BA|Undergraduate
Drama
Academic Year 2024/25
BBB
3 years (Full Time)
W400
Drama at Queen’s combines history, theory and practice in an integrated and multidisciplinary approach, to discover why and how theatre works. Performance workshops and productions enable students to draw upon their reading of literary, cultural, historical and sociological studies to inform their practical understanding of performance. Students are also required to attend professional performances, and benefit from our exceptional links with the theatre sector in Northern Ireland and beyond. Visiting professionals lead workshops in specialist areas.
Drama Degree highlights
Global Opportunities
- Students can access a range a range of international opportunities during their degree programme – both as year-long international exchanges and shorter learning opportunities and visits.
Industry Links
- Drama at Queen’s has unparalleled links with the professional theatre sector and collaborates extensively with leading arts organisations and theatre companies, such as the Lyric Theatre, Prime Cut Productions, Kabosh, Tinderbox and Bruiser, as well as with the Belfast Festival and the Linen Hall Library. Students also have the opportunity to undertake a work-based learning module in Year 3.
World Class Facilities
- Lots of teaching happens in the Brian Friel Theatre, which is one of the best-equipped theatres in Belfast with a 120-seat studio theatre, rehearsal room, dressing rooms, green room and workshop all housed in the Drama and Film Centre which also includes the Queen’s Film Theatre.
www.brianfrieltheatre.co.uk
Internationally Renowned Experts
- Our staff expertise encompasses both professional and scholarly aspects of drama and theatre practice, with many of our team acknowledged internationally as experts in their fields. You will learn from experts in Irish and British theatre, Shakespearean and Restoration theatre, applied theatre practices, global and intercultural theatre, dance and movement, writing and directing.
Student Experience
- Extracurricular performance opportunities are offered by the Tyrone Guthrie Society and the student Drama Society, which have taken productions to student festivals in Ireland and the UK. Productions have also been taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and to festivals in Belgium and Italy.
"I wanted to have a mixture of practical and academic work that would delve deeper into the subject I am most passionate about, as well as moving to a completely new place and Queen’s ticked both those boxes. Belfast has been great, it feels very relaxed and friendly, and everything is easily walkable. Some of my favourite things so far are the independent cafés and restaurants and the abundance of charity shops - not to mention the Botanic Gardens and Ormeau Park. Even with the pandemic, I have been a part of three productions this year with Queen’s University Players - in both acting and directorial positions - ranging from plays written by society members to Oscar Wilde. The people and the general atmosphere of the society have been fabulous and have really made my time at Queen’s so far."
Elena Pearson, current student, BA Drama
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Course content
Course Structure
Stage 1 | All students take five introductory modules at Level 1 (1st Year), which introduce the foundations of theatre, performance and production practice. Students also choose one optional module from a range available from across the Faculty. |
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Stage 2 | In the second year of this programme, students have the opportunity to broaden their horizons, selecting from a range of modules that will allow them to build on the knowledge and skills gained in stage 1, and apply them to specific genres and styles of performance. |
Stage 3 | In Stage 3 students develop the skills and knowledge they need for a career in the performing arts. Many students opt to undertake a work-based practice module, developing skills, experience and a network of contacts. |
Contact Teaching Times
Personal Study | 24 (hours maximum) hours studying and revising in your own time each week, including some guided study using handouts, online activities, etc |
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Large Group Teaching | 3 (hours maximum) hours of lectures |
Medium Group Teaching | 10 (hours maximum) hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week |
Learning and Teaching
On the BA in Drama we provide a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:
- E-Learning Technologies
Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project- based work etc. - Lectures
Introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers). - Personal Tutor
Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor during Years 1, 2 and 3 who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development. - Practicals
Where you will have opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts. You will be expected to attend two practical workshops per week for modules DRA1003 and DRA1004. - Professionally Directed Theatre Production
In Year 2 students are able to participate either as actors or in a production role in a professionally directed theatre production. - Self-directed study
This is a vital part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out. - Seminars/tutorials
Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide the opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups. - Supervised Projects
In Year 3, you will have the opportunity to carry out a significant piece of research or a practical production on a topic or practical methodology that you have chosen. You will receive support from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research or production and will provide feedback to you on at least two occasions. - Work placements
Students have the opportunity to undertake a work placement in Year 3. This is a significant learning and employability enhancement opportunity
Assessment
Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:
- Assessment is by performance, presentations, and written coursework. There are no end of semester examinations in Drama. The way in which you are assessed will vary according to the Learning Objectives of each module. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Module Outline Document which is provided to all students.
Feedback
As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about your work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and your peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:
- Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted.
- Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
- Placement employer comments or references.
- Online or emailed comment.
- General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
- Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time.
- Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
- Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
- Once you have reviewed your feedback, you are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.
Facilities
The Brian Friel Theatre (http://www.brianfrieltheatre.co.uk), is one of the best equipped theatres in Belfast with a 120 seat studio theatre, rehearsal room, dressing rooms, green room and workshop, housed in the Drama & Film Centre which opened in 2004 which also comprises the Queen's Film Theatre.
Drama at Queen’s has unparalleled links with the local theatre sector and collaborates extensively with leading arts organisations and theatre companies, such as the Lyric Theatre, Prime Cut Productions, Kabosh, Tinderbox and Bruiser theatre companies as well as Belfast Festival and the Linen Hall Library, all of whom have helped us develop a vital professional practice dimension as part of our overall provision.
