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Drama and Creative Writing

  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 21 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Main Site
More about Royal Holloway, University of London

Course options

2025-20262026-2027
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Course summary

By combining the study of Creative Writing with Drama, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how theatre performance and creative writing interact - whether you specialise as a playwright, or choose to take the poetry or fiction options in creative writing.

Choosing to study Drama at Royal Holloway will put you at the centre of one of the largest and most influential Drama and Theatre departments in the world. You'll create performances, analyse texts, and bring a range of critical ideas to bear on both. On this course the text and the body, thinking and doing, work together. There's no barrier between theory and practice: theory helps you understand and make the most of practice, while practice sheds light on theory. By moving between the two, you'll find your place as an informed theatre-maker, and by studying a variety of practices, by yourself and with others, you'll get knowledge of the industry as a whole, and learn how your interests could fit into the bigger picture.

We are top-rated for teaching and research, with a campus community recognised for its creativity. Our staff cover a huge range of theatre and performance studies, but we're particularly strong in contemporary British theatre, international and intercultural performance, theatre history, dance and physical theatre, and contemporary performance practices.

Studying Creative Writing at one of the UK's most dynamic English departments will challenge you to develop your own critical faculties. Learning to write creatively, you'll develop your own writing practice.

Course units are taught by nationally and internationally known scholars, authors, playwrights and poets who are specialists in their fields who write ground-breaking books, talk or write in the national media and appear at literary festivals around the world.

  • Complementary disciplines for the aspiring playwright.

  • Explore creative skills including dance or puppetry.

  • Assessment through performance and coursework.

  • Specialise in different literary forms: poetry, playwriting or fiction.

  • Build a portfolio, creating, critiquing and shaping your own artistic work.

Modules

Please refer to our website for information:
https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/drama-theatre/drama-and-creative-writing.aspx

Assessment method

Your course will be assessed by a combination of examinations and in-course assignments in the form of essays or presentations.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site

Study options

  • BA (Hons) • Full-time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • 21 September 2026

Apply by
14 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
WW48
Institution code:
R72
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-
Points of Entry:
Year 1

Royal Holloway, University of London has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
WW48
Institution code:
R72
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff Not accepted

A level AAA - AAB

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ alongside A-levels, the EPQ will be taken into consideration and result in lower A-level grades being required. Socio-economic factors which may have impacted an applicant’s education will be taken into consideration and alternative offers may be made to these applicants. Required: A Level Grade A in an essay based Arts and Humanities subject. For a full list please see our website https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/applying/undergraduate/entry-requirements/creative-writing-requirements/

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) DDD

Grades Distinction Distinction Distinction in an essay-based subject.

Access to HE Diploma D: 33 credits M: 12 credits

Pass with at least 30 level 3 credits at Distinction and the remaining level 3 credits at Merit. All level 3 Arts and Humanities essay based units must be passed with Distinction. The Access to Higher Education Diploma is only acceptable if you have had a considerable break from education.

Scottish Higher AAAAA

Including A in an essay based Arts and Humanities subject

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) DD

In relevant subject plus A Level Grade A in an essay based Arts and Humanities subject

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016) D

Plus A Level grades A, A including A in an essay based Arts and Humanities subject

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF) D*D

in relevant subject plus A Level Grade A in an essay based Arts and Humanities subject

Scottish Advanced Higher AAA - AAB

AAB including A in an essay based Arts and Humanities subject

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme 34 points

6,6,6 at Higher Level including 6 in an essay based Arts and Humanities subject with a minimum of 33 points overall

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)

Requirements are as for A-levels where one non-subject-specified A-level can be replaced by the same grade in the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) H2, H2, H2, H2, H2

H2, H2, H2, H2, H2 at Higher Level including H2 in an essay based subject.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

Applicants with the Cambridge Pre-U are strongly encouraged to apply to Royal Holloway. Offers will be made on the basis of equivalent A-Level grades as can be found on the Royal Holloway website.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

We require at least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9 - 4 including English and Mathematics.

Combinations of qualifications will be considered on an individual basis, please contact us on admissions.enquiries@rhul.ac.uk to discuss your situation.

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

At Royal Holloway, we know every student approaches university with different experiences and backgrounds. We look at each application individually, and different factors can affect the exact offer a student receives. For instance, our contextual offer scheme means students from disadvantaged socio-economic background can receive a different offer. For full details please see our website.

Learn more on the Royal Holloway, University of London website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

The tuition fee for Home (UK) undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. The fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £9,535.

This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2025/26.

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for all students. For further information see fees and funding and the terms and conditions.

These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.

Sponsorship information

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/undergraduate/feesandfunding/bursariesandscholarships/home.aspx

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