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Course summary
This course is for you if you are about to complete your secondary school (High School) studies and either wish to spend a year at the Academy before taking up a full-time undergraduate course at another institution, or if you would like to receive Academy training but do not require a full programme of study that leads to a degree. Gap year students are considered as fully-enrolled members of the Academy’s student body, and have equal access to the Academy’s resources (library, computers, practice rooms etc).
The course principles are:
• To enable students to benefit from one year of conservatoire education
• To provide a tailor-made course of study according to the strengths and needs of each individual student
• To offer the same performance opportunities provided for degree students (with the approval of the Academic Tutor and Head of Programme)
• To offer appropriate academic subjects in consultation with the Academic Tutor and Head of Programme
• To assess practical and/or academic progress by examination
• To provide a transcript of studies showing completed modules (but no degree or other award)
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.
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
- Accordion
- Bassoon
- Bassoon (Historical Performance)
- Cello
- Cello (Historical Performance)
- Clarinet
- Composition
- Double Bass
- Double Bass (Historical Performance)
- Flute
- Flute (Historical Performance)
- Guitar (Classical)
- Harp
- Harpsichord
- Horn (French)
- Oboe
- Oboe (Historical Performance)
- Organ
- Percussion (Orchestral) & Timpani
- Piano
- Recorder
- Saxophone
- Trombone (Bass)
- Trombone (Tenor)
- Trumpet
- Tuba
- Viola
- Viola (Historical Performance)
- Violin
- Violin (Historical Performance)
- Voice (Bass-Baritone)
- Voice (Counter-Tenor)
- Voice (Mezzo-Soprano)
- Voice (Soprano)
- Voice (Tenor)
Assessment method
Please see the information published on https://www.ram.ac.uk/study/about-our-courses
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:
- 102F
- Institution code:
- R53
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus Code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
International applicants
The Gap Year course is not an eligible course for a UK Student visa.
You will need UK immigration permission which allows you to study, unless you have a UK passport or EU Settled/Pre-Settled status. Please contact admissions@ram.ac.uk if you have questions about your visa status. https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration.
The application deadline for London auditions is 2 October 2025.
The application deadline for video auditions and for prescreening videos for our international centres is 2 October 2025 for the UCAS application and also for your recordings in Acceptd.
Please note that if the Academy should not hold live auditions in the international centre you have chosen, we will assess your pre-screening video as your audition performance, and you may also be invited to have an online interview.
For details about how to prepare a video audition and the prescreening recordings for auditioning at our international centres, please see the Audition Requirements section for your Department on https://www.ram.ac.uk/study/departments
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
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
Tuition fees are available on www.ram.ac.uk/fees
Sponsorship information
This course is not eligible for UK Student Finance or Academy entrance scholarships.
At Royal Academy of Music, University of London