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Overview
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Modules
Modules
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2022/23). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
- Year 1
Core Modules
Production Practices (20 credits)Production Practices
Overview
Production Practices is a core module designed to provide single-honours Drama students with an appropriate degree of expertise in the use of various technical apparatus necessary to realise the demands of production in live performance and/or recorded media.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module students should:
Have achieved an appropriate degree of expertise in the use of various technical apparatus necessary to realise the demands of production in live performance and/or recorded media;
Be able to engage creatively and critically with the skills and processes of production, design and rehearsal by which performance is created, and have an ability to select, refine and present these in performance;
Be able to work creatively and imaginatively in a group and to have developed the creative skills needed for the realisation of practice based work.Skills
Technical skills pertinent to the production of a live performance and/or recorded media.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA1006
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Theatre Now: Contemporary Performance (20 credits)Theatre Now: Contemporary Performance
Overview
This module offers Level 1 Students an introduction to major contemporary theatre practices and is intended to dovetail with the students’ work on DRA1001. The course will explore emerging and challenging strands of theory and practice from the early Twentieth Century to present day. Themes include Poststructuralist discourse, Gender and Queer Theory, Installation as Theatre and Hyperreality.
Teaching delivery:
- asynchronous lectures through powerpoint or voice thread with comment function
- combination of asynchronous screenings and synchronous screenings, synchronous responses to screenings in live chat or online teams class
- essay writing tutorials x4 delivered synchronously in weeks 4, 5, 6, 7
- small group seminars in person, recorded/broadcast for students who cannot be presentLearning Outcomes
Describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and events from a range of critical perspectives
Reading the performance possibilities implied by a script, score and other textual or documentary sources.
The capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of performative discourse and their effects on representation in the arts, media and public life
Information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, synthesise and organise material independently and critically evaluate its significance.Skills
Critical evaluation, Research-led inquiry, Writing Skills, Teamwork
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA1005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Acting for Stage and Screen (20 credits)Introduction to Acting for Stage and Screen
Overview
This module will build on performance and production skills in the context of a performance project.
Learning Outcomes
To enhance practical theatre skills and further deepen student awareness of the processes of production and techniques of performance.
Skills
Application of theory to practice; collaborative skills, critical analysis of performance (self and others).
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA1004
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Performing (20 credits)Introduction to Performing
Overview
Introduction to practical theatre skills within a theoretical context.
Learning Outcomes
To develop practical theatre skills, deepen student awareness of the processes of production and techniques of performance.
Skills
Application of theory to practice; collaborative skills, critical analysis of performance (self and others).
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA1003
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Theatre: The Material Stage (20 credits)Introduction to Theatre: The Material Stage
Overview
This module is about theatre and performance as live events taking place on the material stage. This module will examine theatre and live performance by drawing on a wide historical and geographical range of theatre practices: from ancient Greece to the contemporary stage; from Ireland to South Africa and Japan. You will explore several key themes concerned with theatre’s role and relation to myth, ritual, conflict, memory, space and the body. Where relevant you will also attend a number of live performance which will be part of the curriculum.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
• be able to interpret and analyse theatre events as a complex matrix of relationships between texts, participants (spectators, performers), spaces, and the material, historical and cultural contexts of their production and reception.
• be able to identify and interpret the cultural frameworks that surround performance events, and with which these events engage and interact.
• be able to analyse, evaluate and interpret theatre and performance from a range of critical perspectives using a variety of theoretical frameworks.
• have developed critical, analytical and written skills through the submission of assignments.
• have developed essay writing skills and deepened their understanding of how written work is assessed.Skills
Textual analysis; application of theory to practice in theatre-making; essay-writing skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA1001
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
24 weeks
- Year 2
Core Modules
Optional Modules
International Theatre Collaboration (20 credits)International Theatre Collaboration
Overview
This module is a collaboration between Drama at Queen’s and several international universities (currently the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and National Universities Ireland-Galway) where students will be taught in person by Queen’s staff and digitally by staff at the partner universities. The module will present students with key concerns currently facing theatre makers around the world and different ways of responding to those issues. The module will draw upon the expertise of a broad range of staff across the partners to allow students to see the issues facing the field from all possible angles. The module will also give students the opportunity to interact and collaborate with students from the partner universities on presentations and potentially performances.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
Be able to collaborate with colleagues over long distances using online tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Understand some of the key issues facing theatre makers across the world today.
Be able to cogently present issues facing local artists to an international group of students.Skills
Research and analytical skills
Performance skills
Communication and speech
Interacting with others (both in interactions between performer and director, as well as performer and audience)
Technical proficiencyCoursework
70%
Examination
0%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2065
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Drama and Mental Health (20 credits)Drama and Mental Health
Overview
This module will explore the relationship between Drama and mental health regarding the historical development of both subjects and their interrelationship in contemporary healthcare practice. Students will analyse key theories and practices in Drama by variously engaging with both canonical and contemporary plays that engage with mental health and its vicissitudes. Students will be trained in key aspects of acting that pertain to the on-stage performance of the interior life of characters constructed for performance. Students will have the opportunity to work with staff who engage with mental health in various subject areas across QUB and local health and social care trusts. Students will engage with the intersection between aesthetic performance and professional training in health and social care to gain a unique insight into how dramatic art can impact positively on mental health.
Learning Outcomes
In completing this module, students should be able to demonstrate, where appropriate, knowledge and understanding in a range of the following areas:
• critical awareness of research methodologies and methods used to investigate Drama and mental health;
• a range of key components of performance within Drama to include: ideational sources, body, space, image, sound, text, movement, environment;
• applications of performance in educational, community and social contexts and pedagogical perspectives as appropriate to Drama education;
• the use of group processes in the creation of work including working collectively, co-creation and hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures;
• the interdisciplinary elements of drama and how to apply appropriate knowledge, concepts and skills from other disciplines.Skills
Students will be able to demonstrate the following:
• engaging in performance and production, based on acquisition and understanding of appropriate performance and production vocabularies, skills, structures, working methods and research paradigms;
• describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and events from a range of critical and technical perspectives and using appropriate subject-specific vocabularies;
• analysing the role which drama may play in contributing to debates on mental health;
• questioning the ethical implications and appropriateness of performance work to ensure activities are undertaken in safe and supported environments for specific audiences and participants.
