Art and Creative Writing
University of Reading
UCAS Code: QW32 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
University of Reading
UCAS Code: QW32 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
A level English Literature or a related subject at grade B. Related subjects: English Language & Literature, English Language, Drama & Theatre Studies, Creative Writing.
Access to HE Diploma
Must include at least 12 level 3 credits in English Literature or a related subject. Related subjects: English Language & Literature, English Language, Drama & Theatre Studies, Creative Writing.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Principal subjects must include English Literature or a related subject. Related subjects: English Language & Literature, English Language, Drama & Theatre Studies, Creative Writing.
Extended Project
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification provides to students for University study, we now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer. Eligible applicants would receive two offers, our usual offer plus an alternative offer of a B in the EPQ and one grade lower in their A level subjects
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths C (or 4), English Language or English Literature C (or 4).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Higher Level English Literature or a related subject at 5. Related subjects: English Language & Literature, English Language, Drama & Theatre Studies, Creative Writing.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Modules taken must be comparable to A level English Literature or a related subject. Related subjects: English Language & Literature, English Language, Drama & Theatre Studies, Creative Writing.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Modules taken must be comparable to A level English Literature or a related subject. Related subjects: English Language & Literature, English Language, Drama & Theatre Studies, Creative Writing.
Scottish Higher
Higher English Literature or a related subject at grade B. Related subjects: English Language & Literature, English Language, Drama & Theatre Studies, Creative Writing.
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About this course
Develop as an artist, curator and writer with our BA Art and Creative Writing programme.
This four-year, joint honours course reflects recent developments in art and culture. For example, you will:
- learn about new digital art and publishing platforms
- expand your understanding of contemporary literature and art theories
- develop your skills in art writing.
Art and creative writing are a stimulating combination at degree level – they enhance and inform one another. Additionally, studying theories and practitioners across the art and literature disciplines will inspire and influence your own art and writing as you hone your technique and form.
Studying at the Reading School of Art allows you to explore a vast range of media and experiment with emerging art forms. Over the course of your four years of study, you will:
- work with academics who include artists, curators and researchers
- be encouraged to participate in exhibitions, public art commissions and events
- receive dedicated studio space, accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and a studio tutor to help develop your individual and professional practice.
Creative writing studies at Reading are hosted by our Department of English Literature, a research-active academic community with access to superb resources and literary treasures.
You will learn from prize-winning authors and academics who are committed to teaching through the workshop model. These small group sessions are the heart of Reading’s writing community: guided by one of our lecturers, you and your fellow students will gain confidence as you share your writing and help each other improve.
For more information, please visit the programme page: https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/subject-area/art-ug/ba-art-and-creative-writing
Modules
The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2025/26.
Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change.
Core modules for this course:
- Art Studio
- Drawing
- Introduction to Creative Writing
- Poetry in English
The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of the final approved modules will be available in the summer of 2024. We suggest you regularly revisit our course page during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme.
**Check our website for more details about the course structure.**
Tuition fees
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What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Art
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Creative writing
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Art
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Quite a few students of fine art have already retired and are taking the degree for the excellent reason that they love art, and they're willing to pay to study it. You should bear this in mind if the stats you see feature particularly low employment rates. If you need to earn a living once you've finished your fine art degree, be aware that freelancing and self-employment is common - about one in six fine arts graduates were working for themselves. Also common are what is termed 'portfolio careers' — having several part-time jobs or commissions at once - and many courses actually help you prepare for freelancing. One in ten of last year’s fine arts graduates had more than one job six months after graduation — over twice the average for graduates from 2015. Graduates from these subjects are often found in arts jobs, as artists, designers, photographers and similar jobs, or as arts and entertainment officers or teachers — although it's perfectly possible to get jobs outside the arts if you wish, with jobs in events management, marketing and community work amongst the most popular options.
Creative writing
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
The jobs market for this subject - which includes creative writing and scriptwriting courses - is not currently one of the strongest, so unemployment rates are currently looking quite high overall, with salaries on the lower side. But nevertheless, most graduates get jobs quickly. Graduates often go into careers as authors and writers and are also found in other roles where the ability to write well is prized, such as journalism, translation, teaching and advertising and in web content. Be aware that freelancing and self-employment is common is common in the arts, as are what is termed 'portfolio careers', having several part-time jobs or commissions at once - although graduates from this subject were a little more likely than many other creative arts graduates to be in conventional full time permanent contracts, so that might be worth bearing in mind.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Art
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£25k
£29k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Creative writing
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£26k
£28k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Higher entry requirements
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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