Drama with a Year Abroad

Drama is one of the oldest and most socially powerful of human activities, concerned with the creation of live experience, the telling of stories through embodied performance, and the exploration of human situations in ways that move, challenge, and transform audiences. Studying drama at university means developing not only practical skills in performance, direction, devising, and production but also the critical and historical understanding needed to situate theatrical practice within its wider cultural, political, and aesthetic contexts. Drama trains you to see how stories are constructed and communicated, to understand the relationship between form and meaning, and to collaborate intensively in the creation of shared artistic work.

At the University of East Anglia, this four-year full-time degree with a year abroad develops both the practice and the critical study of drama and theatre. You will explore drama as a powerful and collaborative art form capable of sparking imagination, generating reflection on human experience, and providing frameworks for understanding and changing the world. The curriculum engages with drama on the page, the stage, and the screen, examining theatrical traditions across cultures and historical periods alongside contemporary practice.

The year abroad provides the opportunity to study theatre in a different cultural and national context, encountering different theatrical traditions, methodologies, and creative approaches that enrich your own practice and understanding.

Drama graduates enter careers across the creative and cultural industries and beyond. Many work as theatre practitioners, directors, actors, dramaturgs, or devised performance makers, often in combination with teaching, community arts work, or artistic administration. Others move into arts management, cultural journalism, broadcasting, television production, and the wider creative sector.

The communication, analytical, collaborative, and creative skills developed by a drama degree are also valued across education, public relations, marketing, and the public sector. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in drama, theatre, performance studies, or education, building the specialist expertise needed for academic or advanced professional roles.