Application and Eligibility

Applicants must be aged 18 years or over by the start date of the course.

Entry onto the course is based on both audition and academic qualifications. The follow academic criteria is desirable:

• 80 UCAS points (new tariff) through Level 3 academic qualifications (BTEC, A-Level, Scottish Highers, etc)
• Level 4 (Grade C) in English Language

When Emil Dale Academy is satisfied with that an applicant from an unconventional academic background without formal work experience fulfils the audition criteria, the academic requirements may be waived, although good spoken English is a requirement for all of our courses.

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 can apply through UCAS for this course, but you will also be asked to apply through EDA’s site and complete our audition form, select an audition date and pay the £40 audition fee.

If you do not wish to take up one of your UCAS places you can also apply directly through our website and at a later date you will be asked to complete a direct application form to the University.

To apply, please CLICK HERE. You must pay an audition fee of £40, 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!

What the course offers:

Emil Dale Academy’s three-year course offers the following:

• A BA Hons in Musical Theatre, validated by the University of Bedfordshire
• London Showcase in front of agents & casting directors in students’ graduating year
• Participation in full-scale production – accompanied by a live West End Band in students’ graduating year
• Access to the Emil Dale Academy facilities – 56,000 square foot building, one of the most beautiful places to train in the UK
• High contact training hours
• Small class sizes
• Live London agent panel day.

Weekly (Please note that a condensed timetable is run during show terms to accommodate rehearsals and shows):

• Private 1-to-1 singing lessons for every student
• 2nd and final year students also receive a private 1-to-1 repertoire lesson on a fortnightly basis
• West End Jazz classes (Streamed in ability)
• Acting classes (Including acting for stage and screen, text deconstruction, monologues, audition technique, acting projects)
• Technical Ballet classes (Streamed in ability)
• Ensemble Singing Classes (Technical harmony workshops)
• 30-minute cardio sessions
• Tap dance classes (Streamed in ability)
• Song and Dance classes
• Acting Through Song workshops
• West End Masterclasses (Taught by professional working in top UK Touring and West End shows)

Additional weekly classes may include a combination of the following:

• Commercial dance classes
• Contemporary dance classes
• Performance workshops
• History of Musical Theatre classes
• Professional development (Learning about the industry and gaining understanding of casting, job roles, submitting tax return, nutrition and more)

Termly:

• Musical Theatre or Acting Projects

Emil Dale Academy – Fees & Funding (2025/26)

Emil Dale Academy is a funded and private fee-paying college.

Students have access to student finance to help cover tuition fees and living costs.

Course: BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (3 years)

With optional private sector hours

Awarding Body: University of Bedfordshire

Total Annual Cost: £12,985

(£9,535 tuition fee + £3,450 private training fee)

1. University Tuition Fee – £9,535 per year

• Paid to: University of Bedfordshire
• Covers: Academic delivery of the BA (Hons) Musical Theatre degree
• Student Finance: Most UK students are eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,535, which covers this in full. No upfront payment is required.

The University of Bedfordshire is the awarding body for this degree, which is taught at Emil Dale Academy.

2. Private Vocational Training Fee – £3,450 per year

• Paid to: Emil Dale Academy
• Covers: Additional private sector vocational training hours
• Breakdown: £2,875 + £575 VAT
• Payment Options: Flexible payment plans available

Important: Private sector training hours are optional and are not required to complete the BA (Hons) Musical Theatre degree.

What are Private Sector Hours?

Private sector hours make up 15–18 additional hours per week of studio-based training across the 3-year course. These include:

• Weekly 1:1 singing technique lessons (plus repertoire lessons in years 2 & 3)
• Ensemble singing, guest masterclasses, commercial, contemporary, acting, cardio, acting through song, song and dance, and performance class

Scholarships for Private Sector Hours

We’re proud to offer full and part scholarships for private sector hours.

These are awarded based on:

• Audition results, and
• Means testing (we ask for detailed financial info when you apply)

Scholarships are limited, not guaranteed, and not funded externally — so careful assessment is required.

3. Maintenance Loan for Living Costs

Students may also be eligible for a Maintenance Loan to help with living expenses:

• Living with parents: Up to £8,877 per year
• Living away from home, outside London: Up to £10,544 per year
• Living away from home, in London: Up to £13,762 per year

Actual loan amounts depend on your household income and personal circumstances.

Use the Student Finance Calculator to estimate what you may receive.

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/flats 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

• Rent is approximately £120-150 a week (depending on property)
• Council tax is exempt for students for the period of the course that they are on.
• Students usually set up a house account which they pay approximately £40 each per month into to cover utility bills.

We are driven by results! Take a look at student destinations by CLICKING HERE

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.