English and Creative Writing with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)
- UCAS Code: QW3A
- Level: Foundation
- Starting: September 2021
- Study mode: Full Time (4 years)
- Location: City Centre
Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any arrangements put in place by the University for the 2021/22 academic year will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
Our BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing with Foundation Year degree course will support you in developing a rigorous and creative writing practice, while also honing your critical and analytical abilities.
You will develop your writing, close-reading and research skills and learn to craft different kinds of original writing – from critical argument to fiction. In the School of English, you will be taught by respected academics and practitioners offering a diverse range of modules.
You will study literature from various major periods, movements and genres. You will also have the opportunity to produce audio drama, screenplay, short stories and poetry. Your degree will allow you to tailor your studies to your individual interests and career aspirations with both a local and global outlook
About foundation courses
This diverse and creative course incorporating a Foundation Year is a must for anyone passionate about English, whether that be language, literature, drama or creative writing.
As part of the foundation year you will develop essential skills and knowledge which will help you succeed in your future degree level studies and which will be transferable to your future career.
You will study a variety of subjects, including language and literature, drama and creative writing, and will learn how these different aspects of English study interact with one another.
Alongside this you will develop core skills in research, critical analysis, planning and evaluation, creativity and effective communication. Understanding how English is studied in context, developing that knowledge and applying it through a range of assignments and assessments, will provide you with a strong foundation upon which to progress to degree-level study at the School of English.
Why study a degree with a foundation year?
Foundation years are a great option if you have the talent, ambition and potential to thrive at Birmingham City University, but do not meet the entry requirements for your preferred course. It’s ideal if:
- You want the flexibility of a year’s study on a more general course to find out the best degree choice for you.
- You have changed your mind about your career since you chose your A-levels or BTECs and need to improve your skills in a different subject area.
- You would like extra time and support to help you build your knowledge, skills and confidence before starting a full degree.
What's covered in the course?
English and Creative Writing allows you to examine how language and literature engage with societies and cultures past and present, to develop a rigorous, creative and disciplined writing practice, and to express insights into contemporary concerns, effecting the way you and others see the world.
Through workshops with published authors you will hone your writing craft, experimenting with forms including audio drama, screenplay, short fiction, poetry and the novel. You will produce polished pieces of writing using creative and analytical approaches that complement your study of English.
You will benefit from student-focused and research-informed teaching in a friendly, supportive learning environment where you will be taught by respected academics and expert practitioners who foster a community of experimentation, innovation and inclusivity.
Our graduates are characterised by their inventiveness, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity, reflected in the skills and abilities that enables them to adapt to a wide range of career paths and employment opportunities. Throughout your studies, you will develop a range of transferable skills valued in the creative industries and beyond.
The School is committed to contributing to the cultural life of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. We do this through working closely with partner colleges and schools, by maintaining close links with cultural institutions such as the Birmingham and Midland Institute (BMI) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG), and by working with agencies such as Writing West Midlands. In all of this we seek to widen participation and provide opportunities for the community to engage with the discipline and the University.
Why Choose Us?
- You’ll be taught by expert practitioners and world-leading academics, who encourage experimentation and innovation. Our courses are interdisciplinary by design, offering opportunities to explore literature, drama, language and creative writing, and collaborate in, for instance, student-led conferences and showcases.
- Alongside your formal learning, you’ll have the opportunity to meet acclaimed authors and industry specialists as part of the activities of our Institute of Creative and Critical Writing. Recent guests include author Kit de Waal, poetry activist Jo Bell, agent Cathryn Summerhayes, and Writing West Midlands’ CEO, Jonathan Davidson.
- You’ll be part of a thriving creative community, alive with opportunities to develop your creative and critical skills. We encourage you to seek out ways to collaborate with student actors, radio producers, musicians and illustrators across a Faculty equipped with world-class production facilities and an internationally-acclaimed student radio station.
- While you’ll develop abilities as an independent researcher and effective communicator, responding imaginatively to briefs and completing research projects, you can also submit work to our annual anthology and discuss your creative career with those working in the industry.
- We contribute to a thriving literary scene, whether it’s holding informal poetry readings in the pub, hosting the launch of the acclaimed Poetry Review, or interviewing Man Booker Prize shortlisted authors at Birmingham Literary Festival.
This course is open to International students

