creative writing university of leeds

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2023/24 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

Ba english literature with creative writing.

Total credits: 360

Entry requirements:.

- AAA at A Level including grade A in English (English Literature, English Language, or English Language & Literature) excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking - International Baccalaureate: 35 points overall with 16 at Higher Level including 6 in English at Higher Level. - Applications welcome from mature students with Access qualifications and from students with international or other non-A-level qualifications. - IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

School of English

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

Relevant qaa subject benchmark groups:.

English Studies: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-english.pdf Creative Writing: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-creative-writing.pdf?sfvrsn=2fe2cb81_4

Programme specification:

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme in 2022/2023 or before. For students entering the programme from September 2023 or after, you can find the details of your programme: BA English Literature with Creative Writing (For students entering from September 2023 onwards) Course Overview The University of Leeds has an impressive and longstanding reputation in supporting Creative Writing. Throughout this course, you’ll explore richly diverse literary texts across different genres, including fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, and will see these in the context of a variety of historical periods, places and cultures. You’ll consider how and why these texts are produced, read, and understood and analyse the impact of their creativity and power. You’ll develop your skills as a critical reader, a clear thinker, and a creative writer.  Our modules explore themes relevant to how we live today, including race and ethnicity, gender, climate change and nature, social class, disability and wellbeing.  The School of English supports a vibrant community of researchers and creative practitioners. It is home to the Leeds Poetry Centre, and we regularly host readings and talks by well-known and emerging contemporary writers.  The School also produces a literary magazine, Stand, and publishes the best in new creative writing. Course Details This degree programme is designed to allow you to follow a balanced path in which your core literature and creative writing modules progress in tandem and in dialogue with each other. You will take core creative writing modules composed exclusively from the programme’s cohort of students. At the same time, you will enrol in our English Literature core modules. Intellectual and creative currents flowing between Creative Writing and English Literature core modules are further complemented by optional modules in English Language, English Literature, and Theatre Studies, as well as Discovery modules in Creative Writing offered in the Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC). In addition to your creating writing modules at Level 1, you will take Reading Between the Lines and Writing Matters, introducing you to university-level study, equipping you to read critically and write with rigour and persuasion. You are also presented with a choice of optional modules focusing on Race, Writing and Decolonisation, poetry, fiction and drama. This allows you to meet undergraduates from our other degree programmes, discussing with them materials from a critical and literary tradition which will foster greater awareness of contexts in which your own creative work sits. In addition to your creative writing core at Level 2, you will take two English Literature core modules, Writing Environments and Body Language. These modules explore two urgent contemporary challenges, the climate crisis and personal wellbeing, and will examine how these issues can be understood and expressed through literary texts. You will also select two further modules from a choice of several options, ranging historically and geographically from Medieval to Contemporary, and from Postcolonial to American. Level 2 will deepen and enrich subject knowledge and intellectual skills, preparing you for more independent learning at Level 3, where you can select from a range of specialist research modules. A final year Creative Writing Project further enhances active research skills, enabling you to define, plan and produce work on a literary subject of your choosing. After your second year of study, you may apply for transfer to an International Degree at one of a wide range of universities with which the University of Leeds has established links. You may also spend a year in industry on a work placement as an optional third year of your degree programme.

Basket 1: Candidates will be required to choose 1 module from the following optional modules: 

Basket 2: Candidates will be required to study 2 modules from the following optional modules. Alternatively, they may take up to 40 credits of Discovery modules in place of one or two of the option modules.

Basket 3 (choices from this basket must not cause asymmetry in your credit loading between semesters):

L2 students may take 20 credits of discovery modules in place of one of the Basket modules.

Students may choose 40-80 credits of optional modules from the following list in accordance with the credit rules stated below. Credit rules: - No more than 70 credits in one semester - A total of 120 credits over the year - A maximum of 40 credits may be taken outside the School of English as Discovery modules across Level 2 and Level 3. The 40-credit Final Year Project module runs over both semesters 1 and 2 and is counted as 20 credits in semester 1 and 20 credits in semester 2.

This list is subject to change and is not exhaustive.

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Creative Writing MA

University of leeds, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Creative Writing

Course type

The MA in Creative Writing offers the opportunity to develop your skills in creative writing within the context of a School of English with a long and distinguished history in creative writing. The course appeals both to those who wish to deepen and broaden their creative writing practice, and to those who are working towards a single publishable piece of work.

With expert guidance from teaching staff who are actively engaged in producing and publishing creative writing, you will engage with a wide variety of literary genres, including poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. You will also have the chance to develop your literary and critical skills more broadly.

Throughout the course, you will be able to explore areas of personal interest and participate in workshops to hone your skills in diverse forms of writing.

You will also produce an independent research project, which can be dedicated to a single creative idea, or which might comprise a portfolio of your creative writing, according to your interests.

Learning and teaching

You’ll have weekly seminars or workshops in each module where you discuss the themes and issues arising from your reading and writing. You’ll have the opportunity to share your writing and receive feedback on work-in-progress. You’ll be able to enhance your learning by attending the wide range of seminars and talks by visiting speakers and creative writers that we arrange throughout the year.

However, independent study is a vital part of the degree, as it allows you to build your skills and explore your own ideas as an academic researcher and a creative writer.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment for this programme includes both creative and critical reflection on your creative practice. Modules are assessed either by a combination of these equivalent to 4,000 words, or by a single essay of around 4,000 words. While formal assessment tends to take place at the end of the module, during term you may also be expected to submit work in progress in order to gain feedback, or give presentations in your seminars.

Career opportunities

This course will equip you with advanced transferable skills which are valuable in a wide range of careers.

You’ll be a confident researcher who can work independently as well as within a team. You’ll be a strong communicator, both verbally and in writing, and be able to think critically and analytically. In addition, you’ll have a strong level of cultural and critical awareness, and you’ll be able to look at a situation from different points of view.

All of these qualities are attractive to employers across sectors, and you’ll be well equipped to pursue a career in a wide range of fields depending on your interests. These could include teaching, journalism, publishing, advertising, broadcasting and law. Many of our graduates also progress to PhD-level study and you’ll be in a good position to develop a career in academia. Students from our programmes have gone on to have successful careers as literary agents, journalists and researchers, as well as to become published novelists and award-winning poets.

For module information please visit the website.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in English literature or Creative Writing, or a degree scheme that includes a significant proportion of English Literature or Creative Writing content, or a related subject. You will also submit a Creative Writing sample comprising approximately 1,000 words of prose or 3 pages of poetry (or a portfolio combining both genres). This gives us a chance to get to know some of the writing you have produced so far to help us determine suitability for this course. Applications from those with degrees in other subjects may be considered on an individual basis, along with the sample you will submit. We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. Contact the Postgraduate Admissions Office for more information.

