Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
UCAS Code: 301F | Bachelor of Music (with Honours) - BMus (Hon)
Entry requirements
A level
Passes in two subjects at GCE Advanced level
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
minimum score of 24 with 3 subjects at Higher Level
Scottish Higher
Passes in three subjects at Higher level
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About this course
The BMus (Hons) Joint Principal Study (JPS) pathway at the RCS is a specialist four-year pathway that enables students with exceptional potential in two disciplines to pursue these in parallel at degree level. It is strongly practical and vocational in purpose, with most of your study time devoted to activities in the two principal study areas, but this is substantially complemented by a core curriculum in professional skills development, research skills, and development of critical and reflective thinking.
The programme’s structure and content are designed to allow you to develop the full range of your creative and technical abilities and to equip you with the professional skills and knowledge that will enable you to pursue your musical interests and aspirations to the highest level. The BMus Programme offers a unique opportunity for you to immerse yourself in a creative and supportive environment dedicated to the study and practice of music in a multidisciplinary setting that includes dance, drama, film and production programmes alongside music. Our aim for our graduates is to prepare you for both postgraduate study and professional employment as performers, teachers, and in other careers as part of the portfolio career common within the contemporary music profession.
JPS is a demanding programme and students taking this study additional credits (140 credits per year instead of the usual 120). At the end of each academic year, students on JPS will be asked if wish to continue on that route, or to specialise in one or other of their Principal Studies. To continue on the Joint Principal Study pathway, students must normally achieve a specified mininum grade for each Principal Study module; failure to achieve this level in both Principal Studies will normally result in the student being required to pursue the better Principal Study as a ‘single study’ (i.e. transfer to the Performance/ Composition/ Jazz route).
The JPS pathway includes Conducting as a principal study. Applicants will need to demonstrate an existing level of achievement in this area in order to be considered for the Conducting pathway. Conducting cannot be taken as a "single study" pathway if a JPS student later transfers away from the Joint Principal Study pathway.
Choosing to study music in Glasgow means you will be part of the UK’s largest music economy, outside of London. Glasgow is home to the national companies including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Royal National Scottish Orchestra and Scottish Ensemble. We have partnerships with all of these organisations and our students benefit from playing opportunities, internships and masterclasses with our professional neighbours.
**Please note, the international deadline for this programme is the 2nd December 2024, but we would encourage applicants to apply by the 2nd October 2024 to be guaranteed consideration for first round of scholarship**
**If you apply for the JPS pathway, you do not need to apply for the single specialism pathway, unless it is in a subject area out with what you have already selected**
**Overseas Auditions**
If you want to audition at one of our overseas locations, you must submit your application by the 2nd October 2024. We may not be able to audition certain instruments at our overseas auditions, please see our website for more information. Where required, all applicants will need to provide their own instruments (except piano) and accompanist for the audition. Details of audition dates and locations can be found on our website, 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.
Modules
More information about what the course entails can be found on our website, please visit your instrument/department specific pages for further information.
Assessment methods
More information about what the course entails can be found on our website, please visit your instrument/department specific pages for further information.
Tuition fees
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Extra funding
Within the School of Music, the majority of scholarship awards are made following our audition period 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.
You can find out about the funding and scholarships available for studying at RCS by visiting our dedicated page: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/apply/finance/feesandfunding/
The Uni
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
School of Music
What students say
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How do students rate their degree experience?
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Music
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Music
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Music
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£19k
£21k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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