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Find out moreMA Contemporary Theatre Practice (Part Time)
Key details
- Attendance
- Part Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2027
Course options
Other Start Dates
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101-150 QS Rank
Worldwide for English Language and Literature
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024Course Overview
Why MA Contemporary Theatre Practice at UEA?
Ignite your creativity with our part-time MA Contemporary Theatre Practice. This dynamic two-year course helps you develop advanced skills for today’s theatre industry.
Why choose UEA
- Boost your skills: Develop advanced skills in performance, writing, directing, or technical theatre
- Hands-on experience: Combine high-level training with real-world insight and industry experience
- Real-world placements: Gain experience and build networks with venues like Norwich Theatre Royal and Sewell Barn, and companies such as Gecko and HighTide
What is MA Contemporary Theatre Practice?
Step into your own as a performer or performance-maker, learning the latest creative methods and collaborative approaches that define theatre practice today. Our 200-seat professionally equipped Drama Studio(opens in a new window) will be the centre of your practical training, and you’ll benefit from the mentorship of both academics and theatre professionals.
You’ll approach theatre not just as something to study, but as something to do, question, and reinvent. You’ll engage with diverse performance traditions and contemporary experiments, from ritual and realism to immersive, site-specific, and digital performance, discovering the possibilities of theatre today.
Practical engagement with the creative industries will equip you with the professional competencies needed to develop, produce, and promote new work. You’ll build invaluable skills in project management, funding, and marketing, ensuring you’re prepared for the demands of today’s creative landscape. You’ll also have the opportunity to secure your own theatre placement, applying your skills in a professional environment.
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Careers
Career Pathways
With a MA Contemporary Theatre Practice degree, you could launch a career as a:
- Theatre-maker, Producer or Director: Create and stage new theatre and performance work
- Performer or Deviser: Work on stage in theatre, live art, or interdisciplinary performance
- Dramaturg or Literary Manager: Support script and performance development
- Educator or Workshop Facilitator: Teach drama in schools, universities, or community settings
- Researcher or Academic: Pursue doctoral study or work in higher education and cultural research
Career Support
The MA is designed to prepare you to enter the creative industries with creative zest, practical know-how, hands-on industry experience, and a critical understanding of how theatre shapes cultures and communities today. This multifaceted blend of knowledge, skill, and experience will ready you to take confident steps into the world of theatre or related industries. You’ll be mentored by our dedicated team of academics and theatre professionals, drawing on their extensive practical experience and industry insight. Alongside, UEA’s Career Central will provide additional support in all aspects of your professional journey.
After the Course
You'll emerge from the course as a reflective and inventive theatre professional, ready to engage critically and creatively with the diverse, challenging, and ever-changing landscape of contemporary performance.
With almost fifty years of experience teaching drama, UEA has shaped the theatre industry in the region, in the UK and internationally. The department also has an exceptional track record of graduate success. Many recent Drama postgraduates have obtained funding for their projects, in partnership with UEA Enterprise or from Arts Council England. Postgraduate Drama UEA alumni include: producer, writer and director Sky Carver; Artistic Director of the Relish Theatre Company Rob Ellis; Artistic Director of Norwich Puppet Theatre, Peter Beck; and Julia Sowerbutts, Artistic Director of INK Festival of New Writing.
Study and Modules
Structure
The part-time MA in Contemporary Theatre Practice is structured to provide a progressive, immersive learning experience across two years, combining creative experimentation, critical reflection, and professional development.
In the autumn semester of year one, we establish the creative, practical, and intellectual foundations of the course. Practical workshops will encourage you to experiment with new forms of performance-making and collaborative creation. You'll also be introduced to the diversity of contemporary theatre across commercial, experimental, and community practices. In the spring semester of your first year, you’ll take a module co-taught alongside our graduate students in Creative Writing, which enhances your skills in theatrical devising.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
In the autumn semester of year two, you’ll immerse yourself in the contemporary theatre ecosystem. You'll gain key industry insights into how theatres and theatre companies operate, from leading professional venues, such as Norwich Theatre, to grass-roots festivals, like the Autumn Festival of Norfolk, and community arts organisations that use drama to enhance wellbeing, like the Maddermarket Theatre. This integrated approach allows you to develop the conceptual and practical vocabulary needed to articulate and realise your own artistic vision.
In the spring semester of year two, the focus shifts towards application and industry engagement. You'll undertake a professional placement or equivalent experiential project, applying your knowledge within real-world creative contexts. Finally, an optional module range gives you the chance to undertake collaborative, interdisciplinary projects, refining your ability to work across media, adapting to different production environments, and developing original creative outputs. This phase allows you to tailor your studies to your individual interests, whether in dramaturgy, community theatre, or arts management.
During the summer of year two, you'll complete the course with an extended independent project that consolidates your learning and showcases your expertise. This capstone project may take the form of a performance, site-specific theatrical project, a creative portfolio, or a written dissertation. It represents the culmination of the MA – an opportunity to produce an original contribution to the field and to launch a professional or academic career in contemporary theatre.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
Learning is hands-on and intellectually adventurous: workshops, creative projects, collaborative analysis, and the placement will enable you to test theory through practice, connecting critical insight to applied practice and artistic experimentation. UEA’s Drama Studio will be the dynamic hub of your creative journey. Equipped with state-of-the-art resources and backed by a dedicated technical team, it offers an inspiring environment where your learning will come to life.
You’ll be taught by academics and practitioners who are experts in their field. Our modules are informed by their specialisms, which means you’ll benefit from access to the latest thinking and research. The expertise of our academic staff ranges from professional actors and directors to television writers and West End playwrights.
Assessment
Assessment on the degree is designed to enrich your creative exploration with academic insight. Over the course of your studies, you'll build a portfolio of projects that showcase you as a contemporary theatre practitioner. This will include practical performances, workshop presentations, essays and critical reflections on applied learning on industry contexts,
The final theatre project will be supported by a one-to-one supervisor. It can be practice-based (ranging from a scripted performance or a small-scale production to a site-specific or community-based theatre initiative) or research-led (for example, an academic dissertation or a policy/research report on industry practices).
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Any subject
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Any subject
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each component).
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, our UEA International Study Centre offers a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2027/28 are:
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UK Students: £11,200
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International Students: £23,580
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships(opens in a new window); please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see additional course fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.