Drama Degree at Uni or Drama School?

[It's Showtime]

Hello! Not posted for a long long time but have had great support and advice in past, for which I am eternally grateful.

DS is in Y12 & would to continue his passion for Acting (has Agent & professional jobs under his belt)

He has a Uni day on Thursday, with workshops etc... With a few Unis.. He asked if there was a Drama course he can talk to them about or info. Has been told no & to pick something close to it for the day! So that appears to be English Media.

My question is : are the Uni Degree Drama courses as beneficial as going to a Drama School? Degree good to fall back on etc?

Apologies if this has been asked before (I tried a search, but please let me know if answered already)...... thanks in advanced NAPM'ers... xxx

[carriecrafts]

Hi, there was some discussion about the value of a degree on this thread that may be useful:

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=21476

[TotallycluelessMum]

We've recently been through this with DD. I think University drama courses are more theoretical, the study of theatre etc with far less practical skills development. Also, no agent showcase at the end. So from a pure acting perspective a drama school course ( many also provide degree courses) is arguably better.

However from a 'something to fall back on' point of view, the question is, are academic degrees from traditional universities looked on more favourably in the real (non acting) world? Also we do know people who have studied at traditional universities and been heavily involved in in extracurricular drama/mt as performers and in creative development. They've taken stuff to Edinburgh, toured, got agents and either done performing postgrads or gone straight into work. They have made great contacts and developed different talents, there's more of a mix of people so writers/directors/musicians working together rather than all killing each other for the main role!

It's tricky. DD in the end has a place at Cambridge studying English and Drama (if, big IF, she can manage to get the grades) and is going to go the degree/extra curricular drama route. I'm sure both routes could be argued for!

[cluelessmum]

We are looking for musical theater as that is what my dd loves. But many great schools have drama/acting degrees:


http://www.dramauk.co.uk/courses?course ... er_page=20

this is the list of schools we have come across. I think it covers most the undergraduate (degree) courses available.

good luck

[It's Showtime]

Hi, there was some discussion about the value of a degree on this thread that may be useful:

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=21476

Thank you very much.. ... Am actually interested in the benefits of uni drama degree v drama degree too.

[It's Showtime]

Thank you so much for such quick replies .. All so so useful....
(Edited my original post as I rambled on a bit! Sorry)

[pg]

If you are looking for the best training for a potential career as an actor - and consequently the courses that will be most highly regarded by employers - I would recommend sticking to the accredited courses (www.dramauk.co.uk).

Many of these are degree courses.

[It's Showtime]

Thank you again for links, websites etc.... Ploughing our way through......

[cluelessmum]

I talked to people who were in performing arts....they felt that their degree was useful as when they had kids come along he decided that he wanted to have the option of a more stable income. They used their drama degree as point to which they could do a very short second degree - my friend choose Law - he now is a lawyer by day and a DJ by night....One interesting fact that he told me is that 1/2 his office actually have drama degrees!

He thinks a degree made it possible for him to make a change easily. Another female friend of mine - was injured when she was performing musical theatre - she chose to retrain in hospitality - she never finished her first degree as she was cast in an international musical and dropped out to travel with it...but the fact that she had started a degree made it easier and shorter to get a degree once she decided that she was done with performing.

I guess the cautious side of me sees this value. People nowadays seem to change their minds more often - injuries happen....and its a very tough business. In my mind a degree could give them possible choices.

I also know of people who trained in a different degree first - some of them have bio engineering degrees - and then they changed their mind and went and did acting courses or degrees - they are actors at the moment but they also have a fall back option.

[paulears]

So few people really know what they want to do at the very time it's important. I'm a good example - I decided that Radio Frequency Electronics was a good idea. Even got me a job doing it. It was truly dull, and so were the people I was working with. I went back to what was a hobby/fun at school. Now I'm in my 50s, I'm lucky enough to do what I enjoy for money - but from Feb through to June, work is much thinner, so I went back to teaching as a supply teacher - Specialist subjects Music and Drama. Good job I have maths, sciences and age on my side - last week I taught science, maths, english, history, geography, french and german. Drama background is really handy as I don't speak german at all - hardly a word! However, I have a great accent and can read - you can work out the grammar from the guide questions - and not even the German speaking Teaching Assistant knew it was all gibberish to me!

I'd bet a Geography teacher wouldn't have even tried science! Performing Arts is good for so many things!

[It's Showtime]

Hello! Me again! Thank you soooo much for taking the time to reply to my original question. So..... DS has ordered and received prospectus's for those 1) accredited 2) eligible for student loan on BA Hons. Drama courses..
He can see there's UCAS points of 240 required ( there is a note attached to most saying exceptional circumstances etc...etc... May consider lower...
My Q is: since last post, DS has been accepted into NYT (thrilled for him!.. He's Busily fundraising etc) ..... Would this on his CV count towards any UCAS points in the same way music grades do, for example? ? I have done a general 'google' search, however before DS emails the drama schools to ask , thought I would ask the general q in case anyone else had this situation? Thanks in advance !

[TotallycluelessMum]

NYT doesn't count for UCAS points but does look great on a personal statement.
Well done to your DS, he'l have a fantastic time my DDs loved NYT.

[It's Showtime]

NYT doesn't count for UCAS points but does look great on a personal statement.
Well done to your DS, he'l have a fantastic time my DDs loved NYT.

Thanks TCM... V.useful... That'll spur him on to write a good one ( quite humble really... Didn't even tell his Head Of Drama at 6th form he got in to NYT!) x

[Hecouldshine]

Had a really interesting time chatting to some students at the Durham University open day in the little assembly rooms theatre yesterday. The extracurricular drama the students do sounds amazing. They had written,produced and acted in work, taken it to Edinburgh, performed it for the public and were planning on auditioning for drama schools after graduation. Apparently a number go every year. Durham have agreed to fund a Showcase performance for such students down in London, annually, if I understood it right, to which agents etc will be invited. This is the first year.
The only trouble is the high grades Durham demand for most of their courses!

[It's Showtime]

Thanks HCS - busily digesting mountains of prospectus (s) at mo. Have a couple open days to go to in the few weeks that some of the accredited Drama schools do. Also visiting uni to compare too so your info useful.... I'm getting there with understanding how it works... Taking it baby steps at a time. DS looking forward to NYT in August .. hes planning on asking qs there too with regard to further training if and when appropriate.