COURSE CURRICULUM

The MA Dance course at Bath Spa University is a one-year program designed to develop advanced creative, research, and professional skills in dance and related practices. The course is structured across three trimesters, combining taught modules, optional classes, and self-directed study. In the first trimester, students take modules such as Creative Practice 1, Contemporary Issues and Perspectives, and Collaborative Engagement, exploring new creative work, engaging with current debates in dance, and developing skills in collaborative practice through enquiry, experimentation, and reflection. Trimester two builds on these foundations with Creative Practice 2 and Professional Practice, enabling students to deepen their creative research, develop a portfolio of work, and engage with professional contexts, examining career pathways and the workings of the creative industries. The final trimester focuses on the Final Major Project, a substantial self-directed module in which students consolidate their learning and produce a significant piece of work, whether a performance, installation, film, or written thesis, reflecting their individual artistic or research vision. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to take risks, experiment across media, and critically reflect on their practice. By the end of the course, graduates have advanced artistic, research, and professional skills, a strong creative portfolio, and the capability to pursue careers as performers, choreographers, researchers, or interdisciplinary practitioners in dance and the wider creative industries.