Performance and Media
Explore immersive performance across stage, screen and digital media while developing creative and production skills.
How to apply Apply through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to us/filters:format(webp)/prod01/channel_2/media/university-of-south-wales/site-assets/images/03-courses/performance/ba-performance-media.jpg)
UCAS Code
W400
Start Date
September 2027
Location
Cardiff
Campus Code
B
UCAS Points
96
International students: £17,600*
Course overview
Build a deeper understanding of Immersive Performance, Film, TV, Online Media, and Extended Reality through collaborative productions.
You’ll discover your strengths and creative identity working on industry related practical projects, while making professional connections.
Why study this course?
What you'll study
Examine performance concepts, conventions and perspectives by engaging in practical workshops, viewing live performances and films.
Build foundational creative and technical skills to develop, produce, record and edit your own work and performance for stage and screen.
Practically explore ‘performance’ and how its components interact to create meanings.
This module can be studied 100% through the medium of Welsh
Learn how to work effectively and collaboratively in a studio environment and explore actor/director training methodologies as you develop your own performance with support.
Investigate meanings and intentions in contemporary theatre and short film as you explore the use of semiotics, a foundation of practical work later in the course.
Get to grips with media tech including digital audio/video recorders, cameras, and editing playback technologies, and understand how they support performances.
Refine your skills and showcase them during international festivals and industry placements, before specialising and preparing to enter the industry in your final year.
Explore new, interactive and digital elements in traditional theatre and media-based forms and refine your creative processes for performing live and for recorded media.
Explore multimedia, immersive performance using digital tools to develop a group performance.
This module can be studied 100% through the medium of Welsh
Investigate the role theatre, performance and media play in social, historical, cultural and aesthetic contexts, including social and political debate.
This flexible module gives you the chance to be involved in a TV, or Virtual Production film project in a variety of roles. The projects are developed under professional conditions.
Collaborate with students and industry professionals to make a series of video podcasts at the international Iris Film Festival.
Prepare to make your mark in the media and performance industry as you hone your specialist skills and build a portfolio that stands out to employers.
Get industry experience on placement with a studio or production company and grow the business skills required to thrive as a creative freelancer.
Plan, execute and present a research project focusing on a way in which performance relates to global society, such as class, gender, race, identity or technology.
These modules can be studied 100% through the medium of Welsh
Develop, plan, and produce a short film, audio production, video podcast, or multimedia performance. An opportunity to showcase skills you have developed on the course.
Engage in advanced study of a specialist area media production developing your creative and critical proficiency.
Plan for life after graduation as you identify career paths, reflect on your strengths and aspirations and get your CV and portfolio up to scratch.
These modules can be studied 100% through the medium of Welsh
We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.
Teaching and assessment
Learn the fundamental concepts and skills involved in performance and production across various media. Refine your skills and showcase them during international festivals and industry placements, before specialising and preparing to enter the industry in your final year.
You'll learn by creating, performing and collaborating. Throughout the course, you'll develop work for stage, screen and digital platforms, gaining experience in recording, editing, presenting and production. You'll also work on live projects, engage with industry professionals and take part in placements and festivals that help connect your studies to professional practice.
Assessment reflects the creative and collaborative nature of the course. You'll complete a range of practical and written work, including performances, media projects, portfolios, presentations, blogs and pitches. This approach allows you to demonstrate your creative, technical and critical skills while building a portfolio of work throughout your degree.
You will gain real-world experience throughout the course, whether that’s supporting USW events or working with external companies. Our staff and careers team help you source all manner of opportunities that support your aspirations. Our students have worked as runners, researchers, assistant directors, assistant camera operators, or in youth arts or community radio and theatre. Previous placements include Bad Wolf Studios, Netflix, Mad Dog Casting and Iris Film Festival. You’ll also play a key role in USW’s famous Immersed Festival, collaborating with other creative students as you help deliver the event.
As a performance and media student, you’ll use our industry-standard studios, suites, and equipment, which we regularly update. You’ll have access to our immersive performance studio with 7.1.4 Dolby Atomos, and Projection mapping, and black box studios. Our campus features theatres, Film and Television studios, green screen, virtual production, and motion capture facilities, podcasting and editing suites with the latest software. We also have 360-degree video cameras and audio recorders, Virtual Reality headsets, and industry standard film and audio equipment such as the FX6.
Course Leader
Matthew Gough
Matthew Gough is the Course Leader for Performance and Media. They are an Extended Reality (XR) artist specialising in live immersive performance and dance. Learning skills through practice, exploration, and discussion is a key aspect of their teaching, often through cross-course collaborations.
For over 30 years, Matthew has presented performances internationally and had work shown on BBC and S4C digital platforms. In Wales, they have worked as a movement director for Fran Wen, Theatr Iolo, Theatr Cymru, the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, and Iris Prize.
“The University of South Wales was the choice for me because of the opportunities they give to their students to work with big names in the industry.”
Tom, Performance and Media student
Entry requirements
Additional requirements include:
The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
Selection for this course is based on a suitable application. If you do not meet the entry criteria, you may also be required to provide a portfolio of your work to help us assess your suitability for the course.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.
USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.
How to applyContextual admissions policyAsk us a question96 UCAS points or above
Typical qualification requirements
A Level:
CCC to include a relevant subject
Welsh BACC:
Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and CC at A Level with a relevant subject
BTEC:
Merit Merit Merit in a relevant subject
Access to HE:
Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points.
T Level:
Pass (C and above)
International applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.
International studentsPre-Sessional EnglishEnglish language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
Fees and Funding
Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.
Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
Kit (Uniform and Equipment)
Grad Show materials. Year 3
Cost: £50
Field Trips
Theatre/Performance Visits. All academic years
Cost: £50
Networking and Production Visits
Occasionally students are asked to contribute to the cost of enrichment activities (e.g. Professional networking events, Production visits, Festival attendance)
Cost: Up to £100
Digital Storage
We suggest students invest in a 1TB external SSD for storing film footage, and completed projects
Cost: £100
Laptop
We suggest students invest in a laptop and smartphone. Laptops can be loaned temporarily from the University if you do not have your own.
Cost: £1000
Work placement expenses
Students undertaking work placements are responsible for their own travel, and living expenses
Cost: Variable
Travel
Students may be expected to travel to master classes/ conferences at their own cost
Cost: £100
per year
Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.
Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
Kit (Uniform and Equipment)
Grad Show materials. Year 3
Cost: £50
Field Trips
Theatre/Performance Visits. All academic years
Cost: £50
Networking and Production Visits
Occasionally students are asked to contribute to the cost of enrichment activities (e.g. Professional networking events, Production visits, Festival attendance)
Cost: Up to £100
Digital Storage
We suggest students invest in a 1TB external SSD for storing film footage, and completed projects
Cost: £100
Laptop
We suggest students invest in a laptop and smartphone. Laptops can be loaned temporarily from the University if you do not have your own.
Cost: £1000
Work placement expenses
Students undertaking work placements are responsible for their own travel, and living expenses
Cost: Variable
Travel
Students may be expected to travel to master classes/ conferences at their own cost
Cost: £100
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Explore our facilities
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Media Loans
Access industry-standard cameras, lighting, sound and recording gear, supported by free Media Loans and experienced technicians. We have everything you need to help you experiment, refine and bring your work to life with confidence.
How to apply
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS
You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).
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Apply direct
Performance and Media
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Full-time, 3 years
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September
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Cardiff
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If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.
Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.
International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
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