Programme specification

Summary details

Programme title

Master of Music (MMus)

Master of Arts in Music (MA)

Duration and modes of study

MMus – two years full time or one year full time plus two years part time or four years part time (six terms full-time equivalent)

MA – one year full time (four terms)

Awards by level

The MA comprises twelve different strands leading to the following named awards:

• Master of Arts (Chamber Music)
• Master of Arts (Collaborative Piano)
• Master of Arts (Composition)
• Master of Arts (Conducting)
• Master of Arts (Jazz)
• Master of Arts (Joint Principal Study)
• Master of Arts (Performance)
• Master of Arts (Performance and Musicology)
• Master of Arts (Performance and Pedagogy)
• Master of Arts (Piano for Dance)
• Master of Arts (Repetiteurship)
• Master of Arts (Traditional Music)

The MMus has eleven different strands leading to the following named awards:

• Master of Music (Chamber Music)
• Master of Music (Collaborative Piano)
• Master of Music (Composition)
• Master of Music (Conducting)
• Master of Music (Jazz)
• Master of Music (Joint Principal Study)
• Master of Music (Performance)
• Master of Music (Performance and Musicology)
• Master of Music (Performance and Pedagogy)
• Master of Music (Piano for Dance)
• Master of Music (Repetiteurship)
• Master of Music (Traditional Music)

If you complete and pass Stage 1 of the programme (see 'Programme Structure' below) – through either the MMus or MA route – but decide not to complete Stage 2, then you will be eligible for the exit award of Postgraduate Diploma in Music.

If you fail to complete Stage 1 fully, but nevertheless pass both Principal Study 1 and Practice Research, then you will be eligible for the exit award of Postgraduate Certificate in Music.

All awards are at SCQF Level 11.

All postgraduate degrees at the Royal Conservatoire, including the MMus/MA, are unclassified: there is no award of 'Distinction' or 'Merit' associated with the degree. However, where modules carry grades – in particular the Principal Study – these grades will appear on your transcript.

Credit framework

MMus – 240 credits with a minimum of 150 at level 11

MA – 180 credits with a minimum of 150 at level 11

PGDip – 120 credits with a minimum of 100 at level 11

Date of revalidation

June 2025

Start date

September 2025

Next review date

2030

Curriculum principles

The postgraduate curriculum:

1. Is co-created by educators, students and professionals who are shaping the future of artforms, artistry and arts education, recognising RCS, its audiences and collaborators as a community with a shared purpose;
2. Supports rigorous development of craft and creative artistry and the capacity to renew and adapt skills throughout a productive professional life;
3. Ensures relevant professional experience that protects the space to reflect on, experiment with, and evaluate personal milestones of success and learning;
4. Is designed and delivered with a commitment to continuous enhancement of inclusive practices, research and theory, ensuring that design nurtures authentic voices and experiences in the arts;
5. Will critically test assumptions, current discourses and self-appraisals in order to innovate practice.

Graduate attributes

The Conservatoire’s Graduate Attributes are aligned to the values of the RCS community. These are:

• Compassion
• Creative courage
• Curiosity
• Craft, rigour and talent
• Community
• Constructive challenge

Graduates of the postgraduate programmes will:

1. Work with care for themselves and others
2. Seek constructive challenge, be prepared to change approach, rework ideas and advocate for their own perspective(s) in diverse contexts
3. Create impact and engagement within and beyond their discipline in a variety of settings
4. Test, re-evaluate and exceed and their own expectations through bold creative decision-making and risk taking
5. Own a nuanced aesthetic and emotional intelligence, integrity and ethical practice with an ability to think analytically and critically
6. Draw on theories, research, practice and collaborative opportunities with confidence and resourcefulness
7. Communicate with creativity, compassion and a deep appreciation of how their discipline connects with the world
8. Acquire, adapt, and apply new skills with a commitment to lifelong learning throughout their career, anticipating and responding to major developments in technologies, industry standards and complex global issues

Programme aims

The Master of Music (MMus) programme is designed to:

• Nurture and develop advanced mastery of the student's principal study, so that it is revealed in a distinct and resourceful musical personality
• Promote artistic and professional autonomy in the emerging artist and provide a structure within which they will bring together and synthesize a distinctive set of skills, knowledge and understanding in their practice
• Nurture the skills and attitudes that will allow students to become independent artists, able to collaborate dynamically either within their areas of specialism or in a wider artistic context
• Promote a critical and reflective approach to the student's artistic practice

