Take me to higher plains

Degrees, foundations degrees and the BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND)

It is increasingly common for people who work in theatre to have a degree. In fact it is said that people with degrees are now doing jobs that people who only had A levels were doing just five years ago.

Whilst many people in the industry have attended well-known theatre schools (see Conference of Drama Schools) and taken courses in vocational subjects like stage management or lighting, others graduate from ordinary universities and have studied everything from biochemistry to religious studies.

Having a degree demonstrates that you can stick at something, can handle pressure and deadlines, can get your head around complicated ideas and have a good level of written communication – all good skills for someone wanting to get into theatre.

The majority of courses last three years but there are also some four year sandwich courses where one year of your study will be spent in industry or learning abroad. A degree can rarely be completed in two years (an exception is Mountview’s two-year BA in technical theatre) although there are moves to make this ‘fast track’ approach more commonplace.

• Choosing a degree on Education Guardian

• The Stamford Test helps to match your interests and skills to degree subjects

A foundation for life

An alternative to the degree is a foundation degree, which differs in two main ways. Firstly, a foundation degree only lasts for two years, so you get your certificate and are out in the world of work faster. Secondly, foundation degrees were created in association with employers and are more vocationally based.

Foundation degrees can be studied at home, in the workplace or at a college or university. They are for people of all ages and experiences. There are no national entry requirements and each college sets its own criteria.

Foundation degrees are delivered in a variety of ways, such as part-time, full-time, work-based, distance learning and online learning. You can also study in the workplace, at an FE college, an HE college or a university if they offer the course.

On completion of a foundation degree, you have the opportunity to continue to an honours degree on either a full or part-time basis.

• Find out more about the foundation degree and see if it’s right for you

The boss of all BTECs

A BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) is another alternative to doing a degree. Classed as a level 5 qualification, it is equivalent to the first two years of a degree programme (with the third year of an honours degree giving you that oh so longed for level 6 status). Entry requirements usually include at least one A level.

The performing arts BTEC HND can either be studied as a general course or you can specialise in performance or production. If you choose performance, you will still have some backstage and offstage options. If you choose the production pathway, there will not be any performance requirement. Options include mask design, sound design and operation, rigging, costume design and stage management.

Other BTEC HNDs that might be of interest to people who want to work in theatre include music performance, music production and fashion & textiles.

Students can sometimes transfer from a successfully completed HND onto the final year of an honours degree course to top up their qualification.

A Higher National Certificate (HNC) is taught at the same level, but has a shorter syllabus and can be completed in one year full time or two years part time.

• More about HNDs and HNCs

Courses

Below we have identified some popular degrees and foundation degrees. If you are from an educational institution and find your courses are not listed, please email us.