Arts - Theatre Studies - Waterford
The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) makes available to you a wide range of Humanities and Social Science subjects in a course that is comparable to any Arts degree nationally and worldwide.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | South East Technological University |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | South East Technological University | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 years, full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Cert:
2 subjects: H5
4 subjects: O6/H7
English or Irish: O6/H7
Language recommendations
Applicants intending to choose French PLC: a grade of H5 or equivalent, in Leaving Certificate French is recommended.
Applicants intending to choose Irish PLC: a grade of H5 or equivalent, in Leaving Certificate Irish is recommended.
Applicants intending to choose Spanish PLC: a grade of H5 or equivalent, in Leaving Certificate Spanish is recommended.
For those starting Spanish Beginner (ab initio), there are no special requirements.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Entry requirements for Honours Bachelor Degrees (Level 8)
This link module can be used in place of a sixth Leaving Certificate subject and will be accepted as meeting the six subject eligibility requirements for entry to honours degree courses.
Entry requirements for Ordinary Bachelor Degree (Level 7) and Higher Certificate (Level 6)
The LCVP link module can also be used in place of a fifth Leaving Certificate subject and will be accepted as meeting the five subject eligibility requirements for entry to ordinary bachelor degree and higher certificate courses
GRADE POINTS
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Leaving Certificate Applied Programme LCAP
The Leaving Certificate Applied Programme was designed primarily to prepare students for the transition from school to working life. It is not intended for direct tansfer into third level. However, students with the LCAP who have completed a QQI FET/FETAC award can be considered for entry.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Students who have completed a full QQI-FET award at Level 5, and achieved at least three distinctions, are eligible to apply through CAO for entry to Year 1 on to Level 6, 7 and 8 courses. Students who have completed a full QQI-FET award at Level 6 may be eligible to enter Year 2.
The maximum possible points awarded through QQI-FET is 390. The scoring system only applies where all of the requirements for the major award are met i.e. where the named component awards specified have been achieved to a minimum of 120 credits.
Progression Scheme
The Progression Scheme is an additional opportunity for students who successfully complete a QQI FET Award in a partner Colleges of Further Education and Training College/Centre to gain entry to SETU programmes. The list of partner Further Education and Training Colleges/Centres, relevant SETU programmes, linked QQI FET Awards and the criteria for the scheme are available at www.setu.ie/progression.
Careers / Further progression
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) career opportunities
An Arts degree prepares graduates for many work situations and graduates in the past have become teachers, worked in journalism, consultancy, many different forms of professional practice, translation, politics: it is the nature of a Liberal Arts education that it prepares people for a myriad of careers. The adaptability, flexibility and mental agility of Arts graduates, as well as their strong skills in communication and problem-solving, make them very desirable employees in many professions and industries.
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) International
You can choose to spend an extra year (Year 3) in an international partner university. Students who take this option will graduate after four years with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) International.
Follow on Study
Graduates can proceed to a Masters degree by Research in their chosen Major discipline at SETU or elsewhere, as well as various other taught Higher Diploma, Post-graduate Diploma and Masters programmes.
Opportunities
Employment opportunities for Theatre Studies graduates are as varied as the students who undertake the subject. Small group teaching and the practical application of a range of performance, creative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative skills build competencies in communicating, teamwork, leadership, analytical, and critical skills. We look to our graduates to inspire, direct, challenge, and influence matters of social and political life through their commitment to activism and ethical, sustainable social change. When articulated in this way, employers readily see the value and employability of this vast range of skills. Past students have gained employment as theatre practitioners, actors, teachers, and arts facilitators in various professional and community settings, whilst others have pursued postgraduate studies in drama and theatre studies, teacher education, or allied subjects such as archival and library information studies. From September 2024, Drama, Theatre, and Film Studies, one of the new Leaving Certificate subjects, will be offered to some schools, nationwide. Students who take Theatre Studies as part of the BA (Hons.) Arts at SETU will be well-placed to further develop their subject knowledge and skills as part of a post-graduate teacher education qualification and/or offer their expertise to post-primary schools as theatre practitioners and drama and theatre facilitators.
