TEF Gold Undergraduate course

BA (Hons)

Creative Writing with Foundation

Writing is timeless – and vital today. At Plymouth, you'll learn from poets, novelists, journalists and more to sharpen your craft. Our expert team nurtures talent, sparks creativity and prepares you for success across writing-driven fields.

Our typical offer

32 UCAS points

Ranked 1st in the South West

Our undergraduate creative writing courses ranked 1st in the South West and 10th in UK, according to the Complete University Guide, 2026.

Career-ready learning

Gain hands-on experience through vocational modules, internships and an optional placement year, and graduate with the skills employers seek.

Rich culture and community

Benefit from Plymouth’s vibrant arts and culture programme and partnerships with local institutions like The Box and Theatre Royal, giving you rich opportunities to engage with literature beyond the classroom.

About

As a creative writing student at Plymouth, you’ll collaborate with award-winning writers and journalists in small, supportive workshops that nurture your voice and refine your craft. Explore diverse genres, experiment with digital writing and gain industry-ready skills for careers in journalism, publishing, editing, marketing and more. You’ll also have the chance to contribute to , gaining hands-on experience in editing and project management. All this unfolds in a vibrant seaside city, enriched by our arts and culture programme and strong ties to cultural institutions like The Box and Theatre Royal.
This four-year creative writing course begins with a supportive foundation year – ideal if you need extra preparation or face educational barriers.
Male student writing in notebook at his desk. Getty 1167037650
 
 

What is a foundation year?

A Foundation year provides an additional entry-level year for you to gain further knowledge of a subject before starting a full degree course.
On completing the Foundation year successfully, you progress automatically onto the full degree course, which is usually three years. You don’t need to apply for a place on the full degree course.
 
A full list of potential progression routes is listed under course details
Why choose a degree with a foundation year?
  • To build your confidence to study at university level.
  • To gain the knowledge and skills needed to complete a full degree.
  • Your qualifications don't meet entry requirements for a three-year degree.
  • You want to study a new subject that your previous qualifications or experience haven’t prepared you for.
  • You may have thought university wasn’t an available option for you.
  • You want to join a university course that is needed for the career you’d like.
 

This course is for you if...

you are passionate about storytelling
Pen and paper icon
you are keen to keen to explore multiple genres and discover your unique voice
Pen with lightbulb icon
you want to learn from published, award-winning writers and journalists
Three individuals with speech bubbles above them
you are excited to build a foundation for a rewarding career and develop creative skills that employers value
Ladder leading up to cloud, depicting career aspirations

Details

Foundation year

Cover creative writing, English and history with a focus on the research and writing skills essential for success on your degree. Successful completion of the foundation year allows progression onto year 1. 
A group of students sit in class with their textbooks open in front of them. They are each individually studying. The focus is on a girl looking up at her peer and smiling. 1204496848 Getty

Core modules

SSC301
Discovering Your Inner Academic 30 credits

In this module, students will learn the core academic and organisational skills required to succeed at university. They will benefit from a range of skill development sessions and subject-specific seminars, allowing them to practice applying the delivered academic skills in the context of their field of study.

100% Coursework

SSC302
Individual Project 30 credits

Students will undertake, with supervision, an individual project related to their degree programme. Staff will guide students through the process of defining, planning, and setting up their project. As part of the module, students will gain research and time management skills that will support their successful progression through their degree programme.

100% Coursework

SSC306
Literature, History and Visual Cultures 30 credits

This module explores the key texts and voices that have changed the ways in which we think and write the Humanities. It will investigate how thinkers, poets and writers have shaped our contemporary world, and the ways in which we study it. Based on this, this module will also explore the ways in which literature, art, film, media, memory and heritage impact on history and writing today. Students will examine a range of classic and contemporary literary texts as well as visual and media sources and consider the role of technologies in the Humanities. The module will be constructed around the exploration of key themes, for example gender and sexuality, faith, war, and race and ethnicity, using interdisciplinary approaches to identify how they have shaped the Humanities of the 21st century.

