About the course

Our student-focused degree introduces the study of literature alongside creative writing. Our specialist tutors combine individual specialism with years of experience teaching on undergraduate and postgraduate courses, teaching to a high standard in line with Quality Assurance expected at the highest level of undergraduate study. Through Burnley College University Courses, we offer tailored support to all our undergraduates combining lectures, seminars, debates, discussions, close reading, as well as cultural enrichment trips across arts and heritage. We introduce the study of literature as the heart of the humanities, and creative writing as the practical expression of this philosophy.

C.S Lewis, author of the Narnia books says we need literature because “we need to know we’re not alone”; we are made of the stories we tell and the stories we hear, and language, at its heart, allows us access into other lives and other worlds. 

Through the study and creation of English, we can explore issues such as how we understand truth, how the themes of life such as age, family, love and grief impact our understanding of literature and how we can create work that tells us about these fundamental issues in new and exciting ways.

Literature can bridge the gap, not only between people, but between humans and animals, or between species. Literature plays with limits and there is no limit to how we can think ourselves into the being of another. Our tailored reading lists introduce students to some of the most famous works of literature as well as critical theory, experimental works in poetry, graphic novels, short and flash fiction, film and television adaptations and the creative impulse behind art and aesthetics.

Creative writing is a complimentary element to literary reading and is designed to shape students into more effective writers within a range of literary genres. Being able to craft cogent, meaningful and resonant sentences enables writers to sculpt their thoughts into powerful messages, to move hearts and minds and to create new worlds and ways of thinking.

Skills

You will be able to plan and lead discussion, write critical and creative essays, conduct report writing, summarise complex information, have highly developed research skills, be able to delegate and work in teams. You will develop close-reading, blogging, archival work, and arts and heritage knowledge to equip you for a life of critical thinking and highly developed communication skills to make you stand out from the crowd.

The study of English provides a highly specialised education in critical thinking, creativity, communication, empathy, problem-solving, people management, co-ordinating with others, emotional intelligence, decision making and judgement, cognitive flexibility, negotiation, communication. All these aspects are crucial to understanding across the humanities and the study of English is central to careers in areas as diverse as theatre, creative writing, history, cultural studies, media, cinema, music, art history, anthropology, philosophy, classics, ancient history, archaeology, photography, fashion, design, architecture, psychology, sociology, metaphysics, geography, faith studies, urban planning, and landscape architecture.

Start Date/s

15/09/2025

Cost Information

Years 1, 2 and 3 (delivered at Burnley College): The standard full time tuition fee rate per year for this course in 2023/24 for UK students is £9000

Entry Requirements

96 UCAS points BA (Hons)

BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM

BTEC Diploma: D*D-D*D*

International Baccalaureate Diploma: Pass including 104-112 points from Higher Level subjects 

T Level: M

IELTS: 6.0 with no component lower than 5.5

GCSEs: 5 at grade C/4 including Maths and English or equivalent 

You will also be required to attend a face to face interview. 

Modules

From literature, we will cover a broad range of introductory modules in Year 1, including, Text and Context, Form and Genre, and Stories and Narrative. Our creative writing offerings in Year One include Writing Poetry, Fiction and Drama. In years 2 and 3 we offer a range of optional modules including Literature of Love, Perspectives on Poetry, Literary and Critical Theory, Gothic Narratives, Children’s Literature, Contemporary Poetry, Adaptation and Virtual Victorians. From Creative writing, we cover narratology, expositional writing, characterisation, scene setting and defamiliarisation, effective dialogue writing, writing for performance, poetry composition and more.

Assessment

Assessment tasks are linked to the learning outcomes of each module and are completed before the end of the module. Module assessments typically involve written coursework, oral presentations, and portfolios. Formative assessment, which does not contribute to the final mark, is given to help the student improve their work in future. Feedback may be given to the student verbally/written/online. Feedback for summative assessment is normally given in writing to the student, with the opportunity for the student to receive a more detailed verbal explanation.