Drama and Philosophy (BA)

Applicants come from a diverse range of backgrounds and we accept a broad range of qualifications. Special consideration will be given to mature applicants, and we are happy to consider applicants with other qualifications, including QAA-approved Access to HE courses.

Students from overseas should visit the International| pages for further information on the entry requirements from their country and English language requirements.  Royal Holloway International offers an International Foundation Programme and English language pre-sessional courses, allowing students the opportunity to develop their study skills and English language before starting their undergraduate degree.

We make decisions based on achieved or predicted grades, personal statements and references. More information on how your application will be assessed, and tips for your personal statement can be found on our Applying| pages.

All applicants will be invited to a UCAS day, where you will have an interview with both departments. In the Drama session, you will take part in various group activities and a half-hour small group seminar interview with a member of staff; the interview is not an audition and does not involve any testing of your performance skills. With the Department of Classics and Philosophy you will be able to sit in on a first year lecture and attend a presentation by the Admissions Tutor, in addition to having a friendly and informal individual interview with a member of academic staff.

Applicants who are unable to attend the interview day, such as overseas students, will be asked to submit a written piece of work before an offer is made

• Enhance your understanding of these challenging and stimulating subjects in two leading academic departments.
• The Drama Department has a strong research culture: all staff are active researchers and over 95% of our research is recognised internationally (RAE 2008).
• Philosophy tutors have research expertise in a wide range of subjects.
• Drama resources include a workshop, three major performance spaces (the Studio Theatre, the Boilerhouse, and the Handa Noh Studio), two rehearsal rooms and a digital studio.
• Our proximity to central London offers students easy access to the capital's many theatre productions.

Drama explores a wide range of dramatic and theatrical forms, conventions, periods, traditions and activities. You'll learn to communicate intellectual ideas through seminar presentations and creative performance work and how to work effectively in teams. 

In the first year foundation course you only take four of the eight components: contemporary theatremaking, critical theories I, boundaries of performance, and staging histories. In your second and your final years you study alongside single honours students, taking half the number of courses in drama.

For Philosophy you will take introductory courses in the first year and then choose from a wide range of course units in years two and three. These cover ancient philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato as well as specialist fields such as the philosophy of art and radical political theory. 

Throughout the course, you will:

• explore the complex relationship between texts and performance
• develop your understanding of key philosophical texts
• acquire critical, analytical and group-working skills
• explore intellectual ideas in creative ways

See the websites of the Department of Drama and Theatre| and the Department of Classics and Philosophy for further information.

Each year you will take two course units in each subject.

The course has a modular structure, whereby students take 12 course units at the rate of four per year. Some course units are compulsory, while others are elective, thereby offering flexibility and some choice.

You'll be taught through a combination of lectures, seminar/workshops, and for Drama, presentation of your research and practical experimentation, with or without written texts.  IT applications are used to explore many aspects of the subject, and we support your capability in this area through an Information Technology Skills course. Private study and preparation are essential parts of every course, and you will have access to many online resources and the University’s comprehensive e-learning facility, Moodle. Academic staff hold regular drop-in consultation sessions with students and, when you start with us, you will be assigned a Personal Tutor to support you academically and personally.

Assessment methods match the course content. For most course units, you will be assessed on pieces of work, usually an essay, or assignment such as a seminar presentation or a performance.  You will sometimes be assessed as part of a group. The Philosophy part of the degree operates examinations, though Drama does not.

You will also take a study skills course during your first year, designed to equip you with and enhance the writing skills you will need to be successful in your degree. This course does not count towards your final degree award but you are required to pass it to progress to your second year.

All undergraduate degree courses at Royal Holloway are based on the course unit system. This system provides an effective and flexible approach to study, while ensuring that our degrees have a coherent and developmental structure.

Choosing Drama and Philosophy at Royal Holloway means you will gain considerable experience of the combination of technical, intellectual, imaginative, and practical skills valued by a wide range of employers. You will develop skills in research, project management, written and oral communication, critical reasoning and leadership. We offer a range of activities and opportunities to help enhance your employability and prepare for the choices ahead.

Our recent graduates have successfully entered a wide range of careers including acting, writing, broadcasting, literary agency, arts management, sound design, marketing/PR, teaching and community theatre work, roles in the Civil Service, human resources, management, law, journalism and accountancy, well as gone onto postgraduate study in a variety of fields.

Visit the Drama| and Philosophy| webpages for more information.