Postgraduate Fees & Funding

EU students:

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, if you start your course on or after the 1 August 2021, you will no longer be eligible for Home fees, unless the following applies.

If you are a citizen of an EU or EEA member state who have applied and been granted settled or pre-settled status (or the child, spouse, or civil partner of such a person), you may remain eligible for Home fees as part of the UK Government’s arrangements under the Withdrawal Agreement.

You can find more information from UKCISA about the categories eligible for home fees: Full information on HE fee status for students starting courses in England in Autumn 2021

If you have any questions please contact the Admissions team via email: admissions@lcm.ac.uk

MA Dramaturgy (W44F - 1 year full-time) - £8,750

MA Music (W33F - 1 year full-time) - £12,000

PgDip Music (W41F - 10 months full-time) - £7,700

MA Musical Direction (W45F - 1 year full-time) - £8,750

MA Musical Theatre Company (W42F - 1 year full-time) - £15,400

MA Musical Theatre Creatives (W43F - 1 year full-time) - £12,000

MA Dramaturgy (W44F - 1 year full-time) - £8,250

MA Music (W33F - 1 year full-time) - £11,300

PgDip Music (W41F - 10 months full-time) - £7,250

MA Musical Direction (W45F - 1 year full-time) - £8,250

MA Musical Theatre Company (W42F - 1 year full-time) - £14,500

MA Musical Theatre Creatives (W43F - 1 year full-time) - £11,300

MA Dramaturgy (W44F - 1 year full-time) - £8,000

MA Music (W33F - 1 year full-time) - £11,000

PgDip Music (W41F - 10 months full-time) - £7,000

MA Musical Direction (W45F - 1 year full-time) - £8,000

MA Musical Theatre Company (W42F - 1 year full-time) - £14,000

MA Musical Theatre Creatives (W43F - 1 year full-time) - £11,000

See our Tuition Fee Policy for 2024-25.

Tuition fees can be paid upfront before enrolment or in three instalments throughout the year. Please visit our 'Paying your tuition fees' page for details on how to make a payment.

A Postgraduate Master's Loan is available for many Home (UK) postgraduate students. This loan is a fixed amount, and is a contribution to both your tuition fees and your living costs.

You can read more information here, depending on where you normally live. Please be aware that the figures below are for the 2024/25 academic year as the figures for 2025 entry have not yet been released.

England (for 2024 entry)

Funding: Non-income assessed Masters loan of up to £12,471 paid to student.

Repayment: Repay at 6% of income above the threshold- currently £21,000.

Find out more: Gov.uk - Masters Loan

Wales (for 2024 entry)

Funding: Up to £18,950 as a loan.

Repayment: Repay at 6% of income above the threshold- currently £21,000.

Find out more: Student Finance Wales

Northern Ireland (for 2024 entry)

Funding: Non-income assessed fee loan of up to £6,500 paid to university.

Repayment: Repay at 9% of income above the threshold – currently £24,990.

Find out more: Student Finance NI

Scotland (for 2024 entry)

Funding: Non-income assessed fee loan of up to £7,000 paid to university and living cost loan of up to £6,900.*

Repayment: Repay at 9% of income above the threshold – currently £27,660.

*available to Scottish students studying elsewhere in the UK if that course is not available in Scotland.

Find out more: Student Awards Agency Scotland

Eligibility

• The residence requirements are complex – please read the criteria before applying. 
• Applicants must be aged under 60 on 1 September in the year of entry. 
• The loans are available for a full time MA only (not PgDip) 
• The loans are not available to those who already hold an equivalent level qualification 
• If you had an Undergraduate loan you should use the same Customer Reference Number. You will need your passport number, National Insurance number, and bank account details.

15 scholarships are available to alumni who have an offer of a place on a MA course at Leeds Conservatoire and belong to one or more of our underrepresented groups, will be automatically awarded a 10% discount on tuition fees. This is an additional 10% discount to your alumni discount, which means you will receive a total of 20% discount on the full price of your course.

See more details about the Leeds Conservatoire Postgraduate Progression Scholarship.

