Just some of the future careers for graduates after completing the course include:
The course intends to encourage you to be multi-disciplined, academically curious, employer-experienced, and able to not only perform in the works of others but also create your performance work and engage with the business aspects of the performer’s life.
You will also be introduced to a range of performance-making disciplines, including:
• Acting Technique and Active Analysis
• Naturalistic Scripted Performance
• Developing Screen Acting
• Directing and Devising
• Performing Shakespeare
• Writing for Performance
• Performance Practice-as-Research
• Physical Theatre and Ensemble Practice
Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to stage at least three full-length productions – some of which will be to a fee-paying audience in a professional theatre setting, collaborating with your peers across the programme as well as those from other courses to stage and perform the highest quality of performance work. The course is delivered across three sites, each optimised to provide state-of-the-art resources relevant to your modules. This includes a home-from-home at Peterborough’s prestigious The Key Theatre, where you will be welcomed as a resident of the venue. You will engage with local, national and international industry through our team of research/industry-active expert staff, guest practitioners and several industry-focused modules. These will support you as you develop into a versatile, multi-disciplined performer capable of creating your performance pieces or working with others.
To view the course specification, click here.
Year 1 - Level 4
Year 2 - Level 5
Year 3 - Level 6
To be eligible for this acting degree, applicants need to have 88 UCAS Points, which should be from a related subject, and at least 5 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including English and Maths. Additionally, prospective students must undergo an audition as part of the application process.
Mature students or those who do not meet these standard entry requirements are encouraged to reach out to our admissions team to discuss alternative qualifications or relevant work experience that may be considered. The admissions team can be contacted on 01733 214466 or via email at admissions@ucp.ac.uk.
Further details on qualifications from the EU and overseas, the UCAS process, accreditation of prior learning, and guidance for those who do not meet the entry requirements are available at www.ucp.ac.uk.
When studying this course at University Centre Peterborough, we will timetable your lectures as two full days a week over two semesters per year (part-time will be one to two full days a week over two semesters per year)
We are able to offer this convenient timetabling to our students as we are a smaller institution so we can timetable our staff and resources more efficiently. Over the duration of your course, teaching will be delivered by the following methods:
Year one for full-time students (Level 4)
100% seminar/workshops
Year two for full-time students (Level 5)
100% seminar/workshops
Final year for full-time students (Level 6)
100% seminar/workshops
There are two semesters per year and each semester is up to 15 weeks which includes up to 12 teaching weeks and 3 assessment weeks. If studying full-time you will be in classes, seminars and tutorials for approximately 15 hours per week and will spend the rest of your time in independent study and extra-curricular activities including work placement if not embedded in your course.
We recommend that full-time students allow an additional 30 hours per week for additional study. The campus is open Monday to Friday throughout the year and you will also have 24/7 access to a virtual learning environment (VLE) with e-books, journals and abstracts plus teaching resources and interactive tools.
Timetables are available at least 6 weeks before registration and you can refer to the academic calendar for examination weeks and resit periods. The days of the week you study may change each year and in some circumstances one of the full days might have to be split into two half days, but we aim to keep these as full days where possible.
Throughout the duration of your course you will be assessed by the following methods:
Year one for full-time students (Level 4)
Performance 35%
Coursework 40%
Essay 25%
Year two for full-time students (Level 5)
Performance 40%
Coursework 50%
Essay 10%
Final year for full-time students (Level 6)
Performance 15%
Coursework (including placement) 60%
Undergraduate Major Project 25%
Your final degree classification is calculate as an average of all Level 5 and Level 6 credits with the Level 6 credits given twice as much weighting as the Level 5.
Visit our published documents and policies page for The Open University regulations.
In the final year of this course, all students will undertake a one-week (35 hour) work placement with an arts organisation to gain industry experience. This placement will be assessed and be used as part of your final degree classification.
As the course is timetabled as full days during the week when studied full-time, this also gives you the flexibility to find a work placement, internship or volunteering opportunity which will improve your employability after you graduate. All students are encouraged to identify work experience in addition to their work placement to aid their career development.
Ben Haslam is the Course Leader for BA(Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen degree at University Centre Peterborough. He has taught Higher Education Vocational Actor training since 2017 and has been in post at University Centre Peterborough since July 2021 where as well as being Course Leader he specialises in Naturalistic Acting Technique, Acting for Camera, Theatre Directing, and Performance Practice as Research.
Prior to teaching Ben gained experience as a professional actor and director working in plays, musical theatre, screen work, and corporate voice over. He still maintains a hand in the industry whenever possible through both performance and academic research.
Ben’s research portfolio includes an exploration of how do Higher Education Institutions inform the perception of what it means to be a ‘professional actor’, which was completed for his MA, and how Active Analysis can be used in the rehearsal studio to encourage individual decision making and creativity, whilst challenging student’s preconceived notions as to the purposes of education and training, which he presented at the S Word Academic Conference (Stanislavski: Director, Trainer, Pedagogue), in Athens.
His next research project intends to focus upon Stanislavski’s System through the lens of Disability as he seeks to explore how century old acting practices and techniques can be approached in an accessible and inclusive way and how representation within both the professional industry and training institutions can be reassessed and improved.
Qualifications:
Education MA – with proficiency in SEN (University of Exeter)
Postgraduate Certificate in Education – PGCE (Lancaster University)
Acting BA(Hons) (Lancaster University / Blackpool School of Arts)
7W73
Peterborough
September
The tuition fees for full-time undergraduate students for 25/26 will be £8,500 per year, which is lower compared with many other universities.
Fees for part-time study are pro-rata depending on the number of credits you are studying (i.e. 90 credits per year will be 75% of the tuition fee).
There may be additional costs for this course which are not covered by the tuition fee.
Full-time: 3 years (2 full days a week over two semesters per year)
Part-time: 4 years (1-2 full days a week over two semesters per year)
The Open University
88
Our partnership with The Open University ensures that a significant number of our foundation diplomas and undergraduate degrees are validated by one of the UK’s most respected institutions, enhancing the credibility and recognition of your qualification.
Each course validated by The Open University undergoes rigorous quality assurance checks, guaranteeing that our curriculum meets high academic standards and delivers an exceptional educational experience.
Through our collaboration with The Open University, students at University Centre Peterborough benefit from flexible learning options and expertly designed courses that support both part-time and full-time studies, tailored to accommodate diverse student needs.
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