Program Overview

Our Creative Writing and English Literature (including foundation year) BA degree is the perfect preparation for undergraduate study and a career in the creative industries if you don’t have the necessary requirements to enter the three-year degree. On completion of this course, you’ll graduate with the same title and qualification as students who started on the three-year course.

On this four-year course, you’ll learn the skills that will form the foundation for academic study, while providing you with techniques and theoretical knowledge used by creative writers and publishers.

For an insight into the projects you'll participate in, take a break and browse through Anthology IV, a collection of short-form pieces written, compiled and published by students on the course.

Our undergraduate course with a foundation year combines the disciplines of creative writing and literature. You’ll get the unique opportunity to develop your own distinct creative writing style, while gaining an understanding of literary history and major genres in poetry, drama and prose.

Our staff will offer exceptional support throughout your degree to ensure that you settle into university life and succeed academically. When you join the University, you’ll be assigned an academic mentor and tutor who will offer one-to-one support and be your first port of call if you need any help. There will also be opportunities to take advantage of workshops that will enhance your academic and employability skills.

The foundation year, or Year 0, is designed to prepare you for the challenge of studying at undergraduate level. You’ll share this year with students from other disciplines, which will provide you with the unique opportunity to network with students from other courses and learn about their academic interests. During this year, you’ll focus on developing critical thinking, academic writing and research skills by exploring the themes of society, media, current affairs and other topics. Your tutors will help you develop your ability to engage in academic debate and critically assess arguments, which will be vital for further study at undergraduate level.

The foundation year is also excellent preparation for the study of the English literature and creative writing, as you will take a specialised module. On this module you’ll read and examine key creative texts written about London in the past and present, develop your own writing voice through journal observations and engage in creative writing tasks in and out of class.

Your final three years will focus on creative writing techniques and engage you in the comprehensive study of literary material, themes and genres. You'll also study the same course content and have the same choice of modules as students on the standard Creative Writing and English Literature BA course.