A group of students taking part in a drama performance

Course Summary

If you are seeking the opportunity to focus on the stage or screen as an actor, director, creator, or script writer and want to step into new and exciting creative territories, then this is the course for you. It is carefully designed for you to navigate and develop your practice and knowledge at a professional level. Offering expert tuition, and exploration of practices, research methods and critical frameworks, you will receive support to realise your creative ambitions, developing your performance and creative skills, theoretical understanding, and research interests. Our modules cover advanced level teaching in essential theories and practices, performance and creative approaches, technological platforms, areas of research strategy, analysis, documentation, and essay writing. During your MA studies you will undertake either a written research dissertation, or a practical project, leading to the production of a substantial piece of creative work (for example a substantive performance, workshop, lecture, or event). The foundation of this course is our belief in artistic development through active self-discovery; arming you to be able to execute your own highly engaging and creative work. 

Teaching takes place in our Creative Campus, Kingsway, which offers 6,920 square metres of floor space, including a 200-seat lecture theatre, rehearsal and performance studios, a learning resource centre, subject-specific IT labs housing 200 Macs and PCs, and two catering outlets.

Why You'll Love It

What You'll Study

Our modules cover drama theories and practices, performance and creative practices, areas of research strategy, analysis, documentation, and essay writing, which require you to engage with and develop your knowledge and skills to an advanced level. In the final phase of the MA, you will undertake either a written research dissertation or a practical project.

Modules

In this module, you will learn about a range of research methodologies appropriate to the development of analytical and critical research skills. Topics covered in taught sessions may include: fieldwork methods, ethnography, practice-based research, retrieval skills, referencing and academic writing. You will apply these methods to create an analytical piece of work. 

In this module, you will develop a substantial research-led project. The potential output of work can take various forms. Some may choose to develop practical work, which could culminate in performances, live shows, exhibitions, workshops, lectures or presentations, whereas others might present their work as portfolios, pre-recorded media, or written dissertations.     

The project created will provide an opportunity for you to evidence increased breadth and depth as creative practitioners, and the ability to critique a range of suitable theories, practices and scholarly frameworks. Those choosing to develop practical work can work individually or with their peers, with undergraduate students of the division or with external contacts and agencies.

This module provides you with the exciting opportunity to investigate and develop your own personal and creative practice. Work created will be specific and appropriate for the individual subject discipline and may include: performance, composition, arrangement, exhibition, recording, film, production of coursework or a portfolio.  

Lectures, seminars and workshops will encourage you to identify current debates and practices in relation to your individual subject disciplines. In this way, you will foster a strong sense of your emerging artistic identities and produce work demonstrating flair and fluency within your chosen idiom. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work in state-of-the-art studios and use a variety of analogue and digital equipment.

This module will provide you with the opportunity to expand upon and develop greater knowledge and depth of inquiry within your own personal and creative practice. Work created will be specific and appropriate for the individual subject discipline and may include: performance, composition, arrangement, exhibition, recording, film, production of coursework or a portfolio.  

Lectures, seminars and workshops will encourage you to consider how you might further refine your creative practice and offer distinctive and original interpretations of forms, practices, and established traditions. You will move closer to establishing their artistic niche and be able to situate your practice in comparison to other practitioners within your field of study.

In this module, you will continue to develop your personal creative practice, but this time with an emphasis upon developing a more distinctive and original synthesis. Work created will therefore push or challenge conventions of style and/ or genre, demonstrate innovation, as well as a high degree of specialist skill, artistic control and stylistic flair.  

Lectures, seminars and workshops will enable you to develop and discuss your individual practice with an advanced level of critical self-reflection. You will learn how to confidently discuss the significance of your work by referring to current research, trends, movements, theories and advanced practice within your discipline.   

The module will examine methodological approaches to explore and analyse drama practices and frameworks in various contexts.

It will include: contemporary practices, drama and theatre studies, performance theories, dramaturgy, pedagogical models and social and cultural approaches to provide an analytical toolbox for performers, directors, educators, film makers and producers to develop a critical awareness of their own and others' disciplines.

It will also facilitate the application of analytical methodologies on the work of others in order to inform and challenge the students' own practices. 

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

Drama MA

Drama MA

Who You'll Learn From

Dr Evelyn Jamieson

Associate Professor
Dr  Evelyn Jamieson

Dr Stef Kerrigan

Senior Lecturer
Dr Stef Kerrigan

Caroline Ford

Senior Lecturer
Caroline Ford

Dr Shelley Piasecka

Associate Professor
Dr Shelley Piasecka

Kristian Rozells

Senior Lecturer
Kristian Rozells

Dr Pamela Barnes

Senior Lecturer
Pamela Barnes

How You'll Learn

Teaching includes lectures, practical workshops, presentations, seminars, performances, small group and one-to-one tutorials. Assessment can take the form of performances, lecture demonstrations, practical presentations, workshops, oral examinations, essays, and through forms of documentation.

Creative Campus, Kingsway Tours

Study at our Creative Campus, Kingsway, home to some outstanding art, design and performance-based courses for the University’s School for the Creative Industries. Scroll through our 360 tours to explore our state-of-the-art facilities.

Entry Requirements

2:2 honours degree

The standard requirement is a 2:2 honours degree, or an equivalent qualification is required in any relevant discipline such as theatre, drama, dance, performing arts, media performance, theatre studies, arts management or other cognate fields. Admission is by written application and interview.

2:2 honours degree

The standard requirement is a 2:2 honours degree, or an equivalent qualification is required in any relevant discipline such as theatre, drama, dance, performing arts, media performance, theatre studies, arts management or other cognate fields. Admission is by written application and interview.

See below for your country specific requirements. Please note, some programmes have special entry requirements and if applicable, these are listed below.

English Language Requirements

For more information on our English Language requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

Fees and Funding

£9,630for the full course (2025/26)

Guides to the fees for students who wish to commence postgraduate courses in the academic year 2025/26 are available to view on our Postgraduate Taught Programmes Fees page.

£15,000for a full-time course (2025/26)

The tuition fees for international students studying Postgraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £15,000.

Please note: For MSc programmes where a placement or project year is undertaken there will be an additional charge of £2,750 for the placement/project year (due at the start of the second year of the course).

The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships for postgraduate study, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees. 

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships. 

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.

Your Future Career

Job Prospects 

Graduates from this course have become actors, directors, producers, formed their own companies, initiated portfolio careers as performers or workshop leaders, undertaken PGCEs, taught in schools and higher education, entered management or training posts, and gone onto further study at PhD level. Students hone their professional performance and creative practice abilities, and demonstrate exceptional transferable skills of communication, self-confidence, energy, and drive. 

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

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