bath spa creative writing job

Digital Knowledge for Writers

The Writing Platform

Opportunities for writers at Bath Spa University

News just in! Bath Spa University are looking for three writers to join their department of Creative Writing and Publishing:

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing (Creative Enterprise)

About the role:  The appointment will have up-to-date professional knowledge of industries associated with creative writing, such as publishing, literary agencies and the relevant areas of broadcasting or digital media. You may be a nationally recognised writer, with a strong interest in the creative economies and professional environments that shape your industry. Or you will have a passion for writing, with a proven track record of service to the literary world as a publisher, literary agent, creative executive, or producer. You will, ideally, have experience of working within an academic environment, and be comfortable with the administrative duties involved in running courses or modules.

The successful candidate will be required to teach across a number of creative industry focused modules, including UG Creative Enterprise Modules, and our MA Modules in Professional Skills. You may also be asked to design and deliver a suite of innovative low-residency courses in creative writing at MA level, or co-ordinate all or part of a postgraduate programme, or play a lead role in the production of MIX Digital, our flagship creative writing conference and festival.

Deadline: 12 midnight GMT, 17 August 2015

Find out more here

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing (Environmental Writing)

About the role:  The 0.5 FTE in Environmental Writing should have an international or national reputation as a nature writer, environmental writer or natural history broadcaster. Their interests might include international nature writing, literature and climate change, literature and wildlife, and literature and landscape. Experience of teaching at university level will be an advantage. The role includes the leadership of an innovative distance-learning masters programme, with a focus on creative nonfiction, nature writing and other kinds of environmental writing.

Deadline: 12 midnight GMT,   12 August 2015

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing (Transnational Writing)

About the role:  The 0.5 FTE in Transnational Writing should have an international reputation as a writer, educator or a producer of new writing. You will have developed and delivered new writing projects and programmes within the international arena, and you will have extensive international connections, especially in Asia, Australia or America. We are looking for someone with a proven ability to deliver Creative Writing Courses and innovative creative programmes within transnational environments. The ability to communicate across cultures is essential, and you will ideally speak multiple languages.

The successful candidate will be required to develop and deliver our MA programmes in Transnational Writing and Creative Practice. You may also be asked to design and deliver a suite of innovative low-residency courses in Creative writing and practice, or play a lead role in the production of MIX Digital, our flagship creative writing conference and festival.

Deadline: 12 midnight GMT, 11 August 2015

Find out more here 

About Bath Spa University:  Bath Spa University’s vision is to be a leading educational institution in creativity, culture, enterprise and education. With innovative teaching and learning, research excellence and state-of-the-art facilities, we put our students at the very centre of all we do.

Based in the Department of Creative Writing, you will be part of a distinguished team of creative writers and creative practitioners, as well as 10 internationally recognised Professors including Fay Weldon, Maggie Gee, David Almond, Kate Pullinger, Philip Hensher and Naomi Alderman.

We have a reputation as one of the country’s leading teaching and research centres for creative writing. We are home to a diverse community of writers from all disciplines — playwrights, scriptwriters, poets, nonfiction and professional writers, novelists, and digital specialists. Our graduates regularly publish their work with companies such as Random House, HarperCollins, Oxford University Press and see their work produced by leading broadcasters such as the BBC.

Related posts

Our newsletter.

Sign up for e-mail news and updates

We respect your privacy. Your information will not be shared.

We're Launching Soon!

Please sign up for our Newsletter and be the first to know.

Recent Posts

• AI and “Symbiotic Creativity”
• A Brief History of Writing: From Human Meaning to Computational Pattern Recognition and Beyond
• Will AI Destroy Great Writing? 
• Writing with Technologies Webinar Series
• Writing with and for ‘New’ Technologies
• Call for Articles on the Future of Digital Storytelling
• MIX 2023: Storytelling in Immersive Media at the British Library
• Zero Gravity Lunar Library
• MIX 2023: Call for presentations and papers
• Micro-mapping Apartheid: Archives, Stories and AR

@TheWritPlatform

Get university advice on The Student Room app

• Teacher training
• Bangor University
• Birmingham City University
• Sheffield Hallam University
• University of Aberdeen
• University of East Anglia
• University of Hull
• University of Kent
• University of Reading
• A-level choices
• GCSE choices and university
• Choosing a course
• Making firm and insurance choices
• University open days
• Top questions to ask at a university open day
• Ucas Extra explained
• Understanding conditional offers
• University offers: what they mean and what to do next
• Getting the most from Ucas university fairs
• What do I need to get into Oxbridge?
• What to do if you don’t get an offer from your first choice university
• What you need to know about getting a university scholarship, grant or bursary
• AS and A-levels explained
• Is a higher or degree apprenticeship right for you?
• Universities

Creative Writing and Publishing

Bath Spa University

UCAS Code: HH34 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

• Similar Courses

Entry requirements

A Level - grades BBB-BCC including a Grade B in English or a related subject.

