BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Arts with Design and Technical Practice · GULBachelor's degree · 3 years
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Goldsmiths, University of London · Undergraduate

BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Arts with Design and Technical Practice Bachelor's degree at Goldsmiths, University of London

BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Arts with Design and Technical Practice at GUL. You'll develop hands-on competence in stagecraft, lighting, sound and scenic design alongside critical engagement with dramatic theory and performance history.

BA (Hons)
Award
3
Years
Full-time
Study mode
88%
continuation

About this course

BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Arts with Design and Technical Practice is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at GUL, based in Goldsmiths College. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.

For Drama graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)

For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.

Course evidence score

The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.

7.7
/ 10
2 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Solid65

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Excellent88

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 88% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Curriculum & modules

Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.

Year 1 5 modules
  • Core Techniques in ActingCore30 credits
    Module details

    This module introduces you to foundational acting, voice, and movement practices that underpin contemporary actor training. You will develop core skills in presence, impulse, breath, articulation, physical readiness, imagination, character, and scene work. You will learn how to prepare, rehearse, and refine short scenes, applying the techniques explored across the module and beginning to articulate your own emerging process as an actor-maker.

  • Performance Making SkillsCore30 credits
    Module details

    Performing Making Skills introduces the foundational principles of contemporary performance making. Through studio workshops and practical making sessions, you will explore how performance takes form through bodies, materials, ensembles and space. You will explore how performance is generated, shaped, rehearsed and shared. The module emphasises curiosity, experimentation, dramaturgical thinking, collective responsibility and creative responsiveness.

  • Performance Making 1Core30 credits
    Module details

    Performance Making 1 builds on the work undertaken in Performance Making Skills by offering you the oppportuntity to put these skills into practice in the creation of a short group performance. You will also gain practical experience of the relationship between the different roles that make up a theatre company, where you will be able to explore such roles as director, scenographer, choreographer, and stage management, within either a collaborative, devising process (Acting and Performance Makin

  • Critical WritingCore15 credits
    Module details

    The module aims to explore the topic of critical writing generally and in discipline-specific contexts so you can continually develop your skills by applying them to your ongoing critical and creative work. You will learn critical writing as a skill that helps you to develop your research and creative practice alongside the completion of academic work. You will learn to critical analyse and evaluate existing texts and your own work through a diversity of critical perspectives.

  • Contemporary Creative IndustriesCore15 credits
    Module details

    In this module you will develop your practical understanding of, and critical perspective on, the ways in which creative work is commercially produced, disseminated and 'consumed'. You will gain an overview of the contemporary creative industries' foundational concepts, occupational roles, stakeholders, organizations, business practices and personalities. As well as studying dominant modes of industrial production and consumption, you will consider practices through which creators and their supp

Year 2 6 modules
  • Acting: New Contexts and TechnologiesCore30 credits
    Module details

    In this module you will explore how emerging technologies and contemporary contexts are expanding and reshaping the actor's craft across both training and performance settings. You will be introduced to the fundamentals of screen acting, and technologies and techniques for generating audio-based performance and will learn how to apply your acting skills to screen and audio formats. You will be introduced to and experiment with approaches to acting within online, recorded, virtual and hybrid sett

  • Performance Making ModesCore30 credits
    Module details

    Performance Making Modes builds on the core skills that you acquired on your first year Performance Making modules and offers you opportunities to go in depth in your chosen mode of performance making. Across the module, you will consider histories of representation (including associated political and ethical questions) and be introduced to a range of ground breaking and/or experimental performance practices through a combination of seminars, workshops and practical making sessions. You will cho

  • Performance Making 2Core30 credits
    Module details

    Performance Making 2 supports you in putting the skills and experiments you have explored during the Autumn term into practice through the creation of a short group performance of original material. In doing this, you will also gain your first experience of working as a small company where you will take on a specific role of your choosing and will gain more specialist skills and experience in this area. As such, this module is the culmination of your work in Year 2 of the degree. You will develo

  • The Goldsmiths ProjectCore15 credits
  • Workshop Facilitation: Theory and PracticeOptional15 credits
    Module details

    This Module will introduce you to some of the key theories, concerns and methods for designing and facilitating participatory arts workshops in a range of socially engaged contexts. You will work in small groups to design and deliver a workshop that critically speaks to a chosen theme and a participant community that you seek to collaborate with. Through a series of workshops that explore the underlying themes of facilitation practice, you will be invited to engage with pedagogic theory and issu

  • Global Theatre TopicsOptional15 credits
    Module details

    This modules aims to equip you with the skills to: Situate theatre and performance genres and movements in their historical, cultural and political contexts, taking account of their relationship to other art forms; Approach and conceptualise theatre and performance histories from a range of perspectives and contexts, engaging with both primary and secondary resources; Develop analytical, evaluative and communicative skills in expressing coherent insights and arguments On the module, you will cho

Year 3 2 modules
  • Acting and Professional PracticeCore30 credits
    Module details

    Building on your previous learning, you will deepen your understanding of the acting techniques and methodologies introduced in Levels 4 and 5 and apply them in rehearsal models and performance contexts. You will also be introduced to new methods and practitioners from across the globe, reflecting the diverse practices that underpin contemporary performance. You will investigate various areas of professional practice, including headshots and showreels/portfolios, as necessary tools for building

  • Performance Making LaboratoriesCore30 credits
    Module details

    This module will act as a testing-ground for experimental approaches to performance-making across multiple disciplines. You will be encouraged to explore, to take risks, to be self-reflexive and critically engaged. You will engage in in-depth thinking and making through a series of lectures, workshop/seminars, as well as through related self-led learning tasks and critical reading/viewing. This module will allow you to elect a specialism from a rotating selection of options. For example: Devised

Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.

