Creative Writing BA(Hons) (Online)
Whether you dream of penning novels, writing for games, creating compelling digital campaigns or writing award-winning screenplays, fast-track your career in the world of writing with this exciting, industry-focused online degree.
Key details
| Course Duration | 2 years / 3 years |
|---|---|
| Attendance | Full-time / Part-time |
| UCAS code | W8OA (full-time) |
| Contact | 01326 254350 |
Request information
Introduction
This course is new for entry year 2021
Learning from experienced professionals, you'll explore the evolving needs of the writing marketplace, from digital content creation to screenwriting and writing for games, while actively engaging with our industry connections. With the chance to work on live briefs in creative teams, you'll graduate with an assured voice ready to make your mark.
You will:
- Experiment and take risks to nurture your own critically-informed, creative spark.
- Explore existing and emerging forms of writing.
- Cultivate your independent creative and critical thinking skills.
- Develop and enhance your craft by creating and publishing high quality content across a range of formats and platforms.
- Prepare to join the global writing marketplace with specialist knowledge and an adaptable skillset responsive to change.
- Learn how to connect with a vast range of audiences through your writing.
- Collaborate within teams, reflecting industry practice.
What our students do
Studying Creative Writing online means you'll be part of the vibrant School of Communication community. Check out the stories below to discover more about our amazing students, graduates and staff.
Graduate wins Cannes Young Lion Award for suicide prevention campaign
Graduate author publishes new book: Dunkirk to D-Day
Creative Community initiative connects students with industry
Reporting Earth calls on young journalists to tackle climate change
D&AD New Blood Awards: Falmouth students scoop Pencils & 'portfolio picks'
Student prospects improve with CIM accreditation
“This course is brilliant.” How studying an online MA has rewarded this Marketing student
Falmouth graduates declare WarOnCovid
Graduate Success: Rosie May
Meet the Creative Advertising graduate who’s disrupting the industry
Falmouth student pursues her career while studying online
Students publish Cornish skating magazine, 48to1
Falmouth lecturer launches follow up to Man Booker long-listed novel
Literary criticism, poetic exploration and Grand Theft Auto: Guest lecture with Calum Rodger
The Creative Writing lecturer reclaiming Venezuelan history
Graphic Design: Professional Practice Week
Adland: Creative Advertising students create in-house newspaper
Falmouth Guest Speaker Programme kicked off by Danny Wallace
Creative collaboration: Jessica Kielstra & Nina Forbes
Real-world journalism collaboration between Falmouth University and the Rory Peck Trust
What our graduates do
As a graduate you could:
Forge a career in a wide range of creative writing roles, from fiction writing, non-fiction writing and writing for games, to digital content creation and screenwriting.
Course details
What you'll learn
Across this online course you'll begin to develop your writing practise and your reflective and analytical skills both as an individual and as part of a team. You'll experiment with a wealth of forms and prompts, gain an awareness of the context of the creative industries, learn the art of reading as a writer and examine the elements and concepts that mediate, influence and challenge your place as a creator.
You'll begin to develop your writing practice and your reflective and analytical skills both as an individual and as part of a team. You'll experiment with a wealth of forms and prompts, gain an awareness of the context of the creative industries, learn the art of reading as a writer and examine the elements and concepts that mediate, influence and challenge your place as a creator.
Modules
Dreaming Up Worlds: Imagination, World-Building and Character
Develop your core fiction writing skills, create characters imbued with life, construct fascinating fictional worlds and understand the principles of storytelling.
True Stories: Creative Non-Fiction and Life-Writing
Develop research strategies for writing compelling creative non-fiction and life writing, and discover how to use creative writing to reach an audience for your true stories.
Post-Digital Writing: Idea, Concept, Platform
As a writer engaged in finding your own voice across platforms in contemporary cultural industries, you'll experiment with a wealth of forms and prompts to expand your practice into the post-digital era.
Society and Identity
Examine the elements and concepts that mediate, influence and challenge your place as a creator and develop your critically informed writing voice.
You'll push the boundaries of your discipline to extend and enhance your writing, entrepreneurial and critical skills. You'll work in teams to create and publish innovative content, while exploring and analysing audience reception. You'll also have the opportunity to develop your writing and analytical skills across different genres and forms.
Modules
Writing for Screen Media: Games, Film, TV
You'll experiment with the formal constraints at the interface of writing and the digital world.
Bound by None: Place and Adventure
Develop your travel, place and nature writing skills, alongside critical approaches to exploration and environmentalism in this adventurous module.
Writing for Performance: Poetry, Theatre, Comedy
Develop disruptive and engaging writing approaches to reimagine conventional forms in a contemporary context.
Collaborative Project
Working in real-world contexts with other students and industry partners, you'll develop creative working strategies, communication and advanced project planning skills.
You’ll continue to strengthen your industry presence as a writer and be encouraged to submit your work to active calls for submission. You’ll also hone your own voice further with a deep-dive into a genre of your choosing – developing a critical and market-based understanding of its intricacies. All this will culminate in your final project, where you’ll be supported by your supervisor to produce a substantial creative piece in a specific form and genre. You'll take a more entrepreneurial approach to your practice and establish your public persona as a 21st-century writer.
Modules
The Hybrid
Respond to challenges and engage in multidisciplinary work to produce an innovative, multiform piece.
Genres and Disruptive Fictions
Deep dive into your chosen genre and develop a critical, market-based understanding of its intricacies.
Masterpiece: Individual Project
Produce a substantial piece in the form and genre of your choosing and take your practice and your voice further.
