Drama

Drama is one of the most ancient and enduring of human art forms, using the performed encounter between actor and audience to explore the full range of human experience, from tragedy and comedy to political provocation and intimate personal story. It is simultaneously a creative practice and an intellectual discipline, requiring deep engagement with theatre history, performance theory, and the analysis of dramatic texts alongside practical work in performance, direction, and devising. Studying drama at degree level means developing as a maker and as a thinker at the same time.

At the University of Essex this three-year full-time BA Drama develops your creative, analytical, and performance skills across all these dimensions. You will engage with the history of theatre from classical antiquity to contemporary practice, study performance theory and apply it to real theatrical work, and undertake practical projects in performance, devising, and related forms including digital media. The typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the academic standard expected of students joining the programme at Essex.

You will develop performance ability, analytical and critical thinking, project management, collaboration, and the ability to present and articulate creative ideas clearly. These are skills valued by employers in the creative industries, education, broadcasting, and many other sectors.

Graduates pursue careers in theatre performance, direction, devising, community arts, arts education, drama therapy, arts administration, broadcasting, and the wider creative industries. Essex's strong links to the London creative scene, just an hour away by train, support the professional networking and opportunity-building that a career in the arts requires. Postgraduate study in theatre studies, applied drama, or directing is a natural continuation for those wanting to specialise.