Program Overview

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Drama and Performance MPhil/PhD

Overview

We welcome applications to undertake research towards MPhil and PhD degrees in Drama and Performance.

Research at Worcester has grown significantly in recent years. We aim to produce research that is distinctive, socially and culturally relevant, and that influences national agendas. We continually strive to develop new areas of research excellence while, in certain areas, our work has already been acknowledged as world-leading.

Entry Requirements

For MPhil

• First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or an approved equivalent award
• Research or professional experience which has resulted in appropriate evidence of achievement

For PhD

• Postgraduate Masters Degree in a discipline which is appropriate to the proposed programme of study
• First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or equivalent award in an appropriate discipline
• Research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of achievement

International Applicants

International applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have the appropriate level of written and spoken English.

For MPhil/PhD this is an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in every component.

Programme Structure

PhD Year by Year

After receiving your application, we try to establish if we have the necessary expertise to supervise your project and we begin to form a supervisory team for you. This will normally consist of a Director of Studies (DoS), who will be your lead supervisor, and at least one other supervisor, who will offer you additional support and guidance throughout your studies. If, following a successful interview, you are offered a place as a full-time student, your programme of study will look something like this:

First Year

• You will have submitted a draft research outline with your application. In your first year, you will be working towards submitting a more complete research proposal.
• You will be aided in your research by meeting with your supervisory team to discuss your progress.
• You will also be supported through your first year by engaging with a series of three modules as part of our Researcher Development Programme:
  • RSDP4001: Developing as a Researcher
  • RSDP4005: Approaches to Research
  • RSDP4004: Planning Your Research Project

Second Year

• In your second year, you will be collecting data and working on your research project under the supervision of your supervisors through regular meetings.
• You may at this point have research papers ready to publish and you may wish to attend conferences to present your research to other experts in your field.
• You will be able to apply to our Research Student Support Scheme for some funding for this purpose.
• Students normally undergo Transfer from MPhil to PhD towards the end of their second year.

Third and Fourth Year

• In your third and fourth year, you will be writing up your thesis and preparing for your viva voce examination.
• This is an oral exam with two examiners and a chair.
• You can also request that your supervisor be present at the exam.
• The exam will take place after you have submitted your final thesis.
• After the exam, it is not unusual for the examiners to ask that some amendments be made to your thesis before the final award is confirmed and you will have additional time to do this.

Resources

• Access to the University of Worcester’s virtual resources and its state-of-the-art library facilities.
• The Drama and Performance team at Worcester also have an excellent range of resources available to support your learning and your research project which includes a purpose built drama studio with rig seating for more than 100 people, green room, dressing room, costumes and properties stores, production equipment and an in-house studio technician.

Programme Specification

• For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest MPhil programme specification or PhD programme specification documents.

Research Areas

Supervisors

• Dr Ildikó Rippel
  • Expertise:
    • Maternal and Familial Performance – Theatre with real family members, exploring kinship, love and authenticity on stage.
    • Dramaturgies of Migration – Performance strategies addressing migration, displacement, and transnational identities.
    • Autobiographical Performance – The interplay between the real and the constructed self through personal narratives.
    • Practice-as-Research (PaR) – Creative practice as both inquiry and a method of producing new knowledge.
    • Walking Performance – Site-responsive, ambulatory performance engaging with place, movement, and embodied experience.
    • Feminism in Contemporary Performance – Representation of gender, and feminist critique in theatre and performance.
    • Immersive Performance – Participatory, audience-centred experiences challenging performer-spectator roles.
    • Live Art – Experimental and interdisciplinary performance engaging with real presence, risk, and authenticity.
• Dr Daniel Somerville
  • Expertise: Opera (history, theory, dramaturgy, convention, the 'operatic'); Gender and Queer Theory, queer performance/LGBTQ+ related performance culture; movement practice; Practice Research/PAR; one-to-one performance.

Careers

• All students engage with our Researcher Development Programme (RDP).
• The RDP aims to develop and enhance the skills, both generic and specific, that you will need to complete your research degree but also to become an effective researcher.
• The RDP is organised around thematic clusters, consisting of modules, and workshops, delivered face-to-face by subject specialists from across the University and the dedicated Researcher Development Team, or online through our virtual learning environment.

Fees

• The current fees can be found within the tuition fees document on our figure out finances page.

Accommodation

• Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience.
• Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.
• We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls.
• With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £131 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £228 per week (2025/26 prices).
• For full details visit our accommodation page.