A bridge between undergraduate study and the professional world, MA/MFA Performance allows for the development and consolidation of new creative practices
The MA/MFA Performance is an exciting taught masters programme that offers a practical, versatile and interdisciplinary approach to performance-making and training. The programme provides students with an advanced and practical understanding of current performance practices, drawing on a broad range of artistic and theoretical influe...
MA: 12 months full-time (September), 24 months part-time (September)
MFA: 24 months full-time
The MFA is open to students on successful completion of MA Performance or either of the bracketed specialisms.
MA/MFA Performance is a core programme that locates concepts central to the act of ‘performance’ that expose and enhance the distinctive knowledge of different performance specialisms. It creates pools of research-led knowledge for students to immerse themselves in and respond to. This pathway combines practice-based and theoretical core spaces that anchor a student's learning journey, creating an environment for emerging and mid-career artists to transform/develop/consolidate their practice.
The core and specialist routes provide a bridge between undergraduate study, postgraduate research and the professional world, and provide developing artists with further opportunities to hone their practice.
Whether you've already made your decision about what you want to study, or you're just considering whether postgraduate study is right for you, there are lots of ways you can meet us and find out more about postgraduate student life at Manchester Met.
We offer:
Your studies are supported by a department of committed and enthusiastic teachers and researchers, experts in their chosen field.
We often link up with external professionals too, helping to enhance your learning and build valuable connections to the working world.
Normally applicants will have a good undergraduate UK honours degree (minimum 2:2) in a related subject (or international equivalent), or a degree-equivalent postgraduate diploma, or a professional qualification, or relevant professional practice.
IELTS overall requirement 6.5 with no less than 5.5. in any category.
Progression onto the MFA requires that all 180 credits of the MA are passed, with at least a mark of 50% in each unit.
Interview may be required.
Full-time fee: £1834 per 30 credits per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
Part-time fee: £1834 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
Full-time fee: £3417 per 30 credits per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
Part-time fee: £3417 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
A masters qualification typically comprises 180 credits, a PGDip 120 credits, a PGCert 60 credits, and an MFA 300 credits. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of study provided the course is completed in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
Compulsory estimate: £100
Optional estimate: £2500
Students undertaking the Laboratory Theatre specialism will be required to pay a premium uplift of £2,000.
Students may incur production costs, up to £500, depending entirely on their own creative decisions/individual practice, particularly within the Major Project unit. There may also be some travel costs involved in the Contemporary Performance Professional Practices unit, should the student choose to focus on an artwork context that requires travel.
Students will also be expected to attend a number of live performance events to support their studies during the programme, costing a maximum of £100 in total.
Optional estimate: £300
For Bracketed Specialism Laboratory Theatre, costs for students while on the short residency with NTL in Denmark will include travel (including visa costs as necessary) and food.
MA/MFA Performance graduates will leave the programme able to operate as performance practitioners at a professional level, whilst understanding the vocational and critical contexts in which the field operates. This will empower them to develop a career as freelance theatre artists, or as other professionals in the sector (producers, programmers, facilitators, curators, pedagogues etc.) or to combine these identities based on their own interests/skill-sets, as is increasingly common practice in the portfolio careers built by performance artists.
Please contact our course enquiries team.
Get advice and support on making a successful application.
You can review our current Terms and Conditions before you make your application. If you are successful with your application, we will send you up to date information alongside your offer letter.
Programme Review
Our programmes undergo an annual review and major review (normally
at 6 year intervals) to ensure an up-to-date curriculum supported by the
latest online learning technology. For further information on when we
may make changes to our programmes, please see the
changes section of our Terms and Conditions .
Important Notice
This online prospectus provides an overview of our programmes of study
and the University. We regularly update our online prospectus so that
our published course information is accurate. Please check back to the
online prospectus before making an application to us to access the most
up to date information for your chosen course of study.
Confirmation of Regulator
The Manchester Metropolitan University is regulated by the Office for
Students (OfS). The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education
in England. More information on the role of the OfS and its regulatory
framework can be found at
officeforstudents.org.uk.
All higher education providers registered with the OfS must have a student protection plan in place. The student protection plan sets out what students can expect to happen should a course, campus, or institution close. Access our current Student Protection Plan .