AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD SCHOOL OF ARTS, MEDIA AND CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY YOUR GUIDE
WHY STUDY ENGLISH, DRAMA AND CREATIVE WRITING
When you study English at the University of Salford, you become part of a community of writers, researchers, and performers in the Northern School of Writing, a collective who will support your academic, creative, and professional pursuits. We are looking for students who care about the power of the arts and humanities to enrich lives and who want to work with passion and curiosity.
Whether you’re interested in reading, writing, analysing language, or performing, our degrees in English, Drama, and Creative Writing encourage you to embrace experimentation and to push boundaries, providing an inclusive space which promotes learning and exploration.
In the classroom, you will receive academic tuition from experienced lecturers and professional creatives, investigating a variety of media which respond to both historical and
contemporary developments in culture, language, and society; outside of the classroom, you’ll forge valuable industry connections through work placements and our partnerships with schools, publishers, and libraries. Led by poet, cultural dynamo, and ambassador for the arts, Professor Jackie Kay, we teach with a passion to nurture every one of our students and to make a positive contribution to society.
You’ll be based on the Peel Park campus and, on some of our degrees, you will also study at MediaCity. The Peel Park campus is home to the £55 million New Adelphi building, the heart of performance and creativity on campus. Here, you will have access to industry-standard facilities, including rehearsal rooms, production spaces, and the 350-seat New Adelphi Theatre. On the MediaCity campus, classes take place in Salford’s cultural centre—home to the BBC and The Lowry. Manchester’s creative hub is a vibrant and exciting place to study, build community, and nurture your writing talent. The city boasts events such as the Manchester Literature Festival and Literature Live, and it is home to cultural spaces like the Anthony Burgess Foundation and Factory International/Aviva Studios.
CAREERS IN ENGLISH, DRAMA AND CREATIVE WRITING
A degree in English, Drama, and Creative Writing from the University of Salford tells employers that you are skilled in reading critically, communicating clearly, and collaborating creatively. These skills are flexible and adaptable, meaning that a degree in English opens up a range of career or study prospects.
Graduates who have studied English, Drama, and Creative Writing at Salford have established successful careers in areas as diverse as teaching, journalism, research, television and radio, local government, the civil service, theatre-making, business management, HR, finance, journalism, and marketing.
Graduate Case Studies
Name: Dan Lovatt
Course: BA (Hons) English Language and Creative Writing; MA Creative Writing: Innovation and Experiment
Year of Graduation: 2019 (BA), 2020 (MA)
Job Title: Internal Communications Lead / Scriptwriter / Artistic Director
My BA and MA degrees provided an incredible foundation for my development as a writer. Since leaving university in 2020, I’ve been a practicing playwright and screenwriter. I’ve had three full length plays professionally produced and I’ve made two short films. I am the Artistic Director of Divided Culture Co., my Salford-based theatre and film production company. We have plenty of projects across the region taking place in the coming years, including developing my own projects, acquiring new work from regional writers, and bringing creativity to our communities through workshops.
Aside from writing, I’m also the Internal Communications Lead at the NHS in four hospitals across Greater Manchester—leading
on communications for over 5,000 staff. Communications as a career-path is a fantastic opportunity to hone writing skills in a different way by using the power of stories to refine organisational voices and deliver strategic aims.
University isn’t easy, but I would implore you to take advantage of two things: resources and time. Utilise those spaces and that equipment, learn from experts while you have access, and use your protected time to learn and experiment—it won’t be there forever, trust me!
Graduate Case Studies
Name: Jo Somerset
Course: MA Creative Writing: Innovation and Experiment
Year of Graduation: 2020
Job Title: Writer
I’m a Manchester-based writer, and my first novel (for readers aged nine to ninety) Mission: Find Mum was published in 2024 by Stairwell Books. In 2020, I won the Leanne Bridgewater Award for Innovation and Experiment at the University of Salford, where I completed my MA in Creative Writing. Every Tuesday morning, you’ll find me at Chorlton Writer’s Café which I founded in 2022, and as a group we’ve gone on to produce our first anthology The Writers Table in 2024. I am also a trustee for Manchester Literature Festival and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Currently, I’m working on a memoir and an adult picture book, and I also enjoy the occasional open mic gig.
