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English and Creative Writing

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 22/09/2025
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Main Site

Course summary

By combining the study of creative writing with English, you'll become an informed and critical reader as well as a confident and expressive writer - whether specialising as a poet, playwright, or author of fiction.

Studying at one of the UK's most dynamic English departments will challenge you to develop your own critical faculties. Learning to write creatively and critically analyse in tandem, you'll be exposed to a huge variety of literature while you develop your own writing practice. Studying English will allow you to place your writing within a wider cultural context of literature throughout history, considering key texts and acquiring a sound understanding of significant periods, genres, authors and ideas.

Modules 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. This means the course you take covers the most up-to-date ideas, whether in Creative Writing, Victorian Literature, Shakespearean studies or contemporary literature.

Find your voice as a writer and develop writing techniques, learn how to create, criticise and shape an artistic work: a valuable life skill with uses beyond writing poetry, plays or novels. From journalism and website creation to advertising and academic publishing – you'll be able to use the skills you pick up in character, voice, ambiguity, style and cultural context.

  • Writing practice at the heart of your learning experience.

  • Taught by high-profile, award-winning writers.

  • Create and shape artistic work – ideal skills for a career in media or publishing.

  • Choose one of three distinct pathways: fiction, poetry, or playwriting.

  • Access to a thriving culture of creative writing.

Modules

Please refer to our website for information:
https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/undergraduate/english/english-and-creative-writing/

Assessment method

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

How to apply

Apply by
29 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:
QW38
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)

Not accepted

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-ABB including A in an essay based Arts and Humanities subject

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

33 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 English Literature or English Language & Literature

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 study@royalholloway.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 BETA

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

LocationFeeYear
EU£25900Year 1
England£9535Year 1
Northern Ireland£9535Year 1
Scotland£9535Year 1
Wales£9535Year 1
Channel Islands£9535Year 1
International£25900Year 1

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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