Drama MA

Theatre & Young People or New Theatre Practices

Subject to Validation

The MA in Drama offers students the opportunity to combine practical theatre work with complementary critical and theoretical study through a dynamic course of creative learning.

Students select to specialise either Theatre and Young People or New Theatre Practices allowing them to develop expertise and profile in one of these pathways and at the same time to benefit from taking a number of shared core modules common to both courses. Both programmes enable students to develop substantial work experience through the course’s close contacts with the profession.

This is a new post graduate programme designed to enable students to engage with an advanced approach to practice against a framework of academic research, through group work, individual supervision, seminars, workshops and professional mentoring sessions. There is a focus on partnerships with the professional theatre community and students are able to form close links with directors, companies and theatre venues in the region, through work placements and production opportunities.

Drama at Worcester provides a vibrant research environment for students to develop and refine their own practice. The course is an excellent grounding for emerging theatre practitioners: directors, performers and writers. Graduating students may also follow careers in postgraduate research, lecturing or teaching, theatre administration, the media and community arts.

Mode of Course Delivery

The course can be taken on a full time or part time basis. Full time students attend a combination of daytime and evening class sessions The part time student will usually attend sessions in the evening. There are additional optional weekend and holiday courses.

Sessions are programmed in the University’s well equipped performance studios where students have access to an extensive range of facilities and digital equipment. Student production work may also take place in partner theatre venues in the city.

Teaching Team

The course is delivered by experienced lecturers who are internationally recognized researchers, professional practitioners, and experienced teachers. Among the staff team’s specialist interest areas are theatre for young people, devised performance, multi-media theatre, site specific and immersive theatre and classical adaptation.

Intermediate awards

Students who wish to qualify at the level of PG Dip Theatre and Young People or PG Dip New Theatre Practices can do so by taking a reduced selection of modules. Students can achieve a PG Cert in Drama by taking a smaller selection of modules.

Earn-as-you-learn opportunities

All those accepted onto the MA programme are invited to audition for the Drama Department’s own production company which coordinates a programme of paid work and professional opportunities in theatre for students. Production projects this year involving drama students ranged from performing in touring productions for schools and colleges, to leading drama workshops for local community groups and from running comedy nights in a local club, to undertaking commissions for commercial companies.

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How to Apply

For all taught postgraduate and PG Cert programmes, please apply directly to University of Worcester. You can download an application form, or can contact the Admissions office on 01905 855111 / pg-admissions@worc.ac.uk who will post you a form.

Please post your completed application form to:
Admissions Office
University Of Worcester
Henwick Grove
Worcester
WR2 6AJ

Alternatively you can apply online for postgraduate programmes at University of Worcester via the Prospects online directory of postgraduate programmes. There is no fee for using the online application service.

When we receive your application form, your details will be passed to the Masters Programme Leader who will contact you to arrange an informal interview. You may include additional material, such as references, in support of your application or bring them with you to interview.

Study options

The MA is awarded on successful completion of nine modules. They include three mandatory modules; three optional modules; and an Advanced Independent Study, equivalent to three modules, which may have a substantial practical element. The Dissertation defines the Masters Award, enabling students to apply knowledge and understanding of the subject to a topic of individual choice.

The students’ personal choice of pathway, Theatre and Young People or New Theatre Practices will be stated in brackets after the title of the programme on their graduation certificates i.e. MA Drama (Theatre and Yung People) or MA Drama (New Theatre Practices).

Postgraduate Certificate

To gain Postgraduate Certificate students must successfully complete three modules, which may be all taught or a combination of taught and individual study modules.

Postgraduate Diploma

After completing the Postgraduate Certificate, it is possible to complete a further three modules to achieve the award of Postgraduate Diploma.

Get in touch

Elizabeth Swift
Subject Leader Drama
01905855000
e.swift@worc.ac.uk

Admissions Office
01905 855111
admissions@worc.ac.uk

The MA programme is designed for students with a good honours degree in Drama or other humanities subject areas. It is also appropriate for theatre practitioners or drama teachers wishing to develop their academic qualifications and for overseas students seeking to deepen their knowledge and experience of theatre in the UK. In certain circumstances, people without conventional academic qualifications, who have significant experience in Drama, may be accepted onto the course.

Anyone interested in the programme is invited to contact Drama Subject Leader Elizabeth Swift (e.swift@worc.ac.uk) for an informal discussion about the course. All applications will be invited to attend an interview – in the case of International applicants this may be done online.

If English is not your first language, you will be expected to have reached a sufficient standard on admission to the course (e.g. IELTS 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each element)

Modules

A sample of available modules includes:

Mandatory Modules

Research Methods in Drama & Performance

Audience, Performer, Space

Ideology and Aesthetics in Theatre Performance

Advanced Independent Study
For the award of Masters – The Advanced Independent Study, which may be written or a combination of practical and written work, must be taken.

Optional Modules

Students will select according to their specialist pathway in Theatre and Young People or New Theatre Practices.

Specialist Negotiated Project

Work-Placement module

Theatre and Young Audiences

Directing and Authorship

Site Specific Performance

Theatre and Education

Sexuality and Performance

Theatre and Disability

Running a Theatre Company

Assessment

A variety of teaching methods are used, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical workshops and individual and group presentations.There are opportunities for theatre visits and guest speakers.

Modules are assessed by coursework, which may include practical work. Detailed feedback is provided to assist your intellectual development.

Academic department

Institute of Humanities & Creative Arts

“We are a lively community of scholars, researchers and creative practitioners”
Professor Antonia Payne, Head of Institute

The Drama MA is within the Institute of Humanities & Creative Arts. Also within the Institute is the Drama and Performance BA which has approximately 200 undergraduate students. There are also research students working towards PhD and MPhil in the Drama area. Staff in the department is extensively involved in research and practice and there are several resident theatre companies working within the university.

By studying drama at postgraduate level at UW, students become part of a wide network of scholars and practitioners which brings with it extensive opportunities for professional experience and sustainable career options.

Employability

This MA is designed with the student’s future employment in mind. The course has a significant input from major professional organisations including theatres, arts centres, performance companies and community organisations in its teaching and organisation. A distinctive feature of the course is the opportunities it provides for work experience and for student engagement with the profession.

Both recent graduates and experienced professional will be able to enhance their employability through the skills and subject area expertise acquired on the course. Furthermore through taking advantage of the various professional opportunities made available to students they will be able to develop their work experience and CVs as they progress through the course.

Careers directions for students who successfully complete their post graduate course include work as performers , directors and writers. Community arts employment, drama lecturing and teaching, arts administration, TV, media and film employment are also among career options. The course can also serve as a foundation for a research at MPhil or PhD level.