Primary instrument/specialism
- Accordion (classical)
- Banjo (tenor)
- Bassoon
- Bodhran
- Button Accordion (Traditional Music)
- Cello
Course summary
Bachelor of Education (Music) with Honours is a vocational programme for musicians who aspire to teach music in schools. You will be enrolled in one of the most highly regarded routes into classroom music teaching in Scotland, qualifying you for both primary and secondary school teaching. The degree provides integrated school placements in all four years of study. In this programme, you will study aspects of teacher education in developing your skillsets for effective classroom practice and preparation for school experience. With a focus on professionalism, practitioner enquiry and career-long professional learning, you will develop a personal educator identity. You will undertake intensive music studies focusing on creativity, performance and collaboration. You will develop your skills and knowledge in musicianship, musicology, technology, piano and classroom instruments. With school placements in every year of study, you will have the opportunity to embed learning and develop the practical application of skills through teaching practice. Following graduation, you will qualify for Provisional Registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). All eligible graduates are guaranteed a probationary year of classroom teaching in a Scottish school. GTCS standards are recognised in the UK and internationally, with many of our former students working in Scotland or abroad after graduation.
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
Please see our website for more information.
Assessment method
Please see our website for more information.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- General Teaching Council for Scotland
How to apply
This course is not open to application until the 10th July 2025.
*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.
14Jan
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:
- WX33
- 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
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - BCC
Scottish Higher - ABBC
The General Teaching Council for Scotland sets the minimum entry requirements with regard to the qualifications in English and Maths and may change these requirements. Normally several years’ notice is given impending any changes. It is the responsibility of the applicants to be aware of the current minimum requirements. We offer a flexible approach to students taking Higher over more than one academic year and/or who achieve their qualifications in more than one sitting. More information about the GTCS entry requirements, including accepted alternatives to the Maths and English requirements, can be found in the GTCS Memorandum on Entry Requirements.
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
Additional entry requirements
Audition
At your Principal Study audition, you will be required to: *Play two contrasting pieces of your own choice on your chosen performance study (Please note: there are special requirements if you are presenting Timpani and Percussion or Jazz - details of the requirements can be found on our website) *Sing one song of your own choice to demonstrate the stage of development of your vocal skills (if your Performance Study is Voice, this requirement will not apply) At your Principal Study audition, in addition to you playing your pieces, the panel will spend a little time working with you on sections of your pieces to fully gauge your potential and suitability for the Programme.
Interview
During the interview, you will be expected to display a good general knowledge of and interest in music and a keen commitment to teaching. You should be able to demonstrate an awareness of recent curricular initiatives and how these might impact music education in Scotland. During the interview, you will be asked to express your views on music education and describe and reflect upon your own experiences of learning and teaching. The interview will be conducted informally, and you will be assessed on your: *Ability to express yourself clearly and fluently *Perceived commitment to and enthusiasm for teaching *Level of preparation and reflection The following questions are provided only as a guide. The actual questions you are asked may differ from the ones given here. *Why have you decided to apply to the BEd (Music) programme (why do you want to be a teacher)? *What personal qualities and/or experiences do you have which you think would make you a good teacher? *What recent changes in Scottish education are you aware of and can you tell us what you know? *Do you have any experience with Music Technology? If so, what software or hardware have you used? *Apart from piano and your first-study instrument, what other instruments have you learned to play (including classroom instruments e.g. guitar/ukulele, bass, drum kit, tuned percussion, etc)? *What aspects of music do you enjoy? Are there any particular skills which you feel you need to develop? Panel members may also ask you questions about your personal statement.
Other
Around three weeks before your audition, you will be sent a selection of piano and keyboard harmony pieces. You should prepare one piano piece and one keyboard harmony piece. At the Piano Audition, you will take part in a group class where an RCS tutor will work with you on your prepared pieces. This will allow us to gauge your potential on piano and your suitability for the programme.
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 | £35 | £35 |
| Recording | £35 | £35 |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee | Late Fee |
|---|---|---|
| RCS | Not available at this location | |
| Recording | 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. Applicants submitting performance recordings via our Acceptd platform, may be asked to a follow-up live online interview with the department you are applying for. We will continue to offer online auditions to international applicants and those who are unable to attend in-person due to exceptional circumstances. For the best audition experience, we would encourage all UK applicants to attend in person. For more information on what to prepare for the audition, please see our website - https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/bachelor-of-education-music-hons/
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
| Channel Islands | £9535* | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £9535* | Year 1 |
| England | £9535* | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535* | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535* | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £1820* | Year 1 |
| EU | £28919* | Year 1 |
| International | £28919* | 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
There are currently no RCS scholarships available for our Education programme. More information can be found about funding on our degree pages: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/bachelor-of-education-music-hons/#fees-funding Funding support may be available for teacher training via the UK Govenment or through the student finance companies. You would need to conduct your own research as to whether you qualify for this.
Provider information
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
100 Renfrew Street
Glasgow
G2 3DB