English degree with something else…?!

[Han23]

Hello
Any course/uni advice much appreciated for my y12 son. He’s doing his own research so thought I’d help him along…he’s keen to go to Uni to study English (creative writing his strength) but combined with something else - and that is the problem going round in circles! Combined rather than joint honours. His other ALs are RS/Philosophy and Theatre Studies. Probs on for BBB or ABB. Cardiff looks great as combined English/media/journalism (imagine v competitive).
Any ideas for courses perhaps not thought about would be really helpful, thank you! 🙏

The best creative writing course in the UK is at UEA, this one below. It may not be the most prestigious university but it is by far the most famous and prestigious writing degree and has produced a lot of famous authors. I wish I’d done it!

www.uea.ac.uk/about/school-of-literature-drama-and-creative-writing/creative-writing

Otherwise if he just wants a general English with something degree I’d suggest philosophy or drama or perhaps history. Anything with overlapping skillset. Maybe even editing/publishing courses.

(Most people I know wish they’d done a more vocational degree like law or design or coding- just a thought. A lot of us who had general arts degrees ended up paying to retrain in something else.)

Does he want to do English or does he want to do creative writing? They are very different things. English is mostly the study of literature, which is likely to be frustrating for someone who enjoys writing stories/poems/etc. rather than analysing/criticising them.

If he wants to do both, there are English and creative writing degrees (e.g. at Exeter: www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/english/creative/, although this has published entry requirements of AAA/AAB).

When you say he wants to do combined rather than joint honours, do you mean a single-honours course incorporating more than one subject (usually named in major with minor form), as opposed to a dual-honours course that's effectively half a degree each in two different subjects (usually named in first subject and second subject form)?

English and Drama is the obvious degree choice here. And he’d be considered at various highly ranked universities (Birmingham Exeter Warwick) with those predictions, although they’re a bit low for the English part of the degree, but applying for the combination might get him some offers.

DD went to the open day at Leicester University and the English Literature degree had lots of options including a creative writing module, teaching module etc. Some degrees like that might give a lot of flexibility to choose as they go along.

Gosh I love mumsnet, always such valuable advice. Lots to think about, thanks hugely

English Literature / CW combinations for 2023 entry at UEA are at AAA; Drama / CW AAB. The latter is higher than the requirement for 2022 entry.

I'm doing English with philosophy at Sheffield uni as a mature student and have taken a creative writing module this semester and will do next semester as well.

What I would say is that English lit will help the creative writing but not so much philosophy. And the English lit has a 40 credit compulsory module for the first 2 years, so add in the other subject he wants to do and it won't leave many choices for optional modules if he definitely wants to do creative writing. Next year I am hoping to do the 40 credit compulsory module, 2 x 20 credit creative writing modules (1 x prose, 1 x poetry) then 40 credits in philosophy. But need approval to just do 40 credits in philosophy.

If he did an English lit degree most unis allow a 'random' module in the first year, and possibly other years so definitely check what modules are available under eng lit.

If he’s thinking career paths and enjoys writing he could look at combined English/Communications/PR or maybe marketing?

Comms/PR roles involve writing into a career and are often creative if you aim towards a more creative sector.

Thank you again everyone, so helpful. Good idea looking more at the modules in straight English. Not looking at AAB at mo unfort. so need to be savvy! Comms/PR/marketing defo up his street so maybe we can add that to English. I can see him going that way as career. Thank you!

I am an author and have a creative writing Masters. I'm not sure I would recommend a creative writing degree to someone who is 18. When you look at the age of the average published writer then they do tend to be 30s and 40s upwards. I think if someone was massively committed to writing then that degree probably wouldn't help them too much and it could slow them down. A course that helps them to look at the world would be better for them at this point, so history, politics, that sort of thing, would be great.

Journalism is a different thing but I think most journalists take a degree and then take a further course in journalism afterwards. Again, history and politics would be a very good background for a journalist.

My DD is currently in year 12 studying English Lit, Psychology and Sociology and is also looking at an English Lit degree with creative writing. Hoping to spend some time doing research over the Easter Hols.

Where I teach, we have a Communications/English programme but he’d need at least 1A at A level to be made an offer.

Liberal Arts but majoring in English means he can select from a number of other modules offered by different faculties. It is becoming more popular at unis in the UK now so a UCAS search should throw up various options at different predicted grade levels

What about studying Literature together with English?

Are you making a joke @Mommy45? Because that is what an English degree is.

@ExMachinaDeus

Are you making a joke *@Mommy45*? Because that is what an English degree is.

There is a difference between the study of English Literature and English Language or linguistics. My degree was nearly all Lierature with one module of language but many courses don’t do any language at all. It can be fascinating at degree level - analysing regional differences, cultural impacts of availability of vocab etc.

Ds2 has friend doing English, creative writing, journalism, media and communications at Strathclyde uni (AAB-BBB). I think you can take any combinations (or add in other subjects like law/psychology) or indeed all.

@SandyIrvine is right about that. In Scotland, they do 4 year degrees, but a more flexible and broader base, so 1st and 2nd years do 3 subjects across disciplines. Your son could apply for English, but study 2 other courses alongside. After the first 2 years, it's easy to switch to joint honours if you want to. Also (and not widely known), a fair few Scottish Unis, drop 4th year tuition fees for English students, so that levels up the fees side.

Think you may have asked this on WIWIKAU?

My answer was look into Lancaster or UEA for English with Creative Writing.

Pretty sure Lincoln does English with publishing. I think that's a better shout than marketing tbh as a combination.

I was wrong about the publishing at Lincoln (will dig a bit more) but there Eng/CW degree is well regarded and more in your grade ballpark

www.lincoln.ac.uk/course/enlcrwub/

Aha! It was an MA.

Lincoln has very active links with contemporary writers - most notably Carol Ann Duffy and Chris Packham.

Reading university offer a BA in primary education with English specialism that seems to combine Eng lit with teacher training leading to QTS … I know that’s not quite what you asked but might possibly be of interest?

I'd advise against that tbh...

@Piggywaspushed is that because of the teaching part? I've heard lots say it's better to do a separate degree then a PGCE rather than a teaching degree, or is it Reading you're advising against?

Sorry OP, I've been lurking with interest as DC is thinking along similar lines...