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BA (Hons) Acting

  • Placement year available
How to apply Come to an Open Day

Introduction

Which ARU Acting, Drama and Theatre course is right for you?

Studying Acting at ARU

Our BA (Hons) Acting degree in Cambridge gives you the opportunity to train as an actor for stage or screen. Find out what makes this course unique with our short video.

Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2023 logo

Study at an award-winning university

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

Reach your full potential on this conservatoire-style course designed to build your creative acting skills. The course will introduce you to all the skills demanded of today’s professional, including live performance, screen acting and motion capture.

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Key facts

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Entry requirements

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Fees and paying for university

Facilities and showcase

Professional Facilities

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

  • Dedicated drama studio, with highly flexible black-box performance space
  • Full-size on-campus professional Mumford Theatre
  • 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

Futures Lab and workshop equipment

Our new digital workshop includes a variety of computer aided manufacturing machines, helping you learn up to date manufacturing and design processes as well as supporting many traditional techniques. These technologies include:

  • 3D printers and scanners - FDM printers; material-specific extruders; SLA Formlabs printers; SLS Formlabs Fuse1; structured light 3D scanners
  • 2D printing and cutting machines - laser cutters; Roland BN20 vinyl printer & cutter; Gerber substrate cutter; Mimaki TX300P sublimation printer.

Opportunities

During your time at ARU, you’ll have the opportunity to:

  • develop your technical and production skills.
  • put on productions on campus, in our Mumford Theatre, and at a commercial venue in Cambridge
  • volunteer with our Anglia Ruskin Community Theatre Company, and experience being part of a professional ensemble
  • gain valuable work experience through placements and live briefs.

Take a closer look

Our Creative Showcase shines a spotlight on what makes ARU creative and cultural – our spaces, places and people. Find out more about our community, the difference we make, the stories we tell, and the things that inspire us.

Meanwhile, Present is an exhibition that you curate for yourself. Explore the work of our graduating students in this eye-catching virtual degree show.

Alternatively, take a guided tour and meet our students.

Careers

Our conservatoire-style BA (Hons) Acting degree enables you to develop your creativity and technical competence in a wide range of acting media, including both live performance and recorded performance.

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

Graduation doesn't have to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to continue on to a Masters course, such as our MA Dramatherapy. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

You will need to dedicate time outside of your course to develop your employability, through placements, internships or volunteering or through our partner scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). You can evidence this experience on your CV and talk about it in interviews to give you that all important edge.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.

Apply now for BA (Hons) Acting

Life in Cambridge

Our friendly, bustling campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.

Our favourite places in Cambridge Did you know...? Facts about Cambridge Watch: Our Cambridge

Want to talk to someone?

Do you have a question that we haven't answered so far? Talk to our application experts. You can also ask our Student Ambassadors about life at ARU.

We're here Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm (please note we close at 3.30pm on the first and third Thursday of the month for staff training), and Friday 9am-4.30pm.

Prepare for your audition

Applying for one of our music or drama courses? Get information and insider tips on preparing for your audition.

Audition information by course

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