Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Drama and English Literature with Placement

at Anglia Ruskin University - Cambridge Campus United Kingdom

Study Philosophy and English literature together and learn to make your point of view stand out with substance, as well as style.

You’ll consider big questions such as ‘Who are we?’, ‘What can we know?’, and ‘What should we do to lead worthwhile lives?’ and discover how great minds have tried to answer them.

Alongside this, you’ll explore how English literature is shaped by its historical and cultural context, and how, in turn, it influences readers and society. In doing this, you’ll also explore other subjects such as history, politics, religion, psychology and history of art.

Your studies will be supported by our expert lecturers, who offer one-to-one tutoring and personalised feedback. This support helped our philosophy courses rank first in the UK in the National Student Survey 2020, and top in the UK for “Satisfied with Feedback' (The Guardian University Guide 2021).

You can also choose to focus on areas of particular interest to you, such as Victorian literature, poetry, contemporary fiction, and the work of philosophers including Kant, Descartes and Heidegger.

You’ll gain valuable research skills by using bibliographies, databases and information technology to answer important questions about literature and you’ll also develop your problem solving, critical thinking and judgement skills by analysing major philosophical ideas.

These are important skills, with the World Economic Forum ranking complex problem solving and critical thinking among the top ten skills needed to succeed in today’s job market.

You can also engage in philosophical discussions and debates through our student-led Philosophy Society, attend events such as our Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series or boost your employability by learning a language with our Anglia Language Programme.

Performing is at the core of our Drama degree at ARU.

Grow into a confident, versatile and exciting drama practitioner, while exploring classic literature and genres ranging from sci-fi to children’s books.

You’ll work on public-productions and smaller-scale projects, exploring drama practices and texts from the 20th century onwards as well as working on original pieces. Alongside this, you’ll explore many other subjects including history, politics, philosophy and religion as well as developing your literacy and communication skills.

Your deeper understanding of literary texts will improve your ability to interpret dramatic texts and your performance skills.

Our BA (Hons) Drama and English Literature degree lets you weight your studies to your own interests and career goals. Prepare for a career in the arts or fields such as teaching - and get ready to change the way others see the world.

Understanding the importance of literature and drama to society is the main focus of our BA (Hons) Drama and English Literature degree.

Here at ARU, the focus is on an experiential, 'learning-through-doing' programme. Your degree will see you choosing from a range of career-focused optional modules, completing either a 100% practical drama Major Project or an English literature one, and graduating with a professionally produced showreel and portfolio.

Connect with Cambridge’s performance scene through our links to local networks such as Cambridge Arts Network and Cambridge Live. You’ll get the chance to perform in public venues around Cambridge as well as on campus, in the Mumford Theatre and Covent Garden Studio.

Experience being part of a professional troupe with our very own Community Theatre Company and take the chance to perform and collaborate with other creative industries students.

As well as covering the basics, our course includes a number of optional modules. Choose to explore business innovation, financial management, leadership or intercultural management – and tailor your studies to suit your interests.

We understand that while you’re here to learn, you’re also laying the foundations for your future career. We want to help you enhance your employability, and we do that in three ways.

Firstly, by studying with us in Cambridge or Chelmsford you’ll be exploiting our links with local businesses. We host regular visits from employers, guest speakers and business events – helping you build a network for when you graduate.

Throughout your Business Management degree you’ll also benefit from lectures and seminars on CV preparation, job-hunting, obtaining work experience, using social media to enhance your professional profile, and more.

And finally, we work with employers to make sure you graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities they look for. They help us review what we teach and how we teach it – so you can be sure you’re working on projects that reflect the needs and priorities of business.

At ARU most of our business degrees also include an optional placement year, giving you the chance to spend a year working in industry and to add valuable work experience to your CV.

Study at our world-class centre for music and dramatherapy in Cambridge and benefit from our international network of professional arts therapists.

You’ll be supported by our team of practising and research-active dramatherapists. We’ll give you access to the latest and most effective dramatherapy approaches with both adults and children.

Our MA Dramatherapy is accredited by the Health & Care Professions Council, so when you graduate you’ll be eligible to register with the HCPC – a legal requirement for your future career as a practising dramatherapist in the UK.

This full-time two-year Masters degree will introduce you to a range of approaches to dramatherapy through lectures, workshops, case discussions and theoretical studies.

You’ll also undertake clinical placements in both years, under the supervision of qualified therapists.

Your studies will focus on intercultural practice, attachment/mother-infant observation and understanding how past relationships manifest in current client difficulties. You’ll learn how these can be worked with through the dramatherapeutic relationship. You will also work closely with MA Music Therapy students in lectures and performance work.

Our experiential teaching will focus on your own dramatic autobiographical process, dramatherapy theory and links between theory and practice. In bi-weekly regular experiential dramatherapy groups you will l reflect on your clinical experiences and the process of becoming a dramatherapist.

Your clinical placements could be in community settings, schools, hospitals or hospices and will give you valuable experience of working in a multidisciplinary team and great preparation for employment.

On our BA (Hons) Acting degree at ARU you will get involved in extensive live work on stage in both the studio and theatre. You’ll develop techniques for acting on screen and also for live environments. You will also gain experience with new technologies and alternative platforms for acting, enabling you to be a dynamic and responsive actor prepared for a career in the ever-evolving creative industries. This may include the use of green screens, immersive live and virtual environments, live streams to remote audiences and acting for online applications.

You’ll focus on the progression in your own skills and abilities, growing into a confident and versatile performer. In the first year we’ll focus on performances for an in-house audience, initial training in voice and movement skills and an introduction to acting for screen. In the second year you’ll work on large-scale ensemble public productions and experimentation with new technologies for performance. In the final year, Immersive Performance and a final Showcase will allow you to demonstrate your high-level skills in acting.

