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Drama and Theatre (with integrated year in professional practice)

Study level:
Undergraduate
Awarded by:
Aberystwyth University (Prifysgol Aberystwyth)

Course summary

On this degree, you will study what theatre has been, explore what it is, and imagine all that it can be. Through an innovative combination of theory and practice, you will develop your skills as a theatre-maker and creative thinker and prepare yourself for work in the creative industries and beyond. The integrated year in professional practice will enable you to gain hands-on experience in a professional setting whilst at the same time develop some key contacts in preparation for your time after graduation. Theatre asks questions and opens up experimental spaces for things to unfold and happen, all in the excitement of the shared time. Supported by internationally-recognised staff with a wide range of expertise, on this degree you will experiment with texts, practices and production work and encounter a wide range of historic and contemporary theatre forms, from scripted drama to site-specific performance and from Shakespeare to experiments in new media.

Students in Drama and Theatre gain the following valuable skills that are sought after by employers. Your year in professional practice will give you great insight into the industry and put you ahead of other like-minded graduates who may not have had the opportunity to undertake relevant work experience during the degree.

In your first 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 second 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

  • Shakespeare in performance

  • Theatre and contemporary society

  • New media performance.

In your third year, you will undertake your year in professional practice.

In your final year, you will have the opportunity:

  • To create independent creative work

  • To undertake a major research project and engage in the advanced theoretical study

  • To extend your skills in ensemble and solo production projects

  • To develop your entrepreneurial skills in producing and curating cultural events

  • To write your own play script

  • To study specialist modules that may address: space, place and landscape, performance and philosophy, performance, politics and protest, theatre, gender and sexuality, performance and architecture, new music theatre, and contemporary British and Irish drama.

One of our notable and esteemed alumni is Alex Jones who is currently the longest-running female presenter on the One Show. During her time at Aberystwyth University, Alex Jones studied Drama and Theatre Studies.

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.

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How to apply

Apply by
29 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
W402
Institution code:
A40
Campus name:
Main Site (Aberystwyth)
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Open days

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff - 96 - 120 points

A level - BBB - CCC

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDM - MMM

Access to HE Diploma

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 26 - 30 points

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)

Aberystwyth University welcomes the Welsh Baccalaureate as a valuable qualification in its own right and considers completion of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate to be equivalent to an A level grade.

Applicants are selected on their individual merits and offers can vary. We allow you flexibility in meeting our entry requirements, and all qualifications that you have already gained, or are working towards, will be considered when reviewing your application.

We have an inclusive policy which recognises a broad range of qualifications. The entry requirements listed above represent typical offers for some of the most popular qualifications taken by applicants.

If you cannot find the qualifications that you are studying (or have previously studied) please contact our Undergraduate Admissions Office (Telephone: +44 (0)1970 622021; Email: ug-admissions@aber.ac.uk) for advice on your eligibility and details of the typical offer you are likely to receive.

Additional entry requirements

Other
A minimum grade C or grade 4 pass in GCSE (or equivalent) English or Welsh is a requirement for entry to all our degree schemes. Business, Mathematics, Psychology and Science degree schemes also require a minimum grade C or grade 4 pass in GCSE (or equivalent).

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
Cambridge English AdvancedB
Cambridge English ProficiencyC
IELTS (Academic)6.5With minimum 5.5 in each component.
PTE Academic62With minimum scores of 51 in each component.
TOEFL (iBT)88With minimum scores in components as follows: Listening 21; Writing 21; Reading 22; Speaking 23.
If you are an international student needing more information about the English Language requirement for your course (e.g. country-specific English Language tests, Partner Institution tests, EU/EEA English Language qualifications where the school curriculum is taught in a native language) please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for further advice.

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

Within our Contextual Offer Scheme, we strive to embrace students whose educational and social backgrounds may have influenced their academic journey. Our decision-making process involves assessing the entire application to make an assessment based on your grades and individual circumstances.

Learn more on the Aberystwyth University website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades students were previously accepted with - learn more. It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Data from:
This course and 19 other design, and creative and performing arts courses
Date range:
2022-2024

Grades held by accepted students

BBB Most common
  1. A*AA
  2. Highest grades
  3. DDD
  4. Lowest grades

Offer rate for UK school & college leavers

88% Students aged 17/18 who applied to this course were offered a place.

How do you compare?

See how students with your grades have been accepted onto this course in the past.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students

65 Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)

75 Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England£9000Year 1
Northern Ireland£9000Year 1
Scotland£9000Year 1
Wales£9000Year 1
Channel Islands£9000Year 1
Republic of Ireland£9000Year 1
EU£16520Year 1
International£16520Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

The UK and Welsh Governments have confirmed that EU students commencing their studies in the academic year 2021/22 will no longer be eligible for home fee status. Fees for EU students will therefore be charged in line with international fees from 2021/22 onwards.

Please note Irish nationals will continue to be eligible for home fee status and support by the Welsh Government under the Common Travel Area arrangement

Sponsorship information

Aberystwyth University offers a valuable package of scholarships and bursaries to support students. Our long-established Entrance Examination competition means you could get up to £2,000 a year towards your living and study costs. You can combine that with any or all of our other awards, to make your financial package more valuable. Our awards include Sport and Music Scholarships, Bursaries for Care Leavers/Young Carers/Estranged Students and a range of department specific awards. Please visit our website for full details.

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