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  • Theatre Studies and English (BA) (Part-time)
  • 2013/2014 entry
  • Contact us
  • Assessment

    • A combination of research essays, research exercises, group presentations, group vivas, individual vivas, takeaway exams and written portfolios.

      For details of assessment in English, please see the entry for BA English.

  • Attendance
      • Two–three evenings a week.
      • October–June.
      • You are expected to attend at least five set theatre productions a year.
  • Duration
      • Four years part-time.
  • Entry requirements
      • Over 21: no formal qualifications required.
      • Under 21: normally BBB at A-level or equivalent, although we may waive these formal entry requirements and make our own assessment of your skills and knowledge.
  • Fees and funding
  • Location
      • Central London (Bloomsbury), with dedicated theatre studies teaching rooms based at the School of Arts building in Gordon Square.
  • Teaching

    • Lectures, seminars, group workshops, independent research projects, theatre visits and classes with guest speakers from the theatre industry.



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Theatre Studies and English (BA) (Part-time) - 2013/2014 entry

Are you passionate about live performance and theatre practice, but equally interested in literature? Would you like to study in central London, surrounded by the city's vibrant theatres? Birkbeck’s location in Bloomsbury in London’s West End makes it an ideal location to study theatre and English – and this is the only part-time BA incorporating theatre studies offered in central London. Taught by world-leading experts, explore a diverse and exciting range of theatrical and literary histories, theories, practices, texts and contexts. Combining lectures, seminars and workshops, and visits to theatres and cultural institutions, there is no better place to pursue your love of theatre and English.

Please note that the BA Theatre Studies and Humanities is no longer running. Find out more about studying Arts and Humanities at BA level.

This course is also available for full-time evening study.

  • Course structure

    • Theatre and drama practices, theories, institutions, companies and artists from across the world, from ancient Greece to the present day. Alongside modules in theatre studies, you will also follow a structured programme of study in English, involving attention to particular authors, texts, genres, themes and ideas.

      Year 1

      • Theatre Languages
      • Portfolio: Theatre in London
      • Writing London.

      Years 2–4

      • Theories of Theatricality and Performance (Year 2)
      • Portfolio: Theatre in London (Years 2–4)
      • Six core and optional modules in English and theatre (Years 2–4)
      • Independent Research Project in theatre studies or English (Year 4)

      Option modules may include: 

      • Censorship and Anti-theatricality
      • Community and Youth Theatre
      • Cross-Dressing in Performance
      • Empire and Theatre
      • Histories and Theories of the Audience
      • Musical Theatre
      • Political Theatre
      • Technological Performance
      • The Ethics of Directing
      • The West End.
  • Study resources

    • You will benefit from the resources available through the dedicated studio spaces at our School of Arts base in Gordon Square. Our links to important theatre companies and artists directly informs work in class.

  • Further study opportunities
  • Careers information

    • Many of our students take degrees with us for reasons of personal development and interest. Some study with us for career development however, and the kinds of industries you might expect to work in after graduating with a theatre degree include: teaching and education; advertising, marketing and public relations; theatre, media, film and the creative arts; journalism; arts administration and outreach; policy and strategy for political organisations, charities or NGOs; publishing.

      Theatre studies is included in the top 10 subjects for employability nationally, as outlined by Palatine (the Higher Education body for Drama): As well as specialist and professional skills, generic skills such as time and project management and communication skills are core throughout the subject and perhaps account for the great success of drama graduates in terms of employability across a wide range of careers. One study, for example, recorded 70.7% of drama graduates from 2002 surveyed as entering employment, well above the average for all first degree subjects of 66.9%.

    • To speak to an independent careers advisor, booking onto one of our Future Focus — Careers Workshops
  • Apply now
  • Key information set

    • Welcome to Birkbeck, London's evening university: Number 1 in London for teaching and student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2012).

      Birkbeck specialises in part-time, evening study. The Key Information Set has been developed for full-time, daytime courses. We are providing some additional information about our evening courses to help you make an informed choice.

      Fees:
      The Key Information Set (KIS) for this degree course shows the annual fee for a 3-year, full-time degree. This is a 4-year, part-time evening degree and the annual fee is lower than the fee shown in the KIS. See 'Fees and funding' in the left hand menu for the correct fee for this course.

      Years of study:
      The KIS presents all degrees as 3-year courses. Birkbeck's standard part-time, evening degree is a 4-year course.