MA/PGDip (Theatre Practice and Production)

Course details

This MA programme aims to prepare students for professional-level work in the theatre and/or other creative industries — or to deepen the knowledge of people who are already working in those fields. Students take modules in many different aspects of theatre practice, including ensemble performance, direction, acting, and so on. An optional internship with an Irish theatre company forms part of the course. During hte summer months, students complete a practice-based project, involving the staging of their own plays and/or performances, which they write about in the form of a final dissertation.

The course is suited to anyone with an interest in Drama and Theatre, especially theatre practitioners who wish to gain a formal qualification for their work, and amateur/student performers who wish to enhance and develop their skills. Candidates who do not hold a primary degree may apply on the basis of relevant experience.

Key facts

Entry requirements

The programme is intended for graduates with at least a Second Class Honours, Grade 2 (H2.2 or GPA 3.0) degree, a personal statement addressing their theatre experiences and aims, and the names of two people who can provide references. Entry for candidates with significant relevant experience may be possible. Applicants who do not meet the minimum entry requirements may be admitted via a qualifying exam if they have relevant professional experience, or be admitted to the PDip. Students who do not meet the Honours degree requirement but have a Level 7 (Merit 2) degree may be admitted to the PDip course with the possibility of progressing to the MA if they receive a minimum of 60% in their course work during the year.

Course outline

Students choose six modules (three in each semester) from the following list:

• Ensemble Acting and Devising
• Writing about Theatre and Performance
• Irish Theatre in Practice
• Theatre Theory
• Theatre for Children and Yound People
• New Approaches to Performance
• Performance Lab
• Directing for Stage
• Fieldwork and Theatre Business (includes intership)

Each module is worth 10 ECTs, giving a total of 60 ECTs.

In addition, students complete a dissertation, worth 30 ECTs. The dissertation involves the staging of a theatre production or performance, which students then write about reflectively.