The Master of Arts in Music (MA) programme is designed to:

• Nurture and develop mastery of the student's principal study, so that it is evidenced in a confident musical personality
• Promote artistic and professional confidence in the emerging artist and develop complementary skills, knowledge and understanding
• Nurture the skills and attitudes that will allow students to become independent artists, able to collaborate dynamically within a range of professional contexts
• Promote a critical and reflective approach to the student's artistic practice
• Enhance the student's ability to act autonomously in the creation of an independent project

Programme learning outcomes

On completion of the Master of Music (MMus), you are expected to be able to:

• PLO1 Demonstrate advanced technical and expressive mastery in your principal study, across a broad range of contexts and repertoire
• PLO2 Project a mature and individual musical personality in-and-through practice
• PLO3 Synthesise a range of theoretical, conceptual and experiential knowledge in-and-through practice
• PLO4 Demonstrate the ability to engage effectively and creatively with peers and non-specialists, whether as a leader or through team-working
  
• PLO5 Show creativity, curiosity and autonomy within self-determined areas of specialism
• PLO6 Critically evaluate current ideas, debates and issues within your chosen field
• PLO7 Demonstrate a range of skills associated with deepening your practice, including communication, research, reflection and scholarship

On completion of the Master of Arts in Music (MA), you are expected to be able to:

• PLO1 Demonstrate advanced technical and expressive mastery in your principal study, across a range of contexts and repertoire
• PLO2 Project a mature musical personality in-and-through practice
• PLO3 Synthesis a range of theoretical, conceptual and experiential knowledge in-and-through practice
• PLO4 Demonstrate the ability to engage effectively with peers and non-specialists, whether as a leader or through team-working
• PLO5 Show creativity, curiosity and autonomy within self-determined areas of specialism
• PLO6 Critically evaluate current ideas, debates and issues within your chosen field
• PLO7 Demonstrate a range of skills associated with deepening your practice, including communication, research, reflection and scholarship

On completion of the Master of Music (MMus) Performance and Pedagogy, you are expected to be able to:

• PLO1 Demonstrate advanced technical and expressive mastery in your principal study, across a range of contexts and repertoire
• PLO2 Project a mature musical personality in-and-through practice
• PLO3 Draw together a range of theoretical, conceptual and experiential knowledge in-and-through practice
• PLO4 Demonstrate the ability to engage effectively with peers and non-specialists, whether as a leader or through team-working
• PLO5 Show creativity, curiosity and autonomy within self-determined areas of specialism
• PLO6 Articulate and apply an informed and critical understanding of a wide range of professional issues relevant to instrumental and vocal music instruction
• PLO7 Demonstrate a range of skills associated with deepening your practice, including communication, research, reflection and scholarship

On completion of the Master of Music (MMus) Performance and Musicology, you are expected to be able to:

• PLO1 Demonstrate technical and expressive mastery in your principal study, across a range of contexts and repertoire
• PLO2 Project a mature musical personality in-and-through practice
• PLO3 Draw together a range of theoretical, conceptual and experiential knowledge in-and-through practice
• PLO4 Demonstrate the ability to engage effectively with peers and non-specialists, whether as a leader or through team-working
• PLO5 Show creativity, curiosity and autonomy within self-determined areas of specialism
• PLO6 Articulate and apply an informed and critical understanding of current ideas, debates and issues in musicology
• PLO7 Demonstrate a range of skills associated with deepening your practice, including communication, research, reflection and scholarship

Admission criteria

Academic entry requirements

Candidates for both the MMus and MA are normally expected to hold a good honours (at least 2:2) degree, or its overseas equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme.

Language of study

The language of study is English. Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. We accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Level 6.0 (with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component) is required of applicants to the School of Music.

Target numbers

The minimum and maximum numbers for the MMus/MA programme are given below. These targets represent the total cohort in any particular year, including the one-year MA students and the two-year MMus.

Minimum cohort	Maximum cohort
16	205

The low minimum reflects the fact that the MMus/MA is not delivered in isolation, but as part of a wider offering by the School of Music as a whole.

Programme structure

The programme is divided into two 'stages', with Stage 1 of the MMus and the MA being identical.

