Drama: New students
Welcome message from Professor Jane Milling
Welcome to all new students joining the Drama Department and congratulations on making it here.
We have just celebrated 50 years as a Drama Department. In 1968 we took a pioneering step to introduce practice-led teaching and research into a Higher Education context for the first time, and we are still excited by the opportunities to learn and research together in the studio and seminar room. We look forward to welcoming you into our academic community of almost 400 staff and students, and to growing those critical and creative skills we need to face the challenges of the future.
The department is currently ranked 3rd in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 and 5th in The Complete University Guide 2020. Our teaching, technical and administrative staff are committed to helping you to settle into University life and to get the most out of your studies and all the opportunities that the University offers.
We all look forward to meeting you in September.
Head of Drama
Follow Drama on Twitter: @UoEDrama and join us on Facebook: University of Exeter: Drama
Before you get here you'll need to register with the university and activate your university IT account.
Freshers’ Week 2019: Monday 16 September - Sunday 22 September
All students are expected to be on campus by Monday 16 September at the latest.
If there is any reason why you may not be here by this date, please get in contact with the Queen's Hub Team, who support Drama students, as soon as possible by emailing drama@exeter.ac.uk.
During Freshers' Week you should attend the Academic Induction events and activities for your subject/s. Attending the Academic Induction Welcome Talk and Registration on Tuesday 17 September is compulsory. The other activities are optional, however we hope you can make some of them to meet other students.
The purpose of Academic Induction is to introduce you to your academic programme, complete any necessary pre-registration tasks, familiarise yourself with your academic buildings, and meet fellow students and the academic staff for your subjects. These sessions form the core part of your Freshers' Week timetable and we expect all students to be present at these compulsory sessions. If you need any advice about issues or clashes within your Freshers' Week timetable please contact drama@exeter.ac.uk.
Academic Induction timetable for new undergraduate students studying Drama
The following events may help you to meet other new Drama students, and are hosted/led by second and third year Drama students.
| Date | Start | Finish | Details |
| Monday 16 September | 14:00 | 16:00 |
(non-compulsory) |
| Tuesday 17 September | 12:00 | 17:00 |
Academic Induction - Welcome Talk & Registration- COMPULSORY 14:30 - 15:30 - Registration 15:30 - 16:30 - Questions and Meet your tutor After a question & answer session to fill in any remaining blanks, you’ll walk with your buddies to the Thornlea site (10 minutes downhill) to meet your personal tutor. |
| Wednesday 18 September | 11:00 | 13:00 | (non-compulsory) Entertainment Tours Two tours of the town showing you entertainment venues such as the Exeter Phoenix, Picture House cinema and other places of interest. Tours leaves the Alexander Building, Thornlea at 11am (lasts 2 hours) |
| Wednesday 18 September | 18:00 | 19:30 | (non-compulsory) Drama Performance “A pint sized conversation” Location: RS2 (Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road). Full details of the performance can be found on the Drama website. |
If you are a Combined Honours or Flexible Combined Honours student please ensure you view the New Students information for all your subjects since each will have its own Academic Induction information and timetable.
College of Humanities
Flexible Combined Honours
College of Social Sciences and International Studies
Arab and Islamic Studies; Law; Politics; Sociology; Philosophy and/or Anthropology
College of Life and Environmental Sciences
Biosciences; Geography; Psychology; Sport and Health Sciences
College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Computer Science; Engineering; Geology; Mathematics; Medical Imaging; Natural Sciences; Physics and Astronomy; and Renewable Energy
College of Medicine and Health
Medical Sciences; Medicine
The Business School
Accounting and Finance; Economics; Business; Management; Leadership; Marketing; and Tourism
Joining instructions
Preparing for your studies
In preparation for your course, try to see as wide a variety of live theatre and performance as you can - not only plays but also popular and experimental theatre forms: street theatre, performance art, magic shows, digital performance, music theatre, dance, Punch and Judy, etc.
Please familiarise yourself with your appropriate programme specification, modules and reading lists on the College intranet.
The texts listed below would be of use you in preparation for beginning your degree and throughout your studies. These books are available in the university library, but you may wish to buy a copy for yourself.
- Mangan, Michael. The Drama, Theatre and Performance Companion. London: Palgrave, 2014.
- Schechner, Richard, Performance Studies: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2006.
Module choice
Students taking Drama do not need to make choices as all your 1st year modules are compulsory. These will automatically be added to your record and timetable. If you are a Combined Honours student you may need to select modules for your other subject, so please refer to their joining instructions for more information (see the ‘Combined Honours or Flexible Combined Honours Students’ link above).
Modules for Combined Honours programmes
For students on Combined Honours programmes, module choice information will be released and co-ordinated by the lead discipline for the programme, that is the first named subject in the degree title. For example, BA Archaeology and Anthropology is led by the Archaeology department; BA Philosophy and Theology is led by the Philosophy department. (Please see the ‘Combined Honours or Flexible Combined Honours Students’ link above for more information).
Useful information
Modules are available at a range of levels from Beginners to Advanced via the Foreign Language Centre in:
• French
• German
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Mandarin Chinese
• Russian
• Spanish
• British Sign Language
We can help you get the language you study with us named on your degree title. This involves successfully completing a minimum of 60 credits in one language taken through the Foreign Language Centre. You could choose to start a new language from scratch or develop an existing one. For example, a Geography student who passes 30 credits at Spanish Beginners and a further 30 credits at Spanish Intermediate 1 could have their degree title amended to BA (Hons) Geography with proficiency in Spanish.
If you are not able to take a language as part of your programme due to timetabling constraints, or if you are interested in studying a language that is not currently available via modularity, our Foreign Language Centre also runs an Evening Language Programme with many more language options.
To find out more about language modules and other languages offered by different departments see the Foreign Language Centre pages.