The Centre for Continuing Education at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre uses an independent continuing education program and instructed continuing education in the workplace as a single study strategy.

Principles of the Independent Continuing Education Program:

• Any subject from the field of teaching and competence at Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre can be studied
• Everyone can study, although depending on the subject or learning objectives, an evaluation of pre-existing ability and knowledge may be required
• The Centre for Continuing Education at EAMT provides guidance during the development phase and in regard to learning ability and evaluating learning objectives
• The methods of evaluation and the assessment criteria will be discussed and agreed upon with the examiner
• The student is responsible for the learning process

Starting an Independent Continuing Education Program

• Preparatory phase

To commence studies, the participant must present the Centre for Continuing Education with a letter of application and a letter of motivation (study goals, subjects, study period and amount of lessons).

In the preparatory phase of the study process, the participant and a specialist from the Centre for Continuing Education will discuss an individual study plan and an estimate of the volume of the studies, and will determine whether the given form of study suits the applicant. Lecturers of the corresponding major/subject will be included in the discussion.

• Putting Together a Program for Continuing Education

The content of the continuing education program, learning objectives, volume of the studies in hours, methods of evaluation and the level of evaluation will be agreed upon at this phase. The resulting program will be based on the expectations of the student and the requirements set by the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (the credibility and transparency of the study process, guidance and tutorials, fair evaluation). The program will be compiled with the involvement of the lecturer/examiner of the corresponding major/subject and the continuing education specialist. The recommended total volume of the program during a semester should be 20 ECTS and last up to 6 months.

• Independent Study Phase

The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre provides guidance concerning study ability to an agreed upon capacity – according to the participant’s wishes there can be tutorials with the examiner and regular meetings with the study consultant for the area of study and the continuing education specialist. The participant will put together a study diary (or portfolio) to reflect the studies during the study phase. The student is responsible for the study phase, selecting a suitable schedule and study method(s).

• Evaluation phase 

The learning objectives and the level of evaluation agreed upon in the program are the basis for the evaluation of the studies. The evaluation will be carried out by either one examiner (up to 6ECTS) or, for program with a larger volume, an evaluation commission. At the end of the training, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre will issue the student with a certificate and a transcript of records.

The independent continuing education courses are available on payment of a fee. The fee is specific to each individual student and depends on the volume of the chosen program and the number of tutorials and guidance sessions. The Centre for Continuing Education will sign an agreement with the participant stipulating the content of the program, its duration and fee along with payment deadlines. EMTA will issue the participant of the program with an invoice.

Instructed Continuing Education in the Workplace

Instructed continuing education in the workplace is a good opportunity for the employee to further their knowledge, while offering the employer a comfortable way to improve their employee’s qualifications. Instructed continuing education in the workplace accounts for the need for development of both the employer and the employee and allows study within the work environment. As a rule, the program is normally compiled for a single person and the usual method takes the form of individual tutorials.

• Anyone whose area of study corresponds with the specifics of their work is eligible. Studies take place in parallel with the person’s principle employment.
• Studies can be undertaken according to either a chosen field or a pre-existing course in the field of teaching and competence at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. First, the student must agree the terms of the study with their employer and only then with the Centre for Continuing Education. The Centre for Continuing Education should be presented with a letter of application for continuing education in the workplace.
• A three-way agreement will be signed by the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, the employer and the employee.
• 80 – 90% of the studies are independent (including practical studies), 10 – 20% are instructed studies. The duration of the workplace studies along with the theory section must be optimal for reaching the goals set in the curriculum, but must also fit within one semester/half-year.
• The student must find themselves a workplace supervisor, a supervisor will also be assigned by EMTA during the phase for compiling the Program for Continuing Education. An individual program will be drawn up in cooperation and the study methods agreed upon.
• The role of the workplace supervisor is to support and motivate the student, evaluate his or her activity and give feedback. The workplace supervisor is not paid by the academy.
• The role of the EAMT supervisor is to ensure and supervise the implementation of the theory section of the program.
• The evaluation methods and criteria will be discussed and agreed upon by the employer and the supervisor assigned by the Academy.
• Instructed continuing education in the workplace is available on payment of a fee. The client will pay for the program according to the current price list supplied by the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.