English with Creative Writing BA

About the Course

English and Creative Writing is the perfect course to both learn about English Literature from the Renaissance to the present day and to gain crucial literary skills that will equip you to read and write at a high level.

This course is designed to develop your knowledge, understanding, and analytical and creative skills through the analysis, interpretation and creation of literary texts and your own creative writing in a range of genres. The range and choice of modules ensure that you will achieve a sound understanding of the principal genres and periods of English literature while at the same time developing your own writing ability.

Whether you’re interested in travel writing, journalism, comedy screenwriting, the short story or the contemporary novel, Brunel has a wide range of staff who regularly produce bestselling novels, screenplays for major movies or journalism for the best of the British and international press.  Combining this expertise with a supportive environment for students looking to break into writing, the Brunel Creative Writing BA is undoubtedly among the best in the country.

With our focus on the contemporary as well as a firm grounding in all aspects of English literature, our team is uniquely equipped to give you an excellent understanding of the importance of narrative and the value of reading and writing in the contemporary world, and to show you how best to use those skills in your future.

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Aims

This combined degree is designed to:

• provide a framework which demonstrates the scope of English literature, within which you can develop individual interests;
• explore your creative abilities in a range of disciplines;
• develop your responses to literary works and your competence in methods of independent reading;
• develop skills of expression and critical evaluation, and techniques of scholarship and presentation;
• develop a range of key skills and strategies for learning and imaginative thinking.

Enquiries

Bernardine Evaristo
Admissions Tutor

Tel: +44 (0)1895 267769
Email: english-admissions@brunel.ac.uk

 

 

Related Courses

• English BA
• English and Film and TV Studies BA
• Creative Writing BA

Special Features

The Creative Writing department at Brunel is unique in its industry focus. We believe that it is important for fledgling writers to get the chance to hear from professional authors, and as well as our uniquely talented staff, we also run the Writers Talking Series, which brings leading authors to our campus. Recent visitors have included:

• All staff are practising writers or are research-active and experts in their fields, which goes to inform and enhance teaching for all students.
  
  
• You have the opportunity to specialise in areas that particularly fascinate you or to maintain a broad-based degree. We have created a lively syllabus with a fresh approach to studying literature, and you can carry out a final year project on any related topic of your choice.
  
  
• You can study a modern foreign language as one of your Level 1 options. We also liaise closely with Brunel’s other arts and social sciences disciplines and encourage students to participate in all extra-curricular arts activities.
  
  
• The University is within reach of London with its West End theatres, museums, and other research centres of national and international importance.

Facts and Figures

English at Brunel was rated in The Guardian’s Top 20 English Departments in the UK in 2010.

Course Content

The English courses as a whole cover all the major periods of literature from the Renaissance to the most recent publications in poetry, fiction and drama. Our lecturers have a good record of research and publication but, because our own areas of expertise are wide-ranging, we don’t promote any single critical approach as the ‘right way’ of reading literature. Instead we aim to introduce you right from the start to a variety of critical perspectives in preference to a routine chronological survey.

All Level 1 modules offer an introduction to a broad range of areas that are revisited and further developed at Levels 2 and 3.

The Creative Writing modules will foster your self-awareness and draw extensively on your individual personal experience and interests. You can choose from fiction, poetry, screenwriting and journalism in Level 2.

All modules at Level 3 will encourage you to be active and independent critics and writers and will address a wide variety of different approaches to literature.

The Creative Writing Project will enable you to undertake an extended piece of creative work, encouraging full expression of the skills that the programme as a whole is designed to develop.  This project allows you to give full reign to your personal interests.  Whether it’s writing music journalism or epic poetry, this is your chance to create a project that fulfils your creative ambitions.

In Creative Writing and the Creative Industriesand the Creative Industries
Successful creative writing students will have the option of continuing their creative work to Master’s level.

Typical Modules

Level 1 Core

• Introduction to Writing Fiction
• Thinking about Literature
• Approaches to Poetry and Prose, or Dramatic Text
• Introduction to Writing Drama
• Academic Practice
• Studying the Arts
• English in Evolution

Level 2 Core

• Introduction to Writing Poetry
• Writing the Short Story
• Writing Journalism
• Writing the Journey

Level 2 Options

Three from:

• The 19th Century Novel
• Shakespeare
• Romanticism and Revolution
• Post-Colonial Writing
• The Women’s Movement

Level 3 Core

• Special Project in Creative Writing or English
• Creative Writing and the Creative Industries

See the web course pages for English and Creative Writing for a list of Level 3 Options.

Teaching and Learning

Student Support

You will be assigned a Personal Tutor who remains with you throughout your degree course and is available to discuss personal and academic problems. We pride ourselves on our commitment to the individual, and you will find both academic and administrative staff only too pleased to help.

Assessment

The degree course is modular. Each module is worth 20 credits and you must complete 120 credits for each year of your degree programme.

Each subject employs a wide range of assessment methods. These include coursework, individual and group projects, oral presentations, practical work and written examinations.

Employability

English and Creative Writing is particularly good at developing the transferable skills that employers prize. The degree emphasises imagination, independence of thought and intellectual flexibility as well as professional skills. Emphasis is placed on both acquisition of knowledge and on creative work, as well as on developing your ability to manage your own learning and on your personal and collaborative communication skills.  In the 21st Century, good writing skills are more important than ever, and no matter in which field you end up working, this degree will enhance your ability to express yourself at a high professional level.

Careers

After graduation, students may enter one of the professions associated with communication-related employment, such as journalism, publishing, teaching or one of the many forms of old and new media, but our students fit just as easily into many other career environments. From the outset we help you to develop career options based on interests and skills. The School also offers an optional work experience module in the final year.

Our graduates have gone on to work in companies such as the BBC and Universal Studios, and a number of Brunel graduates have gone on to be published or to find literary agents for their work.

Fees for 2013/14 entry

UK/EU students: £9,000 full-time; £6,750 part-time

International students: £12,000 full-time

We are introducing over 700 scholarships for 2013, meaning that one in five applicants who join Brunel next year will receive financial support from the University. See our fees and funding page for full details

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements for 2013 Entry

• GCE A-level Typical offer AAB, including Grade B in English (General Studies/Critical Thinking accepted). Applicants who have already achieved at least BBB at A-level and have Personal Statements showing a strong interest in the course and transferable skills will also be considered. Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants within this range.
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate AAABB, including English.
• Scottish Advanced Highers AAB, including English.
• Advanced Diploma Progression Diploma Grade A in Creative and Media, including A-level English at Grade B for Additional and Specialist Learning
  
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma D*D*D in a related subject (Applicants without A-level English will be required to submit a written sample of work on request).
• IBDP 35 points including Higher Level 5 in English.
• Access Complete and pass a related subject Access course with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. All English units must be Distinctions at level 3 and for Creative Writing applicants must provide a sample of creative writing.

For all of the above, 5 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above are also required, to include English and Maths (please note that these must have been gained by the time you submit your UCAS application). 

English Language Requirements

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.