a week in a range of lectures, seminars and workshops but they will be expected to carry out independent study for the rest of their time. Part-time study is possible and this can be tailored to suit individual needs.

There are placement opportunities available in the second year as well as field trips to theatres, museums, schools, retirement villages and other community organisations. You are also welcome to study abroad after your second year.

Research informs all our teaching and you will benefit from the insight generated by our staff during their research. You will learn through lectures, seminars and workshops as well as small group and individual tutorials.

Our courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis in order to make sure that what you learn with us is relevant and that your course enables you to develop appropriate skills. When you apply to study with us, we will inform you of any new developments in your chosen programme through our applicant portal.

 

Falmer students

Year 1

In your first year you will develop your awareness of writing genres and work with local writers. 

Modules

  • Narrative and Narratives
  • Literature and Theory
  • Practices of Reading and Writing
  • Storying the Self
  • Drama in Society
  • Brighton Writes
GettyImages-178282578

Year 2

Modules

  • The Art of Publishing
  • Literature in Practice
  • Research and Practice
  • Creative Writing: Process and Craft

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

 

Creative writing class 1

Final year

Modules

  • Dissertation
  • Final Year Conference

Options*

  • From Script to Screen
  • Autoethnography
  • Reading and Writing Landscape
  • Creative Writing Project
  • Images of War
  • From Script to Screen
  • Community Placement: Theory in Practice
  • Russian Literature
  • Women’s Writing and Feminist Theory
  • Restoration Drama
  • Gothic: Texts and Contexts
  • Victorian Sexualities
  • Brighton Rocks
  • Writing the Contemporary
  • Post-colonial Literatures
  • Post-war American Literature
  • European Literatures and Film
  • Adaptations
  • (Re)Viewing Shakespeare
  • Literature and Philosophy
  • Apocalypse, Utopia and Dystopia
  • Popular Culture: Europe and Beyond
  • Conflict, Migration, Borders
  • Culture Wars: Class, Race, Gender and the Politics of Taste
  • Literature and the World Wars
  • The Camera I: Subjective Camera
  • Children’s Screen Cultures
  • Screen Comedy

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

 

Watch students talking about their experiences of the Community Placement module.

 Group work

Staff profile

Jess Moriarty

Jess Moriarty researches in the field of teaching writing practice, especially in auto-ethnographical academic writing and in creative writing with undergraduates.

She graduated from the University of Sussex with a Creative Writing MA in 2002 and joined the University of Brighton soon after. Jess's doctorate looked at how to make academic writing more personal and creative and included a play based on her autobiographical and researched experiences with academic life. She won a Teaching Excellence award for her workshops with undergraduates.

Jess is the co-founder of Work Write Live, which provides a range of writing short courses and volunteering opportunities for students across arts and humanities courses to develop the vocational and academic skills they are acquiring on their degree programme. You can read more about Jess on her staff profile.

Further information on other Creative Writing staff:

Craig Jordan-Baker, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing. Winner of the 2018 Excellence in Facilitating and Empowering Learning Award. Craig’s drama has been widely performed, and his writing widely published. You can read more about Craig on his staff profile.

Ross Adamson, Senior Lecturer in Media and Digital Storytelling. His research interests are in narrative inquiry, documentary filmmaking and auto/biographical pedagogies. You can read more about Ross on his staff profile.

Julie Everton, Senior Lecturer, playwright and script editor. She teaches drama, script writing, and screenwriting. Her research includes writing about real events/people, models of script development and autoethnography. You can read more about Julie on her staff profile.

 

Jess Moriarty

 

What to expect 

Innovative teaching
The written word is always in dialogue: with society, history and with the other arts. We create innovative teaching formats and spaces to help students make new connections and explore that dialogue. Our teaching diet contains museum visits, art gallery tours, archival research and walks in the South Downs National Park.

As well as the traditional formats of the lecture, seminar and workshop, we also deliver a variety of classes aimed to inspire students to think and see differently. In our Life Writing classes for example, students develop observational skills, as life models are ‘written’ rather than drawn.

We also make use of video games and interactive fiction software to visually explore concepts of narrative and narrative structure. Additionally, we have a long-standing connection with the Man Booker Prize, and every year a Man Booker winner or nominee delivers masterclasses to our students.

As a team we pride ourselves on our diverse and friendly teaching, something which has been recognised by awards and nominations for our pedagogic practice.

Extracurricular
Study happens outside the classroom as well as in it and our courses have a vibrant culture around them. Not only are there many exciting student societies you can join, but regular open mic nights give you a chance to share your work and an annual student anthology gives you the opportunity to see it in print.

Staff also help to organise activities and every term our Scrivener Series brings in professional writers to read and speak to students about their craft. All students also receive a weekly email digest of competitions and opportunities to encourage you to get your work out there and think about the future.

You can find out more on the Brighton Students' Union Societies site.

Careers

The course will help you to develop skills in critical thinking, narrative construction, presenting, teamwork and independent research. You will also develop an advanced knowledge of the discipline and its place outside the classroom.

Our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and transferable skills needed to pursue a career in many related areas, including publishing, social media, marketing, teaching, journalism, public relations and human resources. Graduates may go on to further study, for example through our Creative Writing MA. 

Arts student

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-level or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BCC–CCC (104–96 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

A-levels must include English language or combined English language and literature.

We will generally make you an offer if your predicted grades are at the top of this range. If your predicted grades are towards the lower end of this range we may still make you an offer if you have a good GCSE (or equivalent) profile or relevant non-academic achievements.