Graduate Case Studies
Name: Xan Holbrook
Course: BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing
Year of Graduation: 2014
Job Title: Teacher
It was at the University of Salford where I discovered a love of research and deep learning, all of which guided me towards my current career. Since graduating from the BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing degree with first class honours, I have found regular employment as a high school English teacher in both England and abroad, in Denmark and Norway specifically. However, I have also contributed to the Big Issue, BrokeAss Stuart, Louder than War, The Idler and aAh! Magazine Moreover, after completing an MA in Creative Writing with distinction, I published my first novel Grandview and my novella Perpetual Light via Amazon. A second novel is in progress!
OUR ENGLISH, DRAMA AND CREATIVE WRITING COURSES
Our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English focus on the development of key skills in communication, creativity, and critical thinking. By fostering an environment that facilitates respectful debate and free expression, you will be encouraged to develop and refine your own academic and creative voices as part of a community of novelists, linguists, poets, playwrights, and researchers.
Choice is at the heart of our degrees, and each programme allows you to make choices about what and how you study. This makes possible the crafting of a degree programme which is unique to you. Whichever degree you choose, you will be assessed through a broad range of assessment types, including opportunities for academic, creative, and reflective work on the page or through podcasts and performances.
Our undergraduate degrees centre on the study of English Literature, English Language, Creative Writing, Drama, and Film. You can choose to specialise in a particular subject, or you can combine your interests. While developing knowledge of your subject, you will have the opportunity to complete a work placement, gaining experience in an industry of your choice: our
students often complete placements in publishing, journalism, archives, or marketing. If you’re curious about a teaching career, our undergraduate degrees provide a strong set of options: you can choose to complete free training from the National Literacy Trust as a Literacy Champion supporting schools, take a Work Placement with the Tutor Trust to mentor GCSE students, and take our Teaching Masterclass module where you’ll get your first taste of designing lessons centred on literature and writing.
Both of our postgraduate degrees will help you to pursue your career aspirations. Our innovative MA in Creative Writing: Innovation and Experiment offers you the opportunity to develop your writing skills in new and exciting ways and across all forms: prose, poetry, scripts, and hybrid and visual experiments. Your writing will stand out. The MA in Literature and Culture will engage you in a variety of texts—novels, non-fiction writing, and films—and you will be offered a range of assessment options, including archive-inspired essays, critical-creative responses, and podcasts. Your skillset will be unique. Both MA degrees include opportunities to showcase your writing and ideas through conference presentations and publishing, meaning you will gain real-world skills in pitching and promoting your projects. You will graduate with the skills you need to thrive as a writer and thinker in wider literary and creative communities.
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
BA (Hons) English Language
UCAS Code: Q303
BA (Hons) English Language takes something that every student is familiar with and introduces them to it for the first time. Language is a fundamental aspect of our lives, but we rarely stop to think about how it works. The unique collection of modules on the English Language degree invites students to consider what language is, exploring its history and investigating the links between the study of language and related disciplines such as philosophy, politics, literature, and psychology. In their final year, students conduct a research project in which they can contribute to the exciting and fast-moving research area that is English Language and Linguistics. How do children learn language? What happens when someone loses the ability to communicate with language? Does artificial intelligence use language in a similar way to a human being?
The course is packed full of skills aimed at employability, from developing students’ ability to be clear and confident communicators to understanding how to approach a problem scientifically. Our graduates go on to careers in teaching, PR and marketing, journalism, and further study.
