NFTS granted full Degree Awarding Powers

The National Film and Television School (NFTS) has been granted full Degree Awarding Powers (DAPs), a significant achievement which acknowledges the exceptionally high standard of training offered by the NFTS as it continues to lead the way in providing skilled talent for the creative industries.

Degree Awarding Powers were granted by the Office for Students (OfS) and will take effect from 1 January 2023, giving the School independence to award degrees in its own name for the first time. The NFTS will have the power to design and update the framework of current and future courses and greater agility to respond to the ever-changing needs of the film, television and games sectors.

For the past two decades, the Master of Arts degree gained by students on completion of their NFTS course was awarded by the Royal College of Art.

The prestigious Degree Awarding Powers were secured following a lengthy and rigorous review process, led by the UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) which assesses the quality and standards of UK higher education providers.

“I am absolutely thrilled that we now have the right to award degrees in our own name for the first time in 2023,” said Jon Wardle, the NFTS’ director. “We are extremely grateful to the Royal College of Art for their support and would like to thank them for our long-standing partnership over the past two decades. This is another major milestone for the NFTS and is testament to the hard work of staff who have worked tirelessly to help us achieve our goal of gaining greater flexibility to meet the needs of the industry.”

Sophie Turner Laing, Chair of the NFTS Board of Governors added: “This is an incredibly exciting landmark moment and is the result of many years of development, planning and preparation. Congratulations to all our students and staff; achieving Degree Awarding Powers cements the National Film and Television School’s vision and commitment to elevating our world class training even further. I look forward to seeing our first cohort of students proudly graduate with a degree from the NFTS.”

“This spectacularly good news represents the final lap in a journey that started in 1972,” commented Lord David Puttnam, Lifetime President of the National Film and Television School. “To many, the very idea of a ‘film school’ seemed an extravagant oddity while today it’s an essential component of any 21^st-century creative economy. Committed staff and students, too numerous to mention, are responsible for this success. I only wish Jennie Lee, the Minister who fought to turn an early post-war dream into a reality, together with Colin Young, the school’s inspirational Founding Director were here to celebrate this achievement.”