Theatre Directing

Modules and Teaching

• Two years full-time, on campus, starting in September 2026

  2026/7

  Course structure

  You must complete modules worth a total of 270 credits, consisting of:

  • an induction (0 credits)
  • four compulsory modules (30 credits each)
  • two core modules (60 credits each)
  • a spring option module (Unit C) (30 credits).

  In Year 1, the three-week induction is followed by a term spent at a leading drama school and a further four modules at Birkbeck, including an intensive three-week project working with designers from Wimbledon School of Art.

  In Year 2, you spend six months on secondment with a professional theatre company and then complete a further module at Birkbeck.

  Induction

  • Course Induction (MFA Theatre Directing): Unit A

  Compulsory modules

  • The Director and the Actor: Unit B
  • The Director and the Author: Unit D
  • The Director and the Designer: Unit E
  • The Director and the Industry: Unit F

  Core modules

  • The Director and Directing: Dissertation
  • The Director and Production: Dissertation

  Indicative option modules

  • Introduction to Playwriting
  • Introduction to Screenwriting
  • Writing for Gaming

• Teaching

  We encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching to help ensure you have the best learning experience and provide a range of different modes of learning to help you juggle study with work and other commitments.

  Find out more about our teaching and teaching hours.

  What are the methods of teaching?

  We actively encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching, to ensure our students have the best learning experience.

• How will I be assessed?

  A combination of oral presentations with supporting material; practical exercises; the assessment of your practice as a director by peer and leading practitioners; and a final dissertation.

  Please see individual modules for more details.

  Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.

Entry requirements

Either a second-class honours degree (2:2) or above from a UK university (or a directly comparable qualification from a non-UK university), together with some significant experience of professional or professional-level theatre; or an undergraduate- or postgraduate-level diploma from a recognised UK drama school (or a directly comparable qualification from a non-UK drama school), together with some significant experience of professional or professional-level theatre (normally three years); or extensive professional experience.

Considerable importance will be attached to your ability to demonstrate commitment to professional theatre directing. If you are considered to be initially qualified, you will then be interviewed.

Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

There are two application deadlines: Friday 23 January for interviews in February and Friday 1 May for interviews in late May and early June. There is no advantage in either deadline but overseas students may wish to apply earlier in order to have more time to secure visas. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

• What are the English language requirements?

  If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

  If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

  Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

• What are the visa and funding requirements?

  If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

  The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

  • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
  • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

  International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

  As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

  For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

  Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

  Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

• Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

  If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

Fees

• Birkbeck's Lifelong Learning Guarantee

  If you've studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a reduction on the tuition fee of this course.

• Can I apply for an international scholarship?

  We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. View Birkbeck's available scholarships.

• Additional costs

  Deposit to secure your place

  The MFA Theatre Directing is an extremely popular course and has a limited number of places. For this reason, you are required to commit to the course by paying a non-refundable deposit of £500 to secure your place. This deposit is part of the overall course fee, and not an additional amount.

  Process

  If you are made an offer of a place on the course, your offer letter will advise that you need to pay a non-refundable deposit of £500 to secure your place. For those offered places on the MFA Theatre Directing in April, the deposit must be paid by Friday 25 April; for those offered places in early June, the deposit must be paid by Friday 11 July. Deposits are collected by the Fees Office and recorded against your fee liability in the usual way.

  If you do not pay your deposit by the set deadline, then you forfeit your place on the course and this will be offered elsewhere. A later deposit deadline will be set for students on the waiting list who are offered places later in the cycle.

  Refunds

  These deposits are non-refundable. If you do not take up your place on the course, you forfeit your £500. In certain circumstances, for example severe illness, where you are prevented from taking up your place through no fault of your own, it may be possible for your deposit to be rolled forward to the next year of entry, if the College is willing to defer your place. The decision on whether your place can be deferred will lie with the College, and the decision on whether your deposit can be rolled forward will lie with the finance department.

  If you do not attend the course, and so withdraw or ask to withdraw, the deposit is excluded from any other fee refund you might be awarded.

  International students

  International students holding a Student visa are required to provide a non-refundable deposit of £5000 as a matter of general College policy. Please read the Deposit Terms and Conditions for full details

Careers and employability

On graduating from this MFA Theatre Directing, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

• the skills, knowledge and ability to work as a professional-level theatre director
• the ability to critically reflect on your practice and to evolve your practice as an independent creative artist
• communication and presentation skills
• an ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Possible career paths for graduates include professions such as:

• theatre director
• artistic director
• associate director
• opera director
• theatre producer
• literary manager
• dramaturg. 

Recent graduates have directed productions at prestigious West End and regional theatres including:

• The National Theatre
• The RSC
• The Globe
• The Royal Court
• English National Opera
• The Almeida
• The Young Vic
• The Old Vic
• The Lyric Hammersmith
• The Gate
• Sheffield Theatres
• The Royal Exchange Manchester
• Leeds Playhouse
• Nottingham Playhouse.

Many of our graduates have won awards such as: the 2014 Olivier Award for Best Director; the James Menzies-Kitchin Award (the JMK) in 2021, 2015 and 2012; the Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme (RTYDS) Award; the Stage Debut Award in 2019; and the Stage Award for Best Fringe Theatre.

Our graduates include: Lyndsey Turner, Olivier Award winner; Justin Audibert, Artistic Director, Chichester Festival Theatre; Holly Race Roughan, Artistic Director, Headlong; Liz Stevenson, Artistic Director, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick; Alex Thorpe, Co-creative Director of the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch; Sam Brown, award-winning opera director and Artistic Director of Nederlandse Riesopera.

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Student support

How to apply

• When should I apply?

  You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places left, and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

  You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

• How can I get help with my application?

  Get all the information you need about the application, admission and enrolment process at Birkbeck.

  Our online personal statement tool will guide you through every step of writing the personal statement part of your application.

• International agents

  If you are an international agent applying to Birkbeck on behalf of an international student, please use Birkbeck's agent portal.