MA Stage Management

At RADA, you learn by doing. You will engage in hands-on, vocational training that immerses you in theatre production, ensuring you're fully equipped for success in the industry. Throughout your training, you'll receive personalised career guidance and professional development to develop your expertise and leadership.

The aim of this programme is to provide advanced and in-depth education and training in stage management, as well as a broad-based understanding of all other areas of technical theatre production; how they relate to each other and how the stage manager brings each element together to serve the artistic vision. The training will prepare students for a career in stage management in theatre, events and live performance, and equip them with transferrable skills for careers in other areas of performance production and creative industries.

As well as giving the students a solid foundation in stage management practices, the programme will prepare the students for leadership roles and for professional creative collaboration, with an emphasis on inclusivity and building safe spaces in which to create the work. Students will learn through a combination of teaching, masterclasses and practical production show role experiences, both within the Academy and a professional setting.

The course will look in detail at the different roles within stage management and the team structures that come with varying scales and types of theatre and performance. Students will be given the tools to adapt to working in a wide range of professional environments and the skills required to lead a team and to drive a creative production process at each stage.

For more detailed information on course content, assessment and outcomes, download our Programme Specification.

Timetable and workload

The programme is a one-year course, with four terms.

This course is taught in-person, with 35 contact hours per week on average.

Production periods may require longer hours, including evenings and weekends.

Training is mostly onsite at RADA with occasional online and offsite sessions. The final term is a professional placement, giving the students the opportunity to apply their learning practically, in a professional setting and connecting them with industry professionals.

Assessment

You will be assessed throughout the course on your progress.

Assessments take place at the end of each module and are provided through written feedback and tutorials. For each assessment period, you will receive formal written feedback from tutors and a numerical mark.

The staff assessment forms part of the ongoing conversation about your progress. Students will complete a reflective self-assessment, after the completion of each module.

Entry Requirements

We require you to have appropriate educational degree level qualifications and/or professional work experience with demonstrated involvement in theatre, performance, or the broader entertainment industry.

Candidates must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Hold a degree qualification (2.2 or above) or an equivalent qualification in a related subject or discipline.
• Demonstrate professional or practical experience at a level commensurate with Master’s level study.

Application deadline

Your application must be completed and submitted by 26 March 2025 at 11:59pm (UK time).

We operate a rolling admissions process, meaning that applications will close once our cohort is full. Depending on the volume of applications, a second deadline may be introduced.

Please download the admissions procedure guide for further information. 

How to apply

1. Complete the online application form at the top of this page.
2. The admissions team will then contact you to either confirm an interview date or inform you if you were unsuccessful (please note that this could take up to six weeks).
3. If your application is successful, you will be invited to a 30-minute interview, on-site, at RADA.

We do not charge an application fee for this course.

Information for disabled applicants

We welcome applications from disabled applicants and encourage them to disclose relevant information regarding any disability when completing their application form, to enable us to provide additional support during the admissions process. Find out more about the ways RADA support disabled applicants in our Student Life pages.

If you are a disabled applicant and would like further advice or guidance, please contact the admissions team directly on admissions@rada.ac.uk.

Postgraduate fees for MA Stage Management for the academic year 2025-6:

Home (UK) students
£15,500

International
£25,000

Please see the fees policy for more information about how RADA calculates tuition fee increases for each year of a course.

Find out more about funding your training.

Am I a Home (UK) or International student?

There are strict regulations regarding residency which must be met in order to qualify for Home (UK) student status.

Home (UK) student

In order to be classed as a Home (UK) student you normally need to meet all of the following criteria on the first day of the first academic year of the course:

• You are settled in the UK (this means there is no immigration restriction on the length of your stay).
• You are ordinarily resident in the UK, and have been for the full three years before the first day of the academic year (ordinarily resident means that your main home is in the UK, and you are choosing to live in the UK).
• The main reason for you being in the UK was not to receive full-time education.

Irish nationals who have been living in the Republic of Ireland or the UK can qualify for Home fees as long as they meet the residence requirements which can be found on the UK Council for International Students' (UKCISA) website.

International students

If you do not fall under the Home (UK) definition, then you will be classed as an international student.

International students coming to RADA on a full-time course of more than six months will require a Student visa before coming to the UK to start your course. Without the visa you will not be allowed to enter the UK. Please visit the UK Visas & Immigration website for further details.

The definitions on this page are only a very brief summary and there are a number of exceptions to the conditions listed. For more detailed information, please refer to the UK Council for International Student Affairs guide.

Other costs

Almost all materials and resources you require for your course, including travel for any trips, are included in your tuition fees.

Other material costs (not included in your tuition fee): approximately £300 + laptop

The things not covered include protective footwear, practice clothes, play texts and stationery.

International students will also need to pay for visa costs; please visit the UK Visas & Immigration website for further details.

Laptops, phone/tablet devices and related equipment

To participate in this course, including any online training, you will need to have suitable equipment.

Prices for laptops may vary but costs are likely to be in the region of £550 and upwards. Educational discounts are available, so we advise that you wait until you are enrolled before buying any new equipment. We recognise that not all applicants/ students will own this equipment or be in a financial position to purchase it. RADA, therefore, has ways in which we can provide you with support to ensure that you can access the equipment you need.

Please note that a laptop, phone/tablet devices and related equipment policy is being drawn up. More information is available from the admissions team by emailing admissions@rada.ac.uk.

Read our regulations and policies relating to admissions and current students here.