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This is a four-year version of our popular BA (Hons) Performing Arts course, with an integrated foundation year. Learn to be a versatile performing artist. Personalise your studies to suit your evolving interests and aspirations. Become a confident, experienced, industry-ready professional.
Study in a multidisciplinary way – which you will know is reflective of the industry. Experiment with new things and create a personal pathway with a focus on dance, drama, or musical theatre, or a mix of all three. Personalise your studies to suit your evolving interests and aspirations. Build the necessary skills to succeed in Higher Education, recognise your own strengths and idiosyncrasies, and establish yourself as an employable practitioner.
Whether you wish to dance, act, devise, choreograph, teach, or facilitate, this course will give you the skills, techniques, confidence, and experience to be industry-ready. You'll develop as a creative and versatile individual; we want you to graduate with the best opportunities possible that'll prepare you for a successful career in the performing arts world.
In the first year – the foundation year – you'll study five modules. After completion of this foundation year, you'll then move on to BA (Hons) Performing Arts three-year course.
Teaching is largely studio-based with supporting lectures, seminars, workshop discussions, and independent learning. All modules integrate theory and practice; tasks and problem-solving, which engage you in interactive learning. You'll perform at a range of venues and in professional theatres, including The Fire Station.
Assessments are often practical or performance-based and also include presentations, workshops, essays, and e-portfolios. We provide regular feedback to help you develop your work.
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
Entry requirements are provided for guidance only and we may offer you an entrance interview which will help us determine your eligibility for your chosen degree. This enables us to consider making you an offer if you're perhaps a mature student who's been out of education for a period of time, or you've gained significant knowledge and skills through employment rather than traditional education.
Eligible entry qualifications:
If you're unsure of whether you think you might be suitable for the course, please contact us.
**If you've studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above. Equivalent alternative qualifications are also accepted, such as Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number.
If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.
The annual fee for this course is £9,535 if you're from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled.
Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.
If you're a full-time UK/Irish/EU settled/EU pre-settled student, you may be eligible to receive financial support to cover your fees for the full four years. UK and EU settled students may also be eligible to receive a maintenance loan.
Please note, this course isn't available to international students.
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements, and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
You'll gain highly transferable skills in communication, presentation, and collaboration with others. These skills, together with a track record of creativity and innovative thinking, provide a valuable advantage when it comes to applying for many different fields of employment.
This course prepares you for roles in the performing arts such as:
Our academic team have an extensive network of professional, educational, and community contacts in the region. You'll benefit from these in your negotiated projects, workshops, and visits. Extracurricular classes are available throughout the year with a range of guest teachers, for example, musical theatre repertoire with touring cast members, one to one vocal lessons, yoga, character development, street dance, and harmony singing.
Where possible, we invite visiting companies and artists to the University. Examples include Big Foot, Puppetship, Live Theatre, Mee Mee theatre, Tom Whaley, Bell and Bullock Circus, Dani Dee Drag Artist/Dancer, Charlie Richmond Tyne Theatre pantomime, and The Suggestibles improv comedy. We'll also take you to see lots of regional live work from big West End musicals to fringe productions.
Work by our students is hosted by venues such as The Fire Station, where masterclasses are also held and led by visiting artists.
The independent study module allows you to take educational and professional opportunities as they arise. Examples include the production of a new play performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a cross-generational performance with a professional choreographer and dancers. Many projects are sited in schools and the wider community.
We also arrange end-of-year performances in a professional arts venue, working alongside schedulers, box office staff, technicians, and professional performers. Your involvement in these performances develops skills in marketing, design, and communication with venues.
All students studying on-campus undergraduate performing arts courses can take up a CV-enhancing work placement, a University-led industry initiative, or a professional and business development boot camp. By the term placement, we mean we're offering you a taste of the industry which might last anything from two days to four weeks on a part-time basis.
Creative Industries Week gives everyone in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries the opportunity to participate in a range of projects, workshops, talks, industry visits, and career events. This exciting week encourages interdisciplinary working, broadens your experience, builds your confidence, and helps develop your career path.