BA (Hons) Available in Clearing

Musical Theatre

Develop as a triple-threat performer who excels at singing, acting and dancing, with our Musical Theatre degree in Cambridge.

Start date: September 2025
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 3 years
UCAS course code: W491

Start date: September 2025
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 4 years with foundation
UCAS course code: W492

Start date: September 2025
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 4 years with placement
UCAS course code: W496

2nd

in the UK for Teaching on my Course and 4th for Learning Opportunities.

Source: NSS 2024

On this course, you’ll train with industry professionals, take part in showcases and productions from Year 1, and gain real-world experience.

You’ll gain skills unique to musical theatre training – specifically, actor-musicianship, physical theatre, dance, and choreography – and learn from established musical directors, artistic directors, and choreographers in professional performing arts facilities including our Mumford Theatre.

You’ll take part in three full-scale musical productions and a spectacular final-year musical showcase.

Recognised by Spotlight

Our Musical Theatre course is recognised by Spotlight, meaning you can join them at a discounted membership fee for two years. Spotlight connects performers with roles in theatre, television and film productions around the world. Casting professionals choose Spotlight to cast their projects because performers on Spotlight are recognised as the industry’s best.

“The best decision I’ve ever made”: find out why our students love our course, and how it helps them prepare for a career as a professional performer.

Why ARU?

Our Drama and Dance courses ranked 13th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2025, with 92% for satisfied with teaching
Our Drama, Dance and Cinematics provision scored 91% overall in the Complete University Guide 2024
Perform in multiple shows from year one to boost your experience and CV
Learn from established musical directors, actors and choreographers like Nikki Trow from Britain’s Got Talent and Strictly, as well as agents and casting directors
Join Spotlight at a discounted membership fee for two years
Graduate with a professional CV, headshots and showreel

Study at an award-winning university

We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

Careers

The past three years have been the most incredible three years of my life. I’ve had so many opportunities.

Lara Dailey, BA (Hons) Musical Theatre graduate, shortlisted for the 2024 Spotlight Prize

Our Musical Theatre degree prepares you for a variety of roles in the performing arts and wider creative industries.

You'll learn advanced audition techniques, produce your own showreel, and receive feedback from agents, as well as having the chance to take part in our musical theatre choir and a professional singing competition judged by industry pros. Our range of optional modules allow you to follow your particular ambitions and interests.

Throughout your studies you’ll gain confidence, emotional resilience, and the ability to work as part of a team.

What can you do with a Musical Theatre degree?

Where have other Musical Theatre graduates worked?

How can ARU help with my employability and career development?

Teaching and modules

Pippa O'Brien playing Maleficent on stage

I teach Vocal Reel, where students put together a reel of their best songs… it’s a marketing tool for once they leave university.

Pippa O'Brien, Lecturer Practitioner, actress and singer

In your first year you'll build a solid foundation of musical theatre skills in preparation for your first musical production.

These include ensemble singing, acting technique, physical theatre, modern ballet and jazz dance.

In Year 2 you'll perform in, design and produce a large-scale public performance, and continue developing your technical skills and theory, applying them to your theatre practice. You’ll also develop your professional discipline in work-based learning with industry professionals.

In Year 3 you’ll complete a major individual research/creative project, and prepare for professional practice.

Student work

Our student showcase

Alice By Heart, performed by graduating Musical Theatre students from 2-4 May 2024.
Alice By Heart
Alice By Heart
Alice By Heart
Alice By Heart
Alice By Heart
Alice By Heart
Alice By Heart
Cinderella: The Musical, performed by second-year Musical Theatre students in December 2022.
Cinderella
Jekyll and Hyde, performed by second-year Musical Theatre students in December 2022.
Jekyll and Hyde

What will I study?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1

Technical Skills 1 and Showcase
Technical Skills 2
The Small-Scale Musical
Into ARU

Year 2

The Book Musical
Ruskin Module (15 credits)
Theatre Theory and Specialist Skills
Technical Skills 3

Year 3

Undergraduate Major Project
Professional Preparation
Professional Practice
Directing *
Stage Choreography *
Acting Through Song *
Vocal Reel *
Dance Collaboration *
Workshop Facilitation *

Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1

Foundation in Humanities, English, Media, Social Sciences and Education

Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year

Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries

Module details

What happens on a foundation year?

What happens on a placement year?

How is Musical Theatre assessed?

Who teaches Musical Theatre at ARU?

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Pippa Duffy
Lecturer Practitioner
Shaun Aquilina
Lecturer
Dr Eva Aymamí Reñé
Senior Lecturer
Leigh Thompson
Associate Lecturer
Bethany Filler
Associate Lecturer
Katy Graham-Clare
Associate Lecturer

Facilities

You'll have full access to all our creative industries facilities including:

the Mumford Theatre, a 260-seater on-campus professional theatre
dedicated drama studio, with highly flexible black-box performance space
large rehearsal space with audio playback facilities, piano, LED lighting rig, portable dance mirrors, gym mats and rostra/modular staging
Students’ Union-run dance studio
radio mics
podcast and video capture system.

Mumford Theatre
Mumford Theatre
Mumford Theatre
Green screen studio
Covent Garden drama studio
Covent Garden drama studio
Dance studio

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Entry requirements

UK students

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

International students

English language requirements

Audition

Making you an offer

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Fees and funding

UK students

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£1,400 Placement year (2024-25)

International students

£16,700 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£16,700 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£16,700 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

Placement year fee

Living costs

Bursaries, sponsorship and working

Apply for Musical Theatre

Clearing places available

UK students, apply through Clearing for a September 2025 start

Apply through Clearing

UK students

Call our Clearing line

01245 686868

UK students

Apply through UCAS for 2026

Apply through UCAS

International students

Apply direct

Apply online

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Musical Theatre

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Careers

Teaching and modules

Student work

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Facilities

Entry requirements

BA (Hons)

Important additional notes

With foundation year

Important additional notes

With placement

Important additional notes

International students

English language requirements

Fees and funding

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Apply for Musical Theatre

Clearing places available

UK students

01245 686868

UK students

International students

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