Swansea University

What you'll study

The programme balances practical creative practice with rigorous literary study. You will take creative-writing workshops in genres such as fiction, poetry and scriptwriting alongside modules in English literature covering periods and themes—from medieval and early modern literature through eighteenth- and nineteenth-century fiction to twentieth- and twenty-first-century writing.

Typical modules you may encounter include:

• Creative Writing Workshop (fiction and poetry): peer-led workshops and tutor feedback focused on technique, revision and producing a portfolio of work.
• Prose and Short Story Practice: narrative craft, voice, character and form.
• Poetry: form, prosody and contemporary practices.
• Drama and Scriptwriting: stage and screen writing principles and dramaturgy.
• Literary Period Studies: surveys of specific periods or movements (e.g. Romanticism, Victorian literature, modernism, contemporary literature).
• Critical Theory and Methods: approaches to reading literature, including close reading, historicist and contemporary critical perspectives.
• Genre and Media: study of genre fiction, digital storytelling and adaptation between media.
• Independent Project or Dissertation: a substantial piece of creative work or a long critical essay supervised by staff.

Many students choose optional modules that allow them to specialise in particular authors, forms or cultural contexts. Work-based learning opportunities, placements or study-abroad options may be available through the university to broaden your experience.

Entry requirements

Entry is normally through qualifications such as A-levels, BTEC, Access to Higher Education, Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers, or recognised international equivalents. Typical offers ask for a combination of grades at advanced level; specific grade requirements vary by year and applicant profile. Applicants whose first language is not English will need to meet the university's English language requirement.

For the creative-writing element you may be asked to submit a short portfolio of original work (for example, a selection of poems or short fiction) as part of the admissions process. Mature applicants and those with non-traditional qualifications are welcome and are considered on the basis of prior learning, experience and potential.

It is common for offers to include a requirement for GCSE-level English (or equivalent); check with admissions for the precise requirements that apply to your application route.

Career prospects

Graduates from Creative Writing and English Literature pursue a wide range of careers that make direct use of writing, analytical and communication skills. Common destinations include:

• Publishing and editorial roles (acquisitions, commissioning, copy-editing)
• Journalism, feature writing and freelance writing
• Marketing, communications, advertising and content creation
• Teaching and education (including routes into initial teacher training such as PGCE)
• Public relations, arts administration and cultural sector roles
• Digital media, web content and social media management
• Further study at postgraduate level in creative writing, literature, librarianship or related fields

The programme emphasises transferable skills—critical thinking, research, editing, project management and presenting ideas—that are valued across the public, private and third sectors.

Why study at Swansea University

Swansea University offers a department with active researchers and practitioners in literature and creative writing, providing teaching informed by current scholarship and contemporary writing practice. Small-group workshops and seminar teaching give sustained feedback on creative work and close engagement with texts.

The campus location on the coast and Swansea’s lively cultural scene provide a stimulating environment for writers, with local literary events, festivals and cultural organisations offering opportunities to develop public-facing work. Students also benefit from the university’s library collections, research centres and careers services that support graduate employability and routes into the creative and cultural industries.