Highlights

  • Develop transferable skills in leadership and team building, with opportunities to immerse yourself in the real-world through internships and projects related to your career focus.
  • Connect with a vibrant community at the QUT Creative Industries Precinct, with opportunities to build your professional networks through student clubs and industry connections.
  • Undertake a live performance outcome each year, guided by experienced directors and industry professionals and learn skills in how to plan, develop, perform and produce live events.
  • The most flexible and comprehensive drama program in Queensland with the unique ability to expand your skillset with a second major, minors and/or extensions and electives to reach your dream career outcomes.
  • Unique course structure allows you to combine creative disciplines together to develop transferable skills across a range of industries.

Highlights

  • Develop transferable skills in leadership and team building, with opportunities to immerse yourself in the real-world through internships and projects related to your career focus.  

  • Connect with a vibrant community at the QUT Creative Industries Precinct, with opportunities to build your professional networks through student clubs and industry connections.
  • Undertake a live performance outcome each year, guided by experienced directors and industry professionals and learn skills in how to plan, develop, perform and produce live events.
  • The most flexible and comprehensive drama program in Queensland with the unique ability to expand your skillset with a second major, minors and/or extensions and electives to reach your dream career outcomes.
  • Unique course structure allows you to combine creative disciplines together to develop transferable skills across a range of industries.

Applications are open for 2025

Secure your spot now

Mark your calendar, as the on-time application closing date for the upcoming semester is fast approaching.

Ready to apply?

Guarantee a place in your course

For this course, if you have completed an AQF certificate IV, diploma or higher, or receive an ATAR or selection rank of 70.00 or higher and satisfy all other admission requirements, you are guaranteed an offer for this course in 2025.

View our course offers

Why choose this course?

Preparing you for a career in the arts, through this three-year degree you will build on your passion for drama while future proofing your career by diversifying your interests to open up a wide range of career opportunities. 

If you are interested in exploring practical careers in directing, performance making, teaching artistry, devising, production design, creative leadership and delivering live performance works, or performing in a range of theatre forms, from traditional to emerging, then this course is for you. The course offers flexibility and breadth, combining creative experiences in performance making with highly relevant theoretical studies that will connect you with contemporary performance both nationally and globally.

Previous graduates have had a dynamic impact on the development of the Australian creative industries sector, and our most recent graduates are at the heart of the exciting growth in the independent theatre sector in Australia.

Graduates of this course, many taking on leadership roles, work at prestigious local, national and international festivals and venues, including:

  • Queensland Theatre
  • La Boite Theatre
  • Brisbane Festival
  • Sydney Opera House
  • Battersea Arts Centre
  • The Lincoln Center.

We have also seen our students excel not only on the stage and across the screen industry and music industries highlighting the diverse career outcomes from this course.

Tailor your drama degree for your future with a second major, minors and/or extensions and electives.

Real-world learning

As a graduate of the QUT Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama) degree, you will be part of an active creative community and gain real-world learning with skills and knowledge to prepare you for work in the creative arts and many other industries anywhere in the world.

You'll learn from industry professionals who are making performances right now, whose expertise and passion will inspire and guide you towards your chosen career path.

The flexible nature of the course means you can combine creative experiences in performance making with other creative field studies such as theoretical studies, production design, teaching and more. This will allow you to get the most from classroom learning as you connect with contemporary performance both nationally and globally.

Visit the student and graduate blog to find out more about what it's like to study creative arts and where a QUT degree can take you.

Explore this course

What to expect

This course offers you the opportunity to explore many roles onstage and behind the scenes as you investigate what makes drama tick. During your three years, you'll learn about what's come before in the history of drama so you can change what happens next, combine theory, skills and practice. You'll explore the rich possibilities that theatre and performance hold to entertain, engage and transform our view of the world and collaborate with others to create new performances that are built to surprise.

This course incorporates a range of contemporary approaches to performance making. You will be encouraged to engage with new and traditional theatre forms and consider the place of technology. You will develop transferable skills in leadership and team building as you progress through this course, with opportunities to immerse yourself in the industry through internships and projects related to your career focus.

You will also build skills in areas such as critical and creative thinking, self-awareness and digital fluency which will prepare you for a rapidly changing future with QUT You units.

The drama degree offers pathways into the Master of Teaching course and double degree options. Check the entry requirements for specific teaching courses.

