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Drama [with placement year] at Anglia Ruskin University - UCAS

Course options

Course summary

Explore drama and performance making in professional theatre venues and a wide range of community and industry contexts with our BA (Hons) Drama degree in Cambridge. If you dream of running your own theatre company, applying your creative skills to community or educational work, or developing as a performer, stage manager or theatre technician our BA (Hons) Drama degree is for you. With a strong focus on practice-based learning, you will explore contemporary theatre and screen performance making. You will be supported and inspired to develop a portfolio of professional skills for working in the creative industries through collaboration with other creative students, your specialist tutors, community partners and industry professionals. Making performance for a range of professional and public contexts will also give you the confidence and knowledge to transfer your talents into a wide range of career options. We’ll encourage you to create innovative and daring performance practice as you develop specialist subject knowledge and an awareness of how you might fit into and lead contemporary trends. We recognise each Drama student’s unique gifts and experience, valuing everyone’s contribution to the work we make together and to the success of the course. We will enable you to explore your own talents and to shape our Drama degree to fit your aspirations. What will studying drama be like? You’ll follow an experiential 'learning-through-doing' programme and your degree will see you choosing from a range of career-focused optional modules, completing a 100% practical Major Project, and graduating with a professionally produced showreel and portfolio. As a student here, you’ll develop your performance, technical and production skills in our specialist facilities supported by your tutors, our expert technicians, and visiting professionals. You’ll get the chance to perform in public venues around Cambridge as well as in our performing arts spaces on campus, the Mumford Theatre and Covent Garden Studio. You’ll be able to collaborate with other Cambridge School of Creative Industries students, such as our film students who need actors for their films and animators who need voice talent. We’ll also support you to find placements and work experience and you can also choose to study abroad for a semester, such as at Ramapo College, with funding available to help cover the cost. Our students also develop a wealth of skills for educational, community or charity sector careers. Our students work on live briefs with external partners such as Great Abington Primary School, devising performances and workshop activities to enhance curriculum learning through interactive drama events. You can also experience being part of a professional troupe with our very own Community Theatre Company and take the chance to perform and collaborate with other creative industries students. Closer to home, you can connect with Cambridge’s performance scene through our visits to local venues Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge Junction and Town and Gown Theatre Pub, and links to local networks such as Cambridge Arts Network and Cambridge Live. As an ARU student, you can also get involved in the city’s thriving creative scene such as University of Cambridge's Footlights comedy events, The ADC Theatre, and Troup Artist Development scheme. Professional Facilities As part of your studies at ARU, you’ll have access to all of our creative industries facilities including:

  • Dedicated drama studio, with highly flexible black-box performance space
  • Full-size on-campus professional Mumford Theatre
  • Large rehearsal space with audio playback facilities, piano, LED lighting rig, portable dance mirrors, gym mats and rostra/modular staging
  • Students’ Union-run dance studio
  • Podcast and video capture system
You'll also have access to all our other creative facilities and equipment.

Modules

Year 1 core modules: Ensemble Performance; Applied Drama; Key Skills; Key Concepts; Popular Performance. Year 2 core modules: Making Performance; Community Theatre Performance; Practice as Research; Ruskin Module. Year 2 optional modules: Physical Theatre; Professional Theatre Practice 1; Performing Shakespeare; Performing New Writing. Year 3: Work placement. Year 4 core modules: Major Project; Festival of Performance. Year 4 optional modules: Site Specific and Immersive Theatre; Screen Drama Production; Professional Theatre Practice 2; Workshop Facilitation; Provocations. Modules are subject to change and availability.

Assessment method

You’ll show your progress mainly through performance and practical work, with some small written components or longer essays if you choose theoretical options. The methods of assessment will include studio and public performances, essays, presentations, critical reflections, and a Major Project, which can be practical or written work.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
W495
Institution code:
A60
Campus name:
Cambridge Campus
Campus code:
C

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

2025 entry requirements have been published using the current cycle information however, due to a current review these are subject to change. Please check back here for updates.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://aru.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/drama


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
85%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
90%
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

England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 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

In the 2025/26 academic year, the placement year fee will be £1,500. https://www.aru.ac.uk/student-life/support-and-facilities/careers-and-employability/placements https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/tuition-fees https://www.aru.ac.uk/student-life/preparing-for-study/help-with-finances
Drama [with placement year] at Anglia Ruskin University - UCAS