Primary instrument/specialism
- Accordion (classical)
- Bassoon
- Bodhran
- Button Accordion (Traditional Music)
- Cello
- Cello (Jazz)
Course summary
The MA Joint Principal Study (JPS) degree is intended for exceptional students who are capable of performing at masters level in more than one discipline. Your study will be shared between two departments, with both individual lessons and supporting classes split between disciplines. Possible combinations include: -Two instruments from different families within the performance strand, e.g. piano and cello -Two genres, such as jazz and traditional music; jazz and (classical) performance; or traditional music and (classical) performance -Two disciplines, such as composition and percussion The following strands are self-contained specialisms, and may not be combined with another strand as part of a JPS route: -Chamber Music -Conducting -Performance and Pedagogy -Performance and Musicology -Piano for Dance -Repetiteurship The following cases do not constitute joint principal study: -Students pursuing two instruments within the same family e.g. violin and viola, piano and harpsichord, flute and piccolo, and similar doublings -Jazz and Traditional students who both perform and compose as part of their discipline Acceptance onto the Joint Principal Study strand is exceptional, and is only offered to students who are able to demonstrate the requisite level of skill and commitment across both areas. Overseas Applicants We will be holding auditions at venues across the world, but audition requirements AND application deadline dates will change depending on your principal study and where you are applying to. We will be operating a pre-screening process for some instrumental departments. Full information on our locations, dates and requirements can be found on our website. Please check this prior to applying. All international applicants and those that are submitting a recording must also include a spoken introduction recording that is separate from your instrumental performance. This must be submitted to your Acceptd application by the relevant application deadline for where you are auditioning. All recorded submissions should contain a spoken introduction in English. Please tell us:
- Your name
- A bit about your musical background and training you’ve had till now
- Your musical ambitions
- Your reasons for applying to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- This video should be no longer than 3 minutes long and separate to your performance video
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:
Joint main specialism
You would like to study two specialisms, both studied equally.
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.
Secondary instrument/specialisms
- Accordion (classical)
- Bassoon
- Bodhran
- Button Accordion (Traditional Music)
- Cello
- Cello (Jazz)
Modules
Please see our website for more information
Assessment method
Please see our website for more information
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:
- 816F
- 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
Audition requirements depend on which principal study you are applying for. You can find these requirements on the individual department pages on our website.
Interview
An interview will form part of your live audition. If you have submitted a recording submission, then this will be at the discretion of the department.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| RCS | £100 | £100 |
| Recording | £100 | £100 |
| New York | £100 | £100 |
| Los Angeles | £100 | £100 |
| Qingdao | £100 | £100 |
| Singapore | £100 | £100 |
| Seoul | £100 | £100 |
| Chicago | £100 | £100 |
| Toronto | £100 | £100 |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee | Late Fee |
|---|---|---|
| RCS | Not available at this location | |
| Recording | Not available at this location | |
| New York | Not available at this location | |
| Los Angeles | Not available at this location | |
| Qingdao | Not available at this location | |
| Singapore | Not available at this location | |
| Seoul | Not available at this location | |
| Chicago | 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. You can view the audition requirements and what to prepare for this course on the relevant programme page on our website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
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
Fees are variable depending on the mode of study. Please consult the Conservatoire's website for more information: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/fees/
All new students are required to pay associated programme cost related fees at the start of their studies.
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