With the rise and accessibility of self-publishing e-books, aspiring writers can now reveal their work to the world with fewer limitations. If you are attracted to the creative and expressive side of writing and want to polish your skills in this industry, you could also have your chance to shine.  A degree in creative writing will further enhance your abilities and improve future career prospects.

Course overview

A creative writing degree fosters an environment where prospective writers can experiment, be imaginative and ambitious, as well as reflect on their practice. The course will give you the opportunity to write literary novels, historical fiction, crime, science fiction, children's stories, as well as screenwriting or short fiction, depending on your choice.

Aims of the course

The course aims to give students practice in writing creatively from direct sensory experience and detailed observation; explore language and style in different literary forms; develop discrimination and choice in drafting, evaluating and editing texts.

The course is suitable for students who wish to build confidence, sensitivity and critical understanding of their own work and the work of others. It will also help you understand where your own creative writing fits in with contemporary creative writing, both in terms of the writing itself and in relation to such issues as the market, writing practice and current debates within differing genres.

If you are an international student looking to pursue a career as a writer, do not be discouraged by the language differences. The principles that you learn in a creative writing course can be applied to your native language and, what’s more, being immersed in an international environment will prepare you better to perform in a competitive global world.

What the course entails

You will get a chance to learn and practice a wide array of skills in this course. Some of these include: approaches to writing, language and genre, poetry and drama, prose, 20th Century fiction, reading and writing poetry, fiction, non-fiction, editing processes, drama, and autobiography.

Some other topics are:

• Making notes and turning these into poems and short stories
• Using all your senses to describe
• Creating characters and making people speak
• Voice, language, imagery and structure
• Plotting your work
• Redrafting and editing

Eligibility

A degree in relevant subjects, equivalent qualifications or notable experience as a creative writer is also desirable. To apply for this course, you will also need a portfolio of written work to be considered. Many students have started their portfolio of written work through their blogs and personal websites. These could be a good start to gain confidence writing about your experiences and points of view.

Another important requirement is the English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 or equivalent, requested by most universities and colleges if your native language is not English.

You will be expected to show strong commitment to writing and have samples ready to show to your university admission office. In some cases, you may also be interviewed as part of the admission process.

Career opportunities

Upon finishing the course, your skills will be highly valued in a range of employment fields in areas. These include:

• Literary production
• Publishing
• Journalism and the media
• Copywriting
• Digital content writer
• Email marketer

You can also further your studies in relevant postgraduate courses.

You can combine this course with English literature, film studies, journalism, mass communications, media studies, and philosophy to better your chances for employment and experience after graduation.

The most amazing asset of a degree in creative writing is that it provides you with transferable skills that you can use in any other work environment, believe it or not. Writing reports, research, any office communication, etc. need good communicators ready to convey a message in a clear and effective way.

Graduate outcomes

Wondering about the employability of creative writing graduates? You may be interested to find out that 57% of creative writing graduates find work within six months of graduating, while only 7.8% are unemployed. So, with more than half of creative writing graduates finding work after graduation, you don’t need to worry too much about finding a career with this qualification. Other students are managing just fine!

Employment prospects

Source: Graduate destinations data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency 2018)

Earning potential

Worried about your earning potential after university? Typically, creative positions have lower salaries compared to those with degrees in medicine, engineering, IT etc. However, don’t be put off! There are many jobs where you can use your creative writing degree skills which have high earning potential.

If the reason you want to pursue creative writing is to be an author, it is slightly more difficult to provide an average salary as there can be such variation. It depends on the genre your work falls into, how established you are as a writer and whether you have received a book deal. Many people decide to write alongside another job that will allow them to earn decent money while also perfecting their writing on the side. Whichever you choose, don't be put off doing creative writing if that is what you really wish to do!