MA Creative Writing Prose Fiction

University of east anglia uea, ma creative writing poetry, ma creative writing scriptwriting, phd postgraduate research in creative writing, ma creative writing (non-fiction).

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MA Creative Writing

Entry requirements.

Find more: https://courses.leeds.ac.uk/j704/creative-writing-ma

Months of entry

Course content.

This Masters course focuses on colour and its application to design and manufacturing. Colour is an inherently multi-disciplinary topic and this unique course gives you the opportunity to understand colour from three related perspectives and develop deep specialist knowledge in one of them.

Whatever your background you will gain the skills and knowledge that you need to develop, implement and evaluate innovative solutions that focus on colour in real-life scenarios. You’ll gain first-hand experience of current needs and trends across a range of sectors, and at the end of the programme you’ll submit a substantial research project that demonstrates the knowledge and skills that you’ve gained in your chosen specialism. Taught by diverse staff with internationally recognised research profiles, you’ll build an interdisciplinary approach to colour in a stimulating environment while being exposed to and involved in cutting-edge research. You’ll gain practical and research skills to prepare you for a wide range of careers.

We have a suite of well-equipped laboratories. You will have the opportunity to use the latest colour measurement and communication tools and understand how these are used in modern manufacturing and supply chains. You will be able to use a lighting laboratory to explore the effect of colour on human wellbeing and performance. You will have access to laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment for making and using colorants for a wide range of materials including textiles and printing. You will benefit from membership of the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour and our deep relationships with UK and global companies.

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English Literature with Creative Writing

University of Leeds

UCAS Code: Q3W8 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

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Entry requirements

including A in English (Language, Literature or Language and Literature).

Pass diploma with 60 credits overall, including at least 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. The Access course must follow a Humanities pathway and/or include English modules. An interview and a piece of written work may be required.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

including D3 in English.

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ in a relevant subject this might be considered alongside other Level 3 qualifications and may attract an alternative offer in addition to the standard offer. If you are taking A Levels, this would be AAB at A Level including A in English and grade A in the EPQ.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

35 points overall with 17 at Higher Level including 6 in English at Higher Level.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

including H2 in English.

We will consider this qualification in combination with other qualifications. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information.

AA in Advanced Highers including English and AABBB in Highers or A in Advanced Highers English and AAABB in Highers.

Might be accepted as in combination with other qualifications, please contact admissions teams for further advice & guidance.

The Welsh Baccalaureate is not typically included in the academic conditions of an offer made to you for this course. If you choose to undertake the Welsh Baccalaureate we would strongly encourage you to draw upon these experiences within your personal statement, as your qualification will then be taken into account both when your application is initially considered by the selection panel and again when reviewed by the admissions tutor at the time your A-level results are passed to us.

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About this course

This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Full-time with time abroad | 2024

4 years | Full-time with year in industry | 2024

Creative writing

English literature.

Develop your creativity and sharpen your critical abilities with this course that will equip you with valuable skills as both a reader and a writer. You’ll produce creative work across various genres, such as fiction, poetry, life writing, and travel accounts. 

You'll also learn how writers of the past and the present have used words and literary forms to express their ideas and engage with their times’ social and cultural issues. 

You’ll encounter historical and modern texts in English from around the globe, which explore themes relevant to how we live today, including race and ethnicity, gender, climate change and nature, social class, disability and wellbeing. 

Learn how to shape language to convey your ideas and experience, work in groups, discuss your writing with other students, and build an individual portfolio of work that will set you on track for a creative or cultural industries career.

The School of English supports a vibrant community of researchers and creative practitioners. It is home to the Leeds Poetry Centre, and we regularly host readings and talks by well-known and emerging contemporary writers. 

The School also produces a literary magazine, Stand, and publishes the best in new creative writing.

The School has hosted many inspiring writers over the years, as staff or students. These include the novelists Storm Jameson and JRR Tolkien, poets Geoffrey Hill and Jon Silkin, and the distinguished African writers Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Our Professor of Poetry, Simon Armitage, is also the Poet Laureate.

School of English

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After graduation

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Literature in english

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This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

Top job areas of graduates

The jobs market for this subject - which includes creative writing and scriptwriting courses - is not currently one of the strongest, so unemployment rates are currently looking quite high overall, with salaries on the lower side. But nevertheless, most graduates get jobs quickly. Graduates often go into careers as authors and writers and are also found in other roles where the ability to write well is prized, such as journalism, translation, teaching and advertising and in web content. Be aware that freelancing and self-employment is common is common in the arts, as are what is termed 'portfolio careers', having several part-time jobs or commissions at once - although graduates from this subject were a little more likely than many other creative arts graduates to be in conventional full time permanent contracts, so that might be worth bearing in mind.

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Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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English Literature with Creative Writing BA (Hons) University of Leeds

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Qualification.

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

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A level : AAA

including A in English (Language, Literature or Language and Literature).

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University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, England

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• FindAMasters
• Masters Courses
• Creative Writing

University of Leeds

We have 3 university of leeds masters degrees in creative writing.

Creative Arts & Design

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University of Leeds Masters Degrees in Creative Writing

You can go further with us.

Creative Writing - MA

University of leeds school of english.

The MA in Creative Writing offers the opportunity to develop your skills in creative writing within the context of a School of English with a long and distinguished history in creative writing. Read more

Writing for Performance and Digital Media - MA

University of leeds school of performance and cultural industries.

Develop your unique voice as a writer and storyteller in the context of the School of Performance and Cultural Industries’ outstanding research in the fields of contemporary performance practice, creative and adaptive writing, digital and intermedial art, audience studies and cultural engagement. Read more

English Literature - MA

Discover the incredible diversity of English literature throughout history and around the globe with this broad and varied Masters degree. Read more

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find your perfect postgrad program Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

University of leeds: creative writing.

The MFA Creative Writing at Leeds enables you to refine and develop your distinctive creativity toward a focused project that leads to a full-length manuscript worthy of submission to publishers. Our award-winning and internationally recognised writers and poets are uniquely positioned to support you through monthly one-to-one supervisions in writing prose fiction (including the novel, the short story collection and genre writing), poetry (including visual poetry and poetry in performance), creative nonfiction (including memoir and autofiction) or playwrighting.

We have strong industry links as an institution and as individual writers and poets. Our tutors’ books are published by presses including Bloomsbury, Cape, Carcanet, Faber, Linen Press, Melville House, Sceptre, Verve, and zimZalla. Their work appears in innovative international literary magazines and festivals and is represented by leading agents. Leeds and Yorkshire are a hub for literary creativity, and this course will enable you to encounter this storied past and dynamic present during a residential week on campus.

Your degree cohort will comprise practicing writers keen to take their writing further, just like you. A residential week at the start of the year will bring staff and students together for workshops and masterclasses on craft, process, and context, as well as public readings and Q&As. Throughout the year, there will be periodic workshops/masterclasses held online. In the residential week and the online sessions, you will hear from our team of tutors as well as other writers, poets and literary professionals affiliated with Leeds. Your supportive and rigorous online one-to-one supervisions will occur on a monthly basis. The degree will culminate with the final project marked by written assessment and viva voce.

