Explore and develop your own creative talent. Acquire skills in pitching, presenting and networking. Work with established organisations and develop your portfolio for a varied and fulfilling writing career.
Overview
This BA (Hons) degree in English: Creative and Professional Writing enables you to understand writing as a profession while exploring and developing your own creative talent. You'll be supported by published writers and senior academics to hone your writing and apply your knowledge to literary, technical and professional work. You'll acquire skills in pitching, presenting and networking and learn about a range of industries where writers are in high demand.
If you're interested in taking your writing further into a range of creative industries such as publishing, the literary arts – including novel writing, poetry and nonfiction – as well as in the media, script and screen writing, marketing, communications and other related activities, this course is for you.
You'll learn from experts in their field who will connect you to creative institutions and networks both regionally and nationally as you gain expertise in creative and professional writing. You’ll have the chance to work with established organisations as well as develop your portfolio for a varied and fulfilling writing career, and take part in the Sunderland Creative Writing Festival and the renowned Sunderland Literature Festival.
At each stage of the course, you'll study modules such as Submitting Short Fiction and Poetry, Regional Writing, Environmental Writing and The Business of Writing, alongside English Literature and English Language core learning to develop essential knowledge and critical skills.
Why us?
- The course prepares you to work professionally as a writer in a range of communications industries or as a freelance creative writer, while ensuring you gain a solid foundation in English Language and Literature
- Get your work out there from day one through the mediaHUB, a bustling multimedia newsroom that helps students tell strong stories and create great content
- Various field trips to exciting literary spots as well as to offices and communities of writers across the region
- Guest talks from those working in the publishing, writing and professional creative sectors through your course, especially in the Business of Writing module
- Learn from inspirational staff who are novelists and non-fiction writers, and visiting professors who have worked in a variety of creative industries including screen writing, journalism and radio
- You'll be taught by professional and creative writers and academics who are committed to ensuring as wide a range of voices as possible are heard in national and international conversations about culture, society and creativity. They aim to generate a strong, committed centre of writing, especially for working class writers and writing
Course structure
In year 1, you'll receive a grounding in Language, Literature and Creative and Professional Writing via core modules. In years 2 and 3 you'll develop your skills, knowledge and independent learning, with the opportunity to undertake an Advanced Project in the final year.
You'll be taught via lectures, seminars, and through our online teaching environment (VLE). Our teaching is designed to help you become an active, independent, and reflective learner. Lectures are used to communicate the core content of modules, while seminars and workshops provide you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills through a range of tutor-guided activities, including creative writing practice, peer review groups, and redrafting, as well as more academic skills such as close textual analysis, and the guided reading of primary and secondary material. We'll encourage you to work in pairs and in small groups, as well as individually.
You'll be assessed via portfolios of creative work, essays, through innovative measures such as pitches to publishers and writing entries for dictionaries, as well as through group projects and presentations. There'll also be some exams and the chance to take up an industry placement.
You'll also be supported through one-to-ones with academic staff during office hours or online depending on teaching conditions.
Facilities
You'll be based at David Puttnam Media Centre, situated on the award-winning Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's riverside campus. The location benefits from dedicated library services and has superb transport links with the city centre and City Campus. You'll benefit from modern teaching rooms, presentation technologies, virtual learning environments such as Canvas and Microsoft Teams.
Career ready
This course blends the best of a traditional English degree with innovative teaching and exciting connections to the creative industries both regionally and nationally to help budding writers, creatives and creators make your mark. This is not a ‘traditional’ creative writing degree but one that prepares you for writing both creatively and professionally.
Creative and professional writing careers
Whether you want to succeed as a poet or novelist, social content editor or games narrative designer, or want to learn about what’s needed to be a book publicist or copy writer, this degree puts the creative and writing professions within your reach. The course introduces you to the skills necessary for the kinds of careers you will find across the creative industries in the 21st century, and helps you get in and get on in the career you want.
You'll be well placed to enter many areas within the creative industries, such as literary agencies, publishing houses, galleries, museums, theatres, and writing development organisations, as well as across the journalism, media, marketing, communications and PR industries. Potential jobs include: freelance writer, novelist, poet, games designer (narrative), publicist, publishing assistant, marketing, PR/communications, copywriter, advertising executive, digital writer, editor, content writer, content editor, proofreader, researcher, translator, journalist, reporter, scriptwriter, screenwriter, radio writer. Many of our graduates work as editors, journalists, writers, teachers and within publishing.
Creative Industries Week
Creative Industries Week gives everyone in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries the opportunity to participate in a range of projects, workshops, talks, industry visits and career events.
This exciting week encourages interdisciplinary working, broadens your experience, to build your confidence and help develop your career path.
Real-world experience – on campus and beyond
Your course will keep you busy in class and across campus as you get involved with our publishing platforms. As part of the course you’ll go on placement to organisations that suit your goals, from literary agencies to copywriting houses, including student writing residencies and opportunities in the region’s cultural venues and festivals.
You’ll have the opportunity to be involved in Spark Sunderland, the 24/7 community radio station, based in the David Puttnam Media Centre. Spark is award-winning and has been consistently recognised at the Student Radio Awards, Community Radio Awards and the prestigious New York Festival Radio Awards for many years. Students are responsible for programme production and creative ideas which could be your step into writing radio drama, or scripting comedy shows. In the same building you can also learn from the many writers who work from here, including BBC Newcastle journalists and the team at Tyne & Wear TV, a professional TV station run from our Media Centre.
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