How to apply: CUKAS

You can apply through CUKAS (Conservatoires UK Admissions Service) for most* Academy programmes of study.
Please see the information below about application deadlines.There is a £16 application fee when you register your details in CUKAS, see www.cukas.ac.uk/students/applying/howtoapply/fees

* Please note that for these programmes and admissions routes you should not use CUKAS: 
  • Candidates for Research degrees (MPhil/PhD) should apply by post using the application form below. 
  • Candidates for Erasmus Exchanges should see the guidelines lower down this page.

2013 entry

Entry for 2013 is now closed, except for year-in/gap year programmes for specific instruments where agreed in advance, please contact the Admissions Officer on admissions@ram.ac.uk or +44 20 7873 7357.

2014 entry

For 2014 entry, the main deadline for applications for our December auditions in London is 1st October 2013, see our Application Datespage.
You can still apply after the deadline if the application is completed before the audition session, and we will include you if there is still space in the audition timetable. If the timetable is full you will be put on a waiting list; if no space becomes available and we cannot offer an audition, the fee will be refunded. There is a higher fee if you apply late for the London auditions.

Which programme do I choose?

Please note the following:

  • MMus candidates who are also interested in MA performance: you should only apply for MMus, because the assessment process for MMus automatically includes consideration for MA. MMus performance candidates can also discuss their choice of Concert Project or Performance & Research at their audition, so you only need make one application (with one programme choice). You can indicate your interest in the other choices by mentioning them in your Personal Statement. 
  • Opera candidates who are also interested in Postgraduate Vocal Studies: you should only apply for an Opera audition (Advanced Diploma) because the assessment process for Opera automatically includes consideration for Postgraduate Vocal Studies (Masters degree). 
  • MA and MMus candidates at their audition can discuss their choice of study length (1 or 2 years).
  • If you have completed a Bachelor Degree (in any discipline), we would normally expect you to apply to study at Masters degree level.

If you have any questions, please contact the Registry staff who will gladly assist you. Open Days are arranged by individual departments – see our Departments page for links.

In your CUKAS Personal Statement, please give details of your current or most recent teacher, your performing experience, music course membership, orchestral/chamber-music/operatic or conducting experience and your general music interests. Also please tell us why you are applying for your chosen programme of study, what you hope to gain from it, and how it will help your career aspirations.  

View key dates, including application deadlines and audition sessions

For studies at the Academy starting in September 2014, the main London auditions will be held between 2nd and 13th December 2013. The application deadline is 1 October 2013.

Auditions in New York are planned to be held in March 2014, with an application deadline of 6th January 2014.

Auditions for Conducting or for Choral Conducting are held in London with a deadline of 6th January 2014. These auditions are planned to be held during February 2014; exact dates will be put on our Application Dates page and on the department web area when they have been confirmed.

Auditions at our East Asia centres take place in November. Please contact the relevant centre for details. 


PhD and MPhil Research Degrees (in Performance Practice and in Composition)

To apply for the Master of Philosophy Research Degree, you will need to download, print and post the  Research Degree PDF application form.

Doctoral students are always initially registered on the MPhil programme and ‘upgrade’ to the PhD following a formal transfer application in the first or second year. This is standard practice for UK doctorates. The deadline for applications for 2014 is 20th January 2014.
  

References and other supporting documents

It is your responsibility to ask two separate referees to write references. The references must be written by two different people, and we will not accept references from family, other relatives or close friends.
We need to receive the original reference document with the referee’s signature. If the referee has prepared a word-processed reference, they can print it and staple it to the form.

CUKAS provides the reference forms for you to download and send to your referees for completion, except for Research Degree references which are provided in the application form PDF and also here:

 Reference forms for an MPhil Research Degree application.

Information about MMus Written Work
Information about the Composition Portfolio
 

Erasmus Exchanges

If you wish to apply for an Erasmus Exchange study place, please contact the Erasmus co-ordinator in your own institution. It is not possible for you to apply directly to the Academy.
  

DVD Recordings

The Academy will accept DVD performances instead of a live audition for most Principal Studies, but the Academy does not accept DVD applications for Opera, Repetiteur, Jazz, Conducting, Choral Conducting, Composition, or Research degrees.
You are not normally eligible to apply by DVD if you live in Europe, or (exept Musical Theatre candidates) if you live in North America or East Asia. You will need to attend a live audition if you are applying for transfer to year 2 or year 3 of the BMus programme.

You must complete both a CUKAS application and the DVD form which is available on request from admissions@ram.ac.uk. Your recording must be received by 1st October 2013 and must be authenticated by a person of authority. Recordings sent to us without the DVD form will not be processed. Please note that if you audition by recording, you will not normally be eligible for an entrance scholarship.
DVD applications submitted after 1st October 2013 will incur the late application fee, and will only be processed at the discretion of the relevant Head of Faculty. The Academy application fee paid to CUKAS will be refunded if the application is not processed.
  

Visas

If you will need a support letter to help apply for a visa to attend an audition in London, please contact admissions@ram.ac.uk after you have submitted your Academy application. We regret we are not able to support visa applications for travel to New York. For detailed information on Immigration procedures for study at the Academy please see here: www.ram.ac.uk/immigration-advice  

Tuition fees

Read information about the Academy’s tuition fees here. Find out about our scholarships and bursaries provision here.
  

Any other questions about about applying to the Academy?

Please email admissions@ram.ac.uk.
  

Applications for Junior Academy 

are managed separately by the Junior Academy office.