Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the questions we most frequently receive from potential students. Hopefully you will find an answer to your question here, but if not, you can get in touch with us directly to find out more information on our courses, fees and tutors.  

Have a question we haven’t answered here? Contact us.

---

• Q. How do I enrol on a course?

  A. You must be 18 or over to apply for any of our courses, except our SFX summer school which is for 14-17 year olds. You must also meet any entry requirements specified (please visit the individual course pages for more details on these requirements).

  To start the enrolment process, we first ask that you get in touch to arrange a visit to our studios, where we can carry out a brief interview. Telephone interviews can also be arranged if you are located too far away. After the interview stage you will need to complete an enrolment form and will be required to pay a deposit to secure your place on your chosen course. Please note that this deposit is unfortunately non-refundable.

• Q. What are the course fees for The Iver Make-up Academy?

  A. Our fees are different for each course. Please visit your chosen course page to see the total cost.

• Q. When am I required to pay the fees?

  A. A 20% deposit is required initially to secure your place on our full time courses. The remaining balance then needs to be paid 6 weeks before your course is about to start.

  However, we are able to offer Payment Plans for most of our courses whereby fees can be paid across several months.  The terms of these plans vary depending on the course taken, please contact us for further information.

   

• Q. What do the fees include?

  A. Your fees include everything that is needed to successfully complete our courses. This includes materials, make-up, brushes and tools and cleaning equipment. All we ask is that you bring your own pen and notepad to each lesson for note taking.

   

  Our full time Certificate, Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced Hair and Make-up courses all include a full make-up and hair kit in the cost. This provides you with industry-quality make-up from brands including Bobbi Brown, MAC and Kryolan, as well as professional palettes, make-up brushes and hair tools. The value of each kit on the Intermediate and Advanced course is over £2000 and this is yours to keep once the course has ended.

  Specialist equipment is supplied for our shorter courses and further prosthetics courses to allow you to complete the training.

• Q. I am coming from oversea's. Can I get a Visa?

  A. We have students join us from all over the world. Students can come and study with us in the UK on a standard visitors visa Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . Please contact us and we can advice you further.

   

• Q. Do you offer student loans for your courses?

  A. The Iver Academy is registered with UK Government's Skills Funding Agency. Currently there are no Government funded student loans available for our courses but please take a go look at our Funding page as there are a number of Bursary's and Scholarship programmes available. 

  For more information please see our How to Fund your Training page 

• Q. Am I able to visit The Iver Academy before enrolling?

  A. We encourage anyone considering a course with us to first come and visit our academy. You can call us to make an appointment, where one of our team will happily show you around the premises and facilities, or you can attend one of our open days.

• Q. What is your average tutor to student ratio?

  A. All of our courses are taught in small tutor groups. Our tutor / student ratio will vary depending on our individual courses, but on average this will be a ratio between 1:7 and 1:14 This helps us ensure that all our students receive the best care and attention to further their development.

• Q. What are your regular class teaching times?

  A. Our regular classroom times are between 10am and 4pm and 9.30 am till 4.30 pm for Prosthetics and SFX modules.However, our academy opening hours are from 9am – 5pm to give students ample time to practise their skills and prepare for any tasks.

• Q. Do I need to have any prior qualifications to attend The Iver Academy?

  A. You need to be 18 or over to attend any of our courses, and individual entry requirements apply per course. Each application is also subject to an interview that will help us get to know you and see if our courses will be suitable.

   

  If you are enrolling on any of our shorter courses, or our 3-week Industry Ready module, you will need to have completed our Foundation or Certificate level make-up and hair course first, or be able to provide us with sufficient evidence that you have the necessary basic skills. This is to make sure that all students on our Advanced courses are at the right level to be able to make the most of their training.

• Q. What standard of English do I need to have?

  A. Our course information and study materials are only available in English. It is important that you can communicate effectively with your tutors, students, models and industry visitors throughout the course.  Therefore, international students must provide evidence that their English is IELTS level 5.5 or equivalent.

• Q. Do your courses include work experience?

  A. We have many contacts within the industry which helps us find relevant work experience roles and placements for students to complement their chosen course. Whilst this work is not guaranteed, we have many connections in different areas of the make-up business who regularly contact us when work placements become available. This work experience spans placements for TV, film, theatre and fashion events.

• Q. Why do you have so many tutors?

  A. It is very important to us that all our students receive the most up-to-date training on the current techniques and standards that apply in the industry. We’ve chosen our teaching team to make sure you learn from the very best tutors.

   

  All of our tutors are professional make-up artists, hair artists or prosthetic artists who are actively working in the industry. Our teaching team also includes experts and specialists from every sector, including film, TV, theatre, fashion and prosthetics. They are constantly working with the newest products, which means you will be taught the cutting edge training needed to go out and work in the industry.

• Q. Do your courses include photo shoots or filming experience?

  A.  Depending on which course you enrol on to you you will experience a variety of live briefs from shooting with a pro photographer, crowd room simulation and filming set walk through.

  The majority of our cohort work alongside film school students form the NFTS and the Met Film School  whilst they are studying to get valuable experience on student films. 

• Q. Will I receive a certificate once I complete my course?

  A. Yes, once you have graduated you will be given a certificate and a percentage pass mark that can be used to show your experience and skill. Each certificate will detail the courses and modules you have completed. A certificate from The Iver Make-up Academy is a recognised qualification and will show prospective employers the excellent level of training you have received. We are accredited by the British Accreditation Council, ScreenSkills and affiliated to The National Film And Television School.

   

    

• Q. Will you be able to help me find work once I have graduated?

  A. Yes, all graduates of our full time courses are invited to join the IMA agency. Graduates are regularly sent job opportunities from all aspects of  TV, film, theatre, fashion and events. We often have fantastic openings to help you progress in your career. We are able to assist with work experience and placement roles, which can develop into paid work once graduates are able to demonstrate their skill and experience.

  To date all our graduates from our full time courses who are UK based have been offered work experience or paid work. It is then up to the individual to make the most of these opportunities and also to be proactive in seeking work placements in all areas of make-up, hair and special effects. No training academy can guarantee work to their graduates but we can boast an unblemished track record to date.