Comprehensive musical theatre training specialising in the voice, with acting, dancing and performance development
Top 30
UK University
1. The Guardian University Guide 2022
5th
happiest place to live in the UK
2. Office for National Statistics 2019
5 stars
for teaching quality
3. QS Stars University Rating 2019
Overview
This course has been renamed from BA (Hons) Music and Musical Theatre for September 2022.
This BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (Music) degree is the only musical theatre course in the UK to place the voice, acting through song and song analysis at its core while also giving a substantial skills framework with the study of dance (ballet, tap and jazz), acting techniques and contextual modules through all three years.
This new pathway explores the practical, theoretical and emotional analysis of the music of musical theatre . The ‘Head, Hand, Heart’ model is central to this degree and promotes the importance of ‘understanding, doing and feeling’. This model will help you to enhance your future professional success and employability.
With a high level of contact time, BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (Music) also includes opportunities to take part in the dedicated second and third year productions, study swing routes, perform in numerous concerts in a variety of venues and create an Industry Showreel with professional headshots.
On this course you will:
- Study acting through song and be able to attend regular masterclasses in vocal studies, repertoire and music literacy.
- Develop your audition technique and ensemble singing.
- Study dance including ballet, jazz and tap.
- Enhance your acting techniques.
- Explore the historical, cultural and political implications and applications of musical theatre.
- Take part in performance projects including large scale musical theatre, straight plays, smaller ensemble projects and revues.
- Learn from highly experienced practitioners in musical theatre.
- Have opportunities to develop skills in technical theatre and arts management roles.
Teaching and Assessment
How you will learn
You will complete theoretical and practical study in most of your modules. Your typical study week will include dance technique classes, supplemental training practices, lectures, seminars, tutorials, studio-based workshops and application of practice.
Outside of scheduled classes you will complete independent study including researching texts, completing individual or group tasks and working on your assignments.
The Course
What you will study
You will study a selection of core and optional modules in each year. Each module is worth a number of credits is delivered differently, depending on its content and focus of study.
This list is indicative and subject to change.
Musical Theatre Skills
You will explore the importance of communicative performance and of an actively engaging relationship with the viewer in group lessons and in formative performance assessment. You will discuss aspects of performance practice relevant to your individual choice and develop your skills in forming critical judgements of performance.Performance Development (Musical Theatre)
This module introduces various approaches to performance that can assist you when communicating music to the listener. You will explore a variety of skills particular to your individual vocal or instrumental style.Self-Employment, Marketing and Promotion
This module explores the local and national marketplace and introduces you to a number of different models of successful positioning within the industry. For a successful career as a film or music professional you will need a strong understanding of the nature of self-employment in business. This module will develop your understanding and encourage you to confidently approach the world beyond university. You will complete a tailored financial and business plan which will encourage an awareness of local markets and circumstances.The Baroque
You will explore a broad range of musical genres, ideas, styles and constructional devices from the birth of opera in 1600, through the rapid development of concerti grossi, the mass and the oraotorio, to the seminal theoretical and compositional writings of Jean-Phillippe Rameau.Classicism
More information on this module will be available soon.Romanticism
This module will develop your confident and probing analytical style with a close exploration of compositional intention, particularly where this is allied to programmatic or narrative elements in the models you study.British Musical Theatre
This module introduces you to key skills in examining repertoire. You will explore repertoire from succeeding periods of British Musical Theatre history and examine musical structure with a focus on developments in dance and drama. Awareness of historic performance practice will be emphasized, and connections between music for the stage and film will be explored.American Musical Theatre
The module introduces key skills in examining repertoire drawn from succeeding periods of American Musical Theatre history. You will learn to support an examination of musical structure with a parallel focus on developments in dance and drama within the genre.Musical Theatre Critique
More information on this module will be available soon.The Movie Musical
The module will introduce students to key skills in examining repertoire drawn from succeeding periods of movie musical history, supporting an examination of musical structure with a parallel focus on developments in dance and drama within the genre.Asian Musical Theatre and Performance Practices
Many courses focus on European and American traditions in musical theatre but there is also a rich and abundant source of musical traditions in Asia where music and theatre traditionally play a fundamental role in society. This module explores different traditions of musical theatre focusing on the multi-billion dollar industry that is Bollywood.Musical Theatre in the Community
You will explore contemporary and recent examples of musical theatre, with a particular focus on transferring that knowledge into a practical community based project, culminating in the students working both on and off campus with children from local schools.Introduction to Fundraising in the Arts
The module will consider the third-sector in relation to the other two sectors, the legal structures for non-profit organisations and regional variations in regulation, alongside the charity model in at least one other country.Facilities
Use industry standard spaces and equipment
This programme is mainly taught at our Chichester campus and is located in one of the largest music departments in the UK, with enviable teaching, performance and practice resources.
Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms, and the Student Information Zone (SIZ).
Library
Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.
Other facilities include:
- On campus and off campus theatre and concert performing spaces, including box office
- Studio performance space
- Dedicated dance studios with Harlequin flooring
- Lighting and sound equipment
- A suite of 30 practice rooms
- Dedicated pit band and orchestral rehearsal rooms
- Dedicated chamber music building
- High quality kits, amps, PA, mics and other equipment
- Dedicated acting rehearsal rooms
- Concert pianos supplied by Steinway & Sons
- Practice grand pianos supplied by Steinway & Sons
The on campus Assembly Theatre has been redeveloped into a multi-purpose rehearsal and theatre studio space, seating an audience of up to 80. Students will also use the 350-seater Alexandra Theatre in Bognor Regis, on campus recital and orchestral performance spaces and a range of external venues in the UK and overseas..
