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Undergraduate Programme Specification

BA Drama

Academic Year 2021/22

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.

Programme Title BA Drama Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)
Bachelor of Arts
Programme Code DRA-BA-S UCAS Code W400 HECoS Code 100069 - Drama - 100
ATAS Clearance Required No
Mode of Study Full Time
Type of Programme Single Honours Length of Programme Full Time - 3 Academic Year(s) Total Credits for Programme 360
Exit Awards available

Institute Information

Teaching Institution

Queen's University Belfast

School/Department

Arts, English and Languages

Quality Code
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code

Higher Education Credit Framework for England
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/higher-education-credit-framework-for-england

Level 6

Subject Benchmark Statements
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements

The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf

Dance, Drama and Performance (2015)

Accreditations (PSRB)

Regulation Information

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

None

Programme Specific Regulations

At Stage 2 a student may substitute up to 20 CATS of optional modules with the equivalent number of CATS from a list of approved modules beyond those listed.
At Stage 3 a student may substitute up to 20 CATS of optional modules with the equivalent number of CATS from a list of approved modules beyond those listed.
A student who has transferred onto this Single Honours Programme having only completed 60 CATS at Stage 1 in the Single Honours subject, may at Stage 2 or 3 substitute up to 20 CATS of optional modules with the equivalent number of CATS from a list of approved modules beyond those listed.
On completing Stage 1, a Joint Honours student who has passed 60 CATS at Level 1 in Drama modules may be admitted to this Single Honours Programme having obtained the approval of the advisor of studies for the Programme.
A Joint Honours student wishing to be admitted to the Single Honours Programme must have passed DRA1001 and DRA1005.

Students will be notified each academic year of the optional modules being offered in the following academic year. Students are advised that not all optional modules will necessarily be offered in each academic year. Also, the delivery of a module may be subject to a minimum number of enrolments as well as unforeseen circumstances (eg illness of a member of staff). The range and content of optional modules will change over time as degree programmes develop and students' choice of optional modules may also be limited due to timetabling constraints.

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

No

Educational Aims Of Programme

Drama Studies, in accordance with the University's Mission Statement, aspires to be a broadly-based, research-driven unit with a dynamic world-class research and education portfolio and strong international connections and to promote the widest possible access to this portfolio of excellence in an environment of equality, tolerance and mutual respect, fully embracing its role in Northern Ireland and beyond.

Within this context, the Drama Studies programme aims:

to deliver an innovative, broadly-based, flexible curriculum, in accordance with the QAA Benchmark Statement for DDP, that reflects the diverse field of scholarship and practice within Drama Studies. Where possible, the curriculum will be informed by the unique political-cultural context of Northern Ireland and inflected by the research specialisms of staff, as well as consistently interrogating the complex interplay between theory and practice;

to facilitate the study of Drama through an integrated balance of practice and theory so that practical-based modules are placed within a critical, interrogative framework, and more theoretical modules are taught and assessed through praxis.

Drama seeks to attract students from local, national and international contexts through various entry routes and to provide them with the best possible learning and teaching experience and to provide all students with the widest possible opportunity to pursue and extend their knowledge and understanding of Drama through a variety of learning methods; to enable students to:

develop advanced critical, analytical and physical skills, as well as their creative and imaginative skills; to improve their self-confidence, powers of concentration, understanding of group dynamics, and communication skills through a variety of oral, written, visual and performance media. to introduce new areas of teaching and implement new pedagogical techniques and technologies in response to advances in scholarship technology, and educational research, student feedback, as well as the interests and aptitudes of staff members;

to provide a supportive and stimulating learning environment that enables learners with a variety of entrance qualifications to fulfil their potential and develop their capacity for motivated independent learning;

to provide appropriate learning resources, including suitable facilities for live performance and to supplement library provision by exploiting the possibilities offered by online learning;

to foster mutually beneficial connections with the professional theatre in order to facilitate student learning;

to enrich students' learning experience by exploring possible interdisciplinary linkages /collaborations with other cognate and non-cognate subject areas within the School;

to embed a diverse range of generic and transferable skills in our pathways, and thus prepare students for a variety of academic and professional careers.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Critically analyse, evaluate and interpret theatre and performance from a range of critical perspectives using a variety of theoretical frameworks

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Specific teaching methods include tutor-led, student-led, self-directed study

Methods of Assessment

Essays, portfolios, research papers submitted to a deadline

Understand the interplay between practice and theory in the discipline

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Resource-based learning, including library work and attendance at performances, workshops and rehearsals

Methods of Assessment

Individual presentations

Analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse and their effects on representation in the arts, media and public life

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Specific teaching methods include tutor-led, student-led, self-directed study

Methods of Assessment

Individual interviews and essays

Think reflexively and independently

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Classroom discussion and online interactions

Methods of Assessment

Edited commentaries on learning logs

Understand group dynamics and implement them in practical contexts

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Group work in performance and classroom presentations

Methods of Assessment

Assessed group presentations and performances

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Demonstrate critical, analytical and physical skills

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Specific teaching methods include tutor-led, student-led, self-directed study

Methods of Assessment

Essays submitted to a deadline

Demonstrate creative and imaginative skills as shown through the realisation of practical research projects

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Resource-based learning, including library work and attendance at performances

Methods of Assessment

Continuously assessed group presentations

Communicate in a variety of oral, written, visual and performance media

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Online teaching methods

Methods of Assessment

Summative group presentations

Sustain concentration and focus for extended periods

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Workshops and rehearsals

Methods of Assessment

Individual presentations

Show an awareness of inter-disciplinary approaches to study, and the capacity to engage with different theories or paradigms of knowledge