100% Coursework

SSC309
Imagining the Past 30 credits

This module will introduce concepts central to historical and literary study in the Humanities including: Time; Space; and Experience. Students will work with a range of sources to understand how the Humanities engage with the past. Students will develop the tools needed for progression to Higher Education, with a particular focus on analysing textual materials and essay-writing.

100% Coursework

Year 1

You will study core modules introducing you to fundamental elements of writing in a wide range of genres including prose, poetry, drama and professional writing. You will also learn key research skills and begin your journey as a professional. 
Choosing a book from the library. Getty 2162169941

Core modules

ENG4001
Gods, Monsters, and Heroes: Myths and Legends in Literature 20 credits

This immersive module provides an important grounding for new students studying English and Creative Writing. Based around some of the earliest written texts that underpin Western literature, the module engages with a number of issues to enable students to gain an understanding of the historical development of literature and the ways in which texts relate to each other over the centuries.

100% Coursework

ENG4003
The Craft of Writing I: Prose Fiction and Non-Fiction 20 credits

This module introduces students to the key concepts and issues in creative writing through the practise of workshops. We will read classic contemporary works of fiction and nonfiction including autobiography, travel writing, poetry sequences, essays and reportage. We will produce our own works, and critically evaluate and contextualise them.

100% Coursework

ENG4007
Rewritings: Contemporary Literature and its Histories 20 credits

This module will examine how and why modern and contemporary authors have rewritten or reworkedinfluential literary texts of the past. Students will engage with a range of different literary forms,including fiction, poetry, drama and, where appropriate, film. By investigating the impulses behind suchintertextual acts, students will explore the ways in which literature engages with the cultural politics ofits times, focusing particularly on issues of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class and aesthetics. This module will include 2, 2 hour talks that introduce our School and programme level employability related opportunities and support, including details of the optional placement year.

100% Coursework

ENG4009
Make it New: Digital Writing 20 credits

This module introduces students to writing digitally for, most notably, the Web, and its various platforms (from blogs to websites to Twitter etc). Students are invited to explore and expand ideas around authorship and audience and the writing (or images) that connects them as ‘content’, in its myriad of possible forms and formats. It will also introduce speculative and theoretical ideas about the relation between the self, writing, and digital forms. The module is taught through lecture, seminars, and workshops where students are asked to submit and feedback to peers and tutors on a regular basis.

100% Coursework

ENG4010
Adventures in Criticism: Introduction to Critical Theory 20 credits

This module will introduce some key critical theories relevant to the study of English literature. It will familiarise students with a range of theoretical perspectives and enable them to develop an understanding of different ways of reading literature, and its wider contexts.

100% Coursework

Optional modules

ENG4008
The Craft of Writing II: Poetry and Drama 20 credits

This module continues the trajectory of the study of ‘the craft of writing’, emphasising poetry and dramatic writing. We’ll explore how creative writing constitutes a ‘practice-as-research’ discipline, whilst studying relevant writing theory, contextual literature, and literary criticism. Lectures will introduce topics, and subsequent workshops will promote the development of student work through feedback. Students will submit creative work alongside ‘research statements’ twice during the term, in the form of portfolios.

100% Coursework

ENG4005
Writing and the Modern World, 1700-1800 20 credits

This module considers the further development of modern ways of writing, thinking, trading, and seeing in the eighteenth century. This period is crucial to understanding literary history and ourselves. The module explores four key themes:- the beginnings of human rights and democracy in the eighteenth century - modern ideas of gender which originate in the eighteenth century - imperialism & the transatlantic world - eighteenth-century reading practices and the development of new genres.