Students will have the ability to:
• work in planned and improvisatory ways, to anticipate and accommodate change, ambiguity, creative risk-taking, uncertainty and unfamiliarity;
• operate and think reflexively, creatively, critically and technically to develop ideas and construct arguments;
• effectively lead, facilitate, participate, and problem solve within team working contexts;
• recognise situational and interpersonal factors and how these can be effectively accommodated to facilitate productive working relationships;
• articulate ideas and communicate information comprehensibly in visual, physical, oral and textual forms;
• critically use information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, manipulate, synthesise, evaluate and organise material.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2064
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Dramaturgy (20 credits)Dramaturgy
Overview
This module – delivered in conjunction with the Lyric Theatre’s new writing programme - introduces students to the concept of dramaturgy as a critical tool in interrogating the connection between the playtext and performance. With the input and insight of professional dramaturgs, this module will explore the historical development of dramaturgy alongside the critical role of the dramaturg in the contemporary theatre. This module will involve play/performance analysis of a diverse range of theatre forms, genres, and practices and will explore both canonical and contemporary artists, including the work produced under the Lyric Theatre’s new writing programme. Students will consider the dramaturgical process of selection, construction and framing in relation to the work produced by the Lyric’s annual showcase of new work, as well as a dramaturgical analysis of select live performances. Students will also create a range of short projects using writing, research, art, with the option of devising a live short performance as part of a diverse portfolio of assessment. Completion of this module will be required for all students who wish to submit a creative writing dissertation for DRA3025 Dissertation in the form of a playscript.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
- Engage with the contested and problematic term ‘dramaturgy’ and understand the role of the dramaturg in the devising/new writing process;
- Demonstrate a critical and creative understanding of dramatic structure and style, including non-realistic performance (post-dramatic theatre, puppetry, dance etc.)
- Use dramaturgical tools of play analysis and creative research to interrogate playtexts as well as the process and performance of live theatre;
- Conduct background research (written/visual) on the world of the play or performance text;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and practices of dramaturgy as they relate to plays from other cultures.
- Think differently about theatre – how it is made and its relationship to wider culture and society.Skills
By the end of this module students will have:
- Enhanced their ability to work independently and interpersonally by creatively researching and critically reflecting on the process of developing work from page to stage;
- Developed their analytical, research, and practical skills;
- Developed their collective, individual, and interdisciplinary modes of working;
- Enhanced their potential to make theatre and to become reflective theatre practitioners.Coursework
10%
Examination
90%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2068
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Gender, Culture, and Representation – Backwards & in Heels
Overview
This interdisciplinary module introduces students to the central ideas of gender theory and to a wide variety of representations of gender across a range of media, including theatre, performance, literature, visual art, film and television. Using key texts and cultural works students are encouraged to examine critically the representation of gender across media, and the political, legal, and ethical dimensions of gender within our culture. The module involves a critical engagement with the relationship between identity, representation and culture and explores theories concerning the social construction of the masculine and feminine body. The module engages with several key issues, including the representation of femininity and masculinity, gender in the literary and theatrical canon of Western culture, the spatiality and temporality of gender, and its intersections with issues of race/ethnicity, class, and labour. Students will be asked to think about these issues and ideas across disciplines but also within their areas of study through seminars.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
* have engaged with a variety of representations of gender, the body and sexual identities within socio-historical, theoretical and representational frameworks and across multiple forms of media,
* have cultivated an understanding of the theoretical and practical movements that have shaped the construction and representation of gender, sexuality and the body in culture,
* have developed a critical understanding of the relationship between representation and identity.Skills
Having completed this module, you should:
* have developed reflexive thinking and independent critical and analytical skills.
* have developed imaginative and communicative skills based on the application of reading materials to class presentations
* have developed research and writing skillsCoursework
60%
Examination
0%
Practical
40%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
AEL2001
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Adaptation as Interdisciplinary Practice (20 credits)Adaptation as Interdisciplinary Practice
Overview
This module asks students to examine the process and challenges of adapting works, either within the same medium in a different time or place, or between different media, with staff from across the school collaborating to offer students an understanding of how different media work, and how the differences between those media impact the process of adaptation. The class will also examine how adaptation plays an integral role in the process of translation. Each week students will examine several versions of a play, novel, and/or film script (or watch them), looking at originals from the Greeks forward to see how adaptors have grappled with great works of different eras and cultures in an attempt to make them more accessible to contemporary audiences, while at the same time (in most cases) attempting to preserve something of their original context. The class will also look at theoretical models of adaptation. Ultimately, students will be asked to examine the adaptation history of a single original work in an academic essay, and will try their own hand at adaptation in presenting a treatment for a work of fiction, drama, film, or any other form, adapted from a prior work.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
Understand the history of adaptation in drama and other forms.
Be able to analyse translations and adaptations
Be able to identify the rationale behind what is altered and what is kept.
Become adapters on their own.Skills
Research and analytical skills
Performance skills
Communication and speech
Interacting with others (both in interactions between performer and director, as well as performer and audience)
Technical proficiencyCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
AEL2002
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Acting for Musical Theatre (20 credits)Acting for Musical Theatre
Overview
This module introduces Level 2 undergraduate students to the distinctive challenges of acting for musical theatre: namely, sustaining a character, sustaining relationships between characters, and sustaining the overall dramatic narrative while singing. Through a combination of studio-based practice, rehearsal, performance and critique, students will learn how the core tasks of dramatic acting can be integrated with vocal technique to produce the unique performance genre of musical theatre, In so doing, students will gain practical knowledge of the history of musical theatre and its formal evolution over time. Key works of musical theatre to be studied will likely include West Side Story (Bernstein/Sondheim, Oklahoma (Rodgers/Hammerstein), Guys and Dolls (Loesser) and She Loves Me (Bock/Harnick).
