FAQS: Undergraduate

The application fee is a one-off fee of £20 and covers the cost of processing applications and auditions. Application fee waivers are also available to applicants from low-income households (under £25,000 annual household income). Applicants who meet the criteria for a fee waiver will be contacted by Admissions with a fee waiver code once their application has been submitted to use when booking their audition. The £20 application fee is only paid once each year of entry, even if you apply for multiple courses.

NSCD CAT students are also eligible for an application fee waiver.

No, NSCD does not operate as part of UCAS. All applications are made direct via our website and please refer to our How to Apply pages for all necessary information on applying.  

Entry to our undergraduate courses is through successful audition. Additionally, candidates should normally have gained five GCSE passes (grade C/4 or above) which must include English Language, and two A Level passes or a L3 BTEC National diploma or professional/vocational training at an appropriate level.

Exceptions are made for 17 year-olds who are offered a place on the degree course, who would therefore not have completed A Levels or a full diploma etc. Equivalent qualifications may also be accepted depending on the strength of the grades achieved. Equivalent level overseas qualifications are also accepted.  In some cases, applicants who do not have the standard entry requirements will be required to complete the School Matriculation Task as part of their entry requirements. 

There are no specific requirements in terms of dance training; some applicants have extensive training in a range of styles, whilst some applicants have only been dancing for a relatively short amount of time. 

Each year we receive hundreds of applications across our Undergraduate courses. There are approximately 60 places on BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance Performance, and 30 places on each of Cert HE Dance and BA (Hons) Dance: Choreography, Producing & Teaching

Yes, you can let us know that you wish to be considered for either direct second or third year entry. The Admissions Team will make note of this on the audition documentation and the panel will consider accordingly. Please note, BA2 and BA3 direct entry places are limited so places are offered based on availability and suitability.

NSCD CertHE students do not automatically obtain a place on one of our BA courses and must follow the same application and audition process as external applicants. Tutors will help prepare students for further in-depth study, either at NSCD or elsewhere and will hold a mock audition. Many of our CertHE students apply and are successful in obtaining a place on one of the BA courses, but this is not guaranteed and depends on suitability and readiness, as well as their performance in the audition alongside all other candidates.

We aim to let all candidates know the outcome of their audition within 3 weeks. 

We provide candidates three weeks in which to make a decision if successful in receiving an offer. In order to maintain a fair process and to effectively manage offers and outcomes, we only allow extensions in particular circumstances. We do not allow extensions so candidates can consider offers from other institutions, but of course appreciate your circumstances.  

NSCD receives many more applications than the places on the course and therefore there are some candidates who the panel would make an offer to but due to places available can’t offer at that time. Therefore being placed on the Reserve List means that you may be offered a place in the months following your audition, if a place becomes available. It is hard for us to predict when and if a place might become available. Admissions will check in as regularly as possible to keep candidates informed.

To note, NSCD applies a holistic approach when selecting from the Reserve List, what is considered as Contextual Admissions. This means that other factors may be considered alongside an audition profile. Please see our Admissions Policy for more information.

Typically we do not allow for deferrals due to the highly practical nature and intensity of the courses. Therefore we would ask that you reapply the following year.

Applications should be submitted by the deadline as stated on the course pages. Applications received after this date may be considered dependent on the course applied for however this is not guaranteed so candidates should ensure we receive their application before the deadline. 

Details of financial support options for Undergraduate students, both Home and Overseas, can be found here: Bursaries & Financial Assistance

Eligible Home and EU Settled or Pre-Settled students can apply for funding through Student Finance England (or Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland): Apply online for student finance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Student Finance applications usually open in March. For further information on Fees, Student Finance and Costs please see here: Fees & Finance

Places on all our courses are offered after successful application and audition or interview.  All our offers are conditional upon receipt of the relevant Academic and English Language entry requirements for the specific course. We would issue a CAS once we have received all entry requirements.

If your first language is not English you will need to meet the minimum English language entry requirements in order to enrol on any of our courses. This is set at CEFR level B2 for undergraduate courses and high B2 or C1 for postgraduate courses.

This usually means passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider; IELTS for UKVI, LanguageCert International ESOL SELT or PTE Academic UKVI.

However as NSCD is a Higher Education Provider (HEP) we can assess your level of English through an alternative qualification providing it meets the required level.

To enrol on an undergraduate course your English language qualification must be equivalent to the examples below:

IELTS for UKVI with an overall band of 5.5 with no less than 5.0 in each component skill.

LanguageCert International ESOL SELT with 33 – 38 score per skill.

Who does not need to prove their knowledge of English?

