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Drama Studies performance

Drama (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

Engage creatively and critically with drama, theatre, acting and performance, alongside a related subject. Adopt contemporary methods, develop collaborative skills and be supported to find your own artistic vision.

Overview

This dynamic course is informed by contemporary methods of performance making, current scholarly thinking, and historical theatrical traditions. You will learn from researchers and guest practitioners, and engage critically and creatively with varied modules which will help you to put performance into context. We will support you to develop your own artistic vision based on your personal interests and aspirations, to grow in confidence showcasing your work.  

You will explore techniques that underpin acting and performing for the stage, gain a broad understanding of the history of theatre and performance from Ancient Greece to contemporary performance art, and investigate theatre as a vehicle for social change in politics and education.  

Gain real-world experience through placements and internships, get involved in professional performances, and broaden your horizons with theatre trips at home and abroad – all of which will prepare you for a range of careers in the arts industry.  

This joint-honours course enables you to inform your studies alongside one of the following subjects.  

  • Drama studied with Creative Writing enables students to explore creative uses of language. 
  • Drama and English Literature emphasises both disciplines’ interest in written texts.
  • Drama and Arts and Festivals Management combines creative performance with the theory and practice of managing arts industries.
  • Drama and Media reflects the importance of media in contemporary performance.  

You will study 50 per cent Drama and 50 per cent of your other subject.    

Key features

  • DMU is recognised as a Centre for Excellence in Performance Arts, with our sophisticated facilities  providing specialist studios and rehearsal spaces designed specifically for drama and performance learning activities.
  • Our lively curriculum  gives you the opportunity to engage critically with research and the practices of drama, theatre and performance, helping you to develop your own artistic vision.
  • Enhance your learning, broaden your outlook and open up career opportunities by combining Drama with a related subject.
  • Benefit from our long-standing partnership with Leicester’s iconic Curve  theatre. Opportunities include internships, work placements and the chance to work on or perform in an annual production,  which have included  Lorca’s Blood Wedding and Lucy Prebble’s Enron.
  • Extensive performance opportunities including  Exit Souls: The Drama Festival showcases students’ diverse work to a public audience each year.
  • Expand your horizons with international experiences  through  DMU Global. Our students have attended the Drama Theatre Festival in Liège, Belgium at the world-renowned International University Theatre Reunion. 
  • Our graduates have gone on to work in theatre companies, community arts organisations and have forged careers in media and technical theatre production. 

 

Follow us on our Drama Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Scholarships:

DMU Global High Flyers Award
Our dedicated DMU Global High Flyers Award offers ambitious students a discount of up to £1,000 towards a DMU Global opportunity (terms and conditions apply).

More courses like this:

Drama (Single Honours) BA (Hons)
Arts and Festivals Management (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)
Creative Writing (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)
English (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)
Media (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code:

  • Arts and Festivals Management and Drama WW94*
  • Creative Writing and Drama WW84 
  • Drama and English QWJ4 
  • Drama and Media PWH4 

 

Duration: Three years full-time, four years full-time with a placement. Six years part-time.

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Find out more about tuition fees and available funding.

Additional costs: Here at DMU we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750

Additional costs: Here at DMU we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Typical entry requirements 

Drama and Arts and Festivals Management BA (Hons)
Drama and Media BA (Hons)

      • 112 points from at least 2 A'levels or
      • BTEC Extended Diploma DMM or
      • International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points

Plus five GCSEs grades 9-4 including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.

  • Pass Access with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit (or equivalent) and GCSE  English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above.

We will normally require students have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

  • We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above

Interview required: No

Drama and Creative Writing BA (Hons)

      • 104 points from at least 2 A'levels or
      • BTEC Extended Diploma DMM  or
      • International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points

Plus five GCSEs grades 9-4 including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.

  • Pass Access with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit (or equivalent) and GCSE  English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above.

We will normally require students have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

  • We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above

Note: You may be asked to complete a piece of work to support your application.

Interview required: No

Drama and English BA (Hons)

  • 112 points from at least 2 A'levels including grade C or above in English Language or Literature or
  • BTEC Extended Diploma DMM including grade C or above in English Language or Literature or
  • International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points

Plus five GCSEs grades 9-4 including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.

  • Pass Access with 30 level 3 credits at Merit in English Language or Literature and GCSE English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above.