80% Coursework

20% Practicals

Year 2

You’ll develop your professional skills and have the opportunity to write creatively in many forms including theatre and script writing, autobiography and biography, travel writing, and literary adaptation. You will hone your skills as a writer in weekly workshops with tutors and peers. You’ll also have the option to take specialist modules in other subjects in the school, should you wish to broaden your horizons. 
Students studying 

Core modules

ENG5005
Professional Writing for Different Media 20 credits

In the context of this module, Professional Writing refers to commercial content for a variety of media outlets including advertising and marketing, as well as other ‘businesses’ which students have imagined and created themselves. Students will experiment with creative formats such as posters, reviews, reports, ‘copy’, interviews, the op-ed (opinion-editorial). The module is taught through lecture, seminars, and workshops where students are asked to submit and feedback to peers and tutors on a regular basis.

100% Coursework

ENG5011
Dramatic Writing for Stage, Screen and Beyond 20 credits

This course explores a wide range of dramatic writing and dramatic writing theory, integrating critical reading with creative writing projects. Class time will be spent discussing published authors/texts/productions, writing/reading theories, compositional processes, practical exercises, and student work.

100% Coursework

ENG5012
Burning Issues: Interdisciplinary Writing Project 20 credits

This module asks students to engage with the 'burning issues' of our times, by thinking outside of their own discipline and engaging with research taking place in other departments, schools and faculties around the university, or even the country and the world. Students select a topic from outside their discipline and then, through research and communication with experts in the chosen field, devise a writing project to communicate and explore their chosen issue. The module is taught through lecture, seminars, and workshops where students are asked to submit and feedback to peers and tutors on a regular basis.

100% Coursework

ENG5017
Writing Genre Fiction

This module takes students into in-depth engagement with prose fiction writing in various genres, with possibilities including fantasy, science-fiction, period/historical, young adult fiction, horror, comedy, romance, crime, and thriller. The module is taught through lecture, seminars, and workshops where students are asked to submit and feedback to peers and tutors on a regular basis.

HEP5000
Preparing for Dissertation Research

This module will prepare students in the History, Art History, ECW, and PIR cluster for Level 6 dissertation research. Lectures and workshops will explore key approaches to sources, and practical and theoretical aspects to research. Students will complete an independent research project. Lectures include some choice, and cover a range of topics including, but not limited to, research in archives / local studies/ digital resources, creative practice, and literary analysis.

Optional modules

SSC500
Stage 2 Professional Development, Placement Preparation and Identifying Opportunities 0 credits

This module is for students in the School of Society and Culture who are interested in undertaking an optional placement in the third year of their programme. It supports students in their search, application, and preparation for the placement, including developing interview techniques and effective application materials (e.g. CVs , portfolios, and cover letters).

Optional placement year

Undertake an optional placement year where you can build a number of key employability skills. Put theory into practice, get a taste of your chosen career and expand your professional network.
Close-up of a businesswoman using computer. Getty 1265176826

Core modules

SSC601
School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Placement Year

Students have the opportunity to gain work experience that will set them apart in the job market when they graduate by undertaking an optional flexible placement year. The placement must be a minimum of 24-weeks (which can be split between a maximum of two different placement providers) and up to a maximum of 48-weeks over the course of the academic year. The placement is flexible and can be undertaken virtually, part or full time and either paid or voluntary. Students will have the option to undertake their placement year abroad. This year allows them to apply and hone the knowledge and skills acquired from the previous years of their programme in the real world.

Final year

In your final year, you’ll hone your reading and writing and start to find your specialist niche. You’ll study modern experimental writing and choose from literary and creative modules focusing on specific forms, from science fiction to modern poetry and screenwriting. You’ll have a further opportunity to choose a module from another subject in the school if you wish to branch out. You’ll also design and develop your own year-long dissertation project, which you'll work on with focused support from your personal supervisor. 
Girl sat at desk studying and reading. Getty 1051681988

Core modules

ENG6007
Advanced Poetry Workshop 20 credits

In this final year module we will examine a range of contemporary poetry and poetic theory as a way for students to advance their own composition of poems. Class time will be divided between seminar discussions of published poetry/theory, writing exercises, and workshops of student poetry.

