APPLYING
TO WATERBEAR WITH APEL
Thank you for your application to WaterBear
In order to progress your application, you are now required to complete the APEL process. If you don’t hold the formal entry requirements for the course you have applied for, we can recognise your learning achieved through experience, such as professional and/or voluntary work, and/or self-directed study. Professional work could be anything from gigs, tutoring, working on live sound, recording bands to event management and everything in-between.
This process is done through an application for Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).
It’s important to note that it’s the learning you’ve gained from your experiences that is being assessed rather than the experience itself. Be sure to clearly demonstrate this in your submission. The information below will guide you through the process.
COMPLETE APEL APPLICATION FORM
Falmouth University have set you an APEL task on your MyFalmouth account, with a link to the required form for you to download and complete. The form will ask you to provide a reflective statement and a portfolio of relevant evidence.
To support the completion of your application please review the guidance sections.
When writing your reflective statement, focus on the learning you have gained from your experiences rather than the experiences themselves. A good starting point is to identify the skills you’ve developed through the experiences you’re referencing. From there, explain how you acquired these skills and link them to the evidence that demonstrates your learning.
For more detailed guidance on how to write your statement, please review the guidance provided here.
For the APEL portfolio, we are looking for evidence that demonstrates not only your musical skills and industry experience but, most importantly, the learning you’ve gained from those experiences. Examples of evidence you could submit include:
• Production walkthroughs
• Live performance footage
• Music business plans
• Recorded and released music
Make sure to reference the learning you’ve gained from creating or engaging with this work in your accompanying statement. Include URL links directly in your statement to support your points and provide assessors with clear and easy access to your evidence.
If you require further support and have questions concerning APEL, please book an Admissions Support Session (via Zoom), or email admissions@waterbear.org.uk.
APEL GUIDANCE
For further support view our guidance videos below.