Applications Open:
25th February 2026
10am
Application Deadline:
Summer 2026
Course Start Date:
September 2026
Length of Course:
September ’26 – September ’27
Age Requirement:
21+ at the start of the course
One Year MA in Acting
Formally known as our One Year Acting Course, this new degree course shares the same DNA as our renowned One Year Course.
This dynamic and intensive course takes place across four terms in a full calendar year. It is designed for those aged 21 and over who can discover and realise their potential as a creative artist over a year of training.
You will be taught in group classes, developing your professionalism, collaboration and technical skill through ensemble learning and individual tutorials.
We expect you to be bold and fearless in your willingness to understand yourself and be prepared to be open and curious whilst experimenting with new methods of working. Throughout your training you will have opportunities to collaborate with leading directors, writers and producers.
The year culminates in London where you will perform in London venues to the public and to an invited industry audience.
Course validation pending. See below for more information.
Validation Process
The One Year MA in Acting is still undergoing its validation process with the University of West London, but what does that actually mean?
Validation takes place before a course starts, and means that it’s undergoing development. This process of development is an essential part of course creation, and enables a course to carry an award such as a Master’s. All aspects of the course – such as content, structure, how it’s delivered and how students are assessed – are considered during validation.
The aim of validation is to ensure the most innovative and industry-focused practices are in place as part of your learning. Our new academic partner, the University of West London, conducts this validation as part of its due diligence.
It doesn’t mean the course is at risk of not going ahead, but it does mean that the course content is subject to change until this process is complete. This is why we have not named specific module types on this page.
Why Train at OSD?
Year Group Size
Tutors and Staff
Agent Representation
Industry Connections
Gradautes of the One Year Course include:
Course Structure
The training at OSD draws from the approaches and techniques of Stanislavski, Uta Hagen, Michael Chekhov, Kristin Linklater, Laban and Lecoq, among others. Below, you will get a feel for how we support you in building your creative self.
The course will cover a number of modules, but the names for those modules can change. You will always study a total of 180 credits.
The first term is a thorough exploration of the basic principles of acting, along with work on freeing the voice and building confidence in your physical expression.
You will develop confidence in your imaginative skills through improvisation and the playful exploration of your physicality.
In this term, you will be fully immersed in all aspects of the theatre rehearsal room in preparation for a full-scale performance in front of students and tutors at the School.
Alongside rehearsals for your first production, you will continue to build your skills and confidence in voice, movement, screen and dramaturgy.
You will perform in two theatre productions in this term, including a full-scale public production at the North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford with a full design team.
You will build your professional knowledge by meeting with bodies such as Equity and Spotlight, exploring the roles of agents and casting directors, and developing your business awareness.
You will also showcase and develop your skills by performing in a professionally directed and edited short film shot on location.
In July, you will relocate your training to London, marking your transition into the industry.
You will be in the rehearsal room working on a play for performances at a London venue. This will be followed by an intensive rehearsal for your Showcase performance to agents, casting directors and other key industry professionals.
A series of masterclasses and mock casting sessions with directors from theatre and film will develop your skills and experience of working with professionals in the industry.
Qualification
Master of the Arts in Acting
Completion of this course awards you with a Master of the Arts (MA) in Acting.
This course is validated by, and you will receive your degree certificate from, The University of West London
All graduates of this course are also eligible for Spotlight and Equity Membership upon graduation.
Fees and Funding
Postgraduate Master’s Loan
As a new full-time postgraduate student, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan. These loans are repaid after your studies.
A Postgraduate Master’s Loan will cover most of your course fees. Master’s Loans are capped and set by the government, and they are not means-tested. You do not apply for your funding with us at OSD; rather, you apply directly with the Student Finance authority.
There may be some differences in what you can apply for, depending on where you live.
There is more detailed information below, as well as on the Government’s website.
Fees - Academic Year 2026/2027
Fees for the MA in Professional Acting for the academic year 2026/2027 are:
£21,000
Master's Loan
Students enrolled on the One Year MA in Acting may be eligible for student loans to help cover their course fees.
Funding comes in the form of a Master’s Loan. The government caps the loan, and students need to apply directly to the Student Finance authority within the region they live.
