Undergraduate Course
Certificate of HE Acting for Stage and Screen
Overview
The details
Acting for Stage and Screen
W410
October 2026
Full-time
What is the Certificate of HE Acting for Stage and Screen?
East 15’s Cert HE Acting for Stage and Screen is a nine-month, industry-focused course designed to give you a practical foundation in acting for both live and recorded performance.
You can undertake this course at either our Loughton Campus or Colchester Campus. While the Loughton variant starts in October and lasts nine months, the Colchester variant starts in January and condensed nine months of training into six months. Both offer the same training content and are eligible for the same funding opportunities.
Why this course
This course can be your first year of professional actor training. It can prepare you for further study, either at East 15 or at other acclaimed acting schools in the UK or internationally.
Through focused conservatoire training, you’ll develop your performance skills, deepen your understanding of the acting process and widen your intellectual curiosity. You’ll build your skills in acting as well as voice, movement, singing, improvisation, text work, devising and audition technique. You will learn the differences between acting for stage and screen, how to produce an effective self-tape and how to performance a piece in an in-person audition.
Who should apply
- Aspiring actors who want to kickstart their professional acting training
- Students interested in a range of performance formats
- Ambitious performers ready to explore both stage and screen
What you’ll learn
You will develop your technique in classes, as well as through the following performance project modules:
- Narrative and storytelling: Explore what it is to be part of an ensemble, to develop presence and spontaneity, and to communicate with your fellow actors and the audience
- Classical: Develop your storytelling skills further and apply them to heightened text
- Performance project: An opportunity to apply everything you have learnt in a larger performance space
You will have regular opportunities outside of your studies to make the most of the wealth of plays, music and dance performances, as well as to visit art galleries, films and historic sites nearby.
Your learning experience
- Professional and specialist facilities: Access our Loughton Campus' dedicated studios, rehearsal rooms, on-campus theatre and screen-acting facilities or Colchester Campus' Lakeside Theatre, workshops, IT suite, seminar rooms, and specialist teaching spaces
- Experienced staff: Training delivered by industry professionals with extensive experience
- Performance: Take part a directed production in a dedicated performance space
Careers and outcomes
During the year, you can audition for places on one of the acting courses at East 15.
East 15 Cert HE students also frequently go on to train at other drama schools or at university drama departments across the world. You will be supported to choose and prepare scenes for audition purposes.
What is Loughton Campus like?
- Ideal location: A calm, scenic campus just a 10-minute walk from Debden Underground station, offering fast access to Central London’s theatres and culture
- Hatfields estate: A beautiful Georgian house surrounded by landscaped grounds, home to acting studios, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces
- Corbett Theatre: A medieval tithe-barn converted into a fully-equipped performance venue, with a busy student production calendar
- Roding House: A 15-minute walk from Hatfields, featuring 10 rehearsal studios, a sound recording space, video editing suite and costume department
- Unit 4: A purpose-built facility for the Stage Management department, 15 minutes’ walk from Hatfields House, housing a large workshop, paint shop, prop shop, prop storage facilities and teaching spaces
What is Colchester Campus like?
- Green campus setting: Located within 200 acres of parkland, offering an inspiring environment for creative practice, just two miles from Colchester city centre
- Performance and study facilities: Home to the 200-seat Lakeside Theatre, the Albert Sloman Library, rehearsal spaces and creative study areas
- Student life: Cafés, restaurants, street food outlets, SU bar, social spaces, sports centre, gym and a weekly food market
- Accommodation: A range of University of Essex student accommodation options within walking distance of campus facilities
- Future-focused facilities: East 15 is developing bespoke studio spaces and specialist performance facilities at Colchester to support conservatoire-style training
Why we're great.
- Intensive development of acting skills in stage and screen
- Audition technique coaching for stage and screen roles
- Preparation for further and advanced acting training
“The Cert HE course was one of the best years of my life, I learnt so much in a very intensive, safe and fun environment. The course is headed by an incredible teaching staff who all have or still work in the industry, giving the best possible up-to-date advice and training.”
“It’s an excellent course for anyone wanting to gain groundwork in actor training or wanting to further their studies to a three-year course at drama school.”
