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Advanced Postgraduate Diploma Professional Performance (Full-Time) (Taught)

Course details
  • AdvPgDip
  • 1 Years
  • Full-time
  • 09/2026
  • Postgraduate
Course location
Main Site
Course scheme
UCAS Conservatoires
Awarded by:
Birmingham City University

Course summary

Support your developing career as a professional performer with Birmingham Conservatoire's post-Masters, Advanced Postgraduate Diploma (APD) in Professional Performance. You can choose from one of seven specialisms: Instrumental performance, Vocal Performance, Collaborative Piano, Organ Performance, Chamber Music Performance, Opera Repetiteur or Choral Conducting.

Our Advanced Postgraduate Diploma is at post-Master's level, and is ideal for you if you're an advanced postgraduate performer who already has a Master's degree, and are beginning to accept professional level engagements. The course will help you to raise your own performance standards to the next level, with highly specialised one-to-one tuition in the department most relevant to your specialism.

The Professional Performance APD allows you to take on performance engagements both within and outside Royal Birmingham Conservatoire as part of your course. Assessment focuses on your work in professional contexts, via a Professional Performance Portfolio module and a choice of External Engagement and Professional Project modules. We also provide a Career Management and Self-Promotion module designed to help you deal with those niggling, but vital, non-performance aspects of your professional career.

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.

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.

Alternative single specialism

You may audition for two specialisms, with the intention of studying one instrument as a single specialism. Your audition will determine which instrument is taken as a main specialism.

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.

Primary instrument/specialism
  • Bassoon
  • Cello
  • Clarinet
  • Conducting (Choral)
  • Cornet
  • Double Bass
  • Drumkit (Jazz)
  • Electric bass (jazz)
  • Euphonium
  • Flute
  • Guitar (Classical)
  • Guitar (Jazz)
  • Harp
  • Harpsichord
  • Horn (Baritone)
  • Horn (French)
  • Horn (Tenor)
  • Lute/Theorbo
  • Oboe
  • Organ
  • Percussion (Orchestral) & Timpani
  • Piano
  • Piano (Accompaniment)
  • Piano (Jazz)
  • Recorder
  • Repetiteur
  • Saxophone
  • Saxophone (Jazz)
  • Trombone (Bass)
  • Trombone (Jazz)
  • Trombone (Tenor)
  • Trumpet
  • Trumpet (Jazz)
  • Tuba
  • Viola
  • Violin
  • Voice (Baritone)
  • Voice (Bass)
  • Voice (Bass-Baritone)
  • Voice (Counter-Tenor)
  • Voice (Jazz)
  • Voice (Mezzo-Soprano)
  • Voice (Soprano)
  • Voice (Tenor)
Secondary instrument/specialisms
  • Bassoon
  • Cello
  • Clarinet
  • Conducting (Choral)
  • Cornet
  • Double Bass
  • Drumkit (Jazz)
  • Electric bass (jazz)
  • Euphonium
  • Flute
  • Guitar (Classical)
  • Guitar (Jazz)
  • Harp
  • Harpsichord
  • Horn (Baritone)
  • Horn (French)
  • Horn (Tenor)
  • Lute/Theorbo
  • Oboe
  • Organ
  • Percussion (Orchestral) & Timpani
  • Piano
  • Piano (Accompaniment)
  • Piano (Jazz)
  • Recorder
  • Repetiteur
  • Saxophone
  • Saxophone (Jazz)
  • Trombone (Bass)
  • Trombone (Jazz)
  • Trombone (Tenor)
  • Trumpet
  • Trumpet (Jazz)
  • Tuba
  • Viola
  • Violin
  • Voice (Baritone)
  • Voice (Bass)
  • Voice (Bass-Baritone)
  • Voice (Counter-Tenor)
  • Voice (Jazz)
  • Voice (Mezzo-Soprano)
  • Voice (Soprano)
  • Voice (Tenor)

How to apply

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.

Apply by
2 October

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:
602F
Institution code:
B34
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Please see the university website course page for information on entry requirements for this course.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
EU£28460Year 1
England£12880Year 1
Northern Ireland£12880Year 1
Scotland£12880Year 1
Wales£12880Year 1
International£28460Year 1

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

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

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