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Undergraduate courses/English and Creative Writing courses/Creative Writing and Drama

Key facts

Entry requirements

112 or DMM

Full entry requirements

UCAS code

W905

Institution code

D26

Duration

3 yrs full-time

3 years full-time, 4 years with placement

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

2025/26 international tuition:
£16,250

See all the key facts

Entry requirements

112 or DMM

Full entry requirements

UCAS code

W905

Institution code

D26

Duration

3 yrs full-time

3 years full-time, 4 years with placement

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

2025/26 international tuition:
£16,250

See all the key facts

This programme offers an exciting opportunity to combine expertise in both creative writing and drama performance. You’ll work with professional researchers, published writers, research-active academics, and visiting practitioners, gaining valuable insights into both disciplines.

We welcome you if you are passionate about creative writing, eager to build on your strengths, and excited to explore new ones. Our thematic modules allow you to experiment with various forms and styles, helping you create original works informed by knowledge of craft, research, critical reflection, and feedback from diverse writers.

Grounded in contemporary performance methods, scholarly thinking, and historical theatrical traditions, this course prepares you for a wide range of arts-related careers. You’ll explore topics like acting, performing, directing, creative writing, and theatre for social change, all while being supported in developing your own artistic vision and aspirations.

  • Expand your potential career pathways, from professional writing to performance-based roles, and be well-prepared for a varied and exciting career.
  • Benefit from our partnership with Leicester’s iconic Curve theatre, offering internships, placements, performance opportunities, and skills workshops to enhance your practical experience.
  • Learn beyond classroom boundaries, exploring stimulating settings like Leicester Gallery, local museums, archives, and a deconsecrated chapel. Our Centre for Excellence in Performance Arts provides state-of-the-art facilities, including specialist studios and rehearsal spaces.
  • Join writing networks, perform at spoken-word events, and showcase your work at festivals like ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s States of Independence.
  • Our graduates work in theatre companies, media, technical theatre production, and community arts, or pursue careers as professional writers across various fields.

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Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments – rather than lots of exams at the end of the year – and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging. Read more about block teaching.

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What you will study

In your first year, you’ll dive into creative writing as a practice-based subject, learning through doing and developing a range of practical skills that combine performance-based understanding of texts with a theoretical approach that enables historical and theoretical contextualisation.

Block 1: Exploring Creative Writing

Both in workshops and through independent study, you will explore a wide range of short-form writing, including a variety of modes: international strict form poetry (e.g., sonnet, rondeau, terza rima, ghazal, villanelle, sestina), free verse, flash fiction, and historical flash fiction. Ethical questions about combining fact and fiction are addressed in an introduction to historical fiction. You may also explore review writing in real-world contexts and digital short-form writing on social media platforms, enhancing your transferable employability skills.

The focus on short-form writing across various genres enables you to develop clarity of expression and conciseness while practising redrafting and editing, building your confidence as a writer. A range of exercises will generate new writing. You will give one another formative feedback, and evaluate the responses your work receives, providing structured opportunities to consolidate writing skills for your final submissions.

Assessment: Collaborative Writing (20%) and Short Form Portfolio (80%)

Block 2: Journey and Places

This module focuses on journeys and places, offering the chance to explore key concepts underpinning your studies. You will take a post-disciplinary approach, using techniques from diverse areas to address questions related to journeys and places.

Interactive lectures with students from across the School of Humanities and Performing Arts provide opportunities to apply these concepts in subject-specific workshops and assessments.

Themes may include journeys, spaces, and the concept of welcome; (im)mobilities and journeys through time and space; representation and imaginative geographies; gender and placemaking; belonging and place attachment; and sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Assessment: Subject-specific Coursework 1 (30%) and Coursework 2 (70%)

Block 3: Revolutions: Staging Plays

In this module, you will develop performance skills relevant to chosen theatrical texts. Through analysing both linguistic and narrative structures of plays, you will explore critical and technical perspectives. Practical workshops will guide your exploration, consolidating knowledge through creative practice and collaboration.

Assessment: Solo Performance or Presentation (60%) and Essay (40%)

Block 4: Shaping Ideas

This year-long module develops your writing practice, focusing on your existing creative projects. You’ll plan, research, and develop these projects effectively, learning the importance of constructive feedback. Key activities include workshopping, character development, and place writing techniques.

Assessment: Feedback Report (20%) and Creative Work & Reflective Commentary (80%)

In the second year, you’ll deepen your practical and theoretical engagement in both Creative Writing and Drama. 

Block 1: Making Theatre and Performance

This module develops your skills in theatre and performance making, exploring approaches like directing and physical theatre. Critical analysis of performance texts and independent research are key components.

