Theatre and Performance Studies BA
ABB at A level; graduates earn a median £25,000 three years on.
Typical A level offer
ABB
95% of entrants came with A levels · 100% stay on after year 1 · Warwick course page, Discover Uni
Year 13 · applying
What do you need to get in?
ABBtypical A level offer; abb.
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. Contextual offer: BBB, for applicants from under-represented backgrounds.
Warwick course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
Who actually got in: 95% with A levels, 5% with the IB. 5% arrived with 208 or more UCAS tariff points — roughly A*A*A or better. Based on 50 entrants.
UCAS tariff points — a points scale for grades: A* = 56, A = 48, so A*A*A = 160. Entrants’ totals include extra subjects.
Other qualifications4
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| IB | 32 points32 | — |
| BTEC | D*DDWe welcome applications from students taking BTEC qualifications, either alone or in combination with A levels. Our typical BTEC offers are as follows: BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate plus | — |
| Advanced Highers | ABAB in two Advanced Highers and BBB in three further Highers subjects. | — |
| Access | 45 Credits at Level 3, including Distinction in 33 Level 3 credits and Merit in We will consider applicants returning to study who are presenting a QAA-recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma on a case-by-case basis. Typically, we require 45 Credits at Level 3, including Di | — |
Years 1–3
What do you study?
4compulsory modules in year 1
Compulsory modules this year: arts & humanities 65% · transversal skills 18% · language & communication 9% · social & cultural skills 5%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
Warwick course page · optional modules vary by year
Year 1 · 4 core · 120 credits ≈ 1,200 hours
- Contemporary Performance Practices
What you learn (7)
- apply core performance-making techniques to create work
- describe approaches used by leading contemporary performance practitioners
- collaborate with peers to produce creative work
- present creative performance work to a professional standard
- give constructive feedback on peers' creative work
- discuss the relationship between politics and performance practice
- design an interactive web interface to showcase artistic work
- Theatre and Performance in Context
What you learn (6)
- explain the sociopolitical and historical context of key theatre events or movements
- situate a theatre or performance event within its historical and political significance
- assess how theatre and society mutually influence each other
- apply conceptual and artistic frameworks to examine theatre and performance works
- conduct independent research on theatre and performance using relevant theories
- present research findings following academic writing conventions
- From Text to Performance
What you learn (10)
- explain key stages of the creative process from text to performance
- describe research methods used in developing a performance from a text
- identify how theatre-makers use performance to engage with social and political issues
- explain how theatre can challenge or debate cultural and political processes
- describe textual and staging strategies used in studied dramatic works
- evaluate the effectiveness of theatrical strategies used in performance
- apply practical rehearsal techniques to interpret a play's form and narrative
- analyse how practical exploration reveals character and style in a text
- conduct research using appropriate tools to inform performance work
- present research findings through performance and written outputs
- Ways of Seeing
What you learn (11)
- analyse different types of performance using appropriate vocabulary
- identify specialist terms used to discuss theatre and performance
- describe the key components of a performance in artistic and everyday contexts
- evaluate the contribution of different elements to a performance's effect
- write a critical response to a performance
- apply academic conventions to improve critical writing style
- distinguish between different approaches to performance criticism and theory
- examine how social, political and historical contexts shape critical perspectives
- participate in structured debate on performance topics
- construct a reasoned argument supported by active listening
- discuss contested concepts such as taste, quality and beauty in performance
Year 2 · 1 core, 9 optional · 30 credits ≈ 300 hours
- Ways of Doing
What you learn (4)
- identify skills required to collaborate across different disciplines and modalities
- evaluate the theories and practices underpinning artistic and activist engagement
- apply selected theories and aesthetics to create original performance work
- produce written work articulating engagement with chosen performance modes
9 optional modules
- Musical Theatre: Context, Themes, Analysis
What you learn (6)
- analyse musical theatre works within their historical and generic context
- evaluate musical theatre works through reading and viewing
- compare themes and forms across different musical theatre works
- construct an argument interpreting a musical theatre work