We will normally require students have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

  • We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above

Interview required: No

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

 

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

 Collaborative partnerships

 

First year

    • Acting and Performing
    • Drama Performance Project: Collaboration
    • Performance in Context: History and Analysis
    • Theatre for Social Change

Second year

  • Performance in Context: Culture and Theory

You will take the above module and choose from:

  • Directing
  • Curve Company 1
  • Popular Performance
  • Devised Theatre and Performance
  • Drama Performance Project: Staging
  • Drama and the Community
  • Performance Writing
  • Understanding the Theatre and Performance Industry
  • Adaptation
  • Technical Stage Production

Third year

  •  Drama Research Project
  • Performance as Research
  • Live Art and Experimental Performance
  • Curve Company 2
  • Engaging with Creative Industries
  • Political Performance
  • Drama Performance Project: Production
  • Education and Performing Arts
  • Staging Texts

Click here for more detailed module information: Year one - Year two - Year three


Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

You will study 50 per cent Drama and 50 per cent of your other subject.

Structure

Drama staff have expertise in a number of different fields, including: Shakespeare in performance, popular theatre, applied drama, directing, language and performance, 20th-century modernist drama and the avant-guarde, 20th-century women playwrights, performer training, performance and documentation, theatre and translation, performance and the body, gender and performance, live art and contemporary performance practice.

Visiting lecturers, actors, practitioners, directors and theatre companies further enhance your learning. We are dedicated to the student experience more widely, and run extra and co-curricular activities and events throughout the year.

Contact hours

Arts and Festivals Management and Drama
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, essays and reports) and usually an exam. Your precise timetable will depend on the optional modules you choose to take, however, in your first year you will normally attend around 9 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 27 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

English and Drama
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, essays and reports) and usually an exam. Your precise timetable will depend on the optional modules you choose to take, however, in your first year you will normally attend around 11 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 26 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

Creative Writing and Drama

For the following combinations you will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, essays and reports). Your precise timetable will depend on the optional modules you choose to take, however, in your first year you will normally attend around 13 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 25 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

Drama and Media
For the following combinations you will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, essays and reports). Your precise timetable will depend on the optional modules you choose to take, however, in your first year you will normally attend around 11 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 26 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

 

Curve theatre

DMU and Curve theatre have a cultural partnership which gives you the opportunity to be involved in professional practice in a variety of ways.

An annual collaborative production allows Drama Studies students from all years to participate in professional productions, working with in-house directors, lighting designers and producers on performances.

adh-curve-600w-2

Curve theatre website

Facilities and features

Performance facilities

Recognised  nationally as a centre for  excellence in performance arts, DMU  has outstanding courses, teaching and  facilities. Our Performing Arts Centre for Excellence  (PACE) building provides  sector-leading  spacious studios,  rehearsal rooms and fully equipped  performance spaces, which  can be transformed  to turn your ideas into a reality.  Students also have access to  performance spaces in our  Campus  Centre and  the Venue@DMU, a purpose-built  venue  created to host events, performances and celebrations.

 Your creative work is supported by expert  technicians and you can book rehearsal space and equipment such as digital video cameras, sound recording equipment and editing suites.

 Take a look  at our stunning showcase  of the PACE building and facilities at  dmu.ac.uk/perform 

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Campus Centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team. 

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
Drama student placements

Placements

Placements are embedded into the Level 6 module, Engaging with Creative Industries, which allows students to gain valuable practical experience by setting up a work placement as part of a wider research project. This module enables students to engage with professional practice and structure their individual learning with academic supervision. Students have previously undertaken placements in professional arts organisations, arts events and venues, educational arts programmes, theatre companies and related corporate industries, such as television or commercial enterprises. 

Additionally, students may have the opportunity to undertake an internship or work placement at Leicester’s Curve theatre. Our partnership allows students to participate in professional productions, working with in-house directors, lighting designers and producers on performances.  

Drama students participate in the #DMUglobal Berlin trip 2017

DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.  

Students on this course have  previously  undertaken DMU Global trips to  New York, Berlin and Montreal and experienced the world-renowned International University Theatre Reunion (RITU) in Liège, Belgium. 

Drama degree careers

Graduate careers

Our  Drama  graduates gain strong skills  in critical analysis, reflection and research, and acquire  excellent oral and written communication skills. We will teach you to  effectively  collaborate, devise, organise and self-manage projects, and  deal confidently with public performance.  

Previous graduates have developed careers in media and technical theatre production, worked in theatres and community arts organisations, developed personal professional practice, set up their own theatre companies, and teach in primary, secondary and further education. Others choose to pursue postgraduate study,  such as  our  Performance Practices MA.  Recent destinations for Drama graduates include actor for the National Theatre, Associate Director at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre and Drama coach at Berzerk Productions. 

Drama graduate Clive Keene has been travelling the world starring in the National Theatre’s acclaimed play War Horse. Clive said, “It was one of the best decisions in my life coming to DMU. The Drama course opened up so many new opportunities that I may not have got anywhere else and gave me an insight into alternative practices within the industry which I feel informed me as an actor.” 

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