University of Wolverhampton Walsall Campus

This course aims to combine the intellectual exploration of acting and the practical development of skills. It will develop the actor as collaborator – able to exercise his/ her craft and to contribute to the creation of work.

The course will equip you to work with explorative companies such as Stan’s Café, Talking Birds, Knee High, Forced Entertainment as well as in more conventional performance environments such as repertory theatre, film and television. You will also be equipped to seek employment in applied drama contexts, directing, writing and arts marketing.

What happens on the course?

You will complete actor training in vocal and physical skills. In addition you will work on the skills that will make you a creative actor and collaborator.

You will have a unique opportunity to work on production modules during the degree which are taught full time and exclusively to other modules for a 3 week intensive period.

As part of your studies you will form companies to negotiate appropriate marketing strategies to promote your work to a public audience as well as prepare your audition portfolio, cv and showreel.  

You will develop your acting skills for the stage, screen and radio and apply a range of skills, techniques and new technologies to enable creative engagement with different performance/acting contexts.

You will develop your knowledge and understanding of forms, practices, traditions, texts, theories and histories of drama, performance and theatre in their cultural, historical and contemporary contexts

You will complete a substantial final year project in an area of your choice which will enhance your future employability.

As a dance student at the University of Wolverhampton, you will develop your technical and performance skills, explore your creativity, and deepen you understanding of dance in a wider cultural context.  We offer one of the most varied dance degree courses in the UK and you will have unique opportunities to enrich and expand your experience in dance.

Reasons to study with us:

• You will have daily technique classes, training in contemporary, jazz, ballet, musical theatre, street, body conditioning and improvisation throughout the course
• All our staff are practitioners with international performance and research experience
• Our Performance Hub offers outstanding facilities with Harlequin floors and lighting rigs in the dance studios, a fully equipped theatre, recording studios, and a superb library
• We have excellent links with national and international dance organisations in nearby Birmingham and this will enhance your employability and experience in the current industry
• Our world-leading research in dance science informs our teaching and supports your health and well-being as a dancer

The course content includes dance technique and repertoire, choreography, film-making, dance science, dance history, cultural studies, dance education and workshop leadership, work placements, and research projects. You will have the following practical opportunities: performances in our theatres (Walsall and Wolverhampton), performing in local and national arts events, joining Le Loup Dance Company (our student company), front of house and backstage training, and participating in work placements of your choice.

National Student Survey 2018: We achieved an outstanding 100% for overall satisfaction for the course, and 100% for good teaching, 100% for academic support, and 100% for learning opportunities. These excellent results are well above the sector wide scores.

Can't decide which course you love the most? Why not look at our joint option... BA (Hons) Dance and Drama.

The BA (Hons) Drama is a versatile and exciting degree that offers an opportunity for you to gain experience in multiple areas of contemporary drama, theatre and performance. You will take a practical approach to these disciplines, developing physical and vocal performance skills alongside creative thinking and your work will be underpinned by critical performance theory.

The course also provides students with an opportunity to look beyond the role of the performer and consider the importance of designing, devising, directing, writing and teaching in performing arts.

Can't decide on which course you love the most? Why not try looking at our joint options... BA (Hons) Drama and Musical Theatre and BA (Hons) Dance and Drama.

During the degree you will:

• Acquire a portfolio of key skills and develop an understanding of why and how drama, theatre and performance practices work in different contexts.
• Engage in a substantial final year project that will enhance your future employability.
• Develop industry links through work with influential regional theatre companies such as Stan’s Café, Geese Theatre Company and Gazebo Theatre in Education. 
• Have the opportunity to perform in venues such as the Birmingham REP, the Arena Theatre and the Black Country Living Museum.

The BA Drama and Musical Theatre course at Wolverhampton offers a unique opportunity to develop performance skills as a ‘singing actor’ in a department at the cutting edge of international musical theatre research and drama practice.  Our staff members have professional industry experience as directors, musical directors, performers, dramaturgs and writers, and this is reflected in the breadth of the course.  The course is vocationally-led and aims to enhance your future employability so that by the end of the course, you will have the know-how to develop your professional skills further.  The balance of practical and academic work in the programme allows for a wide range of career choices upon graduation.

What happens on the course?
Our course prepares students for employment in all areas of theatre and beyond.  The practical element of the course focuses on developing singing and performance skills, with a particular emphasis on the role of the ‘singing actor’ and the application of theatre in different educational settings.  There is a particular focus on the use of text and physical theatre alongside contemporary musical theatre, and students are encouraged to enhance and expand their chosen repertoire through weekly individual singing lessons with professional vocal tutors.  Practical work is supported by an outstanding academic programme that investigates how identity shapes our experience of musicals as creatives, performers and audience members through the lenses of gender, race, nationality, sexuality and class.  The continued dialogue between practical and academic skills make our graduates particularly versatile for future employment prospects, as evidenced in our 100% graduate employment rate.   

National Student Survey 91% Student Satisfaction for BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (2016)

If you have an interest in childhood this course will develop your skills and knowledge required for a range of careers working with children, their families and the services that support them. The course will draw on a range of disciplines such as history, psychology, education, sociology, welfare and social policy.

Whether you are new to this area or you have experience and you are looking for career development then this course will suit you. The course takes account of the ecology of children’s lives in studying the complexities of family life and of children’s development from conception onwards and the significance of childhood across cultures and societies.

The University of Wolverhampton is to be one of 3 universities to pilot the new Early Childhood Studies Degree network’s Graduate Practitioner Competencies. The new Graduate Practitioner Competencies are a proactive approach to shape the identity of the early childhood workforce and strengthen the professional practice aspect of the Early Childhood Studies degree. Graduate level practice creates a paradigm shift, making the distinction between level 3 and 6 practice explicit for students, practitioners and employers. The competencies have been developed by the ECSDN members in conjunction with students and employers. The competences are far reaching and reflect the wider national and internationally early childhood sector.  The graduate practitioner competencies are underpinned by the QAA Benchmarks. For students joining the Early Childhood Studies degree at the University of Wolverhampton there will be a choice of pathways:

• Early Childhood Studies with Placement (not assessed)
• Early Childhood studies with Assessed Practice (Level 3 full and relevant equivalent)
• Early Childhood Studies with Assessed Practice (Graduate Practitioner Competencies)