Careers and employability

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Top employers are looking for graduates who go further during their time at university.

In the School of Performance and Cultural Industries we're committed to increasing your employability and career prospects. We offer a range of opportunities for you to develop the skills and experience that will boost your CV and make you stand out from the crowd.

Reach your potential at Leeds

Optional years - all of our courses include the opportunity to spend a year in industry or studying abroad, extending your degree to four years. These opportunities are a brilliant way to enhance your degree and future career prospects in the global graduate market. Summer schools and support to find summer internships are also available for those looking for a shorter experience. Many of our students have volunteered with local community groups and small arts organisations to help support their development. You can also choose to complete a two week placement as part of our optional industry study module.
Meet employers - we run a range of workshops and employer-led events, giving you valuable insight into how to stand out in the graduate employment market. You'll have access to many opportunities to help with your career prospects including a range of industry talks, networking events and placement opportunities. You can also support your fellow students as a Peer Mentor or represent them at course or school level by acting as a student representative or sitting on the student-staff forum. We are also one of the 6^th most targeted UK university by graduate recruiters (High Fliers report, The Graduate Market in 2023).
The University of Leeds Student Careers - you will also have access to the University’s award-winning Careers Service - one of the largest in the country, which includes access to My-Career - an online resource and database of thousands of internships and graduate vacancies.
Improve your entrepreneurial skills - the University of Leeds Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Studies provides practical support, materials and guidance to all those who are interested in gaining new skills and improving their enterprise background. SPARK also support students who are thinking about starting their own business. Many of our students have set up their own theatre companies by accessing support available to them via the
Other ways to enhance your skills – Leeds University Union has over 300 student-led clubs and societies, where you can develop valuable skills and broaden your life experience.
Further study – Many of our graduates go on to postgraduate study, either here at Leeds or elsewhere. We offer a range of Masters degrees that allow you to explore an area of interest in greater depth and enhance your graduate employability.

Our graduates have gone on to pursue a wide variety of careers in many different sectors including writing, performing, directing, production, events management, television and film, digital media, arts administration, marketing, cultural policy, PR, community arts, education and dramatherapy.

External links and partnerships

The School has a wide range of external links with leading arts and cultural organisations including;

National and international touring theatre companies, DV8 Physical Theatre, Red Ladder and Blah Blah Blah
Leeds Playhouse (with which the University has a formal partnership)
Award-winning national opera company Opera North (with which the University has a formal partnership)
Leeds based companies including; Slung Low, Invisible Flock, Riptide, Manic Chord, Phoenix Dance Theatre, City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds Grand Theatre
TV film and digital companies and organisations: Channel 4, BBC, Limehouse Productions, Human VR, Live Cinema UK, Megaverse, XR Stories
Independent artists and producers, Fuel Theatre, Louise Ann Wilson Company, IOU
Regional and city-based events including; Compass Festival, Leeds Light Night, Transform Festival, Yorkshire Festival, Leeds2023, Kendal Mountain Festival, Furnace Festival

Lifelong Learning Centre

The Lifelong Learning Centre provides support for mature and part-time learners across the University, including advice on how to apply to university and support throughout your studies.