Musical Theatre and Psychology

Musical theatre and psychology is an unusual but genuinely productive combination, bringing together the performance discipline of the musical stage with the scientific study of mind and behaviour. Musical theatre encompasses singing, dance, acting and the production of musical works, requiring the technical performance skills, vocal and physical training, and interpretive intelligence that professional performance demands. Psychology examines how people think, feel, learn and behave, developing research skills and a conceptual understanding of human experience that is directly relevant to understanding audiences, character psychology and the emotional dynamics of performance and teaching.

At Liverpool Hope University you will study musical theatre and psychology over four years of full-time study, beginning with a foundation year that builds the academic and creative foundations for both disciplines before the main degree content begins. Liverpool's vibrant creative scene, strong theatrical community and the energy of the city's cultural life provide an engaged context for the musical theatre strand. A sandwich year and the opportunity for a year abroad extend the programme with professional and international experience, and work placement is integrated throughout.

The typical tariff of 104 reflects a programme that welcomes students with creative talent and intellectual curiosity from a range of backgrounds.

Graduates pursue careers in performance, theatre education, drama therapy, community arts, applied theatre, musical theatre coaching, arts administration and a range of creative and therapeutic contexts where both performance knowledge and psychological understanding are relevant. The combination is particularly well suited to roles in music and drama therapy, educational performance settings, community wellbeing projects and any environment where understanding how performance affects people and supporting others through creative work are core activities. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in music therapy, drama therapy, psychology, performance or education, building on the dual formation of the undergraduate degree.