The University partners with Ilkley and Leeds Literature Festivals and works extensively with publishers including Peepal Tree Press and Carcanet, and creative industry partners such as Opera North and the Henry Moore Institute. Our Professor of Poetry Simon Armitage is establishing the National Poetry Centre at the heart of our campus, complementing our own extensive literary manuscript holdings in the world-renowned Brotherton Library and our University of Leeds Poetry Centre.

Among our current staff is the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. Other staff in the creative writing team include Kimberly Campanello, Matt Howard, SK Perry, Ross Raisin, Jess Richards, Caitlin Stobie and Jay Prosser. Our practices and passions run across creative and critical writing. They include: visual and experimental poetry; the long poem; eco poetics; the contemporary novel and contemporary lyric poem; literature and medicine; disability studies; autofiction; and transgender memoir.

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University of Leeds

United kingdom.

The School of English at the University of Leeds offers a BA (Hons) English Literature with Creative Writing, an MA Creative Writing, an MA by Research in Creative Writing, and a PhD in Creative Writing.

Yorkshire is one of the most important regions in the history of literature in English, and amongst our alumni and former staff are notable poets and writers, including Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Geoffrey Hill, J. R. R. Tolkien, and current Professor of Poetry Simon Armitage, who is also Poet Laureate.

Leeds has fantastic facilities for Creative Writing students, and the School of English has a rich history of creative writing. We regularly host readings and talks by well-known and emerging contemporary writers, and you’ll have access to a vibrant community of researchers and creative practitioners. The highly respected literary magazine, Stand, is produced in the School, and publishes the best in new and established creative writing. We are also home to the University of Leeds Poetry Centre led by poet and critic Professor John Whale and the Douglas Caster Fellowship, currently held by Matt Howard and previously held by Anthony Vahni Capildeo, Helen Mort, and Malika Booker.

Dr Caitlin Stobie leads the BA English Literature with Creative Writing Programme and Dr Jess Richards leads the MA Creative Writing. Other staff in the creative writing team include Dr Kimberly Campanello, Zaffar Kunial, Sarah K. Perry, Dr Jay Prosser, Ross Raisin, and Prof. John Whale.

The world-class Brotherton Library has an array of archive, manuscript and early printed material in its Special Collections, including extensive archives of prominent contemporary poets including Simon Armitage and Tony Harrison. All of this will be valuable for your independent research, and the University Library offers training programmes to help you make the most of our resources.

Contact Information

School of English University of Leeds Leeds United Kingdom LS2 9JT Phone: +44(0)113 343 0110 Email: [email protected] https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/homepage/327/creative_writing_at_leeds

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with Creative Writing +

Undergraduate program director, phd in creative writing phd +, graduate program director, master of arts in creative writing ma +, master of arts in ma by research in creative writing +.

Details of MA by Research in Creative Writing are here: https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english-research-degrees/doc/ma-research-mar

Simon Armitage

I am the current national Poet Laureate (2019-2029). I am Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds and was elected to serve as Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford for 2015-2019. In Spring 2019, I held the post of Holmes Visiting Professor at Princeton University, USA. Previously, I taught at the University of Leeds, the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop and Manchester Metropolitan University before my 2011 appointment as Professor of Poetry at the University of Sheffield and Visiting Professor at the University of Falmouth. I have received numerous awards for my poetry including the Sunday Times Young Author of the Year, one of the first Forward Prizes, an Eric Gregory Award, a major Lannan Award, a Cholmondeley Award, the Spoken Word Award (Gold), the Ivor Novello Award for song-writing, BBC Radio Best Speech Programme, Television Society Award for Documentary and Keats-Shelley Prize for Poetry. I won the 2017 PEN America Award for Poetry in Translation and was awarded the 2018 Queens Gold Medal for Poetry. In 1999 I was named the Millennium Poet. In 2004 I was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. I was awarded the CBE for services to poetry in 2010 and presented with the Hay Medal for Poetry at the 25th Hay Festival in 2012. As part of Britain’s 2012 Cultural Olympiad and while Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank, Armitage conceived and curated Poetry Parnassus, a gathering of world poets and poetry from every Olympic nation. This landmark event is generally recognised to be the biggest coming together of international poets in history. Prior to mainstream publication, Armitage published several limited edition pamphlets with small and local poetry presses, all now highly collectable. These included Human Geography, The Distance Between Stars, The Walking Horses, Around Robinson, and Suitcase. My first full-length collection of poems, Zoom!, was published in 1989 by Bloodaxe Books and further collections are published with Faber.

https://www.simonarmitage.com/biography/

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/557/simon-armitage

Kimberly Campanello

I am Associate Professor of Creative Writing and supervise PhDs in innovative poetry and Creative Writing. My poetry pamphlets and collections include Consent, Imagines and Strange Country (both on the sheela-na-gig stone carvings), Hymn to Kali (my version of the Karpuradi-stotra), and running commentary along the bottom of the tapestry. MOTHERBABYHOME, a collection of 796 conceptual and visual poems on the St. Mary's Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co. Galway was published by zimZalla Avant Objects in April 2019. In March 2020, I represented the UK in Munich at Klang Farben Text: Visual Poetry for the 21st Century, a three-day visual poetry festival inspired by the international concrete poetry movement of the 1950s and 60s organised by the British Council. I was awarded a 2019 Markievicz Award by Ireland's Arts Council and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I have also been awarded residencies at the Fundación Valparaíso, the Heinrich Böll Cottage, The Studios of Key West and the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. My poems have appeared most recently or are forthcoming in The London Magazine, 3:AM’s Poem Brut series, Blackbox Manifold, Junction Box, Tentacular, The White Review and Poetry Ireland Review.

http://www.kimberlycampanello.com/

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/2091/dr-kimberly-campanello

As Professor of Romantic Poetry, my research has focused on the interface of literary aesthetics and politics in the Romantic period. British responses to the French Revolution have been a central concern and, like many other Romanticists, my work in the late 1980s and early nineties was considerably influenced by the bicentenary of the French Revolution. In my case, this meant reassessing the response of British writers to events across the Channel in France and in particular focusing on the role the creative faculty of the mind - the imagination - could play in political argument. I have also been concerned to widen the scope of critical activity in the period. I was Co-Investigator (with Dr David Higgins as Principal Investigator) of an AHRC-funded Research Network entitled 'Creative Communities, 1750-1830', which involved three workshops and related activities between 2013 and 2014. This developed previous work with colleagues at Leeds on the Creativity Project, which aimed to find ways of moving beyond concepts of genius, inspiration, and originality, and towards thinking about literary creativity in terms of collaboration, connection, and development. I have a long-standing interest in contemporary English poetry. I am a poet and I also co-edit Stand magazine and am Director of the Poetry Centre. My first collection, Waterloo Teeth, was published by Carcanet in 2010 and was shortlisted for the Forward Best First Collection Prize in 2011; my second, Frieze, was published at the end of September 2013 by Carcanet.