- explain different theoretical approaches to interpreting musical theatre
- select an appropriate theoretical lens for analysing a given work
- Theatre in the Community
What you learn (5)
- lead a practical exploration of themes with a specific community group
- lead a devising process suited to a community setting
- carry out independent research to support written and practical work
- present learning outcomes through spoken communication
- document learning outcomes through written communication
- Theatre in the African Context
What you learn (8)
- explain how colonial history shaped post-colonial African theatre
- analyse diverse theatrical forms developed across African practices
- identify differing thematic focuses within African theatrical traditions
- evaluate how socio-political change has influenced theatre-makers and audiences
- evaluate how historical and economic shifts have affected African theatre production
- conduct independent primary and secondary research on theatre topics
- present research findings orally to an audience
- communicate research findings in written form
- Wired: Video-Making
What you learn (5)
- develop a screenplay narrative with structured scenes and dialogue
- construct a production schedule that sequences filming tasks and resources
- collaborate with peers to coordinate roles in producing a video work
- operate camera equipment to film video footage
- edit raw footage into a finished video sequence
- You, the Performer: presence and affect
What you learn (8)
- identify acting approaches related to presence and audience rapport
- explain how performance presence has been theorised and trained
- explain principles underlying audience engagement in performance
- identify specific techniques performers use to interact with spectators
- create a performance piece based on a chosen conceptual framework
- communicate with fellow performers and audiences in a genre-appropriate style
- collaborate with peers to develop and present a new performance piece
- demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills during performance
- Adapting Shakespeare for Performance
What you learn (11)
- identify dramatic potential within non-dramatic source texts
- explain key principles used to adapt source material for stage performance
- describe the elements of dramatic structure used in playwriting
- explain how character development and conflict drive dramatic action
- describe how a theatrical setting creates an immersive fictional world
- explain how genre conventions shape the adaptation process and outcome
- create a performance adaptation drawing on a different genre or art form
- design a performance piece inspired by a historical event
- conduct background research to inform the development of a performance adaptation
- collaborate with peers to develop a shared performance adaptation
- evaluate a range of source materials for their suitability for adaptation
- Wildwork: Theatre, Performance and the Natural World
What you learn (5)
- identify practical measures to mitigate climate and biodiversity impacts
- analyse theatre practitioners' responses to climate change issues
- create practice-based artistic work responding critically to environmental issues
- develop socially engaged performance work addressing module themes
- present learning through practical, written and oral formats
Year 3 · 2 core, 8 optional · 60 credits ≈ 600 hours
- Research Dissertation
What you learn (9)
- develop an independent research topic through written investigation
- conduct independent research on a chosen topic
- organise research findings into a coherent structure
- formulate independent judgments based on evidence
- research established approaches within theatre and performance studies
- present findings on a theatre and performance studies topic
- critically evaluate existing approaches within theatre and performance studies
- produce an original dissertation from extended research
- give constructive feedback on peers' research projects
- Practice-based Research Project
What you learn (8)
- develop an independent research topic through practical enquiry
- conduct independent research on a chosen topic
- organise research findings into a coherent structure through practice
- formulate independent judgments based on research evidence
- investigate established knowledge and approaches within theatre and performance studies
- present research outcomes through performance practice
- critically reflect on practice-based research processes
- create an original performance or media-based product through sustained research
8 optional modules
- Gender and Sexuality in Performance and Contemporary Culture
What you learn (15)
- discuss how artists and media depict gender, sexuality and power within context
- analyse artworks and media to identify challenges to gender and sexuality norms
- explain how embodied performance shapes social understandings of gender and sexuality
- examine links between performance, cultural production and gender/sexuality using research
- produce a creative project and essay addressing ethical issues of representation
- define key module concepts such as heteronormativity and homonormativity
- critique theoretical perspectives from multiple viewpoints
