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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

How is Drama considered as an A-level?

58 replies

Brogues · 12/10/2022 20:22

DD wants Drama as one of her A-level choices. Both me and her dad are STEM graduates and middle aged/boring with it so Drama is a bit artsy for us and we don’t know how it is considered by universities.

She wants to do History and English Lit with it and these are her top scoring (predicted 8/9) subjects at GCSE. She doesn’t know what career she wants to do and is involved in school drama groups and a youth theatre group outside of school.

Any advice? Should we let her follow her heart on this or is it a pointless A-level in terms of progressing to a degree course?

OP posts:
RodiganReed · 14/10/2022 09:29

I won't repeat what has already been said about how valuable drama is for public speaking, composure and confidence - I just wanted to add that I am from a low income background and didn't have a lot of cultural capital growing up. Whilst I enjoyed GCSE drama, it was A Level theatre studies that really stoked my passion for the arts, taught me about our rich theatrical heritage and helped to politicise me (cheers Brecht). I then went on to do a politics degree and now work in a highly paid public sector leadership role. I can't say I draw on my drama skills everyday (or not consciously anyway) but it is probably the only A Level subject I still explicitly think about and draw upon in certain situations.

Quartz2208 · 14/10/2022 10:01

DD highly selective Grammar does Drama as one of the 22 A levels it does.

The prospectus says

The choice of further study is vast, e.g. medicine, law, teaching, stage craft, production, acting, costume design, sound production – the list is endless.

It is a fairly hard subject

LatersKwasi · 14/10/2022 10:57

RodiganReed · 14/10/2022 09:29

I won't repeat what has already been said about how valuable drama is for public speaking, composure and confidence - I just wanted to add that I am from a low income background and didn't have a lot of cultural capital growing up. Whilst I enjoyed GCSE drama, it was A Level theatre studies that really stoked my passion for the arts, taught me about our rich theatrical heritage and helped to politicise me (cheers Brecht). I then went on to do a politics degree and now work in a highly paid public sector leadership role. I can't say I draw on my drama skills everyday (or not consciously anyway) but it is probably the only A Level subject I still explicitly think about and draw upon in certain situations.

I love this!

Annoyed200722 · 19/10/2022 21:00

History, English Lit & drama is quite a common combination at the sixth form I worked at. Many students went onto Russell Group unis with this combination, no issue.

mumsneedwine · 20/10/2022 17:42

@Brogues my DDs friend did Drama A level and is now studying to be a vet. It's a very useful course for some jobs !

Lasvegas · 20/10/2022 19:08

My DD recently had 5 offers for law at RG’s and one of her A levels was drama. There was a lot of analysis involved and hardly any practical acting but that may have been as her school was shut for any months due to covid.

Original poster
Brogues · 20/10/2022 22:27

Thank you everyone! You have all been so helpful.

OP posts:
Alsoplayspiccolo · 22/10/2022 10:51

My DD took drama, English lit and geography A levels this summer.
She loved the analysis element, and opted for set design rather than acting.
She is now at a RG uni, reading English lit & film.

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