PhD Drama and Theatre Studies

Program Overview

The PhD/MA by Research in Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Birmingham empowers students to become creative leaders in drama and theatre. It offers practice-based or written research opportunities, exceptional resources, and a vibrant community of scholars and practitioners. Graduates pursue diverse careers in performance, theatre-making, teaching, and creative leadership.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The PhD/MA by Research in Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Birmingham offers a postgraduate research opportunity for students, scholars, and theatre practitioners to delve deeper into the study of drama. The program emphasizes inclusion, diversity, wellbeing, and resilience, equipping students to become creative leaders in the field.

Objectives:

• Develop students as both performance practitioners and scholars.
• Equip students to develop and sustain a career as a creative leader through reflection on their position and potential, alongside attention to the ethics and politics of performance practices.
• Provide students with the opportunity to work within a community of internationally renowned scholars and practitioners in one of the leading Drama departments in the UK.

Description:

The program benefits from the Department's exceptional resources for theatre research and its links with world-class theatre in Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon, London, and beyond. Students can choose to study full-time or part-time, on campus or by distance learning. The College of Arts and Law has experience in delivering high-quality distance learning to students worldwide.

Careers:

The program prepares graduates for a variety of careers, including:

• Performing
• Theatre-making
• Creative leadership
• Directing
• Teaching drama
Graduates have gone on to work for organizations such as:
• BBC
• Channel 4
• Salisbury Playhouse
• Birmingham Hippodrome
• Welsh National Opera
• National Film and Television School
• University of Birmingham

Other:

• The program offers the chance to undertake practice research as an independent final project or produce a written dissertation.
• Students have access to the University's full range of studio and performance spaces, production resources, and teaching and learning spaces.
• Postgraduate students have the opportunity to learn graduate academic languages free of charge.
• The University of Birmingham is ranked equal 10th in the UK amongst Russell Group universities in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 (Times Higher Education).
• The Performing Arts department is ranked in the top 50 in the world (QS 2024).

UK: £4,786 full-time; £2,393 part-time International: £21,840 full-time; £10,920 part-time (distance learning only) The same fees apply to both campus-based and distance learning study. The distance learning programme also includes one fully-funded visit to campus in the first year of study. The above fees quoted are for one year only; for those studying over two or more years, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

• For UK postgraduate research students the University fee level is set at Research Council rates and as such is subject to change.
The final fee will be announced by Research Councils UK in spring 2024.

Payment of Fees:

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. Funding opportunities International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government. Postgraduate loans A Postgraduate Doctoral or Masters Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate course. For those starting courses after 1 August 2020, loans are available of up to £11,836 for Masters by Research students and up to £27,892 for PhD students, in all subject areas.