The major focus of the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts at ABU are the development theatre and development communication courses which begin at the undergraduate level and run up to the postgraduate or graduate levels.

The Department of Theatre and Performing Arts has the following objectives:

• produce self-reliant skilful individuals who can earn a living on their own and generate employment for others.
• produce researchers and curators of cultural forms of societies for documentation and revival.
• produce well rounded high-level manpower that can fit into public services in administration, personnel, advertising and PR, broadcasting, film/video production and teaching.
• produce individuals who can use theatre as a method of social investigation and communication and as a means of finding solutions to development problems.
• produce graduates who will be equipped to do social and development work under any situation.

1. Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) - Candidates should have a first degree from Theatre, Performing Arts, Drama and related fields such as Mass Communication. In the absence of a degree, candidates should have 5 credits at ‘O’ level including English and literature, with over 5 years of experience working in the media or a related field. In special circumstances, considerations will be given to those with experience and practice in the field (such as producers and directors with ten years experience in television, radio, film and homevideo production) who may not meet some of the above requirements.
   
2. M.A Development Communication - Candidates for M.A. Development Communication must score a minimum of 50/100 or a C in all courses to proceed. Post Graduate Diploma candidates who score B and above in all courses may be considered for upgrading to an M.A. All M.A. candidates must submit in addition to passing the M.A. courses a thesis of not less than 100 pages typed double spaced on A4 paper.
   
3. PhD. Development Communication - A Doctor of Philosophy degree will be attained through research and dissertations related to Development Communication.
   
   
   Courses offered by the Postgraduate Diploma and Masters Degree include:
   
   Cultural Studies - This course examines various theories, dimensions and appearances of culture and its construction by peoples in different contexts. It will closely examine discourses of globalisation, social movements and trans-national cultural spaces.
   
   Communication, Media and Society - This course explores the relationship between communication, media and society and offers the opportunity to critique media and communication practices.
   
   Theories of Development - This course examines the theories and concepts of development and its relationship with theatre and performance, communication and society.
   
   Community Development and Development Implementation - Students will go through practical processes of community development taking into consideration planning, community involvement, project design and implementation processes under various contexts
   
   Development Communication Theories - The course examines the meaning of development communication and the theories that inform the practice. The theories and models of development communication will be examined critically to determine their efficacy or weaknesses.
   
   Practical Project - Students will be required to choose a project in Development Communication and design a campaign strategy, conduct preliminaries and research. They will also be required to carry out an actual within a specific community to test and concretize their skills.
   
   Participatory Learning and Action - This includes techniques used in participatory approaches to development, action research and participatory research techniques for community animation and action.
   
   Radio, Video and Television for Development - This is a course that examines the use of radio, television and video in development communication and explores ways of using the electronic media for development purposes.
   
   BCC Design for Development - This course uses a practical hands-on approach to designing and applying Information, Education and Communication tools for development work
   
   Participatory Communication Theories - This course is designed to explore the theories that underpin Participatory Communication and how it differs or coheres with development communication theories.