Discover the School of English
Visit our School site for more student work and extra information.
Where our students go
Our students have gone on to work in jobs such as:
- Authors, writers and translators
- Marketing associate professionals
- Primary and nursery education teaching professionals
Entry Requirements
We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.
UK students
Essential | ||
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80 UCAS tariff points. |
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LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS | ||
GCSE |
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Irish Leaving Certificate (Ordinary Level) |
See level 3 entry under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details | |
Scottish National 5 |
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IELTS |
Minimum overall score of 6.0, with 6.0 in writing and no less than 5.5 in the remaining three skills. | |
Plus one of the following Level 3 (and above) Qualifications | ||
A Level and Advanced VCE |
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AS and AS VCE |
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Access to HE Diploma |
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IBO Certificate in Higher Level |
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International Baccalaureate Diploma |
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Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers) |
Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 80 tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects. This must include English Language taken at Ordinary Level (minimum grade O1-O4 (or A-C/A1-C3)) and Higher level minimum grade H1/H7 (or A-D / A1-D3 up to and including 2016 | |
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma |
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Scottish Advanced Higher |
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T-Levels |
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Other qualifications | ||
If you have a qualification that is not listed in the table please refer to our full entry requirements on UCAS. Further guidance on tariff points can be found on the UCAS website. |
Additional information for EU/International students
Essential | ||
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Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In addition to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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EU/Non-EU (International) Qualifications | Requirements | |
IELTS |
Minimum overall score of 6.0, with 6.0 in writing and no less than 5.5 in the remaining three skills. If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
Mature Applicants
Applications from mature students (21+) with alternative qualifications and/or considerable work experience will be considered on their merits.
- UK students
- International students
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 4 years
- £9,250 per year
- Apply via UCAS
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 4 years
- £13,200 per year
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Guidance for UK students

UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
Applying through UCAS
Register with UCAS
Login to UCAS
Complete your details
Select your course
Write a personal statement
Get a reference
Pay your application fee
Send UCAS your application
Portfolio Guidance
You are not required to submit a portfolio for this course.
Additional costs
Our courses include activities such as performance, exhibitions, field trips and production of works or artefacts which may require you to purchase specific equipment, instruments, books, materials, hire of venues and accommodation, or other items.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Accommodation and living costs
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
Foundation year
During your foundation year you will be taught in small classes where active participation is part of the teaching methodology.
Your study will involve reading and analysis, discussion and debate, and practical activities which allow you to test and implement your skills and knowledge. In addition to attending classes you will be required to complete preparation and follow-up tasks and activities to support your learning.
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Year one
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules.
Year two
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 60 credits):
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 60 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules.
Year three
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 80 credits):
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules.
Course Structure
In Year one you explore core subjects in English Literature, Drama, Language and Creative Writing through a combination of face-to-face lectures, seminars, field trips, workshops, online tasks, group work and – crucially – independent research and practice. You will build on these theory and practice-based elements in the second half of Year one, deepening your understanding and practice of elements of writing craft across a range of forms and genres (such as audio drama, memoir and screenplay), along with other disciplines of your choice.
In Year two, you have the opportunity to specialise further. Depending on the modules you choose, project work in creative writing might include writing screenplays and pitches for short films, crafting short story collections, poetry pamphlets, or writing and producing audio drama. You will complete either a collaborative project or work placement, or you may choose to spend your second semester studying abroad. You also have the opportunity to draw on the full range of English modules which will help you develop your skills in critical analysis, investigative enquiry and synthesising ideas from a range of sources – all skills highly valued in the workplace.
In Year three, you can keep exploring new fields of study, while also deepening your understanding in your chosen specialisms. This might include exploring new forms, for instance, by researching and writing creative nonfiction (which includes travel writing, autobiography and literary journalism), or by specialising further as a poet or screenwriter. You will also choose options from the full suite of English modules available. Alongside your studies, we advise you to attend face to face sessions with literary agents and other industry professionals visiting our Institute of Creative and Critical Writing. You will complete a major independent project, such as a substantial extract of a novel, enabling you to showcase all the skills you’ve learned during your degree.
Teaching and learning activities
Teaching and learning activities may include lectures, seminars, practical workshops and guided independent study. You will also have access to a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, including theatre trips, seminars by prestigious guest speakers and published authors and a programme of scholarly and creative events. Online facilities, such as the University’s Virtual Learning Environment Moodle, are used to guide, support and enhance your learning experience.
You will benefit from tutorial support and spoken or written feedback on your learning and preliminary work to help you in preparing for and reflecting on your assignments. A wide range of assessment methods are used in the programme, including essays, presentations, performances, conferences and creative portfolios, giving you the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills.
77 per cent of research undertaken by lecturers from the School of English, classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF2014)
Links
The School maintains close links with cultural institutions such as the Birmingham and Midland Institute (BMI) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) and works with agencies such as Writing West Midlands.
Learn from industry experts 
The school regularly organises talks and visits that will provide you with the chance to learn from industry experts with guest masterclasses and visiting authors.
Novelist Jim Crace delivered a series of workshops with students, giving feedback on their work and an insight into the world of professional writing and the publishing industry. Student Nabiyah Saddique said: "It was beneficial to students like me who want to write and be an author by career, to see how his experiences have shaped him and how he has created such beautiful pieces of work from these experiences."
Jim also enjoyed the chance to work with the students: "Everybody tried their hands at pitching an idea, writing the opening paragraphs of a novel, and line editing. It was testing and daunting but nobody fell short. The level of commitment and ability was astounding. London publishers should be beating a path to the School of English; it houses writing talent in abundance."
Overseas Opportunities
We encourage you to consider taking the opportunity provided by the Erasmus scheme during your time with us. Recent graduate, Charlotte Keogh, studied for a semester in Austria as part of her undergraduate degree.
Charlotte said: "Going to live and study in Austria was the single most terrifying and tremendous experience of my life. I left England with a self-taught basic knowledge of German (meaning I could say “hello”, “goodbye” and “can I have a glass of water please?”) and left being able to hold conversations with the gorgeous old ladies who shared my tram journeys through the city every morning."
Further Study
After completing your undergraduate degree, you might want to progress to our MA in Creative Writing or any one of a multitude of postgraduate programmes, including PGCEs for teacher training, programmes in digital marketing, journalism and public relations or conversion courses such as the Graduate Diploma in Law programmes.
Enhancing Employability Skills
Employability is embedded across our programme, from sector- and industry-specific skills in creative writing, drama, linguistics and literature, through to transferable skills that hold real value regardless of your employment direction, including literacy and numeracy, time management and organisation, oral and written communication, team work, initiative and enterprise, creative and analytical thinking, self-direction and discipline, independence, information gathering and interpersonal skills.
You will have multiple opportunities to engage in problem solving and problem-based learning, particularly through individual assessments and collaborative practice modules, and to reflect on your own career development needs through participating in the Graduate+ scheme and other employability schemes over the course of your degree.
95 per cent of our English graduates are in work or continuing their studies.
(2015/16 DLHE statistics)
Placements
The School is committed to developing strong links with employers in Birmingham and the West Midlands. Several language and Creative Writing modules have explicit employer and industry engagement, where you work in collaboration with employer and external partners over the course of the semester and are encouraged to adopt industry-standard practices to facilitate connections and links independently with external partners.
In the case of the Work Placement module, you will have the opportunity to develop skills and abilities in a sector-specific context, while ensuring that academic aims and objectives are met as part of your wider learning journey.
OpportUNIty

OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Links to Industry
We regularly seek out opportunities to build further links with partner organisations in the region, including Creative Black Country, Birmingham Literary Festival, Birmingham Museums Trust (including Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery), Black Country Museum Trust, Arvon Creative Writing Foundation, Flatpack Film Festival, West Midlands Screenwriters' Forum, and other Schools within the University, in addition to publishers, charities, third sector organisations, and more, in Birmingham and beyond.
Graduate Jobs
Our graduates are characterised by their extensive subject knowledge, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity, reflected in the skills and abilities that will enable them to adapt to a wide range of career paths, employment opportunities, or further study at Master’s or PhD level.
Graduates go on to careers in teaching, librarianship, marketing, journalism and public relations.
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here.
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies.
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country.
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies.
Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.

BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Our Facilities
When you join Birmingham City University, the first thing you will notice is the high standard of our campuses. With an investment of £340 million across our buildings and facilities, we are committed to giving you the very best learning environment to help shape your experience.
You will study at both the home of the School of English in Millennium Point, and at our £63 million development the Curzon Building, located on our City Centre campus in the vibrant second city that is Birmingham.
Discover your bright and open learning spaces, your 24 hour (during term time) library, drama, media and radio studios, along with state of the art lecture theatres, and a variety of sociable break-out areas, all adding to your unique learning experience.
Our Staff
As you have a great deal of choice throughout your degree, it’s likely you’ll come into contact with many of our inspiring, research-active staff, including Anna Lawrence, Subject Leader for Creative Writing and a novelist and poet, whose interests include collisions between the magical and the industrial, Andy Conway, specialist in screenwriting and founder of Digital Film Studio and talent development hub, BFilm Micro, and Rhoda Greaves, award-winning short story writer.