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Contact with working professionals in all relevant specialisms (eg actors, director, designers, lighting designers, critics)

Methods of Assessment

Individual interviews

Develop ideas and construct arguments and present them in appropriate ways

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Practical performance, participation as appropriate in the process from initial research to engagement with an audience

Methods of Assessment

Scene-work and performance

Handle creative, personal and interpersonal issues

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Group work in performance and classroom presentations

Methods of Assessment

Participation and engagement

Negotiate and pursue goals with others

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Group work in performance and classroom presentations

Methods of Assessment

Assessed group presentations and performances

Manage personal workloads and meet deadlines

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Assigned essays and presentations with hard deadlines

Methods of Assessment

Assigned essays and presentations with hard deadlines

Produce written work with appropriate conventions

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Essays marked for grammar, presentation and content

Methods of Assessment

Essays submitted to a deadline

Demonstrate information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, synthesise and organise material independently and critically evaluate its significance

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Assigned essays and presentations

Methods of Assessment

Assigned essays and presentations

Demonstrate information technology skills such as word processing, electronic mail, and accessing electronic data

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Assigned essays and presentations, interactive internet forums with required student interaction, communication with lecturer and other students

Methods of Assessment

Assigned essays and presentations, marked contributions to internet forums

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Demonstrate a wide knowledge and understanding of local and international drama and theatre practice and the cultures and societies from which this has arisen, including an understanding of:
• the histories, forms and traditions of performance and theoretical explanations of those histories;
• historical and contemporary contexts of production, circulation and reception of performance;
• the work of key practitioners and theorists; traditional and contemporary critical perspectives on performance;
• the processes by which performance is created, realised and managed informed by practical experience.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, tutorials

Methods of Assessment

Essays submitted to a deadline

Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of contemporary technologies and their relationship to drama, theatre, performance, and academic research.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Resource-based learning, including library work, DVD and other recordings

Methods of Assessment

Individual presentations and marked essays

Demonstrate an understanding of how to analyse and discuss the conventions and practices involved in producing and performing dramatic work on stage

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Attendance at performances

Methods of Assessment

Individual Interviews and marked essays

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Demonstrate a high level of specific skills including the reading of written texts and how to effect transitions from page to stage

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Tutor-led, student-led, self-directed study

Methods of Assessment

Continuously assessed group presentations

Read, analyse, document and/or interpret performance

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Online teaching methods

Methods of Assessment

Scene-work and performance

Demonstrate the performance and production skills necessary to communicate to/with an audience

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Workshops and rehearsals

Methods of Assessment

Participation and engagement

Participate in group processes in the creation of original work

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Contact with working professionals in all relevant specialisms (eg actors, director, designers, lighting designers, critics)

Methods of Assessment

Edited commentaries on learning logs

Understand the interplay between the performers’ conscious and subconscious resources in the realisation of performance

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Assigned readings for classroom discussion

Methods of Assessment

Contributions to learning logs and online forums; assessed essays

Understand processes by which performance is created, realised, and managed, such as the processes of rehearsal, writing, scoring, devising, scenography, improvisation, choreography, performer training techniques, and production arts

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Workshops and rehearsals; performances

Methods of Assessment

Assessed performances

Module Information

Stages and Modules

Module Title Module Code Level/ stage Credits

Availability

Duration Pre-requisite

Assessment

S1 S2 Core Option Coursework % Practical % Examination %
Introduction to Theatre: The Material Stage DRA1001 1 20 YES YES 24 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Introduction to Performing DRA1003 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Introduction to Acting for Stage and Screen DRA1004 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Theatre Now: Contemporary Performance DRA1005 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 50% 50% 0%
Production Practices DRA1006 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 80% 20% 0%
Devising Theatre DRA2005 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 60% 40% 0%
The Art of the Actor DRA2003 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Educational Drama DRA2007 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 40% 60% 0%
Directing and Design for Stage and Screen DRA2013 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Radio Drama DRA2014 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Acting for Musical Theatre DRA2060 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 90% 10% 0%
Drama and Mental Health DRA2064 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
International Theatre Collaboration DRA2065 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 70% 30% 0%
Dramaturgy DRA2068 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Gender, Culture, and Representation – Backwards & in Heels AEL2001 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 60% 40% 0%
Adaptation as Interdisciplinary Practice AEL2002 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Dissertation DRA3025 3 20 YES YES 24 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Postconflict Drama: Performing the NI Peace Process DRA3042 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Beckett in Performance DRA3050 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 60% 40% 0%
Advanced Theatre Practice DRA3005 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
The Art of Interaction DRA3057 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Dance Theatre DRA3060 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 50% 50% 0%
The Theatre of Brian Friel DRA3010 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Work-based Learning AEL3001 3 20 YES YES 24 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Contemporary Performing Practices DRA3002 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Solo Performance DRA3063 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 75% 0%
International Theatre Collaboration DRA3066 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 70% 30% 0%
Participatory performance practices DRA3067 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 40% 60% 0%

Notes

Stage 1 students choose their sixth module from another subject area, with approval from their Adviser of Studies

Stage 2 Students select any six modules, provided that they balance their workload across the year. Practice-oriented modules are subject to restriction based on numbers, and when oversubscribed, students may be apportioned based on balance of practice-oriented modules. Students may also be permitted to take up to 20 CATS outside Drama with permission from the Advisor of Studies.

Stage 3 Students select any modules totalling 120 CATS, provided that they balance their workload across the year. Practice-oriented modules are subject to restriction based on numbers, and when oversubscribed, students may be apportioned based on balance of practice-oriented modules. Students may also be permitted to take up to 20 CATS outside Drama with permission from the Advisor of Studies.