COURSE INFORMATION
Location: Peel Park Campus
Institution Code: S03
Institution Code Name: SALF
Duration: Three years full-time
Start Date: September
TYPICAL ENTRY
UCAS Tariff: 104-112 Tariff Points (tariff points must be obtained from a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent)
A-Levels: Grade C or above in any subject
BTEC National Diploma: DMM
BA (Hons) English Literature
UCAS Code: Q300
This degree in English Literature celebrates the importance of storytelling in history, culture, and society. While exploring oral narratives, poems, plays, novels, comics, films, and television shows, staff and students work together to understand how stories in various media respond to and shape society: by interrogating diverse subjects such as the social history of the novel, the terrors of horror films, and the text-image relationships of graphic novels, we will encourage you to explore the societal impact and communal importance of stories in a variety of media. Your explorations of stories will be grounded in the issues that shape our lives—including race, gender, neurodiversity, and the environment—and this approach will allow you to unpack not only cultural texts but also the world around you.
While exploring the past, present, and future of English Literature, you will receive expert tuition from our lecturers, and you will receive practical guidance about how to develop your communication skills in the age of AI. Our graduates have gone on to highly successful careers in teaching, journalism, marketing, and publishing, but the skills gained through a degree in English Literature are transferrable to any career which values critical reading, clear communication, and concise argumentation.
COURSE INFORMATION
Location: Peel Park Campus
Institution Code: S03
Institution Code Name: SALF
Duration: Three years full-time
Start Date: September
TYPICAL ENTRY
UCAS Tariff: 104-112 Tariff Points (tariff points must be obtained from a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent)
A-Levels: Grade C or above in any subject
BTEC National Diploma: DMM Scan
BA (Hons) Creative Writing
(Multidiscipline)
UCAS Code: Q321
BA (Hons) Creative Writing (Multidiscipline) is more than just a Creative Writing degree. The course is unique because you can study the arts of poetry, fiction, and screenwriting alongside the highly employable crafts of multimedia journalism, film production, and writing for games. As well as nurturing your artistic vocation, our course is designed to give you a great start in the creative industries or teaching.
As a Creative Writing student, you will join the Northern School of Writing, a writers’ collective that brings students together on our Creative Writing, Journalism, and Media degrees to study at MediaCity and on the Peel Park campus at the edge of Manchester’s city centre. Graduates from the Northern School of Writing have directed nationally released feature films, published poetry and novels, worked on national newspapers, hold careers in marketing and communications, and taught in schools across the country.
Visit: northern-school-of-writing.salford.ac.uk
COURSE INFORMATION
Location: Peel Park / MediaCity Campus
Institution Code: S03
Institution Code Name: SALF
Duration: Three years full-time
Start Date: September
TYPICAL ENTRY
UCAS Tariff: 104-112 Tariff Points (tariff points must be obtained from a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent)
A-Levels: Grade C or above in any subject
BTEC National Diploma: DMM
BA (Hons) English and Film
UCAS Code: QP33
Our BA (Hons) English and Film programme combines the key elements of our English Literature and Film Studies degrees. As part of your English modules, you will build your core skills in critical and creative thinking, equipping you with the tools you need to analyse a range of literary texts. You will also gain an appreciation of how literature reflects the social and historical contexts in which it was written. Alongside your study of literature, you will consider the cultural and creative impact of film. From exploring developments in American and British cinema, you will also have the opportunity to examine cinema from across Europe, Latin America, Asia, and beyond, evaluating the role of cinema as a major entertainment industry as well as thinking about film as a political and socio-cultural practice along the way.
Your BA (Hons) English and Film degree will enable you to secure professional roles in a variety of related industries, including journalism, cinema programming, teaching, and the direction of film festivals.
COURSE INFORMATION
Location: Peel Park Campus / MediaCity
Institution Code: S03
Institution Code Name: SALF
Duration: Three years full-time
Start Date: September
TYPICAL ENTRY
UCAS Tariff: 104-120 (tariff points must be obtained from a minimum of two A-Levels or equivalent)
A-Levels: Grade C or above in any subject
BTEC National Diploma: DMM
BA (Hons) English (Multidiscipline)
UCAS Code: Q321
BA (Hons) English Multidiscipline is a degree that is unique to the University of Salford: designed to meet the professional and social challenges of today, this innovative programme allows you to craft your own route through English by making possible the combined study of two subjects from English Literature, English Language, Creative Writing, and Drama. In your second and third years, you can branch out into all of the disciplines on offer within the English subject group at Salford in addition to your core subject route, making this one of the most flexible degrees in English Studies in the UK.
