Are Any Of These Good Courses?

Unfortunately I've missed every open day over the past few months because I only started looking at choices a little while ago. As a result I have no idea what universities I want to go to. I've shortlisted five on UCAS, all acting courses. The universities are UCA in Farnham, Gloucestershire, Kingston, Chester and the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.

while I'm sure all of those are okay (the only one I picked out specifically was Farnham because I have a friend who goes there), but are there any acting courses at other universities that could be worth me having a look at? I'm not interested in conservatoires at all; I've heard a lot about them and they're far beyond what I could cope with. On the other hand, if any of the courses on my shortlist are an absolute no-go do tell me. I'm going to have a look at reviews for the courses but any opinions would be appreciated too.

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Reply 1

PG Study Chester

Original post

by Doomotron

Unfortunately I've missed every open day over the past few months because I only started looking at choices a little while ago. As a result I have no idea what universities I want to go to. I've shortlisted five on UCAS, all acting courses. The universities are UCA in Farnham, Gloucestershire, Kingston, Chester and the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
while I'm sure all of those are okay (the only one I picked out specifically was Farnham because I have a friend who goes there), but are there any acting courses at other universities that could be worth me having a look at? I'm not interested in conservatoires at all; I've heard a lot about them and they're far beyond what I could cope with. On the other hand, if any of the courses on my shortlist are an absolute no-go do tell me. I'm going to have a look at reviews for the courses but any opinions would be appreciated too.

Hello

As a university of Chester student I can only really talk about Chester, but I do highly recommend the university and the city. I’m not sure about the acting courses, because I’m an English student, but I can speak for the university broadly by saying the support for academic and non academic issues is amazing. For example, there is an academic skills team which provides support for all issues ranging from time management, to research skills, maths skills, note taking, effective close reading etc. The library is excellent and each subject area has its own subject librarian who really knows so much. Then there’s the careers department, the accommodation people, student finance and over all student services who help you with everything. Heater places a huge emphasis on student voice and the student union works really hard to make sure that students can have the best experience possible.
Chester is a lovely city too, it’s vibrant and full of activities to do with a cinema, theatre, all the high street shops, restaurants that offer food from everywhere! And it’s only a 10 minute walk from the main uni campus where most of the uni accommodation is. Basically, Chester offers everything! We have open days really frequently, January s is this Saturday. Why not come along, have a look round and talk to the staff and students who will be able to tell you more about the course?

Aside from talking about Chester university specifically, in order to help you decide which university out of your short list to go to I would really recommend going to have a look around them all, see how you feel in each one. Remember it’s somewhere you will be living for 3 years so you want to make sure that you like them! Talk to the staff and students and see what each uni has to offer you. If you get chance, go and have a look around the larger area and the town the uni is located in. Does this have everything you need? If you’re going to be relying on public transport, what is this like? Would you rather live in a big bustling city or a more rural setting?

Have a good think about what you want from a uni and the surrounding area, make a list of questions you can ask the university staff and don’t be afraid to quiz them, they understand you have lots of questions and want to know as much as possible before you make an important decision.

I hope this helps, please feel free to ask if you want to know more!
Good luck,
Jess
PhD English
University of Chester

Reply 2

McGinger

Original post

by Doomotron

Unfortunately I've missed every open day over the past few months because I only started looking at choices a little while ago. As a result I have no idea what universities I want to go to. I've shortlisted five on UCAS, all acting courses. The universities are UCA in Farnham, Gloucestershire, Kingston, Chester and the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
while I'm sure all of those are okay (the only one I picked out specifically was Farnham because I have a friend who goes there), but are there any acting courses at other universities that could be worth me having a look at? I'm not interested in conservatoires at all; I've heard a lot about them and they're far beyond what I could cope with. On the other hand, if any of the courses on my shortlist are an absolute no-go do tell me. I'm going to have a look at reviews for the courses but any opinions would be appreciated too.

If you want to be an actor, go to Drama School and do a professional acting training.
Universities do not train actors - those degrees are for the academic study of theatre and performance.

Reply 3

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Doomotron

If you like UCA then other art universities with acting courses might be better than massive multifaculty universities like UCLan/Kingston?

