Primary instrument/specialism
- Accordion (classical)
- Bassoon
- Cello
- Clarinet
- Cornet
- Double Bass
Course summary
The MMus Performance and Pedagogy offers the opportunity to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills related to learning, teaching, and assessment in music education as an instrumental/vocal studies instructor. The programme emphasises the value of learning and teaching as a professional activity; supports the development of your identity as an instrumental/vocal studies instructor and explores teaching as a key component of your continuing growth as a performing artist. Overseas Auditions We are operating a pre-screening process for all our international audition locations. All videos must be submitted to your Acceptd account before the below deadlines. There is no set repertoire for the pre-screening round, and you are welcome to perform different repertoire should you be successfully offered a live audition. Please note some departments may have some additional requirements needed at audition, please check the relevant page on our website for more information. For live in-person auditions being held in Qingdao, Seoul, Singapore and Kuala Lumpa: UCAS Conservatoire applications and Acceptd submissions must be submitted by the deadline of 2nd October 2025. For live in-person auditions being held in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Toronto: UCAS Conservatoire applications and Acceptd submissions must be submitted by the deadline of 1st December 2025. All keyboard applicants MUST submit their application by the 2nd October 2025 regardless of which audition location you choose (including the recording option). If successfully offered a live in-person audition at one of our overseas locations, then applicants applying from that country will be expected to attend in person. We strongly encourage people to attend in person to be able to meet some of our staff members face to face and ask questions about our programmes, and life at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. For live auditions, we cannot guarantee that a member of our teaching staff will be on the panel for your specific discipline. We may not be able to audition certain instruments at our overseas auditions. Where required, all applicants will need to provide their own instruments (except piano) and accompanist for auditions. Further details of dates and locations can be found on our departmental webpages, under the 'How to apply' section. Please note, our locations are subject to change at short notice. If you choose a location that becomes unavailable we will be in touch to offer an alternative, this will likely be a recorded submission. If you are unable to attend a live in-person audition, then we do offer a recorded submission option. Recorded submissions will go through the same pre-screening process, and applicants will be invited to a live online audition at the discretion of the relevant Head of Department. You may be asked to perform additional repertoire or complete a small aural task as part of this process. If you are recalled, further details and online meeting links will be sent to you. Curriculum Review We are currently in the review cycle for our postgraduate music programmes starting in 2026, these courses are currently designated 'subject to validation'. This is standard practice during curriculum review periods. The outcome of this process, may mean there are some changes to how your programme is delivered.
Course details
Principal study options
During the application and audition process, you must select which instrument(s) you wish to specialise in for the duration of your course. On this course, you can choose from the following options:
Main specialism
Only one specialism is studied. It may be possible to study a further instrument, but this will not contribute towards the qualification.
Instrument/specialisms
For all courses, you must select at least one specialism from the 'primary' list. For those studying primary/secondary pathways, two instruments may be selected – one from the 'primary' list and one from the 'secondary' list. Joint pathway students may select any two instruments from either list.
Modules
More information about what the course entails can be found on our website
Assessment method
More information about what the course entails can be found on our website
How to apply
*If you are an international applicant, or you are applying for a postgraduate course, or are choosing certain assessment locations, the 'on time' deadline may be later in the year - please contact the conservatoire directly.
02Oct
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- 810F
- Institution code:
- R58
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
Currently around 20% of our students come from outside the UK. Between them, they represent over 55 different nationalities and add a rich diversity to the Conservatoire. To find out more please visit: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/international-students/
Entry requirements
Candidates for both the MMus and MA are normally expected to hold a good honours (at least 2:2) degree, or its overseas equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme.
Additional entry requirements
Audition
The audition will follow the reqirements of the performance degree pathway. Information about what to prepare for audition can be found under the 'how to apply' section on our departmental webpage: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/mmus-performance-and-pedagogy/
Interview
As part of your audition, there will be an interview with a member of the pedagogy staff to determine whether you are a suitable candidate for study in the area of instrumental and/or vocal teaching. You may ask you to share your understanding of: *The professional values of an instrumental teacher *The skill set required to be an effective instrumental teacher *Your interests and experiences of curricula, pedagogy and the learning context *Performer versus teacher – thoughts?
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | 6.0 with no component below 5.5 |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 80 | Overall score of 80, with minimum scores of: Reading – 18, Listening – 17, Speaking – 20, Writing – 17 |
| PTE Academic | 59 | Overall score of 59 with a minimum of 59 in all components (reading, listening, speaking, writing) |
| Cambridge English Advanced | Overall score of 169 with a minimum of 162 in all components | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | Overall score of 169 with a minimum of 162 in all components |
More information about our language requirements can be found at the weblink.
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-requirements/
Assessment locations
In the event of a successful assessment, applicants may be invited for a further interview prior to being made an offer.
Remote assessment recordings may be accepted in the event that you cannot attend an assessment in person.
Single specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee | Late Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Recording | £65 | £65 |
| RCS | £65 | £65 |
| Singapore | £65 | £65 |
| Qingdao | £65 | £65 |
| Seoul | £65 | £65 |
| New York | £65 | £65 |
| Los Angeles | £65 | £65 |
| Chicago | £65 | £65 |
| Kuala Lumpur | £65 | £65 |
| Toronto | £65 | £65 |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee | Late Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Recording | No fee charged | |
| RCS | Not available at this location | |
| Singapore | No fee charged | |
| Qingdao | No fee charged | |
| Seoul | No fee charged | |
| New York | No fee charged | |
| Los Angeles | No fee charged | |
| Chicago | Not available at this location | |
| Kuala Lumpur | Not available at this location | |
| Toronto | Not available at this location | |
Additional information
All applicants need to complete an Acceptd account profile and application regardless of which location you choose, this is part of the audition process (https://app.getacceptd.com/rcs) and needs to be completed once your UCAS application has been submitted. All live in-person auditions will be scheduled through the Acceptd platform. If you don't have an acceptd application, we won't be able to audition you. For the best audition experience, we would encourage all UK applicants (and where possible international applicants) to attend in-person. You can view the audition requirements and what to prepare for this course at the following page on our website: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/mmus-performance-and-pedagogy/
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Channel Islands | £13308* | Year 1 |
| England | £13308* | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £13308* | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £13308* | Year 1 |
| Wales | £13308* | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £13308* | Year 1 |
| EU | £28401* | Year 1 |
| International | £28401* | Year 1 |
*This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
All new students are required to pay associated programme cost related fees at the start of their studies.
For more information on fees, funding and Scholarship, please see our website: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/
Please note all tuition fees per year are subject to an annual review.
Sponsorship information
Within the School of Music, the majority of scholarship awards are made in January following an audition and offer of a place at the RCS. Scholarships are made based on ability and potential with some for financial need. Many School of Music scholarships are made for the duration of the programme. There is no separate scholarship application for the School of Music as everyone is automatically considered. More information can be found at: www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/scholarships/
Provider information
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
100 Renfrew Street
Glasgow
G2 3DB