BA (Hons) Professional and Creative Writing

Standard offer
Applicants will require 80 UCAS points in a related subject, or 60 Access-to-HE Credits (of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3). Applicants are required to hold English GCSE (or equivalent, such as Level 2) at Grade C/4.

Non-standard offer
Non-standard entry is intended to support students who may not meet the standard academic entry requirements of a HE programme, normally level 3 qualifications which attract UCAS points (for instance A-levels or BTEC level 3 courses). All such non-standard applicants will be interviewed, set an appropriate piece of work (an essay about a book, TV show, film, game or other writing, plus two pages of original creative, script or non-fiction writing, evidencing sufficient capability for this level of study) and a judgement made taking into account their academic potential and relevant work/experience.

Recognition of prior learning
TEC Partnership encourages student transfers from other institutions. Applicants may be admitted with credit for prior certificated learning (RPcL) or work/life experience or other uncertificated learning (RPeL). Please refer to the HE21 Student Transfer and the Recognition of Prior Learning.
International admissions

TEC Partnership recognises a wide range of entry qualifications as being equivalent to A’ level standard; if students hold a qualification not listed above please contact TEC Partnership's admissions team on +44 (0) 1472 311222 ext 434.

Level 4
In year 1 (full time) or years 1 and 2 (part time), you will study a range of writing specialisms.

Writing True Stories
Writing for Comics
Writing Fiction
The Writer and the Reader
Scriptwriting
Journalism

Level 5
In year 2 (full-time) or years 3 and 4 (part-time), you will begin to specialise, selecting your preferred mediums. You will also study narrative techniques and genre, and work on a professional brief.

Genre
Writing Non-Fiction
Narrative, Plot and Character
Advanced Scriptwriting (optional)
Writing for Games (optional)
Freelance Writing Brief
Writing a Novel

Level 6
In year 3 (full-time) or years 5 and 6 (part-time), you will specialise in your preferred medium and develop your Final Major Project, which may be, for example, a novel, non-fiction book or feature film script. You will publish this as a book for yourself or for sale. Alongside, there are complementary modules to help you perfect your writing practice and break into the industry.

Final Major Creative Project
Working as a Writer
Process and Practice
Publishing, Production and Promotion

Students will need to attend university one day a week for part-time and two days for full-time. They will also need time for self-directed study and completing assignments, which can be done at home or at university to suit individuals’ commitments and preferences.

In many larger universities, lectures to hundreds of students are a common delivery method, however our format is a lecture-seminar hybrid where you will be a part of a smaller group of students and involved directly in creative and academic exercises – this is known amongst education specialists to be one of the most effective ways to learn and develop as a writer.

All coursework, no exams. Coursework is predominantly written work including creative pieces, professional pieces, scripts and essays. Students will also produce a published book and promotional materials; these involve some basic IT skills, which will be taught during lessons.

CEO of Hammond House Publishing Ted Stanley, a graduate of University Centre Grimsby’s writing degree says: “I really enjoyed the first year of the writing degree, working with a great crowd of creative people. The complementary modules are well structured and delivered with infectious enthusiasm by professional tutors who are able to draw on their comprehensive understanding of the subject and experience as professional writers. The assignments challenge you to apply the skills and knowledge, and together with the incisive and informative feedback from tutors, form an important part of the learning process, encouraging continual improvement. The course was promoted as being suitable for anyone interested in making a career from writing. The results speak for themselves: coursework I completed on year one has already won awards and been published and I now run my own publishing company.”

Hammond House Publishing say: “There are over eighty universities in the UK offering degrees in creative writing. I wonder how many can claim that their current undergraduates have featured in prestigious literary competitions, international film festivals, leading magazines and have 17 undergraduates become published authors in one year alone. If you’re serious about becoming a professional writer, find out about the Professional and Creative Writing degree at University Centre Grimsby.”

Graduates will be qualified for a wide range of post-graduate roles (jobs requiring a degree), including working as a writer full-time or part-time. Previous writing graduates have gone on to gain international publishing deals for their novels and production deals for their scripts, locally, nationally and even in Hollywood. Many work full-time in the writing industry; for example, as journalists, copy writers, in marketing, or at publishers and newspapers. Others work freelance writing articles, as proofreaders and editors, or self-publishing their books. Some graduates work in post-graduate roles (jobs requiring a degree) that are less related to writing, whilst writing and publishing their novels or non-fiction books on the side. Some graduates prefer to continue their education with a master’s degree and/or a teaching qualification, going on to careers teaching English, creative writing, media and other relevant subjects, whether in schools, colleges, universities or within the community.