Bachelor of Dramatic Art (VCA)

Course 817AA (2010)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2010.

Year and Campus: 2010 - Southbank
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Level: Undergraduate
Duration & Credit Points: 300 credit points taken over 36 months full time. This course is available as full or part time.

Coordinator

Mr R Murphett

Contact

Student and Academic Services, Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne, 234 St Kilda Road, Southbank, 3006Tel: 9685 9419
Course Overview:

The Bachelor of Dramatic Art is a three-year intensive actor training program.

The structure of the course provides intensive skills training, performance making projects, studio productions and a wide variety of performance situations. The structure of the course: skills classes in the morning and rehearsals in the afternoon. This course comprises three years of full time study and cannot be taken on a part time basis.
Objectives:

The objectives of the course are:

  • to produce professional theatre practitioners including actors, directors, animateurs and actor-trainers;
  • to produce actors who can perform the classical and contemporary dramatic repertoire;
  • to produce actors who can work with ease in a film and television industry;
  • to produce practitioners who have a kinaesthetic and conceptual understanding of the relationship between form and content;
  • to produce creative leaders who can generate, develop and perform new work;
  • to foster a clear understanding of, and respect for the ethics of theatrical practice;
  • to foster a spirit of enqiry towards the development of new work;
  • to encourage collaborative practice between actors, directors, writers, production personnel and animateurs;
  • to encourage students to develop an awareness of their relationship and responsibility to their cultural environment and society by providing opportunities for informed critical enquiry, social interaction and cultural exploration during their studies.
Course Structure & Available Subjects: Award of the Bachelor of Dramatic Art required satisfactory completion of all core subjects listed below.
Subject Options:

Year 1

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Year Long
50
Year Long
12.50
Year Long
12.50
Year Long
6.25

Year 2

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Year Long
50
Year Long
12.50
Year Long
6.25
Year Long
6.25
Semester 1, Semester 2
6.25
Semester 1, Semester 2
6.25

Year 3

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Year Long
18.75
Year Long
6.25
Year Long
6.25
Entry Requirements:

Applicants are required to have satisfactorily completed VCA or Year 12 equivalent with a study score of at least 25 in Units 3 and 4 English/English Language/ Literature or at least 30 in ESL. An audition and interview is required.

Core Participation Requirements: For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, this course requires all students to actively and safely participate in physical activities and vocal communication. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their participation are encouraged to discuss this with the Subject Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/
Further Study: Postgraduate studies available in performance creation, direction, animateuring and theatre practice.
Graduate Attributes: http://www.unimelb.edu.au/about/attributes.html
Generic Skills:

At the completion of the course students should be able to:

  • exhibit extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of their discipline including relevant professional knowledge, skills, discipline and ethics as they relate to a practising visual/performing artist;
  • demonstrate capacities for artistic imagination, creativity, transformation and interpretation;
  • demonstrate practical skills in respect of critical analysis, problem solving, report writing, team work and oral and written communcation;
  • demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to the national and international challenges for the professional visual/performing artist in the 21st century;
  • work at various levels, both as an individual and as a team member, in a wide variety of visual/performing artistic environments;
  • contribute to a range of visual/performing arts environments as artistic collaborators and leaders;
  • demonstrate an open, independent and inquiring attitude towards contemporary cultural developments and new ideas;
  • critically and creatively engage with topics of cultural significance across communities;
  • understand and appreciate how the visual and performing areas connect with the broader society and contribute to its social and economic development;
  • understand their relationship with and responsibility to their cultural environment and society.
Links to further information: www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/drama/

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