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/152/professor-john-whale

Jay Prosser

My position as ‘Reader in Humanities’ allows me to pursue diverse interests in research in writing. I specialise in critical theory and creative nonfiction. I’ve written and edited many books and journal special issues, including on transsexual autobiography, photography, American fiction, and memories of the Ottoman Empire. I teach memoir, particularly family memoir, which I see as a way of telling the untold stories from cultural history. I am currently completing my own family memoir. This is a legacy of loving strangers: of the Baghdadi Jewish diaspora meeting and marrying the Chinese women who worked for them, in Southeast Asia. It’s a story of love and spice (my grandfather’s family were for generations spice traders); of refugees and prejudice. But it’s also an exploration of how empire enables intimacies between far-flung strangers. The book was shortlisted for the 2019 Tony Lothian Prize for the best unpublished biography and won the 2020 Hazel Rowley Prize for best proposal for a first-time biographer.

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/1076/dr-jay-prosser

Zaffar Kunial

Zaffar Kunial is an award-winning poet. He has won the Northern Writers Award, the Faber New Poet prize and the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize for his poetry. He has been a writer in Residence for the Wordsworth Trust as well as Ilkley and Ledbury Literature Festivals. Faber & Faber have published his debut full poetry collection ‘Us’ which was selected as the Poetry Book Society’s ‘Wild Card Choice’. His poetry has featured in anthologies published by Faber & Faber, Picador, Bloodaxe and The Poetry Society and he has had work commissioned by The Globe Theatre, Manchester Literature Festival and the BBC.

https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/zaffar-kunial

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/2457/zaffar-kunial

Caitlin Stobie

I am Lecturer in Creative Writing and Programme Leader for the BA English Literature with Creative Writing. I write poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. My debut poetry collection, Thin Slices, is published by Verve Poetry Press. I am also the author of a monograph, Abortion Ecologies in Southern African Fiction, published by Bloomsbury Academic. My work is informed by the relationship between human and nonhuman bodies, focusing on environmental and medical issues. Much of my writing explores bioethics, particularly reproductive health. I am a member of the editorial team at Stand, Leeds’s international literary journal, and founder of the Leeds Animal Studies Network.

https://www.caitlinstobie.com

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/arts-humanities-cultures/staff/1170/dr-caitlin-stobie

Ross Raisin

I am a lecturer in Creative Writing, who joined the School of English in 2021. Previous to working here at Leeds, I was a lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London. I graduated (MA) from Goldsmiths in 2004, and from Kings College, University of London (BA) in 2001. I am the author of three novels: A Natural (2017), Waterline (2011) and God’s Own Country (2008), and have written short stories for Granta, Prospect, the Sunday Times, Esquire, BBC Radio 3 and 4, among others, and in 2018 published a book for the Read This series, on the practice of fiction writing: Read This if you Want to be a Great Writer.

I also teach for the Guardian Masterclass programme and since 2009 have been a writer-in-residence for the education charity First Story, which places writers in unprivileged schools to deliver creative writing workshops and compile anthologies of the students’ work. My new novel, A Hunger, will be published in August 2022. You can find more on me, my books and teaching on my website.

https://www.rossraisin.com

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/staff/3268/ross-raisin

Sarah K. Perry

S. K. Perry is a fiction writer and poet from Croydon. In 2013 she was long-listed for London's Young Poet Laureate and was Cityread Young Writer in Residence in Soho in 2014. Her short story 'A Wide Neon Yell' won the Berlin Writing Prize, 2019.

https://www.sk-perry.com

Jess Richards

I’m the author of Snake Ropes, which was longlisted for the Green Carnation Prize and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel award, 2012 and the Scottish Book Awards. My second novel, Cooking with Bones, was published in 2013. Both novels are published by Sceptre, who have also published my third novel, City of Circles, in August 2017. City of Circles was shortlisted for the Kitschies Awards (novel category) in March 2018.

http://jessrichards.com/

Publications & Presses +

Stand Magazine

Poetry and Audience

Moving Worlds

Tenter Hook

Visiting Writers Program +

Recent Visiting Writers:

Naomi Booth, novelist and short story writer

Zodwa Nyoni, playwright, screenwriter, poet

Carlos Soto-Román, poet

Kendell Hippolyte, poet

Ailbhe Darcy, poet

Pascale Petit, poet

Lorna Goodison, poet

Season Butler, novelist and playwright

Nora Chassler, novelist and short story writer

Clare Fisher, novelist and short story writer

Peter Robinson, crime writer

Lucie Brownlee, novelist and nonfiction writer

Zaffar Kunial, poet

Denise Riley, poet

Sandeep Parmar, poet

Jacqueline Bishop, poet

Stephanie Burt, poet

Sean O'Brien, poet

John Burnside, poet

Kwame Dawes, poet and writer

Clem Seecharan, writer and historian

Leone Ross, fiction writer

Leontia Flynn, poet

W.N. Herbert, poet

Nick Makoha, poet

Kei Miller, poet and writer

Kathleen Jamie, poet and writer

Sinead Morrissey, poet

Reading Series +

Leeds Poetry Centre Reading Series ( https://poetry.leeds.ac.uk/ )

School of English Events ( https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english )

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BA (Hons) Creative Writing

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Explore and define your creative skills as a member of our dedicated, diverse writing community, within a vibrant arts environment.

Our three-year degree programme is creatively stimulating, experimental and industry focussed. You will be part of a committed creative community, supported by our enthusiastic team of lecturers and visiting professionals to develop your own voice and understanding of who you are as a writer. The course delivers contemporary approaches, creative provocations and critical thinking across prose, poetry, script and beyond, allowing you to develop a striking portfolio of creative and critical writing.

Taking full advantage of our place within the North’s only dedicated arts university, you will engage with peers across the spectrum of arts practice, producing work that reflects real world, industry collaborations. Recent cross-course collaborations include Visual Communication, Photography, Illustration and Popular Music Performance.

Our writers fully engage with the lively arts and literary scenes in Leeds and beyond, where we run open mic nights, present work as part of literary festivals and spoken word nights, and support our writers to share their work. You will consider career paths and how to professionalise your creative practice, working with and gaining feedback from industry professionals. You will submit work to awards and competitions, supported by your peers and tutors, and make connections across the creative industries and literary world.

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How to apply for our undergraduate courses

The Structure

Writing workshops play a central role as a collaborative method to accelerate and consolidate student learning. It will expand your critical vocabulary and develop technical skills in the drafting and editing work required of a professional writer. Tutorials, lectures, seminars, masterclasses, and cross-disciplinary project work also feature in year one.

