BA Drama with a Placement Year
About this course
BA (Hons) Drama with a Placement Year is a drama degree that combines practical, historical, and critical study of performance. Core topics include Research Methods. The course includes a compulsory industry placement year of nine to twelve months duration. Year 1 introduces foundational concepts through compulsory modules such as WORKING IN THE THEATRE 1: INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL THEATRE, EXPLORING PERFORMANCE, THE ACTOR'S CRAFT, and GLOBAL THEATRES. Year 2 focuses on applied aspects with compulsory study in APPLIED DRAMA AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, alongside a wide array of optional choices covering scenography, theatre directing, and scriptwriting. Year 4 includes compulsory production work alongside optional studies in radical performance and scriptwriting. An unallocated compulsory placement module, HUM PLACEMENT YEAR, completes the professional experience structure.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: BBB
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What students say
Based on about 15 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Teaching on my course: 95%
- Learning opportunities: 84%
- Assessment and feedback: 80%
- Academic support: 88%
- Organisation and management: 79%
- Learning resources: 90%
- Student voice: 84%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 20 students who started, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Continued on course: 80%
- Left higher education: 15%
- Moved to a lower qualification: 5%
What graduates do next
Based on about 10 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 65%
- Working and studying: 10%
- Further study: 15%
- Unemployed: 5%
Most common jobs
- Elementary occupations: 20%
- Teaching Professionals: 15%
- Artistic, literary and media occupations: 15%
- Teaching and Childcare Support Occupation: 10%
- Business and public service associate professionals: 10%
- Find their work meaningful: 80%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 50%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 50%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 35 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 5%
- East Midlands: 10%
- East of England: 20%
- London: 45%
- South East: 20%
Who gets in
Based on about 25 students who started, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- A levels: 80%
- Baccalaureate: 5%
- Other HE qualification: 15%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Silver for student experience, Silver for student outcomes.
Modules
- HUM PLACEMENT YEAR
- WORKING IN THE THEATRE 1: INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL THEATRE
- EXPLORING PERFORMANCE
- THE ACTOR'S CRAFT
- WORKING IN THE THEATRE 2: DEVELOPING PRODUCTION SKILLS
- GLOBAL THEATRES
- COLLABORATIVE THEATRE-MAKING
- APPLIED DRAMA AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
- LITERATURE STUDIES SEMESTER ABROAD (SPRING)
- THE ACTOR'S WORK
- SCENOGRAPHY, DESIGN AND TECHNICAL THEATRE
- THEATRE DIRECTING
- DEVISED THEATRE
- POPULAR THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE
- FILMMAKING AND MULTIMEDIA PERFORMANCE
- BEGINNERS' JAPANESE I
- BEGINNERS' FRENCH I - A1 CEFR (SPRING START)
- SCRIPTWRITING: STAGE/AUDIO
- BEGINNERS' GERMAN I (SPRING START) - A1 CEFR
- CREATIVE WRITING: INTRODUCTION (SPR)
- BEGINNERS' FRENCH I - A1 CEFR
- MAKING IT PUBLIC: PUBLISHING, AUDIENCE, & CREATIVE ENTERPRISE
- ADVANCED ENGLISH II
- BEGINNERS' SPANISH I - A1 CEFR (SPRING START)
- LGBT AND BEYOND: SEXUAL CULTURES, QUEER IDENTITIES, AND THE POLITICS OF DESIRE
- BEGINNERS' ARABIC II
- INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II B1 CEFR
- BEGINNERS' JAPANESE I (SPRING START)
- INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I - A2+ CEFR
- BEGINNERS' RUSSIAN II - A2 CEFR
- BEGINNERS' ARABIC I
- BEGINNERS' SPANISH II - A2 CEFR
- BEGINNERS' SPANISH I - A1 CEFR
- ADVANCED ENGLISH I
- INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE I
- BEGINNERS RUSSIAN I (SPRING START)
- SHAKESPEARE (PRE-1789)
- INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE I (SPRING START)
- INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I - A2 CEFR
- BEGINNERS' ARABIC I (SPRING START)
- INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I - A2+ CEFR
- SCRIPTWRITING: SCREEN AND STAGE
- BEGINNERS' GERMAN II - A1.2 CEFR
- INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE II
- BEGINNERS' JAPANESE II
- BEGINNERS' GERMAN I - A1.1 CEFR
- SCRIPTWRITING: TV/FILM
- BEGINNERS' FRENCH II - A2 CEFR
- INTERMEDIATE FRENCH II - B1 CEFR
- ADAPTATION: CROSS-MEDIA TRANSFORMATIONS
- PRODUCTION
- THE ACTOR'S ART
- RADICAL PERFORMANCE
- SELVES, IDENTITIES AND PERFORMANCE
- CREATIVE WRITING: ADVANCED SCRIPTWRITING
- LITERATURE DISSERTATION: POST-1789 (AUT)
- CREATIVE WRITING DISSERTATION (AUT)
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Drama with a Placement Year at University of East Anglia earn?
The median salary is £26,000 after 15 months, £20,000 after 3 years, £27,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £21,000 and £37,000. The £27,000 median after five years is £3,000 more than the UK median for Drama.
What do graduates of BA Drama with a Placement Year at University of East Anglia do next?
90% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Drama with a Placement Year at University of East Anglia?
95% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Drama with a Placement Year at University of East Anglia?
The typical offer is BBB at A level. The average entrant had 133 UCAS points.
Does BA Drama with a Placement Year at University of East Anglia include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has a compulsory placement year.
How many students continue on BA Drama with a Placement Year at University of East Anglia?
80% of students continued into their second year, and 15% left higher education.