The Bognor Regis campus is seven miles from the Bishop Otter campus and is connected by frequent buses. Our students therefore have access to both an historic cathedral city and an iconic south-coast seaside resort!
Work Placements
Gain experience in industry
You will have the opportunity to complete various work and volunteering placements during your degree. This industry experience will help to boost your CV when you graduate and shows employers that you have practical experience alongside your degree.
Study Abroad
Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad
As a student at the University of Chichester, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies as you enrich and broaden your educational experiences.
Students who have undertaken this in the past have found it to be an amazing experience to broaden their horizons, a great opportunity to meet new people, undertake further travelling and to immerse themselves within a new culture.
You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything that you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to help ensure that you can get the best out of your time studying abroad.
Careers
Where you could go after your studies
This BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (Music) degree will prepare you for your future career. You will have the opportunity to develop a broad range of skills to enhance your CV and your employability.
Many past graduates are now working in some of the principal producing houses.
As performers, alumni have gone into:
- West End productions
- Major touring productions throughout Europe
- Pit band and musical direction regionally and in the West End
- Major cruise ships including Disney
- UK and International small-scale touring theatre
- Film and TV in both the UK and US
- Edinburgh Festival
- Cabaret
- Stage managers, arts managers and producers picking up contracts in the UK and around the world
Further Study
You could choose to continue your studies at postgraduate level.
Study options at the University of Chichester include:
- MA Music Performance
- MA Music Teaching
- PGCE
- PhD/MPhil
University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.
Annice Winney
Course Costs
Course Fees 2022/23
UK fee
International fee
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.
Entry Requirements
Typical offers (individual offers may vary):
UCAS
BTEC
IB
IELTS
Auditions
You will need to demonstrate your ability in dance, acting and singing in a performance audition. Applicants with high levels of performance skills may be considered for a lower academic offer.
Interviews and Auditions
Auditions and interviews usually run from December until March.
We aim to offer you a genuine dialogue during your application process. This gives you a sense of worth and achievement from the audition process itself; a sense of ownership for you during the process and, ultimately, is an opportunity for us to get a clear understanding of who you are, what you need, and how we can best prepare you for your degree.
We judge you on your skills, your potential, and your personality, not your background.
If you are invited to audition you will receive an email asking you to book your audition date on ChiView. If you are unsuccessful we will email you to let you know.
You can usually choose between two or three different days on ChiView at one time. Once these dates are close ChiView will refresh to show new options. If none of the current dates suit you then you should wait until the dates renew and check again. Dates are released two to three weeks in advance.
Once you have booked your audition you will have access to the relevant documents on ChiView.
Log in to the ChiView portal, click on ‘Events schedule’ and then ‘View details’ to view, download, or print documents telling you how to prepare for your audition and what to expect on the day.
If your situation changes and you can no longer attend your interview date you should cancel your booking in ChiView by visiting your ‘Event Schedule’ and clicking ‘Cancel Attendance’. You also need to inform the admissions team by emailing admissions@chi.ac.uk so we can send you a new audition invitation.
Sometimes if you are viewing your ChiView portal on a phone you will not be able to see the page correctly. If this happens you should try again on another device.
You may need to clear your browser history.
If you are still unable to see the ‘View details’ button, please check that you have successfully booked your audition by clicking ‘respond to interview invitation’.
If all else fails please email admissions@chi.ac.uk with your query and applicant number.
You will need to prepare a three minute piece, in any style, but if you’d like to perform something slightly longer or to perform on more than one instrument, or on an instrument and as a singer, just let us know on the day. Composers can opt to bring a recording of some of their work, with a score if there is one, and play this instead if they prefer.
You can park on-site if you buy a pay-and-display ticket but please note that the demand for car park spaces exceeds the spaces available, particularly during term time. For this reason, there are specific parking controls and restrictions to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the University, equity of access and fairness.
There are clearly marked disabled parking bays available at both campuses.
After your audition the panel will discuss your application and pass our decision onto the admissions team who will update UCAS.
- We make bespoke offers: Your offer is specifically for you. If we offer less than your predicted grades, this will reflect the potential and quality of your audition and we’d like to take a bit of pressure off of you heading into your exams.
- We don’t do unconditional offers: Unless you already have your grades (you are a mature student), we will always insist on certain grade achievements because we want you to succeed in all aspects of your academic life including your A levels, BTEC, etc.
- If you do not get the grades you wanted: Don’t panic. You received an offer because you were good enough for the department at audition. Ring us on the clearing hotline so we can discuss things with you.
- We may offer you a different course: We may offer you a place on a course within the department that is different to the one you applied for. If this is the case we will speak to you about this at your audition or shortly afterwards. We will explain our reasoning, which will revolve around placing you on the most appropriate course where we think you will thrive.
Charlie
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Click the ‘Apply now’ button to go to relevant UCAS page.
Many qualifications have a UCAS Tariff value. The score depends on the qualification, and the grade you achieved.
Head to the UCAS Tariff Points web page where you can find a tariff points calculator that can tell you how much your qualification and grades are worth.
This course starts in September 2022.
