NUI Galway - Drama and Theatre

Course Overview/Contact:

NUI Galway places strong emphasis on interacting with working theatre professionals, as shown by our exciting partnerships with Druid Theatre, Galway Arts Festival, the Abbey Theatre and others. Students take workshops as part of the Druid Academy, attend workshops with visiting practitioners, have the option of carrying out an internship, and visit the theatre frequently, both in Galway and Dublin. Students also have access to the Abbey Theatre Digital Archives, which are housed on campus.

• Full-Time MA

This one-year full-time programme blends theoretical and practical approaches to the study of drama, and is particularly suited to applicants who wish to produce theatre publicly, write or review plays, teach drama, or carry out further academic research. Applicants with a general interest in theatre are also very welcome.

• Part-Time MA

This is a two-year programme offering students the opportunity to study drama from practical, theoretical and historical perspectives. This programme is particularly suited to those who require the flexibility of a part-time programme, or who may wish to spread the cost of the programme over two years. Most modules will take place in the late afternoon and early evening, and the total time commitment will be no more than two evenings per week.

Career Opportunities:

Career Opportunities

Recent graduates have gone on to work with many theatre companies, including the Abbey Theatre, the Gate Theatre, Rough Magic, and the Young Vic (London) among others. They have also found employment in education, the heritage and tourist industries, arts organisations, business and the public service. Many have progressed to PhD study, often winning scholarships in support of their studies. 

Work Placement

Between May and mid-July, students do an internship of approximately three weeks with a professional theatre company or arts institution in Ireland or abroad. NUI Galway's partnerships with theatre companies are an important part of the course.

Programme Content:

There are two options for study:

Full-Time MA

All students take a course in writing about theatre and performance, which covers practical writing skills in such areas as theatre reviewing, writing research papers and preparing grant applications—and we also provide you with opportunities to reflect upon your own practice through writing. Students then choose five courses from a variety of options, including:

•  Theatre Business (including internship with an Irish theatre company)
•  Ensemble and Devising
•  New Approaches to Performance
•  Directing for Stage
•  Children’s Theatre
•  20th Century Directors and Theorists
•  Irish Drama and Theatre from Wilde to O’Casey
•  Irish Drama and Theatre from Beckett to the Present
•  The Abbey Theatre Digital Archive
•  Druid Theatre: Synge, Tom Murphy, Martin McDonagh, Enda Walsh and beyond
•  Theatre Theory
•  Irish Theatre in Practice
•  Exploring the Michael Chekhov Technique
•  Applied Theatre

 Part-Time MA

This is a two-year part-time programme.  Students take three modules each year and write a minor dissertation at the end of second year.

In Year One, all students take a module on writing about theatre and performance. This involves weekly theatre visits and allows you to develop the skills you will need as the course progresses.

Students will also choose an additional two modules, from the following list:

• Irish Drama and Theatre from Wilde to O’Casey
• Playwriting
• New Approaches to Performance
• The Abbey Theatre Digital Archive
• Children’s Theatre.

In Year Two, students choose three modules from the following list:

• Ensemble
• Directing for the Stage
• Performance Lab
• Druid Theatre: Synge, Tom Murphy, Martin McDonagh, Enda Walsh and beyond.

Students also undertake a minor dissertation, which can be an independently completed research project, the staging of a production, or a creative writing project involving the composition of a new play.

Entry Requirements & Assessment:

A university Arts degree (minimum standard 2.2, or US GPA 3.0). Students will be accepted on the basis of the degree result, a personal statement addressing their theatre experience and aims, and the names of two people who can provide references. Applicants who do not meet the minimum entry requirements may be admitted via a qualifying exam if they have relevant professional experience, or may be admitted to the PDip. Students who do not meet the honours degree requirement but have a Level 7 degree (Merit 2) may be admitted to the PDip course with the possibility of progressing to the MA if they receive a minimum of 60% in their course work during the year.

There is continuous assessment through regular writing assignments, performance work and end-of-semester projects, comprising 60 credits. At the end of the second year, all students will complete a minor dissertation worth 30 credits.