• You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you’ve completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in one of the following countries, or are from one of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, USA.
• You also do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you proved your level of English in a previous visa application.
• In certain countries English subjects studied at school are comparable to B2 standard, provided these subjects have been taken and successfully passed in the final examinations with the required grades where stated. If you are offered a conditional place, after your audition, qualifications that you have gained, including grades that you believe are comparable to the B2 level should be submitted to the admissions team for them to check with NARIC (The National Recognition Information Centre). You will then be notified whether you are exempt from taking additional English language tests for entry. Equally, if you studied/are studying recognised qualifications in English at an International School, or took a GCSE English as a first or second language, you may be exempt.

Most Overseas students will require a Student Route Visa. See further details here: Overseas Students – Northern School of Contemporary Dance (nscd.ac.uk)

NSCD employs a wide variety of assessment methods including formative, continuous and summative assessment. 

Assessment evidence is collected through: 

• Continuous and summative assessments in technique modules 
• Assessed rehearsal processes 
• Showings of performance, choreographic work, improvisation & movement research 
• Live performance (solo and group)
• Choreographic and devised work
• Reflective and research-based written work
• Teaching practice observation and delivery
• Dance film and site-specific project outcomes

Students receive ongoing feedback in practical classes and through the tutorial system in which professional and academic development are considered and evaluated. 

We have a broad range of free student support services for students to access.

Our onsite dance specialist physio team are available to support students with injuries, rehabilitation programmes, sports massage, full physio assessments and referrals to external services where required.

Our counselling service is free and confidential (unless a student is at risk), and is available for all students to access. The first step is to book an appointment with our Head of Student Support, who can assess immediate needs and discuss options for ongoing support. 

From there, it is then decided what level of support feels right. For example, we could offer: 

• Weekly counselling via our team of Student counsellors (or external referrals where required); 
• Groups and workshops covering a range of common student mental health issues 
• Adhoc support and advice appointments as and when you need. 
• Referral to our dance nutritionist for support around nutrition and issues with eating.

Waiting times are always considerably lower than NHS referrals and our services are free to all students.

See further details on services available to students here: Student Services – Northern School of Contemporary Dance (nscd.ac.uk)

Most NSCD students live in shared housing close to the school, some opt for halls of residence in the city centre or a little further away from the school. See info here: Accommodation – Northern School of Contemporary Dance (nscd.ac.uk) 

You will experience a range of different technical classes which shift in quantity depending on the modules you are studying at different parts of the BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance Performance course.  

On average, you will experience 4-5 Contemporary classes per week, 3-4 ballet classes per week plus other practices which might include Afro-fusion, Hip Hop, Improvisation and Contact/Partner Work, which tend to rotate each half term.  

Alongside this, other complementary practices such as Pilates, Yoga, Fitness and Experiential Anatomy offer strength, conditioning and Body Mind Learning opportunities, again rotated at different times within the course.  

It is typical for you to have between 8-10 classes per week, made up from the styles/practices listed above, except during intensive rehearsal periods where you will experience one technique class per day (for warm-up purposes) and then rehearse for the rest of the day.

Some applicants are not required to pay these fees. 

If you have received an application fee waiver, if you are a NSCD continuing student, including NSCD CAT students, you do not need to pay the Acceptance Administration Fee. 

You do not need to pay the Course Fee Deposit if you are paying your course fees via UK student loan, or are an EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme applying for Undergraduate Student Finance or a Postgraduate Master’s Loan. 

You receive the Conditional Offer Letter first (usually within 3 weeks of your audition or interview). This outlines all the details of the course you have an offer for, and information on next steps. 

The Unconditional Offer Letter is issued once we have received all entry requirements and is confirmation that your place is secure.  

Often, this is in August. 

You will receive your Unconditional Offer letter once all entry requirements have been met. This may include: 

• Academic entry requirements – these may not be available until after you have completed your current studies 

• Financial evidence (overseas if needed for visa) 

• English Language Entry Requirements (overseas if needed for visa) 

• Current passport or other valid travel documentation 

Most applicants are also required to pay the Acceptance Administration Fee and Course Fee Deposit. See here for more info: Fees & Finance 

You do not have to pay the £20 Application Fee if you meet any of the below criteria: 

• If your household income is below £25,000 

• If you previously studied on NSCD’s CAT scheme. 

• If you’ve previously applied for a different course for this year of entry (& already paid the application fee). 

If you are unsure about the criteria listed above or have any questions regarding this, please contact admissions@nscd.ac.uk.   

No, we want to hear your voice. You can use AI for guidance and support, but please submit your own words for the personal statement.