English and Creative Writing

English and creative writing is one of the most productive combinations in the humanities, bringing together the critical skills of literary study with the craft and practice of original writing. Reading literature carefully teaches you to notice what writers do with language, structure, voice and form. Writing yourself teaches you to understand those choices from the inside, developing your own creative voice and learning to apply the same rigorous attention to your own work that literary study applies to others.

The two activities develop each other in ways that neither achieves alone.

At the University of Strathclyde, this four-year full-time programme combines critical analysis of language and literature with technical and artistic instruction in creative writing. You will engage with literature across a range of periods, genres and national traditions, developing close reading, critical writing and theoretical understanding alongside original work in poetry, fiction and other forms. Strathclyde's BA combines intellectual rigour with creative freedom, and the four-year Scottish honours structure gives you time to develop genuine depth in both strands.

The critical and creative elements inform each other throughout the programme, and you will develop the habits of a writer alongside the knowledge and analytical skills of a literary scholar.

Graduates of English and Creative Writing programmes go on to careers in publishing, journalism, copywriting, content creation, communications, broadcasting, education, arts administration, script development and creative writing itself. The analytical thinking and communication skills developed are genuinely transferable across a wide range of professional contexts, and many graduates build careers in fields well beyond the creative industries. Further study in creative writing, English literature, publishing or education is available for those who want to pursue academic, editorial or specialist professional paths.