A Drama degree or Drama School? For students it’s the degree

Students interested in drama acting and the performing arts have said that they would rather chose to study a degree in Drama at a good university rather than go to Drama school with reasons including:

• Studying Drama at university is an academic route as opposed to going to Drama school.
• There are more options with a degree – 70% of students don’t use their degree once they graduate. So you could study drama and decide at the end of the degree not to go into it.
• By going into Drama school, you specialise, but by going to university, you keep your options open and a student can be more well-rounded.

One TSR user, called pixiebee, says:

“Unless you have your heart set 110 percent on acting I would not bother even applying to drama schools. If you can get into somewhere prestigious and do a degree in drama it is better and if at the end of the three years you decide acting is still what you want to do you can apply to drama school after.”

However there are some advantages to going to a drama school, especially if a student has their heart set on performing, such as:

• Being specially trained at an institution which is highly prestigious and gaining professional qualifications. It means that a student would be well prepared for the performing arts world and acting roles, and you can be taken seriously.
• Being able to have established contacts with agents.
• Being able to to be seen by casting directors.
• You can even do degrees – such as a BA (Hons) in Acting – at drama school so you don’t have to go to university.

Students are faced with decisions like this every day, whether it’s Xbox or Playstation, Sociology or Psychology, students are seeking support and advice from their peers on The Student Room.

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