Course Facilities

BA (Hons) Creative Writing students are based in purpose-built classrooms in our modern university building.

Computer suites house networks of Apple Mac computers featuring regularly updated, industry-standard software for a wide range of creative applications that support all our courses, with equipment consistent with that used in the creative workplace. A purpose-built specialist library is open to all students and includes a range of carefully curated specialist resources. Digital Collections enable an enhanced learning experience and information literacy whilst our special collections include artists’ books, photobooks and illustrated books as well as the University archive. Self service facilities are available throughout, supported by a dedicated and experienced team of library staff.

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Study Abroad

Studying abroad can help Leeds Arts University students gain valuable experience, broaden their horizons, develop international networks and experience their practice from a different perspective. Leeds Arts University has a global network of international partner universities in 15 different countries. Students can apply for a semester abroad in their second year of study.

Regular event as part of Leeds Literature Festival, open to all students to perform.

Student secured a six month publishing mentorship with Penguin Random House.

Students have been published in Serious Flash Fiction and in Coffin Bell.

Students involved in the Bone Down Literary Affinity Group, a group aiming to reclaim public spaces for performance.

Student performed at Leeds Poetry Festival and Matt Abbot and Maria Ferguson’s Tub Thumping, a regular spoken word event.

Students published in the online music and culture magazine Hive.

Career Opportunities

Good writers are welcome everywhere; the arts sector requires a broad set of skills. Talented new voices with cultural awareness and critical thinking skills are also welcome in science, industry, commerce, education, research centres, journalism, editing, HR and marketing. You will benefit from the University’s already well-developed industry, commercial and creative links, and its strong careers advisory provision. Graduates may also continue to postgraduate study.

Student Stories

Charlotte Scroogie

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Course News

05 Jul 2024

Creative Writing student writes and produces local play

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28 May 2024

Students collaborate with The Leeds Library to create chapbook

25 Mar 2024

Students design new Leeds Arts University tote bags

29 Jul 2022

BA (Hons) Creative Writing students to perform at Leeds Poetry Festival

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Academic Staff

Dr Sean Gregory

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Grace Holliday

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Connecting you to creative industries

Industry opportunities.

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Undergraduate entry requirements

Undergraduate fees and finance

Information for International Students

Higher Education Teaching and Learning at Leeds Arts University

Course Specification for BA (Hons) Creative Writing

Key Information for BA (Hons) Creative Writing

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• Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
• School of English

English Literature with Creative Writing BA

(full time) 2021 start.

Course information for 2025 start

This course offers you a chance to blend creative and critical approaches to literature. You can study literature from Old English to the contemporary period, including American and postcolonial literature and world theatre. You’ll produce creative work across genres, including fiction, poetry, plays, life writing, screenplays, short fiction and/or travel accounts. This degree combines creativity with critical thinking, developing transferable skills in research, communication, and project management which are highly regarded by employers. The School includes leading poets and academics who are experienced creative writers. You’ll be taught by researchers of international significance whose expertise spans the historical and geographical spheres of English literary tradition.

Our alumni and former staff include founding figures of African national literatures Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong’o, poets of great acclaim such as Geoffrey Hill and our current Professor of Poetry Simon Armitage , and JRR Tolkien, the leading fantasy writer of all time.

Specialist facilities

The world-class Brotherton Library has an array of archive, manuscript and early printed material in its Special Collections, including extensive archives of prominent contemporary poets including Simon Armitage and Tony Harrison. All of this will be valuable for your independent research, and the University Library offers training programmes to help you make the most of our resources.

Brotherton Library Laidlaw Library Edward Boyle Library

We regularly host readings and talks by well-known and emerging contemporary writers and you’ll have access to a vibrant community of researchers and creative practitioners. The highly respected literary magazine, Stand, is produced in the School, and publishes the best in new and established creative writing.

Course content

In your first year, you’ll study foundational modules in English Studies and Creative Writing, designed to help you to make a successful transition to university study. You’ll develop your skills as a critic and as a writer, explore key literary genres, and we’ll introduce you to literary theory and criticism. You’ll also choose from our exciting optional modules or take discovery modules from other departments in the university.

In the following year, you’ll continue working with our creative writing experts to develop and diversify your creative portfolio. You’ll choose from core modules focusing on different historical periods to explore how literature has evolved over time. You’ll also choose from a wide range of option modules, from Jacobean drama to African literature, crime fiction stylistics, and specialist creative writing options.

This choice of core and option modules continues into your final year, when you will also produce the highlight of your degree – your Final Year Project. This creative project, on a topic of your choice, will showcase your development as a skilled writer and a creative and critical thinker.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

Discovery modules

Throughout your degree you will benefit from a range of opportunities to expand your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.

This course gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of discovery modules. They’re a great way to tailor your study around your interests or career aspirations and help you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Find out more about discovery modules on our Broadening webpages .

Learning and teaching

We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you benefit from our tutors’ expertise. Small-group seminars and workshops are at the heart of this degree, and you’ll also encounter lectures, workshops, one-to-one tutorials and supervisions, group work and online learning through the Virtual Learning Environment.

Independent study is also a vital element of this course, since it enables you to develop your research and critical skills, form your own ideas, and experiment with genre, style and voice.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

You’ll produce a creative portfolio composed of a range of genres, including life writing, fiction, poetry, plays, screenplays, short fiction and/or travel accounts. Your Final Year Project comprises a long independent creative piece and a critical reflection. English modules are assessed using a range of methods, including exams, essays and shorter written assignments. In some modules this may extend to online exercises such as wikis or podcasts, library exercises or oral presentations.

Entry requirements, fees and applying

Entry requirements.

A-level: AAA including English (Language, Literature or Language and Literature).

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ in a relevant subject this might be considered alongside other Level 3 qualifications and may attract an alternative offer in addition to the standard offer. If you are taking A Levels, this would be ABB at A Level including A in English and grade A in the EPQ.

Access to HE Diploma

Pass diploma with 60 credits overall, including at least 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. The Access course must follow a Humanities pathway and/or include English modules. An interview and a piece of written work may be required.

We will consider the level 3 QCF BTEC at Subsidiary Diploma level and above in combination with other qualifications. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information.

Cambridge Pre-U

D3, D3, M2 including D3 in English.

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall with 17 at Higher Level including 6 in English at Higher Level.

Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)

Irish Highers (Leaving Certificate): H2, H2, H2, H2, H2, H2 including H2 in English.

Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers

AA in Advanced Highers including English and AABBB in Highers or A in Advanced Highers English and AAABB in Highers.

Welsh Baccalaureate

The Welsh Baccalaureate is not typically included in the academic conditions of an offer made to you for this course. If you choose to undertake the Welsh Baccalaureate we would strongly encourage you to draw upon these experiences within your personal statement, as your qualification will then be taken into account both when your application is initially considered by the selection panel and again when reviewed by the admissions tutor at the time your A-level results are passed to us.