100% Coursework

ENG6009
Script to Screen: Making Films, Podcasts, and More 20 credits

This final year module asks students to realise an original script of their own making with an on-screen production. In addition to writing their own scripts, students will be introduced to the production side of things, including storyboarding, working with actors, cameras, and using film-making software. We’ll also study some classic examples of page to screen adaptations (albeit most on bigger budgets than you’ll have!). The module is taught through lecture, seminars, and workshops where students are asked to submit and feedback to peers and tutors on a regular basis.

100% Coursework

ENG6003
Advanced Short Story Workshop

In this module we will examine a range of contemporary short story writing and relevant theory as a way for students to learn how to compose their own short fiction. Class time will be divided between discussion of short fiction and theory, writing exercises and peer workshops of student work. The workshops will be substantially informed by staff research practice.

ENG6001
Dissertation 40 credits

The student will complete, under tutorial supervision, a significant project in critical or creative writing. Maximum length 9,000-10,000 words or equivalent in creative form.

100% Coursework

Progression routes

This course is an integrated part of the BA (Hons) Creative Writing degree at the University of Plymouth. Successful completion of your foundation year (Year 0) will not lead to a separate award or qualification in its own right but provides progression onto Year 1 of BA (Hons) Creative Writing, or one of the following degree courses:
  • BA (Hons) Anthropology
  • BSc (Hons) Criminology
  • BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychology
  • BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
  • BA (Hons) English
  • BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing
  • BA (Hons) History
  • BSc (Hons) International Relations
  • LLB (Hons) Law
  • LLB (Hons) Law and Criminology
  • BSc (Hons) Politics
  • BSc (Hons) Politics and International Relations
  • BSc (Hons) Sociology
  • BSc (Hons) Professional Policing
 
 
 
 
 
 

Featured modules

Explore an eclectic range of literature across cultures and geographies, using a decolonial perspective to help gain a critical understanding of the world. The first-year module, ‘Adventures in Criticism’, introduces key theories, which help us to interpret literature from different perspectives.
In addition, modules such as ‘Eco-Dystopia: Literature, Culture and Environmental Crisis’ and ‘Brave New Worlds: Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Politics’ investigate the important role literature plays in responding to the politics, challenges, and complexities of the modern world. 
All our degrees have a wide range of optional modules and there is even the opportunity to study modules from any of the subject areas in the  School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences .
You could graduate with one of the following personalised course title combinations:
 
Creative Writing with Anthropology

Modules

    ANT5008MX
    Brave New Worlds: Ethnography of/on Online and Digital Worlds 20 credits

    This module teaches students how to use ethnographic methods to make sense of the internet, which we now increasingly inhabit. Students learn how to navigate and analyse platforms such as Facebook or TikTok. They study how these technologies transform our relationships, identities, and ideas of truth. The module also examines the socio-cultural and ethical aspects of digital worlds (e.g. Second life).

    100% Coursework

    ANT6008MX
    Coastal Cultures: Marine Anthropology in the age of climate change and mass extinction. 20 credits

    Using ethnography, we analyse how coastal communities use the sea – not only as a source of livelihood, but as a key ingredient in the construction of their identity and place in world. Drawing on a range of cases from across the world – from Polynesian sorcerers, to Japanese whale mourners, to Cornish surfers – we study how coastal communities are responding to climate change, sea level rise, pollution, and extinction.

    100% Coursework

Creative Writing with Art History

Modules

    ARH5002MX
    Imagery in Online and Offline Worlds: Film, Television and Video Games 20 credits

    This module provides students with a comprehensive understanding of current approaches towards mass media and visual culture. Particular emphasis will be put on medium-specificity, content analysis and audience studies.

    100% Coursework

    ARH6002MX
    Questions in Contemporary Art 20 credits

    The module introduces and examines selected questions raised in the last three decades in contemporary art. Case studies drawn from art history, critical and cultural theory, and where appropriate related disciplines, will be examined.

