Explore the world of stage, screen, audio and digital media while developing the skills you need for a future in acting and performance.
Develop high-level skills as an actor and performer.
Research, plan and execute professional-standard performances across stage, screen, audio and digital media.
Create a multi-media digital portfolio to showcase your work.
Engage with communities and challenge real-world issues.
Take part in our final-year degree showcase festival.

Develop your flair in everything from screen acting to working with texts, audio performance, and physical and spatial practices. You’ll master production processes and apply your learning by creating and starring in your own public performances. You’ll also work with real-world briefs commissioned by external clients, helping to challenge global issues.

At the end of your studies you’ll produce and deliver your own professional performance for public presentation at our Changemakers Festival – our festival of theatre and performance.

Work placements

In your second year you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a short placement with an external organisation. Here you’ll use your newfound skills to address real-world challenges, connect with diverse audiences and make a difference in your community. 

Live projects 

We work with a range of local theatres, filmmakers, performance companies and arts organisations on live briefs and production projects. Recent industry collaborators include Sheffield Theatres, Forced Entertainment, The Sheffield Creative Guild, Theatre Delicatessen, Stand and Be Counted, John Godber and Doppelgangster. 

Staff often produce performances for local and international festivals – and invite students to take part in them, giving you the chance to work alongside professionals. In recent years students have participated in Off the Shelf Festival, the Venice Biennale, The Melbourne Fringe Festival, Season for Change, and Woodland Trust’s Tree Charter. We also collaborate with Hallam’s Department of Film and Media Production to create additional screen acting opportunities for you to take part in. 

Field trips 

Throughout the course you'll have the opportunity to go on a wide range of trips. We're ideally located close to Sheffield Theatres and regularly see performances there. You'll also travel to see work in other cities in the north, nationwide and where possible internationally. In previous years students have attended international theatre festivals in Prague, Venice, Berlin and Paris.

Networking opportunities 

We have excellent links to local actors, companies and venues – which we encourage you to take advantage of. These include Sheffield’s Equity Branch, the Making Room network at Sheffield Theatres and the Sheffield Creative Guild, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet, talk with and work alongside people from the industry.

Find out more about our Acting and Performance course, from opportunities and student experiences.

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

You’ll take part in interactive lectures, seminars and practical workshops led by creative professionals, practitioners and expert academics. You’ll also have the opportunity to work with industry partners on ‘live brief’ projects. As you develop experience, you’ll create a professional portfolio designed to prepare you for a range of careers – whether that’s in the creative industries, drama education or postgraduate study and training.

You learn through

• acting and performing
• taking part in production projects
• practical workshops
• working in an ensemble
• attending performances
• work-based learning 
• independent study
• real-life projects for external clients
• interactive lectures and seminars
• extracurricular activities, including theatre and performance productions

Our graduates have gone on to rewarding and fulfilling careers in

• the acting profession
• the creative industries
• film production
• marketing, communications and media
• education
• community theatre 
• creative arts facilitation
• the charity sector
• journalism
• public-facing professions such as HR, training and customer service

Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for

• The Royal Shakespeare Company
• Sheffield Theatres
• Forced Entertainment
• Third Angel
• GrowTheatre
• Blowfish
• Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. 
• Open House Pictures 
• their own companies and creative enterprises – set up with support from the university

 

UCAS points

• 112

This must include at least two A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:

• BBC at A Level.
• DMM in BTEC Extended Diploma.
• A combination of qualifications, which may include AS Levels, EPQ and general studies

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

GCSE

• English Language or English Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalent

• Access - 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2 from a relevant Open College Network accredited course

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent.

If you are made an offer, you will invited to a Course Open Day. At Course Open Days there will be the opportunity for you to come along to an open workshop to hear more about the course, meet some of the staff and, if you wish, you can perform for us. If we like what we see, we may be able to give you a lower offer.

We consider other qualifications from the UCAS tariff. Applicants with alternative qualifications or a combination of qualifications and work experience are also considered. We welcome applications from people of any age. Please contact us for further advice.

Meeting the qualifications on the entry criteria does not guarantee you a place. You should ensure that you submit a personal statement and reference as these are considered as part of the selection process. Guidelines on personal statements and references can be found on the UCAS website.

Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 or over at the point of enrolment.

Important notice:

The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

 

Year 1 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Acting Ensemble	40	Coursework
Media For Acting And Performance	40	Coursework
Performance Commission	40	Coursework

 

 

Year 2 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Acting With Texts	40	Coursework Practical
Bodies, Space, Performance	40	Coursework Practical
Ideas Into Action	40	Coursework

 

Year 3 Optional modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Placement Year

 

Final Year Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Change Makers' Festival	60	Coursework

 

Elective modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Advanced Acting Techniques	20	Coursework
Drama In Education & The Community	20	Coursework
Making Comedy	20	Coursework Practical
Performance Lab	20	Coursework