Double degrees

Combine your Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama) degree with a second study area for greater career flexibility and opportunities in other industries. Consider a double degree with:

  • behavioural science (psychology): combine your passion for creativity with psychology for an innovative career as a creative counsellor, art therapist or practitioner
  • business: develop a career in performing arts marketing and management
  • law: use your skills for a career as an in-house lawyer, solicitor in private practice, policy adviser, intellectual property lawyer supporting creative arts businesses and entertainment law
  • education (secondary): combine your interests in the arts and education to prepare you to teach in secondary schools and other education environments. Additional entry requirements apply to the Bachelor of Education.

Careers and outcomes

Careers and outcomes

As a multiskilled graduate you will seek to complement your artistic career with paid employment in related areas. Our graduates make new performance work and create new ways of looking at the world. They harness the collaborative power of groups of people to make things happen. This explains the dynamic impact they continue to have on the Australian creative industries, and the successful careers they've developed across the sector.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama) course have become leading artists, producers, arts educators, theatre and performance researchers. Graduates have also established successful careers as playwrights, artistic directors, directors and designers or performers working across a variety of genres including physical theatre or music.

If teaching is your ambition, this course can be also followed with a graduate-entry teacher education Master of Teaching courses which enables you to become a qualified teacher. Check the entry requirements for specific teaching courses.

Pathways also exist to prepare you for further study including research.

Possible careers

  • Acting/theatre/drama teacher
  • Actor
  • Artistic director
  • Creative practioner
  • Drama teacher
  • Events and festivals coordinator
  • Independent artist
  • Producer
  • Stage manager
  • Theatre professional

Details and units

In order to complete this course, you must complete a total of 288 credit points comprising:

  • Six common units: 72 credit points
  • Drama major: 96 credit points
  • QUT You: 24 credit points
  • Complementary studies: 96 credit points chosen from:
    • one 96 credit point second major; OR
    • one 84 credit point second major and one unit option (elective); OR
    • one 72 credit point second major and two unit options (electives); OR
    • two minors; OR
    • one minor and 48 credit points chosen from unit options (electives); OR
    • 96 credit points chosen from unit options (electives).

In order to complete this course, you must complete a total of 288 credit points comprising:

  • Six common units: 72 credit points
  • Drama major: 96 credit points
  • QUT You: 24 credit points
  • Complementary studies: 96 credit points chosen from:
    • one 96 credit point second major; OR
    • one 84 credit point second major and one unit option (elective); OR
    • one 72 credit point second major and two unit options (electives); OR
    • two minors; OR
    • one minor and 48 credit points chosen from unit options (electives); OR
    • 96 credit points chosen from unit options (electives).

Requirements

Course code
CA01
QTAC code
419322
CRICOS code
116102H
Delivery
  • Kelvin Grove
Delivery
  • Kelvin Grove
Duration
3 years full-time
6 years part-time
Duration
3 years full-time
Entry
February and July
Entry
February and July
Deferment

You can defer your offer and postpone the start of your course for one year.

Assumed knowledge

Before you start this course, we assume you have sound knowledge of the subject/s listed below. If you don't have the subject knowledge, you can still apply for the course but we strongly encourage you to undertake bridging studies to gain the knowledge:

  • English, or Literature, or English and Literature Extension, or English as an Additional Language (Units 3 & 4, C)

More about assumed knowledge

Year 12 early offer scheme

If you're a current Queensland Year 12 student, you may be eligible to receive an offer for this course on the last day of Queensland Year 12, before receiving your ATAR or selection rank.

Find out more about the QUT Year 12 Early Offer Scheme

Helping you to get into your course

If you don't think your ATAR or selection rank is high enough to get into this course, you can guarantee your entry with guaranteed advanced standing by upgrading through one the following programs which you can select as one of your QTAC preferences:

QUT College Diploma in Creative Industries

As a QUT College Diploma in Creative Industries graduate you will automatically receive an offer to start the Bachelor of Creative Arts within one week after completion of the diploma. You will also automatically receive up to 1.0 year (96 credit points) credit transfer and be able to complete the degree in 2 years as a full-time student (or equivalent part-time).

Find out more about the QUT College Diploma in Creative Industries

Offer guarantee

If you achieve an ATAR or selection rank of 70.00 or higher (including any adjustments) and satisfy all other admission requirements, you are guaranteed an offer for this course.

VET guarantee

If you have completed an AQF certificate IV, diploma or higher, and satisfy all other admission requirements, you are guaranteed an offer for this course.

