There4 February 2005 Photo: B. Sweeney ©

The BA (Drama & Theatre Studies) Degree
Drama and Theatre Studies makes up 50% of the entire three-year course of study in this programme. In each year students take modules to the value of 60 credits. In the first year, students take Drama and Theatre Studies to the value of 30 credits, together with two other subjects (15 credits each) from the range available in the Arts programme. In Years 2 and 3 the student will study Drama and Theatre Studies (30 credits) alongside one of the Arts subjects they have already taken in First Year (30 credits).

The Faculty of Arts subject groupings should be studied carefully to work out the best subject choices available. We recommend that you consider including at least one language/literature subject in your first year (such as English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin or Spanish).

Those interested in combining Drama & Theatre Studies with Music should contact the Music Department, U.C.C. for details.

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DTS students in The White Quadrangle by half/angel, UCC, March 2005. Photo: B. Sweeney ©

Drama & Theatre Studies Programme
While most of the programme content will focus on theatre since 1900, during the three years students will have the opportunity to engage with many different aspects of the subject. In core modules students will explore:

• the complexity and variety of theatre performance in different societies and periods;
• a wide range of dramatic literature and different ways of reading and analysing texts;
• the elements that go into the making of theatre production and performance;
• specific physical, vocal, imaginative and intellectual skills required of the performer and director in theatre;
• changes in critical theory relating to drama and theatre and what implications these theories have for how we make theatre performance.

Alongside the core modules, optional modules in Years 2 and 3 will allow students to develop and explore certain special interests. These might involve exploring new ways of devising drama and performance; studying in detail the work of specific playwrights, directors, periods or movements in theatre; looking at applications of theatre and drama for social or educational purposes; developing skills in creative writing for theatre; or exploring ways in which live performance in theatre can ultilise or interact with new technologies.

Mode of Teaching
Much of the work of the programme will be done in workshops, seminars and practical classes. Opportunities to make theatre performances and to participate actively in devising new work will operate side-by-side with discussions of critical issues or with intensive classes on textual analysis. The programme will be delivered by a team of staff consisting of specialists in the field of drama and theatre studies supported by lectures from a wide range of departments including Ancient Classics, Education, English, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian and Music as well as visiting theatre professionals.

Internship
Between the second and final year of the programme, students will participate in a practical internship or work-placement with an approved theatre company, or other arts organisation in Ireland or abroad. You should note that this internship will almost certainly take place during the summer vacation and will form part of the formal requirements of the programme. Students will be responsible for arranging the work-placement in consultation with academic staff and for all costs incurred arising from the work-placement.

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Students in rehearsal, Drama Lab, 2005. Photo: B. Sweeney ©

Entry to this Programme
Entry to this programme will be by academic competition (via the CAO system) AND assessed participation in a workshop and interview.

Procedure
Application is made through the Central Applications Office, Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway. The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year you propose to enter the programme. For entry to this programme (CK 112) you will also be required to pass a Drama and Theatre Studies Entrance Test. Once application has been forwarded from the CAO to U.C.C., candidates will be sent details regarding the exact arrangements for the workshop and interview which will be scheduled for late April or early May.

Workshop and Interview
The Entrance Test involves participation in a short drama workshop, followed by an individual interview with Board representatives. As part of the interview, candidates will be asked to EITHER perform a short (two minutes) audition piece from a modern or classic text OR make a short (two or three minutes) presentation on some aspect of a theatre production in which they have been involved. The workshop and interview will usually take a morning or afternoon and will be held in U.C.C. on several days in late April or early May. Factors taken into account in considering candidates for selection will include:

• ability to do drama work creatively and cooperatively with others
• ability to articulate arguments and ideas about theatre and drama
• evidence of an established interest in and commitment to the chosen field of study
• evidence of drama-related skills or potential

As soon as possible after completion of the workshop and interview, applicants will be informed of whether they have passed or not. Names of applicants who pass the test will be forwarded to the CAO for consideration in the usual way under the CAO allocation system.

Further Information
For further information regarding U.C.C. admission procedures you should contact:
THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE, West Wing, U.C.C. Tel: +353 (0)21 4902272.

For more detailed information regarding the structure and content of the course contact the course coordinator:
Dr. Ger FitzGibbon, English Department, U.C.C., at g.fitzgibbon@ucc.ie or DTS administrator Siobhan Keane Hopcraft s.hopcraft@ucc.ie.

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