Hello and welcome

With over 60 years experience delivering Australia’s leading training for creative artists, NIDA is recognised as one of the top drama schools in the world by The Hollywood Reporter, ranking alongside New York’s Juilliard School and Carnegie Mellon.

In this Course Guide you’ll find information about NIDA – the National Institute of Dramatic Art – and how to apply, as well as insights into life at NIDA and the various support avenues available to you during your time studying.

In addition to our world-famous acting degree, we offer Bachelor and Masters courses for performers, storytellers, makers and technicians across stage, screen and beyond – providing practice-based and industry informed training for everything from Directing to Set Design and Stage Management and behind the scenes technical roles alongside shorter Vocational Diplomas. What makes NIDA unique?

NIDA is dedicated to creating and nurturing the world’s best storytellers and unlocking the power of the dramatic arts across stage, screen, future media and beyond. We put you at the centre of hands-on, collaborative learning with leading industry practitioners, expert staff, special guest artists and experienced professionals working across the various creative industries. While studying at NIDA you will learn the tools, the skills and gain confidence to develop your voice, ideas and stories. These stories will shape our culture and our great nation. Our state-of-the-art facilities allow students to learn and experiment with the suite of resources available to them in the industry.

As Australia’s leading performing arts educational institution, NIDA recognises and values it responsibility to the community within our halls and beyond. We are committed to ensuring that NIDA is a genuinely inclusive environment for all and we are increasing the diversity of NIDA’s student cohorts and staffing as we shift our internal practices and external focus to ensure we reach all communities across the country. This year, we are extending our recruitment and waiving the application fee, giving more people the opportunity to apply to NIDA. We want to break down barriers so talented individuals all around Australia feel represented, welcomed, and supported throughout all of our work. We are also furthering our support for First Nations and under-represented artists.

“NIDA has not only provided me with world-class skills training, mentorship and opportunities to work with industry professionals; it has allowed me to experiment and deeply interrogate my directorial practice”.

Eve Beck, MFA Directing, 2021