Nadia Devereux, Certificate of Higher Education in Acting for Stage and Screen (who went on to study BA Acting at East 15)
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Course content
Course structure
Our training draws upon more than 60 years of East 15 traditions, while being continuously updated to stay in tune with the latest developments and emerging opportunities in the acting industry.
Each week, you'll receive training in key skills such as voice and movement alongside practical sessions in acting. Through classes, workshops and small projects, you'll explore topics such as rehearsal techniques, audition technique, approaches to text, screen acting, acting honestly under imaginary circumstances, and devising performances.
As you progress through the course, you will build upon what you've learned each term, honing your craft. Our carefully selected modules will enable you to develop a grounded and personal process, equipping you to succeed in future studies.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.
Components and modules explained
Components
Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.
Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.
| Status | What this means |
| Core |
You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted. |
| Core with Options |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted. |
| Compulsory |
You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
| Compulsory with Options |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
| Optional |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.
Modules
Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.
In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.
Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:
| HR | 100 | 4 | FY |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The department or school the module will be taught by. In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History. |
The module number. |
The UK academic level of the module. A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course. A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules. A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification. |
The term the module will be taught in.
|
Teaching
Term 1
In the first term you explore different means of communication imaginatively while learning about the roots of the craft of acting. You will:
- Focus on acting, voice, singing and movement studies
- Work on audition technique
- Storytelling through performance.
Term 2
Your second term focuses on:
- Continued focus on acting, voice and movement studies.
- Understanding different approaches to analysing texts (including heightened, poetic and classical texts and characters)
- Working on Devised Theatre
Term 3
Your third term brings together the skills and experience you have developed through the course. You will:
- Have dedicated sessions on acting for camera
- Take part in a final, directed performance
Entry requirements
Clearing entry requirements
We currently have places available in Clearing across a range of our courses with most offers expected to be made at CCD - CDD (88 - 80 UCAS tariff points) or equivalent. A complete breakdown of expected Clearing entry requirements, by course, is available on our Clearing entry requirements page.
We consider each application individually and requirements may be lower for some of our courses, so please still get in touch if your grades are below those outlined.
English language requirements
If you do not require a student visa to study in the UK then we will assess your English language proficiency/ability at your interview or audition.
If your first language is not English and you are an international student that requires a student visa to study in the UK then you will need IELTS 5.0 overall, with a minimum of 4.0 in each component. IELTS tests must be a UKVI IELTS taken at an approved IELTS test centre on the UKVI’s list, available here, in order to be accepted for entry to below degree-level courses. Tests must be taken within two years of the start of your course.
Please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
Fees and funding
Home/UK fee
£9,790
International fee
£22,600
If your course has the option to include a placement year or study abroad, and you choose to do so, you will pay the following:
Placement year
20% of your standard tuition fee for that year
Study abroad
Full year abroad
15% of your standard tuition fee for that year
Single term abroad
Standard tuition fee
Scholarships and financial support
There may be scholarships, bursaries or discounts available to help with the cost of this course.
Fees and funding guide
What's next
Open Days
Our events are a great way to find out more about studying at East 15. We run Open Days at our Loughton Campus each year, which give you the chance to:
- tour our campus
- get answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, student support and more
- meet our students and staff
We also occasionally offer course-specific Visit Days, which enable you to discover what each course has to offer.
2026 Open Days (East15 (Loughton) Campus)
How to apply during Clearing
Once you’ve checked that we have the right course for you, applying couldn’t be simpler. Fill in our quick and easy Clearing application form with as much detail as you can. We’ll then take a look and get back to you with a decision.
If you already hold an offer from Essex
Please don't reapply through Clearing. We'll review your existing application using our Clearing entry requirements. If you're worried about meeting your offer or would like to change course, please contact our Admissions Team on ugquery@essex.ac.uk.
Interviews
We don’t require an interview for most of our courses that are available through Clearing, however there are some courses such as those in our School of Health and Social Care and East 15 Acting School where an interview (or audition) may be required. If this is something that’s required for the course you have applied for, we’ll email you with all of the details.
Visit Loughton Campus
You’ll be in intensive training at one of the most prestigious and internationally respected conservatoires in the country, gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a career in the performing arts. You'll arrive at a campus with state-of-the-art study and performance facilities, nestled in the stunning grounds of a country house.
But fear not! It’s not all work and no play at East 15 Acting School in Loughton and you're just a short step away from the bright lights and big city of central London.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.
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