Creative Writing and Philosophy & Ethics

Creative writing and philosophy and ethics is a combination that invites you to explore some of the most fundamental questions about human experience from two complementary angles: through the making of literature and through the rigorous analysis of ideas. Creative writing develops your capacity to give artistic form to ideas, emotions and observations, working across fiction, poetry, drama, life writing and other genres to develop your voice and craft. Philosophy and ethics provides the intellectual frameworks for examining questions about what is good, what is real and what we owe to one another, developing the analytical precision that illuminates and challenges creative work.

At Liverpool Hope University, this four-year programme with a foundation year is taught in a city with a distinctive literary culture, by writers, poets and academics closely connected to the local writing community and recognised internationally for their work. Liverpool itself is a place of stories, and the cultural richness of Merseyside provides an inspiring context for creative development. A sandwich placement year provides professional experience relevant to a writing or philosophy career, a year abroad extends your academic and creative horizons, and work placement opportunities are integrated throughout the programme.

Graduates who combine creative writing with philosophy and ethics pursue careers in writing, publishing, journalism, education, social work, counselling, policy development and the arts. The creative writing dimension supports careers in fiction, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting and content creation, while the philosophy and ethics training adds value in roles that require careful ethical reasoning, including healthcare, law, public policy, the voluntary sector and education. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in creative writing, philosophy, ethics, education or a related humanities discipline.

The combination of artistic creativity and philosophical rigour is distinctive and valuable across any career where both imagination and critical thinking matter.