Acting Degrees vs Diplomas

"Diploma" is one of the most overloaded words in actor training. It can mean a nationally regulated qualification, a vocational award that sits beside a degree, or a certificate the school invented for its own graduates. Each is legitimate in its own way, but they open different doors. Before comparing programs, find out which kind of award is on offer.

Three kinds of award

An academic degree is granted by a body with legal authority to award degrees, usually a university or a college with degree-awarding powers. In the UK, the framework that describes degree levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ), with a separate framework for Scotland; QAA publishes both in one document. In Europe, the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area sets out short, first, second and third cycles. Degrees are placed on these frameworks and described by learning outcomes.

A vocational or national diploma is an award issued under a national system, not necessarily by a university. It may or may not sit at degree level. Its value depends on the country, the awarding body and, if it is on a register, the level it is listed at.

A provider-issued certificate or diploma is the school's own completion award. Some multi-year conservatories work this way. The school says what you completed, but no external body has judged the award to be a degree. This is not a flaw, but it is a fact you need to know if you want to continue to a master's, apply for certain visas or work in a field that asks for a degree.

One course, two names

The same course can carry more than one award, and the wording matters. ArtsEd's page for its undergraduate acting course says students receive a City St George's, University of London award on successful completion, with the programme validated by that university. It also states that Trinity College London awards the Level 6 Diploma in Acting, which it describes as the same course for students funded through the Dance and Drama Awards scheme. So the training is the same course, but the award attached to it depends on the route.

Guildford School of Acting's page for its BA (Hons) Acting says entry is by audition and directs applications through the University of Surrey website, and describes the school as operating within the university's campus and semester structure. A student comparing these two UK courses would be comparing a degree validated by one university, a diploma route, and a school embedded in another university. You cannot judge any of that from the school's name.

How to read an award line

Look for three things on the program page:

• The exact award title. "BA (Hons) Acting" is a specific award. "Professional Acting Diploma" may be anything.
• The awarding body. If the page only names the school, ask who legally awards the qualification. Our directory records an awarding body only when a fetched page names it, and otherwise leaves it blank rather than guessing.
• The level or framework, if any. Frameworks such as the UK's FHEQ or the European framework describe where a qualification sits, but they describe the qualification's level, not the quality of the training or its equivalence to another country's award. Never assume that a "Level 6" or a "first cycle" award is interchangeable with a foreign degree. See BA vs BFA vs MFA vs MA for the national differences.

What our records show

In our records as of 16 October 2026 (198 providers, 317 programs), the qualification field breaks down as follows:

• Bachelor's degrees: 111 programs
• Master's degrees: 28
• Associate degrees: 4
• Diplomas: 21
• Certificates: 13
• Conservatory awards (a provider's own completion award): 6
• Programs with no award, such as ongoing classes: 134

Only 4 programs publish a national qualification level (for example an Australian, Irish or New Zealand framework level) with a source on the page. We record it exactly as published and never use it to relabel an award. A diploma stays a diploma even when a school calls it "equivalent" to something else.

For this reason we never present a private conservatory's certificate as a degree, and we do not force a foreign award into a United States equivalent. Browse the degree programs and the diplomas and conservatory courses separately, and read the qualification status page for how we label recognition.

Which one do you need?

• You want a master's later, or a career that asks for a degree: choose a degree, and confirm the awarding body.
• You want intensive, practical training and do not need an academic qualification: a diploma or conservatory course can fit, provided you accept that its award is what it is.
• You are studying abroad on a student visa: the level of the course may affect the length of stay allowed. GOV.UK, for example, says stays can be up to 5 years for degree-level courses and up to 2 years for courses below degree level for applicants aged 18 or over. Check the official page for your destination. See Studying Acting Abroad.
• You are trying acting for the first time: you probably need neither. Start with a beginner class.

A school may be excellent and its award modest, or the reverse. Choose on the training and the award together, and ask for the award in writing before you pay a deposit.