Two more degrees…

Aspiring writers and textiles enthusiasts take note! The OCA has just had two new degrees validated — a BA(Hons) Creative Writing degree and a BA(Hons) Textiles degree.
The BA(Hons) Creative Writing degree offers a wide range of specialist modules, including narrative and dialogue, writing for children, life writing and writing poetry. It’s the only open learning degree to focus purely on creative writing, rather than a combination of creative writing and literature.
The programme was endorsed by two external reviewers:
‘As a writer I feel confident the Degree provides a good grounding in the basic techniques of creative writing, progressing towards more complex understanding and implementation of styles and forms as the course develops. Any aspiring writers, or writers who were looking to achieve educational validation for their writings, would feel confident that OCA would provide a good learning environment with established supporting structures to help them advance through the Degree.’
(Dr Chris Jones, Sheffield Hallam University)
The Textiles degree offers a rich variety of modules emphasising fine art textiles skills acquisition, combined with knowledge and understanding of the social, historical and cultural context in which textiles are practiced. The degree will appeal to students who wish to focus on textiles to become or practice as reflective designer makers or artists with the skills necessary to effectively develop a personal artistic vision or voice. Again, external reviewers fully supported the programme. Carol Naylor, a leading textiles artist specialising in machine embroidered textiles, commented that she was satisfied that ‘the staff expertise is of a very high standard, with tutors recognised both nationally and internationally for their personal practice in textiles, in education and textile research.’
Students currently taking a creative writing or textiles route through the BA(Hons) Creative Arts should contact Registrar, Steph Gillott (stephgillott[at]oca-uk.com) if they wish to transfer to one of the specialist degrees.
The BA Hons Textile degree page can be found here: OCA’s BA hons Textiles degree page.
You can read more about the OCA’s Creative Writing degree here: OCA BA Hons Creative Writing degree page where the BA Hons Creative Writing degree handbook and degree pathway are also available for downloading. The video below features OCA’s Creative Writing course leader Jane Rogers describing the Creative Writing degree structure.