Awards between £1,000 and £5,000 are available to MA Music and Musical Direction applicants in financial need to help with cost of the course and living costs

Help Musicians has supported the costs of music education since 1921 to help performers achieve their potential by removing some of the financial burden. Help Musicians strongly encourages applications from students from underrepresented backgrounds, including those from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds; D/deaf and disabled people; and those from lower socio-economic groups.

Shortlisted applicants are usually invited to audition in April.

Applications close on Friday 24 January

Apply here

Open to instrumentalists and singers (who are looking to undertake performance-based classical or jazz music postgraduate study) as well as to composers wishing to undertake postgraduate study. Awards are made according to both merit and need.  This academic year, the trust will offer awards of £4000. In recent years, the Trustees have offered amounts of between £2,000 and £4,000 and around 75 awards are made each year.

Applications are now also welcomed from exceptional jazz students about to enter their final year of undergraduate study. For more information see the Munster Trust website.

You can apply before you have an offer of a place on a course, but please read all the criteria and FAQs first. 

Applications for this fund open on 1st January 2025 and close on 10th February 2025. Auditions start on 24th April 2025.

Female postgraduate students who are eligible to pay Home fees can apply for an award directly to this local charity to help with study costs. 

Applications are assessed in September, March and June. Completed forms must be received by the first day of the relevant month.

The grant awarded is normally between £200 and £400. Grants support course fees only. Grants are paid direct to institutions on behalf of applicants. No payments are made to individuals.

Find out more on the YCLE Awards Website

MA Musical Theatre Company, MA Musical Direction applicants and final year Undergraduate Musical Theatre students in financial need can apply directly to Help Musicians for financial support towards study and living costs.

Applicants can apply for financial support of up to £5,000. Applicants are assessed according to financial need, musical potential and ambition to create a sustainable career within the industry and must be living in the UK and have the right to live and work in the UK.

One scholarship of £1,500 per year is awarded to support a gifted student on the conservatoire’s MA Music (Classical) programme.

The award is open to all instruments, however selection may be partially on the basis of instruments in short supply so we especially welcome applications from instruments such as (but not exclusively): Trombone, tuba, bassoon, French horn, oboe, double bass, Violin and Viola, although this may vary each year.

Alan Hawkshaw was a successful composer of television and film scores. The Alan Hawkshaw Foundation has been established to put investment back into the industry by supporting gifted musicians and provide young musicians with opportunities they would otherwise not have access to.

How do I apply for the scholarship?

Candidates will be selected based on musical, academic ability and potential identified at audition stage and interview. The award is open to all instruments, however selection may be partially on the basis of instruments in short supply so we especially welcome applications from instruments such as (but not exclusively): trombone, tuba, bassoon, French horn, oboe, double bass, violin and viola, although this may vary each year. Awards are subject to the provision and conditions of funding from the Alan Hawkshaw Foundation and may change.

Eligibility

• Potential identified at audition and interview
• Priority will be given to applicants whose principal instrument is in short supply
• Priority will be given to those from the lowest income households

The Snowdon Masters Scholarships is for national and international disabled students applying for a full master's programme at any UK institution.

Up to a maximum of £30,000 of funding per successful student is available - with up to £15,000 available towards master's fees and a £15,000 p.a. allowance while studying.

The scholarship has been designed to identify, accelerate and support talented disabled individuals to achieve their higher education goals.

Find out more information and apply on the Snowdon Trust website.

The following websites have links and search directories for other sources of funding according to your specific criteria. Note that most charities and grant making trusts expect you to apply very early and in many cases to audition. Applications for most awards are usually very competitive and you are advised to apply early.

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/funding_postgraduate_study.htm

https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/

http://www.munstertrust.org.uk/

http://www.emimusicsoundfoundation.com/index.php/site/resources/

https://www.postgrad.com/fees_and_funding/postgrad_solutions_study_bursaries/

Blackbullion is an easy to use resource filled with videos, graphics and quizzes designed to help you to:

• maximise the value and benefit of bursaries, benefits and other types of financial aid manage your money better
• take control of your financial future

As a Leeds Conservatoire student this service is free to you! Applicants can also register with your personal email address and you can change this at a later date to your Leeds Conservatoire email address. You can create an account, or login here.

