BA (Hons) Musical Theatre
Welcome to Musical Theatre
We are continually excited by the curriculum opportunities we provide for our students as part of the course. Watching the development of the students across the three years and then progress into either industry or Postgraduate study is both rewarding and exciting. We are passionate about our subject and along with a great team of practitioners, look forward to helping you in your musical theatre and performance careers.
As part of the course, you will perform in regional and national venues, trained and guided by experienced staff who ensure that your work is seen by industry agents and other professionals. Arts Theatre London, Leicester Square Theatre London, Brighton Fringe Festival, Battersea Barge London, Mercury Theatre Colchester and The Other Palace London are some of our regular performance venues. Want to find out more? Come and meet our staff on an Open day, or contact UCC directly to arrange an individual visit.
A dynamic and intensive course which is centred on vocational practice. Students learn, develop and apply skills in acting, dance and singing.
This programme is for applicants who are passionate about working in the industry and have significant experience of acting, singing and dance.
Musical Theatre practitioners need to be multi-skilled as singers, dancers and actors. At UCC, we offer an equally balanced Musical Theatre course to provide the relevant skills across the disciplines. Through rehearsals, auditions and productions, this course will help prepare you for a career in the performing arts industry.
The BA Hons Musical Theatre programme provides students with the range of skills for sustainable employment within the creative industries or further study. It is designed to give a sound educational base for a range of careers. The course design for this degree reflects the nature of work within performing arts which requires flexibility, diversity of skills, technical competence and the ability to respond to changing needs.
Specific skill acquisition is coupled with a broader understanding of the genre, along with academic skills to ensure that students can embrace the changeability of the marketplace and earn a living in specific or related performing arts fields. The programme features group and one to one singing lessons, jazz, ballet and tap dance styles, performance and touring opportunities.
You will aquire (year one), develop (year two), and apply (year 3) new and existing skills in acting, dance and singing throughout the programme.
The course operates on a modular basis that provides flexibility and choice. Each module is worth a specified number of credits, with most modules counting for 30 or 15 academic credits, with each credit taken equating to a total amount of study time which includes scheduled teaching, independent study and assessment activity.
Most full-time students will take modules worth 60 credits per semester, with part-time students taking proportionately fewer credits per semester. A total of 120 credits per level and 360 credits are needed for an honours degree as a whole. Overall grades for the course and degree classification are based on the marks obtained for modules taken at levels 5 and 6.
Compulsory modules enable you to cover key subject knowledge whilst and optional allow you to develop your own interests. The number of optional modules you can take depends on the number of core modules at a given level. Our teaching is informed by research, professional practice and industry engagement and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline.
Normally students on this course will have 96 UCAS points* or greater. All applicants will be auditioned in acting, dance and singing to demonstrate ability and potential.
*2017-18 UCAS Tariff
International applicants
If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS score of 6.0, with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), or an equivalent English Language qualification.
Additional requirements:
- You must provide evidence of having been in general education for at least 10 years and of having studied within the last five years
- a face-to-face interview is required before an offer is made.
Graduates from this course have gone to work in London’s West End and in many venues and productions around the world. Others have pursued postgraduate training at Masters level at institutions such as the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Royal Academy of Music, Guildford School of Acting, Musical Theatre Academy, American Musical Theatre Academy, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Arts Educational School, London School of Musical Theatre, Italia Conti and Northern School of Contemporary Dance. We also have a number of graduates who have gone into the teaching profession at schools and colleges nationwide.
Career Opportunities
A wide variety of careers is possible including performance, leisure and entertainment industry, arts administration, workshop leadership and education.
Timetables: Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Part-time classes are normally scheduled on one or two days per week.
Teaching and Learning: You are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and practical’s. Seminars enable smaller group discussions to develop understanding of topics covered in lectures. You will use and have access to industry-standard software and facilities throughout your course.
When not attending lectures, seminars and laboratory or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, learning zone or technical learning resources, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations
Assessment: The course provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally contains at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark.
There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and your final year major project. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.
Feedback: You will receive feedback on all practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to help you learn and you are encouraged to discuss it with your module tutor.
Disclaimer
All Fees and prices shown on the website are for courses starting in the 2018-19 or 2019-20 academic year and are correct at the time of entering/printing information, however these may be subject to change. The College cannot accept legal or financial liability as a result of any such changes.
The course information describes programmes offered by University Centre Colchester at Colchester Institute. The College takes all reasonable steps to provide courses as described, but cannot guarantee provision. The information is for guidance and does not form any part of a contract.
The College reserves the right to update and amend information as and when necessary. University Centre Colchester at Colchester Institute will do its best to provide the courses shown, but may have to modify or withdraw a course depending on customer demand and other factors.
