The one year Cert-HE course is for people who want to intensively train and prepare to audition at top Musical Theatre Colleges.
Students receive specialist training across the three core performance disciplines: Acting, Singing and Dance.
Emil Dale Academy Cert-HE graduates have an improved chance of gaining places at top institutions. Some students go straight into the industry following their course completion.
This course is in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire.
This bespoke-written, industry and audition preparation course has been tailor made for our students’ needs, taking our years of experience and knowledge, and making the course more accessible through student funding options.
In one year, students are tutored intensively in the musical theatre disciplines of acting, singing and dance, with a focus on performance and audition readiness, culminating in in an end of year showing performed at EDA’s own Factory Playhouse Theatre.
Students have access to all the support required for personal, practical and academic success on the course, with guidance for auditions and preparation for a career in Musical Theatre.
Taught by industry professionals through vocational and practical classes, and contextual studies, students are encouraged to grows as individuals as well as work collaboratively with their peers.
This course qualifies for student loans towards tuition fees and maintenance, subject to the normal Student finance eligibility requirements.
Application and Eligibility
Applicants are offered after a successful audition and interview.
If you can demonstrate exceptional talent and can satisfy the panel of your ability to successfully complete the course, you may be considered for a place irrespective of your academic background. Details of your examination results will be requested upon application.
International Students
If you are applying to Emil Dale Academy as an international student, please contact admissions@emildale.co.uk before applying.
Currently, international students must have an eligible visa to reside in the UK that does not require Tier 4 sponsorship. The visa must not depend on student status, but rather must carry a different status to allow you to reside in the UK.
If you have a British passport, you may qualify for the degree programme but you must have lived in the UK for 3 years prior to starting the course.
UCAS
You do not need to apply through UCAS for this course.
To apply, please CLICK HERE. You must pay an audition fee of £37, which is non-refundable. This is a one-off fee payable upon applying and covers the cost of the workshops and panel auditions, as well as any recall auditions if required.
We ask you to complete your application as robustly as possible, including detailing any specific access requirements you may have that need to be considered to ensure you have a fair audition opportunity.
Audition process
We audition throughout the year.
There are four things to prepare.
You will need to learn two monologues of your choice lasting approximately 2 minutes, and two contrasting musical theatre songs with sheet music (you must bring the sheet music with you), cut to 2 minutes also.
You will take part in one jazz class where you will be taught and asked to perform a routine, and may also be invited for an interview at the end.
In some cases, students may be recalled to a later date, with advice as to why we need to see them again. There are no additional fees for this.
We are looking for trainability. Many people come to us as a strong singer or a stronger dancer. Do not let anything hold you back!
We also offer free open days. To apply for an AUDITION / OPEN DAY please CLICK HERE
Emil Dale Academy’s One-year course with Cert-HE in Musical Theatre Performance includes the following:
The course is designed with student opportunity and progression at the heart of the training and delivery. Working alongside university partners, the Cert-HE element has been designed specifically for Emil Dale Academy to benefit students by giving them the practical skills to progress on to the next level of training. Private sector classes supplement the learning of the Cert-HE, giving extra opportunities to progress student skills with classes that EDA has deemed fundamental to being able to reach that next level, whether it be further HE study or professional work. The one year course is also designed to help students establish whether musical theatre is the course for them, without committing to a full three years. Faculty provide students with opportunities to understand and explore other careers within the sector also.
The Cert-HE element of the One Year course at Emil Dale is made up of a number of units across the 1 year, all at Level 4. Each unit has a specific credit rating which indicates the amount of learning hours it will require (each credit equates to ten learning hours). You will study 120 credits in the academic year.
By the end of the course, you will be well equipped to move on to the next stage in your performing career, whether that is in higher education or professional industry work. Staff and visiting practitioners’ research and professional practice ensure a rich, current and challenging curriculum.
The course is structured to develop your practical knowledge of and skills in acting, dancing and singing and the ways they are produced and performed in combination in Musical Theatre within a broader understanding of the industry’s histories and contexts.
Cert-HE modules are:
These modules and private sector classes are delivered through a series of the following classes weekly:
(Please note that a condensed timetable is run during show terms to accommodate rehearsals and shows)
Additional weekly classes may include a combination of the following:
Students will also participate in a Musical Theatre project and the course culminates in a final Showcase performance at EDA’s own Factory Playhouse Theatre at the end of term 3.
Apply now to audition!Emil Dale Academy is a funded and private fee paying college.
The total cost of the One Year Course with Cert-HE in Musical Theatre is £10,750 per academic year.
