Admissions Policy

Higher Education programmes at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama prepare students for professional practice. Knowledge, understanding and analysis are integrated with practical skills training, so that graduates’ future practice will be informed by experience, insight and reflection.

Central’s Admissions procedures aim to identify applicants who can benefit from this combination of intellectual engagement and professional training. The aim is to ensure a good match between student ability and the demands of the course, so that those who begin a programme can reasonably expect to succeed.

Central is committed to offering opportunities to applicants from different educational backgrounds who can demonstrate that they have the capacity to study in this way, to benefit from their training, and to succeed. The selection process considers not only educational qualifications, but also a variety of evidence of aptitude, ability and motivation. Central values learning from prior experience and particularly welcomes mature students who wish to return to formal study.

Places on undergraduate or postgraduate courses are offered only after an interview or audition with the relevant course team. Individual course pages on the website outline what evidence of ability applicants may be asked to provide before or during an interview or audition.

Central’s equal opportunities policy applies to the admissions process for each course and applies to all applicants. You may also wish to view Central’s Neuro-Inclusion and Disability Service pages for information on how we can support students with a disability, and how, as a disabled applicant, you can discuss this.