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
Traditional Music - Piping (BMus Hons)
- Bachelor of Music (with Honours)
- 4 Years
- Full-Time
- 20 September 2027
- Undergraduate
- Main Site
- Course scheme
- UCAS Conservatoires
Course summary
This degree is dedicated to traditional and folk music, and to the music of the Scottish Highland Bagpipe. Aspiring performers on this course explore Scotland’s unique and dynamic musical traditions as a conceptual, critical and creative framework within which to achieve a historically informed yet distinctively personal voice as a piper and artist. This is interwoven with a solid basis in contemporary and eclectic performance practice.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and The National Piping Centre offer a specialist degree that allows pipers to study piping within the context of Scottish traditional music to the highest level. This unique course offers the chance for students to concentrate on the total study of piping in all forms, whilst also developing their performance skills under some of the best players in the world. Students receive instruction individually and in small groups and workshop settings. The degree includes substantial study of the history, repertoire, traditions, performance practice and organology of the bagpipes, producing expert performers with a deep understanding of their own, and other, traditions.
The nature of the Highland bagpipe and its repertoire, defined by highly individual and highly complex parameters of performance and musical structure, demands a teaching approach which integrates the instrument with the rest of Scottish traditional music while simultaneously respecting its uniqueness. The piping degree is therefore carefully structured to give the most thorough grounding possible in vital specialisms such as solo piping, piobaireachd, light music, and piping in a folk ensemble context, whilst sharing the same structure and range of contextual curriculum as in the main Traditional Music department.
The two programmes share an immense amount of common ground and the institutional emphasis is always on co-operation.
Please note, the international deadline for this programme is the 1st December 2026, but we would encourage applicants to apply early where possible
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
- Highland Bagpipes
Modules
Course Modules
Year 1
Performance (Piping) 1: 60 Credits
-
Principal Study one-to-one lessons
-
Principal Study Group
-
Dept-wide Performance Classes
-
Performing Light Music of the 20th Century
-
The Piobaireachd Pit 1
-
A Concise History of Piping
-
Folk Ensemble Level 1
-
Trad Musicianship 1
-
Healthy Practice Seminars
-
Critical Programme Notes
Concepts in Traditional Music: 10 Credits
-
ePortfolio of Research Tasks
-
Pecha Kucha Presentation
Creative Skills in Traditional Music 1: 10 Credits
-
Traditional Music Theory Exam
-
Composition Folio of Tunes
Scottish Traditional Repertoire 1: 10 Credits
-
Performance
-
Programme Notes
Introduction to Professional Skills for Musicians: 10 Credits
- ePortfolio
Music Leadership: 10 Credits
- Group Delivery of Activity and Supporting Reflection
Creative Citizenship: 10 Credits
- Collaborative Creative Presentation
Year 2
Performance (Piping) 2: 60 Credits
-
Principal Study one-to-one lessons
-
Principal Study Group
-
Dept-wide Performance Classes
-
Performing Light Music of the 19th Century
-
The Piobaireachd Pit 2
-
Folk Ensemble Level 2
-
Trad Musicianship 2
-
Healthy Practice Seminars
-
Critical Programme Notes
Traditional Music Research Portfolio: 10 Credits
-
ePortfolio of Research Tasks
-
Presentation
Creative Skills in Traditional Music 2: 10 Credits
-
Portfolio of Multi-Instrumental Compositions
-
Continuous Observation
Scottish Traditional Repertoire 2: 10 credits
-
Performance
-
Programme Notes
Peak Performance Training: 10 credits
-
Continuous Observation
-
Portfolio of class tasks, rationale and development plan
The Teaching Musician: 10 Credits
- Video Documentation and Supporting Materials
Option module: 10 credits
Year 3
Performance 3 (Piping): 60 Credits
-
Principal Study one-to-one lessons
-
Principal Study Group
-
Dept-wide Performance Classes
-
Performing Light Music of the 21st Century
-
The Piobaireachd Pit 3
-
Folk Ensemble Level 3
-
Professional Skills and Standards
-
Gaelic for Fèisean
-
Critical Programme Notes
Minor Research Project: 10 Credits
-
ePortfolio of Project
-
Presentation
Scottish Traditional Repertoire 3: 10 credits
-
Performance
-
Programme notes
The Freelance Musician: 10 Credits
- Portfolio
Contextual elective: 10 credits
Musicianship elective: 10 credits
Option module: 10 Credits
Year 4
Performance 4 (Piping): 60 Credits
-
Principal Study one-to-one lessons
-
Principal Study Group
-
Dept-wide Performance Classes
-
Piping Concert Arrangement and Leadership
-
Professional Skills and Standards
-
Viva examination
Major Research Project: 20 credits
-
EPortfolio of project
-
Presentation
Professional Development Options: 20 credits
IXP and Electives: 20 credits
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/bmus-traditional-music-piping/#programme-structure
Assessment method
More information about what the course entails can be found on our website.