    100% Coursework

Creative Writing with History

Modules

    HIS5009MX
    Middle Kingdoms: Themes in Early Modern Asia 20 credits

    This module introduces the history of early modern Japan (c.16th-19th centuries). At one level, it explores key questions shaping the histories of the late Sengoku (‘Warring States’) and Tokugawa Japan. Building on these questions, it then situates the Japanese experience in a trans-regional perspective with reference to early modern China, Korea, Ryukyu, as well as Europe.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS5014MX
    Dunkirk to D Day: The Second World War in Europe 20 credits

    The module examines the Second World War in Europe and the Atlantic Ocean from 1940 to late 1944.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS6002MX
    Piracy and Privateering, c.1560-1816 20 credits

    This module explores piracy and privateering activity in the seas around the British Isles and further afield from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the end of the second Barbary War in 1816. This course focuses on the social history of piracy and privateering, the organisation of pirate society, and the economic impact of piracy and privateering.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS6006MX
    America, the United Nations and International Relations 1945 to the present 20 credits

    This module provides a detailed examination of the relationship between the United States of America and the United Nations in the management of international relations from 1945 to the present.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

Creative Writing with Criminology

Modules

    CRM5009MX
    Crime, Harm and Culture 20 credits

    The module aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of harm and crime by exploring relevant issues from film, television, music, fiction literature and art. By applying a criminological lens to different forms of popular culture, students will be able to examine a variety of media forms in terms of its content and its contemporary political, social and economic context using different theories and concepts.

    100% Coursework

    CRM6016MX
    Green Criminology: Climate Justice and the Planetary Crisis

    This module will address theoretical perspectives, methodological issues, and empirical research related to the field of green criminology, including applied concerns, such as policy and social/political praxis, through a range of concepts, topics, and themes that are central to green criminology.

Creative Writing with International Relations

Modules

    PIR6009MX
    Mao to Now: the Politics of Modern China

    This module introduces students to politics in China. It provides them with the analytical skills and historical understanding to examine the structure of the contemporary Chinese state, looking in particular at Maoist legacies, nationalism and ideology, the relationships between party, law, state and market, and China’s involvement in international affairs.

    PIR6007MX
    Global Environmental Politics 20 credits

    This module examines the problem of environmental degradation and its implications for our global political economy. It discusses the major debates in political thought around the primary causes of environmental degradation. The module outlines the major attempts to build international regimes for global environmental governance, and the difficulties and obstacles that such attempts have encountered. A range of ideas, critiques, policy proposals, innovations in governance, and templates for political activism within the environmental movement are critically evaluated.

    100% Coursework

    PIR5009MX
    Refugee Studies 20 credits

    This module focuses on the political, economic and social context of forced migration and considers the complex and varied nature of global refugee populations. It analyses responses at international, national and regional level and engages with a range of challenging questions around international co-operation, the framework of international protection, humanitarianism and the causes of displacement.

    100% Coursework

Creative Writing with Politics

Modules

    PIR6009MX
    Mao to Now: the Politics of Modern China

    This module introduces students to politics in China. It provides them with the analytical skills and historical understanding to examine the structure of the contemporary Chinese state, looking in particular at Maoist legacies, nationalism and ideology, the relationships between party, law, state and market, and China’s involvement in international affairs.

    PIR5013MX
    Politics Beyond Parliaments 20 credits

    This module analyses the role of civil society and the public sphere in democratic governance and in democratization from a variety of theoretical perspectives.

    100% Coursework

Creative Writing with Law

Modules

    LAW5009MX
    Environmental Law 20 credits

    The module provides an examination of key themes in environmental law, with a focus on the generation, application and enforcement of this law within a critical and applied context.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5011MX
    Intellectual Property Law

    This module focuses on the law and concepts of intellectual property, examining in addition related legal themes of information access, dissemination and control.

    LAW6012MX
    Public International Law 20 credits

    A module that focuses on the primary legal principles of the public international legal order, before exploring a range of substantive areas, such as, for example, the use of force, the law regulating the conduct of war, International Human Rights, International Criminal Law and International Environmental Law.