Standard pattern

For all strands except Traditional Music, Musicology and Pedagogy, the structure is as follows:

Stage 1 – MMus/MA (120 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits	Credits	Credits
Principal Study 1	11	80	80	80
Graduate Studies 1	11	30	20	10
Practice Research	11	10	10	10
Options	7-11	0	10	20
Total		120	120	120

Stage 2 – MA (180 SCQF Credits) – Term 4

Module	Level	Credits
(From Stage 1)	7-11	120
Negotiated Study	11	60
Total		180

Stage 2 – MMus (240 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits	Credits	Credits
(From Stage 1)	7-11	120	120	120
Principal Study 2	11	90	90	90
Graduate Studies 2	11	30	20	10
Options	7-11	0	10	20
Total		240	240	240

Traditional Music

Stage 1 – MMus Traditional Music (120 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits
Principal Study Traditional Music 1	11	60
Practice Research	11	10
Graduate Studies 1	11	20
Options	7-11	30
Total		120

Stage 2 – MMus Traditional Music (240 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits
(From Stage 1)	7-11	120
Principal Study Traditional Music 2	11	60
Graduate Studies 1	11	30
Options	7-11	30
Total		240

Stage 2 – MA Traditional Music (180 SCQF Credits) – Term 4

Module	Level	Credits
(From Stage 1)	7-11	120
Negotiated Study	11	60
Total		180

Performance and Musicology

Stage 1 – MMus Performance and Musicology (120 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits	Credits	Credits
Principal Study Performance 1 60 credits	11	60	60	60
Musicology	11	20	20	20
Practice Research	11	10	10	10
Graduate Studies 1	11	30	20	10
Options	7-11	0	10	20
Total		120	120	120

Stage 2 – MMus Performance and Musicology (240 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits	Credits	Credits
(From Stage 1)	7-11	120	120	120
Principal Study Performance 2 60 credits	11	60	60	60
Masters Dissertation	11	60	60	60
Total		240	240	240

Stage 2 Musicology students do not take Graduate Studies 2 or Options, but may audit relevant classes where appropriate.

Stage 2 – MA Performance and Musicology (180 SCQF Credits) – Term 4

Module	Level	Credits
(From Stage 1)	7-11	120
Masters Dissertation	11	60
Total		180

Performance and Pedagogy

Stage 1 – MMus Performance and Pedagogy (120 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits	Credits	Credits
Principal Study Performance 1 60 credits	11	60	60	60
Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy 1	10	30	30	30
Graduate Studies Performance 1	11	30	20	10
Options	7-11	0	10	20
Total		120	120	120

Stage 2 – MMus Performance and Pedagogy (240 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits	Credits	Credits
(From Stage 1, minimum 90 credits at level 11)	7-11	120	120	120
Principal Study Performance 2	11	60	60	60
Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy 2	11	30	30	30
Graduate Studies Performance 2	11	30	20	10
Options	7-11	0	10	20
Total		240	240	240

The MA in Performance and Pedagogy only is available to internally progressing Conservatoire students in the following categories:

• BMus graduates who have attained the Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy 1 during the course of their programme
• BEd graduates
• PGDE graduates

Under these circumstances, the structure of the programme is as follows:

Stage 1 – MA Performance and Pedagogy (120 SCQF Credits) – Terms 1, 2 and 3

Module	Level	Credits	Credits	Credits
Principal Study Performance 1 60	11	60	60	60
Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy 2	11	30	30	30
Graduate Studies 1	11	30	20	10
Options	7-11	0	10	20
Total		120	120	120

Stage 2 – MA Performance and Pedagogy (180 SCQF Credits) – Term 4

Module	Level	Credits
(From Stage 1, minimum 100 credits at level 11)	7-11	120
Negotiated Study	11	60
Total		180

Part-time study

The following strands of the programme can be taken part-time either across three or four years:

• MMus Chamber Music
• MMus Composition
• MMus Jazz
• MMus Performance
• MMus Collaborative Piano
• MMus Traditional Music

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)

Part-time study on the following strands is highly exceptional, and will be considered on a case-by-case basis:

• MMus Performance and Musicology
• MMus Performance and Pedagogy
• MMus Piano for Dance
• MMus Conducting
• MMus Repetiteurship

No MA programme may be taken part-time.

International students on Student visas are not permitted to undertake any of the part-time routes.

info

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.

