
“I knew I always wanted to be a performer but university gave me opportunities to explore the industry I want to go into.”

Whether it’s treading the boards, or taking your mark in front of a camera, our acting and performance degree gives you the freedom to follow your dream, with real-world experience in the industry.
This exciting course gives you the chance to get some key professional acting skills, gain theoretical knowledge of stage and screen acting (with no formal exams), and build a performance portfolio to showcase your talents in a supportive learning environment. You'll learn essential acting techniques for stage and screen, as well as body and voice skills, approaches to the history of performance, and theories of performance.
You will be able to perform in film projects and theatre productions in public venues, and learn from an experienced, welcoming, and helpful teaching team who have been professionally engaged in stage and screen acting and directing.
Optional modules in your final year also enable you to specialise in areas such as directing, performing arts in education, stage combat, or music theatre, further broadening your career pathway.
Thanks to the course team's links with industry, you’ll have the chance to gain practical experience working with local institutions on live briefs. Our industry links can create exciting partnerships with professionals - guest tutors include actors, directors, and career guidance professionals who will share their unique insights.
Spotlight, the leading casting platform, and Equity, the actor’s union, worked together to create guidelines for drama school and university courses. Our course has been recognised as fulfilling these guidelines allowing our third-year students to become both Spotlight Graduate members and obtain Equity’s full membership.
During your studies you will be eligible for Student Equity membership at a much-reduced rate and Equity’s full membership upon graduation. This will allow you to access essential career resources such as information on casting, contracts, pay, and to create a personal profile on their website.
As a Spotlight Graduate Member, you can receive tailored events to help nurture your transition from training to the industry, as well as discounted membership for the first two years of your career.
During the third year of the course, one student is nominated by course staff to compete for the Spotlight Prize, with a chance to win a cash prize and perform at an industry event in front of an expert panel of judges.
In the final year, you can participate in an industry-standard performance showcase in London, providing the perfect opportunity to present yourself to the industry and develop professional networks that will help launch your career in the performing arts. Our showcase is listed on the Spotlight Performance Calendar, making it visible to casting directors and agents.
As an acting and performance student you will have opportunities to access a range of resources to support your learning, including HD cameras, radio suites, multi-camera studios, motion capture studio, and professional theatre venues.
You will be presented with the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular student-directed film projects which will develop your screen acting skills and provide additional footage that could be added to your showreel which is created as part of your industry ready marketing material.
Contact international admissions
Call: +44 (0)23 8201 5066Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukRecognised by:
This course has access to specialist facilities
You have the opportunity to study abroad in one of our partner universities for a semester on this course
If you have an appropriate Level 5 qualification, you can top it up to a degree in just a year
After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent
Solent’s Acting and Performance degree is ideally suited to students with a passion for performing arts and a desire to work in a performance related area. Strong communication and team building skills make our students highly desirable for employers across of range of industries. Applicants ideally will have some previous experience and/or qualifications in drama and will be required to present an audition.
The nature of this degree prepares students for a career in the performing arts. Our alumni have gone on to post-graduate studies, teaching, cruise ship entertaining, theatre and/or screen acting, theatre in education, children’s’ entertaining and more.
Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.
Read more stories“I knew I always wanted to be a performer but university gave me opportunities to explore the industry I want to go into.”
Course tutors are academic and/or industry professionals whose knowledge and contacts provide you with an invaluable resource for understanding contemporary trends and opportunities in the performing arts. In addition, visiting lecturers provide further insight into current workplace practice. Our focus on employability ensures that you leave us with the skills and confidence to realise your career ambitions.
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Students have access to a variety of rehearsal spaces including rehearsal rooms and studios with sprung floors, as well as a 64-seat flexi-form space on campus, which can be used for live performances.
Students will be able to use the University's collection of musical equipment, including a piano, electronic keyboards and portable stereo systems, as well as technical equipment including HD cameras, rifle mikes, tripods and monitors, radio microphones, a mixing desk, and Dictaphones for interviews and research. Edit suites equipped with Final Cut Pro are also available for use. On-site library facilities include a range of industry specific books, articles, journals, DVDs and audio-visual resources to support research.
Perform in a play in front of an invited audience. This module takes the acting skills and techniques that you have learnt learned during your First Year and puts them to work with a director and other actors.
Through this theoretical module you will explore the historical development of acting techniques and practitioners, study their impact on the performing arts, and explore their differences and similarities.
Free, release, and develop your body and voice by focussing on the techniques of leading practitioners. This practical module teaches the fundamental physical and vocal skills needed by the modern actor.
This module begins the process of honing your acting skills to a professional level. It’s your opportunity to focus on advanced acting techniques using a range of popular and influential practitioners.
This module helps you to understand where acting and theatre have come from. It explores the history of live performance from early ritual through to the 21st century, considering how audiences, performers, theatre spaces and play-texts have changed and developed over time.
This module introduces you to a range of screen acting genres and styles whilst developing your awareness and application of the technical challenges associated with working on camera.
Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out moreThe student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
Access Solent provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
UK creative industries generate more than £100bn a year to the UK economy. It is considered one of the fastest growing industries and continues to outperform the wider UK economy.
Based on the Arts Council England report commissioned from the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR), the arts and culture industry in 2016 was responsible for:
The growth in mixed-media and multi-media is presenting new exciting opportunities and challenges for the sector.
The tuition fees for the 2024/25 academic year are:
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
The 2024/25 other costs are:
Compulsory costs:
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
This video 'Student finance - bitesize' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
This video 'Student funding essentials - Student Funding for 2023' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
Please select an option below:
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
Applicants from outside the UK will be required to send electronic auditions.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please refer to our course entry requirement statement.
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
Applicants from outside the UK will be required to send electronic auditions.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at our 2023 course entry statement document.
Contact international admissions
Call: +44 (0)23 8201 5066Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukFull-time
Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.
Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.
Your application should reach UCAS by 31 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS Code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.
Find out what happens after you apply
Contextual offers
Solent endeavours to offer learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds. When we receive and review an application, we take into consideration the context and personal circumstances of applicants when making a decision, which means our advertised entry tariff could be reduced.
Top-up route:
We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses. Please contact our admissions team for more information: contact us
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
Solent’s acting and performance degree will prepare you for a career in the performing arts. Suitable roles for graduates include:
The Solent Futures team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
Find out moreAll students at Solent University have access to a range of specialist support services. Whether you are having financial difficulty, need additional help with academic skills or want advice on setting up your own business you'll find that help is always on hand.
Most of our specialist support services are based around the Student Hub, a central space where you can access all the information and support you may need during your time at University. The Student Hub is the first point of contact if you have any queries relating to your course, including questions about your timetable, options, and assessments and extenuating circumstances.
We work in partnership with the University to build a sense of pride and confidence in your Union, University and student experience.
Find out moreThinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get 20% off their postgraduate study.
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