Course summary

Our MA by Research in Theatre and Performance Studies offers a unique opportunity to design a bespoke programme of research in a department with a strong international reputation for research excellence. This degree offers the flexibility to undertake a written thesis or a combination of practice as research and written component. The degree of an MA by Research in Theatre and Performance studies offers you the opportunity to design a bespoke programme of original and independent research at a leading department in the discipline. The MA by Research is designed to be flexible in terms of the topic and the assessed format you undertake. Subject to the approval of the department, your degree may culminate in a 30,000-40,000 word thesis or a combination of practice as research that may involve performance, curation, writing for performance, translation, applied theatre projects or digital outcome alongside a shorter thesis. Supervision for MA students will be provided by academic researchers with significant experience of undertaking research across a range of topics in theatre and performance research. Your supervisor or co-supervisors will support and guide you from the application stage to the completion of your research. We supervise a wide range of students from a variety of different countries and backgrounds and welcome this diversity among our student body. As a research student, your closest contact will be with your supervisor, or co-supervisors, who will meet with you regularly to discuss your work. The supervisory relationship is at the heart of your research. Your supervisor(s) are experts in their field who will guide you throughout your degree and will agree upon a programme of reading, research and writing with you. You will also be allocated a mentor in the department to whom you may address matters related to your study. Throughout your degree you will be integrated into the theatre and performance postgraduate community, have opportunities to undertake professional skills training and be encouraged to attend research events and workshops both in the department and the wider university. This information is applicable for 2025 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply.