BA (Hons) Acting And Performance Bachelor's degree at Southampton Solent University
BA (Hons) Acting And Performance at SSU. You'll build a foundation across core theory, research methods, and applied practice, then shape your learning path through specialist options and an independent project.
About this course
This acting and performance degree will provide skills, experience and knowledge in performing on screen and stage, equipping you for a career in the creative industries. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Acting And Performance is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at SSU, based in East Park Terrace. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Performing arts graduates from this provider, 86% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 43% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £22,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Music & Performing Arts, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 86% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 4 modules
- Curtain UpCore
Module details
In this module you'll participate in a short, directed play/performance. Using relevant practitioners, acting styles, skills and methods (including voice, acting and movement) you will prepare, rehearse and polish a short play or section of a play in preparation for a live or filmed performance.
- The Actor's Technical ToolkitCore
Module details
This module develops the core practical skills essential to an actor's craft through integrated training in voice, acting, and movement/dance. You will cultivate vocal clarity, range, and expressiveness, building healthy and sustainable habits that support both spoken text and embodied character work. Acting classes introduce techniques for truthful performance, emotional connection, and imaginative storytelling. Movement and dance sessions enhance physical awareness, coordination, and versatili
- Improvise and DeviseCore
Module details
During this module you'll explore a range of strategies for generating new performance material in relation to the disciplines of acting, voice, and movement/dance. You'll engage in long form devising processes and explore methods to help devise new work in contemporary theatre. You will also hone your skills in the art of improvisation and build your ability to respond to stimulus immediately in a live circumstance.
- Performing in Digital MediaCore
Module details
In this module you'll develop the foundational skills required to act effectively across single-camera and multi-camera productions, exploring the use of green screen, location-based, and studio-based filming. You'll also develop microphone skills and techniques for audio-recorded productions such as radio drama, podcasting and audiobooks. Through practical workshops, technical simulations and studio-led exploration, you'll learn how to adapt your performance technique to industry-standard digit
Year two 3 modules
- Period Acting for Stage and ScreenCore
Module details
This module introduces you to core principles of period acting for both stage and screen, with a particular focus on Shakespearean performance and historical stylistic conventions. Through practice-led learning, you'll explore movement, voice, etiquette, and historical research to build authentic character worlds, while adapting techniques to the contrasting demands of single-camera screen work and live theatrical performance. Workshops, rehearsal labs, and filmed exercises align training with c
- The Big PlayCore
Module details
This module emulates what it means to put on a full show in relation to industry timeframes and standards. You'll work at pace to learn taught material, vocal work, script, and movement and blocking, and practice this in rehearsal settings and independently to retain this work to an excellent standard. You'll audition for specific roles and becoming a key member of the cast while developing the skills to work efficiently during an intensive rehearsal period to highly tune your acting, physical a
- Acting in the CommunityCore
Module details
During this module you'll apply your performance making skills to respond to a local or national community need by generating a new performance work tailored towards the specific requirements of a pre-selected audience demographic. The 'applied' nature of this exercise will encourage you to consider how theatre can be used ethically as a beneficial tool in improving the lives of those who engage with it.
Modules 3 modules
- DirectingOptional
Module details
This module gives you the opportunity to direct a scene from a play script/musical theatre libretto and present it to an invited audience/screening. The work you do on this module will give you an insight into what's required of the professional theatre director – working with actors, working with scripts, and organising people and time.
- Finding Your VoiceOptional
Module details
The number one fear among people is speaking in public. Learning how to use our voice is an important skill - it assists and secures our ability to tell a story. All aspects of performing and presentation require breath control, proper vocal technique, and posture - it's important to have an understanding of the anatomy of our voice box and mouths in order to create the sounds we intend to, as well understanding what keeps an audience engaged.
- Performing Arts EducationOptional
Module details
In this module, you will plan, research, resource and teach an observed drama lesson that is aimed at a specific and stated age-group and which will be accompanied by a detailed lesson plan and scheme of work. With its fun approach and its consideration of theory and practice, the module is great preparation for PGCE study and/or for teaching in a professional environment - perfect for anyone interested in using performing in teaching as a career, or in developing skills in leading workshops.
Final year 1 modules
- Industry ReadyCore
Module details
This module prepares you to transition from university training into professional acting. Through practice-led learning, you'll engage directly with industry-standard processes, including creating showreels and voice-reels, preparing online casting profiles, undertaking headshot sessions, and developing advanced audition techniques. You'll gain an understanding of current casting expectations, navigate digital casting platforms, and
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This acting and performance degree equips you with skills, experience and knowledge in performing on screen and stage for careers in the creative industries. A course like this typically begins with foundational performance training and contextual study, principal-study lessons, ensemble work and performance classes alongside musicianship and the history of repertoire. In your second year, you'll deepen technical ability through recitals and larger projects, whilst exploring composition, music technology and teaching skills for community engagement. By year three, you'll specialise in areas such as performance, composition, musicology or music production, alongside professional development in the business of music, funding, promotion and building a portfolio career. The degree culminates in a final recital, major project or dissertation.
Who it's for
You're drawn to performance and storytelling, with strong commitment to both technical craft and interpretive depth. You'll thrive on ensemble work and one-to-one feedback, and feel energised by regular rehearsal and production schedules. You're curious about how performance translates across different mediums and formats. This course suits you if you're self-directed, open to rigorous critique, and genuinely excited about the discipline itself rather than pursuing performance as a secondary interest.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 90% of Music & Performing Arts graduates are in work or further study 15 months after completing their degree. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. Graduate earnings across the field typically range from £20,000 to £28,000 in the first 15 months; after five years, figures stand between £19,975 and £28,200. The creative industries offer varied pathways, from theatre and film to broadcasting and arts administration, though the sector remains competitive. Your own network, location, and additional training will shape your prospects considerably.
University & format
This is a three-year, full-time Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree at Southampton Solent University, a University based on East Park Terrace. Instruction is in English. The university is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so degrees are nationally recognised. The institution has received a Gold award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| Other | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code WW47). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at SSU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Music & Performing Arts graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £22,000 | £18,000 – £24,000 | 30 |
| 3 years after | £18,500 | £14,000 – £23,000 | 155 |
| 5 years after | £22,000 | £17,000 – £28,000 | 160 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in music & performing arts · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Music & Performing Arts nationally
National figures for Music & Performing Arts graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Music & Performing Arts courses at the same study level.
Compared with 527 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 17% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 195; response rate: 52%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Music & Performing Arts graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Music & Performing Arts graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Orchestras & ensembles
- Schools & conservatoires
- Studios & venues
- Media & freelance
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Music & Performing Arts graduates.
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
86% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £22,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.2 out of 10: NSS 95.9% · in work or study 86% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Southampton Solent University
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around East Park Terrace
3,609 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Music & Performing Arts right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to SSU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £19,081 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check SSU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with SSU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at SSU
Music & Performing Arts at other universities
BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies (with integrated foundation year)Aberystwyth University
BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies (with integrated year in professional practice)Aberystwyth University
BA (Hons) Drama & Theatre StudiesAberystwyth University
BA (Hons) Creative Industries Futures (including Foundation Year)ACMCommon questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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