Theatre PhD

Our PhD in Theatre will provide you with a supportive and collegiate research experience within our conservatoire, the Guildford School of Acting (GSA).

Our research, which encompasses traditional and practice-based forms, addresses performance in history and contemporary culture. It includes:

• Work in theatre history
• Contemporary dance
• Actor training
• Musical theatre
• Performance and cognitive science
• Mental health and disability arts.

We belong to TECHNE, an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded doctoral training partnership, which offers funding and a fully formed training programme for academic, professional and early-career development.

The University of Surrey is 33rd in the UK rankings for overall research quality by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. The University is now also ranked in the top 20 in the UK for the overall quality of research outputs – research papers and other published works.

GSA staff contributed to the School of Literature and Languages REF submission and we are now ranked 10th for research impact with 75% of our case studies rated for having outstanding impacts, in terms of reach and significance (4*).

PhD researchers on all programmes at GSA can expect three levels of research training and support:

• University-level training provided by the Researcher Development Programme and the University Library, including a PhD induction, workshops on writing skills
• Preparation for your confirmation and viva. There is also an annual student-led University postgraduate conference
• School-level training is offered in the form of interdisciplinary seminars, visiting speaker events and conferences
• PhD researchers also receive subject-specific feedback at our biannual GSA postgraduate symposium that allows you to share and develop ideas in a supportive environment.

As a research conservatoire, we can offer dedicated time and support to practice-led research experiments and practical modes of knowledge enquiry. GSA’s research activity at Surrey includes access to the Surrey Shakespeare Centre which is hosted within the School.

We welcome proposals that will result in an 80,000-word thesis or a practice research-curated portfolio (c.40,000).

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College, which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.