How to apply

Overview

The details

Course: Acting (International)

UCAS code: W83A

Start date: October 2025

Study mode: Full-time

Duration: 3 years

Location: East15 (Loughton) Campus

Based in: East 15 Acting School

East 15 Acting School's BA (Hons) Acting (International) provides a complete preparation for careers in acting, tailored specifically for international students.

Built on the methodologies that have established East 15 as a highly respected drama training institution, BA Acting (International) combines core actor training techniques with the skills required to produce bold, international work.

The course develops your talent, imagination and skill, so that you graduate as a knowledgeable, professional actor. You'll develop a strong creative approach, a solid process, and gain the unique experience of being part of an international performance community shaped by artistic collaboration at the school.

We offer a broad range of scholarships and bursaries to support your studies with us. EU students are eligible for the Undergraduate EU Scholarship, which offers a discount of £5000 on annual tuition fees for each year of study. European students from non-EU countries (including Norway, Iceland and Turkey) could be eligible for a regional scholarship worth £3000. We have more scholarships available based on your country of residence or academic record. To explore these and check your eligibility, visit the University of Essex scholarships and funding page.

This course is taught at our picturesque Loughton Campus, which is located on the edge of East London. Our campus is just 30 minutes away by London Underground from the capital city's West End theatre district.

East 15 Acting School also offers a popular one-year programme focused on the fundamentals of acting. Our full range of undergraduate courses also includes programmes tailored to specific performance disciplines, as well as courses in Creative Producing and Stage Management.

Why we're great.

International cohort of students from across the world.
Intensive skill training by leading UK and international faculty.
Industry-ready intensive actor training by leading practitioners.

Our expert staff

Our training is by professionals and for professionals, allowing our graduates to work successfully across the globe.

Our international, outstanding teaching faculty is made up of professionals from all areas of live and recorded performance.

Learn more about our staff here.

Specialist facilities

Our Loughton Campus is perfectly located, providing access to both the rich, cultural diversity of London and an attractive and peaceful setting in which to study.

We are just a five-minute walk from London Underground station, Debden, where you can travel in only thirty minutes to Central London, West End theatres and mainline train stations including the Eurostar.

We have three sites at our Loughton Campus – Hatfields, Roding House and Unit Four. Hatfields is a beautiful Georgian dower house, set in five acres of lawns with orchards, flowerbeds and a small lake, providing an idyllic atmosphere for study, relaxation and performance.

Just a short walk from Hatfields is Roding House, a £1.3 million facility containing 10 rehearsal rooms, a green room/café, a sound recording studio and a video editing suite, and our costume department.

Next to Roding House, Unit Four is a £1.5 million facility which is home to the Stage & Production Management department. The Unit contains a large workshop, paint shop, prop shop, prop storage facilities and teaching spaces.

Our on-site Corbett Theatre is named in honour of Harry H Corbett, a key member of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop and early benefactor of East 15. It is used extensively for student productions and is a practical training hub for our BA Stage and Production Management students.

The building is a medieval tithe barn that was dismantled and transported to Hatfields in the 1960s. These unusual origins create a unique performance space with a special atmosphere. Renovated to include full technical facilities, tiered seating for 130 people and fitted dressing rooms, the theatre provides an excellent resource for public productions, while the adjacent Bar and Café provides a social meeting point for students and staff.

Your future

Graduates of East 15's BA Acting (International) course regularly appear in stage, film, TV and radio productions throughout the world including; Stranger Things (Netflix), Killing Eve (BBC America), Skam (Denmark), Kentän laidalla (Finland), Vrata do Vrata (Serbia) and many more. Our graduates are currently working professionally in the UK, USA, Lithuania, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, China, Canada, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Portugal.

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

Applicants will need to submit a video audition and, if successful, complete a recall audition/workshop. Applicants should also have, or expect to have:

A-levels: EE, or 32 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 full A-levels.
BTEC: PP, or 32 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels.
Combined qualifications on the UCAS tariff: 32 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 full A levels or equivalent. Tariff point offers may be made if you are taking a qualification, or mixture of qualifications, from the list on our undergraduate application information page.
T-levels: Pass with E in core .
IB: two Higher Level certificates with 33
IB Career-related Programme: We consider combinations of IB Diploma Programme courses with BTECs or other qualifications.

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Undergraduate Admissions team at ugquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.