Your degree will see you choosing from a range of career-focused optional modules, completing a 100% practical Major Project, and graduating with a professionally produced showreel and portfolio.

As a BA (Hons) Acting student at ARU, you’ll develop your technical and production skills in our specialist facilities. Our technical staff will be on hand to offer help and support.

You’re an ambitious, driven law graduate. You’re serious about taking your knowledge and skills to the next level, and excited to go global with your career.

As a postgraduate International Business and Commercial Law student at ARU, you’ll master the fundamental themes of business and commercial law, and take your skillset above and beyond.

You’ll also gain a unique insight into how the grammar of law was shaped that you can take all over the world after graduation.You’ll relish the challenge of your Major Project, which is a brilliant opportunity for you to explore an area of international law you’re passionate about.

Location is everything. Our Law School is based in the heart of Cambridge’s legal quarter, halfway between the Crown Court and the County Court. You’ll have access to Cambridge’s Squire Law Library, and the chance to practice your law skills and help members of the public by volunteering at our Law Clinic.Our small seminar groups will give you opportunities to really engage with the course material, share your interests and goals, and form close friendships with your fellow students.

You’ll receive support and advice from our dedicated, expert staff, all of whom are distinguished in the field of international law with experience working in, researching, and writing about the subject.

On our MA Intercultural Communication, you’ll discover the importance of intercultural relationships both to the modern socio-economic climate – and to building a successful career within it.

As part of our postgraduate community in Cambridge, you’ll work alongside students from all over the world, gaining an additional understanding of intercultural environments that will support your studies.

If you’re studying this Masters full-time you’ll have the opportunity to spend a placement semester at a European university via the Eurocampus.

As well as gaining business communication skills, you’ll explore language and cultural theory.

You’ll examine how cultural differences impact our interactions in the workplace and in wider society and consider topics such as migration, identity and how international policy confronts language issues.

By learning to use different methodological tools to understand language and communication, you’ll sharpen your analytical skills and gain the confidence to think independently about the interdisciplinary, and often multinational, challenges of the modern workplace.

Seminars and guest lectures hosted by ARU’s Research Centre for Intercultural and Multilingual Studies will supplement your studies, and you’ll be supported throughout by our expert specialist lecturers.

At ARU, we are helping to develop the next generation of business practitioners and thinkers.

We know that your future career is important and you want to build your CV. So we’ll encourage you to grab every opportunity for real-world experience: there’s even the chance to study abroad for a semester in Europe, Canada, the USA or Malaysia – with funding on offer to help cover the costs.

As a trusted partner of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, our Business with Human Resource Management BSc (Hons) degree course is CIPD accredited – this means that you’ll also be able to take advantage of an Associate CIPD membership during your time as a student with us at ARU.

This course will prepare you for working in a variety of HR roles, including recruitment and selection, employee relations or personnel, training and development and beyond – it’s up to you where your degree takes you.

The world of business never stands still - join us and see where your talents can take you.

Caring for acutely ill adults is a demanding and important role, and we’ll help you develop the skills and expertise to practise effectively and compassionately. You’ll learn how to provide specialist clinical care while at the same time transforming your existing qualification/s into a BSc (Hons) degree.

Choose to study in Cambridge, Chelmsford or Peterborough, alongside other students with a particular interest in this area. It’s a great opportunity to learn from each other. Together, you’ll explore and apply the current policies, laws and procedures that affect the care of acutely ill adults. You’ll deepen your leadership skills, improve your decision-making, and increase your ability to support and develop others in their work. You’ll also develop your ability to work closely with professionals from other disciplines.

When it comes to work placements, you’ll need to be already employed in a suitable acute-care environment. Your manager should agree to offer supervision and mentorship so that your practice can be fully assessed.

Our modules are listed below in the "modules and assessment" section and you will also find more information and upcoming dates on our CPD pages.

Do you want a career that gets to the heart of society’s problems and changes people’s lives? Gain the skills to identify key social challenges, and analyse and identify policies used to address them on this interdisciplinary Masters course.

• Choose to take a work placement as part of your Major Project, with support from the course staff and the Employability team
• Study in Cambridge, a hub for exchanges on social welfare and policy reflected in the many networks and events, including the Festival of Ideas and Festival of Being Human
• Learn from a Course Leader who is a specialist in research and teaching in an international context
• Study on a course with a truly global outlook, from its multicultural students to its focus on international issues
• Attend guest lecturers by key figures in policy-making and field trips to national and international organisations like Chatham House, Oxfam and UNICEF

Why study social welfare and social policy?

• Studying social welfare and social policy will allow you to focus on the areas of most importance to people’s lives, including education, housing, health, and criminal justice, giving you the skills and understanding to make a difference to people’s lives at local, national and international levels.
• It will prepare you for many careers in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including community organisations, charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, as well as governmental or academic institutions.

What will you do on the course?

• How can issues such as child labour and trafficking be overcome through global initiatives? Can changes to local policy do anything to stop domestic violence or knife crime?
• On our Masters course, you will explore these and many other issues, comparing different strategies and policies across different countries, and from the perspective of many different disciplines, including politics, criminology and psychology.

Why study social welfare and social policy at ARU?
Our Master’s course attracts multicultural students with a variety of backgrounds from sociology to business studies, and health to the Arts.

Whatever their background, our students are all enthusiastic about making a difference to their communities by improving human rights and living conditions. This might include changing how their society handles issues such as gender equality, prisoners’ rights, children’s education, or environmental protection, among others.

The international dimension of our Masters course will also make you an attractive candidate for potential employers – you will be used to working alongside people from different backgrounds, as well as exploring social issues from the perspective of different cultures.