/ Postgraduate Taught /
Start date:
Duration:
2 years (full-time)
Number of credits:
180 (subject to validation)
Become a qualified dramatherapist and learn the theory and practice of ritual and drama to facilitate healing and positive change in your clients.
Did you know?
Approved by the Health Care Professions Counsil (HCPC) and leads to a nationally recognised professional qualification as a dramatherapist.
Your curriculum
The MA Dramatherapy programme at Roehampton offers a ritual theatre form of dramatherapy.
Influenced by key theatrical figures and explored from anthropological, political, psychological perspectives, the programme offers a clearly structured developmental learning process mirroring the clinical application of dramatherapy at various levels.
The programme offers theatre skills, movement, working with stories and myths, Grotowski’s paratheatrical techniques, crafting theatres of the psyche, working with our own internal dramas and the use of ‘rites of passage’ within ritual theatre. There are opportunities to work with other art forms and to learn different theoretical perspectives through embodied learning.
On this programme, you will learn to facilitate an in-depth therapeutic process for a range of client groups, and devise therapeutic performances and workshops. You will also undertake an original piece of research into dramatherapy practice. The course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and leads to a nationally-recognised professional qualification.
Learning
The programme consists of three stages, which offers a clearly structured developmental process for the clinical application of dramatherapy.
Alongside the experiential focus of the training, the programme also aims to develop the necessary understanding and reflective capacity required to practice as a professional dramatherapist. This is achieved through workshops, lecture series and clinical application seminars, as well as through assessed clinical placements.
Please select read more to find out about the three stages of the programme.
- In Stage One, you will be introduced to basic theatre skills and use these creatively to work with established stories and characters. This progresses into an exploration of the personal identifications that we have with stories and myths, and an understanding of the deep foundations within many cultural traditions of using ritual, drama and performance for the enhancement of health.
- In Stage Two, the focus moves on to employing drama and theatre processes as vehicles for exploring our own inter-personal and internal ‘dramas’.
- Stage Three is where you will conduct your own piece of practical investigation or research into the literature and theory-base of dramatherapy practice. The Dramatherapy programme will provide you with a broad range of skills enabling you to pursue your own research interests across a wide spectrum of dramatherapy practice and theory.
Careers
Dramatherapists are employed across the spectrum of health and social care, education and forensic services.
Dramatherapists may also operate in private therapy, training and consultancy practice.
Open days
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Applying
UK postgraduate students apply through our direct application system.
Course subject to curriculum review and validation.
This course is suspended for 2024 entry.
Specific entry requirements
Graduate level professional qualifications in appropriate disciplines such as Occupational Therapy, Probation or Social Work are also accepted.
- A minimum of one year prior clinical experience.
- A sustained engagement with drama and theatre and competent theatrical skills
- Appropriate personal qualities such as emotional literacy and an ability to be self-aware and open
- Two references; normally one of these should be able to comment on the applicant’s academic suitability and the other the applicant’s professional/personal suitability for the programme
- Evidence of experience, maturity and personal robustness
- We also offer 20 week evening foundation courses which provide a broad oultine and introduction in the arts and play therapies.
General entry requirements
September 2024 entry tuition fees
This course is suspended for 2024 entry.
We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries. See our 2024 financial support pages for UK students.
We also provide other ways to support the cost of living, including free buses and on-campus car parking, hardship support and some of the most affordable student accommodation and catering in London. Find out more about how we can support you.
International postgraduate students apply through our direct application system.
Course subject to curriculum review and validation.
This course is suspended for 2024 entry.
Specific entry requirements
Graduate level professional qualifications in appropriate disciplines such as Occupational Therapy, Probation or Social Work are also accepted.
- A minimum of one year prior clinical experience.
- A sustained engagement with drama and theatre and competent theatrical skills
- Appropriate personal qualities such as emotional literacy and an ability to be self-aware and open
- Two references; normally one of these should be able to comment on the applicant’s academic suitability and the other the applicant’s professional/personal suitability for the programme
- Evidence of experience, maturity and personal robustness
- We also offer 20 week evening foundation courses which provide a broad oultine and introduction in the arts and play therapies.
General entry requirements
September 2024 entry tuition fees
This course is suspended for 2024 entry.
We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries. See our 2024 financial support pages for international students.
We also provide other ways to support the cost of living, including free buses and on-campus car parking, hardship support and some of the most affordable student accommodation and catering in London. Find out more about how we can support you.
Need help or advice before applying?
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