Theatre and Performance Studies BA

Course overview

Theatre and Performance Studies at Warwick takes pride in its national and international reputation for research and teaching excellence. As a student, you will be taught by world-leading scholars, industry professionals and artists who are as passionate about the power of theatre and performance as you are.

You will explore how drama, theatre and performance are used to share stories, to laugh, to feel, to understand more deeply, and to change things.

You will have the ability to curate your own distinctive degree, on a course that’s designed to empower you. The foundational first-year consists of four core modules which balance theory and practice. The second and third years are defined by optionality with the opportunity to select from a wide range of modules designed by our diverse team of specialist staff.

You will join a School that fosters a strong sense of community and will work with your peers to continually design, make, discuss and debate theatre and performance. Staff will see, understand and develop you as an individual, helping you to create a pathway through the course to achieve your ambitions.

Warwick Arts Centre

Beyond the course, you will be encouraged to see work and get involved at Warwick Arts CentreLink opens in a new window, one of the largest multi-artform venues in the UK, and join one of the many award-winning performance-based student societies.

We believe that it is the unique combination of our course, with the practical experience in the creation and production of work within student societies, and the professional environment that Warwick Arts Centre has to offer, which makes our graduates so successful.

Study abroad

As part of your degree you have the option to apply to do an intercalated year studying with one of our partner institutions overseas.

In 2024/25 these partners include: Monash University in Australia, Augsburg in USA; and a number of Universities across Europe, including in Germany, Portugal, Italy and Belgium as well as the Republic of Ireland. The locations that you can travel to are confirmed in November of the preceding academic year to when you would be travelling, and these locations can change each year.

There will also be opportunities for you to apply to have short periods of study, work, research and/or volunteering overseas during vacation periods in order to gain international experience without adding a year to your studies.

The Student Mobility TeamLink opens in a new window offers support for these activities, and the Department’s dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.

We welcome applications for our International Foundation and Undergraduate courses from applicants from Jordan.

High School qualification is not considered for entry. We would require completion of an approved international foundation programme, such as the Warwick International Foundation Programme. Alternatively IB, A Levels, or other European or North American system will also be considered.

If you need any advice or guidance on the qualifications above, our Middle East and North Africa Team are here to help. Contact them at [email protected].

See our Jordan Country Information page for guidance, contacts and upcoming events in your country.

All applicants have to meet our English Language requirementsLink opens in a new window. If you cannot demonstrate that you meet these, you may be invited to take part in our Pre-sessional English course at WarwickLink opens in a new window.

This course requires: Band B

Learn more about our English Language requirementsLink opens in a new window.

Placements and work experience

Employability is embedded in Warwick’s Theatre and Performance Studies degree allowing you to think about your future from an early stage.

You will encounter performers, directors, playwrights and arts administrators from the industry throughout your degree in seminars and practical workshops.

The optional Theatre and the Creative Industries module brings professionals and experts into the classroom on a weekly basis to discuss the principles and practices for areas such as:

• Running an arts venue
• Programming and commissioning work
• Setting up and running your own theatre company
• Making touring arrangements
• Identifying funding opportunities

A placement or internship is also offered as part of the course. In recent years these have been hosted by Dash Arts, Rosie Kay Dance Company, Birmingham REP, Fierce Festival (for live art), Trestle (Mask Theatre, St Albans), Cannes Film Festival, and elsewhere.

Alongside their degree, many of our students gain valuable industry experience at Warwick Arts Centre, working in a wide range of roles including Youth Theatre Leaders, Performance Stewards, or as interns for the Marketing and Programming Teams.

Students also regularly produce shows at Warwick Arts Centre as part of their activity in student societies, meaning that they are working in a professional arts venue from the get-go.

Your career

With a diverse range of careers in the creative and cultural sectors and beyond, our extended family of alumni are testimony to the fact that the sky is your limit with a Theatre and Performance Studies degree from Warwick.

We are exceptionally proud of our extended family of alumni and the diverse career paths that they've taken after their degree.

Recent graduates work within the arts and creative industries as actors, directors, producers, screenwriters, set designers, and as arts administrators.

They work for organisations such as:

• Merlin Entertainments
• Sadler’s Wells
• The Birmingham Hippodrome
• The National Theatre
• The Royal Court Theatre.
• The RSC
• The Southbank Centre
• Ticketmaster

Recent graduates work beyond the sector in:

• Marketing
• PR
• Journalism
• Recruitment and HR
• Education
• The Law
• The Civil Service

Helping you find the right career

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant to support you. They offer impartial advice and guidance, together with workshops and events throughout the year. These events often include alumni who have taken various career paths. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

• ‘I Want to Be a Producer’: Careers in Producing
• Becoming a Director
• Careers in Acting
• Discovering Careers in the Creative Industries
• Careers in Radio, Film and Television
• A DIY Guide to Setting Up and Running a Theatre Company

Find out more about careers support at Warwick.