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Theatre and English BA

Course code

WQ43

WQ41 with placement year

Start date

September

Placement available

Mode of study

3 years full-time

4 years full-time with placement

4.5 to 6 years part-time

Fees

2024/25

UK £9,250

International £19,430

Entry requirements

2024/25

AAB - BBC (A-level)

DMM (BTEC)

29 (IB)

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Overview

Storytelling is part of every culture and reveals much about a person’s lived experience, values and aspirations within a given time, whether presented as drama or prose on a page.

In the Theatre and English BA you will discover the richness of theatre making and literature side by side, developing as a creative along the way. In doing so, the Theatre and English BA will help you become a critical and creative communicator equipped for a variety of creative roles.

On the Theatre side of your course, you will learn specialist skills in a range of practices such as acting, applied practice, devising/theatre making, digital theatre, musical theatre, physical theatre and writing for performance.

We regularly host Arts@Artaud nights showcasing new music, film, creative writing and drama presented by Brunel students.

The English half of your course commences with a module on ‘Reading Resilienceto help prepare you with the necessary skills for literary studies.

In years two and three a wealth of optional modules await you covering a variety of periods and genres from Shakespeare to Jane Austen, to contemporary and genre fiction.

Established links with the creative industries offer plenty of opportunities to hear from guest speakers and alumni on campus. Off campus, Brunel’s easy access to central London helps to facilitate regular class trips to explore theatre and culture.

Uniquely for a theatre degree, the option of a work placement year is an unmissable opportunity to find out where your interests lie and to increase your attractiveness to future employers.

Students from the course have completed placements in a variety of organisations including the London’s Park Theatre, Rose Wisksteed Casting, Unicorn Theatre and Icarus Theatre Company.

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.

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Course content

The Theatre and English BA at Brunel is an academic and practical course that provides you with the opportunity to tailor your studies according to your interests in Theatre and English. There is a range of optional modules in both disciplines from which you can choose as you develop as a creative.

Please note
Year 3 compulsory modules are structured as follows:

Option 1 - DR3614 or DR3608 or EN3003
Option 2 - EN3004 and DR3606

This course can be studied 3 years full-time, 4 years full-time with placement or 4.5 to 6 years part-time, starting in September.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

This course has a placement year option. Find out more about work placements available.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

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Careers and your future

Potential graduate destinations include:

  • creative positions within the theatre industry
  • management and administrative positions within the creative industries as a whole
  • community-based careers in applied drama practice
  • educational work either in schools or in the growing number of education departments attached to theatres.
  • postgraduate study in English, Theatre and Arts Management.

Past students have gone on to work as theatre producers, actors, directors, performers, playwrights, stand-up comedians, casting agents, event managers, and animateurs.  

Others have gone on to work as arts administrators, community theatre officers for local councils, drama and English teachers, researchers, public relations, drama therapists and academics.

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UK entry requirements

2024/25 entry

  • GCE A-level AAB-BBC. 
  • BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DMM in any subject.
  • BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM in any subject, with an A-level at grade C.
  • BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma M in any subject, with A-levels grade BB.
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma 29 points.
  • Obtain a minimum of 112 UCAS tariff points in the Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3 and grade B in A level English subject.
  • T levels : Merit overall

A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.

Brunel University London is committed to raising the aspirations of our applicants and students. We will fully review your UCAS application and, where we’re able to offer a place, this will be personalised to you based on your application and education journey.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants as well as our full GCSE requirements and accepted equivalencies in place of GCSEs.

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EU and International entry requirements

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
  • Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
  • BrunELT: 63% (min 55% in all areas)
  • TOEFL: 90 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)  

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

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Fees and funding

2024/25 entry

UK

£9,250 full-time

£6,935 part-time

£1,385 placement year

International

£19,430 full-time

£14,570 part-time

£1,385 placement year

Fees quoted are per year and may be subject to an annual increase. Home undergraduate student fees are regulated and are currently capped at £9,250 per year; any changes will be subject to changes in government policy. International fees will increase annually, by no more than 5% or RPI (Retail Price Index), whichever is the greater.

More information on any additional course-related costs.

See our fees and funding page for full details of undergraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Please refer to the scholarships pages to view discounts available to eligible EU undergraduate applicants.

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Teaching and Learning

How the course will be delivered

Required equipment

How you'll learn on your course

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Assessment and feedback

In your theatre modules, you will be assessed through practical performance (in-class and public), creative writing tasks, coursework, presentation, creative portfolios, and essays.

In your English modules, you will be assessed through written assignments.

Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.

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