Learning Outcomes
• to acquire knowledge of major types of musical theatre across a range of periods and styles (eg, quasi-operatic, naturalistic)
• to perform scenes and songs from canonical works in the musical theatre repertoire
• to enhance skills in performance analysis, peer-to-peer discussion, and self-reflection
• to enhance skills in research-informed theatrical performanceSkills
Collaborative and practical work, leadership, team-building, giving formative feedback to peers, responding appropriately and creatively to formative feedback from peers and module convenor, research and analysis, written communication, oral presentation.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2060
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Radio Drama (20 credits)Radio Drama
Overview
An introduction to the theory and practice of directing, writing and performing for radio and podcasting. Seminars will introduce key theoretical and practical principles linked to selected case studies. Students will apply these skills in their own short radio dramas as writers, script editors, SFX Spot/Foley Operators, directors or actors. We will work closely with students on the Broadcast production degree on the technical aspects of this module. The module is open to students on all drama and Broadcast Production programmes and on the Creative Writing programme in the Seamus Heaney Centre.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module students should:
Have an understanding of the distinctive demands of acting, writing and directing for radio
Have a critical appreciation of radio drama as a genre and be familiar with a range of relevant examplesSkills
Oral communication, team-working and specialist technical skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2014
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Principles of Business in Arts, Cultural and Creative Industries
Overview
This course is designed for Stage 2 students in all Creative Arts disciplines (Drama, Film & Broadcast, Music & Sonic Arts) to introduce and explore key elements in the ‘business’ of creative work: the planning, management and delivery of cultural and creative projects, events and/or activities. As part of an interdisciplinary class and with elements of independent group work throughout, students will share their knowledge from their own programmes and gain new insights to the crossover of skills and opportunities and the benefits of multidisciplinary teams.
The course runs in two parts. The first half of the course will introduce students to the unique planning and delivery challenges of cultural and creative work with students’ active engagement in observing or putting the theory into real-life practice. In the second half, students will work through one of two options (subject to availability): to work in teams to enhance, deliver and evaluate a programmed event or activity with a cultural business; or to undertake independent field research in the development of an event or activity proposal for a cultural business.
Assessment will be principally based on reflexive journaling and some practical assessment of their participation (the production of a short-form report or plan).
Part 1 will be delivered mainly through classroom lectures, seminars and discussions on the different functions of management and planning in the arts, cultural and creative industries.
Part 2
Subject to availability in any given year, students will choose one of two strands for Part 2 of the programme. Activities offered in these strands each year will be selected in discussion between Subject Leads of Creative Arts and relevant staff in creative centres on campus, enabling students to access contemporary events and knowledge relevant to their studies.Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
1. Recognise common features and approaches to planning and delivery of arts, cultural and creative activities, events or projects
2. Express improved understanding of the industry context of their chosen discipline, recognising influences, norms and constraints on creative and cultural business
3. Articulate how increased understanding of creative business might influence their own creative or industry practice, their future study and professional development.
4. Understand the collaborative and team-based nature of arts, cultural and creative industries planning and delivery.Skills
The completion of this course will support the following skills:
• Reflective & reflexive thinking
• Evaluation and observation
• Report and/or proposal writing
• Practical skills in event/project management/planning
• Teamwork and collaborative workingCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
SCA2002
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The Art of the Actor (20 credits)The Art of the Actor
Overview
This module aims to build on foundational skills developed at Level 1, placing these within the wider context of performance and theatre production. Lectures and workshops will be themed around a menu of key skill areas and students will select from these according to their specialist interests. The module will provide an understanding of the evolution of the philosophy and practice of actor training in terms of the cardinal figures in the field.
Learning Outcomes
During the course of this module you will develop an understanding of the theory and practice of selected modern acting techniques and an overview of approaches to acting from Stanislavsky and Meisner. You will also explore a practical interaction with another actor in performance.
Skills
You should have developed your teamworking, communication and problem-solving skills to a high level.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2003
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Educational Drama (20 credits)Educational Drama
Overview
This is a skills based course, which looks at how theatre and drama techniques may be used in an educational setting as both an aesthetic encounter and a learning tool. In experiencing the key techniques of the practice, students will also examine its history as a form and the theoretical principles on which it is based. Students will work in groups to devise and deliver a drama workshop in a real school setting targeted at Primary, Key Stage 3 or GCSE Levels.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire an understanding of the practice of theatre-in-education in a national and international context
Students will acquire a basic competency in the practices and techniques of theatre-in-education
Students will acquire an understanding of the history and techniques of process drama.
Students will acquire a basic competency in some of the techniques used in process dramaSkills
Drama Workshop Skills
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2007
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Acting Shakespeare (20 credits)Acting Shakespeare
Overview
This module focuses on Shakespearean drama as a theatrical script: that is, words intended to be spoken in performance before an audience and not as dramatic poetry to be read or studied as such. In both its workshop format and its critical writing assignment, this module is centred on Shakespeare in performance.
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes for this module include: knowledge of the key components of Shakespearean performance and the processes by which it is created and realised; an understanding of how to read Shakespearean texts and how transitions from page to stage may be effected; the ability to contribute to the creation of Shakespearean performance through an understanding of appropriate performance vocabularies, techniques, crafts, structures and working methods; the ability to engage in appropriate independent research, whether investigating past or present Shakespearean performances or as part of the process of creating new performance.
