Primary instrument/specialism
- Clarinet (Jazz)
- Double Bass (Jazz)
- Drumkit (Jazz)
- Electric bass (jazz)
- Flute (Jazz)
- Guitar (Jazz)
Leeds Conservatoire has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
This course follows the same specifications as our three-year BA (Hons) Jazz degree, but the extra Foundation Year will allow you to gain the essential musical and theoretical skills you'll need to study jazz music at university level. Our BA (Hons) Jazz degree is a bold and performance-led course designed for passionate jazz musicians ready to explore, innovate, and lead. Whether you’re a vocalist or instrumentalist, this degree equips you with the tools to thrive – from technical mastery and improvisation to production, entrepreneurship and global collaboration. From the start, you’ll be immersed in ensemble performance, jazz theory, and transcription work, building a deep understanding of jazz vocabulary and its cultural roots. Through workshops, recitals, and intensive one-to-one tuition, you’ll develop your own artistic identity while gaining the practical skills needed for a dynamic music career. You’ll explore the global sounds and cultural influences that have shaped and continue to shape jazz music. From West African polyrhythms to Latin grooves and Arabic melodies, our Global Jazz Traditions modules bring fresh perspective to your playing and composition. At the same time, you’ll learn how to thrive in today’s music industry. With guidance in entrepreneurship, music business, production and digital media, you’ll graduate with a robust portfolio and the confidence to manage your own projects, collaborations and career. Cross-arts work and innovative performance projects push you to think beyond the stage and connect with wider creative communities. By final year, you’ll be recording, producing, and sharing work that’s ready for audiences and industry professionals alike. The Foundation Year modules offer a rich foundation in jazz performance, theory, history and composition. You’ll develop core musicianship skills through a blend of practical and academic modules, including harmonic, melodic and rhythmic principles. By studying jazz history and key repertoire, you’ll explore the cultural and theoretical evolution of the genre and apply this knowledge in creative and performance-based contexts. Composition and ensemble work are supported through workshops, analysis, and reflection. Performance modules focus on developing technical proficiency, improvisation, stylistic fluency and stagecraft. Working closely with specialist tutors, you’ll enhance your instrumental or vocal skills and build effective practice routines. You’ll also gain the creative, analytical and technical skills through collaborative and individual work. On completion of the Foundation Year you'll continue to Year 1 of the BA (Hons) Jazz degree. More information: https://bit.ly/LC-JazzFY-UCAS
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
Foundation Year History and Repertoire Introduction to Jazz Performance Introduction to Jazz Performance 2 JAT (Jazz Aural and Theory): Essential Principles JAT (Jazz Aural and Theory): Structural Analysis Musicology and Composition Year 1 Jazz Language 1 Jazz Language 2 Jazz Performance 1 Jazz Performance 2 History of Jazz and African Music History of Jazz & Central/South American Music Year 2 Jazz Language 3 Jazz Language 4 Jazz Performance 3 Jazz Performance 4 History of Jazz & South Asian Music History of Jazz & Arabic/Eastern European Music Year 3 Jazz Innovations 1 Jazz Innovations 2 Jazz Performance 5 Jazz Production & Recording: Audio Jazz Production & Recording: Visual
Assessment method
The course is assessed in a variety of ways to reflect the diversity of creative and professional practice. Assessment methods include recitals, coursework, musical portfolios, recordings, technical tests, presentations and written work.
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:
- W37F
- Institution code:
- L31
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Foundation
International applicants
Please visit the international page on our website for further information: http://bit.ly/UCAS-international-apply
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 64 points
A level
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Access to HE Diploma
Scottish Higher
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Additional entry requirements: Applicants should also have achieved a minimum of three GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above. UCAS tariff points from music graded exams are also accepted (highest achieved per instrument (grade 6 and above), awarded by ABRSM, London College of Music, Trinity College, Rock School). All applicants will be required to either attend an audition or submit a portfolio of work. Please see https://www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/audition for up to date details of our audition process. English Language requirements: All applicants must meet the minimum English Language requirement, as set by the conservatoire. For UK applicants this is GCSE English Language at grade C/4. Equivalent qualifications, such as Functional Skills English Level 2 or National 5 English grade C, will also be accepted. For applicants that require a Student Visa to study in the UK, the standard requirement is IELTS 6.0 with no sub-test less than 5.5.
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
Additional entry requirements
Audition
Portfolio
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Online or in Person (All Applicants) | No fee charged | |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee | Late Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Online or in Person (All Applicants) | No fee charged | |
Additional information
Leeds Conservatoire wants to ensure that our application and audition process is fair and accessible to all. For this reason we do not charge an audition fee for any of our courses and are able to refund travel expenses for applicants from low income households for in-person auditions. Please see https://www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/audition for up to date details of our audition process.
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| EU | £16200* | Year 1 |
| International | £16200* | 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
For details of any additional costs associated with your course, please see https://www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate-study/fees-funding/tuition-fees/
International and EU: Fees for Year 1 onwards for 2027/28 will be confirmed later in the academic year. The fee for Year 1 onwards for 2026/27 is £20,900 per year. This fee is subject to annual review and may change for 2027/28.
Provider information
Leeds Conservatoire
3 Quarry Hill
Leeds
LS2 7PD