When you have signed up view a range of different pathways and topics from banking, budgeting, tax and national insurance to student finance from undergraduate through to postgraduate on Blackbullion:

• Budgeting - Learn how to create your own budget and stick to it
• Starting University - Figure out your finance, sort out your finances from the start
• International students - Ease into life in the UK with all you need to know about banking, budgeting and 'britishness'
• Credit Cards - Understand the basics and they can be a risk and a benefit
• Loan Repayment - Use the estimator tool to provide a forecast of repayments
• 21 Days of Saving - moneyboot camp full of ideas to help
• Budget Calculator - Understand and plan your finances with this calculator

If you wish to speak to a member of our team with your financial questions or a query about using Blackbullion, please email studentfunding@leedsconservatoire.ac.uk.

Indicative additional costs relating to the course (this is given as a guide only):

• Printing– in the majority of cases coursework and assessments are submitted online. However, students may be required to print coursework and assessments for specific offline submissions. Every student will receive printing credit at the start of term.
• Books/Music– the conservatoire’s library has a wide range of resources, which include many core texts and materials. However, students may be required to, or choose to, purchase their own copy of core text and other materials for particular modules.
• Course-related Travel– students may be required to, or choose to, travel for performances, module placements and other course-related trips and visits. This may vary dependent on specialism and any optional modules selected.
• Student Visas– international students will require appropriate student visas.
• Computer/Software Purchase– the conservatoire’s mac labs run the latest industry standard software and platforms.
  
  Students can complete their work for the course using these facilities. However, students may wish to buy their own equipment and software for convenience and access outside of the conservatoire (HE student discount is often available from manufacturers once enrolled).
• Professional Bodies– students may choose to join a professional body (some of which offer student membership).
• Graduation– gown hire and photography are additional costs that are associated with graduation.

Further costs which students may need to budget for include stationery, binding, storage devices for backing up work, instrument insurance and general subsistence on trips and visits, and any fees which may be required for performers, in student projects, who are external to the conservatoire.

Indicative additional costs relating to the course (this is given as a guide only):

• Printing – in the majority of cases coursework and assessments are submitted online. However, students may be required to print coursework and assessments for specific offline submissions. Every student will receive printing credit at the start of term.
• Books/Music – the conservatoire’s library has a wide range of resources, which include many core texts and materials. However, students may be required to, or choose to, purchase their own copy of core text and other materials for particular modules.
• Instrument Maintenance – this may vary depending on the instrument and whether or not the student is studying performance. Please note that students are expected to provide their own instrument.
• Course-related Travel – students may be required to, or choose to, travel for gigs and performances, module placements and other course-related trips and visits. This may vary dependent on course, specialism (i.e. performance, composition, production) and the optional modules selected.
• Student Visas – international students will require appropriate student visas.
• Computer/Software Purchase – the conservatoire’s mac labs run the latest industry standard DAW software and platforms (i.e. Sibelius, Pro Tools, Logic X, Ableton Live) alongside sample libraries such as Native Instruments Kontakt and East West.
  
  Students can complete their work for the course using these facilities. However, students may wish to buy their own equipment and software for convenience and access outside of the conservatoire (HE student discount is often available from manufacturers once enrolled).
• Professional Bodies – students may choose to join a professional body such as the ISM or Musicians Union (both of which offer student membership).
• Graduation – gown hire and photography are additional costs that are associated with graduation.

Further costs which students may need to budget for include stationery, binding, storage devices for backing up work, instrument insurance and general subsistence on trips and visits, and any fees which may be required for performers, in student projects, who are external to the conservatoire.

Students may also, by application to the Head of Postgraduate Studies using the Assessment Proposal Form process (see Programme Specification, section 2e), request to present their Specialist Study 3 Independent Creative project at a venue external to Leeds Conservatoire. If approval is granted for an external venue to be used, students will be expected to raise funds independently to cover any costs relating specifically to the venue hire. Use of an external venue for Specialist Study 3 is optional and therefore students are not required to incur additional costs in this way.

