COURSE CURRICULUM

The Drama and English Literature course at Sussex provides a comprehensive and flexible education in performance and literary studies, combining practical and theoretical learning to prepare students for careers in the arts, education, and cultural sectors. In the first year, students build foundational skills through core modules including staging plays, making performance, and exploring literature and culture before globalisation. Year two allows deeper engagement with contemporary performance and creative writing, offering modules such as contemporary performance projects, performing practices, and writing for theatre, alongside a wide range of literature options covering postcolonial texts, modernisms, philosophy, and genre studies. In the final year, students focus on advanced research and practice, undertaking dissertations in English literature or drama, participating in a final-year performance festival, and selecting from specialised options such as posthuman and premodern literature, African American literature, psychoanalysis and literature, and studies of gender, race, and society. The course emphasises interdisciplinary learning and critical thinking, encouraging students to explore the intersections of literature, performance, and society. Practical, research, and analytical skills are developed throughout, enabling graduates to communicate effectively, work creatively, and contribute to cultural discourse. Through placements, festivals, and diverse study options, students gain professional experience, scholarly expertise, and the confidence to pursue a wide range of careers in creative and academic fields.