    100% Coursework

Creative Writing with Sociology

Modules

    SOC5005MX
    Globalisation and Social Justice 20 credits

    This module investigates the key debates of globalisation and critically evaluates, in terms of its economic, political, socio-cultural and legal dimensions, the causes and consequences of a globalising world. It furthermore explores a range of international social justice issues to examine the relationships (causative and ameliorative) between policies and (in)justice

    60% Coursework

    40% Practicals

    SOC6004MX
    Health, Medical Power and Social Justice 20 credits

    This module considers a range of issues concerning health, illness and medical power in contemporary society. The module seeks to develop an understanding of the impact of ‘medicalisation’ on everyday life, as well as the importance of social divisions, such as age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status. There will be a focus on a range of sociological perspectives on health with an opportunity to focus upon areas of particular interest.

    100% Coursework

Creative Writing with Policing and Security Management

Modules

    CRM6011MX
    Security Management 20 credits

    This module provides students with a critical insight into the professional domain of security management. It provides an overview of the theories, policies, procedures and practices that underpin the work of the security manager, and focuses upon a career-relevant knowledge and understanding of this significant area of expertise.

    70% Coursework

    30% Tests

    CRM5003MX
    Harm in the 21st Century 20 credits

    This module explores the global challenges of harmful behaviours and activities in contemporary society by considering specific areas of concern for criminologists. By drawing on real-world examples in everyday life, the module examines how social problems and issues have arisen due to processes of globalisation that have changed the social, political and economic landscape of the 21st century.

    100% Coursework

    CRM5009MX
    Crime, Harm and Culture 20 credits

    The module aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of harm and crime by exploring relevant issues from film, television, music, fiction literature and art. By applying a criminological lens to different forms of popular culture, students will be able to examine a variety of media forms in terms of its content and its contemporary political, social and economic context using different theories and concepts.

    100% Coursework

 
 
 

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

 
 
 

Experience

Develop and succeed

No matter the level of study you want to pursue, we will help you discover your voice, refine your craft and share your writing with the world.
Our students have unique opportunities to develop creative writing skills through placements with the , the Theatre Royal Plymouth, the National Trust, and many other organisations.
Many of our graduates have published books of poetry, fiction, and performance. Some have also been shortlisted for the Forward Poetry Prize, won the Manchester Metropolitan Novella Prize, and have been commissioned by the Royal Court Theatre.
Student writing in a workshop
 
 
 

Specialist facilities and resources

Access exceptional facilities during your studies, enabling creative growth, academic excellence and enlightening research:
  • Charles Seale-Hayne Library – a rich academic environment providing 24/7 access to learning spaces and a dedicated Library and Digital Support team.
  • Student Learning services  â€“ offering tailored writing support to help you plan, structure and refine your work.
  • The Writing Cafe – a relaxed, peer-supported space where trained student mentors help you improve your writing skills. Also available digitally.
  • Archives at Plymouth's award-winning museum and art gallery, .
A groups of students discussing work or studying around a table in the library.
 
 
 

The Writing Cafe 

Settle in to a supportive and creative space – both on campus and online – where you can develop your writing skills with help from trained student mentors and the Student Learning team. 
Located in the Library Cafe on the first floor of the Charles Seale-Hayne Library, the Writing Cafe offers a relaxed environment with great coffee and locally sourced food. The Digital Writing Cafe mirrors this experience virtually, allowing you to share your work and receive tailored feedback in breakout rooms. 
Open every weekday during term time, it’s an accessible and welcoming hub for improving academic and creative writing.
 
 
 

“The creative arts are a brilliant way for people to express feelings they might not be ready to talk about.
 
Creative writing and painting are positive mediums to express my emotions. Poetry in particular helps process my experiences with masculinity and mental health.â€

Discover how creative writing – in tandem with a rising reputation for painting – helps current BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing student Ieuan express different pieces of himself.
Ieuan Holt at the Royal Academy of Arts
 
 
 

Write your future

Take advantage of the many opportunities on offer to develop the knowledge and practical experience to succeed.

