Explore the craft of writing for the theatre
Year of entry: 2020
1 year full-time,
2 years part-time
September 2020 (term dates)
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Find out moreFocus on your artistic and professional development as a writer. Immerse yourself in all aspects of writing for theatre in a creative and supportive environment, taught by visiting professional writers and our expert staff.
On this course we combine writing workshops with seminar discussions. The practice of writing is interwoven with critical analysis and preparation for a professional career. You'll have the chance to generate an extensive portfolio of writing in various styles and genres, and will work collaboratively with other writers, directors and actors to develop your plays. Beyond your writing you will learn about new play development in the UK, along with specific skills needed for the industry.
You’ll gain the research, writing and practical skills that you need to write for the theatre, or to prepare you for further academic study. Our students and graduates have an enviable range of achievements and we're also proud of our links to industry.
We have a wide range of industry connections and regularly host visiting speakers and masterclasses. We have previously worked with Simon Stephens, Alistair McDowell and Laura Wade.
Bringing together world-leading researchers, dynamic teachers and industry professionals in a vibrant community.
The high standard of teaching from the university lecturers and the visiting theatre practitioners meant that I was pushed well beyond my comfort zone. A highlight was performing in Caryl Churchill's 'Far Away' at the York Theatre Royal and getting onto the West Yorkshire Playhouse's new playwriting scheme. The course inspired my theatre in education work.Paul
You'll learn the craft of playwriting for the theatre, and the professional practices of the field through your modules and from contact with leading theatre-makers through theatre projects, masterclasses, lectures and workshops.
You'll cover all aspects of playwriting, from the creation of scripts and the process of writing, to the marketplace. You'll undertake an extended writing project, worth over half the credits for the course, which gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of playwriting by completing an independent and ambitious work.
You'll develop specific skills that you will need to work in the profession, such as how to pitch new work, apply for funding and write to a commission. You'll also be prepared for further academic study, particularly via practice as research.
You'll study a total of 180 credits. 80 of these will be through taught modules in the first two terms. You'll then go on to study a further 100 credits as part of an extended practical writing project in the third term and vacation.
You'll engage with the process of script development, from how to create characters and generate script ideas, to the relationships between structure, story and character; from research and analysis, to industry-standard layout and formatting and working with actors and directors. You'll also consider contemporary theatre and performance texts, explore and analyse established writers’ approaches and methods, and undertake research to develop source material for your own plays.
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
The final term and summer vacation is dedicated to the design and development of your extended practical writing project.
This gives you the opportunity to follow your interests and design and execute an independent scriptwriting project for a full length play of around 90 minutes.
You'll also write a 4,000-word reflective essay to accompany your writing project.
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK/EU | International |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £8,040 | £18,240 |
Students on a Tier 4 Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
Theatre trips
We are ideally placed to take advantage of some of the country's best theatres, in York, Manchester, Sheffield, Scarborough, Hull, Leeds and more. We want you to become familiar with as much theatre as possible. We run regular trips to local and regional theatres; some may be connected directly to a module and others are of wider interest,. We encourage you to make your own way to see more. The majority of organised trips are optional, but you should budget for at least one theatre trip a term.
UK/EU or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK/EU or international student.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
Further details of department specific funding.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
The visitors programme gave us the opportunity to meet actors, directors, writers, academics, comedians, and more. I finished my MA with a three-week placement at the Stephen Joseph Theatre where I worked in the education department. My MA gave me the confidence to go for a career in theatre.Dan, graduate
Explore the craft of writing for the theatre, or for practice as academic research. Learn all the skills you need for the theatre industry.
Join us for optional local and regional theatre trips. As a student of theatre we want you to become familiar with as much and as wide a range of theatre as possible.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
You'll be taught with a range of different teaching styles, from lectures and seminars to practical writing workshops and problem-solving sessions.
We incorporate masterclasses from industry professionals in theatre. You'll have the opportunity to attend talks, productions and festivals. You'll also be able to attend screenings that relate to theatre and performance.
You'll be assigned a member of our teaching staff who will act as your personal supervisor. They are there to give advice on academic matters as well as other areas of University life. For your project or dissertation you'll also be assigned a supervisor who may be a different member of staff.
We have excellent purpose-built facilities available to you.
You will be based in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television on Campus East. Your contact hours will be divided between the Department of Theatre, Film and Television and Wentworth College on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You'll be assessed throughout your course. Some modules have an early assessment that contributes a small amount to your final mark and gives an opportunity to check your progress.
Types of assessment vary depending on the module and may include the following:
This course develops a range of critical, practical, and professional writing skills for theatre. You'll find there’s a wide variety of career paths open to you across theatre and academia. A significant number of our graduates have set up their own theatre companies. Graduates have also gone on to further research, a PhD, or practical training with conservatoires.
Many graduates work in the following areas:
While you train to be a professional in theatre you'll also develop skills that are useful in any industry.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:1 or equivalent, although we will consider applications from students with lower qualifications. |
| Other qualifications and experience | Our students come from a range of academic backgrounds: if you're unsure about studying at Masters level please contact our admissions team to find out more. We are also very supportive of our mature students - if you've been thinking about returning to education at any point in your life, the MA Playwriting allows you to bring your experiences into a university setting, and to make sure you get the best out of the experience. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
You may have taken creative writing, theatre, drama or performance as part of your undergraduate degree, or may have extracurricular experience in theatre and are now looking to specialise in playwriting. You're expected to show a commitment to theatre but extensive experience is not a prerequisite. You should provide evidence of any professional experience.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 176, minimum 169 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
| Duolingo | Minimum overall score of 110 |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current IELTS scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
You can apply and send all your documentation electronically through our online system. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.
Get in touch if you have any questions
Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
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