Breakdown of fees
Cert-HE in Musical Theatre Performance: £9,250 per year (paid to the University of Bedfordshire) and also comes with access to student finance towards fees and living costs (maintenance loan)
This covers all of the education and support required to complete the University of Bedfordshire Cert-HE programme. The University of Bedfordshire is the awarding body for the Cert-HE in Musical Theatre Performance course, taught at Emil Dale Academy.
Private sector hours: Emil Dale Academy offers a range of private sector vocational hours, which is in addition to the Cert-HE classes.
Cost of private sector: £1250 + £250 VAT = £1500 per year.
This fee is payable directly to EDA. We offer payment plans which can spread the costs over the course of 10 months for the private sector.
What are private sector hours?
Private sector hours are the additional studio based hours that Emil Dale Academy offers you throughout your one year course. Private sector hours make up 10-15 hours per week of our one year course. This enables us to provide you with additional contact hours in private 1:1 weekly singing technique lessons, ensemble singing, guest masterclass, commercial, contemporary, acting, cardio, acting through song, song and dance and performance class.
These vocational hours and the fee charged are not associated with the University of Bedfordshire.
In order to complete your Cert-HE in Musical Theatre Performance qualification, it is not compulsory for any student to undertake the private sector hours.
Scholarships for Private Sector
Emil Dale are proud to offer full and part scholarships which are granted after applicants audition successfully. These are means tested and based upon audition results.
Everybody should have the right to train at Emil Dale Academy and we do not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or disability.
Tuition Fee Loans
There are two elements of fees payable to participate in the full course (see breakdown of fees above).
For the £9250, you can apply through Student Finance for funding for this element of the course (providing that you are eligible to do so). Find out more about student finance here: www.gov.uk/student-finance. This can also be paid privately by the student directly to the University.
The university pay EDA a percentage of this fee to cover the course delivery.
For the private sector fees, students will need to pay a deposit to secure the student's place at our academy by the date specified in the offer pack. You will be given fee payment plan, which gives the options to pay the private sector fee upfront, monthly over 10 months or in 2 instalments.
Maintenance Loan
Accommodation, food, transport, additional course fees and other living expenses will need to be accounted for, and eligible students will be able to apply for a maintenance loan alongside their tuition fee loan.
The exact amount you can borrow for your maintenance loan will depend on:
Your household income
*Note, The tuition fee loan is not means tested which means that your household income will not be taken into consideration.
This funding is typically paid directly to students in three instalments at the start of each term.
Find out more about student finance here: www.gov.uk/student-finance
Funding of Courses After the Cert-HE
Once the Cert-HE is completed, providing students have not done any other university course, they are still eligible for a further 3 years of funding.
The student loan company will make the following calculation about your eligibility for funding for subsequent courses e.g., 3-year training programmes such as those offered by HE providers in the Federation of Drama Schools and the Alliance of Musical Theatre Conservatoires:
a. Duration in years of your new course
b. plus one year
c. minus the number of years on any previous HE course
For example, if you were offered a 3-Year BA programme at EDA or another provider, your calculation would look like this:-
3 + 1 – 1 = 3
This means that you would be entitled to funding for the full three years of your BA programme, once you had completed your Cert-HE year.
If for some reason you were not able to complete your Cert-HE or any subsequent programme, each year of student finance that you had already received would be deducted from any future application.
Kit/ Uniform
When you are offered a place, we will send a Kit List detailing the uniform/ kit required for EDA classes for example ballet kit, jazz uniform and so forth. We estimate the cost of this to be £200-£250.
EDA does have a second hand uniform shop which may help reduce those costs.
Here at Emil Dale, we appreciate that this will be the first time that many students will be away from home which can be daunting – we have a Welfare Officer as well as a Head of Student Experience who can help students cope with independent living.
There are two options for accommodation - privately let houses with other students or host accommodation.
EDA sets up a private EDA Facebook "accommodation page" which allows new students to be contacted by existing students with information on houses and rooms that are available. This private web page is also constantly updated by EDA with links to prospective housing.
Host families are available in the local area who rent out their rooms. EDA has a referral scheme to local hosts, and we require them to hold a valid DBS check.
Costs
We are driven by results! Take a look at student destinations by CLICKING HERE
I don’t understand the fees and funding, can you explain further?
Emil Dale Academy is in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire, who are responsible for overseeing the delivery and quality of the Cert-HE course. You pay £9250 to them (via student loan or privately, whichever works for you). The University then pays EDA a percentage of this to deliver the course on-site at EDA’s specialist facilities.
In addition, EDA thinks it is important to be able to give you more classes than just the qualification parameters to give you the best possible chance to prepare you for auditions and a career in Musical Theatre. Therefore, we have additional “Private Sector” classes which have nothing to do with the qualification. This is associated with the £1500 fee (inc. VAT) which covers these classes and the cost of the end of year showcase. You do not need to complete the private sector to get the Cert-HE qualification.