As a part of BA (Hons) English Multidiscipline, you can choose to combine your academic, professional, and creative interests in the following ways:
/ English Literature and Creative Writing
/ English Language and Creative Writing
/ English Language and English Literature
/ Drama and Creative Writing
/ English Language and Drama
/ English Literature and Drama
By studying BA (Hons) English Multidiscipline, you will develop a varied skillset through the study of two related subject areas, and you will be encouraged to explore these subjects within a department that values and celebrates the intersections between English Literature, English Language, Creative Writing, and Drama.
Whichever subjects you choose to study, BA (Hons) English Multidiscipline will equip you with a range of highly versatile skills, making possible the pursuit of an exciting career: so, the question is, where do you want your journey to take you?
COURSE INFORMATION
Location: Peel Park Campus
Institution Code: S03
Institution Code Name: SALF
Duration: Three years full-time
Start Date: September
TYPICAL ENTRY
UCAS Tariff: 104-112 Tariff Points (tariff points must be obtained from a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent)
A-Levels: Grade C or above in any subject
BTEC National Diploma: DMM
HOW TO APPLY FOR AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE?
HAVE A QUESTION?
If you want to discuss any course or the application process, our dedicated course enquiries team is on hand to answer your queries:
+44 (0)161 295 4545 enquiries@salford.ac.uk salford.ac.uk/enquiries
Making an application
If you are applying directly from school or college, you’ll make your application through UCAS – the organisation which processes applications for UK higher education. If you’re not applying directly from school or college, you can complete our online application form.
Scan or visit to find out more: salford.ac.uk/undergraduate/ apply
Our courses and entry requirements
On each of our CourseFinder pages we have detailed course information and entry requirements. We also have a webpage where we list all of our English courses with handy FAQs where you can find out more.
Scan the QR code to find out more.
Qualified by life, but not on paper
If you’ve been out of education for a while, want to further your career or simply want to study in a field that you’re passionate about, the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme (SAES) could be for you.
Find out more: salford.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply
International applications
As an international applicant, you are able to apply through UCAS, the organisation which processes applications for UK higher education, or you can apply directly through our regional offices or approved education consultant in your country. To find out more and for help with your application, you can visit our website where you will find advice on how to apply, entry and English language requirements, documents required, help and advice with visa requirements, and much more.
Find out more: salford.ac.uk/international
Apply to the University of Salford through UCAS using the code S03.
The deadline for most courses is in January*
Receive your offer.
Book accommodation and arrange student finance. Accept your offer.
Receive your exam results.
Receive your enrolment pack and start life as a Salford student!
* Dates subject to change
Are you an experienced creative writer looking for new ways to hone your craft? Do you want to establish a professional career as a novelist, publisher, or journalist? This forward-thinking MA in Creative Writing will offer a way to stretch your writing muscles, step out of the ordinary, and take your writing skills in new and exciting directions. You will experiment with prose, poetry, scripts, and hybrid and visual forms. You will not be required to commit to any one form; instead, you will have the opportunity to move between or mix forms if you wish. You will develop work at the cutting-edge of new and evolving practices, and you will take your creative writing to the next level so that it really stands out, making it unique and distinctively attractive to the current market. Whether you choose to study full-time or part-time, as a Creative Writing postgraduate student studying at Salford, you’ll be surrounded by award-winning staff— engaged in cross-disciplinary research and creative practice—who will serve as mentors. Our MA in Creative Writing: Innovation and Experiment will provide a series of opportunities—be it securing a competitive publishing internship or joining the creative community of the Northern School of Writing—making Salford a rich site to pursue your creative writing journey.