Other Qualifications

European Baccalaureate: 85% with 8.5 in English.

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is a contextual admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and contextual admissions .

Typical Access to Leeds offer: ABB including A in English (Literature or Language and Literature) at A Level and pass Access to Leeds.

International

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information.

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications .

Improve your English If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course , to help improve your English language level.

How to apply

Apply to this course through UCAS. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website .

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students . We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2025

UK: See fees section below

International: £20,750 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students are set by the UK Government and will be £9,250 for students starting in 2024/25.

The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation only, as a consequence of future changes in Government legislation and as permitted by law.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 have not yet been confirmed by the UK government. When the fee is available we will update individual course pages.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 and 2025/26 Tuition fees for international students for 2024/25 are available on individual course pages. Fees for students starting in 2025/26 will be available from September 2024.

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans .

Read more about paying fees and charges .

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page .

Financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our  Undergraduate funding overview .

Career opportunities

A degree in English with Creative Writing equips you with a range of transferable skills in addition to your subject knowledge. Your skills and experience as a flexible and imaginative writer will open up a range of pathways within the creative industries.

You’ll be an excellent communicator who can present and defend your views clearly, whether verbally or in writing, and be confident working independently or in a group. You’ll have strong organisational and time management skills from managing your own workload. Crucially, you’ll be able to conduct thorough research, interpret and analyse complex information and then think critically about what you find to draw your own conclusions.

All of these qualities are very attractive to employers, and graduates from the School of English have gone on to find success in diverse careers within and beyond the arts. They include the creative industries, advertising and marketing, education, journalism, law, publishing, radio and television as well as administration, business and finance, charity work, the civil service, management, management consultancy and social welfare. Many have also progressed to postgraduate study.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website .

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support .

Study abroad and work placements

Study abroad.

On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year. We have over 300 University partners worldwide and popular destinations for our students include Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Latin America.

Find out more about studying abroad.

Work placements

Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK or overseas.

Find out more about work experience and work placements.

Course terms and conditions

• Academic life
• Registration
• Module Enrolment
• Discovery Modules
• Creating Sustainable Futures
• Enterprise and Innovation
• Ethics, Religion and Law
• Exploring the Sciences
• Languages and Intercultural understanding
• Media, Culture and Creativity
• Mind and Body
• Personal and Professional Development
• Power and Conflict
• Technology and its Impacts
• Making changes
• Attendance and Absences
• Academic Dates and Deadlines
• Study Support
• Leeds for Life
• Plus Programme
• Higher and Degree Apprenticeships
• School of Medicine
• Lifelong learning centre
• Online learning support
• Navigating online learning systems
• Key dates and locations
• Preparing for your assessments
• Online assessments
• On-campus assessments
• I need help during the assessment period
• What happens after the assessment period?
• Classification
• Academic Integrity
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Postgraduate research
• Starting your research
• During your research
• Thesis Submission and the Viva
• Postgraduate researcher policies and procedures
• Funding for postgraduate researchers
• The Doctoral College
• Research practice
• If your research is disrupted
• Prepare for your graduation ceremony
• Leaving the university
• Official documentation and regulations
• Feedback and complaints
• Responding to your feedback
• Research student policies and procedures
• Taught student policies and procedures
• Paying fees and charges
• University scholarships and funds
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Creative Practice

Engage with the arts in practice – through writing or performing – and unlock your creativity.

Have you always fancied yourself as a writer? Are you convinced that there’s a book, a play or a short story inside you just waiting to get out? Are you fascinated by how people go about creating? Explore the practicalities of creativity in a range of fields through the modules in this sub-theme.

Creative Practice modules

9 modules available

This information is for the 2024/25 academic year. 

IF YOU ARE AN INCOMING YEAR ONE STUDENT, YOU SHOULD ONLY CHOOSE LEVEL 1 MODULES. 

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Courses, apprenticeships, information guides and more

Leeds Beckett University

Degree level: undergraduate, creative writing, course options.

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 25th September 2024.

Leeds Beckett University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Chat with students at this uni

Course summary.

Designed by writers for writers, this course will enable you to develop your portfolio of writing. You’ll be supported by award-winning poets, screen writers and novelists. Whether you want to write poetry, short stories, novels, scripts, fiction or non-fiction, you’ll learn techniques to develop an idea into a final draft. Our guidance will ensure that you write to the best of your ability and find the right audience for your work. As part of this course, you’ll: • Develop your imagination • Create your own portfolio of writing • Learn the techniques to edit and refine your work • Identify markets for your writing and produce submission ready pieces • Perform and/or present your own writing • Collaborate with other writers • Deliver writing workshops • Understand how you can use your skills to build a successful career Find out more... Become an expert storyteller All over the world, people are telling each other stories in books, marketing, advertising, film, TV, publishing, journalism and other forms of broadcast and social media. This course will help you find the stories you want to tell, and the medium in which you want to tell them. Develop your portfolio You’ll have plenty of time to develop your portfolio of script, poetry, prose, or a combination of all three. As a student on this course, you’ll be part of a safe, inclusive community for writers to create, experiment, and share their work. A third of this course comprises the Professional Portfolio strand, which will give you the opportunity to develop your professional skills through a series of industry-aware challenges. An example of this might be to create your own blog, or pitch your work to a panel of professional writers. Study in a creative city Leeds is home to a vibrant writing community with Leeds Playhouse, one of the largest producing theatres in the North. The Holbeck and Channel 4 both have national headquarters here. You’ll study at Broadcasting Place, in the heart of the city’s programme of cultural and literary events, including Leeds Lit Fest and Leeds International Film Festival. Why study creative writing at Leeds Beckett University...

• Learn from experts - teaching delivered by award-winning, published writers
• Career-focused - you'll develop employability skills throughout your course. Your professional portfolio modules will be embedded across each year of your degree and will enable you to develop industry-aware writing skills
• Set your own writing goals – support to develop the projects you want to work on.
• Collaborative learning – receive feedback from a community of writers
• Study in a creative city - situated in the heart of Leeds city centre, with opportunities to collaborate with its thriving cultural scene

Year 1 Core Modules:

• Writers’ Workshop 1
• Contemporary Literary Studies
• Creative Professional Portfolio - Writing Reflections
• Writers’ Workshop 2
• Creative Professional Portfolio – The Art of Presentation
• Writing Fictions
• Screenwriting
• Creative Professional Portfolio – Pitching & Submitting
• Writing Poetry
• Theory into Practice
• Creative Professional Portfolio – Writing Industry
• Life Writing
• Creative Writing Project (delivered across semesters 1 and 2)
• Creative Professional Portfolio – Your Creative Future
• Experimental Writing
• Creative Professional Portfolio – The Writer & Audience

How to apply

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements, ucas tariff - 72 points, student outcomes.

