NEW—LAUNCHING 2027
Bachelor
of Fine Arts
in Acting
Introducing the BFA in Acting for Film, Television & Theatre.
GET NOTIFIED WHEN APPLICATIONS OPENAct, Create & Thrive as a Professional Artist
Innovation meets time-tested training in the Academy’s new 120-credit Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting for Film, Television & Theatre. Rooted in practical learning, taught by New York industry professionals, and infused with full-scale performance opportunities, the program prepares you to thrive as a professional actor in the creative economy.
GET NOTIFIED WHEN APPLICATIONS OPENChoose a 3-Year or 4-Year Pathway to Your Degree
Both options comprise 120 credits and deliver the same curriculum and opportunities.
Accelerated 3-Year Pathway
- Designed explicitly for actors who want to enter the profession as soon as possible.
- Structured with affordability in mind - you pay three years of tuition, not four.
- Three academic years with 18 credits every Fall/Spring semester.
- Two Summer terms with six credits via hybrid or virtual learning.
Standard 4-Year Pathway
- Designed for actors who prefer to train at a more traditional pace over four academic years.
- You pay four years of tuition.
- Four academic years with 14-16 credits every Fall/Spring semester. No Summer courses.
Prior coursework and qualifying learning credit may be evaluated for transfer
BFA Conservatory Training for Actors
Rigorous, stage-based training that integrates all disciplines to develop your craft, your instrument, and your intellect and imagination.
Courses and Experiences Include:
- Seven-course acting sequence grounded in Meisner, Hagen, Adler, and Strasberg
- Voice and speech from fundamentals through accent and dialect work
- Movement training from physical freedom to character transformation
- Alexander Technique for optimal, sustainable use of the physical instrument
- Six professional-level stage and screen productions
- Liberal arts courses designed from the actor's perspective for an actor’s intellectual and creative growth
- Screen acting emphasis to prepare you for the current and emerging opportunities on camera in the modern industry
Screen Acting for the 21st Century
To prepare students for today’s industry, the Academy’s BFA includes innovative film-focused opportunities across multiple genres and platforms. Actors who perform and create their own work across media don't wait for opportunity — they generate it. You’ll learn by doing in an on-camera sequence that takes you from on-set fundamentals, sitcoms, procedurals, and professional short film productions shot on location across New York City to writing, producing, and acting in your own original web series pilot.
Courses and Experiences Include:
- Screen Acting sequence from on-set fundamentals through sitcom, procedural drama, short films, and streaming media.
- Professional short film production across the five boroughs of New York City
- Creative Writing for Page, Stage & Screen — building the writer-performer
- Screen Production & Editing for the entrepreneurial actor
- Original web-series pilot developed, written, performed, and edited by students
Career Preparation that Empowers Actors
Today’s creative economy rewards artists who understand the business they are in. The Academy’s program builds the financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills, and industry connections that will prepare you to sustain and direct your own career in the entertainment industry.
Courses and Experiences Include:
- Professionally produced demo reel shot on location in New York City
- Audition technique for self-tape, virtual, and in-person formats
- Digital Showcase and Industry Launch presented to agents and casting directors
- The Actor’s Career: Industry, Brand, and Business
- Money, Math & the Entrepreneurial Actor
- Advanced Seminars including The Actor as Producer and Creating for Streaming & New Media
- Personalized career guidance
New York City is Your Campus
New York City is the marquee destination for those most serious about their training. At the Academy, you will be taught by industry professionals, shoot short films on location across the city, and perform in full-scale productions for public audiences. Wherever your path may lead, the distinction of being trained as a New York Actor signals rigor, dedication, and an unmatched level of professional training.
In addition, with NYC as your campus, the opportunities to immerse yourself in the vibrant arts and culture of the city are infinite. From world-class museums, parks, theatres and concert halls to iconic annual traditions, historic sites and diverse neighborhoods — life in the city enriches your experience as a student and will inspire your intellectual and artistic growth. There is simply no better place than New York City to train as an actor.
New York City is Your Campus
New York City is the marquee destination for those most serious about their training. At the Academy, you will be taught by industry professionals, shoot short films on location across the city, and perform in full-scale productions for public audiences. Wherever your path may lead, the distinction of being trained as a New York Actor signals rigor, dedication, and an unmatched level of professional training.
In addition, with NYC as your campus, the opportunities to immerse yourself in the vibrant arts and culture of the city are infinite. From world-class museums, parks, theatres and concert halls to iconic annual traditions, historic sites and diverse neighborhoods — life in the city enriches your experience as a student and will inspire your intellectual and artistic growth. There is simply no better place than New York City to train as an actor.
Applications and Audition Appointments Open This Fall
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OPEN HOUSE IN NYC: JULY 11
Learn more about the BFA program at our Open House in New York City
on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
ACT, CREATE & THRIVE
At the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The Academy’s new BFA program is fully accredited and has been approved by the New York State Board of Regents, Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST). As of June 1, 2026, approval from the United States Department of Education to participate in Title IV funding and SEVP certification to issue F-1 visas to international students are pending.