Skills
To aid closer reading of both text and performance; to aid interpretive abilities; to encourage creative interpretations in the student; to aid directorial and performance abilities.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2022
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Directing and Design for Stage and Screen (20 credits)Directing and Design for Stage and Screen
Overview
An introduction to the theory and practice of directing and stage and costume design for both stage and screen. Seminars will introduce key theoretical and practical principles linked to selected case studies. Student will apply these skills in their own projects which can be within other Semester 2 modules or on an extra-curricular basis (e.g. student films, Players etc.). Student will choose to specialise in either directing or design in either film of theatre for the project part of this module.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module students should:
Have an understanding of the theoretical principles underpinning the crafts of directing in design for both stage and screen and the distinctions between each
Be able to critically evaluate their own practice and those of others
Be familiar with a range of relevant case studiesSkills
Oral communication, team-working and specialist directing and/or design skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2013
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Devising Theatre (20 credits)Devising Theatre
Overview
Practical theatre skills; lighting design; scenic design; movement.
Learning Outcomes
To build upon practical skills developed at Stage 1; to deepen students' awareness of the processes of production and techniques of performance.
Skills
Application of theory to practice; collaborative skills; critical analysis of performance (self and others).
Coursework
60%
Examination
0%
Practical
40%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
- Year 3
Core Modules
Optional Modules
Work-based Learning (20 credits)Work-based Learning
Overview
This module provides an opportunity for student to utilise disciplinary skills in a work-based environment within the context of reflective practice. Students will negotiate suitable placements in consultation with their academic supervisor and participate in a programme of related classes and events. Simulated work-based projects in which students work in groups with the support of the university’s Enterprise Unit in the Students’ Union are also possible.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have:
Increased ability to relate academic theory to the work environment
A developed understanding of the organisational culture, policies and processes
The ability to reflexively and critically evaluate their own learning from the placement
An appreciation of enterprise and innnovation
Enhanced career knowledgeSkills
Employability skills, including effective communication, teamworking and problem-solving.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
AEL3001
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
24 weeks
Contemporary Performing Practices (20 credits)Contemporary Performing Practices
Overview
This practice-as-research module will provide insight into contemporary performing practices through approaches to movement and text that foreground experimental, improvisatory, body-based work. Students will be encouraged to develop a broader sense of performance in terms of physical and vocal sculpture and non-naturalistic use of performance phenomena. Workshops will introduce students to exercises developed from contemporary performance methodologies (e.g. Bogart and Landau’s Viewpoints), and will also include guest workshops with professional theatre and dance practitioners working in Belfast. The workshops will prepare students for the creation of their own, studio-based, group performance.
This module examines contemporary performing practices from both a practical and theoretical perspective. In seminars, students will engage in a consideration of bodily realities (corporealities) through the lens of performance practices such as physical theatre, contemporary dance, and performance art. The module provides students with the opportunity to interweave philosophical and practical research through an interrogation of theories of subjectivity/identity and embodiment in relation to the moving body in performance.Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students should have developed:
- an experiential and theoretical awareness of some contemporary performing techniques
- an awareness of some key theatre and movement practitioners and their methodologies for performer training
- the ability to present practice research in the form of performance, and both oral and written presentation
- the ability to work creatively and imaginatively in a groupSkills
- an awareness of the creative skills necessary for the realisation of studio-based work that interweaves research and practice
- skills of observation and the ability to critically evaluate their own and others’ practice
- visual, aural and spatial awarenessCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
International Theatre Collaboration (20 credits)International Theatre Collaboration
Overview
This module is a collaboration between Drama at Queen’s and several international universities (currently the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and National Universities Ireland-Galway) where students will be taught in person by Queen’s staff and digitally by staff at the partner universities. The module will present students with key concerns currently facing theatre makers around the world and different ways of responding to those issues. The module will draw upon the expertise of a broad range of staff across the partners to allow students to see the issues facing the field from all possible angles. The module will also give students the opportunity to interact and collaborate with students from the partner universities on presentations and potentially performances.
The Level 3 version of the module will be taught in lectures alongside Level 2 students, but Level 3 students will attend separate seminars with more advanced students at the partner institutions. In addition, Level 3 students will have different essay questions and will write a longer essay (3000 words vs 2500), and will have a different prompt for the presentation/performance.Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
Be able to collaborate with colleagues over long distances using online tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Understand some of the key issues facing theatre makers across the world today.
Be able to cogently present issues facing local artists to an international group of students.Skills
Research and analytical skills
Performance skills
Communication and speech
Interacting with others (both in interactions between performer and director, as well as performer and audience)
Technical proficiencyCoursework
70%
Examination
0%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3066
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Participatory performance practices (20 credits)Participatory performance practices
Overview
This practice-as-research module will introduce students to the different methods employed by contemporary theatre makers to position the audience as participants in performance. The module provides students with the opportunity to explore the political effects of audience participation, and to examine audience relationship and the use of space, including non-traditional performance spaces.
Examples of methods that will be explored include: site-specific work, audio performance/tours, artivism, digital dances. Consideration will be given to how these participatory methods move us individually, but also socially and collectively.
In weekly workshops and seminars students will explore these practices through discussion and practical experimentation. Seminar discussions will explore relevant critical and theoretical texts, and consider socio-political, cultural and historical contexts. Workshop group exercises will introduce students to the methodologies of key practitioners and will prepare students for the creation of their own studio-based participatory performance. Workshop discussions will connect relevant critical and theoretical texts to practice and will consider developments in participatory theatre within their socio-political and historical contexts.