There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website .

Fees and funding

Tuition fees.

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Provider information.

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Leeds Beckett University City Campus Leeds LS1 3HE

Clearing contact details

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2 course options.

Please select a course option to view the information for the course

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English Literature BA

Year of entry 2025, open days 2024.

Bookings for our October 2024 Open Days are now open. Book now

Course overview

Take a tour of our School

Get a taste for life as a student in the School of English as undergraduate student Malgorzata takes you on a tour of the School building as well as some campus highlights.

Reading and understanding literature can help us to find out about ourselves and see the world from other perspectives. Through engaging with different kinds of texts from across the globe and from different periods of history, you will learn how language reflects and shapes human experience. You’ll also develop your skills as a critical reader, a clear thinker, and a persuasive writer. 

Effective communication drives the world. Studying English Literature at Leeds prepares you for an exciting, rewarding and fulfilling professional future. Graduates often pursue careers in media, publishing, journalism, education, the cultural industries and creative arts, or enter fields including management, marketing, and business, where strong analytical skills are prized.

Our expertise

The School of English supports a vibrant community of researchers and creative practitioners. It is home to the University of Leeds Poetry Centre , and we regularly host readings and talks by well-known and emerging contemporary writers. 

We regularly host readings and talks by well-known and emerging contemporary writers and you’ll have access to a vibrant community of researchers and creative practitioners. The highly respected literary magazine, Stand , is produced in the School, and publishes the best in new and established creative writing.

The world-class Brotherton Library has an array of archive, manuscript and early printed material in its Special Collections, including letters by Charles Dickens, manuscripts by the Brontës, a Shakespeare First Folio, and extensive archives of prominent contemporary poets including Simon Armitage and Tony Harrison. 

You’ll also have opportunities to learn traditional printing and typesetting techniques using our period printing presses and learn more about print and publishing history.

Take a look around our libraries:

Brotherton Library Laidlaw Library Edward Boyle Library

The University also has four performance and rehearsal spaces, fully equipped with lighting and sound, as part of our impressive theatre offering.

Explore the Workshop Theatre

Course details

Our English Literature degree offers a comprehensive and inclusive exploration of different periods, genres, and cultures. Our modules explore themes relevant to how we live today, including race and ethnicity, gender, climate change and nature, social class, disability, and wellbeing. 

Taught by world-leading academics, you’ll develop a nuanced understanding of literatures in English from the medieval to the present moment, and from the local to the global.

A foundational first year will develop your ability to read critically and write with flair, precision, and persuasion. You’ll also explore the diversity and range of literatures in English. Second year will deepen your understanding of literature’s relationship to the environment and to the self, whilst consolidating your knowledge of the breadth and range of the subject. At Level 3, you will build your expertise through choosing from a range of specialist option modules taught by cutting-edge researchers. A final year project on a topic of your choice will allow you to sharpen and confirm your own distinctive critical voice. 

The course information shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions .

Most courses consist of compulsory and optional modules. There may be some optional modules omitted below. This is because they are currently being refreshed to make sure students have the best possible experience. Before you enter each year, full details of all modules for that year will be provided.

At Level 1, students will take Reading Between the Lines and Writing Matters, which introduce them to university-level study, equipping them to read critically and write with rigour and persuasion. A further compulsory module on Race, Writing and Decolonisation draws upon the School’s long history of teaching Black and Asian British writing and literature in English from around the world. Optional modules focus on poetry, fiction and drama. Students may also take Discovery modules from across the University.

At Level 2, students will take two core modules, Writing Environments and Body Language. These modules explore two urgent contemporary challenges, the climate crisis and personal wellbeing, and will examine how these issues can be understood and expressed through literary texts. Students will also select four further modules from a choice of eight, ranging historically and geographically from Medieval to Contemporary, and from Postcolonial to American. Level 2 will deepen and enrich subject knowledge and intellectual skills, preparing students for more independent learning at Level 3, where they can select from a range of specialist modules. A final year project, which may be a dissertation or a textual edition, further enhances active research skills, enabling students to define, plan and produce an extended piece of work.

After their second year of study, students may apply for transfer to an International Degree at one of a wide range of universities with which the University of Leeds has established links. They may also spend a year in industry on a work placement as an optional third year of their degree programme.

In your final year, you will choose from a wide range of specialist modules taught by research experts in their fields. You might study literature from Arthurian legends to postcolonial narratives, from Jane Austen novels to contemporary crime fiction, from Romantic poetry to the digital humanities. Alongside these specialist research modules, you’ll start work on your own final year project. Based on a topic of your design, this individual project will showcase your development as a critical thinker and researcher and demonstrate your ability to manage a large project and communicate effectively. 

With seminar discussions and workshops, access to outstanding resources on campus, and expert staff to guide and support, you’ll be able to broaden your knowledge and build your skills for the future.

For more information please read BA English Literature in the course catalogue .

Year 1 compulsory modules

Race, Writing and Decolonization (20 credits) - Current hashtag movements from Black Lives Matter to Why is My Curriculum White? to Fees Must Fall suggest that the project of racial decolonisation is far from over. Focusing on African-American, South African, Caribbean and Black British writing, this module offers the chance to look at some of the most explosive black writing on race and how it informs our current 'decolonial' moment. We will move from the writing that helped dismantle the British Empire, usher in the civil rights era in the US, and bring an end to apartheid in South Africa, through to contemporary writing that confronts ongoing structures of racism. The question of exactly what constitutes blackness and black writing will be at the heart of our discussions.

Writing Matters (20 credits) - Writing and communication skills are vital to most professional careers, but they are especially valuable in the field of English studies. This module explores debates around a canonical literary text, examining theoretical approaches and rhetorical strategies used to write about literature. Students will hone their own writing skills by engaging ethically with the text and the ideas of others, developing structured arguments, expressing ideas clearly and concisely, working with feedback, and practising writing as a process. As a result, students will cultivate a deeper understanding of how writing works, learn how to share insights with greater efficacy and sophistication, and practice how to transfer this knowledge to future workplace contexts.

Reading Between the Lines (20 credits) - This module equips students with a critical vocabulary for sophisticated literary study, introducing the creative, argumentative and exciting discipline of ‘English Studies’. Through close analysis of specific texts across a range of periods and forms, students will encounter some of the varied theories that have shaped and continue to underpin the discipline. Students will find out how an English degree might change the way we read and see the world, while developing their academic skills through guided critical reading, collaboration with peers in group presentations and seminar discussions, and a variety of assignments designed to introduce them to the different formats of assessment required throughout the degree.

Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

Poetry: Reading and Interpretation (20 credits) Drama: Text and Performance (20 credits) Modern Fictions in English (20 credits)

Year 2 compulsory modules

Writing Environments: Literature, Nature, Culture (20 credits) - This module examines what it means to live as human beings on a more-than-human planet. We’ll investigate how literary texts from different times and places have understood the relationship between nature and culture. We’ll address human impacts on the environment in relation to historical phenomena such as colonialism. And we’ll explore the insights that literature can offer at a time of concern about climate change and other environmental issues.

