Goldsmiths, University of London has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
Combine the study of literature with the practice of creative writing. You’ll graduate with the ability to be curious about literature, and the imagination to turn that curiosity into creativity. This flexible programme allows you to choose topics related to American literature and culture, comparisons of literature across different cultures and art forms (also known as comparative literature), and study diverse aspects of language use in linguistics modules. Your literary and creative studies will be supported by lectures and seminars which will give you practical advice to help you improve your essay writing and refine your research strategies. Why study BA English with Creative Writing at Goldsmiths Goldsmiths' Department of English and Creative Writing is one of the most established and long-running creative writing centres in UK Higher Education, and many of our graduates are now leading writers and editors in their field. Our location on the doorstep of central London means that you will have easy access to one of the most diverse, historic, and dynamic literary centres in the world. We’re regularly visited by literary guest speakers, and our students have recently enjoyed events with Ali Smith, George Saunders, Bernadine Evaristo, Nikesh Shukla, Michael Rosen, Eimear McBride and Howard Jacobson. Our forward-thinking approach to the fields of creative writing and literary studies is supported by our hosting and running of the Goldsmiths Prize, awarded annually to work that pushes the boundaries of the novel. Who studies English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths Since 2010, twelve of our alumni have gone on to win the prestigious Eric Gregory Award, awarded annually by the Society of Authors for a collection by British poets under the age of 30. Other recent alumni have gone on to win the Ted Hughes Award for poetry, the Somerset Maugham Award, the Rathbones Folio Prize, the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, The Guardian & 4th Estate Short Story Prize, the European Union Prize for Literature, the Dylan Thomas Prize, the White Review Poetry Prize, with other graduates being shortlisted for the Forward Prize and the TS Eliot Prize. Many of our students go on to study on leading international MA and MFA and PhD programmes, including on our own leading MA in Creative and Life Writing programme. Why Goldsmiths While our graduates are the best advocates of our teaching of English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, our teaching staff of celebrated writers and scholars are ready to support you and your work as a Goldsmiths student. If you want to chat about life and learning here, be it our literature modules, our assessments, what your week might look like as an undergraduate in the Department of English and Creative Writing, or what goes on in our creative writing workshops, we are happy to hear from you.
Modules
Each level of the degree includes a single year-long creative writing module taught by creative writing practitioners and active researchers. Each of these modules must be passed in order to progress to the next level and (in the case of the final module) for you to be awarded the degree. Year 1 In your first year, you'll take the following compulsory modules: Explorations in Literature Approaches to Text Foundation Workshop in Creative Writing Introduction to Poetry You will also choose one of the following option modules: Introduction to US Literature and Culture: America and its Discontents Understanding Language in Use Introduction to Comparative Literature Year 2 In your second year, you'll take the following compulsory modules: Creative Writing Workshop Goldsmiths’ Social Change Module You'll then take 2 or 3 modules from an approved list. This list is published annually by the Department of English and Creative Writing, and includes the Goldsmiths Elective. This elective allows you to choose a module from a related subject in another department. A minimum of 1 30 credit module must be based on pre-1800 literature. Examples of recent modules include: (Re)writing America: from the nineteenth century to the present day 18th-Century Literature Aesthetics Black British Literature Classical Epic and Contemporary Literature Contemporary Indigenous Literatures: Place, Politics and Identity Contemporary London Poetry Discourse and Society Literature and Power in the Victorian Period Modern American Fiction Moderns Old English Renaissance Worlds Sensibility and Romanticism: Revolutions in Writing and Society Shakespeare Sociolinguistics: Language use, Variation, and Identity Staging Women’s Voices: Feminism and Writing (Enlightenment to now) Work Placement (English) Year 3 In your final year, you'll take a compulsory Project Development module. With your remaining credits you'll choose from a list of optional modules produce annually by the Department, including at least 30 credits from pre-1800 literature. Recent modules have included: American Gothic Approaches to Language and the Media Caribbean Women Writers Contemporary Indigenous Literatures: Place, Politics and Identity Decadence Dustbowl to Dreamfactory: American Cinema & Writing in the 1930s Language and Gender Modern American Fiction Modernism and Drama (1880-1930) Moderns Poetry since 1945 Renaissance Worlds Sensibility and Romanticism: Revolutions in Writing and Society Shakespeare’s Sisters: Contemporary Women’s Writing 1960s to the present Studies in Literature and Film The Art of the Novel The Emergence of Modern America: American Literature 1890–1940 Word Power: How Words are Born, Live, and Die Work Placement (English) Writing Lives Writing, Culture and Society Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.
Assessment method
You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include portfolios of original creative writing and critical commentaries on your work for each of the workshops, coursework portfolios, long essays and examinations (various timescales and formats).
How to apply
31Jan
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
- Course code:
- Q3W8
- Institution code:
- G56
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)
120 credits at Level 4 and a 2:1 average in a comparable programme, and meet the standard qualification requirements for entry to Year 1 of the programme.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - BBB
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDM
Access to HE Diploma - D: 30 credits
Scottish Higher - BBBBC
Scottish Advanced Higher - BBC
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 33 points
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) - H2, H2, H2, H2
T Level - M
A selection of recent written work will also be required. A-level General Studies is not accepted. We welcome students with a range of educational experiences. If you believe you may not meet the standard qualification requirements we would still encourage you to apply because we consider all aspects of your application when making a decision.
Additional entry requirements
Portfolio
A selection of recent written work.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | With a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 |
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
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
To find out more about fees and funding, please check our undergraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office https://www.gold.ac.uk/ug/fees-funding/
Provider information
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross
Lewisham
SE14 6NW