Applications for 2026 entry will open in July 2025.
The Master of Composition (MComp) is an advanced training degree that develops composer’s practical skills, who aim to enter the profession as practitioners at the highest level and who need to meet the current practical demands of the music industry.
Normally taken over two years, the Master of Music (MMus) is designed to prepare you for life as a professional composer. You will work alongside world-leading musicians to develop your composition skills to the highest international standard.
This course is particularly relevant for those who aim to enter the profession as practitioners at the highest level and who need to meet the current practical demands of the music profession. With a uniquely immersive conservatoire experience, you will be at the heart of a dynamic environment where creativity and collaboration thrive. Additionally, you will undertake independent research, exploring the historical, contextual and aesthetic aspects of the music you compose and create.
We also offer Composition for Screen as a principal study specialism for students looking to hone their skills and develop professional connections in this field.
The MMus qualification can also provide the basis for further artistic development through the RCM’s Level 8 Artist Diploma in Composition.
RCM composers music inspired by the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition
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
RCM composers music inspired by the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition
Learning & teaching
This advanced training programme prepares composers for professional careers, offering tailored tuition, workshops, and industry experience through masterclasses, performance projects and professional collaborations. The programme is designed to be flexible, ensuring you can shape your studies according to your needs and aspirations. Guided by world-renowned professors and visiting artists, you will refine your craft to become not only a highly skilled composer, but also a confident and adaptable professional.
A variety of professionally focussed electives in areas including orchestration, analysis, experimental music, conducting, music education and professional skills prepare you to thrive in a rapidly changing musical world, with a focus on artistic excellence, digital technology, global perspectives, sustainability, and collaboration.
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.
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 workshops, masterclasses, lessons from visiting professors, seminars and lecture series as appropriate.
Part-time study
The RCM welcomes applications for part-time study. Part-time students complete the required 240 credits over three academic years. Elective modules complement Principal Study, alongside the full range of performance opportunities and faculty activities. Applicants should apply for the programme as for full-time study and inform the RCM Admissions team of their intention to study part-time. Entry requirements are the same for both part-time and full-time applicants.
Pursuing your degree part-time allows you three years to develop your performance and professional skills at a more flexible pace, with a time commitment of roughly two thirds compared to full-time study. While your workload for elective modules will be lighter, your participation in ensemble rehearsals and performances will remain just as full. Part-time study primarily affects elective modules and Principal Study, but you can still expect a busy performance and rehearsal schedule throughout the programme.
Workshop Opportunities
Our unparalleled workshop opportunities include masterclasses and performance projects, chamber and solo opportunities.
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.
Preparing for the profession
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 composers are made on the basis of their portfolio and interview. Candidates require an undergraduate degree or an equivalent international qualification, usually in music, and two recent examples of extended written work in English, such as essays. 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 C1 standard on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR, with a minimum standard of B2 in all four components (reading, writing, speaking, listening). This is equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 7.0, with a minimum 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.
'The RCM was a really transformative experience for me. Highlights include having my piece, Murmuration, premiered by the RCM Wind Orchestra and being given the chance to collaborate with conductor Ryan Bancroft, and seeing the RCM Philharmonic perform Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy live.'
Allan X Chen (MMus 2019),winner of the Bowdoin International Music Festival Comp
'The RCM not only gave me performance opportunities, but also the invaluable option to sit in on orchestration classes too, even though they weren’t immediately part of our course. One of my best memories is hearing my work performed by other talented RCM musicians.'
Luke Whitlock (MMus 2002), composer and educator, and BBC Radio 3 Producer.
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. However late applications may be considered where spaces remain, please contact our Admissions team. 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.
Composers audition by submitting a portfolio of work to the RCM for consideration.
The Royal College of Music holds composition interviews for this course only in London. For international applicants who cannot travel to the UK or other Overseas, video interviews are available.
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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