About this program
BA Film and Creative Writing
Our course combines hands-on practical filmmaking, creative writing workshops, and theoretical and contextual studies. We encourage you to forge links between theory and practice, and to make critically-informed choices in your own creative work through the knowledge you gain of film history, literary classics and writing across a range of genres.
At Essex we offer an unusual approach to the practice of writing, combing innovative and traditional methods in order to develop your writing skills and abilities to judge your work critically, while expanding your knowledge across different modes and genres. In our Centre for Creative Writing we encourage a culture of experiment and creativity, enabling you to feel part of a community of writers.
For your modules in filmmaking and screenwriting, you are taught by film professionals with extensive industry experience. You gain hands-on practical training in all aspects of film production, including camera work, editing, lighting, scriptwriting, and production management. You produce group films (learning how to work together as a team) as well as personal projects – by the end of your three or four years at Essex you’ll have built up a fully rounded portfolio of work, enabling you to showcase your creative potential for future employers. Your second-year module on screenwriting forms the keystone of your course, bridging the two parts. You will also have the opportunity to write a script as part of your final-year independent study.
Admission requirements
Clearing entry requirements
Specific entry requirements for this course in Clearing are not published here but for most of our degree courses you will need to hold a Level 3 qualification. If you are interested in applying and have already received your results, use our Clearing application form to apply for 2022 entry and find out if you are eligible. You will be asked to provide details of your qualifications and grades.
English language requirements
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall. Different requirements apply for second year entry, and specified component grades are also required for applicants who require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK.
For more information about admission requirements, please visit the university website.
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Program content
Year 1
- The Writer's Toolkit
- Approaches to Film and Media
- The Humanities Graduate: Future Pathways
Year 2
Introduction to Screenwriting
Final Year
Capstone module from list
Scholarships & funding
Several scholarship options are available, please visit the university website for more information.
Program delivery
BA Film and Creative Writing: 3 years
BA Film and Creative Writing (Including Year Abroad): 4 years
BA Film and Creative Writing (Including Placement Year): 4 years
Tuition
- Home/UK fee: £9,250
- International fee: £17,700
Career paths
Our graduates acquire key skills in writing close analysis, critical analysis, contextual research, time-management, and hands-on filmmaking.
In your third year, you can make your own short film – a calling card showcasing your individual, creative potential to add to a portfolio of practical work developed during your course to present to prospective employers. This puts you in a stronger position to enter film production, TV, journalism, publishing and teaching professions, amongst a host of other careers.
Recent graduates have been employed as:
- A subtitle writing for Sky TV
- An assistant director for a music video for an internationally-acclaimed band
- An English teacher
- A media studies teacher
About this institute
University of Essex
We are Essex: home to the ambitious and the inquisitive. We are proud to be top 39 in the Complete University Guide (2022), a past University of the Year (THE) and internationally recognised for Social Sciences. We're committed to two...
