Drama and Theatre Studies Practice-Based PhD / MA by Research (through Dramaturgy, Playwriting or Performance)

The Drama and Theatre Studies Practice-Based programme allows academic research to be conducted through practical experimentation. It also provides a unique opportunity for you to specialise in a particular area of practice (dramaturgy, playwriting, or performance – which includes directing) and prepares you for your chosen profession. The Department’s diverse expertise and exceptional facilities open up a wide range of practical research opportunities, such as the investigation of the processes of theatre making or the practical application of particular aesthetic theories. Your thesis must fully contextualise the practice and substantiate the claim that your work is innovative and demonstrates extension of the boundaries of the chosen field of research and practice. The practice-based PhD thesis is 40,000 words. The MA by Research is assessed by a shorter thesis of 20,000 words. Birmingham's Drama and Theatre Arts postgraduates develop a very wide range of skills and qualities during their degree from research and analytical skills, to thinking and working creatively with others.