BA in Drama
Manchester, United Kingdom
BA
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 29,900 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
* international students fee
Key Summary
About: Study drama on stage, screen and beyond at a faculty with around 17,000 students and £237 million annual income. You’ll study theatre, performance and screen media, select units to build theory and practice, and work with an acclaimed centre for applied and social theatre on community and prison projects.
Career Outcomes: You’ll gain transferable skills in communication, collaboration, leadership, creative problem-solving. Graduates work across theatre, film, television, radio, journalism, teaching, applied theatre, directing, community arts and arts administration, and can move into screenwriting, production, PR, events management, arts education, law/business. Careers support and routes to specialist master's study available.
Study a wide range of drama - on stage, screen and beyond - including options to work with our acclaimed centre for applied and social theatre.
Course overview
- Study theatre, performance, and screen media.
- Number 1 in the UK for Drama and Cinematics (Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024).
- Select from a wide range of course units to expand both your theoretical and practical understanding of drama.
- Create and deliver practical theatre work in prisons and community settings.
BA Drama embraces all forms of drama across the stage, screen and beyond.
You may explore everything from literary adaptation to performance in public spaces, performance curation to audio design, playwriting to directing, and experimental film cultures.
Benefit from teaching informed by recent innovations in theatre and performance, alongside historical methods, and practices.
Our comprehensive facilities include the purpose-built Martin Harris Centre, home to the John Thaw Studio - a fully staffed, versatile area for performances, rehearsals, and workshops.
You will also find inspiration from the creative beating heart of the city itself, home to countless ground-breaking arts organisations and events - from Manchester International Festival, the world's first festival of original work, to HOME, the largest multidisciplinary arts centre outside of the capital.
Take advantage of strong links to partner organisations throughout the city, including TiPP (Theatre in Prisons and Probation Research and Development Centre), Manchester Museum and Contact Theatre, all based right here at the University.
Immerse yourself in the cultural pulse of the industry by engaging with professional practitioners during your coursework and extracurricular events.
Special features
Placement year option
Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals and build your external networks.
Study abroad
You may apply to spend one semester studying abroad during Year 2. Exchange partners are offered through the Erasmus Exchange scheme (in Sweden) and the Worldwide Exchange scheme (eg USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore).
Societies
Join The University of Manchester Drama Society, which is for anyone with an interest in drama, be that acting, directing, writing, filmmaking, costume, set building, stage managing or just watching. One of the largest in the Student Union, the society has links with many of Manchester's award-winning theatrical venues, including the Contact Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre. Each summer the society showcases at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Join The University of Manchester Filmmaking Society, which exists to provide a platform for aspiring filmmakers attending the university to meet, exchange ideas and create their own cinematic productions.
Teaching and learning
Manchester is distinct from an acting conservatoire; rather than offering purely vocational training, we bring together theory and practice in the study of Drama as a cultural process and artistic discourse.
Your studies will encompass stage and screen, the ancient and the contemporary, the mainstream and the avant-garde.
You'll develop skills in critical thinking, creative problem solving, and the clear articulation of ideas, learning through lectures, seminars, practical workshops, masterclasses and group work.
You will engage with the theories and techniques of practitioners past and present in our dedicated studio spaces.
Practical work is generally workshop-based and not all projects culminate in public performance.
Coursework and assessment
Assessment includes:
- coursework essays;
- written examinations;
- research reports;
- practical tests;
- learning logs;
- web contributions;
- oral presentations;
- small-scale practical assignments;
- a final-year dissertation or research essay.
The final degree result is based on 25% from Year 2 and 75% from Year 3.
Course content for year 1
Study core units in the theory and practice of drama, focusing on historical, contextual and theoretical analysis. Learn from visiting artists and collaborate with fellow students in intensive practical workshops.
Course content for year 2
Explore drama practitioners in their historical, cultural, and political context from the birth of modernism to the present day. Select from a broad range of options, including Street Theatres and Varieties of Shakespeare. Develop practical skills in creating theatre and film. Choose an area of research for your final year dissertation project.
Course content for year 3
Specialise in an area of practice, such as playwriting, directing, documentary filmmaking, applied theatre, or contemporary theatre-making.
Continue to hone your critical and analytical skills in upper-level study options.
Research and write your dissertation or research essay.
Aims
We aim to:
- produce students capable of engaging creatively and critically with performance;
- develop your skills in critical analysis, independent research and argumentation, and creative practice;
- provide you with knowledge and understanding of drama as a cultural process and artistic discourse, through the study of theatre and film histories, dramatic texts, and performance theory and practice;
- facilitate and support the development of your learning skills, critical perception and dramatic imagination;
- provide a curriculum that reflects the diversity of expertise within the Drama Department and the issues currently defining the field;
- foster knowledge, understanding, and experience of the contribution drama can make to local communities and to society at large;
- equip you with the necessary critical tools and relevant practice to begin to make worthwhile contributions to contemporary theatre, film, television or related fields.
Study Drama with us and you'll learn to interpret and critically analyse theatre, performance, and film, and create original work for live performance. You'll also gain a high level of transferable skills - especially in interpersonal communication, group work, leadership and creative problem-solving.
You'll find our graduates in a broad range of occupations - highlighting their adaptability, collaborative skills, effective communication, and negotiation abilities.
These include roles in the theatre, film, television and radio, journalism, teaching, and applied theatre.
Some of our most recent graduates are currently pursuing further study in Film Studies, Creative Writing, and Screenwriting.
Our graduates have gone on to work in a variety of industries, including positions in:
- applied theatre
- directing
- television and radio
- theatre
- film and broadcast
- journalism
- teaching at schools, colleges and universities
- community arts and arts administration
- law and business management
Our award-winning careers service provides a wealth of tools, advice, development opportunities, and industry links.
You'll have access to dedicated, subject-specific support throughout your studies and for up to two years after graduation.
Undergraduate courses are also designed to provide an easy transition into postgraduate study if desired.
We offer a wide range of specialist master's courses within the University and even offer fast-tracked enrolment to high-achieving undergraduate students.
Students can take part in our Stellify programme alongside their degrees, developing professional and leadership skills while contributing to their local and global communities through volunteering.