Access to HE Diploma

Typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher). Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

A minimum of 32 points are required.

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

Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) in any subject. Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.

Grade Merit is preferred in a relevant subject.

UCAS Tariff

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course

Course option.

Full-time | 2024

Creative writing

Publishing is one of the UK’s largest creative industries. The Creative Writing and Publishing combination course highlights the collaborative creative process between authors and publishers, and the important contribution they make to our culture.

This flexible course can be tailored to your unique personal interests and career ambitions. In Publishing, you'll learn how to engage intellectually with research, ideas and stories. You'll apply creativity and critical judgement in conceptualising, shaping and disseminating commercially-viable, engaging content for different audiences.

These qualities, combined with wide-ranging interests and an imaginative approach to cultural creation, are typical of our Creative Writing curriculum, and will help you to develop into an entrepreneurial, creative maker and producer.

Please note Creative Writing and Publishing is a combined honours award, to find out more information please refer to our website: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/ug-creative-writing-and-publishing/

**Combined Honour Awards** At Bath Spa University many of our undergraduate programmes can be combined, so you don’t have to limit yourself to one subject. If you choose to study a combined award then in Year One you’ll start by studying both subjects in equal depth. From Year Two you can choose whether to continue with equal numbers of modules from each subject, or whether you want to select additional modules in one or the other. Upon successful completion of the programme you will graduate with a joint degree.

Year one In your first year, you'll experiment with different writing forms and learn the core skills of editing and copywriting, design, and layout, while also exploring other subjects and experimenting across media, gaining confidence in your making ability.

Year two In your second year, you'll start to work collaboratively and discover your own interests - deciding whether to focus on either the novel, poetry or non-fiction - to hone your writing skills.

You'll also become familiar with the processes of marketing and learn about the importance of audience. You'll learn to experiment with design and book forms through research, ideas development, and making.

Year three In your third year, you'll work on high-quality industry projects and live briefs, which will help you develop your specialism and showcase your skills in a professional digital portfolio. You'll also receive specialist Publishing industry careers coaching.

During this time, you can develop your novel, poetry or non-fiction writing to a professional level. You'll also collaborate on a major enterprise challenge to work on an original idea, inspired by user experience and new technology.

Assessment methods

You’ll be assessed by coursework, including portfolios, feature articles, essays, reflective commentaries, and industry research reports. In some modules, you’ll share your work through short, informal presentations. This wide range of briefs prepares you for the variety of writing expected in the creative industries.

You’ll be taught through industry talks, creative workshops and studio practice, skills labs, challenge days, and lectures. You’ll benefit from the innovative learning environment of the UK's first creative-digital studio-based BA Publishing course in our state-of-the-art Publishing Lab. We work on screen and beyond, creating sketchbooks and prototypes, networking, and finding opportunities.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Teaching and learning

Assessment and feedback, resources and organisation, student voice, who studies this subject and how do they get on, most popular a-levels studied (and grade achieved), after graduation.

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

Top job areas of graduates

The jobs market for this subject - which includes creative writing and scriptwriting courses - is not currently one of the strongest, so unemployment rates are currently looking quite high overall, with salaries on the lower side. But nevertheless, most graduates get jobs quickly. Graduates often go into careers as authors and writers and are also found in other roles where the ability to write well is prized, such as journalism, translation, teaching and advertising and in web content. Be aware that freelancing and self-employment is common is common in the arts, as are what is termed 'portfolio careers', having several part-time jobs or commissions at once - although graduates from this subject were a little more likely than many other creative arts graduates to be in conventional full time permanent contracts, so that might be worth bearing in mind.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

• What's it like studying a degree in Creative writing
• What's it like studying a degree in Publishing

Explore these similar courses...

Share this page

Find the course that's right for you.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Course location and department:

Teaching excellence framework (tef):.

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

The Uni Guide and The Student Room are both part of The Student Room Group.

Promoted universities

• Durham University
• Lancaster University
• University of Glasgow
• University of the Arts London
• University of Southampton
• Aston University, Birmingham
• Swansea University
• Ulster University
• Cardiff University

Browse expert advice

• Oxbridge applications
• Ucas application
• Personal statements
• Ucas deadline 2024 countdown
• Clearing and results day
• Preparing for university
• Student accommodation
• Student life
• Student finance
• Advice for parents

About this site

• Cookie policy
• List of universities and colleges
• Privacy notice
• Terms and conditions
• Where we get our info

Who we work with

• Your account settings

Ad privacy settings

Popular tools and features

• A-level Explorer
• Course search

Connect with us

Author of THE ELEVENTH TRADE

5 Questions to Ask Before You Get a Master’s in Creative Writing

I’ve just completed my master’s degree in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University , and MAWYP has also just celebrated its 10th birthday. Yay!

Below are some of the questions I asked myself when I first started thinking about getting my master’s, and some of the questions (now that I’m at the end) I wish I would’ve asked.

I hope this post isn’t a running advertisement for BSU, but I am biased. Master’s programs are very different depending on where you go and who you’re with and what you want, so I only have my own (and my classmates’) experience to draw on.

