COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA (Hons) Drama degree is a practice-based and theory-informed programme designed to develop versatile theatre-makers who can work across performance, directing, playwriting, scenography, dramaturgy, and production roles. In Year 1, students build foundational skills through collaborative workshops, experimenting with acting, voice, movement, and production while studying core modules such as theatre history, performance analysis, and production processes, alongside practical studio work and improvisation-based training. Year 2 expands into ensemble devising and applied theatre-making, combining creative group work with critical study of theatre history, Scottish and UK performance traditions, and contemporary practice, while also introducing design, staging, and interdisciplinary approaches to live and digital performance. Students begin to integrate theory and practice more deeply, producing original work informed by historical and theoretical frameworks. In Year 3, students specialise further through advanced modules, optional pathways, and a performance project that develops individual roles within collaborative productions, alongside research training and debates in contemporary performance theory, preparing them for independent creative work. Year 4 focuses on professional preparation, enterprise, and employability, with students completing an honours project that may be practical or written, supported by modules in creative enterprise, funding, and career development, alongside optional specialist study areas such as directing Shakespeare, site-specific performance, playwriting, digital performance, and education-focused drama. The programme also includes opportunities for placements, international study, and engagement with professional theatre contexts, particularly in Edinburgh’s vibrant arts environment. Overall, it is designed to produce adaptable, critically aware, and industry-ready theatre practitioners capable of working in diverse creative sectors, including theatre, film, education, community arts, and cultural production, with strong emphasis on collaboration, experimentation, and professional practice.