Circadium complies with all the requirements by the Pennsylvania Board of Education, and received its license to operate and offer the Diploma of Circus Arts Program in May 2017. Accreditation status is not to be confused with licensed status.
State licensure is a requirement by law for an institution to open its doors and offer approved and recognized vocational programs. Accreditation is a certification status an institution may choose to pursue. Accreditation is not a requirement, but it has a number of benefits, including allowing the institution to offer Federal Financial Aid for students who qualify.
Circadium is currently licensed, but not yet accredited. It is within Circadium’s near future plans to achieve institutional accreditation.
For additional information on our school’s licensed status in Pennsylvania:
https://www.education.pa.gov/PostsecondaryAdult/CollegeCareer/pls/Pages/default.aspx
We are often asked if our 3-year Circus Program is a Bachelor’s Degree. When deciding how to offer our program, we consulted with expert circus educators from around the world. The unanimous decision was to offer a 3-year curriculum fully focused on the skills and practice of the Circus Arts, which was approved in 2017 by the Pennsylvania Board of Education as a vocational diploma program (not a bachelor’s degree).
In order for our program to qualify as a bachelor’s degree, it would have needed to be a 4-year program, with 1-year or so of general education (courses in English, Math, Science, and Humanities), two years of general performing arts courses, and only one year devoted to the major on Circus Arts. Adjusting the curriculum to comply with the Bachelor’s degree requirements would have taken away important instruction and compromised the quality of education our Circus Arts students expect.
Circus Arts is a very distinct performing profession. We are proud to offer the education our students deserve.
Tuition for the 2022-2023 school year is $12,980.00
Yes – Circadium is able to offer need-based institutional grants for the 2023-2024 academic year. Please see our Student Catalog for more details.
We do not have student dormitories; we help students find apartments and home-shares in the neighborhoods of Northwest Philadelphia.
The academic classes are in place to serve the student’s artistic career; most coursework is verbal / participatory, and we are able to work with students at any level.
Students must be 18 years old before the course begins, and cannot be over 35. We advise students over 30 to be sure they can handle three years of full-time, strenuous physical activity before applying.
Circadium does not have a part-time option. If you are looking for part-time, recreational, or youth training, consider the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, our sister school.
The transferability of courses is always the decision of the accepting institution. When an institution decides to accept credits/hours for transfer, they will look into what courses completed at a previous school are comparable to the ones that are part of the new program of enrollment. Given the uniqueness of our program, keep in mind that the receiving institution’s curriculum should include circus courses comparable to the ones completed in the Circadium Circus Arts Diploma Program. Accredited institutions may also require the hours/credits accepted for transfer have been completed at an accredited institution. Circadium is licensed, however it is not accredited at the present time.