Musical Theatre (Performing Arts) - UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma

Our musical theatre course is a practical course which includes live performances and requires a good level of physical fitness, vocal skills and acting experience. You will study a core of practical and theoretical subjects covering the knowledge and skills required for musical theatre and performance, including critical perspectives and professional practice.

Our professionally equipped Dance Studios and Theatre will be at the centre of your studies, giving you the chance to showcase the methods you learn and develop the independent skills required to take control of your own productions, from musical theatre and film performance to staging, costume, lighting and directing.

We will have evening performances three times a year, and you will be asked to plan, research and prepare for these performances within college hours, as well as continuing this preparation outside of college.

Activities covered during the course will include:

• Learning lyrics and lines
• Learning and creating choreography
• Vocal and physical warm-up exercises
• Technique classes in singing, dance and acting
• Performing solo and as part of a group
• Performing in front of a live audience

You will need:

• 5 or more GCSEs at grade 4 or higher, including English, maths and preferably drama

Existing students will be expected to have:

• A relevant Level 2 qualification (Merit or above)
• English and maths at grade 4 or higher

You will be invited to an informal interview to help ensure the course is right for you. An audition piece will need to be prepared prior to the interview ready to perform for the course director. This need be no longer than 2 minutes and can consist of either a dance piece, singing or performing a monologue depending on the performance pathway you wish to take.

How long is this course?

2 years

When does this course start?

01/09/2027

How many hours / days per week is this course?

Full-time courses at CWA are generally 3 - 4 days per week (though you may be in for an extra day if you are resitting English and / or Maths). The college day is typically longer than a day at school and students will need to plan their individual study in their free time (including individual study hours which are recorded at college in the Learning Resource Centre or other study areas). Work experience will be a key component of your course and most students will complete a minimum of 60 hours per academic year (on top of their college hours), depending on the course they are studying. CWA has a dedicated team of work placement co-ordinators to support you with this.

* Some of our courses may have additional costs to cover trips, unform and equipment. These costs will be confirmed to you at enrolment.

Fee information

Though this course is free for those aged 16-18, there may be additional costs related to the programme, such as additional equipment and uniform, educational trips and work placement costs. Full details will be sent to applicants before enrolment.

Find all the information you need about course fees and financial help below.

Information on Fees and Financial Help

What qualification will I achieve?

University of the Arts London (UAL) Diploma in Performing Arts (Level 3)

This qualification is awarded by University of the Arts London (UAL), the only specialist creative arts awarding organisation in England.

This is a two-year programme and has two achievement points. You will work towards the Diploma qualification in the first year of the course and the Extended Diploma in the second year.

How is my course assessed?

The course is project/assignment based and assessment is continuous throughout the year. Some units may be subject to external assessment.

The units in the first two terms are assessed at Pass grade only. The final unit is awarded a grade of Pass, Merit or Distinction.

How many UCAS points will I achieve on this course?

Our level 3 vocational courses qualify for UCAS tariff points to apply for university in the same way as A-Levels. This course is an UAL extended diploma which is delivered over two years and you could achieve up to 168 UCAS points (which is equivalent to three A* grades at A-Level).

UAL extended diplomas are graded as a pass, merit or distinction (with distinction being the highest grade).

The following table gives some examples on the amount of UCAS points you can achieve on a UAL extended diploma:

You can find more details and examples on the UCAS tariff points calculator here.