Do I have to pay the private sector fees upfront?
You are required to pay a deposit of £300 towards the private sector fee to secure your place on the course within 1 month of your audition. You will then have an option to pay the remaining fee upfront, monthly from 1st July (with the final payment due in April of your year of study = £120 per month) or in 2 instalments (July £600 and January £600).
Note* if you audition late in the academic year or are offered late in the year, the above details may be subject to change depending on whether payment milestones overlap (for example if you are offered a place on 10th July, you may be asked to pay the £300 deposit as well as the £120 monthly fee to ensure you are aligned with the fee payment options.
Will I have to pay for anything else?
There are uniform/ kit list requirements, which we estimate at £200. EDA does have a second hand uniform shop which may help reduce those costs.
Does EDA offer scholarships for the Private Sector?
Yes - Scholarships are means tested and based upon audition scores. As EDA does not get funding from any other sources, we are unable to help everyone that applies for a scholarship, but we consider every application carefully and try to help as much as possible. We ask prospective students to provide as much information as possible so that assessments can be made fairly and accurately.
How does it work with funding after the cert-HE?
Upon completion of this course, the student loan company will make the following calculation about your eligibility for funding for subsequent courses e.g., 3-year training programmes such as those offered by HE providers in the Federation of Drama Schools and the Alliance of Musical Theatre Conservatoires:
a. Duration in years of your new course
b. plus one year
c. minus the number of years on any previous HE course
For example, if you were offered a 3-Year BA programme at EDA or another provider, your calculation would look like this:-
3 + 1 – 1 = 3
This means that you would be entitled to funding for the full three years of your BA programme, once you had completed your Cert-HE year.
If for some reason you were not able to complete your Cert-HE or any subsequent programme, each year of student finance that you had already received would be deducted from any future application.
Can I get a maintenance loan?
Yes, eligible students can also get a maintenance loan, which is means tested through student finance. This would be something the students themselves have to apply for to determine what level of maintenance loan you would qualify for.
Do I automatically get a place on the degree course if I complete the Cert-HE?
There is no guarantee of a place on our BA hons course after the successful completion of the Cert-HE. Students will be required to audition for the BA hons separately.
As the Cert-HE is a level 4 course, does that mean I can go straight into second year on a degree course?
In some cases and in some institutions this may be possible if you meet their criteria for progression – this would need to be determined by the relevant institution. This is not possible at EDA – if you then gain a place on EDA’s degree you would start in year 1.
Can I still do your Gap Year Course?
Yes! It is an option to do a non-funded and therefore non-qualification route with Emil Dale for 1 year – this would fundamentally follow the same path as the Cert-HE but you will not be required to participate in some of the more theory-based classes if you do not want to. The course fees for this are £7800 (inc. VAT) and payable directly to EDA.
What is the Audition process?
You will need to prepare two monologues of your choice lasting approximately 2 minutes, and two contrasting musical theatre songs with sheet music (you must bring the sheet music with you), cut to around 2 minutes also.
You will take part in one jazz class where you will be taught and asked to perform a routine, and may also be invited for an interview at the end.
What grades do I need for the course?
Applicants are offered after a successful audition and interview.
If you can demonstrate exceptional talent and can satisfy the panel of your ability to successfully complete the course, you may be considered for a place irrespective of your academic background.
80% of the course is practical and not academic. The other elements are introductory to higher education study, and as such a lot of support and guidance is offered to students to help them through the modules that have written/ academic elements.
However, academic elements include a presentation and a portfolio, as opposed to essays.
The work is largely reflective, so therefore talking about what you have learned in class, with elements of research required to back this up. There will be specific classes to guide students on the expectations for the academic work, and a support tutor will have 1-to1 bookings available to meet with students.
2024 entry now open! Please select one of the options below to apply for our BA (Hons) course with access to student finance towards fees and living costs, Sixth Form and Gap Year course.
Any problems please email admissions@emildale.co.uk
Email us at admissions@emildale.co.uk | Difficulties completing the form? Please call 01462 677 808.
The audition fee for all courses is £37 and is non-refundable. This is a one-off fee payable upon applying and covers the cost of the workshops and panel auditions, as well as any recall auditions if required.
Emil Dale Academy is dedicated to widening participation within the industry and has set up an Audition Fee Waiver Scheme to encourage applications from talented candidates who are deterred from applying by financial barriers.
Please view our Audition Fee Waiver Scheme Policy to find out if you are eligible to apply for a scheme, and to find out how to apply.
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