A Guide to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Undergraduate Admissions

Written By Dr Xiaoyun Peng

Inchwise Research · Conservatoire Admissions Unit

Data current to 15 October 2026. Applies to entry in September 2027.

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In brief

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) is part of Birmingham City University and is based at 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham. The undergraduate music degree is a four-year BMus (Honours) with three principal study areas, Performance, Composition and Music Technology; Jazz is a separate BMus.

  • Applications go through UCAS Conservatoires (institution code B34). The 2027-entry deadline is 1 October 2026, 18:00 UK time. RBC states that late applications may be accepted until the end of August where places remain.

  • The audition fee for 2027 entry is £80 for one instrument and £120 for two, in addition to the UCAS Conservatoires fee of £34.50.

  • UCAS lists three audition locations for Performance in 2027: the Conservatoire, a virtual audition, and China. Audition dates and the China cities for 2027 entry are not published.

  • The academic entry requirement is 32 UCAS Tariff points (EE at A level), or 24 points in the IB Diploma.

  • Published 2027/28 tuition for the first year is £10,050 for UK students and £29,460 for international students. Fees are not fixed for later years.

  • Everyone who auditions is considered for a scholarship automatically; for international students, scholarships reduce tuition fees.

01 About the Conservatoire

RBC has been part of Birmingham City University since 1989 and received its royal title in 2017, the year it merged with Birmingham School of Acting and opened its Jennens Road building. Its history page traces singing classes at the Birmingham and Midland Institute to 1859 and the Birmingham School of Music to 1886; another RBC page gives a history going back to 1854.

The Conservatoire’s disciplines are music, acting, applied theatre and stage management. It states that it has around 50 full-time staff and nearly 200 visiting specialist tutors. A student number for the Conservatoire alone is not published; the figure given, more than 31,400, is for the whole university.

The BMus departments are Brass, Composition, Historical Performance, Keyboard, Music Technology, Percussion, Strings (bowed and plucked), Vocal and Operatic, and Woodwind. The 2027/28 course page describes more than 70 practice rooms, ensemble rooms and workshops and seven recording studios, and gives the Bradshaw Hall’s capacity as both 440 and 500 seats.

02 The Degree

The BMus (Honours) is four years, full time, starting in September 2027. Students take one principal study area and receive a named award.

  • BMus (Hons) Performance — UCAS course code 300F (instrumental or vocal).

  • BMus (Hons) Composition — 301F.

  • BMus (Hons) Music Technology — 302F.

  • Jazz BMus — 310F, a separate four-year degree.

A foundation-year route into the BMus and a minimum age are not published.

03 How to Apply

Applications are made through UCAS Conservatoires, where the institution code is B34. The deadline for 2027 entry is 1 October 2026, 18:00 UK time, which UCAS describes as the equal consideration deadline. RBC states that late applications may be accepted until the end of August in areas with unfilled places, and asks applicants to contact admissions first. UCAS’s final date for 2027-entry conservatoire applications is 23 September 2027.

The UCAS Conservatoires application fee for the 2027 cycle is £34.50 for up to six choices; RBC’s auditions page gives the same figure, and its how-to-apply page gives £28.95 without stating a year. The audition fee, in a table labelled 2027 entry, is £80 for a single instrument and £120 for two, non-refundable and paid through UCAS Conservatoires. Audition fee waivers are available to UK residents with household income at or below £31,139 and to care leavers.

One reference is required, from someone who can comment on academic or musical ability.

04 Audition Format and Locations

Applicants are invited to an in-person or a virtual audition. UCAS lists the 2027 assessment locations for Performance as the Conservatoire, a virtual audition, and China; the Composition listing names China for performers only; Music Technology and Jazz list the Conservatoire and a virtual audition.

Audition dates for 2027 entry are not published; the overview page still shows the 2026-entry schedule. The China audition cities, venues and dates are not published.

