DRAMATURGY (BA)

About the Study Program

The three-year undergraduate program in Dramaturgy is the only study program in Croatia dedicated to dramatic and film writing, theoretical and practical dramaturgy. Its interdisciplinary nature, methodological diversity, and broad perspectives place it among the leading dramaturgy programs internationally. 

When designing and implementing the curriculum, special attention is given to balancing artistic-practical and theoretical-scientific approaches, as well as revising the program in accordance with contemporary shifts in artistic production and scientific research. In addition to courses in the main artistic subjects (Dramatic Writing, Film Writing, Writing for Performance, and Analytical Writing), and the main theoretical and professional subjects (Dramatology, History of Theatre and Drama, Film Theory, Film History, and Radio Studies), students can choose from a variety of elective courses with different content and approaches (theoretical, practical, scientific, interdisciplinary), taught by faculty members from the Dramaturgy Department, as well as from other departments of the Academy of Dramatic Art, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and other units of the University of Zagreb. 

Professional dramaturgical work is inherently collaborative, involving artists from various fields. While individual work and the development of a personal creative voice are encouraged, students are engaged from their first year in practical collaborations with theatre and film directing students, as well as in developing their own projects. These projects are analyzed in various courses and may be realized as part of the Academy’s educational productions or through collaborations with theatres and cultural institutions in Zagreb. Throughout their studies, students have the opportunity to participate in workshops and lectures by prominent international dramaturges, writers, theorists, and scholars.

History and Tradition

The Dramaturgy program was established in 1978 at the initiative of Ranko Marinković and theatre director and theorist Dr. Vladan Švacov. From its inception, the program was designed as a theoretical and practical study of "dramatic phenomena" in theatre and film, focusing on playwriting and screenwriting, thus serving as a bridge between theatre and film studies. Over its more than thirty-year history, the Dramaturgy program has undergone several reforms. Since the late 1990s, it has expanded its scope to include contemporary dance, musical theatre, performance art, hybrid postdramatic forms, performative activism, interdisciplinary and collaborative practices, new media art, performance studies, and criticism of performing arts. During the so-called Bologna reform, the Department of Dramaturgy defined and introduced a unique field of artistic and theoretical research: performance dramaturgy. 

Many distinguished scholars and artists have taught at the Department of Dramaturgy, including academicians Nikola Batušić, Vlatko Pavletić, and Nedjeljko Fabrio, writers Ivan Kušan and Ranko Marinković, film director and screenwriter Zvonimir Berković, the aforementioned Vladan Švacov, writer Martina Aničić, and professor emeritus Vjeran Zuppa.

About the Teachers

The interdisciplinary nature of the program is also reflected in the faculty, which includes both artists and scholars who have demonstrated the relevance of their work on stages and academic conferences in Croatia and abroad, as well as in publications in Croatian and foreign languages. Many faculty members lead domestic and international research and educational projects and are recipients of numerous awards and scholarships. Their diverse competencies, experiences, and interests allow students to acquire knowledge and skills in various aspects of dramaturgy, from dramatic writing to theatre criticism, from theoretical thinking to the organization of artistic communities, from adaptation and dramatization of prose texts to creative production, from dance dramaturgy to television and film screenwriting.

Career Prospects after Graduation

Upon completing the undergraduate program in Dramaturgy, students earn the academic title of University Bachelor of Dramaturgy (baccalaureus/baccalaurea dramaturgije).