BA

Drama and Theatre

BA Drama and Theatre Code W40F Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

W40F

  • UCAS Tariff

  • Course duration

    4 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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If you are looking for an exciting, diverse and challenging programme combining theory and practice, then our BA Drama and Theatre offered by the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University is for you. Our degree is designed to empower you to develop your skills and capacities as a theatre-maker and creative thinker, supported by internationally-recognised staff with a wide range of expertise. You will look beyond historic and established forms to explore what drama, theatre and performance can be now and in the future.

This degree course with integrated foundation year is the perfect option if you do not have a sufficient or relevant academic background but want to access this exciting degree scheme. The Foundation Year will provide you with a solid base from where you can go on and enjoy the full undergraduate degree in your second year.

During the course, we will engage you in a process of investigation and questioning that extends your critical and creative capacities and builds your practical skills. You will encounter and explore a wide range of contemporary theatre practices, from scripted drama to site-specific performance and from Shakespeare to experiments in new media. Studying Drama and Theatre at Aberystwyth will prepare you for a variety of careers in the creative arts and beyond.

Course Overview

Why study Drama and Theatre at Aberystwyth?

  • You will be taught and mentored by staff who possess a wealth of expertise in research and/or professional theatre-making
  • You will take part in two performance or production projects each year
  • You will be part of a vibrant and exciting department where drama, theatre, film, media, scenography and theatre design collide
  • You will benefit from our connections with key industry partners, such as National Theatre Wales, Music Theatre Wales, Quarantine Theatre Company, and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
  • You will have access to superb facilities and resources for practical work: three rehearsal studios, each with flexible technical facilities; two large professionally-equipped studios with digital lighting rigs controlled via ETC Congo and Strand Lighting consoles, Yamaha and Soundcraft PAs, Sanyo AV systems and Strand lighting and two NXAMP; and costume and wardrobe facilities
  • We have close links with Aberystwyth Arts Centre, one of the largest arts centres in Wales, which regularly presents national and international theatre and dance work.
Our Staff

All academic staff at the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies are research active and/or involved in Knowledge Transfer projects and have either relevant academic qualifications at doctoral level or equivalent professional experience and expertise.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
How to be a Student 1 GS09520 20
How to be a Student 2 GS09320 20
Information in a Post-Truth World GS01120 20
Introduction to Humanities GS09920 20
Representing the Other: Cultures and Clashes GS09820 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
The "Othered" Migrant: Social Science Perspectives GS09620 20
Understanding Change - Environment, People, Places GS00820 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Theatre in Context 1 TP11020 20
Theatre in Context 2 TP11320 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Site-Specific Performance Project TP11420 20
Studio Theatre Project TP11120 20
Body, Voice, Expression. TP10220 20
Body, Voice, Perception TP10120 20
Making Short Films 1 FM11520 20
Theatre Technologies TP19820 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Directors' Theatre TP21820 20
New Media Performance TP23820 20
Shakespeare in Performance TP23220 20
Theatre and Contemporary Society TP20820 20
Acting for Camera TP25920 20
Acting: Process and Performance TP21220 20
Design Project TP22620 20
Devised Performance Project TP21620 20
Theatre Production Project TP24940 40

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Ensemble Performance Project TP35520 20
Independent Production Project TP38140 40
Independent Research Project TP36040 40
Playwriting TP33340 40
Contemporary Drama TP30020 20
Musical Theatre Dramaturgies TP39020 20
Performance and Architecture TP33420 20
Performance and Disability TP30320 20
Place, Space and Landscape TP32820 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

What can I do with a Drama and Theatre degree?

Many of our students have been successful in obtaining employment in these fields:

  • acting and performing
  • directing
  • designing
  • scriptwriting
  • teaching and education
  • arts administration
  • marketing
  • management
  • public relations.

What skills do I gain from this degree?

Students in Drama and Theatre gain the following valuable skills that are sought after by employers. These include the ability to:

  • work effectively in group settings to develop, rehearse and produce live events
  • apply creative, imaginative and problem-solving skills in a variety of situations
  • research, evaluate and organise information
  • structure and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of situations and using a variety of means
  • work independently and with others
  • effectively organise your time and deploy your skills
  • listen to and make use of critical advice
  • be self-motivated and self-disciplined
  • use a range of information technology skills and resources
  • be entrepreneurial in developing cultural projects.

What experience opportunities exist whilst studying? 

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department. 

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.

In your first year (the foundation year) you will develop a solid academic base from where you can go on and enjoy the full undergraduate degree in your second year.

In your second year you will discover:

  • contemporary approaches to studio-based and site-based theatre-making
  • key historical moments, practices and methods in drama and theatre
  • the analysis of drama, theatre and performance.

In your third year, you will explore:

  • contemporary theatre-making through practical, historical and theoretical approaches
  • full-scale theatre production
  • acting techniques for stage and screen
  • directors' theatre and modern European drama
  • devised performance
  • Shakespeare in performance
  • theatre and contemporary society
  • new media performance.

In your final year, you will have the opportunity to:

  • create independent creative work
  • undertake a major research project and engage in advanced theoretical study
  • extend your skills in ensemble and independent production projects
  • write your own play script
  • study specialist modules that include: space, place and landscape, contemporary theatre in Wales, theatre, gender and sexuality, performance and architecture, musical theatre dramaturgies, and contemporary British and Irish drama.

How will I be taught?

  • You will be taught through practical workshops, small-group seminars, lectures, production projects and group based project work.
  • Our teaching is frequently mixed-mode, interrogating theory through practical investigation and practice through the lens of various theoretical perspectives.
  • You will be assessed through formal and performed essays, written and practical examinations, critical and creative portfolios, practical productions, seminar presentations and group activities.
  • You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your course, who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or personal issues. You are free to contact them at any time for help and advice.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff

A Levels Available to candidates without formal qualifications who have suitable background education, experience and motivation.

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:

International Baccalaureate:

European Baccalaureate:

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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