Advanced standing

If you have prior studies or work experience, you may be eligible for advanced standing (credit). You can apply for advanced standing once you've been accepted to QUT. If you're in your first semester of study, you must apply for advanced standing within 10 days of receiving your offer.

More about advanced standing

Deferment

You can defer your offer and postpone the start of your course for one year.

More about deferring your offer

Adjustments to your ATAR/selection rank

Any adjustments you receive to your ATAR or selection rank will be applied to this course.

Find out if you’re eligible for an adjustment to your ATAR or selection rank

Offers we made to school leavers in Semester 1, 2024

As this is a new course, Semester 1, 2024 information is not available.

You can find out more about your fellow students’ backgrounds with this course’s student profile.

Other admission options

If you are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, you may be eligible for admission through our Centralised Assessment Selection Process (CASP).

Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide to the grades you need to apply for this course.

If your country or qualification is not listed, you can still apply for this course and we will assess your eligibility.

I completed secondary school in Australia

Offer guarantee

If you completed secondary school in Australia and achieve an ATAR/selection rank of 70.00 or higher (including any adjustments) and satisfy all other admission requirements, you are guaranteed an offer for this course.

VET guarantee

If you have completed an AQF certificate IV, diploma or higher, and satisfy all other admission requirements, you are guaranteed an offer for this course.

Minimum English language requirements

Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide on meeting QUT’s English language requirements.

Your scores and prior qualifications in English-speaking countries are considered. Approved English-speaking countries are Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, United States of America and Wales.

If your country or qualification is not listed, you can still apply for this course and we will assess your eligibility.

We accept English language proficiency scores from the following tests undertaken in a secure test centre. Tests must be taken no more than 2 years prior to the QUT course commencement.

English Test Overall Listening Reading Writing Speaking
IELTS Academic / IELTS One Skills Retake 6.5 6 6 6 6
Cambridge English Score
You must share your results with QUT through the Candidate Results Online website.
176 169 169 169 169
PTE Academic 58 50 50 50 50
TOEFL iBT / Paper 79 16 16 21 18

Don't have the English language score you need? We can help!

We offer English language programs to improve your English and help you gain entry to this course.

When you apply for this course, we will recommend which English course you should enrol in.

Fees

Your actual fees may vary depending on which units you choose. We review fees annually, and they may be subject to increases.

2025 fees

2025: CSP $11,500 per year full-time (96 credit points)

2025 fees

2025: $37,400 per year full-time (96 credit points)

Student services and amenities fees

You may need to pay student services and amenities (SA) fees as part of your course costs.

Find out more about undergraduate course fees

HECS-HELP: loans to help you pay for your course fees

You may not have to pay anything upfront if you're eligible for a HECS-HELP loan.

Find out more about government loans

Scholarships

You can apply for scholarships to help you with study and living costs.

Browse all scholarships

QUT Excellence Scholarship (Academic)

QUT's premier offering for students with outstanding academic achievement.

Scholarship eligibility
Academic performance

Equity scholarships scheme

Scholarship eligibility
Struggling financially

International Merit Scholarship

Scholarship eligibility
Academic performance

QUT Real World International Scholarship

A scholarship to cover tuition fees, with eligibility based on your prior academic achievements.

Scholarship eligibility
Academic performance

QUT Excellence Scholarship (Creative Arts)

QUT Excellence Scholarships are the university's premier offering for students with outstanding excellence in creative arts.

Scholarship eligibility
Academic performance

Applying guide

When you're preparing your application, make sure you have all the important information. This includes understanding the entry requirements, and checking if you're eligible for advanced standing (credit).

How to apply


QTAC code

You'll need to know this course's QTAC code when you apply through QTAC.


Ready to apply?

If you've already read about the best way to apply, you can apply directly through QTAC.

Apply now with QTAC

How to apply

Follow our step-by-step applying guide to make sure your application is complete, giving you the best chance of getting in.

How to apply


Ready to apply?

If you're ready for the next step, apply online today.

Apply now

Ready to apply?

If you're ready for the next step, apply online today or contact our MBA Program Manager +61 468 575 146 or mba@qut.edu.au

Apply now

Ready to apply?

If you're ready for the next step, apply online today or contact our MBA Program Manager +61 468 575 146 (Brisbane),
(02) 6198 3098 (Canberra), emba@qut.edu.au

Apply now

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