Associate Degree of Dramatic Art

The Associate Degree of Dramatic Art is a two-year qualification for people who want to act, direct or work backstage in theatre, film and television, and who want to start with a practical, hands-on course rather than a three-year bachelor degree. It's an AQF Level 6 award, which sits between a diploma and a bachelor degree. You'll spend most of your time in studios and rehearsal rooms, not lecture theatres.

Associate degrees in Australia are usually built around a set number of units of study, each worth a fixed number of credit points. At Excelsia University College, the exact unit list and credit-point values are set out in the course structure on the official page, so check there before you apply. Study is normally semester-based, with full-time students taking a standard load each semester and part-time options available. Assessment is mostly practical: performances, scene work, screen tests, production roles and written reflections on your process. There is no research thesis at this level, but you will complete performance projects that act as a capstone, pulling together the skills you have built across the two years.

The skills you come out with are specific. Voice and movement work. Text analysis and character preparation. Acting for camera as well as stage. Audition technique. Collaboration in a rehearsal room. Depending on the electives on offer, you may also pick up directing, stage management, design or production skills. Excelsia is a small institution with a Christian ethos, and its drama training is practical and ensemble-based, which suits students who want close attention from teaching staff rather than a large lecture-hall experience.

This course suits school leavers, mature-age students, and people already working in community theatre or screen who want formal training without committing to a three-year degree. It can also be a pathway into a bachelor degree with credit for prior study, though how much credit you receive depends on the receiving institution. International students should note the English requirement: IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for undergraduate and coursework postgraduate courses, with higher scores needed for teaching, nursing, medicine, law and social work. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and Excelsia's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 081416E. While studying, a Student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Confirm all details on the official Excelsia page and the CRICOS register before applying.

• Actor, stage, screen, television, commercials and voice-over work, often as a freelance performer across Australian productions.
• Assistant director or production assistant, supporting directors and producers in theatre companies, film and TV production houses.
• Stage manager or assistant stage manager, running rehearsals and performances for theatre companies, festivals and touring productions.
• Arts administrator, programming, marketing and operations roles in theatre companies, arts centres and community arts organisations.
• Drama teacher or teaching assistant, in schools, community programs and private studios, though further study is usually needed for full teacher registration.
• Community arts worker, running drama programs for councils, youth services and not-for-profit organisations.
• Pathway to further study, many graduates use the associate degree as a stepping stone into a bachelor degree in acting, performance or arts management, with credit for prior study where the receiving institution allows it.