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.

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or specified score in another equivalent test that we accept.

Details of English language requirements, including component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here

If we accept the English component of an international qualification it will be included in the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.

English language shelf-life

If you require a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.

Pre-sessional English courses

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Pending English language qualifications

You don’t need to achieve the required level before making your application, but it will be one of the conditions of your offer.

If you cannot find the qualification that you have achieved or are pending, then please email ugquery@essex.ac.uk.

Additional Notes

If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College

Structure

Course structure

The BA Acting (International) course is dynamic and unique. The ethos of the programme combines 60 years of East 15 tradition, European influences and modern developments in actor training that embrace the changing nature of the performance industry. The course has a strong focus on creating new work with a global focus.

Each week, you'll receive training in key skills such as voice, movement and singing, alongside practical sessions in the art and craft of acting. Through workshops and small projects, you'll explore topics such as rehearsal techniques, approaches to text, acting honestly under imaginary circumstances, stage and screen craft, and voice acting.

As you progress through the course, you will build upon what you've learned each year, honing your craft to launch your professional career. Progression is carefully sculpted to challenge and support you as you gain skills and experience, steadily growing in aptitude, confidence and mastery of your art. In your final year, you'll take part in sessions on professional preparation, that will prepare you for a career either in the UK or abroad.

Our carefully selected modules will enable you to develop a grounded, professional and personal process, equipping you to succeed in a demanding profession.

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:

100

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.

AU: Autumn term
SP: Spring term
SU: Summer term
FY: Full year
AP: Autumn and Spring terms
PS: Spring and Summer terms
AS: Autumn and Summer terms

COMPONENT 01: CORE

EA111-4-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA111-4-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: CORE

EA112-4-SP

(15 CREDITS)

View EA112-4-SP on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: CORE

EA113-4-SU

(15 CREDITS)

View EA113-4-SU on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 04: CORE

EA114-4-SU

(15 CREDITS)

View EA114-4-SU on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 05: CORE

EA115-4-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA115-4-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 06: CORE

EA116-4-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA116-4-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 07: CORE

EA117-4-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA117-4-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 08: CORE

EA118-4-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA118-4-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 01: CORE

EA218-5-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA218-5-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: CORE

EA212-5-SP

(15 CREDITS)

View EA212-5-SP on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: CORE

Devising and Theatre Making

(15 CREDITS)

This second year core module is for students on the BA Acting (International) course. Students will gain experience of a range of play-making techniques through three structured projects, spread over the three terms. Typically, students work on each project in preparation periods of three to four weeks, culminating in a presentation towards the end. Students will be given opportunities to understand processes and methods for creating performance involving dramaturgy, playwriting, devising, directing and creating performance for camera. Emphasis is placed on establishing a firm base for company or ensemble over the course of the year. Students are encouraged to contribute to the work of the ensemble beyond the limits of their own acting performance. Students will gain an understanding of the different roles and responsibilities in creating performance.

View Devising and Theatre Making on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 04: CORE

EA214-5-SU

(15 CREDITS)

View EA214-5-SU on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 05: CORE

EA215-5-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA215-5-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 06: CORE

EA216-5-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA216-5-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 07: CORE

EA217-5-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA217-5-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 08: CORE

Development of Acting Methodology

(15 CREDITS)

This second year acting module takes place in the first term and continues the text and exploratory work developed at the end of Year 1. By the beginning of the second year students are expected to be sufficiently prepared to undertake textual evaluation and research as part of their performance preparation work. Through a variety of plays and projects the second year of training aims to develop and extend the methodologies learned in first year as well as integrating technical skills into rehearsal and performance with gradually increasing consistency.

View Development of Acting Methodology on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 01: CORE

New Plays Project

(15 CREDITS)

This module builds on the creative writing work you have been doing in your second year Contextual Studies module. New plays are selected by the module tutors from your own self-authored work, to be staged in a production for an invited audience, usually in a studio performance or an external theatre venue. Through the process of staging the New Plays you are given opportunities to take on a range of roles and responsibilities, for example, of writer, actor and director, experiencing and learning the flexibility and versatility that characterises the professional contemporary theatre practitioner. You put into practice the taught acting skills you have developed during Years One and Two and test the boundaries of your own creativity by applying your skills to the interpretation of untried texts. The process of staging the productions provide students with experience of collaborating with writers and directors. By the end of the module you will have participated fully in creating and staging a piece of original, self-created work.

