Bagpus has it right . . It's a wonderful development, long overdue (there are already similar courses in Scotland). It's the sort of thing which could miss the point entirely, but the Folkworks involvement should ensure that doesn't happen.

To ask whether you need to take a degree course to be a part of Folk Music is to approach things arse-about-face; the question is whether the traditional music of England (and elsewhere) is worthy of degree-level study - which of course (IMO) it is. And so much better that such study should incorporate performance; I find the too-frequent separation of "folk study" from the music/performance they're supposed to be studying somewhat depressing.

G.