Assessment: Performance (70%) and Reflective Viva or Essay (30%)

Block 2: Exploring Work and Society

This module prepares you for post-degree pathways by focusing on the skills, capabilities, and knowledge needed to thrive in professional environments. Emphasis is placed on core attributes and transferable skills while developing familiarity with the world of work.

You will critically engage with themes such as race, gender, identity, and geopolitical issues in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, conceptualizing a more equitable and sustainable society.

Through workshops, lectures, seminars, and independent learning, you will explore work environments connected to creative writing and related fields. Activities may include responding to real-world briefs, placements, community projects, and creating project proposals.

Assessment: Written Portfolio or Recorded Presentation (100%)

Block 3: Story Craft

This module focuses on storytelling in diverse forms, such as poetry, hypertext, and scripted works. Narrative remains a powerful tool across media, marketing, advertising, and fiction. Themes may include narrative structure, characterisation, and story-world building.

You will study how storytelling adapts to contemporary settings, exploring narrative structure and how writers keep readers engaged. Additional topics may include writing for stage and screen, with a focus on structure and narrative.

Assessment: Story Craft Proposal (40%) and Story Craft Creative Work (60%)

Block 4: Theatre Company: Production

In this module, you’ll work as part of a theatre company to stage a performance. The process involves realising a production, from initial research to final performance. You’ll gain valuable experience in ensemble work, performance skills, and the technical and creative demands of theatre.

Assessment: Creative Project (70%) and Reflective Viva (30%)

In the third year, the programme offers you flexibility to pursue your individual career interests and aspirations.

Block 1: Screentime

The theme of this module is writing for screens and with screens. You’ll develop skills in writing for various screen genres and platforms, focusing on optimising your writing for the 21st-century context. Genres may include podcasts, poetry films, TV or film scripts, web novels, and social media flash fiction. Collaborative work, such as creating a TV sitcom episode or web novel, is also included.

Assessment: Screentime Reflection (30%) and Screentime Project (70%)

Block 2: Writing and Publishing

This module provides professional skills and industry knowledge relevant to creative writing. Topics may include international publishing trends, copyright, digital marketing, and self-publishing. You’ll also hear from industry professionals and explore global developments in writing and publishing.

Assessment: Marketing Plan (30%) and Publication Project (70%)

Block 3: Performance, Identity and Activism

This module explores cabaret performance from a practical perspective, examining how theatre can address politics and emancipate communities. You’ll engage with political activism through performance, using intersectional perspectives—race, gender, sexuality, class, and disability—to create work beyond entertainment.

Assessment: Performance (60%) and Essay/Presentation (40%)

Block 4: Professional Performance Practice or Negotiated Project

This module offers the opportunity to perform in an off-campus venue following a successful audition. You’ll work with a professional director to prepare, rehearse, and perform in a public production. The module requires evening commitments during production week and focuses on developing professional working skills. If your audition is unsuccessful, you will need to select an alternative module.

Assessment: Performance (80%) and Reflective Portfolio (20%)

In the third year, the programme offers you flexibility to pursue your individual career interests and aspirations.

Blocks 1 and 2: Choice of modules

You’ll choose two options from the following modules:

Live Art
Explore experimental performance practices, including body art, living sculptures, and autobiographical performance. You’ll work with partners and collaborators, engaging with critical concepts and ethical debates surrounding these art forms.

Assessment: Performance (70%) and Viva (30%)

Staging Texts
This module focuses on decisions made when staging plays, exploring staging choices and their relationship to critical perspectives. You’ll analyse theatrical performances using evidence like digital materials, interviews, and prompt books.

Assessment: Presentation (40%) and Creative Portfolio (60%)

Theatre Company: Production
You’ll work as part of a theatre company to stage a public production, gaining experience in the full production process. The module involves technical production, design, and marketing tasks, alongside performance.

Assessment: Reflective Viva (30%) and Performance (70%)

Education and Performing Arts
This module explores performing arts education policy, pedagogy, and curriculum design, with a focus on contemporary performance pedagogy. You’ll examine the role of performing arts in the evolving English education system and apply creative methodologies to your project work.

Assessment: Practical 1 and 2, Creative Pitches (50% each)

Block 3: Uncreative Writing

This module challenges the traditional notion of ‘creative writing’ by exploring ‘uncreative writing’ practices. You’ll engage with chance procedures, conceptual writing, found texts, and experiments with artificial constraints. The module emphasises play and experimentation as key elements of creativity, encouraging you to transform everyday materials into artistic works.

Assessment: Uncreative Portfolio (100%)

Block 4: Dissertation

The final-year dissertation provides an opportunity to work on a single form or genre of your choice. You’ll produce a professional creative work, accompanied by a critical reflective essay. This module focuses on redrafting, receiving feedback, and managing a professional writing project from conception to completion.