Transferring between degrees

As Stage 1 of the MMus and MA degrees is the same, it is possible to transfer between them in either direction. However, in order for us to be able to plan effectively, strict deadlines are placed on when this choice must be made. Students wishing to transfer from the two-year MMus to the one-year MA must formally notify their decision by the end of term 2; students wishing to transfer in the other direction, from the one-year MA to the two-year MMus, have until the end of term 3 to decide. Transfers in either direction are subject to the approval of the relevant Head of Department, the Head of MMus/MA, and the Director of Music.

warning

The progression route for those on a Student visa moving from the one-year MA to the two-year MMus programme is complicated by regulations imposed by UK Visas and Immigration. At the time of writing, it is necessary for students making this transfer to return to their home country to make a visa application. If you are an international student contemplating extending your stay, you should make contact with international@rcs.ac.uk at the earliest possible opportunity to get the latest guidance.

Exit Awards

If you complete Stage 1 of the programme – through either the MMus or MA route – but decide not to complete Stage 2, then you will be eligible for the exit award of Postgraduate Diploma in Music.

If you fail to complete Stage 1 fully, but nevertheless pass both Principal Study 1 and Practice Research, then you will be eligible for the exit award of Postgraduate Certificate in Music.

Learning outcomes by module

Master of Music (MMus)

Module	PLO1	PLO2	PLO3	PLO4	PLO5	PLO6	PLO7
Principal Study 1	•	•	•
Graduate Studies 1	•	•	•	•	•
Practice Research					•	•	•
Principal Study 2	•	•	•
Graduate Studies 2	•	•	•	•	•
Options				•	•

Master of Arts in Music (MA)

Module	PLO1	PLO2	PLO3	PLO4	PLO5	PLO6	PLO7	PLO8
Principal Study 1	•	•	•
Graduate Studies 1	•	•	•	•	•
Practice Research					•	•	•
Negotiated Study	•	•		•			•	•
Options				•	•

Master of Music (MMus) Performance and Musicology

Module	PLO1	PLO2	PLO3	PLO4	PLO5	PLO6	PLO7	PL08
Principal Study Musicology 1	•	•	•
Musicology			•		•	•	•	•
Graduate Studies 1	•	•	•	•	•
Practice Research					•	•	•
Principal Study Musicology 2	•	•	•
Masters Dissertation			•		•	•	•	•

Master of Music (MMus) Performance and Pedagogy

Module	PLO1	PLO2	PLO3	PLO4	PLO5	PLO6	PLO7	PL08
Principal Study Pedagogy 1	•	•	•
Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy 1			•			•	•	•
Graduate Studies 1	•	•	•	•	•
Practice Research					•	•	•
Principal Study Pedagogy 2	•	•	•
Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy 2			•			•	•	•
Graduate Studies 2	•	•	•	•	•
Options				•	•

Benchmarks

The learning outcomes of your programme are aligned with a number of local, national and international standards. The UK Quality Code for Higher Education (UKQCHQ, QAA 2024) lays out a series of 'sector-agreed principles', among them that 'the academic standards of awards are consistent with the relevant Qualifications Framework'. In Scotland, these comprise the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF 2019) and The Framework for Qualifications of Higher Education Institutions in Scotland (FQHEIS, QAA 2024).

The programme and module learning outcomes have been benchmarked against the SCQF Level Descriptors (SCQF 2019), while the programme as a whole meets the requirements of the Descriptor for a higher education qualification at Level 7 on the FHEQ and SCQF Level 11 on the FQHEIS (QAA 2024).

Unlike undergraduate degrees which progress through SCQF Levels 7-10 each year, postgraduate degrees sit within level 11 whatever their duration. It follows that there are no distinct ‘Level Learning Outcomes’ for the two years of the MMus. The programme design does however include a progression between the learning outcomes of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 modules, that are reflected in the heightened demands of the Assessment Specifications of the Principal Study 2 modules.

In addition to these standards, the programme aims and learning outcomes also take account of:

• the relevant sections of the Conservatoire's Postgraduate Academic Framework, that are themselves based upon FQHEIS
• The Framework of Qualifications for the European Higher Education Area (EHAA 2018)
• the Polifonia/Dublin Descriptors for second cycle awards in higher music education (AEC 2007)
• the AEC Learning Outcomes (AEC 2017)
• The Vienna Declaration on Artistic Research (AEC 2020)