National Institute of Dramatic Art
About
Founded in 1958 as Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art, NIDA is now one of the most respected performing arts schools in the world.
For over 60 years, the school’s unique practice-based and personalised learning experience, unparalleled rigour, fearless culture of innovation, and deep industry connection has produced some of the most influential and in-demand storytellers, from performers to makers and technicians, across stage, screen and beyond.
Continually investing in bold new initiatives, NIDA’s goal is to unlock the creativity of storytellers of all ages and backgrounds.
NIDA offers an unmatched range and depth of industry-relevant training across performing arts disciplines including acting, costume, cultural leadership, design, directing, make-up, musical theatre, props, scenic construction, stage management, technical theatre, voice and writing.
This, along with the Institute’s international networks and deep industry links, ensures our graduates are immediately employable, enjoying successful careers in theatre, dance and opera companies, festivals and events, film, television and games production.
Vision
Training the world’s most wanted storytellers.
Purpose
We unlock the power of the performing arts across stage, screen, future media and beyond..
Graduates
NIDA alumni can be found all over the world. Since 1959, they have had national and international impact in theatre, screen and creative industries. They are recognised, not only for their success as performing and behind-the-scenes artists, but also for their dedication to telling Australian stories.
NIDA’s impressive roster of star alumni includes household names such as Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington, Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann and Sarah Snook, as well as rising stars such as Orange is the New Black’s Yael Stone, Spiderman: Far From Home’s Remy Hii, The Wilds star Mia Healey, Steven Spielberg’s forthcoming Halo star Yerin Ha, Amazon Prime’s forthcoming Lord of the Rings actor Fabian McCallum, and rising star Sophie Wilde.
Campus Locations
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Events
Important Dates
Semester 1 starts February 2020
Semester 2 starts July 2020
Open days
NIDA has open days, careers expos and information nights throughout the year.
Student Outcomes
The student outcomes display the overall undergraduate results for the institution.
No QILT data available for this institution.
For further information visit ComparED website
Policies and Services
Admission criteria
All undergraduate applicants seeking admission to one of NIDA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) must:
- have reached the age of 18 before the commencement of the course (in exceptional circumstances this may be waived)
- hold a Higher School Certificate or its equivalent from any state or territory in Australia or overseas (in exceptional circumstances this may be waived); ATAR is not required
- be fluent in spoken English and proficient in written English. International students need 8.0 IELTS or equivalent for Acting, and 7.0 IELTS or equivalent for all other BFA course
- complete the audition or project requirements for their chosen course (refer to our website from 1 July for full details).
How to apply
Applications must be submitted directly to NIDA. Follow the prompts on the application page and make sure you include all supporting documentation. Applications are open in July 2021. Late applications may be received under some circumstances. Do not apply through UAC.
Enrolment
You will receive information about attending your enrolment audition and/or interview upon application.
Acceptance of offer
Offers are usually made in December each year. Successful applicants will be advised by telephone and in writing.
Deferment
Due to the highly competitive nature of NIDA’s admissions process, you must enrol for the year for which you have been offered a place. You cannot defer acceptance of a place.
Fees and charges
All students are required to pay tuition fees. Information on tuition fees for each course in 2022 are available via the NIDA website. International students enrolled in NIDA’s BFA are required to pay international student fees. Information on tuition fees for courses open to international students is available on the NIDA website.
Financial assistance
FEE-HELP supported degree programs
Eligible domestic students in the BFA courses can apply for FEE-HELP, a loan scheme that assists eligible fee-paying students in paying all or part of their tuition fees. New Zealand citizens pay domestic student tuition fees but are not generally eligible to apply for a FEE-HELP loan. Refer to the Study Assist website for more information. Permanent residents of Australia pay domestic student tuition fees but are not eligible to apply for a FEE-HELP loan. For more information, and to check your eligibility, go to the Australian Government’s Study Assist website.
Scholarships
NIDA Scholarships are open to future students and enrolled students. Most scholarships are allocated based on financial need.
The scholarships are made available through the generosity of donors to NIDA and from bequests.
Visit the NIDA Website for more information on scholarships available.
Student and campus services
The award-winning NIDA campus is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to foster creativity and innovation.
There are six dedicated performance venues – including a 700-seat proscenium arch theatre and an outdoor event and performance space – all with the equipment necessary to mount full-scale professional productions.
Teaching and rehearsal spaces include dedicated screen-work areas, high-end acoustically treated rooms for voice work, specialised studios for design, lighting, multimedia and sound recording, as well as an extensive costume and properties store. The Costume, Scenic Construction and Technologies, and Properties and Objects courses each have dedicated industrial workshops. NIDA’s spacious foyer is used as an exhibition space for student work.
Accommodation
NIDA does not provide residential accommodation for students. Through NIDA’s relationship with the University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW Sydney), NIDA students can apply for accommodation at the various on-campus residential communities. NIDA students usually share rented accommodation in the area close to campus. Early in the year, information is made available to students regarding those offering shared accommodation and those wanting to share with others.
Library services
The NIDA campus is home to the Rodney Seaborn Library – one of Australia’s leading performing arts-based libraries. Created in 1980, the specialist library includes 30,000 drama and performance-related books and play scripts.
Medical or other health and wellbeing services
To create the best environment to thrive and achieve, NIDA actively promotes the health and wellbeing of its community through information sessions and workshops on a broad range of health topics from mindfulness to fitness and injury prevention. There are two dedicated counsellors on-site at NIDA as well as access to Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at UNSW Sydney Monday–Friday and remote emergency counselling 24/7.
Student organisations
The Students Council of NIDA (SCON) promotes friendship, social engagement, encourage collaboration and support students' wellbeing.
SCON represents the students at executive meetings and act as a conduit for discussion between the students and board members and the president sits on the NIDA Academic Board.
Student Profile
The table below gives an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students at the institution. It provides data on all students who commenced undergraduate study in the most relevant recent intake period, including those admitted through all offer rounds, across all Australian campuses, and international students studying in Australia.
For more information about the Student Profile, please visit Student Profile explained.
| Applicant background | Full year intake 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of students No. of students | Percentage of all students % of all students | |
| (A) Higher education study | 7 | 11.1% |
| (B) Vocational education and training (VET) study | 25 | 39.7% |
| (C) Work and life experience | 5 | 7.9% |
| (D) Recent secondary education | ||
|
N/A | N/A |
|
N/A | N/A |
|
24 | 38.1% |
| (E) International students | <5 | <5 |
| All students | 63 | 100% |
<5 - the number of students is less than 5
N/A - Students not accepted in this category
N/P - Not published to prevent calculation of numbers in cells with less than 5 students
There are no undergraduate courses listed. Please visit the institutions website for more information.
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L/N: Low numbers – The number of survey responses are too low to display.
N/A: Data not available for this study area or institution.
Data source: ComparED website