Musical Theatre

As a Musical Theatre student at ARU, you’ll train with industry professionals, take part in showcases and productions from Year 1, and gain real-world experience.

On our BA (Hons) Musical Theatre degree you will gain skills unique to musical theatre training, specifically actor-musicianship, physical theatre, dance, and choreography.

Your tutors will include established musical directors, artistic directors, and choreographers – and you’ll learn in professional performing arts facilities including our Mumford Theatre.

You’ll be joining a course recognised by casting organisation Spotlight, which not only gives you a discount on their membership fees, but also the chance to be nominated for their annual Spotlight prize – like our student Lara Dailey, who made the shortlist of the 2024 competition.

With a buzzing creative scene, and opportunities to perform in renowned local venues, Cambridge is the perfect place to study Musical Theatre. You can even choose to study abroad for a semester, with funding on offer to help cover the cost.

Our Drama and Dance courses ranked 13th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2025, with 92% for “satisfied with teaching”.

Join a course ranked 2nd in the UK for the Teaching on my Course and 4th for Learning Opportunities in the National Student Survey 2024.

Our BA (Hons) Musical Theatre degree prepares you for a variety of roles in the performing arts, and the wider creative industries. Our wide choice of optional modules means that you'll be able to specialise in a particular area, if you choose to.

Find out more about our placements and work experience, or the faculty's employability support.

Creative industries
You can work as a musical theatre performer, director, choreographer, or stage manager or you could choose to focus on technical theatre. You could also create your own company, produce new work and tour it globally.

You can access jobs within arts organisations and management, acting as a theatre producer or event organiser, or join theatre and companies' marketing teams. You may develop as an arts journalist or critic or you could work in arts fundraising.

Education
As a graduate you’ll have access to numerous job opportunities in education, pursuing a career as primary or secondary school teacher, or as a workshop facilitator for a variety of communities. You can work as a musical theatre assistant, supporting school and students' productions; you might also have a role touring schools to use musical theatre to educate student groups.

Health
A growing number of roles in the health sector look at the role of drama in wellbeing. If this area interests you, you might want to train as a dramatherapist with our MA Dramatherapy. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore placements, internships or volunteering. Or you could make a social impact by collaborating with our partner organisations through our volunteer scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). These all give you an edge, providing you with experience that you will be able to evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.