English and Creative Writing

English and creative writing is a combination that invites you to engage with literature from two directions at once: as a reader, critic, and interpreter, and as a writer working within and against the traditions you study. English literature has a long history as an academic discipline, developing skills in close reading, historical contextualisation, and critical argument that are genuinely transferable across many fields. Creative writing, studied formally, asks you to understand how literary effects are achieved and to develop your own craft in fiction, poetry, drama, and other forms, testing your critical insights in practice.

At Teesside University this part-time programme develops your critical and creative skills in parallel. You will apply close reading techniques to a range of texts and voices, from novels and poetry to drama and emerging digital forms, and you will deepen your understanding of reading and writing as interconnected practices. You will explore critical approaches to literature across different periods and traditions, developing your analytical writing alongside your creative work.

The part-time format allows you to balance study with other commitments while building a sustained relationship with both aspects of the discipline.

Graduates from English and creative writing programmes pursue careers in publishing, journalism, copy writing, content creation, communications, public relations, teaching, community and arts education, and the cultural sector. The combination of critical thinking, close reading, and facility with written language is valued across a very wide range of professional contexts, wherever organisations need people who can read carefully, write clearly, and communicate persuasively. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in creative writing, English literature, journalism, or publishing, developing their craft and critical expertise further.