BA (Hons) Media and Creative Writing

What’s the course about?

The delivery of teaching varies according to the characteristics of each module. Workshops are used for modules where the degree of practical skills taught is enhanced by the supervision of experts in their field but there are also seminars and lectures. Attainment of learning outcomes is also assessed in a range of formats from traditional essays to presentations, creating adverts or campaigns or working in a small group to create a documentary. 

In the first year, you’ll study the media industry now and the theories of communication and globalisation that underpin it alongside gaining practical skills in visual awareness, blogging and video. In Creative Writing you’ll start learning how to become a writer and how to write for films, as well as gaining a deeper insight into genre.

In your second year, you’ll study the publishing industry, choose between brand awareness and creating a video feature, magazine design and design for mobile, while in Creative Writing, you’ll learn about the art of telling non-fiction stories and how to write for the stage.

Work placement/study abroad option*: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or complete a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about, but it will also give your CV a boost. If you would rather go straight to your final year, that’s fine too. You can decide in your second year with us, so there is still plenty of time to think about this.

In your final year, you’ll get the option of specialising in practical media modules, such as creating a project for a client, or learning about the PR and Advertising industry or the theory of celebrity and identity within media. In Creative Writing, you’ll get the chance to specialise in either poetry, prose or scriptwriting and think about how writing and reality conflict and complement.

For a full list of modules, see the section under ‘What will I study?’    

Guest speakers and networking (Media Matters and Creative Conversations).   

Each year the School of Humanities hosts a range of industry professionals, giving talks on their experience in the media and publishing industry. These lectures are recorded by our final-year students and available on our Taster Hub. Some of our previous speakers have included:

• Andrea Thompson, Editor in Chief of Marie Claire
• Richard Keith, Journalist for Edge Magazine and Publisher, PCGamer
• Georgina Lawton of online ezine Gal-Dem for women and non-binary people of colour
• Damian Barr, writer, literary editor and TV host
• Steve Swann, investigative journalist, BBC
• Inua Ellams, poet
• Nell Leyshon, novelist and playwright
• Tom Edge, screenwriter
• Carl Rollyson, biographer

Your main campus is de Havilland 

You’ll share this campus with students from business, law, sport, education, and humanities subjects. The student housing is close to our Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool and climbing wall. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in our on-campus restaurant or bar (in the newly built Enterprise Hub) on days you don’t feel like cooking. You can also use the common room to play pool, video games or just to hang out with friends. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.