A Guide to Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Undergraduate Admissions

Written By Dr Xiaoyun Peng

Inchwise Research · Conservatoire Admissions Unit

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

繁體中文版

In brief

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is in Glasgow. It began as the Glasgow Athenaeum in 1847 and took its present name in 2011. The undergraduate music degree is a four-year BMus (Hons), offered in six pathways.

  • Applications go through UCAS Conservatoires (institution code R58), with a separate Acceptd application. The 2027-entry deadline is 1 October 2026 for UK applicants and 1 December 2026 for international applicants, except Keyboard and Jazz, where 1 October 2026 applies to everyone.

  • The RCS audition fee is £65, in addition to the UCAS Conservatoires fee of £34.50.

  • Auditions in Glasgow run from 2 to 6 November 2026. Overseas auditions are listed for Singapore (14 November 2026), Qingdao (18–20 November 2026), Seoul (22 November 2026, to be confirmed) and North America (January 2027).

  • The published English requirement for the BMus is IELTS 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in each component.

  • Published 2026/27 international tuition is £29,786 a year. Fees for 2027/28 are not published.

  • Music scholarships are considered automatically after audition; there is no separate application.

01 About the Conservatoire

RCS is at 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, with further studios at Wallace Studios, Garscube Road. It started life as the Glasgow Athenaeum in 1847, took the title Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1968 and became the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2011. Its disciplines are music, drama, dance, production, film and education.

The undergraduate music departments are Brass; Guitar and Harp; Keyboard; Strings; Timpani and Percussion; Vocal Performance; and Woodwind. The Conservatoire states that around one in three of its students come from outside the UK, from over 60 nationalities. A total student number is not published on the pages checked.

02 The BMus Pathways

Each pathway is a four-year, full-time BMus (Hons). For 2027 entry the course starts on 20 September 2027.

  • BMus (Hons) Performance — programme code 300F.

  • BMus (Hons) Composition — programme code 302F.

  • BMus (Hons) Jazz — programme code 303F.

  • BMus (Hons) Traditional Music — programme code 250F; a Piping pathway is also listed.

  • BMus (Hons) Joint Principal Study — programme code 301F. Two instruments from the same family, such as violin and viola, are not permitted. Conducting is available only as a Joint Principal Study.

Entry beyond Year 1 is considered case by case; applicants mark entry point 2 or 3 on the UCAS Conservatoires form. The Jazz and Traditional Music pages state that deferred entry is not offered. A minimum age is not published on the course pages checked.

03 How to Apply

Applications are made through UCAS Conservatoires, where the RCS institution code is R58. An Acceptd account and Acceptd application are also required. Applications for 2027 entry opened on 12 July 2026.

  • Performance and Joint Principal Study: UK applicants 1 October 2026; international applicants, including EU, 1 December 2026; Keyboard principal study 1 October 2026 for all applicants.

  • Composition, Traditional Music and Traditional Music: Piping: UK 1 October 2026; international 1 December 2026.

  • Jazz: 1 October 2026 for UK and international applicants.

RCS states that deadlines for uploading audition materials may differ, and directs applicants to the programme pages. For late applications, RCS states that it cannot guarantee the application will be reviewed, and asks applicants to contact admissions first.

The UCAS Conservatoires application fee for 2027 entry is £34.50, covering up to six choices. RCS charges a separate audition assessment administration fee of £65. Audition fee waivers are offered to undergraduate applicants where financial hardship may be a barrier.

04 Audition Dates and Locations

In-person auditions in Glasgow take place from 2 to 6 November 2026. RCS offers one audition date per application, issued through Acceptd. The overseas dates published for 2027 entry are:

  • Singapore — 14 November 2026, School of the Arts.

  • Qingdao — 18, 19 and 20 November 2026, at The Yehudi Menuhin School, Qingdao. The Vocal Performance page lists 20 November only.

  • Seoul — 22 November 2026, date and venue to be confirmed.

  • Toronto — 24 January 2027, University of Toronto.

  • Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York — January 2027, to be confirmed.

