Develop your individuality and prepare for a career in the creative industries with our Acting degree
Challenge your imagination and potential with our London-based Acting degree. The programme is flexible and offers you the chance to tailor your degree to suit your creative needs.
As well as your in-depth actor training, you will have the chance to learn how to write your own script, produce and devise your own films and theatre projects, and define yourself in today's creative industries. Our acting programme will prepare you to work across a range of media, including:
- theatre
- screen
- radio
- voiceover.
You’ll also get to participate in a West End showcase and a professional production in a local theatre or St Mary’s theatre. After your degree, you’ll leave with a showreel and voice reel, helping you to kickstart your career.
Why St Mary's?
Hands-on learning with experts
Our acting course is intensive. You will receive guidance from experts, such as:
- industry professionals
- directors
- actors.
Cutting-edge facilities
You will learn in our creative arts facilities, which include our:
We also have a 320-seat theatre in Twickenham called The Exchange.
Pre-UCAS auditions
These allow you to come and audition for us before making your final UCAS choices. Pre-UCAS auditions will be held on:
- Undergraduate Open Day - 27 September 2025
- Undergraduate Open Day - 18 October 2025
- Undergraduate Open Day - 29 November 2025.
Visit our pre-UCAS auditions page for more information.
UCAS auditions
- Saturday 28 February 2026 at 10am
- Saturday 21 March 2026 at 10am
- Saturday 18 April 2026 at 10am.
Visit our auditions page for more information.
Audition for free
Your audition – free and on-campus – will involve:
- a workshop
- an individual piece
- an interview.
Visit our auditions page for more information.
BA (Hons) Acting graduates
View the portfolios of our graduates.
Chat to us
Chat to us
Applying to university can be daunting, and you may have questions about applying, student life, or your course.
Course content
Modules
The core modules listed below outline the main core skill sets an actor needs to forge a successful career in the stage and screen industries. Outside of these there are options that you can take to help you develop skills that will give you a competitive edge in today's creative industry.
From screen writing to digital production, you can opt to study modules where you will be taught by our highly talented and experienced tutors. Within your three years you will be working with the filmmaking students forging collaborative relationships that may last into your professional careers.
Please note: it is possible that a module listed on the website will not be able to run due to reasons beyond our control. For more information please refer to our course information disclaimer.
How the degree is taught
Teaching methods
You'll be taught on our beautiful and historic campus located in Twickenham, London.
The course is predominantly (90%) taught through practical classes and workshops, as well as rehearsals for productions.
The Contextual Studies strand of the degree is taught in lecture seminars (10%) throughout the course and links to the work you do in practical classes, giving you a wider understanding of the theatre.
Class sizes are usually 20 to 25 students, and year three productions run in casts of 10 to 12.
Assessment methods
Acting, Performance, Voice and Movement modules (comprising 90% of the course) are assessed through practical exercises, performances and workshop demonstrations. The Contextual Studies modules are assessed by essay (two essays across three years) and graduate portfolio in your third year.
Feedback
We adhere to the university’s policy of providing feedback on assessments within 15 working days.
Entry requirements
2025 and 2026 entries
Start date
Standard offer
112 - undefined UCAS points
Contextual offer
96 UCAS points
About Contextual Offer:
Not sure about your grades? We consider all factors when reviewing your application, as we know not everyone has the same support to reach their potential. So we may make a contextual offer below the standard Tariff if you meet our criteria. Read more about contextual offers.
We understand that sometimes barriers you can't control get in the way of academic achievement. You are more than just your grades. We'll consider your application as a whole, taking into account things like:
- subjects studied at Level 3
- your GCSEs (or equivalent) profile
- non-academic achievements you mention in your personal statement
- your references and motivation.
International requirements
International students should check our country-specific pages for equivalents. If English is not your first language you will need to achieve an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section (or equivalent).
Auditions
All applicants for our BA (Hons) Acting programme are required to attend an audition on campus, unless you live outside of the UK. For more information, see our audition information page.
UCAS Personal statement support
Create your UCAS personal statement through our online builder and we'll email you a copy of your completed version at the end.
Further Information
For more information about entry requirements please get in touch.
How many UCAS points my grades are worth
A levels
A*
56 pts
A
48 pts
B
40 pts
C
32 pts
D
24 pts
E
16 pts
My qualification isn't listed:
If you can't find your qualification in this list please check the full list of UCAS tariff tables.
Fees & funding
Tuition fees
Home
£9,535
International
£17,100
*Please note: these fees are annual and may increase as detailed in our tuition fee variation disclaimer.
For more information on foundation year fees for home students, please check the details on our tuition fee page.
Information about tuition fees, student loans, and funding your studies can be found within our fees and funding section.
Additional costs
Your tuition fees will cover the cost of all mandatory elements of your programme.
Additional costs could be incurred depending on optional modules chosen and other projects undertaken.
For further information about additional costs please see our additional costs webpage.
Scholarships
Find out more about our range of scholarships and bursaries available to undergraduate students .
Living costs
A guide to your living costs has been created by our Student Funding Team.
Accommodation costs vary depending on whether you opt for an en suite room and on-site catering. Take a look at our accommodation options and the prices you can expect to pay.
Career opportunities
With our Acting degree, you will develop essential transferrable skills like teamwork, communication, and adaptability.
Upon starting your course at St Mary's, you will have access to our Career Services, which provides students and graduates with impartial advice on their career progression and development.
Previous students have secured careers as:
Apply now
If you're currently living in the United Kingdom and Ireland, you'll need to apply directly through UCAS. You can check our step-by-step application guide for detailed information.
If you are living outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland, you can submit an application directly or add St Mary's University as a choice on UCAS. Check our guideline for more information.
Interested in applying through Clearing?
Find out more about Clearing 2025 at St Mary's, and register your interest so we can contact you when you receive your grades.
Transferring from another institution?
St Mary's is happy to consider applications from students who wish to transfer from another university. If this is you, please follow these instructions.
More from St Mary's
Thinking about whether St Mary's is the right place for you? Come and visit it us on campus.
Find out more about the extensive support system available to you at St Mary’s.
Discover the many areas in which our academies are currently researching.
Discover what life is like on our London campus.