In one session, there will be a guest lecture/ workshop by a Northern Ireland-based practitioner.Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students should have developed:
- an experiential and theoretical comprehension of participatory methodologies
- an awareness of key practitioners that engage with participatory methodologies and the cultural and historical contexts of their work
- the ability to present research in the form of devised participatory performance and both oral and written presentation - the ability to work creatively and imaginatively in a groupSkills
- the ability to present research in the form of devised participatory performance and both oral and written presentation
- the ability to work creatively and imaginatively in a group
- the creative skills necessary for the realisation of studio-based work that interweaves theory and practice
- skills of observation and the ability to critically evaluate their own and others’ practice
- visual, aural and spatial awarenessCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3067
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The Theatre of Brian Friel (20 credits)The Theatre of Brian Friel
Overview
Brian Friel was the most acclaimed playwright from Northern Ireland and one of the most internationally acclaimed playwrights of his generation. Students taking this module will learn how Friel wrote plays that proved to be popular with audiences around the world and gained such approval from leading critics and scholars. In addition, students will gain an understanding of the applications of performance in educational, community and social contexts. Students may also have the opportunity to engage with local hard-to-reach communities with Friel’s work to help them develop personal, social and interactive skills.
Learning Outcomes
• Understanding historical, contemporary and international contexts of production, circulation and reception of Friel's plays.
• Developing ideas and constructing arguments on Friel's plays and the capacity to present them in appropriate ways.
• Understanding the public and community nature of performance practice, with particular emphasis on collaborative learning and heuristic principles, on 'learning through doing' in group contexts in relation to Friel’s plays and related paratheatrical material
• Understanding of the applications of performance in educational, community and social contexts and pedagogical perspectives as appropriate to drama
• Understanding of the use of group processes in the creation of work including, for example, working collectively, ensemble, co-creation and hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures
• Questioning the ethical implications and appropriateness of performance work to ensure activities are undertaken in safe and supported environments for specific audiences/participants.Skills
• Describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and performance events from a range of critical perspectives;
• Reading the performance possibilities implied by a script, score and other textual or documentary sources;
• Realising a script, score and other textual or documentary sources in the engagement with hard-to-reach communities;
• Planning, facilitating, delivering and evaluating projects that apply drama, participatory and performance subject expertise in social, educational, community and other socially engaged settings
• Development of creative and imaginative skills as shown through the realisation of practical research projects on Friel's plays.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3010
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Places of Performance (20 credits)Places of Performance
Overview
This seminar examines a range of performance sites (traditional and non-traditional, historical and contemporary, permanent and temporary, purpose-built and appropriated, indoor and outdoor, élite and popular) to explore the diverse ways in which the site of a performance can be read for the values it communicates about the social function of performance This seminar investigates how place matters in performance, and how performance engages the environments in which it takes place. Students will explore a range of issues related to performance space, including: theatre buildings and architecture, site-specific or environmental performance, the role of theatre sites within urban environments, and the representation of place in plays. Students will also be introduced to current critical debates about theatre and place, and consider how analysing places of performance might prompt important questions about theatrical geography, politics, and history.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the module students will have:
• Gained experience critically analysing performance texts (written, visual, and cultural) and performance theory and criticism in an integrated way;
• Developed analytical categories and a theoretical vocabulary for studying places of performance
• Worked in an interdisciplinary fashion—including through fieldwork—with concepts and practices crossing both theatre and cultural studies;
• Gained experience giving oral presentations;
• Gained experience in conceiving and executing a research project, the latter in written form.Skills
Collaborative work, leadership, giving feedback to peers, historica research and analysis, written communication, oral presentation.
Coursework
80%
Examination
0%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3023
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Postconflict Drama: Performing the NI Peace Process (20 credits)Postconflict Drama: Performing the NI Peace Process
Overview
This module will investigate the role of the arts, and specifically theatre and performance, in contributing to processes of conflict transformation, the politics of reconciliation, and the modes through which a post-conflict society deals with the past. It will examine different approaches various practitioners and performances have adopted in dealing with the legacies of political violence and it considers how theatre/performance is being used to assimilate traumatic history into public memory.
Learning Outcomes
On the completion of this module, students will:
• have a critical understanding of how theatre/performance engages with questions of memory, history, testimony, witnessing, conflict transformation, commemoration and politics of reconciliation.
• be able to evaluate how contemporary theatre/performance is responding to – and influencing – the post-conflict experiences of Belfast and beyond.
• Be able to identify and evaluate different dramaturgical strategies employed by playwrights to deal with the past and the violent legacies of the Troubles.
• Have improved their critical and intellectual understanding of the relationships between theatre, politics and performance;
• Have improved their oral communication, time-management and essay writing skills through the submission of an essay abstract and the provision of formative feedback by peers & tutor.Skills
Reflexive and independent thinking; awareness of interdisciplinary approaches to study. Writing of essays, seminar papers, presentations, use of library bibliographies and databases.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3042
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Advanced Theatre Practice (20 credits)Advanced Theatre Practice
Overview
To hone student skillsets in one of three distinct strands: Acting, Directing and Production Skills.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module you should have:
1. Significant command of fundamental skills in and approaches to acting, directing or production.
2. An understanding of the rigours and commitment required in mounting a full production.Skills
1. Have a developed command of at least one key production or performance skillset and an understanding of related skillsets.
2. Have developed your team-working and problem solving skills.
3. Have developed your capacity for reflective review.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The Art of Interaction (20 credits)The Art of Interaction
Overview
This module aims to provide an understanding of the complexities involved when people interact in challenging situations involving life-changing decisions. The module is delivered in collaboration with healthcare and social care staff and students in QUB and local NHS services. Students will engage with various models of interaction including acting for the stage, the sociology of symbolic interaction, simulation-based education in healthcare and social care, and applied behaviour analysis. Students will learn how to draw upon these different models as they analyse their own performance and that of their peers in Drama and other subject areas as they perform in complex and challenging interactive scenarios. Students will be able to demonstrate leadership as part of their continuous assessment by analysing and providing feedback on the interactive skills of other students. By completing the learning outcomes students will gain a more nuanced understanding of human interaction as it is manifest on stage in theatrical performance and in other professional contexts.
