BA

Mathematics / Drama and Theatre

BA Mathematics / Drama and Theatre Code GW14 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

GW14

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    3 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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Mathematics and Drama and Theatre Studies at Aberystwyth University will allow you to immerse yourself in two rigorous and challenging disciplines.

Mathematics is fundamentally important to modern society, contributing to numerous facets of life, including science, engineering, technology and finance. The degree covers the essential core disciplines, supplemented by a great choice of optional modules.

Drama and Theatre Studies looks through and beyond historic and established forms to explore what drama, theatre and performance can be now and in the future. You’ll have the opportunity to encounter a wide range of critical and creative forms and practices and develop your capacity as an independent theatre-maker, thinker and scholar.

Graduates of the degree are in significant demand across many industries for their Mathematical problem-solving abilities, clear analytical thought processes and capacity for logical argument. While the intellectual, practical and transferable skills acquired whilst studying Drama and Theatre Studies will prepare you for a variety of careers in the creative arts and beyond.

Course Overview

Mathematics is a subject that has fascinated humanity for thousands of years from the ancient world to the present day. The language of Mathematics underpins so much of the modern world – from science, technology and engineering, to finance and commerce – opening up a wide range of career opportunities to you, whilst Drama and Theatre Studies is your opportunity to develop skills as a maker and thinker of contemporary drama, theatre and performance. You will gain an understanding of each of these inter-related forms as a site of study, thought and creative practice. Through a combination of theoretical and practical explorations you will critically examine and engage with a wide range of contemporary practices, from scripted drama to site-specific performance and from documentary theatre to experiments in new media performance.

Why Study Mathematics and Drama and Theatre Studies degree at Aberystwyth?

Aberystwyth University’s Mathematics courses are accredited by the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), the UK’s learned and professional society for mathematics. The IMA exists to support the advancement of mathematical knowledge and its applications, and to promote and enhance mathematical culture in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, for the public good.

The Department of Mathematics maintained its position as one of the best departments in Wales in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014). The department returned almost 90% of our staff, the highest proportion of any Welsh mathematics department. Results show that 1 in 8 of our research outputs are world leading, and more than 60% are either world leading or internationally excellent. All of our research and the impact it has outside universities, was judged to be of international standard.

Mathematics has been taught at Aberystwyth since the foundation of the university in 1872, making it the oldest Mathematics department in Wales. Despite our heritage we have continued to innovate ensuring that the degree schemes we offer will provide you with the best Mathematics degree you can possibly obtain.

The Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth is one of the most significant Departments of its kind, with a reputation at local, national and international levels. We offer an extremely broad range of specialisms, ranging from site-specific and located theatre and performance to contemporary European theatre, British and Irish drama, documentary theatre, performance art, new media performance, politics, aesthetics, philosophy and ethics.

Many lecturers are leading professional theatre-makers and active researchers, working at the cutting edge of their disciplines, and departmental staff have active working relationships with a range of companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre Wales, Music Theatre Wales, Quarantine, Imitating the Dog and the Magdalena Project, an international network of women in contemporary theatre.

Within the Drama and Theatre Studies course, excellent facilities for practical work, including rehearsal studios and well-equipped studio theatre spaces are provided, where you can undertake projects and productions at a variety of scales. We also make use of the unique geographic resources of Aberystwyth – its landscape, language, history – to explore the challenges posed by working in different places and situations, developing an understanding of how theatre and performance always emerge from, and relate to, specific contexts. The Aberystwyth Arts Centre, one of the largest campus arts centres in the UK, is situated on the main campus, and is a popular venue where you can enjoy performances of all kinds. The Department has close links with the Arts Centre, collaborating to produce an annual Theatre Passport of subsidized work specifically for students.

Both departments also offer a number of degree schemes and modules taught entirely or partially through the medium of Welsh. Further details may be obtained from the departments.

Our Staff

All lecturers in the Department of Mathematics are qualified to PhD level and are research active. The majority have a postgraduate teaching qualification and new staff are required to complete the PGCTHE. The department also employs a number of part time tutors, with extensive teaching experience, and some student demonstrators, who are selected from our undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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
Algebra * MA10510 10
Calculus * MP10610 10
Further Algebra and Calculus * MP11010 10
Mathematical Analysis * MA11110 10
Theatre in Context 1 TP11020 20
Theatre in Context 2 TP11320 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Coordinate and Vector Geometry MA10110 10
Differential Equations MA11210 10
Probability MA10310 10
Site-Specific Performance Project TP11420 20
Statistics MA11310 10
Studio Theatre Project TP11120 20
Body, Voice, Expression. TP10220 20
Body, Voice, Perception TP10120 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Complex Analysis * MA21510 10
Linear Algebra * MA21410 10

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Acting for Camera TP25920 20
Acting: Process and Performance TP21220 20
Design Project TP22620 20
Devised Performance Project TP21620 20
Directors' Theatre TP21820 20
New Media Performance TP23820 20
Shakespeare in Performance TP23220 20
Theatre Production Project TP24940 40
Theatre and Contemporary Society TP20820 20
Advanced Dynamics MA25710 10
Applied Statistics MA26620 20
Distributions and Estimation MA26010 10
Hydrodynamics 1 MA25610 10
Introduction to Abstract Algebra MA20310 10
Introduction to Numerical Analysis and its applications MA25220 20
Real Analysis MA20110 10

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
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
Ensemble Performance Project TP35520 20
Independent Research Project TP36040 40
Playwriting TP33340 40

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

A degree in Mathematics and Drama and Theatre Studies will prepare you for career options where specialist numerical skills and logical and analytical thought are in high demand, twinned with practical abilities of developing ideas into projects with confidence and independence.

