Modules

Discovering the arts and humanities (A111)

Do you want to know more about how people have expressed themselves through the ages and around the world? If so, this module is for you. Studying the arts and humanities helps us to learn about what people thought and felt throughout history, as well as how the things they created influence the world we live in today. The module is built around three themes: 'reputations', 'traditions' and 'crossing boundaries'. It invites you to discover people, events, practices, ideas and works of art from three thousand years ago to the present day. No qualifications or previous study experience are needed, and there is lots of support available to help you succeed if this is your first module at university level.
Cultures (A112)

How are cultures produced and encountered, and why does it matter? These questions are examined in this module through the key themes of place, power, literary ‘classics’, and journeys. You'll learn about contemporary cultures and relationships between cultures throughout history, discover how and why cultural identities emerge, and explore how they are expressed using texts, images and objects. After exploring a range of case studies from classical studies, art history, English literature, and creative writing, you'll investigate these themes with specific reference to your choice of one of these subject areas.

Creative writing (A215)

This module takes a student-centred approach to creative writing, offering a range of strategies to help you develop as a writer. The emphasis is highly practical, with exercises and activities designed to ignite and sustain the writing impulse. The five-part module starts by showing ways of using your memory and experience and building a daily discipline. This is followed by demonstration and practice of the three most popular forms – writing fiction, writing poetry, and life writing (biography and autobiography). The concluding part aims to demystify the world of agents and publishers, teaching you how to revise and present your work to a professional standard.

Advanced creative writing (A363)

Advanced creative writing develops your writing ability by widening your generic range and developing your knowledge of style. The module works on the forms introduced in the OU level 2 module Creative writing (A215) – fiction, poetry and life writing – and supplements these with dramatic writing, showing you how to write for stage, radio and film. You’ll explore how these scriptwriting skills might enhance your prose style, improve your writing across the range of forms, and further develop your individual style and voice. The module offers guidance on professional layouts for the dramatic media, and is a natural progression from Creative writing (A215).

MA Creative Writing part 1 (A802)

Building on skills learned at undergraduate level or as a practising writer, this module helps to harness your individual strengths, helping you to generate and develop ideas. You will build a disciplined practice of writing in a genre of your choice (fiction, poetry, scriptwriting or creative non-fiction), while also experimenting with at least one other genre. You will develop a practical focus, come to read as a writer, encounter texts from various cultural settings, while refining your analytical and editorial skills. You will learn about professional writing practice, and hone your writing skills through sharing, reading and critiquing work-in-progress.
MA Creative Writing part 2 (A803)

This module is the second part of the MA in Creative Writing. You will build on skills that you have acquired in part 1, whilst at the same time being challenged to develop those skills further in your primary genre specialism. Throughout this module you will specialise in one of four writing genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction or script. The module is organised into four teaching blocks and a further section of independent study where you will develop your ideas into a sustained piece of creative writing produced to a professional level.