Don’t study for a hobby. Train for a career.
The American Musical and Dramatic Academy’s College of the Performing Arts is one of the foremost schools for acting in the world. You will train to become a professional artist by studying acting with outstanding creators in the entertainment field. Graduate ready to work in film, television, and live theatre.
At AMDA, you hone your craft with the best and join an esteemed list of alumni, many of whom have been nominated for or won major awards such as Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys.
Explore Our
Whether you envision performing on a Broadway stage in New York City, starring in the next Netflix hit, or developing new content for streaming media, AMDA has an option to help you achieve your dreams.
Each program helps you sharpen your craft through technique courses and numerous performance opportunities. Your final project for each acting degree or certificate gives you a chance to shine in original stage and screen productions for industry decision-makers.
You will receive personalized feedback on your progress and classroom work. With small class sizes, students benefit from individualized instruction to ensure they receive the support you need to be successful.
Our faculty are working professionals: award-winning filmmakers, actors, directors, and screenwriters whose works have been produced, screened at prestigious film festivals all over the world, and are currently seen onstage and on major streaming services like Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Showtime.
Faculty create inclusive classroom environments which encourage and challenge you to grow in a safe space.
"The Acting Division at AMDA is focused on teaching actors the craft of acting so that they can have a solid base from which to approach any role. AMDA actors are creative and grounded. They utilize economy of movement, have clear voices, and are able to listen and respond truthfully under imaginary circumstances within the structure of the text. " -Josephine Wilson, Acting Division Chair
In addition to training you to be a great artist, we give you the tools to succeed professionally. The curriculum includes audition technique, seeking and securing representation, and creating your own content while you pursue your dream.
AMDA’s acting schools are located in the country’s entertainment hubs, New York City and Los Angeles. You will live, work, and train where the performing arts are a vibrant industry.
The AMDA experience continues long after you graduate. You will build a network of contacts and continue to have access to both of our campuses to pursue projects and further educational opportunities.
You will have multiple opportunities each semester to collaborate with a diverse community of fellow students who are content creators, songwriters, choreographers, poets, critical thinkers, and more.
Four-Year
Our undergraduate acting degrees are offered on the LA campus — the center of the U.S. film industry. While studying acting at AMDA, you will have multiple opportunities to perform onstage and in front of the camera. You may audition for all of AMDA’s main stage production opportunities each semester, and your BFA Acting program culminates in an original showcase production in Los Angeles. Concentrations are available in On-Camera and in Theatre.
Immersive, performance-based craft and technique training and engaging academic studies are complemented by courses in career preparation, such as networking, auditioning techniques, and creating original content. You will graduate prepared with all of the tools you need to transition to your professional life as a performing artist.
Two-Year
Our professional, career-focused associate acting degree provides robust foundational training and performance opportunities on our Los Angeles campus. This immersive, four-semester program culminates in an original showcase production.
Three-Year
Our New York-based performing arts certificate programs provide professional conservatory training that prepares you to graduate full equipped for a career in today's industry. The curriculum in each 3-year advanced certificate program combines performance-based academic studies with immersion in craft, technique, and business essentials. Graduates from this program can seamlessly continue to AMDA Los Angeles or AMDA Online to complete their BFA degree or stay in NYC and continue to the Fordham Pathway and complete their BA Degree in as little as two to three semesters.
Two-Year
Our New York-based school for acting allows you to study acting for the screen or the stage in the heart of Manhattan's theatre district. AMDA's classrooms and performance spaces are blocks from Broadway theatres, casting offices, and film and television studios.
These programs are designed for those who want an intensive, immersive experience that prepares students to be industry-ready in a short period of time. With multiple workshop and performance opportunities cultivated and designed to help you hone your craft, this program culminates in either an original film production screened in New York City or an original showcase production, depending on your focus.
We also offer a pathway from our certificate program in NYC to our BFA acting programs in LA.
AMDA College of the Performing Arts is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of the most respected accrediting bodies in U.S. higher education. WASC affirms that AMDA meets rigorous standards for academic quality, institutional integrity, student outcomes, and continuous improvement. This accreditation ensures that AMDA’s degree programs are recognized nationwide, credits are transferable where applicable, and students receive an education held to the highest standards of excellence in higher education.