Have you looked at AUB, Falmouth or NUA? Chichester is also worth a look although they're not an art specialist they are a small, teaching focused university with a good range of acting degrees.

Or courses like Essex, Royal Central, Rose Bruford, LIPA?

These will all be practical acting degrees - and in the case of some like AUB and Central you'll be studying alongside costume, performance design and makeup (and for AUB Film) students which gives more opportunities to experience what it's like to be in a professional acting environment. Unfortunately many drama schools are scrapping their undergraduate courses.

Reply 4

Chester Student

Original post

by Doomotron

Unfortunately I've missed every open day over the past few months because I only started looking at choices a little while ago. As a result I have no idea what universities I want to go to. I've shortlisted five on UCAS, all acting courses. The universities are UCA in Farnham, Gloucestershire, Kingston, Chester and the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
while I'm sure all of those are okay (the only one I picked out specifically was Farnham because I have a friend who goes there), but are there any acting courses at other universities that could be worth me having a look at? I'm not interested in conservatoires at all; I've heard a lot about them and they're far beyond what I could cope with. On the other hand, if any of the courses on my shortlist are an absolute no-go do tell me. I'm going to have a look at reviews for the courses but any opinions would be appreciated too.

Hi there,

I don't know a lot about the acting course here at the University of Chester, but hopefully I can help a little!

It's great to hear you're considering Chester as one of your options. I love it here. It might help to have a look at social media pages, as you can get some insight as to what goes on. I study geography, and have had some incredible opportunities during my time here, such as studying abroad. There are so many other exciting opportunities to take up, like work-based learning, placements, and internships. I'm sure you have already, but I've linked the course page here for you to browse.

Chester is a fairly small city compared to others, but still has everything you need. The town is stunning, and is packed full of history, parades, and community. It's also super simple to travel to Liverpool and Manchester, and the incredible views in North Wales are only a short drive away. If you're still looking for other courses, it might be helpful to consider what kind of place you'd like to live in and type of campus you'd prefer.

I'd also recommend using each university's 'Chat to a Student' feature, which I've linked here for Chester. It's useful for directly contacting current students on the course you are interested in, and you can ask them specific questions and learn more about their experience!

I hope this helps, and best of luck,

Isabella
Fourth-Year Geography with a Year Abroad Student

Reply 5

UniLancashire

Official Rep

Original post

by Doomotron

Unfortunately I've missed every open day over the past few months because I only started looking at choices a little while ago. As a result I have no idea what universities I want to go to. I've shortlisted five on UCAS, all acting courses. The universities are UCA in Farnham, Gloucestershire, Kingston, Chester and the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
while I'm sure all of those are okay (the only one I picked out specifically was Farnham because I have a friend who goes there), but are there any acting courses at other universities that could be worth me having a look at? I'm not interested in conservatoires at all; I've heard a lot about them and they're far beyond what I could cope with. On the other hand, if any of the courses on my shortlist are an absolute no-go do tell me. I'm going to have a look at reviews for the courses but any opinions would be appreciated too.

Hi @Doomotron, 😊

It's great to hear that you are looking to study acting at university and that we are one of your choices. To help with your decision here, I'd recommend having a look on each university website for more information. Along with reading each course description to see if this aligns with what you want to get out of the course, make sure to look at things like the support that is offered to students and what events, societies and clubs there are to get involved with outside of your studies. Make sure to explore your accommodation options and having a look at the cost to living for students in each area as this will vary. We have a whole page dedicated to cost of living at university. Consider your access to transport and how far away from campus you will be living.

It will also be very useful if you can to go and explore each town or city to see if this is somewhere you can see yourself being for the next few years. If the campus isn't located next to the town or city, take a trip into town to get a feel for the commute and lifestyle. Don't worry about missing previous Open Days as there are many coming up this year that you can go along to, our next one at our Preston Campus is Saturday 21 June 2025. Open days are a brilliant way for you to explore your course in more depth and speak with current students and academics.

