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 - Part Time (Taught)
- Master of Music
- 4 Years
- Part-Time
- 20 September 2027
- Postgraduate
- Main Site
- Course scheme
- UCAS Conservatoires
Course summary
You begin your postgraduate studies with the core of your musical personality – the skills, understandings and attitudes that define you as a traditional musician or piper – already established. Your postgraduate studies should nurture that existing artistic personality so that you can make a difference in the fields in which you choose to work.
The programme offers advanced training to talented traditional musicians from diverse undergraduate degrees or their equivalent. We have designed the programme so that you take ownership of the learning process throughout the degree and beyond, whether in the professional world or further studies (such as a PhD).
Our staff are professional performers, composers, and scholars of Scottish traditional music (and beyond) with active careers. They understand the challenges that you’ll face in your career and can provide help and advice as you progress. As well as working with our core staff, you’ll get the opportunity to learn from visiting artists and academics from all over the world.
There’s a great atmosphere in the department and the Conservatoire as a whole. We have a close-knit community where you will perform and gig with other students and staff, making friends for life.
As for professional and institutional collaborations, we work closely with the National Piping Centre, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and the Celtic Connections and Piping Live festivals in delivering a varied and vocationally robust experience for its students.
Piping tuition on the MMus is delivered in collaboration with the National Piping Centre — an internationally recognised centre of excellence in Highland Bagpipe teaching.
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
- Bodhran
- Button Accordion (Traditional Music)
- Cello (Traditional Music)
- Fiddle
- Flute (Traditional Music)
- Gaelic Song
- Guitar (Traditional Music)
- Highland Bagpipes
- Mandolin (Traditional Music)
- Piano (Traditional Music)
- Piano Accordion (Traditional Music)
- Pipe Band Snare Drum
- Scots Song
- Scottish Harp
- Whistle
Modules
Course Modules
The MMus in Traditional Music can be studied part-time across three or four years. The possible patterns are:
-
Stage 1 full time, Stage 2 part time over two years (three years total)
-
Stage 1 part time over two years, Stage 2 full time (three years total)
-
Stage 1 part time over two years, Stage 2 part time over two years (four years total)
Your part-time programme will be negotiated individually, but will typically involve spreading your Principal Study tuition over two years, with B assessment/s in the first part-time year and the A assessment as the culmination of the second. Graduate Studies activities will be distributed across the two years, while any Options chosen will occupy a single part-time year.
MMus Stage 1
Principal Study 1 – 80 Credits
-
Individual instrumental/vocal lessons
-
Two negotiated performance assessments
Graduate Studies 1 – 30/20/10 Credits
- Negotiated departmental activities, such as performance and technique classes, ensembles, professional skills and contextual studies
Practice Research – 10 Credits
- Research Project
Options – 0/10/20 Credits
- Range of optional classes drawn from the School of Music, School of Stage and Screen and School of Dance
MMus Stage 2
Principal Study 2 – 90 Credits
-
Individual instrumental/vocal lessons
-
Two negotiated performance assessments
Graduate Studies 2 – 30/20/10 Credits
- Negotiated departmental activities, such as performance and technique classes, ensembles, professional skills and contextual studies
Options – 0/10/20 Credits
- Range of optional classes drawn from the School of Music, School of Stage and Screen and School of Dance
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/mmus-ma-traditional-music/#programme-structure
Assessment method
Please see our webpage for more information about the course.
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:
- 806P
- 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
A standard of performance commensurate with the BMus final year public recital is sought at the entrance audition for this programme. Therefore, candidates at audition should be prepared to demonstrate a range of skills & competencies, as well as an understanding of traditional music, which taken together can produce a comprehensive insight into their performance standard:
- a strong technique, facilitating a high level of accuracy and control in your performance;
- a strongly projected musical understanding of repertoire, structures and context, informed by a highly imaginative approach to interpretation;
- a mature engagement with the music that projects a convincing sense of your musical personality;
- a demonstration, through performance and discussion, of your capacity to develop the above qualities to further heights of expertise, showing artistic curiosity and effective time management. https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/mmus-ma-traditional-music/#entry-requirements
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Typical qualification requirements
Additional entry requirements
- Audition
- Details of the repertoire requested for your in-person audition/recorded submission can on our website: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/mmus-ma-traditional-music/#how-to-apply
- Interview
- The interview with the panel will be part of your audition. If you have submitted a recorded audition, this may be followed up with a live online interview.
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 |
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 |
|---|---|
| Recording | Not available at this location |
| RCS (Glasgow) | Not available at this location |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee |
|---|---|
| Recording | No Fee Charged |
| RCS (Glasgow) | 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/mmus-ma-traditional-music/
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Per year tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland | £6853* |
* 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.
This pathway is not available for international students who require a visa to study.
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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