Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama)

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2023 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama)
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne) For students who commenced prior to 2023 only
Duration	3 years full-time or part-time equivalent
CRICOS course code	060434K Burwood (Melbourne)
Deakin course code	A357
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7.
The final intake to this course was in Trimester 2 2022. Students should contact a Student Adviser in Student Central for course and enrolment information. Further course structure information can be found in the Handbook archive.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Get amongst the next generation of dynamic theatre makers to create innovative contemporary performance in Deakin's Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama). Become a versatile and agile theatre practitioner equipped with the tools to kick-start your independent theatre career.

You will be challenged to develop physical, creative and intellectual capacities through practice-based learning, while also exploring history and theory, and working with digital technologies and other creative arts disciplines. In a studio setting, you’ll develop core skills in acting, improvisation, collaborative theatre creation, dramaturgy, dramatic text analysis, rehearsal techniques, and site-specific and applied performance.

Real-time practical learning in state-of-the-art facilities is supported by online materials, lectures, guest speakers and access to leaders in the field. Opportunities extend from campus-based learning to include public performance, site-based practice and internship experiences.

Want to launch your career in the performing arts and entertainment industries?

Through a dynamic combination of acting theory and practice, you'll gain a thorough understanding of the arts and be inspired to create new forms of performance.

Through this course, you’ll produce public performances at a professional standard, and explore important aspects of the theatre including:

acting theory and practice
different performance styles and processes
site-based and community theatre
text studies
theatre history.

You’ll have the chance to work on individual and group creative projects to develop your skills in ensemble creation and production management and participate in public performances. Plus, you can gain exposure to international theatre techniques by taking an overseas study tour or internship*.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have the foundations to work across the arts and entertainment industries in anything from live theatre, film and television to drama education, performance companies and community theatre.

*Overseas study programs to be confirmed in 2022 and beyond, subject to government travel restrictions.

Career opportunities

Drama graduates are equipped to create and perform theatre works and to work in a variety of professional theatre contexts, including initiating their own work as independent theatre makers and pursuing various roles throughout the arts and entertainment industries. Our graduates work in careers across the industry in fields such as:

acting
community theatre
drama education
festival or event management
producing
stage management
theatre directing
youth theatre.

For more information go to DeakinTALENT

Participation requirements

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Mandatory student checks

Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.

Transition to University study

The faculty offers two units AIX160 Introduction to University Study and AIX117 Professional Writing for Work which are specifically designed to ease the transition into university study. New students are encouraged to enrol in one or both of these units as electives in their first year.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Interpret and apply conceptual, theoretical and technical skills in the analysis and presentation of a range of creative outcomes.
Communication	Critically employ a variety of mediums, methods and techniques to present ideas and practical work.
Digital literacy	Critically evaluate, manipulate and apply a range of information technologies, digital tools, devices and environments to support and develop creative processes.
Critical thinking	Analyse and synthesize research materials across a diversity of sources and mediums to generate original and diverse creative work.
Problem solving	Apply theoretical and practical knowledge to generate and express solutions to creative arts problems
Self-management	Develop, manage and critically reflect upon the production and presentation of creative works in accordance with industry standards and personal learning goals.
Teamwork	Contribute in a constructive and respectful way to the collaborative production of creative outcomes.
Global citizenship	Engage critically, respectfully and with self-awareness when working within diverse social and cultural contexts in creative arts practice.
Approved by Faculty Board March 2019

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama) a student must complete 24 credit points including:

8 common core units (totalling 12 credit points)
4 Drama discipline units
2 course electives
6 electives
no more than 10 credit points at level 1
at least 6 credit points at level 3
AAI018 Academic Integrity (0-credit-point compulsory unit)

Course structure

Core units

ACA100 Introductory Creative Studio 1A [No longer available for enrolment, replacement unit ACA102]

ACA101 Introductory Creative Studio 1B [No longer available for enrolment, replacement unit AIX117]

ACA102

Creativity: Thinking Through Doing [replaces ACA100 from 2023]

AIX117

Professional Writing for Work [replaces ACA101 from 2023]

ACA210

Creative Studio 2A (2 credit points)

ACA211

Creative Studio 2B (2 credit points)

ACA310

Creative Studio 3A (2 credit points)

ACA311

Creative Studio 3B (2 credit points)

ACA309

Creative Careers and Contexts

ACA397

Creative Arts Project Production

Drama discipline units

ACP103

Acting Studio

ACP109

Improvisation for Theatre

ACP207

Director's Workshop

ACP208

Theatre Technologies

Course Electives

Complete two 1 credit point units from the following course electives list A:

ACA226

How to Write About Art

ACD103 Dance and Screens [no longer available for enrolment]

ACD104

Exploring Dance Styles

ACD207

Improvisation for Dance and Movement

ACD208

Dance Beyond the Studio

ACI101

Analogue Photography

ACI102

Digital Photography

ACI204

Photographic Storytelling

ACI205

Photographic Lighting and Lens

ACV101

Painting in the Visual Arts

ACV115

Drawing and the Body in Visual Arts

ACV212

Digital Practices and the Visual Arts

ACV213

Modelling and the Visual Arts

Electives

Complete six electives

We suggest students complete at least 4 units in a subject area different to their degree, preferably a linked sequence of study in the same area. This choice can include units from any degree in the University but is best chosen from the subject areas in the Bachelor of Creative Arts: (Dance, Visual Arts, Photography), Bachelor of Design: (Visual Communication, Digital Technologies, 3D Animation) or Bachelor of Arts programs.

Work experience

Work-integrated learning opportunities are embedded through the Bachelor of Creative Arts programs with real client briefs, opportunities for client and industry engagement and professional practice. These may be discipline specific or may introduce students to other opportunities in the diverse field of creative arts. This level of engagement occurs at first, second and third year and is core to the course. In particular we have a Creative Careers and Contexts and Exhibition and Performance units where students meet industry practitioners, visit creative industry workplaces, organise and promote a festival of exhibitions and performances and learn the appropriate practical, administrative, marketing and self-management skills required to launch and maintain their careers as creative artists in their chosen discipline. Student will develop a career development strategy that can be used to demonstrate the essential skills and knowledge for a future job application, successful pitch for funding or, development of a self-run project.

Assessment

Assessment takes place at the unit level and has been designed to ensure successful attainment of all the Course Learning Outcomes and corresponding Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes over the duration of the course.

Other Course Information

Course duration - additional information

Delays in completing the placement could mean that the course will take longer to complete than the stated duration.

International students are required to study full-time to complete their course within the duration registered on CRICOS

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Contact Student Central

Other learning experiences

There are opportunities throughout the course for students to work with real briefs and real sites of professional exhibition, and to engage with industry professionals. These experiences will be integrated into units where students create and craft projects for external clients in order to more closely connect the learning experience with industry practices.