Our BA (Hons) Acting course
Although I haven't studied acting myself, I thought I'd share some more information about the course:

•

You will learn in our Media Factory which is purpose-built for the creative and performing arts and will have access to TV studios, radio studios and digital editing suites, motion capture suite and professionally equipped studio theatre spaces. Our acting classes as well as performances will take place in our beautiful St Peter’s Art Centre.

•

For your final year, you will receive individual professional mentoring and appear in live industry showcases in Manchester and London. Your online portfolio, including headshots, showreel and voice-reel will feature on the University’s digital showcase which is our very own graduate portal.

•

Some of our acting graduates include Mandip Gill (Yasmin in Doctor Who), Nathan Wood (Waterloo Road), Channique Sterling Brown (Coronation Street), Freddie Bolt (Ackley Bridge) and more

Our Preston campus

Our BA (Hons) Acting course is taught over three years at our Preston campus. Campus is conveniently located right in the heart of Preston city centre making it super easy for students to access independent shops, high street favourites, cafes and bars. Campus is also surrounded by lots of beautiful green spaces where students take time out to relax and unwind in. We are located only a 10minute walk from Preston train station offering great links to the rest of the UK.

If you can, I'd invite you to come and have a look around the city. We do run student led campus tours throughout the year that you can come along to and ask any questions you have whilst getting an idea of what student life is like here. More information on these tours can be found here and we hope to welcome you to campus soon.

Hope this helps and if you have any questions, please do let me know 😊
Sarah

Reply 6

Doomotron

Thanks for all your input. I've decided to swap Kingston out for Chichester's film acting course, partly influenced by the cost of living in London. I'm going to keep an eye out for open days for all five universities.

Reply 7

welcometotherock

I've heard good things about UCLAN's acting courses.

They are all lower ranked universities but if you are looking at doing something like going into teaching etc after your degree will be ok.

Reply 8

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Doomotron

That sounds like a good choice. Chichester is a bit of a hidden gem of a city and university.
Good luck and do let us know how you get on and where you end up!

Reply 9

Doomotron

Original post

by PQ

That sounds like a good choice. Chichester is a bit of a hidden gem of a city and university.
Good luck and do let us know how you get on and where you end up!

My family's favourite one is Chichester but I haven't heard anything from them yet. Gloucestershire got back to me within two days of sending my application; my audition is in early February so I'll have to rush to learn monologues. Chester asked me to book an audition today, but annoyingly they require the monologues to be a minute longer than the other universities I applied to. My two are both just under two minutes, so I'm willing to chance it.

It's going to be a very expensive venture going to all these universities since I'm not close to any of them. It's really annoying that we're in a very tight spot financially that won't be fixed for a number of months.

Reply 10

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Doomotron

Annoyingly it doesn't look like chichester have a rep on TSR.
In which case it's worth emailing them on [email protected] or [email protected] (or both) and asking if they offer any financial support for travel costs when attending auditions.

Chester offer a travel bursary: https://www.chester.ac.uk/student-life/fees-and-finance/bursaries-and-scholarships/visit-us-travel-bursary/

So do Glos: https://www.glos.ac.uk/outreach/#funding

It's worth claiming where you can to help with visits for auditions...helps money go a bit further for those you can't claim for!

Reply 11

Doomotron

Original post

by PQ

Annoyingly it doesn't look like chichester have a rep on TSR.
In which case it's worth emailing them on [email protected] or [email protected] (or both) and asking if they offer any financial support for travel costs when attending auditions.
Chester offer a travel bursary: https://www.chester.ac.uk/student-life/fees-and-finance/bursaries-and-scholarships/visit-us-travel-bursary/
So do Glos: https://www.glos.ac.uk/outreach/#funding
It's worth claiming where you can to help with visits for auditions...helps money go a bit further for those you can't claim for!

I already saw Chester's one, but I'm not eligible for it. The description for Gloucester's one suggests that it's paid to the school or college of the person applying, but I am not in school or college anymore.

