Explore professional writing techniques and learn to write compelling narratives, whether you want to write poetry, drama, short fiction, news, features or other forms.
You’ll improve your writing skills with invaluable feedback from professional writers, and workshops with your fellow students.
You’ll also find out how English literature is shaped by its historical and cultural context and how, in turn, it influences individual readers and the whole of society.
English Literature graduate Clive Thompson talks about how the course helped him change his life and become a teacher. Read more about Clive.
Why ARU?
Join a course that scored 100% for Teaching on my course, Academic support, and Freedom of students to express ideas, opinions and beliefs in the National Student Survey 2024
Get invaluable feedback from professional writers, including our teaching staff and Royal Literary Fund Fellows
Learn about history, politics, religion, psychology and history of art, enriching your writing
Become part of a community of creative professionals with wide-ranging expertise
Attend guest lectures from visiting authors, editors, agents, and more
Prepare for your future career with modules that demystify the publishing world
Our range of optional modules, including work-based modules in years 2 and 3, allows you to tailor your degree to your interests and ambitions.
We’ll support you to find work placements relevant to your chosen career, and you’ll have opportunities to take part in live briefs with our partner organisations.
You’ll also develop literacy, creativity, problem-solving, research, analysis, communication, and independent and team working skills, which are all highly valued by employers in many different fields.
Our BA (Hons) Writing and English Literature students go on to successful careers in a variety of fields, including journalism, teaching, writing, television, radio, the music industry, gallery work and arts administration.
Graduate Sam Millar published his first poetry collection Retail Park in 2022 with Querencia Press.
Jade Slaughter studied both her BA English Literature and MA Creative Writing at ARU, and is now Creative Content Manager for Scouts, the UK’s largest co-educational youth movement.
Our students recently worked with Slow Theatre Company, producing a series of plays for their Women in Red Wiki project to increase awareness of the under-representation of women on Wikipedia.
We want you to be a step ahead when you graduate, so we offer:
We’re here to help you develop your CV and find that all-important role after graduation. Our Employability Service offers tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, help to complete job applications, and much more. You’ll have 24/7 access to an online Careers Centre too, which is packed with useful resources.
The support continues after you graduate, with lifelong access to our Alumni Career Centre.
In Year 1, you’ll gain a grounding in various writing techniques, and analyse what makes existing work so engaging for different audiences.
In years 2 and 3, you’ll tailor the degree to your own interests with a variety of optional modules, as well as learning the techniques and conventions of short fiction, poetry and dramatic writing, and exploring the literature and culture of the Romantic and Victorian periods.
Finally, you’ll complete an independent research project on a relevant writing or English literature topic of your choice.
Student experience
ARU graduate Sam Millar published his poetry collection Retail Park through Querencia Press. Read more about his inspirations and how our course helped him develop his work in Sam's ARU Spotlight interview.
Created by ARU Writing, Film Production, Acting and Drama students for the Imperial War Museum’s D-Day commemorations. Brian Butler was a local Sightsetter in one of Belfast’s main gun turrets.
Created by ARU Writing, Film Production, Acting and Drama students for the Imperial War Museum’s D-Day commemorations. Captain Parham was remembered by Belfast’s sailors as a very gentle and humane leader.
Created by ARU Writing, Film Production, Acting and Drama students for the Imperial War Museum’s D-Day commemorations. Bob Shrimpton was part of HMS Belfast’s ASDIC (sonar) equipment team.
Created by ARU Writing, Film Production, Acting and Drama students for the Imperial War Museum’s D-Day commemorations. Charles Simpson was one of Belfast’s five Engineering Lieutenants.
Dr Jon Stone considers how poetry is changing in the digital age in this 60 Second Seminar.
Prof Eugene Giddens discusses one famous line and two things you may not realise in this 60 Second Seminar.
Dr Tory Young discusses the use of second-person in Ali Smith's short story 'May' in this 60 Second Seminar.
Year 1
Introduction to the Study of Literature and Writing
Introduction to Imaginative Writing
Screenwriting: The Short Film
Contemporary Publishing for Writers
Reading Critically, Old English to Enlightenment
Into ARU
Year 2
Writing Short Fiction
Writing for the Stage
Nineteenth Century Literature and the Environment
Crocodiles, Pirates and Moon-men: Renaissance Encounters
Ruskin Module (15 credits)
Writing Creative Non-Fiction *
Nineteenth Century Afterlives and Adaptations *
Online Journalism *
Anglia Language Programme (15 credits) *
Year 3
Writing Poetry
Writing and the Present
Major Project Writing *
Major Project English Literature *
Elizabeth Gaskell and the Brontës *
Renaissance Magic *
Spectacle and Representation in Renaissance Drama *
Careers with English *
Romantic Ideals *
New Media Discourse *
Literature and Exile: Displacement, Identity, Self *
Film Journalism *
Forbidden Stories: Banned Children's Books *
Anglia Language Programme (15 credits) *
Worldbuilding 1 and 2 *
The Business of Being a Writer: Craft and Professional Practice *
Novel Writing: Long-Form Prose *
Screenwriting: Writing and Selling the Feature Film *
A foundation year prepares you for the rest of your course, and focuses on general skills such as researching and referencing, numeracy and ICT, and communication. We'll also start to look at some more subject-specific topics.
Your placement year is a chance to put everything you’ve learnt in Years 1 and 2 into practice. Spend typically 9-12 months working for an organisation, developing your skills and gaining valuable work experience. Our Placements Team is here to help you secure a placement.
You’ll show your progress through many methods, reflecting the varied nature of your course. These will include writing portfolios, critical commentaries, presentations, journals and log books, critical essays, film reviews and analyses, internet, print and video production, and commissions. You’ll also take part in 'crits', in which you’ll present and defend your work.
Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.
Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.
Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.
You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.
We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.
Important additional notes
Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.
Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.
You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.
We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.
Important additional notes
Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.
Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.
You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.
We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.
International students
We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications.
This course includes an optional placement year. The placement year fee is:
£1,500 (2025-26)
£1,700 (2026-27)
You will be responsible for covering the cost of travelling to your placement during your placement year. This cost could vary significantly depending on where your placement is located, where you live during your course and how you travel.
Living at university
We understand that affordability is an important issue when you’re thinking about studying at university.
The overall cost of university can vary depending on where you’re studying and which course you’re taking.
Costs may also be lower if you're living at home. However, some of the main costs you’ll want to think about include:
accommodation
bills
internet, mobile phone and calls
travel
food and drink
socialising and going out
study materials.
Most full-time UK students can apply for a Maintenance Loan to help cover living costs. More about maintenance loans.
Our Money Advice Service is on hand if you’d like to chat about living costs, budgets and managing your money. You can also find out more about student finance at one of our Open Days.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries, which provide extra financial support while you’re at university.
If you're eligible for a scholarship, you'll generally receive it automatically – there's no need to apply.
Our campus employment bureau, ARU Temps, can help you find part-time work that fits around your studies. It's a great chance to enhance your CV and boost your income while you study.
Dr Colette Paul
Dr Cassie Gorman
Dr Tory Young
Professor Sarah Annes Brown
Professor Jeannette Baxter
Dr Jon Stone