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Explore the rich traditions of literature while developing your talents as a writer, editor and publisher in our unique project-based programme. Find your own voice and discover how to make it heard in today’s literary marketplace.
Covering British, Irish, American, Indigenous, Postcolonial and World literatures, English Literature and Creative Writing at Kent is truly global, cutting edge, creative, interactive and vibrant.
In your first year, you will learn the essentials of creative writing practice, such as journaling, workshopping, editing and redrafting, while taking modules on the major forms of literature (poetry, drama and fiction), as well as option modules on how literature addresses crucial issues such as the environment, power and protest, the social impacts of technology or contemporary feminism.
In second year, you will take specialised modules on the writing of fiction, poetry and other forms, while choosing which aspects of literary history to study from the 1300s to the present day. In this year, will also decide what you would like to do as your project in your final year, which may take any form, from a dissertation, novel or poetry collection to an online exhibition, community project, or mobile application—and more.
In third year, as well as completing your project, you will take a number of specialist modules that take you deep into cutting-edge areas of experimental writing and literary research. Your degree will culminate in an Arts Festival and Summer School, where you may have the opportunity to exhibit your work to the public and potential employers.
“I liked the range of the literature we studied at Kent - the fact that we looked at all sorts of genres, from all sorts of periods. It gave me a good literary grounding, a great sense of the way that literature in English has developed over the centuries”
– Sarah Waters, graduate and award-winning novelist (Fingersmith, Tipping the Velvet)
“Are you ambitious? Kent is the place to nurture those dreams. And if they are interested in creative writing, they are well at home.”
- David Ishaya Osu, graduate and published poet.
During your course, there are a wealth of ways to add further value your degree and get involved with literary activities.
Kent Extra provides a range of co-curricular activities to enhance your employability and add a new dimension to student life. You can spend a year abroad, work in industry, attend a summer school, volunteer, or take a Study Plus course. You could even add a year in Computing, Data Analytics, Journalism or a Language to your degree and increase your employability.
Publish your work with the School of English’s magazine, showcasing students in creative writing, poetry and prose, or alternatively consider writing for the University’s own student, InQuire, run by the student union, giving you the opportunity to develop your writing skills and to gain valuable work experience in journalism. There are also a number of student-run societies with a literary theme to get involved with, including the Creative Writing, Drama, Poetry or Literature societies.
The School of English runs research seminars, workshops and social events, as well as a successful creative writing series of readings, where well-known writers and publishers share their experiences and skills. All our students receive free membership to the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in central London, giving you access to the ICA’s facilities and a small number of internships.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. All applications are assessed on an individual basis but some of our typical requirements are listed below. Students offering qualifications not listed are welcome to contact our Admissions Team for further advice. Please also see our general entry requirements.
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The University welcomes applications from Access to Higher Education Diploma candidates for consideration. A typical offer may require you to obtain a proportion of Level 3 credits in relevant subjects at merit grade or above.
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. A typical offer would be DMM in a relevant subject.
30 points overall or 15 points at HL.
Pass all components of the University of Kent International Foundation Programme with a 60% overall average including 60% in the Literature module.
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
If you are an international student, visit our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country, including details of the International Foundation Programmes. Please note that international fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.
Please note that meeting the typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee that you will receive an offer.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you do not meet our English language requirements, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 3 years full-time (4 with a year abroad/in industry), 6 years part-time (7 with a year abroad/in industry)
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
The 2023/24 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.
Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsKent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
Teaching and assessment can vary between modules. All modules are taught by weekly seminars. In addition to seminars, the majority of literature modules also include a weekly lecture. The majority of Stage 2 and Stage 3 Creative Writing modules also include a weekly workshop.
Assessment across all Stages is by a varied and exciting range of coursework only. There are no exams in modules from the School of English. Some modules may include an optional practical element. Assessment at Stage 3 may also include an optional Dissertation or final project.
Assessment at Stage 3 is by coursework only and may include an optional English Dissertation/Creative Writing project.
Attendance at seminars is required, and for the majority of modules, you are assessed on your seminar contribution/performance.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
The programme aims to:
You develop knowledge and understanding of:
You develop the following intellectual skills:
You develop the following subject-specific skills:
You develop the following transferable skills:
English at Kent scored 87% overall in The Complete University Guide 2023.
Creative Writing at Kent was ranked 11th in The Times Good University Guide 2023.
87% of Creative Writing students who completed the National Student Survey 2022 were satisfied with the overall quality of teaching.
Our graduates have gone on to work in areas including:
Our graduates include:
The University’s friendly Careers and Employability Service offers advice on how to:
Alongside specialist skills, you also develop the transferable skills graduate employers look for, including the ability to:
You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
If you are from the UK or Ireland, you must apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not from the UK or Ireland, you can apply through UCAS or directly on our website if you have never used UCAS and you do not intend to use UCAS in the future.
Find out more about how to apply
Enquire online for full-time study
Enquire online for part-time study
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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