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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.
Find your creative writing voice and develop your talent while learning a range of exciting professional careers.
You'll hone your skills in fiction, non-fiction, scriptwriting, poetry, and digital storytelling alongside exploring other professional opportunities such as games narrative, journalism, marketing and public relations.
You'll explore contexts such as gender, identity, post-colonialism, and eco-criticism, both in your own writing and as a reader, while receiving feedback on your work from published writers and academic experts.
You'll undertake a placement in the second year where you will gain key industry experience. In your final year, you will produce a major piece of writing to reflect your interests with support from lecturers and industry professionals.
You'll be taught via lectures and seminars, with access to 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, group projects and presentations. There'll also be 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.
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification | Minimum grade |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade: SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement | GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1100/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 2 subjects) ACT (score of 26+) |
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
We also consider those coming from a non-traditional entry route and would like to see a sample of your creative or professional writing from your previous experience.
Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you in studying with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you are eligible.
If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.
The annual, full-time fee is:
*Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.
Tuition fees for part-time students are £7,145 per 90 credits. Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
Read more about EU fees and funding in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
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.
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 copywriter, 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 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.
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.