COURSE INFORMATION
POSTGRADUATE COURSES MA Creative Writing: Innovation and Experiment
Location: Peel Park Campus
Duration: One year full-time or Two years part-time
Start Date: September
TYPICAL ENTRY
To join this MA you must have a good honours degree (2.2) in English literature, language or a related subject. You will also need to submit a 3-page portfolio of your creative work.*
*Students who have completed their undergraduate degree at the University of Salford will not need to submit a portfolio.
MA Literature and Culture
This programme is a gateway to a sustainable career in a range of arts and humanities industries. This MA in Literature and Culture offers a unique blend of critical and professional development with opportunity for publishing work, gaining recognition with awarded prizes, working in local archives, and securing a competitive publishing internship. You’ll enrich your skills in writing, analysis, independent work, public speaking, and presentation while developing your identity as a researcher across various content-rich modules. Guided by industry professionals and academics, you’ll engage in individual projects and learn to work with your peers in the organisation and hosting of an industry-standard conference.
COURSE INFORMATION
Location: Peel Park Campus
Duration: One year full-time or Two years part-time
Start Date: September
TYPICAL ENTRY
To join this MA you should have a second class honours degree in English or an arts degree, 2:2 or above.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE?
HAVE A QUESTION?
If you want to discuss any course or the application process, our dedicated course enquiries team is on hand to answer your queries:
+44 (0)161 295 4545 enquiries@salford.ac.uk salford.ac.uk/enquiries
Making an application
/ For almost all courses you can apply directly to the university via the online application portal apply.salford.ac.uk/SignIn
/ Once you have found your course make sure you select right level and mode of study for example Masters/PGCert/PGDip and then Full-time/Part-time/Distance Learning.
HEAR FROM OUR STUDENTS
“When I started the course, I was immediately struck by the very personable and helpful lecturers. Their support has only grown over my years spent at university. The course itself has a great selection of modules to help and support you in whatever it is you decide to do!”
Name: Holly McNamee
Course: BA (Hons) Creative Writing (Multidiscipline)
“I have had many opportunities throughout my course to enrich myself in many creative endeavours. From the works of contemporary writers such as Angela Carter to the underappreciated poetry of Charlotte Smith, English Literature modules have encouraged me to explore a broad range of writings from throughout the centuries. The theatrical side of the course also teaches the extravagant history of theatre-makers and actors alike, which encourages me to explore theatrical techniques and reminds me to embrace the unconventional nature of the theatre world.”
Name: Millie Salmon
Course: BA (Hons) English Multidiscpline
“This course has covered everything from the history of the English language to phonology, semantics, and syntax, equipping me with the skills and knowledge necessary for a career in teaching. One standout aspect of my experience has been the support from the lecturers, who go above and beyond to provide tailored guidance, feedback, and support—no question is a silly question!”
Name: Lee Radburn
Course: BA (Hons) English Language
“One module which stood out for me was The Romantic Period. Engaging with poets like Shelley has helped me to understand how literature explores human emotion. My key takeaway from this module, though, was how texts are shaped by their historical contexts. Beyond academia, university life has helped me to grow socially. My advice to new students would be to say yes to as many opportunities as possible! Co-hosting a show with one of my friends through the radio society has pushed me to step outside my comfort zone in the most fun way possible.”
Name: Vaisa Hini
Course: BA (Hons) English Literature
“Deciding to return to study as a mature student was initially a daunting prospect, but my time at Salford has been incredibly rewarding. Highlights of the year include spending time in the archives at the university library, John Rylands library and the Anthony Burgess Foundation in order to research our chosen subjects and produce original critical material which led to me winning the Liana Burgess prize. I was also asked to co-host the TedXUoS event which allowed me to interview a range of contributors in front of a live audience and online spectators; this was an amazing, unique experience as I got to work with industry leaders who I would never have met otherwise.”
Name: Keeley Banton
Course: MA Literature and Culture
“Studying with the English team at Salford at MA level really helped harness my skills while broadening my understanding of technique and perspective. The MA is designed to give you the best set of skills to take away with you into the next stages of life, from arguments and debates to conferences and publishing pitches. Salford has felt like a home to me for many years and the English Department specifically has been the best space. Once you fall in love with Salford, you never want to really leave, and that’s mainly because of the people here.”