Indicative additional costs relating to the course (this is given as a guide only):

• Printing– in the majority of cases coursework and assessments are submitted online. However, students may be required to print coursework and assessments for specific offline submissions. Every student will receive printing credit at the start of term.
• Books/Music– the conservatoire’s library has a wide range of resources, which include many core texts and materials. However, students may be required to, or choose to, purchase their own copy of core text and other materials for particular modules.
• Instrument Maintenance– this may vary depending on the instrument. Please note that students are expected to provide their own instrument (if applicable).
• Course-related Travel– students may be required to, or choose to, travel for performances, module placements and other course-related trips and visits. This may vary dependent specialism and the optional modules selected.
• Student Visas– international students will require appropriate student visas.
• Computer/Software Purchase– the conservatoire’s mac labs run the latest industry standard DAW software and platforms (i.e. Sibelius, Pro Tools, Logic X, Ableton Live) alongside sample libraries such as Native Instruments Kontakt and East West.
  
  Students can complete their work for the course using these facilities. However, students may wish to buy their own equipment and software for convenience and access outside of the conservatoire (HE student discount is often available from manufacturers once enrolled).
• Professional Bodies– students may choose to join a professional body such as the ISM or Musicians Union (both of which offer student membership).
• Graduation– gown hire and photography are additional costs that are associated with graduation.

Further costs which students may need to budget for include stationery, binding, storage devices for backing up work, instrument insurance and general subsistence on trips and visits, and any fees which may be required for performers, in student projects, who are external to the conservatoire.

Indicative additional costs relating to the course (this is given as a guide only):

View our Musical Theatre Company kit list for clothing and equipment requirements.

• Printing– in the majority of cases coursework and assessments are submitted online. However, students may be required to print coursework and assessments for specific offline submissions. Every student will receive printing credit at the start of term.
• Books/Music– the conservatoire’s library has a wide range of resources, which include many core texts and materials. However, students may be required to, or choose to, purchase their own copy of core text and other materials for particular modules.
• Course-related Travel– students may be required to, or choose to, travel for performances, module placements and other course-related trips and visits. This may vary dependent on specialism and any optional modules selected.
• Student Visas– international students will require appropriate student visas.
• Computer/Software Purchase– the conservatoire’s mac labs run the latest industry standard software and platforms.
  
  Students can complete their work for the course using these facilities. However, students may wish to buy their own equipment and software for convenience and access outside of the conservatoire (HE student discount is often available from manufacturers once enrolled).
• Professional Bodies– students may choose to join a professional body (some of which offer student membership).
• Graduation– gown hire and photography are additional costs that are associated with graduation.

Further costs which students may need to budget for include stationery, binding, storage devices for backing up work, instrument insurance and general subsistence on trips and visits, and any fees which may be required for performers, in student projects, who are external to the conservatoire.

Indicative additional costs relating to the course (this is given as a guide only):

• Printing– in the majority of cases coursework and assessments are submitted online. However, students may be required to print coursework and assessments for specific offline submissions. Every student will receive printing credit at the start of term.
• Books/Music– the conservatoire’s library has a wide range of resources, which include many core texts and materials. However, students may be required to, or choose to, purchase their own copy of core text and other materials for particular modules.
• Course-related Travel– students may be required to, or choose to, travel for performances, module placements and other course-related trips and visits. This may vary dependent on specialism and any optional modules selected.
• Student Visas– international students will require appropriate student visas.
• Computer/Software Purchase– the conservatoire’s mac labs run the latest industry standard software and platforms.
  
  Students can complete their work for the course using these facilities. However, students may wish to buy their own equipment and software for convenience and access outside of the conservatoire (HE student discount is often available from manufacturers once enrolled).
• Professional Bodies– students may choose to join a professional body (some of which offer student membership).
• Graduation– gown hire and photography are additional costs that are associated with graduation.

Further costs which students may need to budget for include stationery, binding, storage devices for backing up work, instrument insurance and general subsistence on trips and visits, and any fees which may be required for performers, in student projects, who are external to the conservatoire.