The teaching occurs across lecture, seminar, and studio-based formats, unifying theory and practice, and culminates in an independent dissertation of 15,000 words. Special emphasis is placed on training in strategies of performance analysis, theatre in its Irish context, and movement practices. The work normally takes 12 months, although students are required to be in residence only from October through the following June. Visits from practitioners and scholars supplement the teaching, and close connections with the theatre community in Dublin give students access to performances and work in development throughout the year.