And to thou pitchfork wielders, let me add a disclaimer: Getting a degree does not mean you’ll get published, and you can (obviously) be a fabulous writer without a degree. However, getting a degree can be a valuable experience—and, besides, it’s really fun.

1. Do I have the time and the financial ability to get a master’s?

Time: Everyone’s time has different pulls. When I decided to go for my master’s, it was because I felt like a short period of concentrated work and mentorship would push me forward several years of individual trial-and-error. At the end of this, I have to say my instincts were true—the growth of my writing in the last twelve months has been pretty insane. The experience also forced me to say to myself and the world that this is not my hobby, this is my job.

An important consideration, once you decide you want to put the time into a degree, is to decide how much time, and at what level of intensity (full-time or part-time).

One thing I liked about creative writing master’s programs in the UK is that most of them only take a year full-time (instead of two-to-four years, depending on the US university). This is because the US tends to award Master in Fine Arts (MFAs) instead of Master of Arts (MAs)—the main difference, as far as I understand it, is that there is a teaching component to most US master’s degrees.

Money: Degrees cost money. There are scholarships available for postgraduates, but they are often few and far between. It’s worthwhile to consider the cost, and weigh it beside the time to see if you feel it’s worth the money and effort.

For myself, one year is not a long commitment in the scheme of life, and is cheaper than multi-year degrees, so I felt I could commit to BSU’s program.

2. Do I need a specialized course for creative writing?

When I first started looking for programs, I looked into any ol’ creative writing degree, even though I knew I wanted to write Young Adult fiction. I didn’t realize that some degrees aren’t genre friendly, or even that there are specialized degrees for specific genres.

Once I found this out, I began looking for degrees in Writing for Young People, and found BSU’s program. ( Chatham University in the US was a runner-up in my final list of choices, and some degrees (like at  University of Portsmouth ) let you do cross-fiction work.) If you don’t want to write literary fiction, it’s worth at least browsing other degree specifications for something closer to your preferences.

3. What sort of experience do I want?

A lot of courses (especially in the states) are low-residency, which means they are primarily online with only a few weeks in-person out of the term. I knew going in that I thrive best in workshop settings, which meant I would do better in a residency program. BSU advertised itself as a “community of writers,” and the admissions process was aimed at finding people who worked well in workshop groups. This was exactly what I wanted, but some people might prefer the flexibility and (perhaps) less challenged creative freedom of low-residency.

It’s also worth asking where you want to have this experience. One reason I looked to England was because I knew a lot of my research would revolve around Europe. During my decision making process, one of my professors said, “Well, can’t you do research wherever you are?” Yes and no. Being in England means I can pop over to the British Library to study illuminated manuscripts in person, or take a writing retreat to Venice. I could probably have read my way through volumes (which I’m also doing) and relied more on my imagination, but the ability to explore the Doge’s dungeons and examine 15th cent. plague medical instruments is something that would have been much more difficult (if not impossible) to do from the states.

So consider the place you want to be while you’re working. Maybe being close to home is important for practical reasons, or maybe you can branch out. There are tons of possibilities.

4. Course Quality: What credentials does the course have, what classes does it offer, and are there any extra-curricular opportunities?

This is something I wish I had looked into more while I was shopping for schools. I lucked out when I fell into BSU.

I remember going to the Association of Writing Programs conference a few years ago. Unlike other programs’ displays , BSU’s was not covered in pamphlets and professors’ books—it was overflowing with the students’ published works. The programs’ success spoke for itself, and if I had bothered to do more research I would have found out that several students have won awards and that their books are ones I frequently pass while browsing in bookshops. If I had been savvy enough to pick up some of these books, I would have discovered my new favorites—like All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls .

Another important thing to do is look at the class listings for the degree. BSU is one of the only Writing for Young People courses that includes a publishing module—that is, that teaches you extensively about the children’s and YA publishing industry. It seems like such an obviously important component to a post-grad Creative Writing degree, but most other programs don’t offer a class like it.

One reason I was really drawn to Chatham University was their Words Without Walls  connection, which allows postgrad students to teach creative writing in prisons and other communities. That’s an extra-curricular opportunity well worth chewing your lip over. Both Chatham and BSU also offer exposure to the publishing world. Chatham is part of a big publishing festival every other year. BSU compiles their graduating students’ work into an anthology, which is published and sent to the big agencies and publishing houses in the UK. In May, any interested parties are invited to London for a sort of Speed Dating: Publishing Style.

These are all great opportunities to enhance your experience, and it’s worth checking your top universities to see what they offer.

5. If my workshop group or tutor is not a good fit, what will I do?

When I was looking onto getting my MA, a lot of people around the internet told me, “Getting my degree killed my love for writing.” Or, “I had a terrible tutor and now I don’t want to write anymore.” It shook my resolve, but I went forward anyway.

