English and Creative Writing with Foundation

English and creative writing is a pairing that places the academic study of literature and the practice of making it in productive dialogue with each other. Reading literature analytically, attending to how texts work, what choices writers have made and why, is one of the best forms of training for a writer. And writing fiction, poetry, or non-fiction yourself deepens your sensitivity to language and your understanding of what literary texts are attempting to do.

The two strands reinforce each other throughout the programme.

At the University of Plymouth, this four-year programme includes a foundation year, a sandwich year in industry, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, making it one of the most structurally rich English and creative writing degrees available. The foundation year gives you a thorough grounding in academic and writing skills before the main degree begins, making the programme accessible to students from a range of educational backgrounds. The sandwich year and placement elements give you professional experience in contexts where writing and communication are central, whether in publishing, journalism, arts organisations, education, or corporate communications.

The year abroad gives you the chance to live and study in another country, which is one of the most enriching experiences available to a writer and literary scholar.

Throughout the academic parts of the programme, you will read widely in English and American literature, develop your analytical skills in seminar and essay work, and write across multiple forms, including fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and possibly screenwriting and dramatic writing. Plymouth has a strong creative arts culture, and the programme benefits from that environment.

Graduates work in publishing, journalism, education, copywriting, content strategy, broadcasting, the arts, and public relations. Many also develop their own creative writing practice alongside other work. Postgraduate study in creative writing, English literature, or publishing is a natural next step for those who wish to develop their expertise in a particular direction.