PhD Drama

Year of entry: 2021

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Overview

Degree awarded

Doctor of Philosophy

Duration

3 years [full-time], 6 years [part-time]

Entry requirements

A Bachelors (Honours) degree at 2:1 level or above (or its international equivalent) in a related subject; and

A UK Master's degree with an overall average of 65% or higher, with a minimum of 65% in the dissertation and with no mark below 55% (or its international equivalent) in a related subject.

Full entry requirements

How to apply

Apply online

Programme options

	Full-time	Part-time	Full-time distance learning	Part-time distance learning
PhD	Y	Y	N	N

Programme description

Our PhD Drama programme enables you to carry out an in-depth piece of research before either writing a full 80,000-word thesis or completing a practice-based dissertation.

Drama at Manchester offers three main strands of research: Theatre Studies, Applied Theatre and Screen Studies, including film, television, new media, and aspects of applied film practice.

All staff are research active within our three main research strands. These areas interlink, and both staff and students are keen to cross the boundaries from one area of research to another.

The notion of 'dialogue' - with ideas, practices, communities - is at the heart of all our practical and intellectual explorations.

We regularly initiate research-council-funded projects, present seminar series and host conferences.

You can get a sense of the range of our research activity by looking at our blog and following us on Twitter: @UoMDrama

Open days

Find out what it's like to study at Manchester by visiting us on one of our open days .

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2021, the tuition fees are as follows:

PhD (full-time)
UK students (per annum): TBC
International, including EU, students (per annum): £19,500
PhD (part-time)
UK students (per annum): TBC

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Please note for the majority of projects where experimentation requires further resource: higher fee bands (where quoted) will be charged rather than the base rate for supervision, administration and computational costs. The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your project.

Scholarships/sponsorships

The School offers a limited number of bursaries and studentships on a competitive basis, details of which can be found via the links below.

Please note that whilst we do not have closing dates for programme applications, all funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below:

Contact details

School/Faculty: School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
Contact name: Rachel Corbishley
Email: PhDSALC@manchester.ac.uk
Website: http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/drama/research/postgraduate-research/
School/Faculty: See: About us

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Drama

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

A Bachelors (Honours) degree at 2:1 level or above (or its international equivalent) in a related subject; and

A UK Master's degree with an overall average of 65% or higher, with a minimum of 65% in the dissertation and with no mark below 55% (or its international equivalent) in a related subject.

English language

Students whose first language is not English require one of the following:

an overall IELTS score of 7.0 with 7.0 in the writing component, or
a TOEFL score of 600 paper-based test or 100 internet-based test, or
a Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 70 overall with 70 in the writing component, or
an overall Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) III grade of Merit with Merit in the writing component.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see entry requirements from your country .

Other entry requirements

The University requires you to reside within a commutable distance from Manchester during your time as a registered student, unless you are on approved fieldwork/a formal placement or are on a period of Submission pending. This is to ensure that you are able to meet attendance expectations and participate in wider research activities within your discipline area and/or School. Should you be unable to do this at any point during your programme, a formal case must be made to the Faculty office, together with the full support of your supervisor(s). The University reserves the right to reject such a request where it is considered that your residency could have a detrimental impact on the progression and engagement of your studies.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply online

Advice to applicants

We recommend all research applicants attempt to find a suitable supervisor here at Manchester by browsing the subject website and looking at the staff list .

Find out more on the how to apply page.

Please note that we do not teach evening classes or offer distance learning courses.

Interview requirements

The University requires an interview for all applicants to whom we consider making an offer.

Interviews will be conducted by two academics, usually the proposed main supervisor and the subject PGR Director (or an assigned representative).

The interview can be either face-to-face or via Skype, conference call or email.

The interview serves several purposes, allowing us to:

get a better picture of your ability to carry out the proposed doctoral project than the research proposal on its own;
tell you what the proposed supervisor(s) can bring to the project;
discuss with you directly any potential problems with the practical aspects of your studies and explore solutions together.

Deferrals

Applicants may defer entry provided they have discussed it with their supervisor. Deferred applicants are subject to the fees of the year of entry onto the course.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Programme details

Programme description

Our PhD Drama programme enables you to carry out an in-depth piece of research before either writing a full 80,000-word thesis or completing a practice-based dissertation.

Drama at Manchester offers three main strands of research: Theatre Studies, Applied Theatre and Screen Studies, including film, television, new media, and aspects of applied film practice.

All staff are research active within our three main research strands. These areas interlink, and both staff and students are keen to cross the boundaries from one area of research to another.

The notion of 'dialogue' - with ideas, practices, communities - is at the heart of all our practical and intellectual explorations.

We regularly initiate research-council-funded projects, present seminar series and host conferences.

You can get a sense of the range of our research activity by looking at our blog and following us on Twitter: @UoMDrama

Special features

Find out more about the Graduate School

Research environment

In the latest (2014) Research Excellence Framework assessments, we retained our ranking as second nationally among UK Drama departments, and fifth among all departments represented in Unit of Assessment 35, which also covers Music and Dance.

Over half of our research (55%) was rated at the highest, 4* level (ie. 'world leading' research with 'outstanding' impact).
A further 32% was ranked at 3* ('internationally excellent' with 'very considerable' impact).

Find out more about our Drama research .

Graduate School

All of our postgraduate students become members of the Graduate School when you start at Manchester. It has dedicated facilities for students and offers opportunities to collaborate with other postgraduates.

Teaching and learning

You will have a supervisor with a specialism related to your field of research.

Coursework and assessment

You will have the option to write a full 80,000-word thesis or complete a practice-based dissertation.

The practice-based dissertation gives you the opportunity to submit practice as part of your final thesis submission.

Facilities

Alan Gilbert Learning Commons Fly Through

Postgraduate study is supported in the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama through an exclusive postgraduate computer cluster and postgraduate common room.

Postgraduates are also able to borrow DVDs and videos from the Lenagan Library in the basement of the Martin Harris building.

Postgraduates are encouraged to contribute to the research culture of the department by contributing to and taking part in seminar series and public lectures within Drama as well as the larger School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

Postgraduates working on screen practice are able to book professional digital video cameras, equipment for sound recording, an AVID suite for non-linear editing and a digital recording studio available for audio projects.

Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.

Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.

We also have one of the largest academic IT services in Europe - supporting world-class teaching and research. There are extensive computing facilities across campus, with access to standard office software as well as specialist programmes, all connected to the campus network and internet.

Every student is registered for email, file storage and internet access. If more demanding computer access is required, our specialist computing division can provide high-end and specialist computing services.

The Graduate School offers dedicated state of the art facilities to research students, including common rooms and workstations.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

As we are an inter-disciplinary department in Drama, our PhD students work across theatre, film and screen studies, digital humanities, and so on.

The skills gained through the PhD process are wide-ranging and varied. These include critical engagement, investigative thinking, effective communication, project management and reflexive practice.

Several of our graduates have moved on to academic positions in the UK and abroad, including Canada, Iran, and Singapore. Others are working in the arts, education and not-for-profit sectors, as artists, filmmakers, practitioners, teachers, librarians, curators, writers, and editors, and among others!

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help support you with your goals for the future.