The exact amount of the loan depends on the region you are applying from, so it’s very important to visit the student finance website for your regional authority. We have listed each of these pages below for ease.
Bursaries
We are aware that the Postgraduate Master’s Loans don’t cover the full cost of course fees, and that the amount you can apply for varies depending on where you live.
We want to ensure our training is accessible to as many people as possible.
To help improve access to our training, we offer a limited number of Oxford School of Drama Bursaries for students joining the One Year MA in Acting.
Bursary amounts are as follows:
7 x One Year MA Bursaries – £3,000 each
If you have received an offer to train at OSD and are interested in applying for a One Year Course Bursary, please get in touch with Laura, our Student Support Manager, at l.murray-white@oxforddrama.ac.uk, to request further information.
Audition Process
Application Fee: £15
Recall Fee: £30
We offer Free Auditions for those who need financial assistance in accessing Drama School Auditions. To be eligible for a Fee Waiver, you must be:
- A resident in the UK, and;
- Live in a household with an annual income of below £35,000
You can download an Audition Fee Waiver Application here. You must send this completed form BEFORE you submit your application form. Once you have submitted your Fee Waiver Application, we will go ahead and confirm the next steps with you directly.
Once you’re ready to submit your Fee Waiver Application, email auditions@oxforddrama.ac.uk with the completed form, and we’ll be in touch.
To apply for the One Year MA in Acting, you will first need to complete our application form.
On the application form you will be asked:
- To confirm your eligibility for the course
- To provide your contact details
- To list any dates you are unavailable to travel to the school for auditions – this is incredibly important; please be specific if you know you have limited availability
- To list your education history (remember, we don’t require academic qualifications; this helps the panel to get a fuller picture of your background)
- To write Something About You. Speak from your heart. We want to get a feel for who you are. Please don’t feel compelled to use AI to make your writing style differ from your natural voice.
- To name the character and play for each of your audition speeches
- To provide one link to your self-tape audition
- Please make sure there is no expiry date for viewing the link because we may want to access your audition at recall and waiting list stages.
You won’t be able to submit your application form until you have added a self-tape video link.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automatic email confirmation.
We offer free auditions to those who meet our eligibility criteria. To apply for a free audition, you must do so before making any payment on the application portal. We are unable to refund your audition fee once it has been paid.
If you meet the eligibility criteria stated here, you will be able to apply for your free audition below. The free audition form will only become available once applications for this course are open.
Eligibility
- You are a resident in the UK
- Your household income is one of the following:
- You are supported by two guardians with a combined gross annual income of below £40,000
- You live with a single guardian with a gross annual income of below £30,000
- You live independently (with no support from family or guardian) with a gross annual income of below £23,000
Please note – you will need to provide us with proof of your household income. You can attach more than one document, and proof can be in the following formats:
- Tax Credit Award Notice
- P60 or P60U for the previous tax year
- P11D
- SA302 Tax Calculation form
- Benefits Income Details form stamped by the benefits office
Before completing your application form, you will need to film and submit your self-tape, which will include our new Reflective Task.
You are required to provide us with a link to one video, which will be made up of your speeches and your reflective task to camera.
This video can be filmed in sections and edited together (ie, introduction -CUT- speech 1 -CUT- speech 2 -CUT- reflective task), but you must ensure each section is performed in one take. This is not a test of your editing abilities!
The video you submit should be between 8 and 10 minutes long. If your video is more than 10 minutes long, the panel will not watch the tape to the end.
This video will contain the following:
1. Introduction (10 seconds): Film a close-up of your face and tell us:
- Your name
- Which pieces you will you be performing
Change position by moving back from camera to a waist up shot and deliver the two pieces. Your eyeline should be to the side of the camera, not looking directly into the camera.
2. A contemporary speech (2 minutes total): From a 20th or 21st century play.
3. A contrasting second speech (2 minutes total): Contrasting means the character experiences a completely different journey, has different attitudes and/or expresses themselves differently. This contrasting speech can be any of the following:
- A second contemporary speech
- A classical speech from the 16th or 17th century.
- A spoken word poem
We have a list of suggested classical pieces. If you are unsure of what to choose, please click here to view the list.
4. Reflective Task
Please choose one of the following tasks to film on camera. This section should not be rehearsed or scripted; we want to get to know you and how you think.