Reply 12

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Doomotron

I'd definitely send them and chichester an email asking if anything is available

And even if you're not eligible for the full thing from chester they offer this: https://www.chester.ac.uk/student-life/fees-and-finance/bursaries-and-scholarships/applicant-day-travel-expenses/
Which should be offered to auditions as well as applicant days

Reply 13

Kingston Grace

Official Rep

Original post

by Doomotron

Unfortunately I've missed every open day over the past few months because I only started looking at choices a little while ago. As a result I have no idea what universities I want to go to. I've shortlisted five on UCAS, all acting courses. The universities are UCA in Farnham, Gloucestershire, Kingston, Chester and the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
while I'm sure all of those are okay (the only one I picked out specifically was Farnham because I have a friend who goes there), but are there any acting courses at other universities that could be worth me having a look at? I'm not interested in conservatoires at all; I've heard a lot about them and they're far beyond what I could cope with. On the other hand, if any of the courses on my shortlist are an absolute no-go do tell me. I'm going to have a look at reviews for the courses but any opinions would be appreciated too.

Hi,

I understand that you have changed your mind on Kingston since you original post, however I am still happy to answer any questions you have about Kingston and give you an insight into what it is like.

We also have upcoming open days throughout the year that you could still attend, as well as offer holder days once you have applied and received an offer. You can find information about these on the website Open Days and events - Kingston University London

In terms of the cost of living in London it is somewhat cheaper as it is not central London and you get more of a student loan, however this is definitely something to research into as it is a big factor for going to university. I have a post about how much I spend in a week/month that you might find useful Monthly Spending Expenses as a Kingston Student

Here are a couple other posts that you may find useful
An Overview of Kingston's Four Campuses
My Deciding Factors For Choosing Kingston University

I hope this helps :smile:

-Grace (Kingston Rep)

Reply 14

Doomotron

I had my audition for the University of Gloucestershire, which went well and they offered me a place an hour or two after the audition. I'll probably turn it down; Gloucester itself isn't nice and the course just doesn't seem professional enough. Chichester is the only university that has yet to offer me an audition. I will probably call them up and ask what's happening. Unfortunately, while the course may be good, the location isn't. I'm reliably told by my family that lives near there that, like Gloucester, it's a bit of a dump. Assuming I'm invited for an audition, I'll have to take a look for myself to see what it's like. I don't want a repeat of what happened in Gloucester, being harassed by drug addicts at night.

The University of Central Lancashire has been constantly sending me emails. They are the only one to offer self-tapes, but I'd need to learn a new monologue from a new play (not possible, as they require them by Sunday) and I'm not convinced the area will be nice enough anyway. The course seems to be quite good, but there are issues. All the other universities I applied for asked for a contemporary monologue, for which I'm performing a part from The Philanthropist by Christopher Hampton. I have been told that 1970 is generally considered the beginning of 'contemporary' for plays, but Central Lancashire want a play from after 2000 that I'm familiar with... Of which there are none. I've booked an audition for the 5th of March but I doubt the area will be very nice, and as the course (according to their website) is very competitive I think it would be sensible for me to withdraw the application completely and not bother.

Chester seems to be a nice place (I'll have to wait and see though), and I have an audition with them next. Unfortunately my assumptions about how nice the places are have so far been almost entirely incorrect. Farnham seems decent, so 2/5 might be my final score.

Note: This is an updated version of my last post. Because it's quite different to what I posted before I thought it would be best to re-post it entirely.

Reply 15

University of Chester

Original post

by Doomotron

I had my audition for the University of Gloucestershire, which went well and they offered me a place an hour or two after the audition. I'll probably turn it down; Gloucester itself isn't nice and the course just doesn't seem professional enough. Chichester is the only university that has yet to offer me an audition. I will probably call them up and ask what's happening. Unfortunately, while the course may be good, the location isn't. I'm reliably told by my family that lives near there that, like Gloucester, it's a bit of a dump. Assuming I'm invited for an audition, I'll have to take a look for myself to see what it's like. I don't want a repeat of what happened in Gloucester, being harassed by drug addicts at night.
The University of Central Lancashire has been constantly sending me emails. They are the only one to offer self-tapes, but I'd need to learn a new monologue from a new play (not possible, as they require them by Sunday) and I'm not convinced the area will be nice enough anyway. The course seems to be quite good, but there are issues. All the other universities I applied for asked for a contemporary monologue, for which I'm performing a part from The Philanthropist by Christopher Hampton. I have been told that 1970 is generally considered the beginning of 'contemporary' for plays, but Central Lancashire want a play from after 2000 that I'm familiar with... Of which there are none. I've booked an audition for the 5th of March but I doubt the area will be very nice, and as the course (according to their website) is very competitive I think it would be sensible for me to withdraw the application completely and not bother.
Chester seems to be a nice place (I'll have to wait and see though), and I have an audition with them next. Unfortunately my assumptions about how nice the places are have so far been almost entirely incorrect. Farnham seems decent, so 2/5 might be my final score.
Note: This is an updated version of my last post. Because it's quite different to what I posted before I thought it would be best to re-post it entirely.