View New Plays Project on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: CORE

EA319-6-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA319-6-FY on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: CORE

EA313-6-SP

(15 CREDITS)

View EA313-6-SP on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 04: CORE

EA314-6-AP

(15 CREDITS)

View EA314-6-AP on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 05: CORE

EA315-6-SU

(30 CREDITS)

View EA315-6-SU on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 06: CORE

EA316-6-AP

(15 CREDITS)

View EA316-6-AP on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 07: CORE

EA317-6-FY

(15 CREDITS)

View EA317-6-FY on our Module Directory

Teaching

Year 1

Your first year focuses on introductory acting, voice, articulation, singing, movement and contextual studies. You explore your own creativity through co-operation, responsiveness to others and the ensemble. During your first year you will:

Work on objective self-assessment, development of observational skills and imagination, and re-creating through observation, research and improvisation
Understand how to act and react to emotional upheaval through a wide variety of texts

Your first year includes Verbatim Theatre and Contemporary Scene Study with a focus on British Plays of the 1950s-70s, and culminates in a major ‘Living History Project', in which you research, identify with and experience other people's lives through different periods of conflict.

Year 2

Your second year is a journey of maturation as the focus moves from improvisation to text, and from the examination of self to the exploration of character. We put emphasis on integrating vocal, movement and singing skills into a role and the opportunity to build your own characters independently is combined with honing these technical skills. During your second year you will:

Adapt to the differing demands of project and director and take responsibility for your own creative work
Explore the textual and psychological complexities of Shakespeare and Elizabethan Verse Drama
Develop acting skills required for film, television and radio work
Take responsibility for your own creative work

Year 3

Your final year focuses on the demands of professional performance before graduation and entry into the industry. Throughout the year you will:

Extend your performance repertoire through professional productions that demand research, advanced acting skills and full commitment
Devise, produce and perform work for our unique ‘IF' Festival. A multi-day event dedicated to original work by BA Acting (International) students which is live-streamed and open to industry guests
Work with industry professionals to further develop your skills in recorded media, resulting in footage for your own showreel
Learn from specialised, professional development workshops aimed at introducing you to the administrative aspects of your future profession: including audition technique, CV and letter writing, self-marketing and promotion
The year concludes with an Industry Showcase for an invited audience of influential agents, casting directors, film, voiceover, TV and theatre directors. East 15 continually liaises with industry professionals to ensure the format for the event accords with the changing landscape of the industry.

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

£9,250 per year

Additional costs for materials and field trips of up to approximately £650 per academic year. Equipment lists are reviewed annually.

International fee

£21,525 per year

Additional costs for materials and field trips of up to approximately £650 per academic year. Equipment lists are reviewed annually.

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

Home/UK fees and funding information

International fees and funding information

What's next

You can apply to our full-time undergraduate courses through either the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) or the University of Essex Direct Application Form.

If you choose to apply through UCAS, you can find step-by-step guidance on how to fill your UCAS undergraduate application. UK students (as well as some EU and international students) who are still in school or college may apply through their institution. Your school will help you complete and submit your UCAS application. The option to apply through UCAS is also available to independent UK and international applicants.

The UCAS code for the University of Essex is ESSEX E70. The individual campus codes for our Loughton and Southend Campuses are ‘L' and ‘S' respectively.

In addition your UCAS or University of Essex application, you must also submit an East 15 Application Form.

For full details on how to apply, please visit the Applying for an Undergraduate Course page on the East 15 website.

Apply now

Auditioning

Applicants to this course must submit a Round 1 video audition as part of your East 15 Application Form. If successful at this stage, you’ll be invited to a Round 2 audition, which may take place on our campus, online, or at a regional or international audition.

Please note that we charge a £15 audition fee for Round 1 auditions. Fee waivers are available for eligible applicants. You can find out how to pay the audition fee or check your eligibility for a waiver on the Applying for an Undergraduate Course page.

Our staff regularly travel to conduct auditions worldwide. So if you’re not based in the UK, it’s likely that we may hold auditions near you. These will be one-on-one auditions. You can find the locations and dates of these auditions on our International Auditions page.

Offers for this course are made only after successful auditions.

For details of what to prepare for our auditions, please visit our Preparing for Auditions page.

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.

Find out more

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.

Find out more

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.