BA (Hons) Available in Clearing

Acting

Reach your potential on this conservatoire-style course designed to build your creative skills including live performance, screen acting and motion capture.

Start date
September 2025
Location
Cambridge
Duration
3 years
UCAS course code
W410

Start date
September 2025
Location
Cambridge
Duration
4 years with foundation
UCAS course code
W412

Start date
September 2025
Location
Cambridge
Duration
4 years with placement
UCAS course code
W411

Grow into a confident and versatile performer. Focus on fundamental acting skills, voice and movement, screen acting, and how to rehearse for a full production.

Work with external directors, experiment with Physical Theatre, learn about new performance technologies, and extend your experience with screen acting and classical text.

In your final year, our Immersive Performance module and Showcase will allow you to demonstrate your high-level skills in acting.

Why ARU?
  • Train in professional-standard facilities including our professional 260 seater Mumford Theatre

  • Gain experience with new technologies and alternative platforms to become a dynamic and responsive actor

  • Develop your technical and production skills in specialist facilities for recorded and live performance

  • Graduate with a professional CV, headshots and showreel

  • Collaborate with other creative students, experienced tutors, community partners and industry professionals

  • Get involved with Cambridge's many acting troupes and events

Logo: THE Awards 2023
 

Study at an award-winning university

We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

Careers

We've done different shows with different instructors, and they all have different methods to how they direct. I think that's invaluable.

Trey Augustus, BA (Hons) Acting

Throughout your degree, you’ll develop creativity and technical competence in a range of acting media, including both live and recorded performance.

You’ll develop transferable skills such as research, teamwork, communication, problem solving, and resourcefulness – invaluable in all areas of the creative industries as well as other sectors.

You’ll also have opportunities to take part in collaborative projects, like our HMS Belfast project with Imperial War Museums to commemorate D-Day, and 60 Second Shakespeare with the Globe theatre, London.

Teaching and modules

There are many different ways of using acting skills in a whole variety of media. So our aim is to prepare students for that multi-platform world.

David Jackson, Course Director

In your first year, you’ll be introduced to effective working methodologies in both performance and production, producing a studio-based collaborative live performance, developing core physical and vocal skills and being introduced to acting for the camera.

In your second year, you’ll work with a professional theatre director as a member of a production company, creating a theatre piece for live performance.

Finally, our Immersive Performance module, Showcase and Major Project will allow you to demonstrate your high-level skills in acting and focus specifically on your employability.

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1
  • Studio Performance
  • Voice and Movement
  • Introduction to Screen Acting
  • Fundamentals for Acting
  • Into ARU
Year 2
  • Ruskin Module (15 credits)
  • Performance Project
  • Physical Theatre
  • Performance Technologies
  • Performing Shakespeare
  • Storytelling on Screen: Collaborative Project
Year 3
  • Immersive Performance
  • Showcase
  • Undergraduate Major Project
Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1
  • Foundation in Humanities, English, Media, Social Sciences and Education
Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year
  • Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries
Module details

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Facilities

As part of your studies at ARU, you’ll have access to all of our creative industries facilities including:

  • full-size professional theatre on campus
  • dedicated drama studio, with highly flexible black-box performance space
  • green screen and motion capture equipment
  • large rehearsal space with audio playback facilities, piano, LED lighting rig, portable dance mirrors, gym mats and rostra/modular staging
  • Students’ Union-run dance studio
  • podcast and video capture system.

Entry requirements

Fees and funding

Apply for Acting

Clearing places available

UK students, apply through Clearing for a September 2025 start

UK students

Call our Clearing line

01245 686868

UK students

Apply through UCAS for 2026

International students

Apply direct

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