Publishing Lab: Entrepreneurial Practice
Develop the framework for your current and future publishing activities, and position yourself with agility in the diverse and changing world of the creative industries.
The modules above are those being studied by our students, or proposed new ones. Programme structures and modules can change as part of our curriculum enhancement and review processes. If a certain module is important to you, please discuss it with the Course Leader.
From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details:
We are making changes to our curriculum framework for courses starting in 2022. Modest amendments to our course module structure will provide you with new opportunities to collaborate and co-create with students from across disciplines during your studies.
This course page will be updated when these changes have been finalised and applicants will be notified.
How you'll learn
This online course is delivered through a combination of lectures, webinars, forums and activities. These will take place through both online events and work undertaken in your own time, through the Virtual Learning Environment.
All our activities are designed to support you to achieve the learning outcomes of each module. Each week you'll develop your passion for writing by actively engaging with a variety of forms and genres. Lectures, video and audio resources, extra reading material and interactive activities, are all available online and there are weekly challenges and learning events. Curated readings and resources will challenge and enhance your analytical thinking and taste, and you'll learn by doing to best develop your voice and your position as a writer.
You'll cultivate a dynamic writing process, working on your craft between 27-40 hours a week, depending on your choice of full-time or part-time study, establishing a writing routine and preparing and researching for your modules - as a full-time writer would do.
How you'll be assessed
The BA(Hons) Creative Writing online employs a range of assessments and strategies throughout the course, including formative and summative assesments.
Formative assessment in the form of continuous written and/or verbal feedback takes place across the module through your participation in the different learning activities and webinars, and by exchanging peer feedback on ideas and work in progress. This kind of assessment supports you to develop your writing, critical and reflective skills and to keep up to date with your course work.
Summative assessment takes place on each module, usually at mid-points and at the end of the module. Activities across each module will help you prepare for these assessments. Assessment types include portfolios, reviews, pitches, presentations, reflective journals, case studies, competition analysis, documentation of projects and the final project, which is the major project of the end of your course. At the end of the module you'll receive written feedback and a mark for each assignment via an online feedback system within three weeks of the deadline.
You'll be able to check in with your online tutor to discuss your progress and ask any questions you have about your course.
Staff
Our staff are fascinated by the immense possibilities of creative writing and the playful, artistic nature of contemporary publishing. Their entrepreneurial engagement with the craft and in-depth discipline knowledge expands across many areas of expertise including screenwriting, writing for games, comedy, business and digital writing, podcast, poetry, young adult and literary prose. With strong connections to the creative industries, they'll help you experience an up-to-date, innovative learning journey with opportunities for industry-based challenges and networking.
Dr Luke Thompson
Luke is a writer of poetry and non-fiction and the founding editor of Guillemot Press. His...
Dr Jennifer Young
Jennifer Young moved to Falmouth in 2019 to take up the post of Head of Writing and Journalism. She...
Dr Sherezade García Rangel
Sherezade is Venezuelan writer, podcaster, lecturer and researcher based in Falmouth University....
Facilities
- 24/7 access to Falmouth's extensive online library of contextual books, journals and resources
- Accessible online audio / visual content
- Dedicated virtual learning environment
- Face-to-Face events - usually run twice a year*
- Invitation to attend alumni events
- Opportunity to publish digitally through our creative online magazine, FalWriting
- Access to online software tutorials at LinkedIn Learning
- Students' Union community
- Access to our Student Support Services and a Student Advisor to support you throughout your studies
*Please bear in mind that the Covid-19 pandemic may impact these events. You can view the latest information here.
How to apply
Apply
Ready to join us? You can apply for the full-time pathway through Clearing for September 2021. You can apply for the part-time pathway directly with us for September 2021. Select the right pathway buttons to apply, or if you're not sure speak to our advisors.
Full-time pathway
Apply through Clearing
Part-time pathway
Apply for part-time
Need further information or support?
If you'd like to talk to an Advisor about this course, or your application, get in touch by using the simple form below. We'll get right back to you to answer any questions and support your application journey.
Application advice & interview information
We consider all applications on their own individual merit and potential. We invite all applicants to an online interview to give them the opportunity to demonstrate this along with what inspires and motivates them in their field. Applicants will also be able to show their portfolio or give a performance depending on the course. We welcome applications from all subject backgrounds, whether you've specialised in STEM, the arts or humanities.
As a guide our typical offer at undergraduate level is 104-120 UCAS Tariff points, primarily from Level 3 qualifications such as but not limited to a-levels, a BTEC/UAL Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma.
For applicants whose first language is English we require you to have or be working towards GCSE English Language Grade 4 (C), or equivalent.
If English is not your first language you will need to meet the same standard which is equivalent to the IELTS Academic 6.0 overall score, with at least 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. We accept a range of in country equivalencies and approved tests.
If you need a student visa to study in the UK, you'll need to take a recognised language test that is approved and vouched for by the University. You can read our English Language Requirements for more information.
The enrolment deadline for online undergraduate courses is 1 October 2021. You may enrol up until 15 October 2021 with special permission.
Applications for these courses remain open whilst there are spaces available. We encourage you to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Fees, costs & funding
Tuition fees
£10,400 per year - 2 years accelerated full time
£6,935 per year - 3 years part time
£10,400 per year - 2 years accelerated full time
£6,935 per year - 3 years part time
Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.
For information on fees, get in touch using our online form.
Typical course costs
- £300-£400 - Recurring annual costs for associated course materials
You do not need any specific software and a reasonable home or work computer will work just fine.
Funding
For information about funding available for online study, please visit our Online Study Funding page.
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