Course contact details
Main Contact
Email:admissions@rcs.ac.uk
Phone:0141 332 4101
Fax: 0141 332 8901
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
100 Renfrew Street
Glasgow
G2 3DB
Doctor of Performing Arts - FT (Taught)
- Doctor of Performing Arts
- 3 Years
- Full-Time
- 20 September 2027
- Postgraduate
- Main Site
- Course scheme
- UCAS Conservatoires
- Awarded by:
- University of St Andrews
Course summary
The Doctor of Performing Arts programme is the Royal Conservatoire’s innovative professional doctorate in artistic practice.
Validated by the University of St Andrews, the purpose of the Doctor of Performing Arts programme is to enable professional artistic development at the highest level and provide a structure within which you can make a significant and original contribution to your chosen artistic field. It is a doctoral programme comparable in scope, level and ambition to the PhD, but squarely focused on making a significant and original contribution to the artistic field within which the work resides.
The vision of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is to be Scotland’s globally-recognised and inspirational leader in learning for the performing arts, attracting and nurturing the next Scottish and international creative talent.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland offers opportunities for suitably qualified students to work towards the achievement of a Doctor of Performing Arts in appropriate areas of enquiry. Applications will only be successful if it is clear that the proposed work can best be undertaken within a conservatoire context, in which performance and/or creation is held central, and that the Conservatoire has the appropriate artistic expertise to offer appropriate artistic mentorship and guidance.
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:
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
- Dance
- Drama Performance
- Drama Production
- Music
- Screen
Modules
Course Modules
Doctor of Performing Arts students will pursue a special programme of artistic practice and supplementary study. This will comprise:
A) A series of Professional Projects (360 credits, level 12)
B) Individually tailored Supplementary Studies (120 credits, level 7 and above)
C) A Written Component (60 credits, level 12)
All elements must be passed for the successful award of the degree.
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/doctor-of-performing-arts/#programme-structure
Assessment method
More information about what the course entails can be found on our departmental web page.
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
13 January 2027
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:
- 470F
- Institution code:
- R58
- Campus name:
- Main Site
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Typical qualification requirements
Additional entry requirements
- Audition
- Applicants who are invited for interview and audition will be sent information on audition requirements. For musicians, these requirements are likely to be a programme of around 30 minutes, preferably related to the proposed programme of study.
- Interview
- Applicants for doctoral study should apply through UCAS Conservatoires. Please then submit your proposal online via Acceptd. The Guide for Applicants and template of the online proposal form can be found here. An audition panel will be chaired by a specialist member of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland staff and will include other members of staff or external advisers as appropriate. An interview panel will normally be chaired by the Head of Research and will include at least one other member of staff or external adviser as appropriate. At the conclusion of the interview and audition process, the panel will formulate a recommendation to the Research Degrees Committee regarding the application.
- Other
- Your proposal must be submitted online via Acceptd. The Guide for Applicants and template of the online proposal form can be found at this website: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/how-to-apply/research/
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 7 | 7.0 with no component below 5.5 |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 95 | Overall score of 95, with minimum component scores of Reading -18, Listening -17, Speaking -20, Writing -17 |
| Cambridge English Advanced | Overall score of 185 with a minimum of 162 in all components | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | Overall score of 185 with a minimum of 162 in all components | |
| PTE Academic | 66 | Overall score of 66 with a minimum of 59 in all components (reading, listening, speaking, writing) |
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 |
|---|---|
| Online | £55 |
| RCS (Glasgow) | £55 |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee |
|---|---|
| Online | Not Applicable |
| RCS (Glasgow) | Not Applicable |
Additional Information
All applicants are required to create an Acceptd profile and application (https://app.getacceptd.com/rcs) at the point of submitting their UCAS application, regardless of which audition location you have selected. Please then submit your proposal online via Acceptd. For the best audition experience, we would encourage all UK applicants (and where possible international applicants) to attend in-person. The Guide for Applicants and template of the online proposal form can be found on our 'How to Apply' – Research page: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/doctor-of-performing-arts/
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Per year tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland | £10264* | |
| EU & International | £23886* |
* 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
Please note, 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.
Sponsorship information
Research Scholarships
There are currently no RCS scholarships available for our research programmes. More information can be found about funding on our fees and funding page.
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/#sources-of-funding
Related courses
At Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
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