It’s worth considering before you plunge, though. My experience was excellent: my workshop group challenged and supported me (we still meet every week, even though our classes are over), and my tutor,  Lucy Christopher , was a good match (her strengths in writing are my weaknesses, and she is both hard and enthusiastic).

But I’m well aware that a lot of my environment, especially the workshop group, was pure luck. Some other students on my course haven’t had such a glowing time, and though they would say it was still an overall good experience, it was not without its disappointments.

Are you the sort of writer who might be permanently hurt if placed in a less supportive group? Are you at risk of coming to hate what you love, should you get the wrong tutor?

To have success in any sort of artistic degree, you need tough skin and an open mind. Some people struggle with this—which is perfectly all right, I think—and it’s worth considering if an academic environment is going to nourish or damage you. For myself, it was definitely high on nourishment.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions, or if you’d like to skewer me for daring to say writing can be learned. It’s cool, bro.

Edit: If you found this post because you’re interested in BSU’s Writing for Young People program and you have more questions, feel free to get in touch! I love talking to you guys. You can email me at: alyssamhollingsworth [at] gmail [dot] com

Related Posts

Share this:

You also might be interested in.

A Novel Idea: Blurbs

Click the pictures to see them full-size (and read the[...]

Writing for Young People Q&A: Personal Development

It’s round four of my Q&A session about Bath Spa[...]

The Madwoman’s Revision Technique

As with all things writing, there are about 10000 different[...]

Popular Posts

© 2018 · Alyssa Hollingsworth

• Master List of Story Tips
• Author Visits + Events
• Invite Me to Speak

• Home »
• Bath Spa University »
• School of Creative Industries »
• Writing for Young People

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

Bath spa university: writing for young people.

A specialist creative writing MA for writers for children and young adults, taught by published authors. - Taught by published children’s and young adult authors with a wealth of industry experience.

Small-group workshops and one-to-one tutorials lie at the heart of this course.

Over 70 alumni are now traditionally published authors.

This specialist creative writing MA is designed for writers for children, teenagers and young adults who aim to complete a novel, series of picture books or shorter stories for young children. Taught by published writers for children and young people and by publishing professionals, this practical course will help you refine your craft while learning about the interaction of creative and business considerations in the modern publishing industry.

This course is available both on campus and online so you can work in the way that suits you best.

Distance Learning (Part-Time), 2 years starts Oct 2024

Full-Time, 1 years starts Sep 2024

Part-Time, 2 years starts Sep 2024

Bath Spa University is about more than studying. It’s about getting stuck in: thinking, making and doing. About bumping into friends on campus, embracing challenges and genuinely caring. We push boundaries and ourselves. If that sounds good to you, you’ll fit in well.

Why Bath Spa?

Excellent Reputation Our origins date back to 1852 and the original Bath School of Art, so we've built our reputation on more than 160 years of tradition and success. We're growing steadily too, with exciting courses and areas of research. 

Well connected We have partnerships with businesses, organisations and institutions in every corner of …

Not what you are looking for?

Postgraduate Bursary Opportunity with Postgrad.com

Are you studying as a PG student at the moment or have you recently been accepted on a postgraduate program? Apply now for one of our £2000 PGS bursaries.

Exclusive bursaries Open day alerts Funding advice Application tips Latest PG news

Sign up now!

Take 2 minutes to sign up to PGS student services and reap the benefits…

• The chance to apply for one of our 5 PGS Bursaries worth £2,000 each
• Fantastic scholarship updates
• Latest PG news sent directly to you.

Creative Writing

Undergraduate degree - single or combined honours

• UCAS codes: Institution B20, Course W800 or W801 (with professional placement year)
• Creative Writing - Programme Document
• Book an open day

Key facts Close

Entry requirements.

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email [email protected] with your specific details.

Join our vibrant writing community, supported by award-winning authors and creative practitioners.

• Wide choice of fiction, performance poetry and graphic novels to scriptwriting, nature writing and memoir.
• Industry focused with an emphasis on developing your professional practice and employability.
• Your projects, your way, with our support. Literary festivals, publications, podcasts - we’ll help you find your voice.

Join us at Bath Spa University where writing is the thing we love to do and the thing we love to talk about. In our workshops, you’ll find friends for life who, like you, want to spend time in a writing world of imagination, creativity and experimentation.

You’ll enjoy working on our unique campus, surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th-century landscape, perfect for creative inspiration. You might experiment with nature writing or discover poems and stories you’re driven to write as a response to climate change and environmental issues.

University of the Year for Social Inclusion

Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2024

#2 in the South West Overall

for Creative Writing (Complete University Guide, 2024)

#6 in the UK

and #1 in the South West for Creative Writing Graduate Prospects – Outcomes (Complete University Guide, 2024)

#10 in the UK

for Graduate Prospects in Creative Writing (Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2024)

Get a taste of life at BSU – come to one of our Open Days .