Further information
September 2026
Mature Student Applications
A mature student is someone who is at least 23 years of age on 1 January of the year of entry to an undergraduate course and who may not meet the normal admission requirements. Applications are made through the CAO before the 1 February or before late application deadline of 1 May 2026. Applicants are assessed based on the information they enter on their CAO application. Note: You must apply for nursing and music courses by 1 February 2026.
Selection Process – Nursing Applications
Mature applicants for nursing courses will receive correspondence under separate cover from the Nursing Careers Centre (Public Appointments Service - PAS). For full details on the application process see www.nursingcareers.ie.
Mature Applicant – Change of Mind
The Change of Mind facility becomes available after 1 May and the closing date is 1 July.
The Change of Mind facility affords mature applicants an opportunity to change the order of preference only of their course choices. If applicants introduce a new programme to their list of choices by way of Change of Mind, they will compete for a place on that programme based on their Leaving Certificate or equivalent results only. They will not compete as a mature applicant.
Non-standard application
A non-standard application is one that does not meet the definition of a standard application.
The special categories are:
• GCE/GCSE
• Other school leaving exams
• NCVA Level 2/3
• FETAC Level 5/6
• Further Education (other than QQI)
• Mature
• Higher/Third Level Education
Applicants wishing to make a non-standard application must select the relevant category when applying to the CAO.
Entry 2026
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
On admission to SETU, students on the Joint Honours Degree will be introduced to each of the subjects and will elect three subjects for their first year of study (only one subject can be chosen from each group). At the end of Year 1, students will continue their studies to graduation in two of their chosen subjects, graduating with what is commonly referred to as a Joint Honours Arts Degree.
Group 1
English
Spanish (Beginners)
Spanish (PLC)*
Group 2
French*
Law
Religious Studies
Geography Environment and Sustainability
Group 3
Irish*
Sociology
Group 4
Psychology
Theatre Studies
Politics and Society
*Students who choose a Language at Post-Leaving Certificate level (PLC) need to meet particular entry requirements.
Year 1
Choose 3 subjects- only one from any group
Years 2 & 3
Elect 2 of your chosen 1st year subjects to continue with
Opt in to Study Abroad: students can choose to add an additional year to their BA (Hons) and graduate with a BA (Hons) International. This optional pathway allows students who successfully complete Years 1 and 2 in SETU Waterford, to spend Year 3 in one of our approved partner institutions abroad, before returning to SETU Waterford to complete their final year.
This is the first course of this kind in the South‐East and is unique to SETU. The course will introduce students to the practice and performance of theatre as well as to the academic study of the area. Students will study major plays from Ireland and abroad, but also will have the opportunity to participate in workshops where they can act, direct, and produce their own work as well as the work of major playwrights. The emphasis in the course is on practical application and the course will offer students the opportunity to work within a “studio” environment. The course builds on strong partnerships with local and regional theatre groups who lend their support to the development and enrichment of the programme.
There is a strong emphasis on theatre in performance and on practical theatre workshops, with a focus on developing a critical understanding of distinct plays and examining the performance challenges.
First years take two introductory modules to explore the study of Theatre introducing them to the foundations of the subject area while also undertaking two modules to explore the study of the Irish national theatre and a selection of important plays from around the world.
In second and third year, students continue to be exposed to performance‐related questions through a consideration of performance aspects of selected plays by Shakespeare and of site‐specific theatre and, in the final year, by developing a text for performance and producing that play. There are also modules on theatre theory, history and on the theatre as an industry. A module on the theatre of the South‐East is offered as an elective in the final year.
The emphasis throughout the Theatre Studies programme is on exposing students to the widest possible range of current and recent work in performance; site visits to theatres and productions will be a vital part of the programme.
Students undertaking Theatre Studies can apply to participate in Study Abroad, adding an additional year to their degree and graduating with a BA (Hons) International. All students are supported by a SETU Academic Advisor to ensure the study abroad experience will complement their degree subjects and enrich their professional and personal experiences.
Students of Theatre Studies also take other subjects as part of their degree. This exposes students to other disciplines and ways of thinking and there is a strong emphasis in SETU on encouraging dialogue between subject areas. Students are supported in developing study, writing, critical and creative thinking and research skills; these skills form the foundation for future years and are highly valued by employers.
artsdegree.wd@setu.ie