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
1 October 2026
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:
- 251F
- Institution code:
- R58
- Campus name:
- Main Site
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
Entry requirements
Typical qualification requirements
A levelA*-E
Passes in two subjects at A Level
UCAS TariffNot accepted
Scottish HigherA-D
Passes in three subjects at Higher level
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme45-24
minimum score of 24 with 3 subjects at Higher Level
More information about our entrance requirements and international equivalencies can be found on our website.
Entry requirements for students joining after Year 1: Applications for direct entry beyond Year 1 will be considered on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the Royal Conservatoire’s Recognition of Prior (Experiential) Learning policy. Please email admissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.
We do not offer deferred entry. https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/bmus-traditional-music-piping/#entry-requirements
Additional entry requirements
- Audition
- Performance of a programme of approximately 15 minutes on the principal study. The programme should demonstrate your present level of achievement and your musical potential, and must normally be performed from memory and unaccompanied, except guitar, piano or percussion instruments (see below), or in cases of self-accompanying for one or two items (e.g. clarsach player accompanying own singing, or singers accompanying themselves on another instrument). If in doubt, please contact us ahead of time. Applicants are asked to give brief spoken introductions to each item performed.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | 6.0 with no component below 5.5 |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 80 | Overall score of 80, with minimum scores of: Reading – 18, Listening – 17, Speaking – 20, Writing – 17 |
| PTE Academic | 59 | Overall score of 59 with a minimum of 59 in all components (reading, listening, speaking, writing) |
| Cambridge English Advanced | Overall score of 169 with a minimum of 162 in all components | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | Overall score of 169 with a minimum of 162 in all components |
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 |
|---|---|
| RCS (Glasgow) | £65 |
| Recording | £65 |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee |
|---|---|
| RCS (Glasgow) | Not Applicable |
| Recording | Not Applicable |
Additional Information
All applicants need to complete an Acceptd account profile and application regardless of which location you choose, this is part of the audition process (https://app.getacceptd.com/rcs) and needs to be completed once your UCAS application has been submitted. All live in-person auditions will be scheduled through the Acceptd platform. If you don't have an acceptd application, we won't be able to audition you. Applicants submitting performance recordings via our Acceptd platform, may be asked to a follow-up live online interview with the department you are applying for. For the best audition experience, we would encourage all UK applicants (and where possible international applicants) to attend in person. You can view the audition requirements and what to prepare for this course at the following page on our website: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/bmus-traditional-music-piping/.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Per year tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland | £9790* | |
| Scotland | £1820* | |
| EU & International | £29786* |
* 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
Music Scholarships
Within the School of Music, the majority of scholarship awards are made following an audition and offer of a place at the RCS. Scholarships are made based on ability and potential with some for financial need. Many School of Music scholarships are made for the duration of the programme. There is no separate scholarship application for the School of Music as everyone is automatically considered.
Related courses
At Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
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