AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts is a private, non-profit conservatory for the performing arts founded in New York City in 1964, with a second campus in Los Angeles established in 2003. With campuses in the two capitals of American entertainment, Manhattan's Upper West Side and the heart of Hollywood, AMDA trains actors, singers, dancers and performing artists for careers on stage, screen and in studios around the world. It is one of the only performing arts institutions in the United States with a full presence in both New York City and Los Angeles.

AMDA is led by President David Martin, who, alongside Jane Martin, assumed leadership of the institution in the late 1970s and drove the long-term vision that ultimately resulted in the Los Angeles campus opening in 2003. The institution serves approximately 1,666 students annually across both campuses.

Founding story

AMDA was founded in 1964 by Philip Burton, a theatre director who built the school on a simple but powerful conviction: that performing arts training should be run by professional performers, for performers. Burton is perhaps best known for helping launch the career of his adopted son, the actor Richard Burton. From those origins, AMDA grew steadily on the Upper West Side of Manhattan before expanding to Los Angeles in 2003, when the institution also adopted the name AMDA College of the Performing Arts to reflect its evolution into a degree-granting institution. The Los Angeles campus was established in the historic Vine Tower Building in Hollywood, fulfilling David and Jane Martin's long-standing vision to extend AMDA's rigorous training model to the West Coast and broaden student access to professional networks in film and television.

Mission

AMDA provides an unsurpassed performing arts education to a diverse community of creative artists, creating an environment for students to develop the skills, confidence, imagination and power to contribute to their communities as artists, entrepreneurs, visionaries, lifelong learners and conscientious citizens of the world. Above all, AMDA teaches that commitment and passion are the hallmarks of a successful and satisfying career.

AMDA's educational philosophy is built on close collegial interaction between instructors and students: in class, in production and through active mentorship. The approach is rigorous, performance-based and industry-focused, inspiring excellence and preparing artists with an appreciation for the universal power of transformation through art. Students are on their feet from the first week, working in the studio, in rehearsal and on stage under faculty who have built the very careers their students are pursuing.

A college and a conservatory in one

AMDA offers both a professional conservatory track and traditional degree programmes, enabling students to choose the path that best fits their goals. Both tracks emphasise intensive, hands-on instruction from working industry professionals, professional excellence and real-world readiness from day one. Beyond training, AMDA surrounds each student with one-on-one artistic mentorship, a steady stream of performance and production opportunities, and career guidance grounded in how the professional industry actually works.

Campuses

• New York City campus: located at 211 West 61st Street on the prestigious Upper West Side of Manhattan, near the Lincoln Center performing arts district. The NYC campus offers Professional Certificate and Advanced Certificate programs, as well as unique degree pathways with AMDA Los Angeles and partner universities. Students who complete conservatory programmes in New York can transfer credits directly into degree programmes in Los Angeles.
• Los Angeles campus: located in the centre of Hollywood, California, at the epicentre of the film and television industries. The LA campus confers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Associate of Occupational Studies and graduate degrees, and features dedicated classrooms, studios, theatres and performance spaces.

Academic programmes

AMDA offers a full range of programmes at both undergraduate and graduate levels across its two campuses:

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA): four-year undergraduate degree programmes, available at the Los Angeles campus
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): available at the Los Angeles campus
• Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS): two-year degree, available at Los Angeles
• Master of Fine Arts (MFA): two-year graduate degree, Los Angeles campus
• Master of Arts (MA): one-year graduate degree, Los Angeles campus
• Professional Conservatory Certificate: two-year intensive conservatory programme, available at both campuses
• Advanced Certificate programmes: available at the New York City campus

Disciplines

• Musical Theatre
• Acting
• Acting for Camera
• Dance Theatre
• Commercial Music
• Content Creation

Accreditation

• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC): AMDA College of the Performing Arts is regionally accredited by WSCUC, one of the most respected regional accrediting bodies in U.S. higher education. This regional accreditation affirms that AMDA meets rigorous standards for academic quality, institutional integrity, student outcomes and continuous improvement.
• National Association of Schools of Theatre (ST): AMDA holds accreditation with ST, the only accrediting body in the United States specifically designated for performing arts institutions, recognising the quality and rigour of its conservatory and degree programmes.

Transfer pathways and flexibility

AMDA actively welcomes transfer students. Students may submit up to 30 general education credits for consideration when transferring into any BFA, AOS or BA Degree Programme at the Los Angeles campus. Students who complete the conservatory programme at the New York City campus can transfer their credits directly into a degree programme at Los Angeles. Both in-person and virtual audition options are available.

Alumni

For over 60 years, AMDA graduates have gone on to careers on Broadway, in film and television, on national and international tours, in recording studios and on stages around the world. Notable alumni include Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jason Derülo, Gretchen Mol, Caissie Levy and Meredith Patterson. AMDA alumni have transformed stages, film sets and screens, and continue to shape the way the world experiences performing arts in the 21st century.

Why AMDA

1. A private, non-profit performing arts conservatory and college founded in 1964, with over 60 years of training performing arts professionals for stage, screen and studio
2. Two campuses in the capitals of American entertainment: the Upper West Side of Manhattan and the heart of Hollywood, Los Angeles
3. Dual accreditation by WSCUC (regional) and ST (performing arts specialist), the two most relevant quality marks for a U.S. performing arts institution
4. A full range of qualifications from Professional Conservatory Certificate through to MFA and MA, in disciplines spanning Musical Theatre, Acting, Acting for Camera, Dance Theatre, Commercial Music and Content Creation
5. An educational philosophy built on active mentorship, professional faculty, real production experience and industry-focused training from the first week
6. A transfer pathway allowing NYC conservatory students to continue into degree programmes at the Los Angeles campus
7. A 60-year alumni legacy including Broadway performers, film and television actors, recording artists and industry leaders worldwide