Options without limit
The broad variety of skills you will hone are highly valued in almost every field, giving you access to numerous career pathways.

International exchange

Expand your horizons overseas
Experience other cultures and grow your network by studying or working abroad in either Europe or the US.


Gain invaluable experience with INK, our in-house magazine, building skills in everything from desktop publishing to editing and magazine journalism.

 
 
 

Learn from award-winning researchers and writers

Dr Mandy Bloomfield Associate Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature


Associate Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature

Dr Russell Evans Lecturer in Creative Writing


Lecturer in Creative Writing

Show all
 

Get more from your studies with Plymouth Gazette

Boost your academic experience with the Plymouth Gazette – a student-run journalism society welcoming all levels of experience. Whether you're new to media or already creating content, the Gazette offers hands-on opportunities to explore journalism through writing, visual storytelling, and social platforms like TikTok and Instagram. A digital newspaper is published fortnightly, giving members a chance to share their voice and sharpen their skills.
Icon of the Plymouth Gazette
 
 
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Life in Plymouth

Plymouth's maritime history and coastal location have an undeniable influence on life in the city. The walk from our main campus to the seafront is only about one mile, providing loads of opportunity to relax and unwind during your studies. You don’t need to leave the city to get to the coast!
 

The overall vibe of the city is perfect. You are by the sea so it is still laid back, but you have all the conveniences of living in a city.

Jenna
Current student

Careers

Preparing you for your future

Real-world workplace experience ensures you are career-ready upon graduation
We believe that real-world experience is central to success in today's job market. We focus on embedding experiential learning into our courses through our exciting partnerships with external organisations, offering you the opportunity to undertake internships, placements and volunteering. 
Two young intercultural interns or placement students discussing notes in copybook in and office setting.Shutterstock 2224873497
 
 
 
Kitiara Pascoe

My degree and my lecturers taught me to take responsibility for my creative output, and my work ethic since graduating has become rock solid… Studying at Plymouth was like someone opening a door and saying ‘go explore; go see what you can do.’

 

Creative writing has enabled me to write about anything and everything. The possibilities are endless, which I believe is exactly how writing should be.

Olivia
BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing graduate

I found Plymouth a particularly supportive and nurturing university with lecturing staff who care about the progress of their students.


Dee
BA (Hons) English graduate

Write the future: creative writing at Plymouth

  • Develop a range of valuable skills that employers value, including critical and creative thinking as well as excellent communication, presentation, and project management skills.
  • Designed with professional practice in mind. Take exciting vocational modules that provide opportunities to hone your craft in professional writing, journalism, and screenwriting. 
  • Choose an optional placement year to gain professional experience before graduating.
  • Benefit from a tailored programme of careers events and opportunities. As a creative writing graduate, you will be a compelling candidate for a wide range jobs in areas including creative industries, teaching, marketing, advertising, public relations, journalism, publishing, and the GLAM sector (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums).
  • Boost your career prospects by working with a publishing house, literary agent, arts organisation, or magazine on our work-based learning module or extra-curricular internships.
*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys covering the three years of 2019/20 – 2021/22. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.
 
 

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

 
 
 
Tuition fees for new full-time students starting in 2025-2026 or
 2026-2027.
Full-time study
To be confirmed per year
Part-time study
To be confirmed per credits
Optional placement year  completed in the UK
£1,905
 
Optional placement year  completed outside the UK
£1,430
 
 
 

Tuition fee price changes

In November 2024, the UK Government announced an increase to tuition fees and maintenance support for 2025/26 academic year, setting the standard tuition fee and student maintenance loan at £9,535 per year and the University’s tuition fees were increased to this rate.
The UK Government has indicated that further fee increases may be announced this year and in subsequent years. If the UK Government does so, the University may increase annual tuition fees in subsequent years, which may include the fees for the 2026/2027 academic year, in line with the Student Contract and all times in line with the maximum tuition fee caps set by the Government. More information about  fees and costs of studying .
 

