Students undertaking English with Creative Writing at Queen’s explore literature in English in the widest possible sense and work with some of the leading writers working in the UK and Ireland. From the earliest writings in Anglo-Saxon to contemporary Irish, British, and ‘global’ literature, students study English in its historical, cultural and material contexts. Our language modules explore the history and structure of English; its day-to-day usage, including in the media; and the major influences that have shaped it over the last millennium and a half.
English With Creative Writing Degree Highlights
English Studies at Queen’s has an extraordinary heritage, as represented by its globally esteemed writers, such as Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney and T.S. Eliot Prize recipients Paul Muldoon and Ciaran Carson, among others.
Global Opportunities
English at Queen’s offers a range of Study Abroad opportunities, from the Erasmus programme with a range of European partners to the chance to study at a number of partner institutions in the United States.
United States-Northern Ireland Mentorship Program. The program provides an opportunity for around 25 students and recent graduates to spend 1 year working in a paid mentored work placement within a corporate/business environment in the USA. The host employers are leading US companies from a range of sectors and the program is open to students, graduates and young professionals who are at least 21 years of age, residents of Northern Ireland and the UK or Irish passport holders. The mentorships are tailored to the individual’s background, skills and abilities as well as the company’s needs and opportunities. They are a great opportunity to:
Build on existing work experience by undertaking work with an international dimension
Gain experience within a unique mentored environment
Add real value to your CV and skills profile
Study USA: The BEI Programme has undergone a change of name to the Study USA Programme but still involves 12 months of studying business-related courses at a U.S. church-affiliated university or college. Places are available at one of over 100 institutions from Florida to Montana or California to North Carolina. You don´t need to be from a business background to apply: Study USA is open to full-time pre-final year students of any discipline from Queen’s and other Northern Ireland higher education institutions. The Programme is intended to produce graduates with an international, business-orientated perspective capable of making a contribution in advancing the Northern Ireland economy. While on the programme, you will take 5 business-related courses/modules along with another course of your choice. Study USA is accredited under the Degree Plus Award through the US Certificate in American Business Practice and is well regarded by graduate employers. Applications are made online on the British Council Study USA website. The application form normally becomes available in late October/early November for participation in the programme the following academic year. Students must apply for the programme in their pre-final year and undertake Study USA just before the final year. Students from Medicine and Dentistry must apply for the programme in Level 2 and undertake Study USA between the second and third years. Permission from your School is required. Information seminars will be held at Queen’s in the Autumn, immediately prior to the application deadline, and will be advertised in the events section when dates are confirmed. The Programme provides An opportunity to experience university life and study in the USA An outward-looking, international experience in a new and diverse culture. The chance to develop personal and career-related skills and abilities sought by graduate employers. An opportunity to set yourself apart from other students by taking part in an exclusive programme. Full information on the Programme and how to apply are on the British Council website.
CRCC Asia - China Internship Program: This program offers 1 or 2-month internships for university students of any discipline, any level. Internships will be in a multinational or leading Chinese company in the student’s chosen field in Beijing, China. Popular work areas include Law, Finance, marketing and PR, Green technology and environmental services, Business, Travel and tourism, NGOs, but these are not the only options. Interns need to be able to speak fluent English, but Chinese language skills are not necessary. A full social programme with cultural outings, language study, and professional networking events are also available. Internships can be arranged throughout the year, but applicants need to apply at least a month or two in advance. As there is a cost involved in participating in the program scholarships are available for the 1-month program for those who would not otherwise be able to take part. Programme benefits include Experience of a new country and culture Opportunity to gain transferable skills and hands-on experience working in China: Develop your employability skills and add an extra dimension to your CV. For further information: CRCC Asia website European Voluntary Service. The European Voluntary Service (EVS) is an EU programme for young people between 18 and 30 years and offers the opportunity to do voluntary work in many different countries and in a wide range of areas such as culture, youth, sports, social care, cultural heritage, the arts, civil protection, the environment, development co-operation and more. All activities have in common an intercultural learning dimension and seek to promote solidarity, mutual understanding and tolerance among young people. Voluntary opportunities can last from 2 to 12 months and it’s possible to undertake EVS activities both individually or in a group. EVS works through a partnership between a host project/organisation, the volunteer and a sending organisation (eg the British Council in the UK) and volunteers choose from accredited EVS projects that interest them. EVS Sending and Hosting Organisations are normally non-governmental organisations/associations, local/regional authorities or other similar bodies. Benefits include the opportunity to ‘make a difference’ and help promote young people’s active citizenship Develop new skills and benefit from specific training opportunities. Experience new cultures and languages.
Youth in Action Programme European Movement Ireland’s Grad Jobs in Europe campaign. The goal of the Grad Jobs Campaign is to make Irish graduates more aware of the opportunities available for them in the EU system and for more Irish graduates to consider the EU as a place where they could fulfil their career ambitions. We also want Irish graduates, if successful in securing a place in Brussels, to integrate well into Brussels and Team Ireland. For further information: European Movement website. Interested in receiving recruitment emails-sign up by sending their contact details to info@europeanmovement.ie.
INTO China: INTO China's exciting programmes gives students the opportunity to study the Chinese language for between 4 and 12 weeks over the summer months, as well as to learn more about Chinese culture, and to visit the main tourist attractions in China. Running between June and September these programmes are ideal for students looking for summer study opportunities or short gap year courses. The summer programme includes 50+ hours of Chinese language tuition over a four week period, 3-day orientation in Beijing, exploring all the key tourist sites, Transfers to our study centres in Dalian and Tianjin, A series of work masterclasses, delivered by professionals from multi-national organisations, designed to give students an insight into the world of work in China as well as networking opportunities to participating in cultural activities. Visit the INTO China website.
Industry Links
We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, BBC Northern Ireland as part of our work-based learning initiatives.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Dr Garrett Carr has written three novels for young readers and is the author of The Rule of the Land (Faber), an exploration of the Irish border that reflects Garrett’s widely-exhibited visual experiments in cartography. His innovative maps can be found in the National University of Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Dr Leontia Flynn is a Forward Prize for Best First Collection and Rooney Prize-winning poet. She has also had collections shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and the T.S. Eliot Prize and was named a ‘Next Generation Poet’ by the English Society.
Tim Loane created the Bafta-nominated Channel 4 series Teachers and directed the Oscar-nominated short film Dance Lexie Dance. He is currently writing the widely-syndicated Versailles for the French television station Canal Plus.
Dr James McAleavey is one of Ireland’s leading playwrights, having completed commissions for BBC Radio Three and Four, RTE, the renowned Abbey Theatre in Dublin and the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. He has two feature films presently in development.
Professor Glenn Patterson is the Rooney Prize and Betty Trask Prize-winning author of ten novels. He writes regularly for BBC Radio Three and Four, The Guardian, the London Review of Books, and has made a number of documentaries for Irish and British television. His co-authored screenplay for Good Vibrations was nominated for a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
Nick Laird, the Seamus Heaney Professor of Poetry at the Seamus Heaney Centre, is a recipient of the Betty Trask and Eric Gregory Awards, whose most recent collection is Feel Free (Faber, 2018). He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and the New York Review of Books.
Student Experience
From Personal Tutors to peer mentoring, we work closely with students to ensure they are supported at every stage of their degree.
Students can work with our visiting Fulbright Scholars, leading US academics who spend a semester at Queen’s each year.
A thriving cultural scene organised by our undergraduate and postgraduate communities, from the English Society and Poetry and Pints to the Lifeboat and the Yellow Nib, makes studying English with Creative Writing at Queen’s a unique proposition.
