English with Creative Writing

BA (Hons) (NFQ Level 8)

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Curricular information is subject to change.

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Why is this course for me?

If your interest in literature extends to an ambition to write creatively, this degree programme will support that ambition through classes, workshops, and seminars dedicated to the development of your creative talent. In the final year, you will work on – and complete to high standard – a substantial writing project. To help you reach this standard, you will be advised and directed by one of the supervisors on the Creative Writing or English team.

Course Pathways
What Will I Study

You will study the work of a wide range of writers, focusing on how they create their works. You will learn about form and genre. You will explore a range of narrating voices by reading texts selected to illustrate this range. In a similar way, you will learn how characters are constructed, how to handle dialogue, how to manage time and sequencing and many other elements of the craft of writing, which will be generally helpful and occasionally inspiring in your own writing. You will be introduced to contemporary developments in literature by considering the work of a number of Irish writers, who will address the class and provide valuable insight into the writing process.

First Year

Modules include:

  • Creative Writing 1 & 2
  • How to Read Poetry
  • Reading World Literature
  • Literature & Crisis
  • Contemporary Irish Writing
  • Literary Genre

As well as a range of English with Creative Writing modules students will benefit from an additional subject stream. Options include:

  • Drama Studies
  • Film Studies
  • French
  • German Beginners
  • German Non-Beginners
  • Greek & Roman Civilisation
  • History
  • Irish Studies
  • Music
  • Spanish Beginners
  • Spanish Non-Beginners

Second Year

Modules include:

  • Intermediate Creative Writing 1 & 2
  • Critical Theory
  • Medieval Literature
  • Irish Literature in English
  • Renaissance Literature
  • Romanticism
  • Victorian to Modern Literature
  • Modern American Literature
  • UCD Special Collections: Archival Resarch Methods

Third Year

You will choose from a range of options that will enable you to broaden your horizons and enrich your academic experience:

  • Apply for a competitive internship in an area that interests you and/or relates to your area of study.
  • Study abroad for a trimester/year to develop your language skills and immerse yourself in a new culture.
  • Deepen your knowledge by studying in-depth Creative Writing modules including: Poetry Workshop, Fiction Workshop, Creative Non-Fiction Workshop, Literary Editorship, Writing the Environment.

Students will also choose from a wide range of specialist English modules such as Making Shakespeare, Gender & Sexuality in the 18th Century, Jane Austen & her Peers, Yeats, Reading Ulysses, Reading Beckett, The Theatre of Martin McDonagh.

Fourth Year

In addition to a 10,000-word Creative Writing or English Literature dissertation, students will choose from a wide range of advanced English modules, including: Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Detecting Fictions, Contemporary Irish Writing, Memory & the Irish Stage, Contemporary Irish Women’s Poetry, Modern American Poetry & Poetics. Students will also partake in advanced Creative Writing Workshops.

For detailed information on subject content click here.

International Study Opportunities

Students can study in various EU and non-EU destinations through the Erasmus and Study Abroad programmes, in partnership arrangements between UCD and universities across the world.

Career & Graduate Study Opportunities

Writer, editor, literary agents and critics, content creator, copywriters, broadcaster/journalist, public relations, business, law, politics, teaching, management consultancy, humanities research and many others.

UCD English, Drama and Film offer a wide range of postgraduate courses, including the MA and MFA in Creative Writing.

See www.ucd.ie/englishdramafilm/study/ for more details.

Other Entry Routes
Testimonial

“I chose English with Creative Writing because I loved English as a subject in my Leaving Certificate. After reading what the course allowed me to do, it felt like the right choice. You have amazing creative freedom in every class. I was able to improve my writing year on year as well as focus on the areas of writing that I specifically enjoy. I have met amazing people, and the schedule gives me time to work on my own projects and enjoy college life. If you enjoy writing, this course can help you take that to a professional level. There is a lot of opportunity if you look for it: beyond classes, there is many societies and writing-based events that are worth going to. Right now, I am writing a poetry collection as my final project. How can you complain about that?”

Rory Galvin, Student

Contact Information

UCD School of English, Drama & Film
Newman,
Belfield,
Dublin 4

Tel: +353 1 716 8323
Email: paul.perry@ucd.ie

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