Course in depth

What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.

What you'll study

This course emphasises design and technical practice within drama and theatre arts. You'll usually begin with visual studies, design principles and the materials and processes used across theatre, from traditional stagecraft to digital fabrication. Contextual studies ground your work in theatre history and contemporary practice. In Year 2, you'll develop sustained studio practice, explore emerging media and technologies, and work on live briefs with real production deadlines. By Year 3, you'll specialise in areas such as graphic design, illustration, fashion and textiles, UX and digital practice, or fine art, whilst building professional practice skills and a portfolio. Your studies culminate in a major final project, often presented at a degree show.

Who it's for

You're suited to this course if you're drawn to the technical and creative problem-solving that theatre demands. You'll need strong practical aptitude, comfort with tools, materials and equipment, alongside intellectual curiosity about how performance works. This programme is for people who want to work with their hands and mind in equal measure: designing sets or lighting rigs, managing technical rehearsals, or exploring how design shapes a production's meaning. You'll thrive if you're collaborative, detail-oriented, and genuinely interested in the craft behind what audiences see on stage.

Careers & job market

Across Art & Design courses nationally, 87% of graduates were in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Of those in work, 55% were in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. Nationally, starting salaries for graduates in this field ranged from £22,000 to £27,000 at 15 months; after five years, earnings typically sat between £20,825 and £29,400. Career paths vary widely depending on your specialisation and interests within theatre, design and related sectors.

University & format

You'll study full-time at Goldsmiths, University of London, a public university in London founded in 1891. This is a 3-year Bachelor's degree taught in English, leading to a BA (Hons) award. As a recognised UK degree-awarding body, your qualification is nationally recognised. The university received a Bronze award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
81%
Learning opportunities
73%
Assessment and feedback
64%
Academic Support
80%
Organisation and management
32%
Learning resources
74%
Student voice
51%

Share of students responding positively.

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Applicant information

The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

  4. 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.

Show 5 later dates
  1. 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens

    Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.

  2. 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers

    Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.

  3. 2027 entryClearing opens

    Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.

  4. 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  5. 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

Published entryCCC typical offer

Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.

Open daysBook an Open Day Explore upcoming events

See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.

Entry & how to get in

Typical offer (from the provider)The university’s course page lists a typical A-level offer of CCC. Always check the provider for the current offer and subject requirements.
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent73% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 96 - 111 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check GUL's official course page for the current offer.

Who gets in

What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.

UCAS tariff of entrants

Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.

Qualifications held on entry

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent73%
Other14%
No / unknown prior qualifications10%
another higher-education qualification3%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Accessible entry

Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.

Will you get in? Plot your grades

Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.

Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.

How to apply

Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.

Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesA*A*A*A-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeW410quote this on your application
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course (code W410). One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write your personal statement

    A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.

  3. 3
    Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results day & confirmation

    On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask GUL whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

Homeup to £9,790 / yr
International£22,000 / yr

Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).

Check fees at GUL →

For students who normally live in England

illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 3 years

2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.

Starting on or after 1 January 2027?

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.

Paying for it

  • Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
  • Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
  • Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
  • Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.

England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All GUL funding →
No verified named award is shown for this provider yet.

That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.

We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.

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Still deciding what to study?

StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.

Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

Careers & earnings

What Art & Design graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.

Graduate earnings: this course

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£24,000£20,000 – £28,0001875
3 years after£24,000£14,500 – £29,50060
5 years after£27,000£21,000 – £33,00060

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 1,875. Cohort 2021-22.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

88%
continue past their first year
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£24,000
£22,000 – £27,000
After 3 years LEO
£24,000
£17,000 – £24,000
After 5 years LEO
£27,000
£20,825 – £29,400
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £16,000 – £30,500

National figures for Art & Design graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.

Work out your pay

Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.

What happened to 100 students?

Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.

88 of 100

continued or completed

continued into the next year or completed their qualification

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 1,875. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.

Value compared with similar courses

How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Art & Design courses at the same study level.

This course £27,000Peer median £24,500Middle 50% £22,125–£26,500
78th percentile

Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.

Job market & outlook

How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.

87%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Art & Design courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
55%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
85%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

How AI is changing the work

AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.

What AI takes off your plate

  • Routine information gathering
  • First-draft writing and summaries
  • Standard analysis and admin
  • Repetitive processing tasks

More human than ever

  • Judgement and original thinking
  • Working with and leading people
  • Owning and sense-checking AI output
  • Ethics and accountability

The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.

Roles & employers

Where Art & Design graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.

Where they work

  • Design studios & agencies
  • In-house brand teams
  • Games & media companies
  • Freelance & self-employed

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.

📈

Where graduates go

Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.

🎯

Your entry chances

Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.

Official-data snapshot

Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.7 out of 10: NSS 65% · continued 88%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

Goldsmiths College

All students7,910
International40.3%
Aged 25+31.9%

Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK

Students178,755
Aged 25+15.7%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Local crime-data context

A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.

Around Goldsmiths College

754 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.

Violent Crime 274Anti Social Behaviour 123Vehicle Crime 88Criminal Damage Arson 87Public Order 45

Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.

Is Art & Design right for you?

Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.

International students

What applying to GUL from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is £22,000 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.

English language

Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.

Student visa

You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.

Scholarships & funding

Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check GUL’s funding pages.

Living costs

Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.

Working while you study

A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.

Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with GUL and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is historically accessible, accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 160 - 175 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by GUL. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Drama graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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