Creative Writing (Joint Honours)

What is Joint Honours?

With joint honours, you can study for an honours degree in two or even three subjects. Find out more about joint honours.

Why choose this course?

  • Creative WritingYour teachers are all active creative writers, so their advice is very practical.
  • During this comprehensive course you'll get the chance to develop your skills across many genres and styles.
  • Combine creative writing with one or two other subjects to create a varied and interesting degree.
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Fact file

UCAS code: Y002

Start date: September

Course length: full time: three years, part time: four-six years

Campus: Kedleston Road site, Derby Campus

This course is available to international students

About this course

This Joint Honours course degree offers you the opportunity to learn from award winning internationally respected novelists, short story writers, poets, songwriters and performers, scriptwriters, editors, publishers, and new media writers. You'll mainly focus on practical work, utilising key examples from the greatest writers to inform your work. The sessions are run by enthusiastic writers in supportive relatively small groups. Through a combination of creative workshops, seminars and tutorials, you will be able to gain skills and confidence. Ranging across traditional forms of writing to more experimental work, this degree in creative writing will give you a thorough grounding in the art, craft and processes of writing, within a stimulating environment. You will also study key themes in contemporary writing - representation, narratives and responsibility - which support the academic side of the degree, deepening your knowledge of writing, both critically and creatively.

Over the last 25 years, we have established creative writing in the UK, as we were one of the first universities in the country to offer this course. Many of the skills you will develop on this degree - writing, editing, groupwork and presentations - are essential in today's job market, since employers always need people who can write and communicate well.

Many of our students have won prizes for their creative writing and have had their work published or produced on BBC TV, radio or on stage. There are several in-house publications at Derby, where you can get involved and learn more about the processes of writing and editing. We have a thriving literary scene in Derby, and you'll live on the doorstep of one of the most beautiful areas in the country, with a rich literary heritage. In the most recent research assessment exercise that was commissioned by outside experts, our staff publications were peer reviewed by outside experts and were judged to be 'outstanding' and of 'international excellence'.

What can I combine this programme with?

What you will cover

You'll study a total of 120 credits per year. This will be made up of single or double modules.

Stage one

You'll study these modules:

And you'll choose from these modules:

Stage two

You'll study these modules: 

And you'll choose from these modules: 

Stage three

You'll study this module:

And you'll choose from these modules:

Entry requirements

Our entry requirements are usually 220-300 UCAS points, of which at least 200-240 will be from your core A2s (full A levels) including English, or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Diploma, International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers etc.

We'll accept up to 60 points towards the total from level 3 qualifications such as AS levels (where those AS levels are not taken on to A2 level), the Extended Project or Music qualifications.

We don't accept points from Key Skills Level 3. If you have any questions about what is or isn't accepted, please contact our Admissions team.

We also accept the Access to HE Diploma.

Your points at level 3 will be in addition to 5 GCSEs at grade C or equivalent level 2 qualifications.

The UCAS tariff points are a guide - we'll also consider all the information that you've included in your application. We'll also want to see that you're enthusiastic and motivated to take this course and that you have the potential to benefit from coming to university.

General undergraduate entry requirements

How to apply

UK/EU students

International students

Information for international applicants

Applying for an undergraduate degree

Fees and finance

Fees for 2013/14

This is a classroom based course.

UK/EU students

  • Full time: £7,700 (each year)
  • £965 per module (you usually take 18 of these modules in total)

International students

  • Full time: £9,945 (per year)

*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2013 and August 2014. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.

Careers and employability

Our students have gone into a wide range of jobs including working at the BBC, arts development, librarianship, archive and record keeping, teaching, administration, marketing, computer games and website design, copywriting, law and NHS project planning. Some choose to carry on studying, and take a postgraduate course, so there are many job opportunities for you when you graduate.

Contact details

Course enquiries

Contact name: Moy McCrory
T: 01332 591736

If you are a UK or EU student, contact us

T: +44 (0)1332 591167
F: +44 (0)1332 597724
E: askadmissions@derby.ac.uk

UK/EU course enquiry

If you are an international student, contact us

T: +44 (0)1332 591698
E: international@derby.ac.uk

International course enquiry

Where will I study?

Kedleston Road site, Derby Campus


Related Links

Creative Writing