Book your place

“As well as strengthening my skills and confidence as a writer, Creative Writing at Bath Spa opened my eyes up to the range of career paths I could pursue that I hadn’t considered before. The tutors and Careers team supported me after graduation, all the way to my first full time creative role.” Nic Crosara, 2019 graduate, now deputy editor of DIVA magazine

Creative Writing at Bath Spa University is a challenging, exciting and flexible programme, designed to help you develop your writing craft and find your writing path. You’ll be taught by exceptional published writers with years of industry experience and knowledge to share with you.

It’s not just about writing craft - you’ll also learn vital professional skills. We'll help you gain experience in industry and meet writers and creative practitioners from the professional literary world. Through your modules, projects and student society activities, you’ll leave with a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills and abilities. Like so many of our graduates, you’ll be ready for a career in the creative industries or postgraduate study.

Find out more about our Creative Writing department .

“Bath Spa allowed me to choose a career with confidence, as I learned what I was good at and what I enjoyed doing. The best thing about the course is the support, the module choices (which can really inform your path) and the work experience offered with local publishers or events and festivals.” Laura Garcia Moreno, 2022 graduate, now Production Assistant and Environmental Champion at Bath Festivals

You could study Creative Writing alongside another subject  as part of a combined course .

What you'll learn

Contemporary creative writing is diverse. It’s digital and on the page; social and singular. Our comprehensive programme includes prose fiction, YA, flash fiction, poetry, scriptwriting for live performance and screen, life writing and memoir.

In fact, whatever you want to write, you’ll find an opportunity to explore it with us. We have modules on graphic novels and comics alongside modules in live literature, creative enterprise and professional practice to support your career development. You'll have the opportunity to collaborate on creative projects with other students both within and outside Creative Writing.

You’ll be able to work on magazines, local literary festivals and podcasts, while collaborating with fellow students through our creative writing, publishing and journalism student-run societies.

Year one The course is carefully designed to enable you to explore and experiment with your writing and understand the foundations of writing craft. In the Writer’s Workshop modules you’ll be introduced to an array of different writing forms and genres and you’ll be experimenting with them each week. You’ll have your first experience of the BSU writing workshop where you’ll learn how to work with other writers, giving and receiving feedback. You’ll have additional modules in poetry, fiction and script writing alongside a module where you’ll learn about the publishing industry and editing. You’ll also attend lectures from visiting writers and members of staff who will talk to you about their writing lives and experiences in the industry. Year two In the second year of the course, you have access to a range of modules that will enable you to specialise in a particular form or genre of writing. You’ll take a mixture of core and optional modules from a list that includes, for example, genre fiction, life writing, short stories, form and listening in poetry, and writing for screen. You will also take the project module, Professional Portfolio. This is an opportunity for you to develop your own creative project, designed to help you develop the skills you need as a professional writer. You will be assigned a member of staff to be your project supervisor. They will help guide and advise you as you develop your idea. If a collaborative project suits you, you can take a Publishing module where you work with a small team of fellow students to create your own independent magazine. Year three The final year of the programme is designed to consolidate your writing practice and support your progression into a writing-related career. You will take a dissertation-equivalent module in at least one of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, scriptwriting or writing for young people. These modules run through the year. Alongside that you have a choice of career-focused modules which include Live Literature and Professional Practice which offer you the opportunity to develop your own industry-facing creative projects. We also offer an extended project module, Creative Enterprise, over two semesters. This module helps you focus on developing a creative project into a commercial opportunity. 

Assessment is based on 100% coursework (no exams). Most modules will require you to submit a portfolio of creative writing along with a reflective or contextual essay in which you describe what you have learned in class, what you have learned from the set texts and working on your own writing.

Creative Writing at Bath Spa University is taught through a mixture of workshops, lectures, presentations and tutorials. Workshops offer you the opportunity to read and discuss each other's work in a supportive, informal and informative atmosphere. Lectures are used to introduce techniques and themes in detail. Tutorials provide you with the opportunity to discuss your work with your tutor on a one-to-one basis.

We believe that for you to achieve your maximum potential you have to take yourself and your writing seriously, and that the best way to do this is to develop a professional approach. Therefore, wherever appropriate, our modules run to industry standards and adopt industry practices.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement .

Course modules

This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.

• The Writer’s Workshop 1
• Explorations in Prose Fiction
• The Writer’s Workshop 2
• Introduction to Poetry
• Introduction to Scriptwriting
• Publishing and Editing for Writers
• Creative Enterprise 1
• Creative Enterprise 2
• Form and Listening in Poetry
• Genre Fiction
• Life Writing
• Writing for Theatre
• Writing Graphic Novels and Comics
• Short Fiction
• Scripting for Screen
• Performance Poetry and Spoken Word
• Writing For Young People: Reading as Writers
• The Independent Magazine

Professional Placement Year

• Professional Practice
• Extended Prose Fiction 1
• The Poetry Collection 1
• Advanced Script Project 1
• Advanced Nonfiction Project 1
• Planning and Writing a Novel for Young People 1
• Teaching Writing
• Extended Prose Fiction 2
• The Poetry Collection 2
• Advanced Script Project 2
• Advanced Nonfiction Project 2
• Planning and Writing a Novel for Young People 2
• Teaching Practice
• Live Literature
• Publishing Industry Project
• Writing Now - prizes, popularity and politics

Facilities and resources

The Creative Writing course is taught at our stunning Newton Park campus, where you’ll be surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th century landscape and lake.