- integrate theoretical and practical approaches in creative and written work
- interpret research findings and creative practice outcomes
- apply research tools to connect critical theory with creative practice
- use library and digital resources for independent research
- deliver group presentations evaluating visual evidence
- evaluate personal learning strategies through self-reflection
- collaborate in groups by giving and receiving constructive feedback
- generate original creative solutions and sustain creative projects
- Applying Theatre: Histories, Geographies, Practices
What you learn (5)
- analyse global case studies of applied theatre practice
- compare trajectories of applied theatre across different regions
- participate in practical workshops exploring applied theatre forms
- reflect on personal practice within a portfolio
- develop a written project pitch addressing ethical and logistical issues
- Acting in Character
What you learn (9)
- identify approaches to character analysis in dramatic texts
- explain approaches actors use to interpret character
- explain how rehearsal techniques contribute to character creation
- analyse how an actor's work conveys the meaning of a dramatic text
- relate character portrayal to its specific performance context
- prepare a character-based performance from a dramatic text
- present a character performance responsive to textual and contextual demands
- reflect critically on one's own performance preparation process
- communicate performance ideas and decisions effectively
- Drama & Healing
What you learn (8)
- describe the responsibilities of a dramatherapist or psychodramatist
- identify legal and ethical frameworks governing dramatherapy practice
- explain how drama techniques support personal development and healing in therapy
- describe various drama approaches used in dramatherapy and psychodrama
- judge the suitability of specific drama approaches for clinical settings
- evaluate the practice of two dramatherapists or psychodramatists
- explain the psychological theories underpinning selected practitioners' work
- identify dramatic forms that shape particular therapeutic practices
- Playwriting
What you learn (10)
- explain the distinctive features of writing for theatre and performance
- apply practical playwriting techniques to original work
- critique dramatic texts and performance scenarios
- compose original dramatic material by imitating existing models
- describe common dramaturgical conventions used in plays
- produce stage-ready scripts demonstrating writing craft
- evaluate peers' playwriting drafts constructively
- analyse varied styles and forms of playwriting
- transfer creative and critical writing skills to new creative contexts
- identify core playwriting concepts such as genre, structure and character
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
After graduating
Where does it lead?
£25,000median pay three years after graduating
Lower quarter£21k
Median£25k
Upper quarter£33k
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 50 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 14, 23
Half of graduates earned between £21,000 and £32,500. Five years on, the median is £33,000. 90% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 55% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 10% left | 100% | 40 |
| In work or study, 15 months on0% studying | 90% | 25 |
| Professional or managerial job | 55% | 15 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £26,000 | 15 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £25,000 | 50 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £33,000 | 50 |
Money
What does it cost?
£10,050a year for UK students, 2027/28 entry
Tuition fee loan — paid straight to the university; repayments start the April after you leave, at 9% of income above the threshold. UK fees are capped by government and rise with inflation; placement and study-abroad years are usually charged at a lower rate.
Warwick fees page · source
About £30,150 in fees over 3 years, covered by a tuition fee loan you repay only when earning above the threshold.
National Student Survey 2025-26
What do students say?
77%agreed the course was good overall (question 26)
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 88% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 35 students answered
Highest: 100% agreed on question 3; lowest: 66% on question 24.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 97% |
| Question 2 | 97% |
| Question 3 | 100% |
| Question 4 | 89% |
| Question 5 | 91% |
| Question 6 | 91% |
| Question 7 | 94% |
| Question 8 | 83% |
| Question 9 | 94% |
| Question 10 | 74% |
| Question 11 | 91% |
| Question 12 | 89% |
| Question 13 | 89% |
| Question 14 | 77% |
| Question 15 | 97% |
| Question 16 | 94% |
| Question 17 | 94% |
| Question 18 | 89% |
| Question 19 | 86% |
| Question 20 | 100% |
| Question 21 | 94% |
| Question 22 | 94% |
| Question 23 | 91% |
| Question 24 | 66% |
| Question 25 | 82% |
| Question 26 | 77% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of Warwick’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of Warwick is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.