The virtual route works in two rounds. The recording, submitted within two weeks of applying as a YouTube or Vimeo link, filmed in one take and unedited, is the first round. Successful applicants then have a virtual interview, which may include performance, sight-reading and scales. The published recording policy is for 2026 entry; a 2027 version is not published. Organ auditions usually take place at St Chad’s Cathedral.

05 What the Audition Includes

  • Strings — two contrasting pieces; scales and arpeggios, three octaves for violin, viola and cello; a short sight-reading test. In-person programme 10 to 15 minutes; recorded about 20 minutes.

  • Piano — three contrasting pieces; sight-reading may take place in the interview. Recorded at least 20 minutes.

  • Brass — two pieces of different styles and periods; scales may be requested at Grade 8 standard; sight-reading.

  • Woodwind — two pieces; scales and arpeggios in all major and minor keys; sight-reading.

  • Voice — three classical art songs, arias or concert works from memory, at least one not in English or Latin. Recorded about 20 minutes.

  • Percussion — set repertoire across instruments; possibly sight-reading, rhythm and aural tests.

  • Composition — a portfolio of at least three compositions in any style; a discussion of about 20 minutes.

  • Music Technology — a portfolio of at least three pieces; an interview of 15 to 25 minutes.

Most disciplines include an informal interview. A second-study audition is not required. UCAS lists an institution test covering harmony and aural for applicants who audition in the UK.

06 Academic Requirements

The requirement is 32 UCAS Tariff points, equivalent to EE at A level, with a maximum of three subjects considered, plus an audition. The IB Diploma requires 24 points. GCSEs are not required. Other accepted routes include a T Level Pass, BTEC (32 points), Access to HE (60 credits, 45 at Level 3), the Irish Leaving Certificate (32 points from five Highers) and Scottish Advanced Highers at DDD.

07 English Language Requirement

RBC’s English requirements page gives IELTS 6.0 overall for the BMus. The UCAS 2027 listings for Performance, Composition and Music Technology add no less than 5.5 in each band; the Jazz listing gives 5.5 overall in all four skills. Applicants who narrowly miss the requirement may be offered a six- or ten-week pre-sessional English course, which carries a fee.

08 Tuition Fees

  • 2027/28, first year, Performance, Composition and Music Technology: UK £10,050; international £29,460.

  • Jazz 2027/28: shown as to be confirmed on the RBC page; the UCAS listing gives £10,050 and £29,460 without a year.

  • 2026/27, university fees page: UK maximum £9,790; international music undergraduate £28,460.

Fees are not fixed for the course. The university reserves the right to increase fees in later years, in line with inflation capped at 5 per cent or with Government policy.

09 Scholarships and Bursaries

Everyone who auditions for a music course is considered for a scholarship automatically, with no separate application. Awards are based on excellence or potential shown at audition and/or a shortage principal study area, and usually cover the first year only. Values are not published. International students are eligible; for them, scholarships can only be used to reduce tuition fees.

Bursaries are for home undergraduate music students from lower-income households. Named awards include the McDonald Scholarships for organists and the Corton Hyde Scholarship for Historical Performance. The university’s £5,000 international undergraduate scholarship excludes RBC acting and music courses.

10 Not Yet Published

  • Audition dates for 2027 entry.

  • China audition cities, venues and dates.

  • A student number for the Conservatoire alone.

  • An overall audition length, and which disciplines must audition in person.

  • A minimum age.

  • Scholarship values and admissions statistics.

About this guide

Inchwise is a London education consultancy for families whose children take music seriously. This guide records what the institution publishes, with the date each fact was retrieved. Inchwise is not affiliated with the institution and does not predict admissions outcomes. Where a decision depends on something this guide lists as not published, only the institution’s admissions office can confirm it.

Published dates for this admissions round, institution by institution: 2027 entry: published application and audition dates.

Inchwise offers an online mock audition modelled on the audition format an institution publishes: Mock Audition and Written Report.

Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire guide · Four UK undergraduate conservatoires compared · Contact Inchwise · All guides

Sources

Dr Xiaoyun Peng
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