You'll have access to a range of excellent facilities, including:

• Commons building  with its state-of-the-art classrooms, study spaces and cafe
• Digital labs (Mac rooms) for students learning new media
• Virtual Learning Environment  to support you in your modules.

As a Creative Writing student, you'll be able to benefit from:

• Cameras, audio recording equipment available for students to borrow absolutely free
• Technical staff to help students use industry standard software
• Library with print and ebooks, digital resources, literary magazines and journals.

Creative Writing careers

  “There are those assumptions that... the only thing you can ever do with a creative writing degree is write a novel. That's not true.”

Listen to Lucy Sweetman , Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, talking about the range of creative writing degree careers available.

Opportunities

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities .

Creative Writing students often find exciting subject-related placements and we do our best to help students make connections and gain experiences in companies and organisations that interest them. Students often work with the Bath Literature Festival, for instance, or with production companies such as the BBC. The course team will help you on an individual basis as opportunities present themselves.

Past students have benefited from industry-based opportunities and experiences that have been incorporated into their modules, enabling them to secure credit for the time they have spent in industry environments.

Current graduate careers include:

• Science magazine editor
• Children’s author
• Digital Marketing Executive
• Social media writer
• Commercial copywriter for brands or charities
• Regional editor for an online magazine
• University lecturer
• Editor (Random House)

Many of our students go on to study one of our specialist MA programmes in either Creative Writing, Writing for Young People, Screenwriting, Travel and Nature, or Children’s Publishing.

Each year Creative Writing awards a range of prizes to its students to celebrate the best writing produced in the final year. The department also awards the Les Arnold Prize for the top student in the second year, honouring the memory of poet Les Arnold, who started the writing programme in 1992.

Students are given numerous opportunities to focus on project work – from the first year core module (Writer's Workshop One) to the second year core module and into several project modules in the third year. Student projects are a core part of the Creative Writing curriculum and students are assisted to develop project ideas that support their creative and career ambitions. 

Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite , giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.   

Professional placement year

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee . This applies to UK and EU/International students.

• UK: £1,850
• International: £3,381

Interested in applying?

Most of our applicants will have an A or a B in English Language and/or English Literature at A Level. That said, we do judge each application on its own merit and many of our most successful graduates have not fit neatly into standard criteria. Please write directly to the course leader or the admissions team to discuss your individual circumstances.

We also welcome applications from students who demonstrate real commitment to their writing. This commitment may be expressed in publications, awards, and/or engagement with the Apprentice of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below. Applicants without a relevant Level 3 qualification in English will be considered but will be required to submit a piece of their own creative writing as part of the selection process.

• A Level - grades BBB-BCC including a Grade B in English or a related subject.
• BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) in any subject. Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.
• T Levels – grade Merit preferred in a relevant subject.
• International Baccalaureate – a minimum of 32 points are required with a minimum of grade 5 in English at Higher Level.
• Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher). Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.

If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.

English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants

IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at [email protected] .

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page. Need more guidance? Head to our  how to apply  pages.

Admissions: 

• +44 (0)1225 876 180
• [email protected]

Course leader: Ms Lucy Sweetman Email: [email protected]

Three year course

With placement year.

Website feedback to [email protected]

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)

Select a course option

Select a subject

Select a an exam type

Select student location

Course info

Entry requirements, popular a-level subjects, tuition fees, latest reviews.

- Wide choice of fiction, performance poetry and graphic novels to scriptwriting, nature writing and memoir.- Industry focused with an emphasis on developing your professional practice and employability.- Your projects, your way, with our support. Literary festivals, publications, podcasts - we’ll help you find your voice.Join us at Bath Spa University where writing is the thing we love to do and the thing we love to talk about. In our workshops, you’ll find friends for life who, like you, want to spend time in a writing world of imagination, creativity and experimentation.You’ll enjoy working on our unique campus, surrounded by wildlife and a beautiful 18th-century landscape, perfect for creative inspiration. You might experiment with nature writing or discover poems and stories you’re driven to write as a response to climate change and environmental issues.Creative Writing at Bath Spa University is a challenging, exciting and flexible programme, designed to help you develop your writing craft and find your writing path. You’ll be taught by exceptional published writers with years of industry experience and knowledge to share with you.It’s not just about writing craft - you’ll also learn vital professional skills. We'll help you gain experience in industry and meet writers and creative practitioners from the professional literary world. Through your modules, projects and student society activities, you’ll leave with a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills and abilities. Like so many of our graduates, you’ll be ready for a career in the creative industries or postgraduate study.

Creative Writing

Average salary, £15,000, £16,000, what students say.

