Acting & drama degree advice? 🎭
I’m thinking of doing a degree focused just on acting and drama (not dance or creative writing). I’m taking BTEC Drama (D*) and A level English Lit/Media (A). Any students who’ve done an acting or drama course – how practical is it and any tips for auditions or student life? 🎬
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post
Reply 1
Are you looking to apply to any Drama Schools/Conservatoires for Acting? Or is it more university based for more theoretical degrees? If it is acting you'd like to go and you are thinking of drama schools then you should join the Official Drama Applicants Thread 2026 https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7629406&p=101109790&page=15&viewing_newpost=1#post101109790. It is primarily more Drama Schools/Conservatoire chat, but it was set up to cover every type of acting/drama course 🙂
Reply 2
Original post
by hazyPoint58I’m thinking of doing a degree focused just on acting and drama (not dance or creative writing). I’m taking BTEC Drama (D*) and A level English Lit/Media (A). Any students who’ve done an acting or drama course – how practical is it and any tips for auditions or student life? 🎬
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post
I agree with the person who replied before me with the point about drama schools. If you needed a bit more information on what the difference is:
University drama courses are more theoretical and are comprised of lectures and lots of written work, as normal uni degrees are. Drama courses tend to be more practical than other uni courses, however are not as practical as drama schools. Drama schools are your best bet if you want to be an actor or performer in the industry. They are minimum 30 hours contact teaching time per week, and you are expected to do at least 40 hours a week (So around 10 hours of preparation, whether that's independent study or line learning or practice etc). At the end of a uni degree, you get a degree. At the end of drama school (look into the drama school as some (Oxford school of drama) don't offer degrees, instead "diplomas" which you can't become a teacher with etc) you get a degree and also industry specific training, alongside an agent showcase specifically for agents to recruit new talent.
Drama schools are also much more exclusive and difficult to get into. It can take several years to get in, as schools have acceptance rates between 1% and 2%, some even fall below 1%!
So if you want to be an actor, drama school is the way to go. If you just want a degree in drama, university could be your choice!
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