(Convenor: Dr Paul Murphy, p.murphy@qub.ac.uk)Learning Outcomes
Creative and imaginative skills as shown through the realisation of research projects on theatre and social justice.
Communication in a variety of oral, written, visual and performance media.
Developing ideas and constructing arguments and the capacity to present them in appropriate ways.
Understanding of group dynamics and an ability to implement them in research projects.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3057
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Dance Theatre (20 credits)Dance Theatre
Overview
This course serves as an introduction to dance theatre practice and related dance theory. In weekly workshops and seminars, students will engage in an interrogation of this interdisciplinary art form through discussion and practical experimentation. Workshops will introduce students to the choreographic methods of key practitioners and will prepare students for the creation of their own dance theatre performance project. In support of the practical workshops, seminar discussions will explore relevant critical and theoretical texts and will consider developments in dance theatre practice within a socio-political and historical context. No previous dance training or experience is required.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will have:
- an understanding of the history of dance theatre in Ireland and Germany
- the ability to describe, theorise, interpret and evaluate the work of key dance theatre practictioners from a range of critical perspectives
- the ability to create original work using the skills and crafts of a choreographer
- the ability to engage with physical skills and use them effectively to communicate with an audience.Skills
- The ability to present research in the form of dance theatre performance and both oral and written presentation.
- The ability to work creatively and imaginatively in a group and have developed the
creative skills needed for the realisation of practice-based work.
- Have developed observational skills and visual, aural and spatial awareness.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3060
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Dissertation (20 credits)Dissertation
Overview
General introductory seminars and individual tutorials leading to a dissertation which may be linked to a performance project or existing performance.
8000 word length (or combination of practical output + 6000 words)Learning Outcomes
To develop research skills (including performance research).
Skills
Research skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA3025
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
24 weeks
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Entry Requirements
Entrance requirements
A level requirements BBB A maximum of one BTEC/OCR Single Award or AQA Extended Certificate will be accepted as part of an applicant's portfolio of qualifications with a Distinction* being equated to a grade A at A-level and a Distinction being equated to a grade B at A-level. |
Irish leaving certificate requirements H3H3H3H3H4H4/H3H3H3H3H3 |
Access Course Successful completion of Access Course with an average of 65%. |
International Baccalaureate Diploma 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 at Higher Level |
BTEC Level 3 Extended/National Extended Diploma QCF BTEC Extended Diploma (180 credits at Level 3) with overall grades DDD RQF BTEC National Extended Diploma (1080 GLH at Level 3) with overall grades DDD |
Graduate A minimum of a 2:2 Honours Degree |
All applicants There are no specific subject requirements to study Drama, however, students should have an interest in issues of performance, and be prepared to participate in practical theatre classes. All applicants who receive offers will be invited to attend an interview and workshop. Interviews will be held between January and April. |
Note All applicants must have GCSE English Language grade C/4 or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. |
Selection Criteria
In addition, to the entrance requirements above, it is essential that you read our guidance below on 'How we choose our students' prior to submitting your UCAS application.
Applications are dealt with centrally by the Admissions and Access Service rather than by individual University Schools. Once your on-line form has been processed by UCAS and forwarded to Queen's, an acknowledgement is normally sent within two weeks of its receipt at the University.
Selection is on the basis of the information provided on your UCAS form. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and will be notified to you via UCAS.
For last year's intake, applicants for this BA programme offering A-level/BTEC Level 3 qualifications must have had, or been able to achieve, a minimum of five GCSE passes at grade C/4 or better (to include English Language). Performance in any AS or A-level examinations already completed would also have been taken into account and the Selector checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of GCSE and/or A-level subjects can be fulfilled.
For applicants offering Irish Leaving Certificate, please note that performance at Irish Junior Certificate (IJC) is taken into account. For last year’s entry applicants for this degree must have had, a minimum of 5 IJC grades C/Merit. The Selector also checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of Leaving Certificate subjects can be satisfied.
Applicants who are made an offer for a Drama degree pathway are invited to attend an interview day, which includes a practice-based workshop and an individual interview. Applicants are assessed at interview and the scores may be used to differentiate between applicants who have borderline grades in August.
Offers are normally made on the basis of three A-levels. Two subjects at A-level plus two at AS would also be considered. The offer for repeat candidates is set in terms of three A-levels and may be one grade higher than for first time applicants. Grades may be held from the previous year.
Applicants offering two A-levels and one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent qualification), or one A-level and a BTEC Diploma/National Diploma (or equivalent qualification) will also be considered. Offers will be made in terms of the overall BTEC grade(s) awarded. Please note that a maximum of one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent) will be counted as part of an applicant’s portfolio of qualifications. The normal GCSE profile will be expected.
Applicants offering other qualifications, such as Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, will also be considered.
For applicants offering a HNC, the current requirements are successful completion of the HNC with 8 Merits. For those offering a Higher National Diploma, some flexibility may be allowed in terms of GCSE profile but, to be eligible for an offer, the grades obtained in the first year of the HND must allow the overall offer to be achievable. The current entrance requirements for Stage 1 entry are successful completion of the HND with 9 Merits and 7 Passes overall. Applicants taking a relevant Higher National Diploma in Performing Arts may be considered for entry to Stage 2 and, where offers are made, these are currently conditional on successful completion of the HND with 12 Merits and 4 Passes overall.
The information provided in the personal statement section and the academic reference together with predicted grades are noted but, in the case of BA degrees, these are not the final deciding factors in whether or not a conditional offer can be made. However, they may be reconsidered in a tie break situation in August.
