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Studying Philosophy and Drama enables you to engage with the world’s major philosophies and thinkers alongside learning the practical skills and cultural insights of the dramatic arts.
Overview
What is philosophy? Why is it important? Is it relevant? As a student of Philosophy at Kent, you do not so much learn about philosophy as learn to do it yourself. This includes not only studying major philosophies and philosophers, but also contributing your own ideas to an ongoing dialogue. You develop the ability to connect the most abstract ideas to the most concrete things in our experience.
There is active research culture in the Department of Philosophy at Kent, with internationally recognised experts whose interests range from philosophers such as Hegel, Kant and Wittgenstein to topics such as the philosophy of the mind, ethics, aesthetics, logic, political philosophy, metaphysics and artificial intelligence.
University of Kent Drama students are taught by leading performance practitioners and lecturers from all around the world. Our range of industry-standard facilities include studios, performance spaces and workshops. There is a diverse array of modules to choose from that incorporate a distinctive balance of practical and theoretical elements, allowing you to develop the skills and vision needed for employment in the creative industries and beyond. Consequently, our Drama and Theatre courses are among the most popular in the country with strong National Student Survey results every year.
This degree programme is an ideal combination for anyone wanting to understand the complexities within our ideas and cultures, while gaining practical and creative skills for a future career.
Independent rankings
Philosophy was ranked 14th overall in The Guardian University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2015, 94% of Philosophy students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course.
Drama, Dance and Cinematics at Kent was ranked 11th in The Complete University Guide 2016.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Year in industry
Three-year joint honours students can apply to spend a year or a term abroad studying at a university either in Europe or the USA.
Teaching and assessment
Drama and Theatre
Teaching is through workshops, seminars, lectures and practical projects. Drama and Theatre modules are continuously assessed based on coursework, projects and presentations, performances, essays and dissertations.
Philosophy
Teaching is by lectures, seminars, class discussions, and individual and group research, which is discussed in class.
All modules are assessed by 100% coursework (essays, in-class assignments, seminar participation) throughout the year.
Programme aims
This programme aims to:
- provide a stimulating environment which encourages and assists you to achieve your creative and intellectual potential.
- produce independent, motivated graduates who are equipped to meet the needs of, and to contribute creatively to, the theatre and associated media and professions.
- develop critical judgement and personal organisation skills to enable you to respond positively to the challenges of further study, training or employment in relevant career destinations.
- enhance the learning experience through a range of teaching and assessment methods that reflect and respond to the values and diversity inherent in drama and theatre studies.
- provide teaching that is informed by research and current developments in the pedagogy of drama and theatre as well as theatre practice and the arts.
- provide a broad grounding in the subject in the early stages of study, becoming increasingly specialist in the later stages.
- provide you with creative competence and understanding that is grounded in (and prepares for) professional practice
- to offer an education which offers a range of historical, conceptual and practical approaches to drama and theatre studies, introducing key practitioners, practices, and discourses, along with some practical skills required for making performance.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You develop knowledge and understanding of:
- key practitioners, practices and theorists of performance, including writers, critics, directors, actors, artists, designers and producers
- historical and contemporary contexts of the production and reception of performance
- the relationship of performance to its material, cultural and historical context.
- histories, forms and traditions of performance and theoretical explanations of their impact
- traditional and contemporary critical perspectives that inform the academic study of performance
- the interplay between theory and practice
- the processes by which performance is created, realised and managed, including: the reading of written text and other source material; processes of rehearsal; writing and dramaturgy; devising, directing, design, stage and technical management and producing
- the impact of theatre and performance within a range of social, educational and community contexts
- the reading, analysis, documenting and interpreting of performance
- the role of the audience the performance and production skills necessary to communicate with audiences.
Intellectual skills
You develop intellectual skills in how to:
- read, understand and engage analytically with a range of texts, performances and other source material
- research, evaluate and productively apply information from a number of sources (written, visual, aural) in order to develop and present a coherent understanding of the theory and practice of performance
- critique performance events and processes
- undertake and manage extended independent and creative research
- understand processes of creativity and deploy and critique these in your own work
- record, document and analyse processes of making performance
- understand and apply appropriate interdisciplinary practices, concepts and skills
- present coherent arguments verbally and in writing
- understand the relationship of performance to a range of critical, historical and cultural frameworks for its production and reception.
Subject-specific skills
You gain the following subject-specific skills:
- reading and evaluating scripts, performance texts and other theatre documents from a range of critical and practical perspectives
- envisioning the performance possibilities of a play text, script and other textual or documentary sources
- realising performances derived from a range of starting points (for example,a script; a theoretical position;documentary material; a specific location) and using a range of techniques, structures and working methods to develop those performances
- engaging and collaborating in production and performance
- engaging with current debates on theatre arts, productions, cultural policy and funding
- practising creative, physical and vocal skills for practice-based work, including appropriate warm-up exercises and techniques
- using technical apparatus and associated resources necessary to realise the demands of production in live and recorded performance safely, efficiently and effectively
- documenting performance processes and events
- engaging in research, whether independent, group or practice-based
- considering theories of spectatorship, developing an awareness of the audience or client group for performance and an ability to respond and adapt to it through flexible means.
Transferable skills
You gain the following transferable skills:
- working collaboratively with others utilising a variety of team structures and working methods, understanding group dynamics and handling interpersonal issues
- developing and pursuing creative projects within specified resource constraints (for example,time, space and/or budget), therefore, developing problem-solving skills
- managing workloads to meet deadlines and sustaining focus for extended periods working on independent creative projects, developing autonomy and self-management
- using information retrieval skills to gather and critically evaluate material
- applying critical and creative skills in diverse forms of discourse and media
- identifying health and safety issues and undertaking risk assessments
- negotiating effectively with a variety of agencies (inside and outside the programme) developing interpersonal skills
- effectively and professionally communicating coherent arguments and propositions in a variety of media, verbally and in writing
- undertaking basic design, engineering, construction, and technical work
- demonstrating numeracy using scale, simple equations, simple geometry, basic arithmetic,data collection, presentation and analysis
- reflecting on your own learning and progress, identifying strategies for development, exploring strengths and weaknesses and developing autonomy in learning and continuous professional development.
Careers
Drama and Theatre
The Department has developed partnerships with some of the major players in theatre in the UK including: Battersea Arts Centre, the RSC and The Gate. Selected programmes offer you the opportunity to go on work placements which can lead to future full-time employment, while the range of modules we offer ensures you develop key skills such as planning and organisation, teamworking, adaptability and leadership.
Past graduates have become theatre producers, actors, literary managers, journalists, authors, directors, performers, scriptwriters for television, stand-up comedians, casting agents, event managers, arts administrators, community theatre officers for local councils, drama teachers, and many have gone on to postgraduate study. We also support past students to set up companies and remain in Kent with the Graduate Theatre Scheme.
Philosophy
The Philosophy Department at Kent takes employability seriously, and all of our modules are designed to give you important skills that transfer to the workplace. These modules will not only improve your grasp of philosophy, but teach you how to critically evaluate ideas, think through problems and clearly communicate even complex material. We offer opportunities to discuss and defend your ideas, to give oral presentations, to work both individually and as part of a group, all of which will equip you with useful instruments for your future careers, whatever they may be.
Recently, our graduates have gone into areas such as teaching, publishing, journalism, media, marketing, the civil service and the legal profession.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 at HL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.