International Baccalaureate
27 points.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Humanities, history or politics courses preferred. At least 45 credits at level 3.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language and maths.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country
 
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Fees

Fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 13,284 GBP

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2019–20.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location

Location

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city's reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year to the local economy, as much as tourism.

Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

You can also get involved with city festivals and events such as the Brighton Festival, the Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Science Festival, the London to Brighton bike ride, and the Great Escape festival of new music to name but a few. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

Brighton North Laine
Brighton Beach sunset

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Set in the South Downs, our Falmer campus is around four miles from Brighton city centre. 7,000 students are based here taking subjects including criminology, English, education, nursing and medicine, paramedic science, psychology and sociology. Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex stadium and beautiful Stanmer Park are right next door.

Specialist learning facilities at Falmer include the curriculum centre used by teaching and education students, which houses over 30,000 teaching resources and clinical skills and simulation suites used by health students. Psychology students learn in our applied cognition and flexible creative method labs.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence on site, as well as a library, restaurant, cafes, and a students' union shop and bar.

The campus sports centre has a fitness suite, activity studios and a sports hall. There is also a floodlit astroturf football pitch, netball and tennis courts.

Cycle lanes link Falmer with our other campuses and the city centre and there is a BTN BikeShare hub on site. There are regular bus services to the city centre and other campuses. Falmer train station is right next to campus and a nine minute journey to central Brighton.

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on YouTube.


Newly refurbished atrium in the Checkland Building

Accommodation

Brighton: Falmer

All eligible 2019-entry students are guaranteed an offer of university-managed accommodation.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • Falmer campus is linked to the halls on Falmer campus and at Varley Park.
    • Paddock Field and Great Wilkins halls are on Falmer campus and offer a range of room types and catering options
    • Varley Park offers a mix of room and catering options. Varley Park is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there's a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.
    • Find out more about our halls at Falmer and Varley Park.

Unihomes and unilets
Unihomes and unilets are student houses that we let to our students on behalf of private landlords. This option can work particularly well when you're balancing learning with placements and other commitments. We have unihomes and unilet properties across the city.

Find out more about our accommodation and confirm your eligibility.

Private renting
There's plenty of support if you opt for private rented accommodation. This is an option which offers choice and flexibility – enabling you to choose where you live and who with. We manage our own studenthomes database of properties. This lists accommodation offered by landlords who have signed up to our code of standards. Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.

Outside views at Falmer accommodation

Outside views at Falmer accommodation

Extensive facilities at Falmer sports centre

Extensive facilities at Falmer sports centre

Students dining at Westlain

Students dining at Westlain

Maps

house Accommodation
campus University building

Falmer campus

Stay in touch

Stay up to date

Sign up for advice about open days, new courses and opportunities in this subject area.

  • Year of entry
  • Providing this information will help us make our updates even more relevant to you.
    Please make sure you read our privacy notice
  • Privacy consent

Our next open day for this course will take place in the summer. Register your interest now and we will let you know when you can book your place.

Register your interest

Ask a question about this course

Arts and humanities course team
01273 643359
llcug@brighton.ac.uk

Subscribe to our School of Humanities blog
 to find out about student and staff news, and events.

Statistics

These charts give an indication of how much time you will spend on different activities at each level of the course, and an indication of the balance of assessment by coursework, and written and practical exams. For courses with option modules, actual proportions will depend on the modules you choose.

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked above). You can find out also about the range of support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Overall workload

Assessments

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats enable you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Unistats data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They are updated following course changes, and give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course.

Programme specification

Related 13 courses

  • English Language and Creative Writing BA(Hons)

    English Language and Creative Writing BA(Hons)

  • English Language and Media BA(Hons)

    English Language and Media BA(Hons)

  • English Language and English Literature BA(Hons)

    English Language and English Literature BA(Hons)

  • English Language BA(Hons)

    English Language BA(Hons)

  • Humanities BA(Hons)

    Humanities BA(Hons)

  • History, Literature and Culture BA(Hons)

    History, Literature and Culture BA(Hons)

  • Humanities: War, Conflict and Modernity BA(Hons)

    Humanities: War, Conflict and Modernity BA(Hons)

  • English Literature and Creative Writing BA(Hons)

    English Literature and Creative Writing BA(Hons)

  • English Language and Linguistics BA(Hons)

    English Language and Linguistics BA(Hons)

  • English Literature and Linguistics BA(Hons)

    English Literature and Linguistics BA(Hons)

  • Media and English Literature BA(Hons)

    Media and English Literature BA(Hons)

  • Linguistics BA(Hons)

    Linguistics BA(Hons)

  • English Literature BA(Hons)

    English Literature BA(Hons)

‹ ›

Find out more about this subject area

Search again

Find your course
Back to top
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Contact us

University of Brighton
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT

Main switchboard 01273 600900

Course enquiries

University contacts

Report a problem with this page

Quick links

  • Courses
  • Open days
  • Order a prospectus
  • Academic departments
  • Academic staff
  • Professional services departments
  • Jobs
  • Privacy and cookie policy
  • Libraries
  • Term dates
  • Maps
  • News and events
  • Graduation
  • Site information

Information for

  • Current students
  • International students
  • Media/press
  • Careers advisers/teachers
  • Parents/carers
  • Business/employers
  • Alumni/supporters
  • Suppliers
  • Local residents