Hi @Doomotron

I just wanted to wish you luck for your audition at Chester! 🙂

You should have received all the information you need from our admissions department, but if you have any questions feel free to drop them in this thread and I'll come back to you.

We appreciate that it can get really expensive travelling to multiple universities for interviews. I think you mentioned not being eligible for the Travel Bursary so I'd recommend reaching out to the admissions department - [email protected], to see if there is any other support that you could apply for. I certainly cannot promise anything, but it can't harm getting in touch with the team to double check.

Once your audition has finished at Kingsway, I'd recommend trying to spend a little bit of time in Chester city centre, if you haven't already. It sounds like location is an important factor to you, so I think exploring the city would be a great way of getting to know Chester and the university better.

Best of luck!

Becky

Reply 16

Edgyboy111

Original post

by Doomotron

I had my audition for the University of Gloucestershire, which went well and they offered me a place an hour or two after the audition. I'll probably turn it down; Gloucester itself isn't nice and the course just doesn't seem professional enough. Chichester is the only university that has yet to offer me an audition. I will probably call them up and ask what's happening. Unfortunately, while the course may be good, the location isn't. I'm reliably told by my family that lives near there that, like Gloucester, it's a bit of a dump. Assuming I'm invited for an audition, I'll have to take a look for myself to see what it's like. I don't want a repeat of what happened in Gloucester, being harassed by drug addicts at night.
The University of Central Lancashire has been constantly sending me emails. They are the only one to offer self-tapes, but I'd need to learn a new monologue from a new play (not possible, as they require them by Sunday) and I'm not convinced the area will be nice enough anyway. The course seems to be quite good, but there are issues. All the other universities I applied for asked for a contemporary monologue, for which I'm performing a part from The Philanthropist by Christopher Hampton. I have been told that 1970 is generally considered the beginning of 'contemporary' for plays, but Central Lancashire want a play from after 2000 that I'm familiar with... Of which there are none. I've booked an audition for the 5th of March but I doubt the area will be very nice, and as the course (according to their website) is very competitive I think it would be sensible for me to withdraw the application completely and not bother.
Chester seems to be a nice place (I'll have to wait and see though), and I have an audition with them next. Unfortunately my assumptions about how nice the places are have so far been almost entirely incorrect. Farnham seems decent, so 2/5 might be my final score.
Note: This is an updated version of my last post. Because it's quite different to what I posted before I thought it would be best to re-post it entirely.

Hi if you're looking for a nice place your best bet is applying to Drama School. Regardless though you will have familiarise yourself to new speeches if necessary. I had to learn varies new speeches for different schools before receiving an offer and getting onto a course. I had to find somthing after 2010. If you're looking for somthing from year 2000 you need to find a book. Your best bet are monologue books that's where I found mine which got me into a good school. (if you have an iPhone try I-Book)

You can ask schools for extra time to learn monologues too at there discretion as one of the schools did that for me with a movement piece I had to devise. I originally spent two years at university studying acting and left this year to pursue drama school because after studying a summer course at RADA I realised the standards at university is no where near the same as drama school.if the other schools are not up to your standard you should maybe consider learning new material if needed and apply for drama school. There are a few that still are taking applications.

Reply 17

welcometotherock

It sounds like you are a bit underprepared for entry this year. Drama schools expect you to have looked up their audition requirements and have prepared suitable monologues BEFORE you apply. Maybe defere a year and look at auditioning for next year.