BA (Hons) Applied & Contemporary Theatre Bachelor's degree at the University of Surrey
BA (Hons) Applied & Contemporary Theatre at University of Surrey covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills.
About this course
Our BA (Hons) Applied and Contemporary Theatre course is designed to train highly skilled theatre makers of the future, who aspire to influence social change. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Applied & Contemporary Theatre is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Surrey. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Design, and creative and performing arts graduates from this provider, 96% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 73% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (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.
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)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 96% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 90% (2021-23; 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.
Level 4 / Year 1 3 modules
- PERFORMANCE FUNDAMENTALSCompulsory
Module details
This module aims to develop the skill base of the creative practitioner in key elements of performance. Across Level 4, students will study practical skills in studio-based group classes. Students will encounter and explore the application and integration of core technical performance skills. Students will engage with the rudiments of music, voice and singing and undertake movement training designed to develop the experiential, expressive and analytical skills of the creative individual. Student
- THE ACTOR AND THE ENSEMBLECompulsory
Module details
The Actor and the Ensemble enables students to explore different modes of performance. This includes collaborative & devised practice, applied theatre and social justice, and contemporary political performance. In the first teaching block you will be working as an ensemble exploring post-modern collaborative practices. In the second teaching block students consider how theatre can be used to reflect the stories and issues pertaining to a diverse range of communities, both locally and internation
- THEATRE STUDIESCompulsory
Module details
This module will engage students in the study of the history, impact and ethos of theatre by focusing on key ideas and approaches that have formed its development. Topics to be studied include, but are not limited to theatre history, theories of performance and exploration of the political, social and ethical response, role, responsibility and impact of theatre in relation to communities and societies globally. This module seeks to empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion
Level 5 / Year 2 4 modules
- PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENTCompulsory
Module details
This module builds on the programme's Level 5 modules and is designed to allow students to advance the development of skills and knowledge in a practical professional context, enabling students to learn and discover with autonomy. This module enables students to undertake a placement within GSA or with an external organisation, subject to availability. It provides a flexible framework through which students can pursue professional experiences aligned with their individual interests and areas of
- SUSTAINING AND SUPPORTING PERFORMANCECompulsory
Module details
This module builds upon the work undertaken at Level 4 and further develops the skill base of the creative practitioner and facilitator in theatre practice, singing, music, movement and voice, in relation to both self and others. Across Level 5 students will study practical skills in studio-based group classes and undertake observations of teaching and rehearsal practice within GSA. Students will encounter, explore and research the application and integration of core technical skills through the
- THEATRE MAKINGCompulsory
Module details
This module enables students to consider theatre making approaches in a variety of contexts. These may include, but are not limited to schools, small scale theatre, site specific theatre, fringe theatre, community groups, professional training, education outreach activities and online learning, across diverse global communities. Through guided and independent case studies, students will explore a range of innovative and established practices as well as working alongside guest artists.
- THE ENSEMBLE AND THE AUDIENCECompulsory
Module details
The Ensemble and the Audience offers the student the opportunity to integrate principles and skills encountered from across the programme. Building on the work of The Actor and the Ensemble at Level 4, the student will deepen their relationship to collaboration, artistic autonomy and self-made work by exploring techniques of and taking stimulus from theatre for youth in Teaching Block 1 and theatre with communities in Teaching Block 2 to create inclusive ensemble based, self-generated work. Work
Level 6 / Year 3 3 modules
- CREATING PERFORMANCECompulsory
Module details
This module enables students to work collaboratively on the research, rehearsal and making of inclusive theatre for performance to specific audiences, integrating principles and skills from across the programme. Students engage with three fully realised performance projects, one per Teaching Block, continuing to interrogate the landscape of collaboration, artistic autonomy and self-made work for a specific audience. In Teaching Block 1 students work collaboratively to create an Applied Theatre p
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTCompulsory
Module details
Students will engage with reflective analysis of their personal professional development and undertake critical reflection of steps taken so far. Students will identify detail potential further personal professional development opportunities and methods. The module engages students with a range of areas relating to industry practices, protocols and resources in pursuit of developing the necessary skills to undertake and sustain a career within the creative industries. Students will be encouraged
- ADVANCED PERFORMANCECompulsory
Module details
This module aims to maintain the skill base of the creative practitioner in theatre practice, singing, music, movement and voice. Across Level 6 students will utilise the contact time of this module to support and further develop their inclusive practical skills in studio-based group classes as best supports their personal development as a creative practitioner according to the student's individual skill set and projected career aspirations. This module also provides space and support for any te
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 trains you to become a theatre maker equipped to influence social change. A typical Art & Design degree builds from visual foundations to specialist practice and a final project. You'll usually start with Visual Studies & Design Principles, exploring colour, composition and form across media, alongside Materials, Processes & Making through practical workshops, and Contextual Studies grounding your practice in art and design history. In Year 2, you'll undertake sustained Studio Practice to develop your personal direction, work with Digital & Emerging Media, and engage with Live briefs & collaboration on real client projects. Year 3 deepens your focus through a Specialist studio pathway in areas such as graphic design, illustration, fine art, fashion & textiles, or UX & digital, supported by Professional Practice & Portfolio modules. You'll conclude with a self-directed Final major project and degree show, publicly exhibiting your work.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent, and the typical UCAS tariff among entrants was 160–175 points. You'll need to be prepared for a four-year commitment to full-time study in theatre practice and theory.
University & format
The University of Surrey is a public university founded in 1966, located in Guildford. The BA (Hons) Applied & Contemporary Theatre is studied full-time over 4 years in English. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023, and is. As a recognised UK degree-awarding body, degrees are nationally recognised.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
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.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
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
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 84% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
| a Baccalaureate | 3% |
| a previous degree | 1% |
| an Access course | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
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.
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.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code W438). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write 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.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results 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.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Surrey →For students who normally live in England
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.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
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.
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.
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
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £25,000 – £36,500 | 35 |
| 3 years after | £23,000 | £15,500 – £28,500 | 160 |
| 5 years after | £28,500 | £22,000 – £35,500 | 170 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally
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.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. 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.
Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 45% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Skilled trades occupationsSOC 2020 5 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,241
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 175; response rate: 52%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) Applied & Contemporary Theatre worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) Applied & Contemporary Theatre earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 4 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 33.6. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 4 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
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.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Design studios & agencies
- In-house brand teams
- Games & media companies
- Freelance & self-employed
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Art & Design graduates.
Fine Art TechnicianFirst Choice StaffPharmacy Technician – Brand New State-of-the-Art HospitalCompass AssociatesArtificial Intelligence Engineering ManagerMBN SolutionsArtificial Intelligence EngineerExperis UKDelivery Driver (Part Time 24 hours) - AndoverOcado LogisticsCompliance Business PartnerNashrock Insurance RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. 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
96% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. 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 8.7 out of 10: NSS 75.9% · in work or study 96% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Surrey
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of Surrey
1,620 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
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 University of Surrey from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £24,300 / 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 University of Surrey’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 University of Surrey and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Surrey
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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