Beginning your new journey at the Academy

Congratulations on gaining the offer of a study place at the Academy!

We hope you will find this a useful summary of things you need to know before coming here in the next academic year.

Replying in UCAS: Your Decision

Your audition result is detailed in the UCAS Conservatoires Hub.

See Application Support for more information.

Conditions of Entry

Before you can begin your studies at the Academy, you must meet the Conditions of Entry.

Academic Requirements

To join your Academy course, you must provide documentation to prove that you have met the academic entry requirements ('matriculation' requirements) which are mentioned in your offer. Your documentation must be received by the Registry Admissions Team by 17 July 2026.

English Language Requirements

If your first language is not English, and our confirmation email tells you that you must take a language test, you must provide a test result by 1 May 2026.

See entry requirements for more information.

Fees & Funding

The Selection Board's assessment of your fee status is detailed in your offer in your UCAS Conservatoires Hub.

Home = 'UK'
Overseas = 'International'

If you believe the assessment is incorrect, please email our admissions team at admissions@ram.ac.uk by 8 January 2026 or within three weeks of the date of the offer.

If you accept our offer, you will be sent an invoice by the Fees Office, normally in May or June with details about payment of a 10% advance deposit. The remainder of the 2026/27 fee is due by 1 September 2026.

UK Bachelor Degree students who are eligible for a UK Student Finance tuition fee loan, or US nationals eligible for Federal or Private Loan funding, do not pay the deposit if they have completed their loan application.

Detailed guidance for international students is available from UKCISA.

Scholarships

If you have been awarded an Entrance Scholarship by the Academy following your entrance audition, this is detailed in your UCAS Conservatoires "Hub"; please click into the offer to see the details.

Scholarships for UK-fee Bachelor Degree students are maintenance scholarships and are paid directly through UK Student Finance to the student's UK bank account for living costs during the academic year. See Fees & Funding for further information and how to set up your UK Student Finance account.
Scholarships for other (international-fee paying, and all postgraduate) students are normally deducted from the tuition fee: the scholarship amount will be deducted from the second tuition fee payment amount due on 1 September, so you still make the initial deposit payment (unless you have a full-fee scholarship).

If your course is longer than one year, the award will be reviewed each year and will depend on your satisfactory progression and engagement with the course.

Financial Assistance

The Academy has a range of suggestions and guidance for funding your studies. See Fees and Funding for more information.

Enrolment

Academy Term Dates

You must enrol at the Academy before you can benefit from the privileges of studentship. You are expected to attend the full enrolment week.

Before you can be enrolled, you must:

Make all required tuition fee payments, or provide an official letter proving that the tuition fee will be paid to the Academy. Money sent to the Academy must have had time to clear the banking process. This may be a few days after the transfer is initiated
Complete your online Enrolment Form. You will be sent a link to this online form in August via email, where you will be asked to upload:
- Scans of your passport, including the front and back cover, all pages containing your photo and all pages with UK immigration stamps and/or tickets.
- For visa holders, a ShareCode for confirming your e-visa so we know you have the correct immigration status for your course in 2026/27.

You can contact admissions@ram.ac.uk if you need advice about enrolling.

If you have not enrolled by the first day of the academic year, you may lose access to the ASIMUT room booking and study diary system.

If you have not enrolled two weeks after the start of term (by 28 September 2026), your study place may be suspended or withdrawn.

If you have a Student Visa and do not enrol, the Academy has to inform the UK Home Office [UKVI].

You need to re-enrol at the start of each academic year.

Additional Preparations

Clothing

You will need to bring formal clothing for when performing in concerts.

Female:

Long black dress (alternatively: long black trousers and black top)
Black shoes

Male:

Dark suit with white shirt and tie
Dinner jacket (formal black jacket and trousers) black bow tie and white shirt
Black shoes

Undergraduate prearrival documents

If you are joining the Bachelor of Music degree, Gap Year or Organ Foundation course, the following are recommended materials to prepare you for the start of your studies. The Analytical Skills documents may be particularly useful if you have used a different system to describe music, for example some countries use the solfège system.

The Analytical Skills introduction includes an example of a test we give to students in their first term.
The Analytical Skills primer includes some exercises with intervals, scales, chords and voice-leading.
The Analytical Skills answers contains the answers for the Primer's exercises, you can compare these with your own answers.
The Aural Skills introduction contains two exercises for ear training, including the answers.

Downloads List

Undergraduate Bibliography

If you are joining the Bachelor of Music degree, Gap Year or Organ Foundation course, here is some suggested reading to help you prepare for your studies. These titles are available through major bookshops or online.

Hanning, B. R. (2010). Concise history of Western music (4th ed.). W. W. Norton & Co. Inc.
Weiss, P., & Taruskin, R. (2008). Music in the Western world: A history in documents (2nd ed.). Schirmer Books.
Taruskin, R., & Gibbs, C. (2012). The Oxford history of Western music: College edition. Oxford University Press.
Taylor, E. (1991). The AB guide to music theory: Part II. Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
Ledbetter, D. (Ed.). (1990). Continuo playing according to Handel. Clarendon Press.
Hindemith, P. (1949). Elementary training for musicians (2nd ed.). Schott & Co. Ltd.
Holmes, J., & Scaife, N. (2012). Aural training in practice, ABRSM grades 6-8 [with 3 CDs]. ABRSM.
Kelly, T. F. (2000). First nights: Five musical premieres. Yale University Press.
Harper-Scott, J. P. E., & Samson, J. (Eds.). (2009). An introduction to music studies. Cambridge University Press.

Further resources

Explore the pages below to ensure you are prepared for when you start your studies at the Academy.

Changing your contact details

You must inform the Academy's Registry whenever you change your address, phone number or email.

Prior to arriving at the Academy

To change your contact details before your your arrival at the Academy, please email registry@ram.ac.uk.

Please also update your personal details in UCAS Conservatoires if your details change between your application date and your arrival to enrol at the Academy.

After the start of the Academic Year

After the start of the academic year please update your details online in your Student Quercus record profile. We will send you login details before the start of the academic year.

Informing UKVI

If you are on a Student Visa, you must also inform UKVI of any change to your address, phone number or email.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Academy!