NSCD is proud of the diversity of the students it attracts and over recent years 30% of our total students have joined us from outside the UK from over 25 different countries. Many of our teaching staff are also from outside of the UK. The diversity of cultures at the school enhances our creativity and broadens the learning experience on offer.
NSCD is an international centre of excellence offering specialist, conservatoire-level contemporary dance training.
From 1 January 2021 there will be a new immigration system in the UK – the Tier 4 visa has been replaced by the Student Visa. EU, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Swiss and International nationals will require a visa to study in the UK unless you are eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme.
NSCD is a Licensed Sponsor for Student visas and will support you through the process if you are offered a place on one of our courses. View the sections below for further information.
EU, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Swiss nationals living in the UK before 31 December 2020, can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021.
Holding this status will mean that you can continue to study in the UK without having to apply for additional immigration permission.
You’ll be given either:
You will not be asked to choose which you’re applying for. Which status you get depends on how long you’ve been living in the UK when you apply. Your rights will be different depending on which status you get.
If you are offered a place on one of our courses at NSCD you will be asked to provide confirmation of your settled or pre-settled status in order that you are not required to apply for a Student Visa.
Current holders of a Tier 4 (General) student visa will need to apply for a Student Visa to start a new course in the UK. This visa has replaced the Tier 4 (General) student visa. Your new course will need to lead to a higher level qualification than your last course to show the required progression.
You can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you:
How and when to apply from inside the UK
If you are offered a place on one of our courses at NSCD you will be provided with full details of the documents that you will need to submit to us. NSCD will then provide you with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number to apply for your Student visa.
The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your course starts. You must apply before your current visa expires. Your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring. You’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks.
View full Step-by Step details here: NSCD Student Visa Information
EU, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Swiss and International nationals will need to apply for a Student Visa to study in the UK. This visa has replaced the previous Tier 4 (General) student visa. You must apply for your visa in your home country before you travel.
You can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you:
How and when to apply from outside the UK
If you are offered a place on one of our courses at NSCD you will be provided with full details of the documents that you will need to submit to us. NSCD will then provide you with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number to apply for your Student visa.
The earliest you can apply for a visa is 6 months before you start your course. You’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
View full Step-by Step details here: NSCD Student Visa Information
EU, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Swiss nationals living in the UK before 31 December 2020 who have gained pre-settled or settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme, can apply for PPS with the potential of being offered a place with any of our participating companies.
Overseas students who will require a Student Visa can apply for PPS but will only be eligible for our Leeds-based participating company Phoenix Dance Theatre. Placements with other participating companies based outside Leeds are unfortunately not open to students who require a visa due to UK Visa and Immigration restrictions.
Student Route Visa Checklist
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.
You will need the equivalent Academic qualifications from your country that we request from UK students. This is likely to be
At the point of an offer the NSCD admissions team check your qualifications with NARIC (The National Recognition Information Centre) to confirm equivalence. You do not need to submit this qualification with your application or before your audition but if you are offered a place it will be conditional upon you submitting it by the end of the academic year; usually by June/mid-July at the latest.
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.
If your first language is not English you will need 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.
To enrol on a postgraduate course your English language qualification must be equivalent to the examples below:
IELTS for UKVI with an overall band of 6.5 with no less than 6 in Reading and Writing and no less than 5.5 in Speaking and Listening.
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT with 33– 37 per skill for Reading and Writing, 25-32 per skill for Speaking and Listening. 38 – 50 per skill to achieve 6.5 across all skills.
Who does not need to prove their knowledge of English?
If you are offered a place on any of our courses at NSCD the Admissions Team will support your transition to enrolment by guiding you through the Student Visa process and helping you find local accommodation.
Throughout your course our dedicated Student Services Team provide a full range of support which includes Health and Well-being support, Injury support and English Language support.
Further information is available at: Student Life
For any queries, please contact NSCD Admissions Team:
E: admissions@nscd.ac.uk