Applications for 2026 entry will open in July 2025.
This specialist one-year full-time programme is primarily intended for graduates from three-year degree programmes. It provides a learning experience equivalent to the final year of an undergraduate performance degree at the RCM.
During your time on the Graduate Diploma you will build or reinforce a solid vocal technique, while developing your skills in languages and movement. Singers who demonstrate potential for significant vocal achievement, but who lack formal grounding, will have the opportunity to develop their repertoire knowledge.
By the end of the year you will have developed a vocal technique suitable for the demands of Masters level study at a conservatoire. You will be familiar with a broad range of vocal repertoire, coupled with a core of works known in more detail. In addition, you will have a strong grasp of the principal European languages of the vocal repertoire, and an informed awareness of style in performance. Your movement skills and knowledge of stagecraft will have advanced and you will begin to develop the ability to combine these with vocal accomplishment in operatic performance.
Through this year of intensive study you will develop an understanding of potential routes for further study and/or career development, based upon your own critical self-evaluation and an awareness of the demands and opportunities of the profession.
If you achieve a result of 65% or more at the end of the course, you will automatically have the opportunity to progress to RCM Masters study (MMus or MPerf) in vocal performance. This progression route allows you to focus on your technical development during the Graduate Diploma without interruption for Masters audition preparation.
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason in a piano masterclass with Lang Lang
No.1
Global No.1 for Performing Arts. QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024/2023/2022
Gold
Achieved the highest ranking of Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework 2023
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason in a piano masterclass with Lang Lang
Learning & teaching
You will learn through performances, one-to-one tuition, larger group tuition, seminars, faculty and academic classes, directed rehearsals, masterclasses, competitions and supervised study. Rehearsal and performance contact time will vary according to each student’s discipline and chosen study options.
There are also opportunities to apply for the College’s Exchange Programme, available to students who wish to study abroad during the Autumn term of their second year, through an audition process.
Course outline
For the GradDip course overview, please read the information for year four of our BMus course:
Royal College of Music courses are internationally recognised as full degree courses with successful students awarded their qualifications under the RCM's Royal Charter.
One-to-one lessons
One-to-one lessons are at the very heart of every RCM student’s learning experience. The RCM’s impressive list of professors includes renowned instrumental and vocal soloists, distinguished repertoire and operatic coaches, prominent composers and conductors, plus principal players in major London orchestras such as the as the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Royal Opera House Orchestra. Our world-class professors offer students not only first-rate teaching, but also mentorship and networking opportunities.
All principal studies are delivered through a combination of one-to-one tuition complemented by performance classes, workshops, masterclasses, lessons from visiting professors, ensemble activities, seminars and lecture series as appropriate.
Performance is at the heart of RCM life. Our students collaborate with the world's greatest artists and enjoyed unrivalled opportunities in the spotlight.
We continually invest so that all students can experience the cutting edge of sound and music technology.
Creative Careers Centre
Preparing for the profession
Our Creative Careers Centre provides an exceptional service to current and recent alumni. The dedicated team partners with leading consultants, reputable arts organisations and local communities, delivering unique career-building opportunities and a direct route to the music industry.
Tailored career support
The Creative Careers Centre allows students to discover their professional identity, gain hands-on experience and new skills, develop an entrepreneurial mind-set and build a fulfilling professional portfolio.
Our valuable guidance includes CV and biography writing, concert programming, communication skills, project management, marketing and publicity, online promotion, financial matters and how to develop a business idea.
Creative Careers Centre services
RCM Accelerate supports graduating RCM students to kick-start or evolve a creative project, social enterprise, or business idea.
Concert opportunities to perform at a variety of venues, including concert halls, churches, abbeys, museums, galleries and community settings.
Creative Careers Centre services
Professional Engagement Service allows organisations and members of the public to hire RCM musicians to perform at events.
RCM Teaching Service matches members of the public in London and across the globe with student-tutors.
All offers for performers are made on the basis of their performance at audition. Candidates require a postgraduate diploma or Masters degree in music, or equivalent experience.
The RCM welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and alternative qualifications may be considered. If your qualifications are not listed here, please contact our Admissions team, who will be happy to discuss your suitability for the programme.
English language requirements
All applicants must be able to demonstrate that their level of English language ability meets the Royal College of Music’s minimum requirements in order for their application to be accepted.
The requirement for this course is to speak English to B2 standard on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in all four components (reading, writing, speaking, listening). This is equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 5.5 in all four components.
If you require a visa to study at the RCM, you must meet the English language requirements before the RCM is permitted to sponsor your visa application.
'I owe such a lot to the RCM, for their lasting support and stage time. The opportunity to perform in the Britten Theatre during my studies was so valuable. I also loved the sense of community and family amongst students and staff.'
'I look back with deep gratitude and pride at the formative education I received at the Royal College of Music. The evolving expectations of what artists must be capable of to excel in this industry are high, and that sense of excitement and opportunity to achieve is palpable within these walls..'
Jonathan Lemalu (PGDip 2022),Grammy award-winning bass
Fees & support
A full outline of tuition fees for all our courses, including details of charges for additional one-to-one lessons and reassessment fees, is available for download.
More than 50% of current students receive some financial support, thanks to the generosity of individuals, legators, companies and charitable trusts.
The main application deadline for 2025 entry was 2 October 2024. Applications for 2026 entry will open in July 2025.
All applicants (including international applicants) should apply online through the UCAS Conservatoires admissions service, where you can track your application, find out when your audition is and get the results of your audition all on UCAS Conservatoires.
The Royal College of Music holds auditions in London, Asia, the USA, and Australia. Auditions for all courses and all principal studies can be undertaken in London. Auditions for most courses and principal studies can also be undertaken in Asia and the USA. Only vocal auditions are held in Australia. International applicants who cannot travel to the UK or other Overseas audition venues may submit a video audition instead.
Application deadlines, application fees, audition dates, and the availability of RCM accompanists vary between locations.
Most auditions will last approximately 20 minutes. You should ensure that you are familiar with the audition requirements as stipulated by the Vocal and Opera Faculty.
Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance audition requirements
Applicants should prepare:
Three contrasting pieces including one in English and one in Italian. One piece must be an operatic or oratorio aria (with recitative if possible). Whilst we train singers for the classical repertoire we will accept a maximum of one piece of musical theatre should this offer a particular insight into their potential as performers.
Pieces selected from popular music repertoire would not be considered for the purpose of this audition.
Candidates should choose their first piece, and the audition panel will select any additional work(s). Please note the audition panel may choose to hear only two of the three pieces.
RCM courses are reviewed annually in response to student and external examiner feedback, which sometimes results in minor changes, such as the availability of particular modules. A more thorough review is undertaken every five to six years, after which more substantial changes may be made while maintaining the ethos that underpins the course. Our review process is part of the RCM’s continued commitment to provide the best possible education and music training. The information provided here reflects the official course outline as it currently stands. In the event of alterations following a review, we will update this page as soon as possible.
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