Option 1: Recall and Storytelling – Humility. Reflect on 2–3 moments in your life where you felt genuinely humbled (not “embarrassed,” not “self-deprecating”, but rather about being changed or recalibrating what you think or believe. Choose one you can share publicly without compromising your own well-being and without exposing someone else’s private story or harm. If your chosen moment involves others, anonymise them and shift the focus to what you learned.
- Share as a story on camera ( 2- 3 minutes):Tell it as a story with:
- Context: where/when/what was at stake
- Turning point: the moment your view changed
- Aftermath: what you did differently after
- One line of insight: what humility means to you now
- Reflection: We invite you to end the story by reflecting on how this particular experience might have changed, shifted or shaped your practice as an Artist/Actor.
Option 2: Performance Forbidden. Imagine a near-future world, based in reality, where theatre/film/performance has just been made forbidden. You should choose one governing logic for the ban (e.g., “performance causes unrest,” “storytelling is surveillance-risk,” “emotion is regulated,” “public assembly is banned”). Consider what the absence of performance conjures in this world. Consider three aspects (choose any)
- Personal: identity, grief, joy, intimacy
- Social: community, dissent, memory, language
- Political: propaganda, control, public space, rights
- Aesthetic: imagination, metaphor, complexity, ambiguity
- Draft the case on Camera (2-3 minutes): Deliver a draft of the arguments you might give to a fictional “Restoration Council”, arguing for performance to be restored. Your draft should include:
- Governing Logic: outline the logic for the ban in your imagined world
- A definition: what performance is for (in this world)
- A risk acknowledgement: what performance can endanger
- A proposal: conditions of return (how it comes back responsibly)
- A closing appeal: one image / metaphor / line that stays with us
Both of these tasks are designed to give you the opportunity to engage creatively, reflectively and genuinely.
There is no “right” answer; we want to see how YOU engage with these provocations as an artist and encourage you to share your thinking and engagement in a way that emphasises sharing and connection.
There is also no expectation of personal disclosure beyond what feels safe, appropriate and meaningful to you. We value clarity of thought, simplicity, imagination, and connection without extractive storytelling: boundaries, consent, and care are part of the practice.
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Now you have your self-tape filmed, upload your video to Vimeo/YouTube making sure the link works for someone who isn’t logged in, that settings are set to either public or only set to private if people with the link can access it.
You will hear back from us within 4 weeks.
If your first round audition is not successful, we will email you to inform you. You will be able to call the School to obtain feedback on your audition from the Admissions Manager on the days/times stated in the email.
If you are successful in the First Round for the One Year Course, you will be invited to an all-day in-person Recall Audition at the School.
You will need to present two speeches at Recall Auditions. They should be:
- A contemporary speech – if you did two contemporary speeches in your Self-Tape, you can choose which one to present to the panel.
- A contrasting classical speech – from the 16th or 17th century. This can be Shakespeare or any other writer from that period; for example, John Ford, Ben Jonson, Mary Pix, Christopher Marlowe, Aphra Behn.
- NOTE: If you chose not to do a classical speech in your self-tape, we have a list of recommended speeches here.
This audition takes place in person at OSD. We cannot complete a recall audition online, so please be prepared to travel to Oxford at the time of application and let us know any dates you are unavailable before you submit your self-tape.
We will email you an attached PDF document that details the time and date of your recall. Be ready to confirm your recall audition by making the recall payment by the date requested in your invitation. This is usually within two working days of us sending the email.
Please come in loose-fitting clothing, something you are comfortable and confident in, and be prepared to work barefoot.
On the day you can expect the following:
- You will be offered a place in a free taxi from Oxford to the School should you need transport
- You will be greeted on arrival by either a member of our admissions team or a friendly OSD graduate
- Work closely with three members of the audition panel
- Take part in group workshops
- Work from some text you haven’t seen before
- Workshop one of your speeches in detail
- There will be tea, coffee, and water provided at the school
We want to see you working with others and connecting to the work through our central pillars of collaboration, creativity, and craft.
To prepare for your recall audition, please watch our In-person Recall Audition Tips.
If your in-person recall audition is successful, you will either be offered a place on a course or placed on our waiting list.
If you are unsuccessful, we will provide details on when to call the Principal for feedback from the Audition Panel.