Classroom-based Foundation years

On 4 November 2024, the UK Government announced a proposal to cap the home student fee for the foundation year of this programme at £5,760, this will be applied from 1 August 2025. Subsequent years of this degree programme will be charged at the new standard rate for home undergraduate tuition fees of £9,535 per annum. Implementation of this increase will be subject to parliamentary procedure.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tuition fees for full-time international students starting in 2025-2026 academic year.
Full-time study
To be confirmed per year
Optional placement year  completed in the UK
£1,905
 
Optional placement year  completed outside the UK
£1,430
 
 
 
Tuition fees for full-time international students starting in 2026-2027 academic year.
Full-time study
To be confirmed per year
Optional placement year  completed in the UK
To be confirmed
 
Optional placement year  completed outside the UK
To be confirmed
 

Tuition fee price changes

Our fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. More information about fees and costs of studying .
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Fund your studies

As an undergraduate at Plymouth, there are plenty of funding options available, including tuition fee loans, living cost loans, scholarships, bursaries and support funds.
 

Supporting students with the cost of living

The cost of living in the UK has risen faster than household income, meaning that most people will have less to spend on essential goods and services. This is an ongoing situation that is likely to affect everyone in some way.
The University provides advice and guidance and has a range of services, facilities and offers to help students with rising everyday costs.
 
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Entry requirements

Our typical offer
32 UCAS points
Don’t have 32 UCAS tariff points? We will consider ‘non-standard’ applications on a case-by-case basis.

You may be eligible for a contextual offer

Contextual offers: Typically, the contextual offer for this course is 8 points below the advertised tariff. A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes into account individual circumstances that are beyond your control, and that can potentially impact your learning and your exam results, or your confidence in applying to university.

Check your eligibility for a contextual offer

GCSE

Grade C/4 or above. If your grade is lower than this, please refer to the Admissions team for further advice.

A levels

Typical offer 32 points from a minimum of two A levels.

18 Unit BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma

PPP. Refer to tutor, but a BTEC is usually only considered with another qualification, e.g., A levels.

All Access courses

Pass a named Access to HE Diploma (preferably English, humanities or combined), including GCSE English and Mathematics grade C/4 or above or equivalent.

T level

Pass in any subject.

International Baccalaureate

24 overall.

Extended entry requirements

To be accepted onto a degree course with us, you must have a suitable English language qualification. 
We are looking for applicants with good potential, including those with non-standard qualifications and backgrounds, so will consider every application on a case-by-case basis.
Get in touch with our friendly Admissions team on +44 1752 585858 or email us at admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Ready to apply?

All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS.com. Please refer to the course facts below when completing your application for this course.
 
UCAS course code
W802
Institution code
P60
Duration

4 years
(+ optional placement)

Assessment breakdown
100% coursework
Course type

Full-time

Study location
Plymouth
 

Entry requirements

We welcome applicants with international qualifications and we accept a range of qualifications from across the globe.
 
Our typical offer
32 UCAS points
 
 

BSearch entry requirements for your country

English language requirements

To be accepted onto a degree course with us, you must have a suitable English language qualification. 
 

Ready to apply?

As an international student, you can apply for this course through UCAS or an agent in your country.
 
UCAS course code
W802
Institution code
P60
Duration

4 years
(+ optional placement)

Assessment breakdown
100% coursework
Course type

Full-time

Study location
Plymouth
 
 
 

Visit us at an undergraduate on-campus open day

Open days are the best way to get a feel for studying an undergraduate degree at the University of Plymouth.
 
Book your place
Man sitting outside with surrounded by friends
 
 
 
The results of the National Student Survey (NSS) and the Graduate Outcomes survey (GO) are made available to prospective students and their advisors through the Discover Uni website.