The submission deadline for the Asian auditions is given as 1 October 2026 on the Keyboard, Brass and Vocal pages and as 2 October 2026 on the Strings, Woodwind, Guitar and Harp and Joint Principal Study pages. The deadline for the North American auditions is 1 December 2026.

Overseas panels consist of one panel member, and the audition is recorded. Applicants bring their own instrument, except piano, and their own pianist. Where attending an overseas audition is not possible, applicants may submit a recording; after review they may be invited to a live online audition or interview. Recorded submissions include a separate spoken introduction in English of no more than three minutes.

  • All international keyboard applicants go through pre-screening; there is no set repertoire for that round.

  • Timpani and Percussion: RCS states it is unable to offer live overseas auditions.

  • Jazz: all applicants submit a recorded pre-screening video; no overseas in-person auditions are offered.

  • Traditional Music: in-person auditions in Glasgow in the week beginning 2 November 2026; no overseas in-person auditions; international applicants may submit a recording.

05 What the Audition Includes

Every audition includes an interview of approximately ten minutes, and in-person auditions are given a twenty-minute warm-up slot. The repertoire published by department:

  • Strings — violin, viola and cello: the first movement of a standard concerto, with cadenza where applicable, and a contrasting work. Double bass: two contrasting works.

  • Piano — three contrasting works of approximately Grade 8 standard or beyond. Harpsichord, organ and accordion: a programme of fifteen minutes.

  • Woodwind — two contrasting pieces. Brass — one piece from a published list and one of the applicant’s choice. Guitar — pieces of up to eight minutes each.

  • Voice — three classical pieces in contrasting styles, from memory, one in English and one in a foreign language; a reading of poetry or prose in English of up to two minutes; possibly simple aural tests.

  • Composition — a portfolio of two to four works, with recordings and at least one full score, which is pre-screened; UK applicants are interviewed in Glasgow from 2 to 6 November 2026 and international applicants online.

  • Joint Principal Study — two separate in-person auditions, one for each principal study.

  • Traditional Music — approximately fifteen minutes.

Scales, sight-reading and a written or theory test are not listed on the undergraduate department pages checked. Applicants recalled after an online review may be asked to perform additional repertoire or complete a short aural task.

06 Academic Requirements

The published minimum is three Scottish Highers, two A levels, or the International Baccalaureate with a score of at least 24 and three subjects at Higher Level. The Composition and Jazz pages recommend Music and English at Higher, Advanced Higher or A level.

On the performance standard, RCS states that it normally expects playing at least equivalent to Grade 8 with Distinction in the principal study, as an indication only. Traditional Music assesses style, technical skills, context and potential rather than graded examinations.

07 English Language Requirement

The BMus course pages state IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component. Results must be obtained within two years of the start date of the programme. IELTS Academic online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and PTE Academic online are not accepted.

08 Tuition Fees

The fees published for the 2026/27 academic year are:

  • Scottish students — £1,820 a year, usually paid by SAAS.

  • Rest of the UK, including the Republic of Ireland — £9,790 a year.

  • International, including EU — £29,786 a year.

Fees for 2027/28 are not published. RCS states that all tuition fees are subject to an annual review, and that fee status, once studies begin, applies for the entire programme.

09 Scholarships

In the School of Music there is no separate scholarship application; all applicants are considered automatically. Most awards are made in the January after audition and offer, based on ability and potential, with some based on financial need. RCS states that it awards approximately £1.5 million in scholarships each year.

For 2026/27 entry, RCS published a minimum award of £3,500 a year for international undergraduate applicants in listed instruments: bassoon, cello, clarinet, double bass (including jazz), flute, harp, horn, oboe, saxophone, bass trombone, tuba, viola, bass-baritone, countertenor, mezzo-soprano and piano. Figures for 2027 entry are not published.

10 Not Yet Published

  • A total student number.

  • A minimum age for the BMus.

  • The length of the performance part of the audition for most disciplines.

  • Tuition fees for 2027/28.

  • Scholarship figures for 2027 entry.

  • Application, offer or acceptance 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.

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

Sources

Dr Xiaoyun Peng
Previous

皇家蘇格蘭音樂學院（RCS）本科申請指南
Next

英國四所本科音樂學院對照指南