Master of Education

In an innovative response to tackling the crisis in music education, the RNCM is proud to launch a new and industry-leading Master of Education (MEd).

This highly specialised degree is for music teaching professionals who wish to gain further training and accreditation for their teaching and/or conducting practice. It is also ideal for musicians who have completed an undergraduate or postgraduate course at university or conservatoire and are now looking to specialise in education.

Programme Overview

Duration: 1 year full-time/2 years part-time
FHEQ Level: 7
UCAS Conservatoires Codes:
Master of Education (full-time):  901F
Master of Education (part-time): 902P
Applications Open: Email [email protected] for course enquiries
Tuition Fees

The degree requires the completion of 180 credits and includes four compulsory modules: Music Education: Philosophy, Theory and Practice; Research Methods: Music Education RMME; Dissertation; and Placement.

Alongside the Master of Education, this programme offers two other potential exit awards:

  • Postgraduate Diploma: 120 credits, including completion of the Music Education: Philosophy, Theory and Practice, and Placement modules.
  • Postgraduate Certificate: 90 credits, including completion of the Music Education: Philosophy, Theory and Practice, or Conducting module.

Entrance Requirements

Qualifications and Standards

All MEd applicants are expected to hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (FHEQ Level 6), normally in music. If your qualification is not in music, you will need to satisfy the RNCM, at interview, that you have the necessary musical background and demonstrate potential to successfully complete the programme.

An IELTS score of 7.0 is normally required for candidates whose first language is not English with exceptions being at the discretion of the admissions panel. If you are continuing from previous RNCM programmes, no further IELTS will be required, and your ability would be assessed at interview.

Supporting Documents

A 1000-word sample of writing, normally on music (which may be an excerpt from an existing piece of work you have written), using references, is required if your undergraduate degree was not undertaken at the RNCM.

Programme Details

Master of Education and PG Dip in Education (or Community Conducting)

The Master of Education programmes enable you to:

  • Develop knowledge of a range of relevant and current educational concepts as it informs your own practice as educators and/or community conductors.
  • Demonstrate critical and ongoing reflection of your own practice as educators.
  • Creatively respond to ever-changing developments in pedagogy and music education through innovation, adaptability, flexible approaches to your practice, and supportive, inspiring leadership and collaboration.
  • Promote healthy and holistic approaches to learning and teaching informed by principles of social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Become an educator with the ability to work in complex musical situations and respond to complex and diverse issues proactively and creatively.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the programme students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

  • Demonstrate systematic understanding of current practices relevant to your own teaching and/or conducting.
  • Demonstrate sophisticated, original, and thoughtful pedagogical concepts in your teaching and/or conducting.
  • Demonstrate expert theoretical skills and the ability to put them into practice, with the ability.
  • To critically reflect on these through healthy approaches to teaching and learning
  • Demonstrate critical engagement with a comprehensive knowledge of the concepts relevant to your area of teaching and/or conducting.
  • Demonstrate originality in your development of knowledge and understanding of pedagogical concepts through research.

Specialist Subject Skills

  • Demonstrate flexible and responsive leadership in a variety of teaching and learning activities.
  • Reflect on, develop, and refine your teaching and/or conducting practice.
  • Critique, evaluate and apply research methodologies in your practice.
  • Disseminate the knowledge of and insights into your practice fluently and concisely to the widest range of audiences at an appropriately inclusive level.
  • Demonstrate innovation, entrepreneurship, flexibility and resilience in drawing on a range of relevant pedagogical techniques and/or research methods applicable to your practice.

Generic and Graduate Skills

  • Assimilate and synthesise current research and practice as it relates to your own field, deploying it theoretically and/or applying it within the relevant discipline.
  • Command a range of relevant research and dissemination tools, employing appropriate media and technologies.
  • Plan, research and realise individual projects at an advanced level, harnessing independent learning skills for personal career development.

PGCert in Education or Community Conducting

The PGCert in Education or Community Conducting enables you to:

  • Demonstrate critical and ongoing reflection of your own practice as educators.
  • Creatively respond to ever-changing developments in pedagogy and music education through innovation, adaptability, flexible approaches to your practice, and supportive, inspiring leadership and collaboration.
  • Promote healthy and holistic approaches to learning and teaching informed by principles of social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Become an educator with the ability to work in complex musical situations and respond to complex and diverse issues proactively and creatively.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the programme students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

  • Demonstrate critical and ongoing reflection of your own practice as educators.
  • Creatively respond to ever-changing developments in pedagogy and music education through innovation, adaptability, flexible approaches to your practice, and supportive, inspiring leadership and collaboration.
  • Promote healthy and holistic approaches to learning and teaching informed by principles of social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Become an educator with the ability to work in complex musical situations and respond to complex and diverse issues proactively and creatively.

Specialist Subject Skills

  • Demonstrate flexible, adaptive and responsive leadership in a variety of practical activities
  • reflect on, develop, and refine your pedagogical and/or conducting practice.
  • Disseminate the knowledge of and insights into your practice fluently and concisely to the widest range of audiences at an appropriately inclusive level.
  • Demonstrate innovation, entrepreneurship, flexibility and resilience in drawing on a range of relevant pedagogical techniques applicable to your practice.

Generic and Graduate Skills

  • Assimilate and synthesise current relevant practical concepts as they relate to your own field, deploying it theoretically and/or applying it within the relevant discipline.
  • Command a range of relevant practical and pedagogical tools, employing appropriate media and technologies.
  • Plan, research and realise individual projects at an advanced level, harnessing independent learning skills for personal career development.

Structure and Optional Modules

Music Education: Philosophy, Theory and Practice MEPTP (30 credits)
Research Methods: Music Education RMME (30 credits)
Dissertation (Minor 30, Major 60 credits)
Placement (60 credits)

Optional Modules 

In addition to the compulsory modules above, you can elect one 30-credit elective from most other modules from the Graduate School suite of programmes. The following mix of practical, research and vocational modules may be taken:

Accompaniment
Arrangement
Composition Elective
Conducting Elective
Contemporary Songwriting
Cross-cultural Approaches to Musicianship
Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Dynamic Rehearsal
Electronic Experimental Ensemble
Freelance Musician
Music & Environment
Musicianship for Vocalists: Consort Singing
Practical Pedagogy
Professional Audition
Professional Placement
Repertoire Project
Research Lecture Recital
Small Ensemble Performance
Underrepresented Music and Musicians

Further information about how the Conducting for Community or Youth Ensembles pathway operates is available within the Conducting pages our website.