Program Overview

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Graduate Diploma in Music

Overview

The Graduate Diploma in Music is a Pre-Masters programme designed for postgraduates who need a year to develop their musical skills and academic English. This programme is aimed at students who wish to familiarise themselves with British academic culture and the standards required at Masters degree level.

Why Study the Graduate Diploma in Music

• You'll have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with ways of working in British academic culture and in the standards required at Masters degree level.
• You can take it as a self-standing Diploma or as an ideal preparation for further postgraduate study.
• You can choose to specialise in an area of music that interests you, whether it be music performance, composition or musicology.
• If you wish to go on to study either at Goldsmiths or elsewhere in Britain, you'll be given help and support in finding an appropriate programme.

Length

• 1 year full-time

Fees

• International - full-time: £18750

Departments

• Centre for Academic Language and Literacies
• Music

Facilities

• Excellent rehearsal and performance facilities, including our own music studios.

Location

• Based in London, voted the world's top student city (QS Best Student Cities, 2023)

Employability

• Eight out of ten Goldsmiths students go into highly skilled work or further study (Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2022)

What You'll Study

Half of the programme is made up of English for Academic Purposes modules, concentrating on different areas of language and academic skills development:

• Academic Writing and Language Development
• Academic Listening and Speaking
• Contemporary Theories

The other half of the programme is taught in the Department of Music. You choose ONE of the 30-credit modules listed below, and TWO of the 15-credit modules:

• Performance: Creative Practice (30 credits)
• Composition portfolio (30 credits)
• Research Project (30 credits)
• Acoustic Ecology and Field Recording (15 credits)
• Performing South-East Asian Music (15 credits)
• Fringe and Underground Musics (15 credits)
• Music Practice and the Black Atlantic: Britain’s Celebrity Culture (15 credits)
• Creative Orchestration and Arrangement (15 credits)
• Improvisation (30 credits)
• Advanced Popular Music Studies (15 credits)
• Live Electronics (15 credits)
• Music and Screen Media (15 credits)
• Contemporary Jazz Performance the UK Scene (15 credits)

Assessment

• Continuous assessment includes regular seminar presentations and researched essays.
• Written, listening and oral examinations.
• For those students who choose music performance and composition options, assessments will include a recital and a portfolio of creative work.

Skills You'll Develop

• Critical reasoning
• Textual interpretation
• Oral and written communication

How to Apply

• You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.
• Before submitting your application, you'll need to have:
  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online
  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)
  • A sample of your work (either an essay in English, sample compositions or a video recording of a musical performance)

When to Apply

• We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September.
• We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study.
• Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

Selection Process

• Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK.
• We will assess your suitability based on your submitted sample of work.

Entry Requirements

• You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject.
• You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.
• For this programme, we require: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) IELTS 5.5 overall with no component lower than 5.5.

International Qualifications

• We also accept a wide range of international qualifications.

Fees and Funding

Annual Tuition Fees

• International - full-time: £18750

Funding Opportunities

• We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries.
• Our Careers Service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies.

Additional Costs

• In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying.
• There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme, such as paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments.

Progression

• If you pass the programme at the required level (a pass in all modules with an overall score of 50% or more), you can progress onto one of our Masters programmes.
• In 2024, these are:
  • MMus Creative Practice
  • MA Arts Administration & Cultural Policy: Music Pathway
  • MA Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship: Music Pathway