Name: Mahirah Rahman
Course: BA (Hons) English and Film; MA
Literature and Culture
WHAT COULD MY WEEK AT UNIVERSITY LOOK LIKE?
Mon 10:00
Undergraduate
Lecture on Female Gothic 12:00 Lunch 13:00
Lecture on Analysing Media Texts Tue 10:00
Tutorial with Personal Tutor 11:00 Seminar on Analysing Media Texts 16:00 Assessment Submission Wed 10:00
Research in Library 11:00 Seminar on Female Gothic 13:00
Workshop and Rehearsals on Page to Stage: Drama Texts in Translation
Thur 09:00
Teaching Placement 19:00 Open Mic Night
Don’t put this in your calendar just yet as timetables change each year! This is an illustrative guide for what your day could look like when you study an English degree at Salford.
LIFE OUTSIDE OF LECTURES AND SEMINARS
There’s so much to do in your spare time at the University of Salford; from the huge choice of clubs, societies and events on offer at our Students’ Union, to the fitness suites, sports pitches and 25m swimming pool available at our Sports Centre, there’s something for all tastes and abilities!
Postgraduate timetable
Our two MA programmes are currently taught on two days a week between 15:00-17:00.
OUR COMMUNITY
If you choose to join a degree in English, Drama, and Creative Writing at the University of Salford, you are also joining the Northern School of Writing: a collaborative school of novelists, poets, screenwriters, dramatists, journalists, podcasters, and video game and film makers who read, write, research, and innovate in a tradition that is rebellious, risk-taking, and brave.
Our teaching, mentoring, and nurturing of writers extends beyond the degree courses at the University to our literary community in the north of Britain and our links with the twentyfour publishers of the Northern Fiction Alliance and the National Literacy Trust. Together, we empower voices by working with our local communities and schools, putting arts to work in the community and enriching lives through reading and writing with a focus on those who are too often left out of our cultural conversations.
Students of the Northern School of Writing benefit from working in cohorts of multiple disciplines. Whether it’s attending intimate guest lectures with established writers, helping us pilot literacy initiatives in our community, attending a publishers’ fair on campus, or taking part in collaborative socials with musicians and film-makers, the Northern School of Writing is the community we make together.
Visit: northern-school-of-writing.salford.ac.uk
@northernschoolofwriting
CAMPUS LIFE
The University of Salford is a unique place to study for many reasons, but especially for our location. Our Peel Park campus is next to one of the UK’s first public parks, a lush green space featuring a play area, sports pitches and two sculptures which form part of the Irwell Sculpture Trail. We also have a campus in the creative hub at MediaCity, home to BBC, ITV, and the UK’s largest media facilities outside of London. Whichever campus you’re based on, you’ll have the buzzing city of Manchester on your doorstep.
University is a time to make new friends, discover new passions and find your voice. Our Students’ Union runs a range of student-led societies which cover all aspects of student life –from gaming to sports, politics to the environment, performance to faith. You’ll be sure to find your place here. There’s more to our campus than places to study. Fitness fanatics can take advantage of our large sports centre, 3G sports pitches and swimming pool, while culture vultures can revel in Atmosphere Café, the Art Gallery and our New Adelphi Theatre. There are lots of options to keep you busy! If you’re travelling from further afield, you can make your first year an even more memorable one by living in our stylish student accommodation right at the heart of campus. If you’re here for the day, our specialist facilities, onsite parking and handy public transport access make commuting a breeze. Our new student lounges feature comfy seating, cooking facilities and extra study space – your home from home when you’re studying on campus.
EXPLORE ENGLISH AT SALFORD
Start your journey with Salford to Salford.
Visit: salford.ac.uk/salford-school-of-artsmedia-and-creative-technology/englishdrama-and-creative-writing-courses for more information or scan below