Mathematics graduates have gone on to working for organisations such as the Office of National Statistics and the Meteorological Office, but career paths such as accountancy and banking, risk analysis and actuarial work, finance management, investment analysis, information technology, research and lecturing are also open to you

Many graduates of Drama and Theatre Studies have gone on to work as actors, performers, directors, and designers, either directly, through association with co-operative and professional companies, or after further postgraduate study. Many graduates have also found employment in a variety of different areas including teaching, administration, marketing, management, and public relations.

Transferable Skills

In addition to subject specific skills and knowledge, studying for a degree in Mathematics and Drama and Theatre Studies will equip you with a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. These include:

  • research and data analysis skills
  • enhanced mathematical and computational skills
  • effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills
  • a thorough grounding in information technology skills
  • the ability to work independently
  • time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
  • the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
  • self-motivation and self-reliance
  • team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement
  • ability to apply creative, imaginative and problem-solving skills in a variety of situations
  • ability to research, evaluate and organise information
  • ability to structure and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of situations and using a variety of means
  • ability to listen to and make use of critical advice.

Year in Employment scheme (YES)

The University operates a Year in Employment Scheme (YES), which offers you a fantastic opportunity to take a year out between your second and third year to work in an organisation in the UK or overseas. YES provides a very rewarding and worthwhile experience, both personally and professionally, and can help you to stand out from the crowd in a very competitive job market. The University’s Career Service will help you to explore your options and secure a suitable work placement.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

Within the Mathematics part of your course, the first year will follow a clearly defined pathway through the study of core disciplines, including algebra and calculus, coordinate and vector geometry, probability, mathematical analysis, differential equations, and statistics.

In your first year of Drama and Theatre studies, you will take a number of introductory modules that develop your skills in making, thinking and studying, examining some key historical moments, practices and methods in order to answer the questions: ‘What is theatre?’, ‘What has theatre been?’ and ‘What could theatre be now and in the future?’

In the second and third years of Mathematics you will study real analysis, abstract and linear algebra, distributions and estimation, statistical methods and mathematical physics. Optional modules include complex and numerical analysis, dynamics and hydrodynamics, sampling, and regression and anova. You will be able to specialise further in your final year by choosing from a wide range of elective modules to suit your own interests. You will also undertake a compulsory career planning module as part of your course, which will enhance your employability prospects and enable you to develop valuable transferable skills.

In the second year of Drama and Theatre Studies you will take a closer look at contemporary theatre-making through practical, historical and theoretical approaches, building your capacity as theatre-makers, thinkers and scholars. You can select from a series of modules which explore the development of modern European theatre, Shakespeare in contemporary performance, theatre and contemporary society as well as new media performance and performance writing. Furthermore a series of practical modules which explore acting, directing, devising and designing are also available, which you can also choose to develop through involvement in full-scale production work.

The third year offers you the opportunity to create independent creative work, undertake a major research project and engage in advanced theoretical study. You can select from modules that test and extend your skills in making group and solo production projects, support you in creating an Applied Theatre project, develop entrepreneurial skills in producing and curating cultural events or write your own playscript. Specialist optional modules in the third year enable you to engage with staff research specialisms in place, space and landscape, performance philosophy, performance and politics, theatre, gender and sexuality, documentary theatre and contemporary British drama. In the third year you have the opportunity to demonstrate your achievement as an emergent maker, thinker and researcher, preparing to enter the worlds of employment, entrepreneurship and postgraduate study.

The combination of Mathematics and Drama and Theatre Studies, although unusual, provides you with an opportunity to explore both your personal artistry and your local and reasoning mind.

How will I be taught?

The mathematical side of your degree will be taught through a complementary set of teaching and learning methods and approaches, ranging from formal lectures, seminars and tutorials to practicals and individual and group-based project work, where you will be assessed through a combination of coursework, presentations, reports and examinations.

In your Drama and Theatre Studies side, you will be taught through practical workshops, small-group seminars, and lectures. This diversity of activity is an essential part of our teaching and learning philosophy, and creates a uniquely exciting and productive learning environment. You will be assessed through formal and performed essays, written and practical examinations, critical and creative portfolios, practical productions, seminar presentations and group activities. As you progress through the degree we place increasing emphasis on developing your independence and self-management, allowing you to take responsibility for your own learning.

You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your degree course, who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or personal issues. You should feel free to contact them at any time for help and advice.

You will also have the opportunity to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) at Aberystwyth. This is a structured process of self-appraisal, reflection, and planning, which will enable you to chart your personal, academic and professional development throughout your time at university. By recording your academic performance, and highlighting the skills you already have and those you will need for future employability, the PDP portfolio will equip you with the necessary tools to plan effectively, develop successful approaches to study, and consider your future career options and aspirations.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC to include B in Mathematics

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

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM with B in A level Mathematics

International Baccalaureate:
30-28 with 5 points in Mathematics at Higher Level

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall with 7 in Mathematics

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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