Program Overview

English Literature and Creative Writing at Staffordshire University is a small and friendly department in which all staff and students know each other and are on first name terms. We pride ourselves on our exceptional levels of student support.

Embark on a new adventure in literature and writing with our innovative English and Creative Writing degree. Our small and friendly team of published writers and critics will guide you through literature and styles of writing you will be familiar with and introduce you to new worlds of representation and expression that you haven’t even imagined yet. You will learn in small group seminars and writers’ workshops to advance your knowledge and develop your understandings of some of the greatest literature from around the world and to explore modes of writing that are both conventional and experimental. You will examine critical and creative approaches to major forms, genres, movements and periods, establishing your own voice as a writer, critic, or both. On project modules, you will have the chance to work on our online student journal, organise awards schemes with schools, contribute to literacy projects, and work with students from across the uni, or focus on a major research project of your own.

At Staffs Uni, we believe that the best writers are incisive and knowledgeable readers and that the most sensitive and original critics understand the processes of composition. So, once you get into your 2nd year you can take our genre modules with critical and creative assignments – Magical Realism, Gothic, Children’s Literature and Crime Fiction. Literature modules will range from Shakespeare (and before) to contemporary climate fiction, making sure that you are fully equipped with knowledge of Victorian writing and modernism on the way. During your course, you’ll explore how writers have transformed the portrayal of the world, constantly remaking how we think about literature and even what literature is. You'll contextualise great works through critical and theoretical interpretations and discover your own approaches. If you are thinking of a career in teaching, you will be curriculum ready. Writers will range across poetry, prose fiction, screenwriting, writing for the stage and publishing and editing, ensuring that you are ready for a career as a professional writer.

You can choose options to match your own passions and expertise, specialising in creative writing, English literature or balancing both. Our placement module allows you to put your skills and learning into practice in a professional setting, beginning the work of building a CV, a portfolio, and a professional network for your career ahead.

Our academic team are here to look after your future, consistently achieving 90% and above for Overall Student Satisfaction in the National Student Survey and 100% for teaching and feedback. You will be assisted all the way through your studies by an Academic Mentor and high levels of student support.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BA (Hons) English Literature and Creative Writing