A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking would not normally be considered as part of a three A-level offer and, although they may be excluded where an applicant is taking four A-level subjects, the grade achieved could be taken into account if necessary in August/September.
If you are made an offer then you may be invited to a Faculty/School Visit Day, which is usually held in the second semester. This will allow you the opportunity to visit the University and to find out more about the degree programme of your choice and the facilities on offer. It also gives you a flavour of the academic and social life at Queen's.
If you cannot find the information you need here, please contact the University Admissions and Access Service (admissions@qub.ac.uk), giving full details of your qualifications and educational background.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
- Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
- Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
International Students - Foundation and International Year One Programmes
INTO Queen's offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare international students for undergraduate study at Queen's University. You will learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre on campus, and will have full access to the University's world-class facilities.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry.
- Foundation
The INTO Progression Course suited to this programme is
http://www.intostudy.com/en-gb/universities/queens-university-belfast/courses/international-foundation-in-business-humanities-and-social-sciences.
INTO - English Language Course(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
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Careers
Career Prospects
Introduction
Studying for a Drama degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions.
www.prospects.ac.uk
Employment after the Course
Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by many employers and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline. Many students also apply the skills they develop through the degree entrepreneurially to create their own work opportunities and the University runs a number of extracurricular programmes in entrepreneurship.
Although the majority of our graduates are interested in pursuing careers in the theatre or in teaching, significant numbers develop careers in a wide range of other sectors. Graduates of Drama at Queen’s have gone on to work in professional theatre locally in Northern Ireland and throughout Great Britain and across the world, for example on the production of the recent JK Rowling play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on both the West End and Broadway, and on a number of film and TV productions including Game of Thrones.
“My time at Queen’s has been invaluable to my career and professional development so far. I was given the opportunity to learn from top academics as well as network and work with professionals in the industry. My lecturers inspired and challenged me to push boundaries in my studies and to pursue a career in the arts. I was given the opportunity to not only learn theory and practical elements of theatre but also focus on building skills within specific areas to achieve employment once graduated. It also encouraged me to develop transferable skills such as creative thinking, public speaking and communications skills, which has been key to every role I’ve worked in since graduating.”
Bronagh McFeely, Producer, Lyric Theatre, Belfast & BA Drama, 2009-2012
Alumni Success
Des Kennedy, assistant director, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre London.
Lisa McGee, stage and screen writer, won the Stewart Parker and Blackburn Award for Girls and Dolls (2006) and author of Derry Girls.
Kerri Quinn, lead role in Educating Rita, Lyric Theatre, Belfast and Coronation Street.
International Testimonials
Study USA
The BEI Programme has undergone a change of name to the Study USA Programme but still involves 12 months studying business-related courses at a U.S. church-affiliated university or college. Places are available at one of over 100 institutions from Florida to Montana or California to North Carolina. You don't need to be from a business background to apply: Study USA is open to full-time pre-final year students of any discipline from Queen’s and other Northern Ireland higher education institutions. The Programme is intended to produce graduates with an international, business-orientated perspective capable of making a contribution in advancing the Northern Ireland economy. While on the programme, you will take 5 business related courses/modules along with another course of your choice. Study USA is accredited under the Degree Plus Award through the US Certificate in American Business Practice and well regarded by graduate employers.
Additional Awards Gained(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
Prizes and Awards(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
Degree Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
Northern Ireland (NI) 1 | £4,710 |
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 | £4,710 |
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 | £9,250 |
EU Other 3 | £18,800 |
International | £18,800 |
1 EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study and will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Tuition fee rates are calculated based on a student’s tuition fee status and generally increase annually by inflation. How tuition fees are determined is set out in the Student Finance Framework.
Additional course costs
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library.
If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. A programme may have up to 6 modules per year, each with a recommended text.
Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a final year includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Drama costs
Students are occasionally required to purchase tickets for performances. The estimated maximum cost is £100 per year. Students may also incur some costs on props or costumes, but these are discouraged as the School will be able to provide these (or similar) in most cases.
How do I fund my study?
There are different tuition fee and student financial support arrangements for students from Northern Ireland, those from England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain), and those from the rest of the European Union.
Information on funding options and financial assistance for undergraduate students is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/Fees-and-scholarships/.
Scholarships
Each year, we offer a range of scholarships and prizes for new students. Information on scholarships available.
International Scholarships
Information on scholarships for international students, is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/international-scholarships/.
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Apply
How and when to Apply
How to Apply
Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/students.
When to Apply
UCAS will start processing applications for entry in autumn 2024 from 1 September 2023.
Advisory closing date: 31 January 2024 (18:00). This is the 'equal consideration' deadline for this course.
Applications from UK and EU (Republic of Ireland) students after this date are, in practice, considered by Queen’s for entry to this course throughout the remainder of the application cycle (30 June 2024) subject to the availability of places.
Applications from International and EU (Other) students are normally considered by Queen’s for entry to this course until 30 June 2024. If you apply for 2024 entry after this deadline, you will automatically be entered into Clearing.
Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.
The Institution code name for Queen's is QBELF and the institution code is Q75.
Further information on applying to study at Queen's is available at: www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/How-to-apply/
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study. Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.
Additional Information for International (non-EU) Students
- Applying through UCAS
Most students make their applications through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for full-time undergraduate degree programmes at Queen's. The UCAS application deadline for international students is 30 June 2024. - Applying direct
The Direct Entry Application form is to be used by international applicants who wish to apply directly, and only, to Queen's or who have been asked to provide information in advance of submitting a formal UCAS application. Find out more. - Applying through agents and partners
The University’s in-country representatives can assist you to submit a UCAS application or a direct application. Please consult the Agent List to find an agent in your country who will help you with your application to Queen’s University.
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Fees and Funding