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Theatre Practice & Production (MA)

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Course Overview

Drama students

The MA in Theatre Practice and Production at the O’Donoghue Centre prepares students for professional-level work in the theatre and other creative industries. Students take modules in many different aspects of theatre practice, which focus on performance, direction, dramaturgy, theatre business and production, and more. An internship (by application) with an Irish theatre company forms part of the course. During the summer months, students complete a minor dissertation project, which may involve practice-as research, under the supervision of a member of staff.

As a student at the O’Donoghue Centre, the world-leading centre for study and research in Irish theatre and performance, you will benefit from being immersed in a supportive, invigorating community of world-class practitioners and scholars, whilst also being based in Galway, home to a vibrant arts and theatre scene.

Drama Students

Central to the programme is the work of the Druid Academy. The course functions as an intensive laboratory that is student-directed and that enables close collaboration between theatre practitioners and academics. It allows students to benefit from NUI Galway’s extraordinary partnerships with Irish theatre companies, notably Druid Theatre – recently described by the New York Times as “one of the world’s great theater companies”. Students work directly with the Druid Director-in-Residence and participate in master classes and workshops with members of the company including artistic director Garry Hynes, the first woman to win a Tony Award for Directing.

Scholarships available
Find out about our Postgraduate Scholarships here.

Drama Students

Applications and Selections

Applications are made online via the NUI Galway Postgraduate Applications System. 

Who Teaches this Course

  • Professor Patrick Lonergan
  • Dr Charlotte McIvor
  • Dr Miriam Haughton
  • Garry Hynes, Artistic Director of Druid and Associate Professor
  • Thomas Conway, Druid Director-in-Residence
  • Max Hafler

Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

The programme is intended for graduates with at least a Second Class Honours Grade 2 (H2.2 or GPA 3.0) degree, a writing sample (5–6 pages)—academic essay, theatre reviews, excerpt from play, director’s notebook, and so on—a personal statement outlining suitability for and interest in the programme, and names and contact details of two references.

Entry for candidates with significant relevant experience may be possible. Applicants who do not meet the minimum entry requirements may be admitted via a qualifying exam if they have relevant professional experience, or be admitted to the PDip. Students who do not meet the honours degree requirement but have a Level 7 (Merit 2) degree may be admitted to the PDip course, with the possibility of progressing to the MA if they receive a minimum of 60% in their course work during the year.


Additional Requirements

Duration

1 year, full-time

Next start date

September 2021

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

15

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

Offer round dates

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

90

Award

CAO

Course code

1MTP1

Course Outline

Students take core modules to situate their learning in theatre practice and production. They then build on these through a choice of optional modules, which include a focus on performance, directing, dramaturgy, applied theatre, Irish theatre history, and more. 

Students also complete a minor dissertation which can include a practice-as-research component.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Recent graduates of our practical MA modules have gone on to work with many theatre companies including the Abbey Theatre, the Gate, Rough Magic, the National Theatre London, the Young Vic Theatre, and others. They have also found employment in education, the heritage and tourist industries, arts organisations, business and the public service. Many have formed their own performance companies and/or work independently as artists in the theatre, television and film industries.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

 

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€6,716 MA €6,306 p.a. Dip 2021/22

Fees: Tuition

€6,576 MA €6,306 p.a. Dip 2021/22

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2021/22

Fees: Non EU

€13,816 p.a. 2021/22

Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant—please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €3,500 towards your tuition. You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee.  An F5 grant is where SUSI will pay TUITION up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Postgraduate fee breakdown = tuition (EU or NON EU) + student levy as outlined above.

Find out More

For more information about the course, please contact:

Dr Miriam Haughton
Director of Postgraduate Studies in Drama, Theatre and Performance
E: miriam.haughton@nuigalway.ie
T: +353 91 494 485

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Downloads

  • Postgraduate Taught Prospectus 2021

    Postgraduate Taught Prospectus 2021 PDF (11.3MB)

  • MA Theatre Practice and Production Brochure

    MA Theatre Practice and Production Brochure PDF (3.29 MB)