Body Language: Literature and Embodiment (20 credits) - This module explores the relationship between embodiment, language and representation across a range of literary forms, genres, and periods, addressing questions such as: what does it mean to be ‘human’? Can technology change who we are? How do we navigate the relationship between the body and the mind? It examines how critical theorists and creative writers and life writers have treated and imagined this relationship between material bodies and literary representation, in order to better understand both the possibilities and limitations of literary expression.

Year 2 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

Renaissance Literature (20 credits) Medieval and Tudor Literature (20 credits) Modern Literature (20 credits) Postcolonial Literature (20 credits) The World Before Us: Literature 1660-1830 (20 credits) Other Voices: Rethinking Nineteenth-Century Literature (20 credits) American Words, American Worlds (20 credits)

Year 3 compulsory modules

Final Year Project (40 credits) - This module encourages independent, self-directed learning, providing a culmination to the research strand emphasised in other modules. It fosters a wide variety of responses to the challenges it offers students, since any final year project might take one of a number of forms. Most importantly, it promotes academic creativity and the exploration of individual intellectual interests.

Year 3 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

Sex and Suffering in the Eighteenth-Century Novel (20 credits) Prose Fiction Stylistics and the Mind (20 credits) Quiet Rebels and Unquiet Minds: writing to contemporary anxiety (20 credits) Milton (20 credits) Contemporary South African Writing (20 credits) Forensic Approaches to Language (20 credits) Writing America (20 credits) Transformations (20 credits) Children, Talk and Learning (20 credits) Trial Discourse - The Proceedings of the Old Bailey 1674 - 1913 (20 credits)

Learning and teaching

We use various teaching and learning methods to help you benefit from our tutors’ expertise. Group seminars are at the heart of this degree. 

You’ll also encounter:

• One-to-one tutorials and supervisions
• Online learning through Minerva, our Virtual Learning Environment.

Independent study is a vital element of this course since it enables you to develop your research and critical skills and form your ideas. 

Our globally recognised research feeds directly into your course and shapes what you learn at Leeds with the latest thinking.

You’ll be taught by inspirational academics who are experts in their field and share your passion for your subject. Some may even have written textbooks and research articles you’ll use on your course.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

English Literature modules are assessed using various methods, including exams, essays and shorter written assignments. 

Some modules will also include wikis, podcasts, research exercises or oral presentations.

This range of assessments will help you develop your communication skills, improve your digital literacy, and enhance your ability to deliver different projects. 

Entry requirements

A-level: AAB including A in English (Literature or Language and Literature)

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ in a relevant subject this might be considered alongside other Level 3 qualifications and may attract an alternative offer in addition to the standard offer. If you are taking A Levels, this would be ABB at A Level including A in English (Literature, or Language and Literature) and grade A in the EPQ.

We welcome applications from mature students with Access qualifications, and from students with a wide range of qualifications.

Alternative qualification

Access to he diploma.

Pass diploma with 60 credits overall, including at least 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. The Access course must follow a Humanities pathway and include English modules. An interview and a piece of written work may be required.

We will consider the level 3 QCF BTEC at Subsidiary Diploma level and above in combination with other qualifications. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information.

Cambridge Pre-U

D3, M1, M2 including D3 in English

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall with 16 at Higher Level including 6 in English at Higher Level

Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)

H2, H2, H2, H2, H3, H3 including H2 in English

Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers

AB in Advanced Highers (including A in English) and AABBB in Highers, or A in English Advanced Highers and AABBB in Highers

Welsh Baccalaureate

The Welsh Baccalaureate is not typically included in the academic conditions of an offer made to you for this course. If you choose to undertake the Welsh Baccalaureate we would strongly encourage you to draw upon these experiences within your personal statement, as your qualification will then be taken into account both when your application is initially considered by the selection panel and again when reviewed by the admissions tutor at the time your A-level results are passed to us.

Other Qualifications

European Baccalaureate: 80% with 8.5 in English

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is a contextual admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and contextual admissions .

Typical Access to Leeds offer: BBB including English (Language, Literature or Language and Literature) at A Level and pass Access to Leeds

Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year

This course is designed for students whose backgrounds mean they are less likely to attend university (also known as widening participation backgrounds) and who do not currently meet admissions criteria for direct entry to a degree.

The course will give you the opportunity to be taught by academic staff and provides intensive support to enable your development of academic skills and knowledge. On successful completion of your foundation year, you will progress to your chosen degree course. Find out more about the Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year

International

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information contact the School of English admissions team

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications .

Improve your English If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course , to help improve your English language level.

UK: To be confirmed

International: To be confirmed

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students are set by the UK Government and will be £9,250 for students starting in 2024/25.

The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation only, as a consequence of future changes in Government legislation and as permitted by law.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 have not yet been confirmed by the UK government. When the fee is available we will update individual course pages.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 and 2025/26 Tuition fees for international students for 2024/25 are available on individual course pages. Fees for students starting in 2025/26 will be available from September 2024.

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans .

Read more about paying fees and charges .

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page .

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our  Undergraduate funding overview .

Apply to this course through UCAS. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website .

Read our guidance about applying.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students . We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2025

This course is taught by

School of English

School of English Undergraduate Admissions

Email: [email protected] Telephone:

Career opportunities

A degree in English gives you a range of valuable skills and attributes.

Our graduates have gone on to find success in areas such as the creative industries, marketing, education, journalism, law, publishing, media, business charity work, civil service, management consultancy and leadership.

Many have also progressed to postgraduate study. 

On this course, you’ll develop your abilities as an excellent communicator who can present well-reasoned arguments and conclusions. Learning in groups with others and reading about human problems and social situations will develop your interpersonal skills and understanding of ethical and cultural complexities. 

You’ll have strong organisational and time management skills and you’ll be able to conduct research, interpret complex information, think critically and express yourself clearly. Employers are always looking out for people with these critical skills. 

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website .

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support .

Study abroad and work placements

Study abroad.

On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year. We have over 300 University partners worldwide and popular destinations for our students include Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Latin America. 

Find out more at the Study Abroad website .

Work placements

Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas.

Find out more about work experience on the Careers website .

Related courses

Arts and humanities with foundation year ba, english and comparative literature ba, english and film studies ba, english language and linguistics ba, english language and literature ba, english literature with creative writing ba, rankings and awards, qs world university rankings by subject.

36th in the world for English Language and Literature

Complete University Guide 2025

13th in the UK for English

Student profile: Malgorzata MacDougall

There is so much choice and freedom with what you study, and everyone in the school is so lovely. I really couldn’t recommend it enough. Malgorzata MacDougall, BA English Literature