The campus is absolutely gorgeous! A wonderful mix of old and new, castles and modern buildings. Reserving rooms encourages students to get out of their rooms and study anywhere.. Read more

Love the campus but a pain getting bus all the.. Read more

Modules (Year 1)

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

BCC - BBB Grades / Points required

Access to HE Diploma:

M:45 Grades / Points required

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme:

32 Grades / Points required

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

DDM - DMM Grades / Points required

M Grades / Points required

A Level - grades BBB-BCC including a Grade B in English or a related subject.

Typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher). Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.

A minimum of 32 points are required.

Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) in any subject. Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong interest in Creative Writing in their personal statement and may be asked to provide a piece of their own creative writing.

Grade Merit is preferred in a relevant subject.

Top 5 A-levels taken by students who study this subject at uni.

Students living in

£9,250 per year

Students from England

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from Scotland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from Wales

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from Northern Ireland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Students from Channel Islands

This is the fee you pay if you live within Channel Islands. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

Latest Creative Writing reviews

Review breakdown, how all students rated:.

Newton Park Bath Bath And North East Somerset BA2 9BN

Bath Spa University

Thinking of studying in bristol.

Check out our

Other courses you may like

University of East Anglia UEA

University of Leicester

University of Hull

Find a course

• Undergraduate
• Foundation degree
• Access & foundation
• Postgraduate

YOUR UCAS POINTS 0

Please wait

• Log in
• Site search

Postgraduate literature and creative writing courses at Bath Spa University

Try our advanced course search for more search options

Children's Publishing

• Bath Spa University

Performing Shakespeare

• School of Music and the Performing Arts

Writing for Young People

• School of Humanities and Cultural Industries

Directing Circus

Creative writing, travel and nature writing, scriptwriting.

BA (Hons) Creative Writing

1 Location : Newton Park Campus

Course details

3 year course

Distance learning

Not Available

Placement year

Year abroad

Foundation year

Course data summary

Average Earnings

15 months after the course for Creative writing graduates at Bath Spa University

go on to work and/or study

15 months after the course for None graduates at Bath Spa University

are using what they learnt during their studies in their current work

The course has developed the knowledge and skills I think I will need for my future.

Final year BA (Hons) Creative Writing students at Bath Spa University

Staff value students’ views and opinions about the course.

Teaching staff have supported my learning well.

National Student Survey results

What you need to know about the data

• The data is from students surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Some courses and providers have been affected more than others.
• The data tells you about the experience of recent students, but your experience may be different.
• Read more about this data

Student Satisfaction

The Student satisfaction score is not available for courses in England because the question is not included in the survey for England.

The teaching on my course

Staff are good at explaining things

Staff often make the subject engaging.

The course is often intellectually stimulating.

The course often challenges me to achieve my best work.

Data for students graduating 2022-23

Source: NSS (National Student Survey)

Learning opportunities

Positive about the chances to explore ideas and concepts in depth.

The course introduces subjects and skills well in a way that builds on what I have already learned.

Positive about the chances to bring together information and ideas from different topics.

The course has the right balance of directed and independent study.

Assessment and feedback

The criteria used in marking and assessing my work have been clear.

The marking and assessment of my course has been fair.

Assessments have allowed me to demonstrate what I have learned.

Assessment feedback has been received on time.

Feedback has often helped me improve my work.

Academic Support

It was easy to contact teaching staff when I needed to.

Organisation and management

My course is well organised.

Changes to teaching on my course have been well communicated.

Learning resources

The IT resources and facilities provided have supported my learning well

The library resources (e.g. books, online services and learning spaces) have supported my learning well

It has been easy to access subject-specific resources (e.g. equipment, facilities, software, collections) when I needed to.

Student voice

I have had the right opportunities to provide feedback on my course

It is clear that students' feedback on the course is acted on.

The students' union (association or guild) represents students' academic interest well.

Mental wellbeing

86% Information about mental wellbeing support services has been well communicated.

Freedom of expression

87% I have felt free to express my ideas, opinions and beliefs.

Entry information

What you need to know about entry data

• These are the qualifications students had when they were accepted onto this course. This is not a list of qualifications a person needs to have to be accepted onto this course

Read more about entry data

Qualification types

Data for entrants in 2021-22

Source: Data for individual students collected directly from universities and colleges

Chart labels explained

Different higher education qualification.

• Foundation degree

A-levels, Advanced Highers or similar

• Scottish Highers (including Advanced Highers)
• BTEC National or equivalent (including BTEC Nationals and SQA equivalents) Welsh Baccalaureate and HNCs

UCAS Tariff points

After 1 year on the course.

84% of students are still on the course or have completed it

Data for entrants in 2020-21

The data displayed is from students on this and other courses in Creative writing.

There was not enough data to publish information specifically for this course. This may be because the course size is too small. This does not reflect on the quality of the course.