Assessment: Concept Testing (20%) and Dissertation (80%)

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Structure

Collaborative learning is central, and the workshop-based approach fosters a space for peer feedback, helping you recognise yourself as a writer within a creative community. In Drama, you’ll develop practical performance skills and theoretical understanding, blending hands-on work with texts and their historical contexts.

You’ll explore professional aspects of drama and creative writing, and develop your skills across various genres through creative writing pieces, case studies, and other assessment methods. In Drama, performance-based learning is enhanced through workshops, group projects, and opportunities to collaborate with visiting lecturers and theatre practitioners. You’ll also explore topics like popular theatre, applied drama, and contemporary performance practice.

In your third year, you can choose specialist modules, including a final project or the chance to perform at Curve theatre. Creative Writing modules focus on reflective and critical approaches, with assessments centred around creative writing coursework and critical self-analysis. Drama assessments may include performances, oral vivas, and creative portfolios. Throughout, you’ll engage with the university’s EDI strategy, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, while developing key skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and self-awareness. You’ll also gain enterprise and entrepreneurship skills to adapt and succeed in diverse professional contexts.


Contact hours

You will be taught through a combination of workshops, lectures, tutorials, group work and self-directed study. In your first year you will normally attend around 8-10 hours of timetabled taught sessions each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 28 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

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Our facilities

Library and learning zones

Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources.

Library and learning zones

Learning beyond the classroom

In some modules you may undertake independent or guided field trips for creative practice research. This may include exploring ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ campus, the local area, your home area or further afield. Other facilities at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ may also be visited, such as the ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ library, The Gallery, Trinity Chapel and ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Special Collections. On occasions, you may be encouraged to visit local museums and galleries, green spaces and historic sites of interest, such as Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, Newarke Houses, the city’s statues and monuments, Bradgate Park.

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Where we could take you

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Placements

During this programme you will have the option to complete a paid placement year, an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. Placements are available in diverse industries, and recent students have benefitted from positions in copywriting and marketing. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career.

Our Careers Team offers a range of careers resources and opportunities so you can start planning your future.

Previous drama students have enjoyed placements at Leicester’s Curve theatre, as well as other professional arts organisations and theatre companies, in arts events and venues, technical or stage management work. Related corporate industries, such as television or commercial enterprises, have also offered students the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and understanding of working practices in a professional and creative context.

graduate-careers

Graduate careers

Employability skills are embedded in the curriculum to prepare you for a wide range of careers in creative writing and beyond.

The programme equips you with transferable skills, including creative thinking, critical analysis, problem-solving, research, digital writing, publishing, and proofreading. We encourage you to recognise and articulate these valuable skills to employers.

Our graduates have built successful careers in writing, teaching, publishing, marketing, PR, filmmaking, and fundraising, with many pursuing further studies like ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ's Creative Writing MA.

Drama graduates develop strong skills in critical analysis, communication, collaboration, and project management, alongside public performance abilities. They’ve gone on to work in media, theatre production, and community arts, or to establish their own theatre companies. Our graduates include an actor for the National Theatre, Associate Director at Lichfield Garrick Theatre, and a Drama coach at Berzerk Productions.

What makes us special

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Block learning

With block teaching, you’ll learn in a focused format, where you study one subject at a time instead of several at once. As a result, you will receive faster feedback through more regular assessment, have a more simplified timetable, and have a better study-life balance. That means more time to engage with your ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ community and other rewarding aspects of university life.

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Global experiences

Our innovative international experience programme ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers.

Through , we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

Students on this programme have the opportunity to take part in the activities offered by ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Global, including the option to study or work abroad for up to a year. A student has recently taken the opportunity to study creative writing at university in New York.

Course specifications

Course title

Creative Writing and Drama

Award

BA (Hons)

UCAS code

W905

Institution code

D26

Study level

Undergraduate

Study mode

Full-time

Start date

September

Duration

3 years full-time, 4 years with placement

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

2025/26 international tuition:
£16,250

*subject to the government, as is expected, passing legislation to formalise the increase.

Entry requirements

GCSEs

  • Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and Maths

Plus one of the following:

A levels

  • A minimum of 112 points from at least two A levels

T Levels

  • Merit

BTEC

  • BTEC National Diploma - Distinction/Merit/Merit
  • BTEC Extended Diploma - Distinction/Merit/Merit

Alternative qualifications include:

  • Pass in the QAA accredited Access to HE overall 112 UCAS tariff with at least 30 L3 credits at Merit.
  • English GCSE required as separate qualification. Equivalency not accepted within the Access qualification. We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.
  • International Baccalaureate: 30+ points

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.