Lucy Fraser
Lecturer
Lucy Fraser has taught at Birmingham City University since 2002, where she teaches a range of modules within the School of English. She has taught modules on poetry, various fiction, film, critical methods, cultural studies and narratives. Lucy holds degrees from Coventry University, the University of Birmingham and has a PGCE from the University of Worcester. She has taught in secondary school, she has been an examiner for the AQA and Edexcel, and is a Curriculum Area Moderator for the OCNWMR.
Lucy has taught at the University of Worcester and on postgraduate courses at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD), also part of Birmingham City University. Her current research interests are in narratives and film. She has recently submitted her doctoral thesis to the University of Birmingham.

Dr Sarah Wood
Head of Birmingham Institute of Media and English
Sarah Wood holds degrees from JMU, the University of Liverpool, and Birmingham City University, where she gained her PhD. Her research interests are in feminism and science fiction.
She has an article on Octavia Butler forthcoming in FEMSPEC and is working on further studies of Butler as well as of Nalo Hopkinson and slave narrative.

Dr Andrew Kehoe
Associate Professor / Director of Research
Andrew Kehoe is Director of Research in English and Director of the Research and Development Unit for English Studies (RDUES). He studied at the University of Liverpool, gaining qualifications in both English and Computer Science. He researches in the field of Corpus Linguistics: the creation and study of a collection of texts (or corpus) in order to extract new knowledge about language in use. Andrew’s particular emphasis is on the use of the web as a source of natural language data and on the development of software tools to facilitate this.

Dr Joseph Anderton
Senior Lecturer in English Literature
Joseph Anderton is the author of Beckett’s Creatures: Art of Failure after the Holocaust (Bloomsbury, 2016), which considers conceptions of the ‘creature’ and ‘creaturely life’ as they appear in Samuel Beckett’s literature and drama. Joe is currently working on his second book, Writing Homelessness: Rough Sleeping in Contemporary British Fiction.
Joseph is the Course Director for BA English Courses. Before joining BCU in 2017, he taught at the universities of Nottingham, Lincoln, and Leicester.

Dr Soudabeh Ananisarab
Lecturer in Drama
Dr Soudabeh Ananisarab studied at the University of Nottingham where she completed an MA in English Literature (Distinction) and a PhD in English. Her Doctoral thesis explored the development of the Malvern Theatre Festival during the interwar years and its connections with the playwright, George Bernard Shaw. Soudabeh has previously taught at the University of Nottingham before joining Birmingham City University. She currently teaches on a range of modules, exploring drama both in theory and practice. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Working Group Coordinator on the Executive Committee of the Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA)
Soudabeh’s research interests are in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century British and Irish theatre. In addition to Shaw, Soudabeh has published on the dramatic writings of D.H. Lawrence and John Millington Synge. Soudabeh is also a theatre historian with a particular interest in regional theatre histories. She is working on her first monograph exploring Shaw’s relationships with the British regional repertory movement. She was recently awarded a Research Award by the Society for Theatre Research to support her work on Shaw’s collaborations with the Manchester Gaiety theatre as part of this project. Soudabeh has also been involved in major outreach initiatives in the past, working with performance venues in Nottingham. Alongside her monograph, Soudabeh is currently preparing chapters on the legacies of Shaw’s involvement with regional theatres, and festival cultures in twentieth-century British theatre. Soudabeh welcomes PhD supervision enquiries in any aspect of modern theatre or theatre history.

Dave Harte
Deputy Head of School and Associate Professor in Journalism and Media Studies
Dave Harte is Associate Professor in Journalism and Media Studies. He researches the emerging trend of local community ‘hyperlocal’ news websites and has published widely on the subject. Within the School of Media he leads on teaching and learning initiatives and teaches modules on Journalism Studies, Social Media, and Alternative and Community Media. He supervises PhDs in the areas of journalism and community media.
Ross Hawkes
Ross leads the journalism pathway. He was previously a sports writer, sub-editor, page designer, news reporter, web editor, features writer and editor, before leading Trinity Mirror's digital programme in the Midlands. He also founded and currently runs award-winning hyperlocal website, LichfieldLive, which has been used an example of excellence in the hyperlocal scene.