Primary instrument/specialism
- Composition
Course summary
Study as a postgraduate composer at one of the UK's most innovative composition departments. In recent years, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's Composition department has produced outstanding contemporary artists such as Laura Mvula, Raffertie and Charlotte Bray. Unlike many composition courses at this level, the course actively celebrates the diversity of today's musical genres, and fosters artists who challenge, innovate and transform notions of artistic practice today. You'll spend most of your time writing music for professional and student ensembles, whether you choose to respond to our set briefs or work on your own projects. You'll be encouraged to express yourself in multiple musical and artistic genres, and by studying in a creative conservatoire environment you'll have excellent opportunities to collaborate with performers and to have your works performed. Alongside your focus on composition, our course provides opportunities for you to develop other skills relevant to a future career in the music profession – our aim is to send you out with the knowledge, skills and confidence to succeed. You'll have full access to our superb £57 million facilities, including our Concert Hall, 150-seat Recital Hall, our black box performance space known as The Lab, and more than 70 practice rooms, ensemble rooms and workshops; all acoustically designed to provide a music-making environment that is world class. We provide a friendly and supportive environment in which you can pursue your postgraduate studies. This is a time when you need to think particularly carefully and strategically about the direction of your developing career as a musician. We therefore encourage you to be ambitious in pursuing your aspirations, and endeavour to provide you with the flexibility to mould your course to your individual needs; both within your Principal Study area and in complementary modules.
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:
Single specialism
Only one instrument is studied. It may be possible to study a further instrument formatively, 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.
How to apply
This course is closed for the 2020 academic cycle. Please contact the provider or view the 2021 courses.
*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.
01Oct
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.
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Honours degree, ideally but not necessarily in Music. Non-UK students should hold a Bachelor's degree or a similar degree-equivalent diploma, ideally but not necessarily in Music MMus Intensive applicants must be at Level 7 standard in their Principal Study Area and be well-suited to the intensive period of study. If you do not have a degree qualification, we may consider your application if you can demonstrate a significant amount of professional experience and achieve a high scoring audition IELTS overall score of a minimum of 6.0 with no sub-test below 5.5
Additional entry requirements
Audition
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Performers only /local fee | £75 | £75 |
| Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) Performers only /local fee | £75 | £75 |
| By Recording (EU applicants outside the UK only) | £75 | £75 |
| Birmingham Conservatoire | £75 | £75 |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee | Late Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Performers only /local fee | £105 | £105 |
| Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) Performers only /local fee | £105 | £105 |
| By Recording (EU applicants outside the UK only) | £105 | £105 |
| Birmingham Conservatoire | £105 | £105 |
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| EU | £5270 | Year 1 |
| England | £5270 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £5270 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £5270 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £5270 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £5270 | Year 1 |
Additional fee information
Home/EU - Equivalent or lower qualifications fees £6,830
Students studying Equivalent or Lower Qualification in higher education are assessed to see whether they are looking to study at the same level to a qualification they already hold or at a lower level to a qualification they already hold.
Students categorised as studying for an ELQ at the Birmingham Conservatoire will be charged a tuition fee rate that is higher than the standard published rates. This is because in 2008 the government announced that it would no longer provide funding to support universities teaching students who were classed as ELQ status
Provider information
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Birmingham Conservatoire
200 Jennens Road
Birmingham
B4 7XR