Earnings after the course

What you need to know about earnings data

• Some data is from graduates surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Labour markets change
• Salaries vary across regions in the UK
• There are lots of factors that affect graduate earnings.
• Read more about earnings

Average earnings for all full-time Creative writing courses

For graduates from Bath Spa University

After 15 months

Typical range: £16,000 - £24,000, data from 20 people (65% of those asked)., data for students graduating 2020-21 source: graduate outcomes survey, after 3 years, typical range: £14,000 - £22,500, data from 95 people., data for students graduating 2013-15 source: longitudinal education outcomes (leo) dataset, after 5 years, typical range: £16,500 - £24,500, data from 100 people., view for all full-time creative writing graduates in:, typical range: £18,000 - £25,000, data from 555 people., 95% of uk-resident creative writing graduates from bath spa university are employed in england., data for students graduating 2019-21 source: graduate outcomes survey, (excludes northern ireland), typical range: £13,500 - £23,000, data from 1550 people., 93% of uk-resident creative writing graduates from bath spa university are based in england., typical range: £16,500 - £27,000, data from 1565 people., 94% of uk-resident creative writing graduates from bath spa university are based in england., employment 15 months after the course.

What you need to know about employment data

• Some data is from graduates surveyed during Covid-19 pandemic
• Labour markets vary and change over time
• Employment and job opportunities vary across regions in the UK
• Read more about employment

95% of the students go on to work and / or study

Data for students graduating 2020-21

Source: Graduate Outcomes survey

What graduates are doing 15 months after the course

The data displayed is from students on other courses in creative writing..

Because the course is new or has not been running long enough, there was not enough data to publish information specifically for this course. This does not reflect on the quality of the course.

Occupation types 15 months after the course

50% in highly skilled work.

• 15% Artistic, literary and media occupations
• 10% Business and public service associate professionals
• 10% Teaching Professionals
• 5% Managers, directors and senior officials
• Less than 5% Web and Multimedia Design Professionals

50% In other work

• 15% Administrative occupations
• 10% Elementary occupations
• 10% Sales occupations
• 5% Teaching and Childcare Support Occupation
• 5% Secretarial and related occupations

5% In unknown work

• Employed after finishing the course but employment type is not known

In highly skilled work

Percentage of those employed who are in a professional or managerial job after finishing the course

In other work

Percentage of those employed who are not in a professional or managerial job after finishing the course

Graduate perceptions

• Some data is from graduates surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Read more about Graduate Perceptions

65% of graduates find their current work meaningful

Perception of work after graduating

50% usefulness.

I am utilising what I learnt during my studies in my current work.

65% Meaningfulness

My current work is meaningful.

My current work fits with my future plans.

Information on the uni website

• Course page
• How the course is taught
• How the course is assessed
• Employment information
• Course costs
• Accommodation costs and information
• Financial support

Course saved

You have  saved courses View saved courses

Add another to compare courses.

Compare courses

Course removed from saved courses

25 is the maximum number of saved courses.

To remove courses go to saved courses

We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We’d like to use additional cookies to show us how the site is used. We DO NOT use this for marketing purposes. Please let us know if you are happy with this? Cookie Settings I’m happy with all cookies Discover Uni Privacy and Cookie Policy

Cookie Settings Do you want to accept analytics cookies to help us improve user experience?

We do not use cookies for marketing purposes.

Courses, apprenticeships, information guides and more

Bath Spa University

Degree level: undergraduate, creative writing and english literature, course options.

Bath Spa University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Course summary

Develop professional skills and follow your passion for literature and writing with an exciting combination of creative practice and critical thinking, led by expert researchers and award-winning authors.

• Engage with the world beyond university. Work with communities, international institutions, literary festivals, publishing houses and cultural projects.
• Your projects, your way, with our support. From creating digital projects, to essays, publications and podcasts - we’ll help you find your voice.
• Explore literature through a global perspective, embracing it as a diverse phenomenon and challenging its complex histories.

Assessment method

Assessment is based on 100% coursework (there are no exams). Most modules will require you to submit a portfolio of creative writing along with a reflective or contextual essay in which you describe what you've learned in class and from your reading/working on your own writing. Depending on your module choices, coursework may include essays, journals, portfolios of short critical pieces, projects and dissertations, podcasts, seminar presentations, and web-based projects.

How to apply

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Points of entry.

The following entry points are available for this course:

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements, a level - bbb - bcc, pearson btec level 3 national extended diploma (first teaching from september 2016) - ddm - dmm, access to he diploma - m: 45 credits, international baccalaureate diploma programme - 32 points, t level - m, english language requirements.

Student Outcomes

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website .

Fees and funding

Tuition fees.

Additional fee information

Provider information.

Visit our website

Bath Spa University Newton Park Newton St Loe Bath BA2 9BN

Course contact details

Bath spa admissions team.

[email protected]

01225 876180

1 Course options

Please select a course option to view the information for the course

Looking for a course using clearing?

Where do you live.

To show you courses in clearing with suitable vacancies we need to know where you normally live.

Sort by furthest to nearest